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The Senate will come to order the Senate's chaplain, the Reverend Dr. Barry Black, will leave the Senate in prayer.

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of bringing healing to our nation and world, strengthen our lawmakers as they deal with unattended

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needs and unsolved problems, make them eager to lift burdens and ready to respond in service

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to humanity. Lord, help each of us to feel a bit of the responsibility for the challenges

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that hang heavy over our land. In your unfailing love, give us the wisdom to follow

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the leading of your powerful

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providence.

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We pray in your holy name.

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Please join me in reciting the pledge of allegiance to the flag.

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A pledge of allegiance to the flag of the United States and America,

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and to the Republic for which the sense,

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one nation of my entire life,

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into this world.

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The communication to the Senate.

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Washington, D.C. March 30, 2023 to the Senate under the provisions of Rule 1, paragraph 3 of the Standing Rules of the Senate.

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A hereby appoint the Honorable Raphael G. Warnock, a senator from the state of Georgia, to perform the duties of the chair.

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So I'm Patty Murray, president for a temporary.

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Under the previous order, the leadership time is reserved.

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Mr. President, the majority leader. First on our work period recap, well, 66 to 30, that's the final count of yesterday's vote to repeal the Iraq AUMFs of

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2002 and 1991, bipartisan success years in the making. That was a very good moment here on the floor yesterday, a sign that senators on both sides want to see bipartisan

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and ship continue in this chamber. We can see it again if members work together on issues

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that Americans care about, like lowering costs, preserving America's competitiveness, and

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in yesterday's case stopping endless wars in the Middle East. It's my hope.

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Mr. President,

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And it is my hope that the AMF you repeal can be a model.

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A blueprint for how the Senate operates in the coming years. It's not easy, but it's very much possible.

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And I thank my Republican colleagues, particularly Senator Young for their cooperation.

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AUMF repeal was the conclusion of a successful busy work period, five week work period that we just completed in the Senate.

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a busy and successful five-week work period on and off the floor. We confirmed another

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14 highly qualified judicial nominees to lifetime appointments to the bench, 13 district

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and one circuit court judge, bringing our total to 119 new judges, 119 new judges. That

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makes us proud, under President Biden. I also want to recognize our committee chairs for their

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good work over the past month or so, holding a number that was hearing after hearing day after day

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on important issues that Americans care about, like rail safety, the health of our banks,

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the rights of working Americans, the President's budget, and more.

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The Senate will hit the ground running when we return from the April State Work Period

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by taking up much-needed fire grants and safety act.

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It's my hope that yesterday's 96-0 vote in favor of moving forward for 10s for swift action, argued very strongly and argues very strongly against

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Delatory tactics.

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Let's do the same thing we did on AUMF.

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We're willing to allow some amendments.

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We've got to move forward.

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This is something that is supported broadly, as shown by the 96-0 vote.

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Just this week, 29 fire and emergency service groups warned Congress that with summer around the corner,

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local fire departments of all kinds are woefully understaffed underfunded and underrequipped

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to meet their obligations to keep people safe.

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So when we return, the Senate must move quickly to pass fire grants legislation without unnecessary

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delays to this overwhelmingly bipartisan legislation.

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Now, on the Senator from Alabama is holding up military nominations, the Senator from Alabama

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continues to hold, continues his hold on more than 180 now, promotions, military promotions,

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blatantly ignoring many warnings of the harm he is causing to our national security.

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It's reckless. It's just reckless. Yesterday, Secretary of Defense, Lloyd Austin, warned that

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talking these promotions, quote, creates a ripple effect through the force that makes us far less

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ready than we need to be. Do you hear that senator from Alabama? The Secretary of Defense

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is saying that what you do makes us far less ready than we need to be at a time when China and

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Iran and Russia are all causing all kinds of security problems and threats. But Secretary

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where he lost and also emphasized another point, very important one.

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The senator's stonewalling is having consequences, bad consequences, heart wrenching consequences

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for our military families.

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By blocking these promotions, the senator from Alabama is blocking pay raises for these

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officers and their families.

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By blocking these promotions, the senator from Alabama is blocking military kids from starting

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new schools, setting them back in their education.

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When a member of the military serves, their family serves too.

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Does the senator from Alabama understand the disruption in chaos?

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He is causing to military families.

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These are people serving us.

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They're not political.

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They've worked hard.

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They've done a good job.

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They've got a promotion.

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A promotion means moving.

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Change is a venue.

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Change is a school.

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It means a career path.

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How long you've been at one rank and then to another?

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The Senator from Alabama is playing havoc with so many military families who are non-political,

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who have served our country well, who thought they were ready for promotion until this cruel act of the Senator from Alabama stop them.

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These military families have done nothing, nothing to deserve the disrespect and disdain shown by the Senator from Alabama.

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It's insulting to our service members that one senator just one is holding up what is long been a routine and nonpartisan process.

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Again, I urge my colleague from Alabama to think this through and stand down.

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We understand he has passion on the issue.

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We disagree with it vehemently, so to most Americans.

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But passion on the issue was not an excuse for causing havoc in the military in terms of force

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and in terms of the lives of the families and I would again plead with my Republican colleagues whether it's public or private.

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To go to the Senator Alabama and dissuade him from his folly.

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On the budget, and debt ceiling, and show us your plan. House Republicans are starting to see why. They themselves are starting to see why.

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There attempts to threaten default to secure spending cuts was a terrible idea from the start. It's not only reckless, it's not only dangerous. It turns out they can't even follow through on it. This week, the chairman of the House Financial Services Committee admitted,

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that he doesn't even see a path to an agreement for lifting the debt ceiling.

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And at least 16 Republicans have never voted to raise the debt ceiling at all.

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Even under President Trump, that's true.

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But the problem here isn't that there is in a path, of course there's a path.

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It's staring Republicans in the face.

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The solution is what we Democrats have said from the start.

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Instead of threatening default, instead of bringsmanship,

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Republicans should work with us on a clean extension of the debt ceiling.

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We did it three times under Donald Trump.

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We've already done it under President Biden, and we should do it again.

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If Republicans want to push a separate discussion on the budget, that's their prerogative.

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And in fact, it has been done many times by both parties in the past.

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But the Republicans would be reckless to take the full faith and credit of the United States

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hostage in order to force a conversation on the budget, particularly when there's an alternative

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tried and true path that has been used before, separate debt ceiling and raising the ability

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of us to pay our debts and discussings on the budget on taxes and on spending which we always

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do. It's tying the two together. That's reckless.

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And so it's becoming clearer and clearer

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to Republicans themselves, even those in the House, that the only legitimate path forward is this.

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Let's have a bipartisan and clean extension of the death ceiling, as we've done many times before.

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And then Republicans can push a separate discussion on the budget.

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The American people have listened to us.

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A month and a half, and go, I started telling the Republican leader, show us your plan.

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President Biden, how came Jeffries and many others have joined in in that call.

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And it's resonating from one end of America to the other, of course, you can't sit down

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and discuss something if you don't have a plan.

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Leader McCarthy just says, let's meet, but what are they going to do?

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Discuss the weather, the rearrangement to the furniture?

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Come on,

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do it the right way, you're beginning to see what we have said all along, that

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The best way to do this is no hostage taking no brinksmanship on the debt ceiling and a strong

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habit and passionate discussion on the spending issues one separate from the other.

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House Republicans cannot show us their plan and as we said, they're going to have a ravice

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we've predicted two months ago, a month and a half ago, it's going to be very hard for

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them to get two hundred eighteen votes on any plan.

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So, come on, look at the mirror, see what's going on, and do it the right way.

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Santa McCarthy, today is March 30th.

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It's been long enough, you still haven't come up with a single specific cut that makes

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any difference in debt that you want to do.

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Show us your plan, drop the bringsmanship, join Democrats on a clean extension of the debt ceiling,

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And finally, on HR1, the house is expected today to vote on Republicans partisan, un-serious and so-called energy package that they call HR1.

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So first, once again, I want to make it clear.

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HR1 is dead on arrival in the Senate.

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Not because of politics, but because it's so ridiculous,

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and has been drawn up by a bunch of pro-oil senators, of no regard for anything else,

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No Democrat has been consulted, so obviously the Republicans knew that in the house when they passed it.

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But they want it seem to go back, in HR1, they go back to the Magus supporters back home, the big oil companies.

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The oiled wild caters in so many of the oil states,

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who don't want to pay any taxes, who don't want anything to do with moving us forward as the climate gets worse and worse.

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The Senate is not going to waste our time on a bill that sets America back decades in our

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transition to clean energy.

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All it takes is a brief glance at HR1 to realize it's just a giveaway to-

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Big oil. House Republican so-called energy package just got some important safeguards, environmental

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safeguards on fossil fuel projects. It would lock America into expensive, erratic and dirty

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energy sources while setting us back more than a decade on our decision to move forward on clean

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energy, which this nation fully supports. Transmission, of course, is usually important

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to increasing access on clean energy, but the Republican plan hardly even mentions it.

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So, again, the way to do this, Republicans in the House, is in a bipartisan way.

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We have a Republican House, we have a Democratic Senate.

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No party is going to be able to jam its way through without consulting the other side.

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That's true on debt ceiling, that's true on budget, and it's certainly true on HR1.

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There are Republicans in the House and Democrats in the House.

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There are Republicans in the Senate and Democrats in the Senate who want to sit down and do

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a serious energy package.

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We need to do it.

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Let's stop this, bring somemanship, let's stop this political game playing, let's stop this

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throwing bones to the Magahard Wright, which represents maybe 5% of America.

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Let's roll up our sleeves.

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Let's get down to work and get something done on energy and on so many other issues.

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I yield the floor.

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I yield the floor.

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That missed it.

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Let the chair do.

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Let the chair do anything.

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When in businesses close under the previous order, the Senate will resume consideration of

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the motion to proceed to S-870, which the clerk will report.

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Motion to proceed to S-870, a bill to amend the Federal Fire Prevention and Control Act of 1974

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and so forth.

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On to the previous order, all post-culture time is expired.

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The question is on the motion to proceed, all in favor say aye.

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Those opposed no.

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The eyes appear to have it.

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The eyes do have it.

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The motion is agreed to.

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The clerk will report the bill.

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Calendar number 28 as 870, a builder will amend the Federal Fire Prevention and Control Act

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of 1974 and so forth.

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I send an amendment to the desk and I ask that it be reported by

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Number.

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The Clerk will report.

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The Senator from New York, Mr. Schumer, proposes an amendment, number 58.

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Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that 1145 AM, the Senate proceed to executive

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session to consider calendar 69, Richard R. Verma, to be Deputy Secretary of State for

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Management and Resources that there be five minutes for debate equally divided in the usual

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form on the nomination that upon the user yielding back at the time the Senate vote without

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intervening action or debate on the nomination, that if the nomination is confirmed,

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the motion to reconsider, be considered, made and laid upon the table, and the President

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would be immediately notified of the Senate's action, and then the Senate resumed legislative

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business.

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With the objection?

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So ordered.

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I yield the floor and note the absence of a quorum.

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The clerk will call the roll.

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Ms. Baldwin.

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Mr. President.

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The majority would ask consent to Corme called me suspended.

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With the objection.

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Mr. President, when I took the chair.

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It took the devil as chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, one of my first goals and objectives

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was to restore the committee's oversight role.

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Since the beginning of the 117th Congress, we've kept close watch on those agencies in the

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executive branch, which are within our jurisdiction.

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We've held oversight hearings on the Justice Department, FBI, and the Federal Bureau of

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President's Dimension, a few.

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So this last Tuesday we continued that tradition with a second oversight hearing on the Department

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of Homeland Security.

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It's worth noting that under the previous administration, the previous president, the Homeland

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Security Secretary, only appeared before our committee one time in four years.

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So we're glad to welcome Secretary Mayorkas back to the hearing room and learn about the work

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that he is undertaking to keep America safe.

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As I mentioned on Tuesday, I think Secretary America's has one of the hardest jobs in Washington.

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Department of Homeland Security is responsible for defending our nation for a wide range of threats.

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From domestic terrorism, narcotics trafficking, climate crisis, even cyber attacks.

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But despite this broad mandate, our discussion kept returning to one subject last Tuesday.

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America's broke.

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Immigration System. It was interesting to hear the Republican senators on my committee, critical

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of the job that Mr. Mayorkus is doing as head of the DHS. One of the same time, it has been

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over 30 years since this body, the United States Senate, has enacted legislation to upgrade

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and modernize our immigration system. 30 years, trust me, the world has changed dramatically in

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period. The Senate has refused to keep pace. It's easy to criticize Secretary

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America's about our border situation, and he faces some amazing challenges.

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But let's face it. We share in the responsibility for this situation, and we

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certainly share in the burden of coming up with solutions that help. For years, I've

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tried my best to pass appropriations reform. There was, by partisan moment, 10 years

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ago, when a so-called gang of eight senators, four Democrats, four Republicans, and I was

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included in that group, set down and wrote a comprehensive immigration reform package.

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I think it was pretty good, in fact, it was so good that it passed on the floor of the

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United States Senate with over 60 votes in favor of it.

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We had our fingers crossed and sent it across the Rotunda over to the Republican control

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house, and for two years they refused to even consider it.

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They even call it for a debate, to offer any of their own amendments.

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They did nothing, nothing, and we are paying the price for that today.

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So here's the question after this week's hearing.

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Are we going to keep pointing our fingers and mugging for the cameras, or are we going to come

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together to fix any immigration system?

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I'm ready.

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I certainly hope the members of the House are ready, but we need it by partisan consensus

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to get that done.

