Decision to retire at the end of his term. We will also hear from minority leader Chuck Schumer who discusse President Trump and Foreign Policy. S sen. Mcconnell as we open the second session of the 115th congress, we are pleased to welcome my colleagues back to the chamber. Welcome the two new senators just wanted. First senators doug jones will have take shoes to fill. His estate has sent distinguished legislators to washington including jeff sessions. Second having served served as a prosecutor in the Northern District of alabama and we welcome it. We also welcome tina smith. She searched the people of minnesota as lieutenant governor. Representoin and them in the senate. I welcome them both and look forward to working with them i make progress and find Common Ground on behalf of the people. Ae senate will need to tackle number of important issues this year. It is my sincere hope to do so in a spirit of collegiality and bipartisanship. I know colleagues on both side the hope andhare it is urgent that we make it a reality. Congress must reach an agreement ensure on our uninterrupted funding for the government. Under the budget control act, americas military has been stretched thin and harmed our combat readiness since fiscal year 2013 defense spending has outpaced domestic spending cuts by 85 billion. Let me say that again, mr. President. Since this time in 2013, military cuts have outpaced by 85c pending cuts billion. Is no reason why funding for National Security and our Service Members should be limited by an arbitrary political formula that bears no relationship to actual need. Lets come together across the aisle and construct a Funding Agreement that gives our men and women in uniform the tools and training they need. On another matter, mr. President , over the last week, one of the often overlooked cause for irans regional aggression has come to light. Protesters have taken to the streets demanding that president ayatollah do more. Followup and other groups have diverted resources away from economic reform and investment. The government has prioritized them at to the military and security elites and clerical institutions, the people throughout iran have suffered. Their discontent is fully evident as part of our overall strategy toward iran, which should be focused on ending maligned activities across the middle east, we should hold accountable any officials responsible on the crackdown of these protests. We will see if hardliners use the protests to promote a more aggressive policy toward the west and tighten their grip further on the country and its economy. One final matter, yesterday, a very distinguished senator announces intention to retire at the end of this congress. Orrin hatch has served the people of utah in this body. He is not only our president pro tem, as we celebrated last year, senator hatch is a longest serving republican senator in the history of the United States. During his historic tenure, he shared three key committees, and build a truly remarkable resume of accomplishments on behalf of the American People. Senator hatch has defended National Security and religious freedom. Just last month as Senate Finance committee chairman, he played an integral role in the most significant tax reform law in 30 years. , butl miss his friendship i know his wife elaine and his loved family will be glad to welcome him home. Fortunately, its not yet time to say farewell. The institution and American People will benefit greatly from the senators wisdom and work ethic from one more year before his retirement. Mr. President , i understand is correct. Or the clerk will read the title of the bill for the second time. A bill that provides for the composition for federal employees affected by lapses in appropriations. I would object to further proceedings. Objection having been heard, it will be placed on the calendar. Mr. President. The democratic leader. I welcome all of my colleagues back from holiday break, wish them a happy new year and our country a happy 2018. I was gratified to see two of best Vice President s we have ever had for the ceremonies and glad to see former senators mondale and president srs vice mondale invite him and biden, as feisty and strong in giving us their opinions as they have ever been. It is also very exciting to welcome two new members who will be joining the democratic caucus. Minnesota andm Douglas Jones from alabama. In joining this hottie, they both bring a wealth of experience and individual passions. Former lieutenant governor, tina smith, rings several Years Experience of serving at the highest level of date government where she focused on economic of element economic development. Issues she will continue to fight here in the senate. In that work, she was praised as extremely intelligent, quick to learn, and always open to hearing others views. She was also dubbed the velvet hammer for her ability to work across the aisle, but it tough when she needs to be feared those are precisely the qualities that make an effective senator. The people of minnesota are lucky to have her and we look forward to welcoming her in our next caucus. We also look forward to welcoming senator doug jones. He too represents the best of public service, the best of