Concurrent Resolution on the Budget for Fiscal Year 2016 -- Continued

Floor Speech

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Mr. COONS. Mr. President, I come to the floor to speak about our
Nation's war against ISIS and why we must pay for it responsibly. As
our Nation's Armed Forces continue their critical mission to degrade
and destroy ISIS, which is already months underway, we need to consider
another part of our strategy--paying for the war. This is not a new
concept. Our Nation has a long history of paying for our military
missions. In fact, every war since the Revolutionary War, to the first
Gulf War, was paid for.

Through each of our Nation's armed conflicts, new revenue streams not
only provided the resources our military needed, they reminded the
American people that our country was at war and we all needed to
contribute to the effort. But after 14 years and 2 wars that have cost
our Nation trillions of dollars, I fear we have forgotten this
important lesson from our history.

We cannot write another blank check for a war. Paying for a war
against ISIS is the right thing to do. It is fiscally, morally, and
militarily responsible. As we continue to debate this war authorization
in Congress, we need to be honest with the American people and each
other about what it will cost our Nation. That is why, as we debate the
budget this week, I have offered an amendment that requires us to raise
the revenue to pay for the fight against ISIS. The American people
deserve no less.

I urge my colleagues to join me on this amendment to pay for a
critically important war against ISIS and ensure we fight this battle
together as one country.

Thank you.

With that, Mr. President, I yield the floor.

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Mr. COONS. Mr. President, I would like to speak briefly about four of
the amendments I have brought up this evening to provide some
background and detail.

Amendment No. 391

First, I would like to speak about amendment No. 391, an amendment I
have offered that would help small businesses to provide health insurance to their employees.

The Affordable Care Act made important strides toward making health
care more affordable and accessible to millions of Americans. One of
the ways the ACA was intended to expand coverage was through business
tax credits, to help business owners who want to do right by their
workers and provide health insurance. These tax credits were a good
first step.

But over the past 2 years, it has become clear we need to do more, to
expand and simplify them to help more small businesses. Although many
people I speak with have benefitted greatly from the new coverage
afforded by the ACA, I have also spoken to many small business owners
in Delaware who have wanted to take advantage of the tax credit but
could not because it was too complicated or they did not qualify.

We need to listen to these concerns and strengthen our health care
system so it works for everyone. That is why I am offering my amendment
to expand access to the ACA's small business tax credit, which is based
on legislation I have introduced with eight of my colleagues. The small
business owners I speak with who do not see their employees as labor
costs or lines on a balance sheet, who see them as members of their
family and a key part of their business and community, those small
business owners want to do right by their workers and help ensure that
their health care needs are covered.

We should do everything we can to help them meet those goals. So I
urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this amendment to expand
health care tax credits for small business owners.

If I might very briefly speak to the three remaining amendments I
have made pending.

Amendment No. 394

Amendment No. 394 is cosponsored by Republican Senator Pat Roberts of
Kansas and is also cosponsored by Senator Schumer. It is the startup
innovation credit. It makes the research and development tax credit
accessible to early-stage and startup companies, an important way that
we can take a long-established tax credit that is of real benefit to
significant, profitable companies that invest heavily in R and make
it accessible to those fast-growing, early-stage companies in our
economy.

Amendment No. 392

Second, I have the college savings bill. This is amendment No. 392
with Senator Rubio of Florida. It is a deficit-neutral reserve fund
that encourages the use of college savings accounts. Study after study
has shown that if young children have even as little as $500 in a
savings account for college, they are three times more likely to enroll
in college.

Access is also reliant on affordability. College savings accounts
make college more affordable and thus more accessible, but it also
lifts young people's sights and helps them focus on the importance of a
college education.

Amendment No. 343

The last amendment is No. 343, which provides for support for farm
bill conservation programs, which have been cut over the last 5 years
by $2 billion.

It is important that we preserve the long bipartisan-supported
conservation programs in our farm bill that make a huge difference for
farms of all kinds across our Nation.

I urge my colleagues to support each of my amendments I discussed.

I yield the floor.

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