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On another topic, Mr. President, it's a problem that I'm going to discuss that affects roughly

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a hundred million Americans.

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In the wealthiest nation in the world, nearly one in three people, in this nation,

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live an area with two few doctors.

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You know the story in your home-stated Georgia.

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I know it in Illinois.

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I've seen it whenever I visit a clinic or hospital outside of Chicago, I hear the same thing.

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Our health care system is understaffed, underfunded, and under-equipped to address the health

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needs of American families.

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The greatest health care system in the world is suffering from serious shortages and deficiencies.

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The pandemic brought this to light.

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It may not have broken us, but it showed us where our health system has broken.

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Over the past three years, our doctors, nurses, and other health care providers have been

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to the brink. And as a result, nearly one out of every five health care workers is quit

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through jobs. Think about that, 20 percent quit their jobs. These departures have taken a massive

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toll on health care in America. And in the years ahead, as our population ages, our needs

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grow and more providers leave the profession, those challenges will get worse, unless we

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in Congress do something. In the next decade, America has expected the face of shortage of more

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120,000 doctors. By 2025 we may face a deficit of nearly a half a million nurses, and that's

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on top of our current shortage. 100,000 dentists that we need now, hundreds of thousands

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of mental health care professionals. This is a ticking time bond for every community in America,

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especially rural communities and communities of color, but already have less access to

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affordable care. So here in Congress, we need to prevent these looming shortages from becoming

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a crisis. Earlier this month, Senator Marco Rubio, Republican of Florida, and I joined

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an introducing the Restoring America's healthcare workforce and readiness act. It's a bipartisan

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measure to address the healthcare work shortage in America. Over the next three years, our

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bill would provide hundreds of millions of dollars to the National Health Service Corps

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scholarship and loan repayment program, more than doubling the current funding level.

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This program is vital to pay for the education and training in recruitment of the next

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generation of doctors, nurses, dentists, and behavioral health specialists.

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Now why is this program in particular so important?

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Well, let me tell you one of the biggest drivers of American healthcare workers shortage

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is the cost of medical education.

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Doctors graduating medical school with $2 or $300,000 in student loan debt or more can hardly consider taking post and rural and underserved areas.

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They've got to pay off those loans.

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And so because of those debt.

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That's, they may not be able to do what they want to do. Give care and professional treatment to some of the

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most needy people in America. We take our best and brightest. We educate them so well, but we

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heap debt on them unimaginable that makes some real difference in their career choices. So with

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the National Health Service Corps and Nurse Corps, aspiring health professionals have another option.

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If they will serve in areas of need, we will forgive student loans, in fact, in some cases

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providing scholarships for those who are in medical training.

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The National Health Service Corps was created 50 years ago.

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More recently we've seen the difference it can make.

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In the American Rescue Plan, the Congress passed in 2021.

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I included a one-time $1 billion funding increase for scholarships and loan repayments

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in the National Health Service Corps.

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It was the largest single-year appropriation

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for our health workforce in the history.

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And at this very moment,

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that funding is supporting thousands,

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thousands of doctors, nurses,

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dentists, and other professionals across America.

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Today, 21 million Americans receive health care

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from National Health Service Corps personnel.

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I recently received a letter from one of those

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who provide that kind of health care.

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Her name is Shannon.

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She's a licensed clinical social worker in Illinois.

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First generation college student from a working class family tells me her lifelong dream was to have a professional career in social work.

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But her ambitions were limited because of the cost of graduate school.

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She just couldn't imagine taking on that debt.

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Then in July 2022, she found a path forward.

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She was accepted into the program I described.

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In Shannon's words, quote, being accepted into this program has changed my life, has given

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me a chance at financial freedom, and professionally this program allowed me to grow into

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my career.

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Today, Shannon is working as a behavioral health care provider in Carmedale, Illinois, wonderful

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Jackson County.

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In Shannon's words, this role allows her to quote, come into contact with those in rural

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southern Illinois who are in great need of behavioral health services such as counseling.

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It's hard to imagine a better investment in America's future than programs like the National

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Huskers Corps and Nurse Corps.

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In Shannon's case, this program enabled her to pursue her lifelong passion.

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The community's winning, Shannon's winning, it's a win-win situation.

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We need to make more stories like Shannon's possible, and we have a chance to do it with

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the bipartisan bill that Senator Rubio and I have.

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If you go home to your state as a United States Senator and you visit and ask local health

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care providers, they're going to tell you the same thing from one corner of America to the

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other corner.

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We're in desperate need of medical professionals to care for people who are underserved

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now.

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What are we going to do about it?

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What is the Senate going to do about it?

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What will our generation do about it?

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Can we put together the resources now to meet these shortages and needs in the health care workforce?

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That's the challenge that we face.

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The National Health Service Corps is up for reauthorization this fall.

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I'll be working with the health chair, Bernie Sanders,

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ranking member Bill Cassidy to pass our legislation.

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One last point I'd like to make.

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It was several years ago that I was visited by a couple of emergency medical service personnel from Illinois.

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Mark and Mavis Kennedy, their EMTs in Navu, Illinois,

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of a storied and historic town on the western part of

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Downstate Illinois, and they told us about trying to provide

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ambulance and emergency health services in a rural county,

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in this case, Amcott County, where Navu is located.

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They talked about the expense of upgrading the equipment

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in their ambulances so that they can make sure that the person that they're trying to help

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gets all of the necessary medical care on the way to the hospital. We dreamed of an idea

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and I want to credit the Kennedy's of Navu as well as Andrew Jackson for Chief in Magnolia.

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And many others who said, why don't we have a grant program specifically for our equipment in

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these ambulances and for the training of emergency medical personnel? So at the time we

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We're debating the Farm Bill, I think it was about four or five years ago.

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I went to the Chairman of the Farm Agriculture Committee, Senator Pant Roberts of rural

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Kansas, and said, in Pat, I think we've got an idea here that's going to help communities

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not only in our states, but across the nation.

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He generously agreed to serve as my co-sponsor on a bill that we called the Siren Act.

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And the Siren Act said to these...

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Hamiltonian services and emergency medical responders, you can apply for assistance and help to the federal government, and we will try to help you buy the new equipment you need to make sure that your ambulance is right where it needs to be.

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You have to understand if you don't live in a rural area that some of these ambulance services are really the difference between life and death.

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They are the first responders, in fact, they are the only responders.

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They come to scenes across small town America and provide the kind of medical services

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to keep people alive for those precious minutes on the way to a hospital.

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And so the idea of giving them the best and the most modern equipment makes all the difference

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in the world.

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Well, thanks to Senator Roberts who has since retired from the state of Kansas, we included

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the Siren Act in the Farm Bill several years ago.

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I've talked to Senator Debbie Sabinow of Michigan, who has now the Chairman of the Agriculture

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Committee, and told her that I hope we can reauthorize this program in the next form

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bill.

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She supports it.

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I'm going to talk to the Republicans on the committee as well.

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I hope that we can do that.

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What we've done has been able to make grants available, first $5 million in fiscal year, $10

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and a half million in 2023, and we hope to even go higher in the years to come.

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Does it make any difference?

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Well, just a few minutes ago, Mark and Mavis Kennedy

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have not available an eye were in my office.

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They're in uniform and they're very proud of the work

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that they do in Handcock County.

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Because of the assistance that we've provided to them

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in one of their applications, they've been able

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to extend their emergency medical services

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to virtually all the towns in Handcock County.

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What it means is for their ambulance service.

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Instead of 140 calls a year,

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They're now receiving 361 virtually a call every single day for services and they have the equipment and the personnel well trained by the same Siren Act to respond and save lives as are transporting people living at county to nearby hospitals.

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If it's someone you love in your family, it was a desperate medical need.

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If it's your child, or your grandchild, or your parents, and you have that one phone

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call to make.

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You want that ambulance there as quickly as possible, and the people on board is well trained

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as possible.

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The Siren Act does that.

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It's small by federal standards.

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I hope it will increase in the years ahead, but it just proves that when people are willing

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to sacrifice, volunteer, and help in local communities.

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And we stand by them and give them a helping hand

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in as the difference between life and death.

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So I hope all my colleagues will join us in

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this effort to reauthorize the Siren Act

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as part of our commitment to increase health care personnel

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and their qualifications across the United States.

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Mr. President, I yield the floor.

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Thank you.

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The Republican whip. President sent in a quorum call. We are not. We are not. Okay? All right.

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01:29:09,210 --> 01:29:15,730
This President, in January of this year, a former Democrat Senator Pendant Oppaid urging Democrats to do away with the Senate

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01:29:15,730 --> 01:29:23,270
tradition of blue slips. This was followed within weeks by an editorial from the New York Times, and an

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at the Washington Post making similar arguments.

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And while the Democrat chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee has indicated his desire

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to maintain the blue slip process, talk of abandoning blue slip remains concerning, especially

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given Democrats' attempt last year to do away with a legislative filibuster, a mainstay

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01:29:44,030 --> 01:29:49,830
of Senate procedure in a garntor of minority party representation.

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This present blue slips, the so-called, because they are literally blue slips of paper, requesting

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01:29:57,670 --> 01:29:59,970
perspective on judicial nominees from their whole-

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01:30:00,000 --> 01:30:06,780
Some state senators are a long-time Senate tradition. They serve the important function of ensuring that

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01:30:06,780 --> 01:30:13,260
senators are consulted about judicial appointments from their state. And that is particularly relevant

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01:30:13,260 --> 01:30:18,420
when it comes to nominees to serve as federal district court judges. This President, the founder,

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01:30:18,620 --> 01:30:29,980
set up a Senate, set up a Senate in such a way as to provide a voice for states in the national

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01:30:29,980 --> 01:30:35,300
in a way that a representative in the House of Representatives does not simply because he or

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she only represents a single district.

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01:30:39,140 --> 01:30:43,760
State representation is a particular relevance when it comes to the most numerous type

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01:30:43,760 --> 01:30:47,980
of judicial nominee, and that's the Federal District Court Judges.

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Unlike Circuit Court Judges, there's Supreme Court Justice's Federal District Court Judges

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01:30:52,540 --> 01:30:58,420
are responsible for a limited physical jurisdiction that is entirely contained within a

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01:30:58,420 --> 01:31:04,540
state, and they are regularly required to interpret state law as well as federal law.

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01:31:05,000 --> 01:31:11,220
Given that fact, Senators, as the representatives of their states, should have a particular

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say and who will receive a lifetime appointment to interpret their state's laws.

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01:31:16,820 --> 01:31:21,980
This President Constitution gives the President the power to appoint judges by and with

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the advice and consent of the Senate.

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And the blue-slip process in the Senate encourages presidents to seek that advice, not to just send

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a nominee over to the Senate for consideration and vote, but to actually discuss an nominee

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with the relevant home state senators before sending that name over.

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Blue slips also serve as a check on more extreme or problematic nominees.

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First, by encouraging the President, not to nominate excessively controversial candidates

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and second, by providing a way for home-state senators to block a nomination for their state if the president

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01:31:59,800 --> 01:32:06,600
does nominate someone problematic. Senators of both parties regularly return blue slips for judicial

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01:32:06,600 --> 01:32:13,100
nominees. In other words, they sign off on the nomination of judicial nominees who would not be their first

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01:32:13,100 --> 01:32:19,980
choice, but who may recognize as suitable to sit on the bench. And when the nominee in question

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has problems beyond just not being a home state senator's preference, blue slips have provided

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01:32:25,540 --> 01:32:32,100
away for senators of both parties to stop the nomination. Mr. President, in the pieces

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01:32:32,100 --> 01:32:37,220
that have come out in support of abolishing the blue slip process, I've noticed two strands

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01:32:37,220 --> 01:32:42,140
of thought in particular, one that things have gotten so partisan that we should just do

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away with things that are meant to foster bipartisanship. And two, that doing away with blue slips

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is worth it for the political goal to be achieved, and that is getting more Democrat judicial

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01:32:54,180 --> 01:32:55,260
nominees confirmed.

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Well, when it comes to the first Mr. President, the idea that things have gotten so partisan

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that we should just give up and embrace it, I would say that I think the last solution,

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01:33:06,680 --> 01:33:14,240
the last solution to increased partisanship, is to abolish measures that promote collaboration

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01:33:14,240 --> 01:33:15,220
and comedy.

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We've seen a lot of virulent partisanship around here lately, but the truth is that by partisanship still exists, even though it may not always receive the same kind of sensational coverage that major disputes between the parties receive.

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And anything that promotes by partisanship that encourages members of both parties to work together to listen to each other's concerns and to compromise when possible is a good thing.

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01:33:42,800 --> 01:33:49,260
But while I may not agree that the solution to increase partisanship is to just give into it,

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I am really troubled by the second idea put forward by those who want to abolish blue slips.

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That it's worth abandoning a significant Senate tradition.

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A tradition that promotes compromise, checks, unfettered majority power, and serves as a critical

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01:34:08,640 --> 01:34:13,940
check on the President for the sake of temporary political gain.

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This, of course, is hardly the first time we've seen this attitude during the Biden

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01:34:18,200 --> 01:34:18,840
administration.

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We've also seen it displayed with Democrats' attempt to abolish the legislative filibuster.

447
01:34:24,040 --> 01:34:29,520
The Senate rule that today, almost unquestionably, does more than anything else to preserve

448
01:34:29,520 --> 01:34:35,540
the founder's vision of a Senate as a place of stability and deliberation and a check on

449
01:34:35,540 --> 01:34:36,600
the power of faction.

450
01:34:37,520 --> 01:34:43,980
It's present, I'll be frank, the legislative filibuster can be frustrating in the extreme.