america. The things we as i do in this country. One story from his biography stands out. As a second year of law student, doug jones skip class to attend the trial of the klansmen ringleader of the 1963 bombing baptist church, an event that shook the conscious of our country and helped launch a Mighty Movement toward civil rights. That day, a young doug jones was moved by the disposition of justice, but he was left with the impression that other members of the conspiracy had eastgate escaped the reach of the law. 44 years later, when doug jones became the u. S. Attorney for the state of alabama, he pursued charges against two more clan members involved in the bombing delivering a longdelayed righteous justice. With his work, justice roll down like a mighty stream eric he will continue to fight for civil rights and many other issues in the senate. I know he cares deeply about the chip program. I hope we can get that done for his state and his country area soon very soon. Doug jones is an excellent candidate, like senator smith, he will make an outstanding senator. She for the state of minnesota, he for the state of alabama. The voices of jones and smith will add to the diversity and energy of our caucus. I predict both will become influential voices in this Historic Chamber and each of their states had great football victories this weekend i might add. I watched alabama win over we moved to the playoffs. It was a great day for these two states and a whole lot of ways this weekend in very good so far, 2018 with the swearing in of these two senators. Lets talk a little bit about a new direction. Let the induction of these two this afternoon be the beginning of a new direction for the senate and the second half of this congress. The first half of the 115th congress was not to be proud of. Artisan legislation emerged from the Majority Leaders Office and dropped on the floor of the senate sometimes hours before we were asked to vote on its final passage. Procedural gimmicks were used to avoid debate and bipartisanship. An at economy wrapped by unfairness and inequality was made more unfair and more unequal by a republican majority, which almost delighted revoking consumer protections, install the ro corporate supreme court, drove up the health care premiums, and pass a tax bill dramatic ace youd to the benefit of big corporations in the very wealthy. Great all, 2017 was a year for wealthy republican donors, but a loss here for the middle last and working in and women of this country. We democrats hope this year is different, focus on the middle us rather than the rich and powerful. Focus on helping them in the ways we have done in the last decade, democratic and republican president s rather than this trickle down, which benefits the few at the top in the very few and does not benefit the very many in the middle. These first few weeks, mr. President , we have a chance to start off on the right foot. We have two weeks to negotiate a butdeal that almost also must address a host of other issues in putting chip, unity health centers, disaster aid, and of course the dreamers. Democrats would like to make a down payment on urgent to mystic ironies like combating the that for theic first time caused our Life Expectancy to decline because of a higher death rate from opioid. We want to improve Veterans Health care. They served us, we must serve them here and sure of Pension Plans for hardworking middleclass americans who put money in every month and because markete the stock crash and corporate misdeeds arent getting what they put in for. These are crucial to the middle class. Take opioids for example, a record 63,000 americans died of drug overdoses, two thirds or more were opioid related. It is a fullfledged epidemic. It strikes the rich, middleclass, and poor alike. It strikes urban america, suburban america, and Rural America alike. I have had a father cry in my arms because his son had decided to turn himself around and signed up for a treatment program, but the line was so long because the funding was so scarce that the young man died of an overdose before he could enter treatment. The Opioid Crisis is stealing our youth. We have known about it for years. It is not new. It is heartbreaking how much we know about it and how little we have done about it. The American People sent us here to do americas business and that means addressing its greatest challenges. Lets make a Real Investment in this budget deal and how we gorge. His court this the budget is the right place to stop. A few years ago we made a promise to hundreds of thousands of children who brought to the u. S. Through no fault of their own that if they registered with the government we would support them. We said we want you to be americans, learn in our schools, work at our companies, serving our military. Forwarddreamers came and did that. Above all else they wanted to be americans. They dont know another country here at now we are faced with a deadline. In a few months, protections for dreamers will evaporate. Thousands of dreamers are losing protected status per week. Deckthat Congress Passed of into law for once and for all. Democratsding including myself led by senator durbin have said over and over again, we are ready to negotiate