451
01:34:45,040 --> 01:34:49,720
When Republicans were in control of the Senate, we took multiple votes on the Born-A-Live

452
01:34:49,720 --> 01:34:55,840
Abortion Survivors Protection Act, a piece of legislation that would enshrine what should

453
01:34:55,840 --> 01:34:59,580
be the most common sense thing imaginable, and that is they living.

454
01:35:00,400 --> 01:35:13,900
Breathing child born after a boxed abortion should be granted protection, and the born-alive abortion survivors protection act would have passed without the legislative filibuster.

455
01:35:15,080 --> 01:35:23,480
So there's no question that the filibuster can stop good legislation from getting passed. This is a blue slip could prevent a good judge from being confirmed.

456
01:35:24,160 --> 01:35:34,680
But that is not a reason to do away with either of these Senate procedures, and above all,

457
01:35:35,740 --> 01:35:38,160
it's not a reason to do away with a legislative filibuster.

458
01:35:39,060 --> 01:35:43,840
Yeah, the filibuster can be frustrating, and it can certainly be used to stop good bills,

459
01:35:44,060 --> 01:35:47,160
like the Born Alive abortion survivors of protection act.

460
01:35:47,160 --> 01:35:53,520
But, it is a powerful protection against bad legislation.

461
01:35:54,820 --> 01:35:59,620
Without the legislative filibuster, there is very little of anything to prevent terrible legislation

462
01:35:59,620 --> 01:36:05,760
from getting passed by an extremely narrow or even merely technical senate majority.

463
01:36:06,780 --> 01:36:13,040
And the legislative filibuster offers a host of other benefits, encourages compromise.

464
01:36:13,040 --> 01:36:25,620
It discourages extremism and it provides a voice for Americans represented by whatever party is in the minority who also deserve representation.

465
01:36:27,220 --> 01:36:33,440
This present the founders knew that tyranny didn't just come in the form of individual despots and dictators.

466
01:36:34,760 --> 01:36:41,520
They knew that majorities could be tyrants as well and trampled on the rights of Americans in the minority.

467
01:36:41,520 --> 01:36:47,880
And the legislative filibuster helps guard against that.

468
01:36:49,060 --> 01:36:54,100
And so, Mr. President, I believe very firmly in the Senate rules and traditions that

469
01:36:54,100 --> 01:37:00,060
preserve the founder's vision of the Senate as a place of consensus and deliberation

470
01:37:00,360 --> 01:37:04,760
and that help prevent tyrannical majority from trampling on rights and representation

471
01:37:05,400 --> 01:37:07,300
for members of the minority.

472
01:37:07,300 --> 01:37:14,340
It was present while the legislative filibuster or the blue slip process may prevent a good piece

473
01:37:14,340 --> 01:37:18,760
of legislation from getting passed or a good nominee from getting confirmed.

474
01:37:19,840 --> 01:37:25,660
The alternative, the alternative, which is a system without meaningful representation from

475
01:37:25,660 --> 01:37:31,480
the minority party, and the Americans it represents without a meaningful check on extreme

476
01:37:31,480 --> 01:37:38,700
nominees or legislation threatens our constitutional rights is in fact much, much worse.

477
01:37:40,080 --> 01:37:46,880
So before Democrats think about abolishing key Senate protections against extremism or the

478
01:37:46,880 --> 01:37:53,300
tyranny of the majority, I hope that they will consider what things might look like when

479
01:37:53,300 --> 01:37:59,500
they are once again in the minority and they want to stop a nominee or a piece of legislation

480
01:37:59,500 --> 01:38:02,960
in that they view as dangerous or extreme.

481
01:38:03,920 --> 01:38:11,520
And I hope that they will decide in favor of checks and balances and Senate institutions.

482
01:38:12,100 --> 01:38:15,240
It's present by Yield of Floor, and I suggest the absence of a corn.

483
01:38:15,780 --> 01:38:16,880
The clerk will call the road.

484
01:38:17,300 --> 01:38:17,740
It's Baldwin.

485
01:40:34,030 --> 01:40:50,210
Mr. President, Senator from Montana, we're in a quorum call. We ask the quorum call be a visceral. Without objection. I would ask unanimous could set the Tim Ben Reagan, fellow in my office, be granted four privileges for the remainder of the 118th Congress. Without objection.

486
01:40:51,270 --> 01:40:54,830
So just the absolute quorum, clerk will call the roll.

487
01:40:55,050 --> 01:40:55,670
This is Paul van.

488
01:41:05,230 --> 01:41:05,830
From Montana.

489
01:41:06,610 --> 01:41:09,050
Ask quorum call be a visceral. Without objection.

490
01:41:09,730 --> 01:41:14,010
Mr. President, mind candidates proudly serve in our armed forces at one of the highest rates

491
01:41:14,010 --> 01:41:14,690
in the nation.

492
01:41:15,690 --> 01:41:20,810
These veterans put their lives on the line to defend our freedoms every day.

493
01:41:22,110 --> 01:41:24,290
Their families make sacrifices too.

494
01:41:25,030 --> 01:41:30,050
These veterans and their survivors who depend upon VA benefits deserve certainty when it comes

495
01:41:30,050 --> 01:41:31,390
to providing for their families.

496
01:41:32,670 --> 01:41:35,750
As chairman of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee, I'm proud to have introduced

497
01:41:35,750 --> 01:41:40,850
by partisan legislation with my good friend Jeremiah Moran to ensure that these benefits

498
01:41:40,850 --> 01:41:42,570
are keeping pace with the cost of living.

499
01:41:43,730 --> 01:41:49,430
This bill, the Veterans Cost of Living Adjustment Act, is legislation that must pass.

500
01:41:50,510 --> 01:41:55,850
Each year, millions of disabled veterans, surviving spouses and their children rely on tax

501
01:41:55,850 --> 01:42:00,490
fee compensation for disabilities sustained during their military service.

502
01:42:00,490 --> 01:42:07,570
This income helps cover groceries and prescription medications, rent, electrical bills, it also helps

503
01:42:07,570 --> 01:42:11,770
veterans replace clothing damage by their prosthetic orthopedic devices.

504
01:42:13,150 --> 01:42:17,990
Our bill directs a VA to increase veteran compensation so the folks across the country, including

505
01:42:17,990 --> 01:42:25,370
30,000 veterans in Montana, and survivors, get the support that they need to stay afloat.

506
01:42:26,330 --> 01:42:30,470
In a time when many mountains are struggling with rising cost from housing, the health care

507
01:42:30,470 --> 01:42:35,570
to groceries, this cost of living increase will help give our veterans a little more piece of

508
01:42:35,570 --> 01:42:35,830
mind.

509
01:42:36,610 --> 01:42:42,890
Today, we have the opportunity to put political differences aside and come together for the men

510
01:42:42,890 --> 01:42:44,650
of women who risk their lives for this country.

511
01:42:45,410 --> 01:42:46,470
Let's pass this bill.

512
01:42:46,530 --> 01:42:49,590
With that, I will turn it over to my friend, Senator Jerry Moran.

513
01:42:49,990 --> 01:42:50,390
Mr. President.

514
01:42:50,490 --> 01:42:51,250
Senator from Kansas.

515
01:42:51,250 --> 01:43:02,890
Thank you, Mr. President. I rise today to join the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Veterans Affairs in asking that the Senate Pass, the Veterans Compensation Cost of Living Adjustment, the Colour Act of 2023.

516
01:43:03,470 --> 01:43:17,850
This is not the first time we've done this. This is an annual occurrence, and it is good to be back in suggesting to my colleagues that this nonpartisan bill we once again come together to pass in this year 2023.

517
01:43:17,850 --> 01:43:23,470
This legislation makes certain that the VA's compensation benefits, which millions of Americans,

518
01:43:24,070 --> 01:43:30,350
thousands of canzons receive, and that their survivors rely upon, that it keeps pace

519
01:43:30,350 --> 01:43:36,190
with Social Security and is adjusted to match the consumer price index. As we enter another year

520
01:43:36,190 --> 01:43:41,290
of crushing inflation, as we unfortunately enter another year of crushing inflation,

521
01:43:41,710 --> 01:43:46,790
this common sense legislation is necessary so that veterans and survivors are able to keep

522
01:43:46,790 --> 01:43:53,490
with rising costs, make ends meet, and continue to receive the support they have earned and deserve.

523
01:43:54,670 --> 01:44:01,090
Yesterday, March 29th was National Vietnam War Veterans Day, and the 50th anniversary of the

524
01:44:01,090 --> 01:44:08,190
last combat troops leaving Vietnam. This is an opportune time for us as a Senate, us as a Congress,

525
01:44:08,550 --> 01:44:14,170
as a country, to once again commit to making certain veterans and their survivors receive the

526
01:44:14,170 --> 01:44:19,250
to support the due respect and the due recognition they deserve.

527
01:44:20,570 --> 01:44:26,190
I want to take a moment to address a concern that veterans have brought to me regarding

528
01:44:26,190 --> 01:44:31,710
a December 22 report from the Congressional Budget Office and a proposal that was put forth

529
01:44:31,710 --> 01:44:34,630
to means test veterans disability benefits.

530
01:44:35,470 --> 01:44:40,490
I do not support this idea nor I am aware of any member of Congress who is pursuing that

531
01:44:40,490 --> 01:44:46,090
But it's running around on social media, and if we can assure our veterans that that's not a likelihood

532
01:44:46,790 --> 01:44:53,310
That is a valuable thing to do and provide them some certainty and eliminate some fear that they and their families may have

533
01:44:53,750 --> 01:44:59,770
Let me assure veterans and their loved ones right now. I would oppose any legislation to enact that

534
01:45:01,230 --> 01:45:15,190
As ranking member of the Senate Committee on Veterans Affairs, I know it is our responsibility, not only in our committee, but within this Senate chamber, to take care of our veterans, many who rely upon the Department of Veterans Affairs for financial support.

535
01:45:15,710 --> 01:45:25,250
This bill, once again this year, will help do that. I appreciate the cooperation from the Chairman from the committee, and with that, Mr. President, I yield the floor.

536
01:45:25,250 --> 01:45:27,610
Senator Moran, Mr. President.

537
01:45:27,850 --> 01:45:28,250
Senator Montana.

538
01:45:28,710 --> 01:45:29,970
Senator Moran, I appreciate your comments.

539
01:45:30,190 --> 01:45:30,850
So I mean, it's testing.

540
01:45:31,190 --> 01:45:32,550
It is absolutely a non-starter.

541
01:45:32,830 --> 01:45:36,390
And that information is revolving around on the hill,

542
01:45:36,490 --> 01:45:38,170
and it's best to nip it in the bones.

543
01:45:38,270 --> 01:45:39,490
Thank you for that.

544
01:45:40,190 --> 01:45:44,250
Mr. President, I would ask consent committee on veterans affairs.

545
01:45:44,870 --> 01:45:50,250
Be discharged from and the Senate proceed to the mid-it consideration of S777.

546
01:45:51,550 --> 01:45:52,470
Clerk will report.

547
01:45:54,870 --> 01:46:07,830
As 777, a bill to increase effective as of December 1st, 2023, the rates of compensation for veterans with service-connected disabilities and so forth and for other purposes.

548
01:46:09,030 --> 01:46:12,190
Is there a objection to proceeding to the measure?

549
01:46:13,190 --> 01:46:14,830
Without objection? Mr. President?

550
01:46:15,370 --> 01:46:15,930
Senator one time?

551
01:46:16,090 --> 01:46:20,210
I further asked the bill be considered or at a third time and passed and the motion to reconsider,

552
01:46:20,210 --> 01:46:24,170
be considered made and laid upon the table with no intervening action or debate.

553
01:46:24,950 --> 01:46:25,510
Is there objection?

554
01:46:26,270 --> 01:46:27,170
Without objection.

555
01:46:27,590 --> 01:46:28,070
Mr. President.

556
01:46:28,650 --> 01:46:29,170
Senator Fontana.

557
01:46:29,310 --> 01:46:29,850
Thank you.

558
01:46:30,170 --> 01:46:35,530
The Senate has just come together to do our job by passing the Veterans Coal Act.

559
01:46:36,450 --> 01:46:39,870
We would now urge our House colleagues to quickly follow suit.

560
01:46:40,550 --> 01:46:46,230
Let's continue to show our fighting men and women that when you get set off to war, it's

561
01:46:46,230 --> 01:46:51,090
But the promise that we will be cared for when you return home, not through words, but by

562
01:46:51,090 --> 01:46:51,570
action.

563
01:46:52,370 --> 01:46:53,310
With that I yield before.

564
01:46:57,510 --> 01:46:58,250
Kirk, call the roll.

565
01:47:00,420 --> 01:47:01,000
He's a palm win.

566
01:56:43,980 --> 01:56:48,440
Senator from Mississippi. I ask unanimous consent that the Court will be officiated.

567
01:56:48,500 --> 01:56:55,160
Without objection. Thank you, sir. And Mr. President, I come to the floor today to discuss, again,

568
01:56:56,200 --> 01:57:02,960
a key constitutional duty to provide for the common defense. The Constitution lays this

569
01:57:02,960 --> 01:57:08,740
weighty task at the feet of Congress. We hold the first strings, and today our task is to provide

570
01:57:08,740 --> 01:57:14,020
for sustained growth in the capacity and capability of our own forces.

571
01:57:14,700 --> 01:57:20,680
For 30 years, we've lived off the military investments of the 1980s and these investments

572
01:57:20,680 --> 01:57:25,080
have kept China and Russia and others from attacking us.

573
01:57:25,200 --> 01:57:26,740
They have kept us safe.

574
01:57:27,600 --> 01:57:35,180
Today, those investments have largely expired and both Beijing and Moscow are acting increasingly

575
01:57:35,180 --> 01:57:36,080
adversarial.

576
01:57:36,080 --> 01:57:44,660
In particular, China's military is growing so quickly that we will not long deter them unless

577
01:57:44,660 --> 01:57:48,080
we invest more in our military, too.

578
01:57:48,220 --> 01:57:53,220
It will cost a lot to deter a regime, but it will cost a lot more if you do not.

579
01:57:54,000 --> 01:57:58,880
In February, I deliver this speech on our most dire national security challenge, preventing

580
01:57:58,880 --> 01:58:00,960
the Chinese aggression against Taiwan.

581
01:58:02,080 --> 01:58:06,520
Defending our security and prosperity means defending Taiwan.

582
01:58:07,260 --> 01:58:13,100
If the island falls, the global balance of power tilts for decades, our children and

583
01:58:13,100 --> 01:58:18,320
grandchildren would then not live in an American-led 21st century.

584
01:58:19,080 --> 01:58:23,920
Today, I will focus on the Chinese Communist Party's rapid military build-up and the United

585
01:58:23,920 --> 01:58:26,680
States opportunities to boost our military capability.

586
01:58:26,680 --> 01:58:34,640
I will show how both demand sustained real growth in our defense budget alongside increased

587
01:58:34,640 --> 01:58:37,400
reform and prioritization.

588
01:58:39,080 --> 01:58:45,600
inexplicably in the face of these facts, the President has proposed another military cut.

589
01:58:46,640 --> 01:58:53,660
Twice now he has proposed cuts and twice Congress has replied with an emphatic and bipartisan

590
01:58:53,660 --> 01:59:02,700
And no, instead Congress has added over the last two fiscal years, $70 billion of targeted

591
01:59:02,700 --> 01:59:06,700
investments to our military to help us catch up with China.

592
01:59:07,500 --> 01:59:10,480
I am confident on a bipartisan basis, again, Mr. President.

593
01:59:11,100 --> 01:59:13,740
We will do this for the next fiscal year.

594
01:59:14,460 --> 01:59:18,740
So let's begin by outlining the rising threat of the Chinese Communist Party.

595
01:59:19,280 --> 01:59:23,400
As Congress considers this year's military spending commitments, we need to consider

596
01:59:23,400 --> 01:59:32,400
What we are up against, the U.S. military investment must counter Chinese military investment if we do not

597
01:59:33,000 --> 01:59:42,040
History may one day bestow on our moment on this time the ignominious title of a pre-war period.

598
01:59:43,040 --> 01:59:51,480
I hope we're not in a pre-war period. If we are prepared it is uh there's a much greater chance that we can avoid

599
01:59:51,480 --> 01:59:59,760
a war in the future. We know China intends to dominate the Pacific. They boast about it in public speeches and they're building a military.

600
02:00:00,000 --> 02:00:12,100
Capable of turning their revenue into reality. We have debated what year we should be worried about. Some say 2023, 2023, 25, 2027. Some say

601
02:00:12,640 --> 02:00:24,500
2035. Secretary Blinken says China wants to seize Taiwan on a much faster timeline than we had previously thought.

602
02:00:28,440 --> 02:00:29,320
The

603
02:00:29,320 --> 02:00:35,280
and window, it's based on Xi Jinping's orders to his military about when he expects them

604
02:00:35,280 --> 02:00:36,000
to be ready.

605
02:00:37,420 --> 02:00:42,760
We would all do well to remember that dictators often start wars of aggression before their

606
02:00:42,760 --> 02:00:51,220
militaries are ready, look no further than Germany and Japan and World War II and look

607
02:00:51,220 --> 02:00:52,700
at Putin's Russia.

608
02:00:53,720 --> 02:00:59,300
Today, if Putin's invasion of Ukraine taught us anything, it is that the plans of

609
02:00:59,300 --> 02:01:06,520
dictators are often driven as much by delusions of grandeur, as by honest assessments of relative

610
02:01:06,520 --> 02:01:12,120
military capabilities. This is what makes the next few years so dangerous. Last year,

611
02:01:12,340 --> 02:01:19,280
Xi Jinping fully consolidated his control over the Chinese Communist Party. Beginning

612
02:01:20,480 --> 02:01:29,480
a historic third term, which lasts through 2028, with very few restraints on his power,

613
02:01:29,540 --> 02:01:35,120
and it shows. As the People's Liberation Army grows more capable, and the Chinese Communist Party

614
02:01:35,120 --> 02:01:44,080
faces growing domestic turmoil, bashing may soon decide that its power is peaking, that may prompt

615
02:01:44,080 --> 02:01:51,700
them to act sooner rather than later. China is certainly signaling a sinister intent. Last

616
02:01:51,700 --> 02:01:57,620
August they concluded unprecedented military drills around Taiwan's most trafficked

617
02:01:57,620 --> 02:02:06,560
waterways and flight routes. They did so arguably to project strength in response to Nancy Pelosi's

618
02:02:06,560 --> 02:02:13,220
visit to the island when she was then speaker of the house. They built replicas of U.S. Navy ships,

619
02:02:13,220 --> 02:02:21,140
aircraft and air defense systems, they regularly practice striking these replicas.

620
02:02:21,560 --> 02:02:25,900
Their military buildup is the strongest signal of their intent to dominate the Pacific.

621
02:02:26,680 --> 02:02:32,540
I, along with many other senators, have seen the sobering classified reports, but the

622
02:02:32,540 --> 02:02:33,880
public picture is grim enough.

623
02:02:34,820 --> 02:02:42,080
The Chinese Communist Party just announced the expansion of its defense budget by 7.2% for

624
02:02:42,080 --> 02:02:50,700
this year about six times the increase, the Biden administration proposed, Beijing has increased

625
02:02:50,700 --> 02:02:56,720
its military spending every year for more than 20 years, and we know Mr. President

626
02:02:56,720 --> 02:03:01,700
that they actually hide many portions of their defense budget.

627
02:03:02,400 --> 02:03:07,800
By simply looking at Beijing's quantitative and qualitative improvements, we see that Beijing

628
02:03:07,800 --> 02:03:13,880
spent freely on its military. China has expanded to nuclear forces faster than anyone thought

629
02:03:13,880 --> 02:03:20,860
possible. Already they have more ground-based nuclear weapon launchers than we do. This changes

630
02:03:20,860 --> 02:03:28,980
our entire nuclear readiness calculus. For seven decades we focused on matching the Russian nuclear

631
02:03:28,980 --> 02:03:36,700
arsenal. But we experience a new sputnik moment when we watch the Chinese hypersonic

632
02:03:36,700 --> 02:03:40,800
live vehicle, perform maneuvers, we had never contemplated.

633
02:03:42,120 --> 02:03:46,480
China has also rapidly expanded its conventional sea air and rocket forces.

634
02:03:46,860 --> 02:03:55,040
Their Navy outnumbered hours, they will have more than 460 ships by 2030.

635
02:03:55,880 --> 02:04:01,660
U.S. Naval intelligence indicates these ships may already be as high quality as our own,

636
02:04:02,200 --> 02:04:05,700
yet our senior Navy leadership continues

637
02:04:05,700 --> 02:04:08,340
to underestimate Chinese capabilities.

638
02:04:09,720 --> 02:04:11,820
China's civilian fleet is expanding also,

639
02:04:11,900 --> 02:04:14,640
and the People's Liberation Army has used it

640
02:04:14,640 --> 02:04:20,040
in mock and fibious invasions, the civilian fleet.

641
02:04:20,700 --> 02:04:23,200
The Chinese Air Force has shared its third generation

642
02:04:23,200 --> 02:04:27,600
Vietnam Air of Fighters and built an impressive fourth generation

643
02:04:27,600 --> 02:04:28,720
fighter force.

644
02:04:29,040 --> 02:04:32,740
They are building fifth generation fighters at scale today,

645
02:04:33,420 --> 02:04:34,580
just like we are.

646
02:04:34,580 --> 02:04:41,660
And their air to air missiles have greater range than U.S. missiles.

647
02:04:42,480 --> 02:04:47,360
China's air warfare training has advanced beyond anything we thought possible five years ago.

648
02:04:47,780 --> 02:04:52,900
The Chinese rocket force points thousands of short-range ballistic missiles at Taiwan

649
02:04:53,520 --> 02:04:59,920
and hundreds of long-range missiles at U.S. bases in Japan, Guang and elsewhere.

650
02:05:00,000 --> 02:05:10,440
China has not restricted its advances to traditional military domains either. It has a major player on the cyber battlefield.

651
02:05:11,020 --> 02:05:24,320
Top United States cyber commander, General Nakasoni, says the increase in Chinese cyber warfare capabilities has been unlike anything he's ever seen, unlike anything General Nakasoni has ever seen.

652
02:05:24,320 --> 02:05:40,080
Earlier this year, our top military cyber official told us the Chinese would combine and attack on Taiwan if that occurs with broad attacks on U.S. cyber infrastructure and that certainly makes sense.

653
02:05:40,460 --> 02:05:48,760
Beijing has also overtaken Russia in space. Russia is now the junior partner to Communist China.

654
02:05:48,760 --> 02:05:56,040
Not only in space communications and intelligence satellites, but also in space, in work-fighting

655
02:05:56,040 --> 02:05:56,900
capabilities.

656
02:05:57,680 --> 02:06:03,140
And finally, China is building a multinational syndicate of bad actor nations, measuring

657
02:06:03,140 --> 02:06:10,000
ambitions to self as the central character in an anti-US coalition that includes Junior

658
02:06:10,000 --> 02:06:12,960
Partner Russia, as well as North Korea.

659
02:06:12,960 --> 02:06:19,920
Xi Jinping took a significant step in that direction last week when he visited Latamir Putin.

660
02:06:20,520 --> 02:06:28,980
A man he has described as his best, most intimate friend, as China's military rises.

661
02:06:30,520 --> 02:06:34,900
Regrettably, the United States military has traded water.

662
02:06:36,180 --> 02:06:41,080
I will identify five areas of improvement to help our military catch China.

663
02:06:41,080 --> 02:06:48,520
First, we have not focused nearly enough on honing our capabilities in a set of key areas we need to win.

664
02:06:49,020 --> 02:06:55,880
Our efforts to build a series of modern and flexible commanding control networks are just now gaining steam.

665
02:06:56,320 --> 02:07:00,760
We still possess no relevant, mine warfare capabilities.

666
02:07:01,640 --> 02:07:08,620
After three decades of neglect, we are just beginning to rebuild core competencies in electronic warfare.

667
02:07:08,620 --> 02:07:13,680
We have finally begun to build the right basis and the right locations in the Western Pacific,

668
02:07:14,420 --> 02:07:24,400
and we have senators read and in-off the authors of last year's in the AAA to thank for that.

669
02:07:24,920 --> 02:07:28,620
So I issue my thanks to this bipartisan team, Mr. President.

670
02:07:29,040 --> 02:07:36,420
Our munitions industrial base is in woeful shape, and we have only begun to scratch the surface of our production capacity.

671
02:07:37,000 --> 02:07:41,340
I'm pleased to see the Pentagon moving in the right direction, but it remains clear to me

672
02:07:41,340 --> 02:07:48,080
that Congress can take additional actions should take additional actions this year to accelerate

673
02:07:48,080 --> 02:07:49,120
and expand for that.

674
02:07:50,740 --> 02:07:53,920
Secondly, we should rapidly work to expand our naval fleet.

675
02:07:54,640 --> 02:07:59,840
As I said, China's fleet has eclipsed hours, and yet the Department of Defense proposes

676
02:07:59,840 --> 02:08:06,160
ship decommissioning. The Marine Corps was unable to assist victims of the earthquakes

677
02:08:06,160 --> 02:08:14,720
in Turkey just a few months ago because the Navy lacked enough amphibious ships. Yet President

678
02:08:14,720 --> 02:08:21,420
Biden's budget proposes to end an entire amphibious ship production line, an entire

679
02:08:21,920 --> 02:08:28,360
production line. I do not believe this Congress will allow that to happen. Our Navy Secretary

680
02:08:28,360 --> 02:08:33,820
recently noted that one Chinese shipyard, one Chinese shipyard has more capacity than all

681
02:08:33,820 --> 02:08:35,040
of ours combined.

682
02:08:36,380 --> 02:08:41,140
For many years we've tried to ring more efficiency out of our existing shipbuilding industrial

683
02:08:41,140 --> 02:08:46,580
base, and for many years we have largely failed without a massive change in direction

684
02:08:46,580 --> 02:08:49,200
and an infusion of funds.

685
02:08:49,680 --> 02:08:56,820
We are unlikely to grow the fleet beyond 300 ships over the next decade, and I would

686
02:08:56,820 --> 02:09:02,640
to remind my colleagues that the statutory minimum requirement enacted by this Congress

687
02:09:02,640 --> 02:09:07,780
and signed by the President of the United States is 355 ships at a minimum.

688
02:09:08,620 --> 02:09:13,420
It's time for the U.S. Congress to lead the nation and expanding the shipbuilding and

689
02:09:13,420 --> 02:09:14,420
just real base.

690
02:09:14,780 --> 02:09:18,280
Third, our Reagan era Air Force fleets grow older.

691
02:09:18,520 --> 02:09:25,320
For years, we've known we need to purchase 72 tactical aircraft each year to have a healthy

692
02:09:25,320 --> 02:09:25,780
fleet.