a reasonable package of Border Security to pass alongside daca. We believe in Border Security. We want to make it real, not symbolic, but we believe in it. Engage in goodes faith without unreasonable absurdlyike an borderve and ineffective wall that many republicans publicly disagree with and privately many more do, i would like to thank active Senate Pro Tem for his involvement as well. 2017 was a year and which little was accomplished in what was done was done for the wealthy and narrow special interests. One ofthis one can be bipartisanship focusing on the middle class. They are the ones hurting in america. They are the ones need help. Those are the ones who worry about the future in this grand and wonderful country. He can start with opioids, Veterans Health care, pensions, Childrens Health insurance and disaster aid. We can resolve the state of the dreamers and hardworking kids that america has a place for them, too. Later today, four and optional four congestion wil congressional leaders will meet. Nationalaward on security, mr. President , the senate has a role in conducting the nations the, but as head of the state the president of United States represents our country to the world. That is a very serious, sober responsibility that rick ours strength, intelligence, sound judgment, and respect for the moral authority that comes with an awesome responsibility of the President Trump has squandered the moral authority that comes with the president the of the United States. A moral authority that this country has taken generations to build that helps us bring a light to the world and helps us economically and every other way as the world has always looked up to america and our ideals. That moralunately, authority is declining under President Trumps leadership and declining rapidly. It may have reached a low point yesterday when President Trump wrote tweet after sweet offering a very poor representation of the United States to the world. More than that, President Trumps or in policy by tweet is doing serious damage to the country. Where we have serious issues to address a broad, President Trump seems happy with macho boast and belligerent threats that get us nowhere. If any one of us were in a ssroom who behave that like President Trump has, we would ostracize them. We dont hear of people here the vast majority of our republicans colleagues about this, so many of whom are these are serious issues to address a broad. President trumps Foreign Policy by tweet will not advance our standing in the world, not reassure our allies that it is better to work with us been against us. What it will do, what it has already done, is unsettled our allies and embolden our adversaries. What it will do is seed leadership in the world to china , which is eagerly awaiting for every opportunity to drive a wedge between our country and other countries around the world. Without a steady and reliable hand at the home, our allies may be uncertain that they can continue to trust the United States to honor our commitment to maintain a steady course. China and russia are rushing to by anhe void left unsteady United States. Aspires toi jinping being the world leader in his new years speech who says china would be the keeper of the International Order in 2018. If President Trump continues stubbing our allies, threatening other nations, and showing leadership on the world stage that can only be defined as puerile, the world may look to beijing, not washington, for international leadership. I read people, where our our friends, the republican hawks who have been so concerned about americas leadership in the world, who decry the fact that president obama had not done enough for that leadership. My dear friend, senator john mccain, would typically stand up and speak about this. And hopefully he will be back soon to do so. But for the rest of my republican friends, i would say withwith sincerity not partisanship, but out of love for the country in the leadership we have shown for decades, they should please our republican friends, tell the president stop tweeting, start leading. We are almost through a calendar year of the trump presidency. President trump can no longer be given the benefit of the doubt that comes with learning one of the toughest jobs in the world. Colleaguesblican should not be given a pass by the American People if they fail to speak out or take at and against this behavior. Isir silence, unfortunately, complicity in the degradation of the presidency in the power of this country. The American People expect our president to represent the United States with it and strength. Thats not what we saw yesterday. Its time that we all started speaking out against it. I yield the floor. As the second session got underway, the senate swore in two new members, doug jones from alabama and minnesotas tina smith, both democrats. The new total is 51 republicans, 47 democrats, and two independent. Senator jones and senator smith reenacted the ceremony in the Old Senate Chamber with Vice President mike pence. Senator jones in his family were escorted by former Vice President joe biden. Senator smith and her family were escorted by formal former senator Walter Mondale and the certificate of election two will the term for