693
02:09:25,780 --> 02:09:32,780
72 years. For years, we failed to do so, Mr. President. Our next generation fighters are still

694
02:09:32,780 --> 02:09:40,780
nearly a decade away as our significant numbers of autonomous wingmen for them. And the Air Force

695
02:09:40,780 --> 02:09:48,940
remains almost 2,000 pilots short this year. Fourth, we are on the leading edge of recruitment crisis.

696
02:09:48,940 --> 02:09:55,960
By the end of this year, the Army could be 40,000 soldiers smaller than it was.

697
02:09:56,400 --> 02:09:59,620
Just 18 months ago, 40,000 soldiers short.

698
02:10:00,750 --> 02:10:14,270
Even as its missions continue to increase. The Navy and Air Force are not far behind. The recruiting crisis is a complex problem that will require a multi-faceted solution.

699
02:10:15,370 --> 02:10:26,530
And we had the chief of staff of the Army before the Armed Services Committee, along with the Secretary of the Army, just this morning, Mr. President, to discuss this and other important issues.

700
02:10:27,940 --> 02:10:33,660
However, the budget can, right away, provide one solution, we should set aside funds for barracks

701
02:10:33,660 --> 02:10:35,480
and facilities improvements.

702
02:10:35,940 --> 02:10:41,140
Potential recruits have frequently cited poor living conditions, as one reason, not

703
02:10:41,140 --> 02:10:41,740
to enlist.

704
02:10:42,240 --> 02:10:44,300
Fifth, we must boost our defense infrastructure.

705
02:10:45,200 --> 02:10:50,740
Almost two years ago, I led an amendment amendment on the infrastructure bill, not the

706
02:10:50,740 --> 02:10:56,100
defense bill, the infrastructure bill, along with senators, Shelby, and in-half, that

707
02:10:56,100 --> 02:11:01,820
would have devoted $50 billion to begin boosting this foundational infrastructure.

708
02:11:03,040 --> 02:11:05,940
We never got a vote, unfortunately, that amendment was blocked.

709
02:11:06,640 --> 02:11:11,320
Our shipyards, military, family housing, high-personic test ranges, ammo plants and other

710
02:11:11,320 --> 02:11:16,380
sites are key in enabling our military to be ready and capable.

711
02:11:17,000 --> 02:11:24,020
Perhaps such an amendment would pass today with broad bipartisan support.

712
02:11:24,020 --> 02:11:26,160
the fact certainly call for it.

713
02:11:26,240 --> 02:11:31,880
And finally, we must link increased investment with accelerated reform in the Pentagon.

714
02:11:32,280 --> 02:11:40,320
The Department of Defense has audit championed by a former Secretary David Norquist, Deputy Secretary David Norquist,

715
02:11:41,000 --> 02:11:44,700
progressed more in the last five years than in the last 25 years before that.

716
02:11:44,920 --> 02:11:50,880
The Marines may become the first service to earn a clean financial bill of health this year.

717
02:11:51,100 --> 02:11:51,900
That's good news.

718
02:11:51,900 --> 02:11:59,360
Deputy Secretary Hicks has also embraced and accelerated efforts begun by Deputy Secretary

719
02:11:59,360 --> 02:12:04,780
Norquist to bring 21st century data-driven management practices to DOD.

720
02:12:04,960 --> 02:12:10,000
This work has already saved us tens of billions of dollars.

721
02:12:10,600 --> 02:12:16,340
Congress will continue to lead and partner with the Pentagon in ongoing and new reform efforts.

722
02:12:16,340 --> 02:12:22,300
This year experts with the Pentagon Budgeting Commission will help Congress find ways to

723
02:12:22,300 --> 02:12:27,460
innovate more quickly and improve the relationship between Congress and the Department

724
02:12:27,460 --> 02:12:28,300
of Defense.

725
02:12:28,900 --> 02:12:34,760
I also believe the Office of Strategic Capital will help us partner with American private

726
02:12:34,760 --> 02:12:35,540
capital.

727
02:12:35,900 --> 02:12:39,800
American capital is an advantage we have.

728
02:12:40,840 --> 02:12:45,720
Yet we do not leverage it often enough in the national security space.

729
02:12:45,720 --> 02:12:56,320
The Office of Strategic Capital can help diversify our defense industrial base to compete with the People's Republic of China and a cost-effective manner.

730
02:12:56,960 --> 02:12:59,840
Cost-saving measures, though necessary, will not be enough.

731
02:13:00,780 --> 02:13:12,700
Counter-intuitively, many reforms cost money up front, Senator Inhoff, my predecessor, as ranking member of the committee was correct when he said,

732
02:13:12,700 --> 02:13:19,860
We cannot spend our way out of the challenges we face, but we can spend too little to give

733
02:13:19,860 --> 02:13:21,280
ourselves a chance.

734
02:13:22,900 --> 02:13:29,560
This President, the United States, has not faced national security challenges on this scale,

735
02:13:30,000 --> 02:13:33,020
scope and complexity since World War II.

736
02:13:34,770 --> 02:13:36,430
This moment is a fork in your road.

737
02:13:37,390 --> 02:13:41,170
Neither the peace we've enjoyed nor the war, some predict, are inevitable.

738
02:13:42,800 --> 02:13:48,680
decisions we make will determine whether that occurs.

739
02:13:48,980 --> 02:13:54,760
Effective deterrence will be a complex operation, but it's starting place as simple.

740
02:13:55,140 --> 02:13:59,920
We must once again, for the third year, increase the military budget.

741
02:14:00,620 --> 02:14:07,480
And as we grow the budget, we will save where we can, prioritize the most effective purchases,

742
02:14:08,040 --> 02:14:13,640
and share the load with our allies and partners and insist that they do our share.

743
02:14:14,540 --> 02:14:21,100
Again, it will cost a lot to deter China, but it will cost a lot more if we do not.

744
02:14:23,280 --> 02:14:25,240
And thank you, Mr. President.

745
02:14:25,320 --> 02:14:26,600
I don't know if there are other speakers.

746
02:14:50,260 --> 02:14:50,800
Mr. President.

747
02:14:51,140 --> 02:14:59,900
Mr. President, five years ago, I stood in this chamber and condemned Saudi military.

748
02:15:01,720 --> 02:15:28,400
Today I rise once again and to condemn the egregious violence that continues to haunt the Yemeni people. Last weekend, marked the 8th year anniversary of the start of the conflict. Eight years of families being torn apart by war. Eight years of children going without access to food, health care and quality education.

749
02:15:28,400 --> 02:15:36,400
Eight years of destruction that has caused one of the greatest humanitarian crises since World War II.

750
02:15:37,600 --> 02:15:41,260
The Republic of Yemen has been torn apart by multiple armed conflicts.

751
02:15:42,220 --> 02:15:49,420
And as a result, many people have been caught in between an internal power struggle, as well as a regional proxy conflict.

752
02:15:50,760 --> 02:15:58,180
Saudi Arabia has taken advantage of Yemen's domestic strife and led a military campaign that has only heightened the conflict

753
02:15:58,180 --> 02:16:01,080
and caused further destruction.

754
02:16:02,300 --> 02:16:07,440
The previous conflicts along with the current war have collectively eroded central governance

755
02:16:07,440 --> 02:16:15,840
in Yemen, and left more than 24 million of Yemen's 31 million citizens in dire need

756
02:16:15,840 --> 02:16:17,740
of assistance and protection.

757
02:16:19,140 --> 02:16:25,380
I am proud that Michigan is home to the largest Yemeni population outside of Yemen.

758
02:16:25,380 --> 02:16:33,880
The diaspora community is vibrant and has endured harms that no community should have to.

759
02:16:34,420 --> 02:16:41,000
The circumstances under which many have immigrated to the United States is truly devastating.

760
02:16:42,080 --> 02:16:47,820
It has estimated that there are roughly 4.5 million displaced Yemenis as a result of this conflict

761
02:16:48,220 --> 02:16:51,580
with a majority of those displaced still in Yemen.

762
02:16:51,580 --> 02:17:02,320
Those that remain continue to face food and housing insecurity with over half of the total population requiring humanitarian assistance.

763
02:17:03,680 --> 02:17:11,300
We have failed the Yemeni people with our longstanding military support for the Saudi Arabian military coalition in Yemen.

764
02:17:11,300 --> 02:17:18,640
And I applaud, I applaud President Biden's decision to end all U.S. support for offensive operations in Yemen.

765
02:17:19,660 --> 02:17:28,880
We must continue to build on this measure and ensure that the United States is in no way in no way involved in the continuation of this war.

766
02:17:28,880 --> 02:17:35,120
The failure of warring parties to come to an agreement to extend the UN back to the

767
02:17:35,120 --> 02:17:40,760
truth demonstrates that this conflict is, unfortunately, far from over.

768
02:17:41,840 --> 02:17:46,500
The United States must continue to leverage all diplomatic tools available to assist

769
02:17:46,500 --> 02:17:48,060
in the peace process.

770
02:17:48,920 --> 02:17:53,780
And as we enter into the ninth year of this conflict, I encourage all of my colleagues

771
02:17:53,780 --> 02:18:01,540
to reflect on the lives lost, the children who never got to grow up, and the communities

772
02:18:01,540 --> 02:18:04,100
that will never be the same.

773
02:18:05,140 --> 02:18:12,320
The Yemeni people have remained resilient in the face of extreme adversity, and it is

774
02:18:12,320 --> 02:18:18,960
our responsibility to ensure that we continue to be strong partners in providing aid and securing

775
02:18:18,960 --> 02:18:19,720
peace.

776
02:18:21,560 --> 02:18:22,440
Thank you, Mr. President.

777
02:18:28,360 --> 02:18:37,300
Mr. President. Mr. President, earlier this week, myself, Senator Cassidy and Senator

778
02:18:37,300 --> 02:18:45,020
Cornean, along with 35 of our Republican colleagues, introduced an effort to block President

779
02:18:45,020 --> 02:18:52,380
Biden's plan to transfer student loan debt onto the backs of hardworking Americans.

780
02:18:52,380 --> 02:19:00,380
This includes ending the pause on student loan payments, which has been extended six times

781
02:19:00,980 --> 02:19:03,580
since the start of the pandemic.

782
02:19:04,840 --> 02:19:15,040
What might seem like a free pass in making payments on student loans is actually a scheme orchestrated by the Biden administration

783
02:19:15,040 --> 02:19:23,760
that could cost taxpayers and estimated $900 billion.

784
02:19:24,880 --> 02:19:32,420
Let's break it down. $400 billion to cancel student loan debt.

785
02:19:33,900 --> 02:19:41,540
$195 billion to pause loan payments and interest accrued during the pandemic.

786
02:19:41,540 --> 02:19:50,860
And, $200 billion to implement President Biden's loan repayment rule.

787
02:19:51,960 --> 02:19:59,980
Folks, $900 billion is more than the federal government has...

788
02:20:00,270 --> 02:20:09,930
However, spent on higher education in our nation's history. To give you some additional perspective,

789
02:20:10,530 --> 02:20:19,930
this radical proposal costs, get this folks, three times more than what the government will

790
02:20:19,930 --> 02:20:27,290
spend on pilgrrants in this decade, in this decade.

791
02:20:28,090 --> 02:20:33,450
A program designed to help our neediest students.

792
02:20:34,830 --> 02:20:37,870
Mr. President, this is not debt cancellation.

793
02:20:38,670 --> 02:20:39,630
It's socialism.

794
02:20:40,870 --> 02:20:45,330
President Biden is rewarding those who chose the path

795
02:20:45,330 --> 02:20:54,370
of higher education by strapping their debt onto the backs of those who did not.

796
02:20:55,530 --> 02:20:59,810
This is a personal issue to me.

797
02:21:01,010 --> 02:21:08,550
My brother chose to enter the workforce directly out of high school.

798
02:21:08,550 --> 02:21:15,050
My brother is a hard working union laborer.

799
02:21:16,050 --> 02:21:21,270
My sister worked to put herself through community college.

800
02:21:22,770 --> 02:21:27,010
She received an associate's degree in Southwest Iowa.

801
02:21:27,670 --> 02:21:31,410
She works for a trucking company and farms.

802
02:21:32,970 --> 02:21:37,690
Their stories are similar to many Iowans across my home state.

803
02:21:37,690 --> 02:21:49,330
Why should countless Americans who made responsible financial planning decisions be forced to take on the debts of others?

804
02:21:50,750 --> 02:21:53,210
Buying's plan is unfair and unaffordable.

805
02:21:53,990 --> 02:22:01,410
It is feigning the flames of inflation and is a driving factor in our growing federal debt.

806
02:22:02,690 --> 02:22:16,690
Most importantly, this transfer of student loan debt does nothing to address and may actually be contributing to the real issue of rising costs to attend college.

807
02:22:17,910 --> 02:22:31,370
What message does this send to veterans who pursue higher education through the GI Bill or medical professionals who join the National Health Service Corps?

808
02:22:33,070 --> 02:22:43,470
I was able to cover a portion of my college tuition at Iowa State University through an ROTC scholarship.

809
02:22:43,470 --> 02:22:49,570
Joining the Army after graduation was a privilege and an honor.

810
02:22:51,050 --> 02:23:01,870
I made a commitment to my country and in return they made a commitment to me to help me receive my college degree.

811
02:23:03,490 --> 02:23:11,870
President Biden's radical proposal invalidates many other successful loan forgiveness and repayment programs

812
02:23:11,870 --> 02:23:23,390
designed to incentivize participation in critical fields, including the military, public service, and medicine.

813
02:23:24,950 --> 02:23:39,470
Instead of putting a band-aid on the problem and passing the buck, we should be giving students and their families a clear picture up front about the true costs associated with their education.

814
02:23:40,670 --> 02:23:47,930
That's why I'm working in a bipartisan way to ensure students know before they take out

815
02:23:47,930 --> 02:23:54,830
a loan, the estimated total interest amount based on their repayment plan.

816
02:23:56,980 --> 02:24:01,780
Folks, we've warned for years that the left is on the march toward socialism.

817
02:24:02,340 --> 02:24:08,380
Look no further than Biden's student debt transfer plan.

818
02:24:09,380 --> 02:24:16,760
I'm proud to join my Republican colleagues in working to stop this scheme, and with that

819
02:24:16,760 --> 02:24:18,500
Mr. President, I yield the floor.

820
02:24:23,770 --> 02:24:24,330
Mr. President.

821
02:24:24,850 --> 02:24:30,490
Mr. President, Mr. President, I am extremely pleased that the Senate will be voting shortly

822
02:24:30,490 --> 02:24:35,590
to confirm Ambassador Richard Vermer to be the Deputy Secretary of State for Management

823
02:24:35,590 --> 02:24:38,290
and Resources at the Department of State.

824
02:24:38,290 --> 02:24:43,830
This role is one of the most critical positions at the Department of State.

825
02:24:44,690 --> 02:24:51,650
DMR, as it's known, has wide-ranging responsibility for overseeing personnel, ensuring

826
02:24:51,650 --> 02:24:56,210
the Department is sufficiently resource to carry out effective U.S. diplomacy.

827
02:24:56,890 --> 02:24:59,250
And there are no shortages of challenges.

828
02:25:00,000 --> 02:25:23,500
As we reorient our foreign policy towards strategic competition with China, as we counter malign influence by Russia across the globe, as we work to address global health, food insecurity in the climate crisis, it is imperative that our democratic core, I'm sorry, diplomatic core, has the tools they need to address the challenges ahead.

829
02:25:23,500 --> 02:25:30,540
Ambassador Verma is superbly qualified to lead this part of the department and confronting

830
02:25:30,540 --> 02:25:31,660
these challenges.

831
02:25:32,240 --> 02:25:38,700
His long public sector career, which includes service in the Air Force, the Senate, and

832
02:25:38,700 --> 02:25:43,960
the State Department will help him be an effective leader who can advance to the department's

833
02:25:43,960 --> 02:25:45,060
modernization agenda.

834
02:25:45,840 --> 02:25:51,760
And as our first ever Indian-American ambassador to New Delhi, he has first-hand experience

835
02:25:51,760 --> 02:25:58,480
leading a major U.S. embassy and a deep understanding of the strategic advantage of cultivating

836
02:25:58,480 --> 02:26:05,060
and retaining a diverse and expert workforce. I have full confidence that Ambassador Verma will

837
02:26:05,060 --> 02:26:09,900
be a constructive partner with Congress and work to make sure the Department has the support,

838
02:26:10,560 --> 02:26:14,900
the resources, and the leadership it needs to succeed. Given the challenges ahead,

839
02:26:15,420 --> 02:26:21,080
I am pleased that we are finally voting to confirm Ambassador Verma today and I urge all

840
02:26:21,080 --> 02:26:25,360
my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to support this nomination and with that

841
02:26:25,360 --> 02:26:27,340
Mr. President, I yield the floor.

842
02:26:28,660 --> 02:26:32,840
Under the previous order, the Senate will proceed to executive session to consider the

843
02:26:32,840 --> 02:26:35,100
following nomination on which the clerk will report.

844
02:26:38,380 --> 02:26:44,840
Nomination, Department of State, Richard R. Burma of Maryland to the Deputy Secretary of State

845
02:26:44,840 --> 02:26:47,280
for Management and Resources.

846
02:26:48,100 --> 02:26:51,420
There will now be five minutes equally divided on the nomination.

847
02:26:55,260 --> 02:26:56,520
That objection?

848
02:26:57,440 --> 02:26:59,040
Question is on the nomination.

849
02:27:01,250 --> 02:27:02,530
Is there sufficient second?

850
02:27:04,010 --> 02:27:04,950
There appears to be.

851
02:27:05,190 --> 02:27:06,030
Clerk will call the roll.

852
02:27:09,700 --> 02:27:11,500
This is Walman, Mr. Baraso.

853
02:27:12,260 --> 02:27:12,880
Mr. Bennett.

854
02:27:13,440 --> 02:27:14,440
Mrs. Blackburn.

855
02:27:14,700 --> 02:27:15,700
Mr. Belumanthal.

856
02:27:15,920 --> 02:27:16,560
Mr. Booker.

857
02:27:16,720 --> 02:27:17,540
Mr. Boseman.

858
02:27:17,840 --> 02:27:18,420
Mr. Braun.

859
02:27:18,740 --> 02:27:19,700
Mr. Brett.

860
02:27:20,020 --> 02:27:20,580
Mr. Brown.

861
02:27:20,760 --> 02:27:21,280
Mr. Bud.

862
02:27:21,520 --> 02:27:22,080
Ms. Cantwell.

863
02:27:22,320 --> 02:27:23,100
Mrs. Capato.

864
02:27:23,640 --> 02:27:24,620
Mr. Carden.

865
02:27:25,020 --> 02:27:25,580
Mr. Carper.

866
02:27:25,900 --> 02:27:26,600
Mr. Casey.

867
02:27:27,000 --> 02:27:27,820
Mr. Cassidy.

868
02:27:27,820 --> 02:27:31,060
Mr. Collins, Mr. Koen, Mr. Cornen,

869
02:27:31,260 --> 02:27:35,800
Mr. Cortez Mastel, Mr. Cotton, Mr. Cramer, Mr. Crapo.

870
02:28:24,570 --> 02:28:28,270
Mr. Cruz, Mr. Deans,

871
02:28:30,800 --> 02:28:31,460
Mr. Duckworth,

872
02:28:34,330 --> 02:28:35,190
Mr. Durbin,

873
02:29:12,120 --> 02:29:22,840
Mr. Duckworth, Mr. Durbin, Ms. Ernst, Mrs. Feinstein, Mr. Fetterman, Mrs. Fisher,

874
02:29:24,090 --> 02:29:25,330
Mr.

875
02:29:28,870 --> 02:29:34,930
Graham, Mr. Grassley, Mr. Haggerty,

876
02:29:37,400 --> 02:29:38,340
Ms. Hassan,

877
02:29:40,850 --> 02:29:41,530
Mr. Holy,

878
02:29:44,750 --> 02:29:45,570
Mr. Heinrich,

879
02:29:52,440 --> 02:29:53,260
Mr. Hickenlooper,

880
02:29:55,780 --> 02:29:56,280
Ms.

881
02:29:56,280 --> 02:29:56,920
Roanow.

882
02:30:00,240 --> 02:30:01,420
Mr. Hogan,

883
02:30:04,040 --> 02:30:10,050
Mrs. Hyde Smith, Mr. Johnson,

884
02:30:12,930 --> 02:30:14,250
Mr. Keene,

885
02:30:17,200 --> 02:30:17,820
Mr. Kelly,

886
02:30:20,860 --> 02:30:21,620
Mr. Kennedy,

887
02:30:25,220 --> 02:30:26,140
Mr. King,

888
02:30:29,300 --> 02:30:30,060
Ms. Klobuchar,

889
02:30:33,140 --> 02:30:34,040
Mr. Lankford,

890
02:30:37,850 --> 02:30:38,590
Mr. Lee,

891
02:30:41,990 --> 02:30:42,750
Mr. Luhan,

892
02:30:45,840 --> 02:30:46,560
Ms. Lumis,

893
02:30:49,800 --> 02:30:50,680
Mr. Manchin,

894
02:30:54,570 --> 02:30:55,430
Mr. Marky,

895
02:30:59,390 --> 02:31:00,210
Mr. Marshall,

896
02:31:03,610 --> 02:31:04,330
Mr. McConnell,

897
02:31:08,660 --> 02:31:08,720
Mr.

898
02:31:08,720 --> 02:31:09,880
Mr. Menendez,

899
02:31:38,680 --> 02:31:42,280
Mr. Markley, Mr. Moran, Mr. Mullin,

900
02:31:44,510 --> 02:31:45,470
Ms. McCalski,

901
02:31:53,040 --> 02:31:56,500
Ms. McCalski, Mr. Murphy, Mrs. Murray,

902
02:31:59,130 --> 02:32:00,190
Mr. Ossoff,

903
02:32:02,660 --> 02:32:03,560
Mr. Padilla,

904
02:32:06,680 --> 02:32:07,520
Mr. Paul,

905
02:32:11,340 --> 02:32:11,960
Mr. Peters,

906
02:32:15,320 --> 02:32:16,040
Mr. Reed,

907
02:32:19,850 --> 02:32:20,630
Mr. Ricketts,

908
02:32:24,890 --> 02:32:25,630
Mr. Rush,

909
02:32:29,880 --> 02:32:30,740
Mr. Romney,

910
02:32:34,820 --> 02:32:35,380
Ms. Rosen,

911
02:32:41,000 --> 02:32:41,780
Mr. Rounds,

912
02:32:46,680 --> 02:32:47,400
Mr. Rubio,

913
02:32:47,400 --> 02:32:48,420
Mr.

914
02:32:52,840 --> 02:32:53,400
Sanders,

915
02:32:57,820 --> 02:32:58,720
Mr. Shots,

916
02:33:01,760 --> 02:33:02,620
Mr. Schmidt,

917
02:33:06,190 --> 02:33:07,570
Mr. Schumer,

918
02:33:12,060 --> 02:33:13,260
Mr. Scott of Florida,

919
02:33:16,760 --> 02:33:18,180
Mr. Scott of South Carolina,

920
02:33:35,580 --> 02:33:52,720
Mr.

921
02:34:24,500 --> 02:34:25,700
Mr. Warner,

922
02:34:30,980 --> 02:34:31,900
Mr. Warnock,

923
02:34:36,560 --> 02:34:37,140
Mr. Warren,

924
02:34:42,160 --> 02:34:43,020
Mr. Welch,

925
02:34:50,550 --> 02:34:51,510
Mr. White House,

926
02:34:55,960 --> 02:34:56,540
Mr. Wicker.

927
02:35:00,560 --> 02:35:01,760
Mr. Widen,

928
02:35:04,490 --> 02:35:05,490
Mr. Young.

929
02:35:23,350 --> 02:35:33,390
Senator's voting in the affirmative. Collins, Kramer, Krapo, Durbin, Gillibrand, Grassley,

930
02:35:34,030 --> 02:35:45,570
Heinrich, Hickenlufer, Luhan, Manchin, Menendez, Peters, Reed, Ricketts, Stabinel, and Warner.

931
02:35:48,680 --> 02:35:49,300
Mrs. Brett voted

932
02:35:49,300 --> 02:35:49,660
Mr.

933
02:35:57,790 --> 02:36:00,510
Kelly, Mr. Kelly, I,

934
02:36:26,990 --> 02:36:30,630
Mr. King, Mr. King, I,

935
02:36:39,290 --> 02:36:42,450
Mr. Kornin, Mr. Kornin, I,

936
02:39:26,600 --> 02:39:26,700
Mr.

937
02:39:26,700 --> 02:39:28,580
Mr. Hogan, no.

938
02:39:30,060 --> 02:39:32,800
Mrs. Murray, Mrs. Murray, aye.

939
02:39:35,540 --> 02:39:38,520
Mrs. Capitone, Mrs. Capitone, aye.

940
02:39:59,210 --> 02:39:59,970
Ms. Warren, Mrs.

941
02:40:00,000 --> 02:40:07,140
Mr. Warren, aye, Mr. Moran, Mr. Moran, aye,

942
02:40:32,310 --> 02:40:34,670
Mr. Bennett, Mr. Bennett, aye,

943
02:40:37,400 --> 02:40:40,340
this is Blackburn. Mrs. Blackburn, no.

944
02:40:48,880 --> 02:40:51,680
Mr. Rounds, Mr. Rounds, aye.

945
02:40:56,150 --> 02:41:02,170
Mr. Schatz, Mr. Schatz, aye. Mr. Daines, Mr. Daines, no.

946
02:41:05,490 --> 02:41:08,070
Mr. Cain, Mr. Cain, aye.

947
02:41:34,090 --> 02:41:34,810
Ms. Ernst,

948
02:41:39,140 --> 02:41:42,700
Mr. Warnock, Mr. Warnock, aye.

949
02:41:48,870 --> 02:41:52,030
Mr. Scott, Mr. Scott of Florida, no.

950
02:41:58,370 --> 02:42:01,130
Mr. Murphy, Mr. Murphy, aye.

951
02:42:02,670 --> 02:42:05,670
Mr. Wyden, Mr. Wyden, aye.

952
02:42:17,980 --> 02:42:20,720
Mr. Duckworth, Mr. Duckworth, aye.

953
02:43:01,620 --> 02:43:04,480
Mr. Tuberville, Mr. Tuberville, no.

954
02:43:23,130 --> 02:43:25,770
Mr. Schumer, Mr. Schumer, aye.

955
02:44:20,470 --> 02:44:23,190
Ms. Cinema, Ms. Cinema, I.

956
02:44:41,080 --> 02:44:43,900
Ms. Smith, Ms. Smith, I.

957
02:45:38,030 --> 02:45:47,450
Mr. Shihin, Mr. Shihin, aye, Mr. Booker, Mr. Booker, aye, Mr. Graham, Mr. Graham, aye,

958
02:45:54,170 --> 02:45:57,110
Mr. Wicker, Mr. Wicker, no.

959
02:46:01,420 --> 02:46:04,120
Mr. Sullivan, Mr. Sullivan, no.

960
02:47:06,460 --> 02:47:09,200
Ms. Cantwell, Ms. Cantwell, aye.

961
02:47:21,860 --> 02:47:25,160
Mrs. Hyde Smith, Mrs. Hyde Smith, no.

962
02:47:44,350 --> 02:47:47,470
Mr. Tellis, Mr. Tellis, aye.

963
02:48:10,220 --> 02:48:13,400
Mr. Young, Mr. Young, aye.

964
02:48:29,230 --> 02:48:31,470
Mr. Bud, Mr. Bud, no.

965
02:50:18,900 --> 02:50:21,860
Mr. Brown, Mr. Brown, aye.

966
02:50:57,800 --> 02:51:00,600
Mr. Whitehouse, Mr. Whitehouse, aye.

967
02:51:25,280 --> 02:51:27,780
Mr. Thin, Mr. Thin, aye.

968
02:53:02,840 --> 02:53:05,760
Mr. Padilla, Mr. Padilla, aye.

969
02:53:13,280 --> 02:53:16,320
Mr. Casey, Mr. Casey, aye.

970
02:54:11,420 --> 02:54:22,660
Mr. Romney, Mr. Romney, aye. Mr. Rubio, Mr. Rubio, no, Mr. Cassidy, no, Mr. Cotton, Mr. Cotton, no.

971
02:54:24,100 --> 02:54:27,440
Mr. Markley, Mr. Markley, I.

972
02:55:21,040 --> 02:55:28,300
Ms. Rosen, Ms. Rosen, aye, Mr. Van Hollen, Mr. Van Hollen, aye,

973
02:56:19,840 --> 02:56:26,860
Mr. Coons, Mr. Coons, aye, Ms. Lummus, Ms. Lummus, no,

974
02:57:54,230 --> 02:57:57,210
Mr. Kardon, Mr. Kardon, aye,

975
02:58:27,180 --> 02:58:30,280
Mr. Klobichar, Ms. Klobichar, aye,

976
02:58:59,080 --> 02:59:01,580
Mr. Langford, Mr. Langford, no,

977
02:59:14,150 --> 02:59:16,650
Mr. Boseman, Mr. Boseman, aye, Mr.

978
02:59:18,750 --> 02:59:20,910
Mr. Marky. Mr. Marky.

979
02:59:21,650 --> 02:59:21,650
I.

980
02:59:41,460 --> 02:59:43,040
Mr. Johnson. Mr. Johnson.

981
02:59:43,860 --> 02:59:44,180
No.

982
02:59:47,300 --> 02:59:48,960
Mr. Marshall. Mr. Marshall.

983
02:59:50,160 --> 02:59:50,160
I.

984
02:59:52,920 --> 02:59:53,640
Mr. Sanders.

985
02:59:53,780 --> 02:59:56,040
Mr. Sanders. I.

986
03:00:06,450 --> 03:00:12,850
Mr. O'Sough, Mr. O'Sough, aye, Mr. Vance, Mr. Vance, no,

987
03:01:37,370 --> 03:01:39,950
Mr. Paul, Mr. Paul, no,

988
03:02:40,650 --> 03:02:43,550
Mrs. Fisher, Mrs. Fisher, no,

989
03:04:17,100 --> 03:04:19,560
Mr. Baldwin, Mr.

990
03:04:47,560 --> 03:04:49,920
Welch, Mr. Welch, aye.

991
03:07:05,260 --> 03:07:07,640
Mr. Braun, no.

992
03:07:24,420 --> 03:07:31,280
Ms. Hassan, aye, Ms. Cortez Masto, aye, Mr. Scott of South Carolina, no.

993
03:07:46,160 --> 03:07:48,160
Mr. Lee, no.

994
03:09:33,160 --> 03:09:34,420
Ms. Ferrano, aye.

995
03:11:24,020 --> 03:11:25,740
Mr. Riff, aye.

996
03:12:57,810 --> 03:13:00,330
Mr. Kennedy. No.

997
03:13:14,040 --> 03:13:16,080
Mr. Holly. No.

998
03:15:09,710 --> 03:15:12,370
Mr. Blumenthal, aye,

999
03:17:15,470 --> 03:17:17,090
Mr. Carper, aye,

1000
03:19:17,540 --> 03:19:19,700
Mr. Mullin, aye.

1001
03:29:49,330 --> 03:29:51,290
Mr. Cruz, now.

1002
03:30:09,140 --> 03:30:27,020
On this vote, the Yays are 67, the Nays are 26, and the nomination is confirmed. Under the previous order, the motion to reconsider is considered made and laid upon the table and the president will be immediately notified of the Senate's action. Under the previous order, the Senate will resume legislative session.

1003
03:30:27,020 --> 03:30:27,020
Mr.

1004
03:31:32,200 --> 03:31:33,920
President, Senator for Texas,

1005
03:31:36,640 --> 03:31:37,360
Mr. President,

1006
03:31:39,840 --> 03:31:44,310
I wish we were not here facing these issues

1007
03:31:44,310 --> 03:31:45,190
yet again.

1008
03:31:47,480 --> 03:31:51,920
In recent days, our nation is seeing yet another horrific school shooting.

1009
03:31:54,010 --> 03:32:02,570
It's September of last year, I stood on the Senate floor and tried to pass legislation

1010
03:32:03,410 --> 03:32:11,620
to stop these school shootings. There have been too many of them. I've been there on

1011
03:32:11,620 --> 03:32:15,620
around at two dead many of them.

1012
03:32:17,520 --> 03:32:21,660
Santa Fe High School in Texas, about 45 minutes away from my house.

1013
03:32:23,400 --> 03:32:26,620
The morning of that shooting, I got the call within minutes of the shooting.

1014
03:32:26,760 --> 03:32:31,120
I was down on campus just over an hour after to courage.

1015
03:32:33,240 --> 03:32:38,900
I saw the tragedy, the tears, the grieving parents, the children in shock,

1016
03:32:42,790 --> 03:32:42,970
you've

1017
03:32:42,970 --> 03:32:43,990
all the time.

1018
03:32:44,890 --> 03:32:47,170
I was there shortly after that shooting as well.

1019
03:32:48,550 --> 03:32:51,750
the horror, the mayhem,

1020
03:32:55,100 --> 03:32:56,400
too many of our children,

1021
03:32:58,000 --> 03:32:59,940
have been murdered by deranged lunatics.

1022
03:33:03,370 --> 03:33:04,910
This president, when you and I were kids,

1023
03:33:06,810 --> 03:33:07,710
this wasn't a thing.

1024
03:33:09,600 --> 03:33:11,720
When you went to school, when I went to school,

1025
03:33:13,200 --> 03:33:16,380
there wasn't a single day that I woke up going to school worried

1026
03:33:16,380 --> 03:33:19,500
that some idiots, some sociopath,

1027
03:33:21,000 --> 03:33:22,180
was going to shoot up the school.

1028
03:33:23,460 --> 03:33:26,560
You might worry about getting punched at recess,

1029
03:33:28,720 --> 03:33:33,200
but this didn't happen 30, 40, 50 years ago.

1030
03:33:34,900 --> 03:33:44,740
Now it is a brutal reality over and over again. There are lots of causes that we could debate for a long time.

1031
03:33:44,740 --> 03:33:46,600
causes in our culture,

1032
03:33:49,020 --> 03:33:56,260
causes of disconnected, emotionally disturbed young men who want to become

1033
03:33:56,260 --> 03:33:56,760
famous.

1034
03:33:59,550 --> 03:34:09,180
I think Colin Bond may have started this whole tragic cycle, or an angry young person seeks

1035
03:34:09,180 --> 03:34:12,740
to lash out by murdering little kids

1036
03:34:15,400 --> 03:34:19,240
with respect to becoming famous, one rule I try to

1037
03:34:19,240 --> 03:34:23,720
is that I will never say the names of these mass murderers.

1038
03:34:25,750 --> 03:34:28,110
If they want to be well-known, I hope everyone

1039
03:34:28,110 --> 03:34:28,930
in elected office.

1040
03:34:28,930 --> 03:34:31,750
I'd like everyone in the news media to follow that role as well.

1041
03:34:32,490 --> 03:34:35,890
They deserve to be forgotten in utter obscurity.

1042
03:34:38,940 --> 03:34:41,640
But we also have an obligation to stop this.

1043
03:34:43,490 --> 03:34:46,450
Every time there's a mass murder, there's a pattern that plays out.

1044
03:34:50,760 --> 03:34:54,560
Number one, there's an expression of grief of love

1045
03:34:54,560 --> 03:34:55,900
for the community.

1046
03:34:57,120 --> 03:34:59,760
They're millions of us who lift the community up and prayer.

1047
03:35:01,970 --> 03:35:11,230
Inevitably, that produces a response from the political left, where they scream in units and thoughts and prayers aren't enough.

1048
03:35:13,250 --> 03:35:15,170
I'll tell you, Ms. President, I believe in the power prayer.

1049
03:35:16,530 --> 03:35:22,850
And I will continue praying for communities that are hurting whether from a natural disaster or horrific crime or anything else.

1050
03:35:26,360 --> 03:35:31,420
But I agree with the sentiment, thoughts and prayers are not enough.

1051
03:35:31,420 --> 03:35:41,140
that is exactly right. We need action. And what is so infuriating is every time there's

1052
03:35:41,140 --> 03:35:48,500
a mass shooting, Democrats in this chamber stand up and they don't actually want to do

1053
03:35:48,500 --> 03:35:56,380
something to stop the murders. Instead, they want another gun control bill to disarm

1054
03:35:56,380 --> 03:36:04,580
providing citizens that won't actually stop the murders, that won't actually protect our

1055
03:36:04,580 --> 03:36:12,980
kids. In September of last year, I introduced legislation that would be the most far-reaching

1056
03:36:12,980 --> 03:36:17,060
school safety legislation ever enacted.

1057
03:36:19,100 --> 03:36:21,380
It would double the number of police officers

1058
03:36:21,380 --> 03:36:24,840
on campuses, devoting $15 billion,

1059
03:36:27,660 --> 03:36:30,420
to putting armed police officers on campus to protect our

1060
03:36:30,420 --> 03:36:30,560
kids.

1061
03:36:30,860 --> 03:36:33,380
The single most important step we can do.

1062
03:36:34,180 --> 03:36:41,020
It would also devote $10 billion for mental health professionals on campuses because

1063
03:36:41,020 --> 03:36:48,910
so many of these troubled murderers had warning signs leaping off the page.

1064
03:36:50,230 --> 03:36:57,850
It also devotes $2.56 billion for physical security at schools

1065
03:36:59,900 --> 03:37:02,240
to help enhance the security

1066
03:37:02,240 --> 03:37:03,080
at schools.

1067
03:37:06,870 --> 03:37:11,310
When I introduced this bill, it first came up

1068
03:37:13,930 --> 03:37:18,750
as an amendment on the much touted by

1069
03:37:18,750 --> 03:37:22,830
partisan gun control bill last year that did nothing to stop violent crime.

1070
03:37:24,330 --> 03:37:30,490
But it satisfied the left-wing donors of the Democrat party.

1071
03:37:32,070 --> 03:37:38,470
When my amendment was voted on in the Senate floor, I'm sorry to say, every single Democrat in this chamber voted no.

1072
03:37:39,270 --> 03:37:41,070
All of them, every one.

1073
03:37:43,460 --> 03:37:44,960
Afterwards, I went to this floor.

1074
03:37:45,160 --> 03:37:48,780
I stood on this floor and I tried to pass the bill by unanimous consent.

1075
03:37:51,300 --> 03:37:52,200
And when that happened,

1076
03:37:54,860 --> 03:37:58,280
the Senator from Connecticut stood up and objected.

1077
03:37:58,280 --> 03:37:59,340
Now,

1078
03:38:01,370 --> 03:38:02,550
I have to say

1079
03:38:06,900 --> 03:38:12,840
leading up to that unanimous consent request, numerous reporters that

1080
03:38:12,840 --> 03:38:13,840
ask me in the hallway.

1081
03:38:15,340 --> 03:38:17,700
Why are the Democrats objecting to this?

1082
03:38:18,760 --> 03:38:21,020
And I was forced to say, I do not know

1083
03:38:23,480 --> 03:38:27,500
because today they have not articulated any reason.

1084
03:38:28,380 --> 03:38:32,140
They have not explained why they oppose more police officers in schools.

1085
03:38:32,340 --> 03:38:36,100
They have not explained why they oppose more mental health counselors in schools.

1086
03:38:36,100 --> 03:38:42,100
They have not explained why they oppose more funding for enhanced physical security in schools.

1087
03:38:43,240 --> 03:38:48,540
So I was quite interested to hear the senator from Connecticut give his reasons.

1088
03:38:52,320 --> 03:38:54,260
I was disappointed that day.

1089
03:38:54,860 --> 03:38:57,600
Senator from Connecticut stood up in other two words. I object.

1090
03:38:58,560 --> 03:38:59,580
Then he sat down.

1091
03:39:00,580 --> 03:39:01,880
That was it.

1092
03:39:02,140 --> 03:39:03,260
His answer was just no.

1093
03:39:05,540 --> 03:39:12,660
President, I stood on this floor there and I said something that I said, God forbid,

1094
03:39:12,920 --> 03:39:14,780
there is going to be another school shooting.

1095
03:39:15,060 --> 03:39:16,420
I pray to God there isn't.

1096
03:39:19,940 --> 03:39:25,400
But we're going to find today when another one of these happens, another orange lunatic

1097
03:39:25,400 --> 03:39:27,960
commits this kind of mass murder.

1098
03:39:29,000 --> 03:39:32,840
And if there is not a police officer at the front door,

1099
03:39:35,960 --> 03:39:38,480
I said, remember this moment, remember

1100
03:39:38,480 --> 03:39:39,940
this moment.

1101
03:39:42,760 --> 03:39:46,680
Because if the Senator from Connecticut had not stood up and said, I object,

1102
03:39:48,000 --> 03:39:50,360
this bill would have passed the Senate unanimously.

1103
03:39:52,910 --> 03:39:55,150
If this bill had passed in the law,

1104
03:39:55,790 --> 03:39:59,750
$15 billion to double the number of police officers on campus.

1105
03:40:00,000 --> 03:40:04,720
And that was available at public schools, at private schools at Perokiel schools,

1106
03:40:08,390 --> 03:40:10,130
what that would have meant,

1107
03:40:12,430 --> 03:40:18,810
is that there's a very real possibility an armed police officer would have been at the front door of the Covenant School in Nashville.

1108
03:40:20,820 --> 03:40:31,650
As we look at what happened, every one of us, every one of us that's a parent or a grandparent, is beyond horrified at what sort of deranged person murders little children.

1109
03:40:32,850 --> 03:40:40,470
But we also know that that shooter came to the front door and shot the front door open.

1110
03:40:41,690 --> 03:40:48,870
This bill had passed, funding for school security, that front door could have been made

1111
03:40:48,870 --> 03:40:49,770
more secure.

1112
03:40:50,770 --> 03:40:59,880
So the shooter couldn't have blasted in, but even more importantly, like many of us have

1113
03:40:59,880 --> 03:41:01,240
the body can flage.

1114
03:41:03,300 --> 03:41:06,900
It's horrific, it's deeply disturbing, but I'll tell you it's also

1115
03:41:06,900 --> 03:41:07,740
awe-inspiring.

1116
03:41:09,830 --> 03:41:15,250
You saw the Nashville police officers arrive on campus about 15 minutes after the shooting began.

1117
03:41:15,530 --> 03:41:20,450
They enter the campus, they're scared, they don't know what's going on, but they're looking for the shooter.

1118
03:41:22,130 --> 03:41:26,550
They're wearing bulletproof vests, they're going, they're searching for the shooter, they're going up the stairs.

1119
03:41:26,550 --> 03:41:32,630
And they hear the sound of gunshots and the police officers do what police officers should do.

1120
03:41:32,810 --> 03:41:34,270
They head towards the shots.

1121
03:41:35,130 --> 03:41:37,030
They risk their lives.

1122
03:41:38,430 --> 03:41:40,490
And they encounter the shooter and shoot the shooter dead.

1123
03:41:43,560 --> 03:41:47,640
The heroism of those officers saved lives that day.

1124
03:41:51,740 --> 03:41:53,020
If this bill had passed,

1125
03:41:55,370 --> 03:41:57,730
those officers might not have been 15 minutes away.

1126
03:41:57,950 --> 03:41:59,510
They might have been standing at the front door.

1127
03:42:00,590 --> 03:42:06,870
The purpose of this bill was to have those officers at the front door so that when the

1128
03:42:06,870 --> 03:42:13,150
deranged shooter showed up and tried to shoot in the door, the officers could stop the

1129
03:42:13,150 --> 03:42:19,800
shooter right there and then, which would have meant that not a single child needed to

1130
03:42:19,800 --> 03:42:20,160
die.

1131
03:42:26,660 --> 03:42:29,960
I told this body if we didn't act,

1132
03:42:32,410 --> 03:42:34,010
the consequences would be horrific.

1133
03:42:35,700 --> 03:42:46,520
And yet the sad reality, I do not understand why our Democrat colleagues in this body do not support having police officers keep our kids safe.

1134
03:42:49,690 --> 03:43:00,990
Why when it comes to this issue, the only thing that interests them is disarming the people at home who pose no threat rather than protecting our kids.

1135
03:43:05,500 --> 03:43:08,080
As I said, Ms. President, I wish I wasn't back here today.

1136
03:43:09,160 --> 03:43:12,680
I wish this had passed last year.

1137
03:43:13,420 --> 03:43:19,920
I wish Democrats were willing to work together on really solving this problem,

1138
03:43:23,390 --> 03:43:24,090
but sadly this

1139
03:43:24,090 --> 03:43:25,950
pattern replays over and over again.

1140
03:43:28,440 --> 03:43:31,360
I have two different bills that I'm going to put before this body, but I'm going to start

1141
03:43:31,360 --> 03:43:33,240
with the first one, the one I've just described.

1142
03:43:34,480 --> 03:43:41,320
$15 billion for police officers to double the number of police officers on campus to protect

1143
03:43:41,320 --> 03:43:48,000
our kids. You know, when you go to the bank and you deposit money in the bank, there are

1144
03:43:48,000 --> 03:43:53,860
police officers in the bank. Why? Because we want to protect the money we say. Why on earth

1145
03:43:53,860 --> 03:43:59,280
do we protect a stupid deposit more than our children?

1146
03:44:01,780 --> 03:44:03,740
If there are parents that don't want

1147
03:44:03,740 --> 03:44:07,240
police officers protecting their kids, I don't know those parents.

1148
03:44:10,900 --> 03:44:12,000
Well, we have the opportunity

1149
03:44:12,000 --> 03:44:15,440
right now to double the police officers on campus and keep kids safe.

1150
03:44:17,420 --> 03:44:21,100
Therefore, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration

1151
03:44:21,100 --> 03:44:24,600
of S-108-2, which is at the desk.

1152
03:44:25,400 --> 03:44:31,540
Further that the bill be considered red a third time and passed, and that the motion to reconsider

1153
03:44:31,540 --> 03:44:33,520
be considered made and laid upon the table.

1154
03:44:34,540 --> 03:44:35,360
Is there objection?

1155
03:44:36,160 --> 03:44:36,640
Mr. President?

1156
03:44:36,980 --> 03:44:38,480
Senator for consent or a Connecticut.

1157
03:44:39,360 --> 03:44:40,180
Thank you, Mr. President.

1158
03:44:40,180 --> 03:44:46,740
We're observing the right to objective as I understand that the senator has two unanimous consent requests.

1159
03:44:47,460 --> 03:44:57,420
I will objective both, and I will make my comments when the senator makes his second unanimous consent request.

1160
03:44:57,780 --> 03:44:59,160
So for now on this first.

1161
03:45:00,600 --> 03:45:09,240
Objection, and his first request. So it's to save time. I'll wait for my comments on the second, and simply object to this one. I object.

1162
03:45:10,340 --> 03:45:11,320
Objection is heard.

1163
03:45:12,140 --> 03:45:12,760
Mr. President.

1164
03:45:13,360 --> 03:45:13,940
Senator from Texas.

1165
03:45:14,480 --> 03:45:20,940
So history is repeated. We still don't have an explanation as to why police officers on campus is not a good thing.

1166
03:45:21,560 --> 03:45:23,860
Maybe we'll get it. We were told we'll get a speech.

1167
03:45:25,540 --> 03:45:26,780
So we'll see what that is.

1168
03:45:26,780 --> 03:45:29,380
That's what happened last time.

1169
03:45:30,460 --> 03:45:31,520
All right.

1170
03:45:32,360 --> 03:45:34,220
The Democrats don't like that.

1171
03:45:36,370 --> 03:45:40,570
Let me give you a simpler bill.

1172
03:45:43,340 --> 03:45:51,470
A simpler bill that would spend unused

1173
03:45:54,120 --> 03:45:56,480
COVID education funds.

1174
03:45:57,980 --> 03:46:04,340
There are over $100 billion in funds that Congress has appropriated to the schools.

1175
03:46:05,040 --> 03:46:12,880
That under the restrictions put in place from the Democrats that money cannot be used for school safety.

1176
03:46:14,560 --> 03:46:18,200
That money cannot be used to make our kids safer.

1177
03:46:19,740 --> 03:46:24,360
In September, I introduced this bill as well. It's a one-page bill. It's a very simple bill.

1178
03:46:25,840 --> 03:46:29,680
It says the schools can choose to use that money to enhance school safety.

1179
03:46:30,680 --> 03:46:36,940
It says if a school wants to use some of that money to hire a police officer, the school can

1180
03:46:36,940 --> 03:46:37,860
do so.

1181
03:46:38,260 --> 03:46:42,620
It says if the school wants to use some of that money to enhance their physical security,

1182
03:46:43,100 --> 03:46:44,020
the school can do so.

1183
03:46:44,200 --> 03:46:46,800
It gives flexibility to the schools

1184
03:46:51,000 --> 03:46:54,840
in September when I attempted to pass this.

1185
03:46:55,360 --> 03:46:59,520
I asked, why would anyone possibly oppose this?

1186
03:47:00,990 --> 03:47:05,870
I don't know how a Democrat Senator goes home to your state.

1187
03:47:06,250 --> 03:47:18,710
I don't know how you go home to Connecticut, or New Jersey, or Michigan, and look in the eyes of a super-intinent look in the eyes of a teacher and say, no, I will not let you spend the money on school security.

1188
03:47:21,350 --> 03:47:24,910
Doesn't matter if your kids are afraid, doesn't matter if your teachers are afraid.

1189
03:47:25,270 --> 03:47:32,690
We, the Democrats in Congress, know better than you, and you may not spend a dollar of this on school security.

1190
03:47:34,800 --> 03:47:44,280
And let me be clear, this would have passed in September except for two magic words uttered

1191
03:47:44,280 --> 03:47:45,520
by the senator from Connecticut.

1192
03:47:46,460 --> 03:47:47,420
I object.

1193
03:47:48,980 --> 03:47:55,680
Now last time he went on a discourse about how this was not the full legislative process

1194
03:47:55,680 --> 03:47:58,060
that we hadn't negotiated with him in goodness.

1195
03:47:59,260 --> 03:48:04,220
That must be comfort to the parents who are scared at home that we hadn't sat there

1196
03:48:04,220 --> 03:48:14,020
a detailed negotiation. Every year, this body passes bill after bill after bill by unanimous

1197
03:48:14,020 --> 03:48:20,680
consent. Every senator here knows how to do that. The reason it doesn't go through

1198
03:48:20,680 --> 03:48:24,880
committee process, by the way, is because the Democrats control the committees and they

1199
03:48:24,880 --> 03:48:26,340
don't want to debate this.

1200
03:48:30,980 --> 03:48:34,500
So if you hear a bunch of process arguments from the senator

1201
03:48:34,500 --> 03:48:41,960
from Connecticut. Gosh, what he said last time, this isn't real. It is only not real because

1202
03:48:41,960 --> 03:48:48,820
the Democrats are objecting. That's what makes it not real because they are blocking it.

1203
03:48:50,950 --> 03:48:55,490
But to say, it's not passing because I'm objecting

1204
03:49:00,510 --> 03:49:02,490
is like the arsonist complaining there's

1205
03:49:02,490 --> 03:49:02,950
a fire.

1206
03:49:07,170 --> 03:49:14,070
I ask you an all seriousness, Mr. President. How do you explain to a parent?

1207
03:49:14,990 --> 03:49:19,030
back home. How do you explain to a superintendent? How do you explain to a teacher?

1208
03:49:21,450 --> 03:49:21,850
There's

1209
03:49:21,850 --> 03:49:30,470
something wrong with you having the ability to spend this money on school safety. I don't know

1210
03:49:30,470 --> 03:49:36,590
how to articulate that. I am looking forward to hearing it. We'll see if we do.

1211
03:49:40,820 --> 03:49:41,260
Therefore,

1212
03:49:42,840 --> 03:49:48,360
I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of S-1081,

1213
03:49:48,360 --> 03:49:49,540
on which is at the desk.

1214
03:49:50,440 --> 03:49:55,460
Further, at the bill be considered read a third time, and passed, and that the motion

1215
03:49:55,460 --> 03:49:58,500
or reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table.

1216
03:49:58,980 --> 03:49:59,720
Is there objection?

1217
03:50:00,000 --> 03:50:25,240
Senate for Connecticut. Thank you, Mr. President. The senator is right. I have very little interest in engaging on the merits of these proposals in a dialogue on the floor of the Senate because they are not serious attempts to make our kids safer.

1218
03:50:26,200 --> 03:50:33,040
These unanimous consent requests that Senator Cruz makes, they're going to get a lot of clicks online.

1219
03:50:34,780 --> 03:50:43,720
The confrontation that he's looking for will probably lead to a bunch of cable news appearances being booked.

1220
03:50:44,680 --> 03:50:48,460
But it's not going to save any kids lives.

1221
03:50:49,980 --> 03:50:53,100
The Senator knows this is not how the Senate works.

1222
03:50:54,440 --> 03:50:56,920
This isn't an autocracy, it's not a dictatorship.

1223
03:50:58,220 --> 03:51:01,420
You don't come down here and introduce a piece of legislation

1224
03:51:02,180 --> 03:51:06,200
and two minutes later to demand that the entirety of the Senate

1225
03:51:06,200 --> 03:51:09,460
agreed to it without any debate and any negotiation.

1226
03:51:12,200 --> 03:51:14,400
The Senator says these are the same bills he introduced

1227
03:51:14,400 --> 03:51:15,900
he introduced last year.

1228
03:51:17,340 --> 03:51:20,700
But as far as I can tell, he introduced the bills he's making

1229
03:51:20,700 --> 03:51:23,680
the United States consent requests on minutes ago.

1230
03:51:24,520 --> 03:51:28,660
They're not even fully formed pieces of legislation.

1231
03:51:31,040 --> 03:51:37,080
This thing is so ham-handed, one of the bills, that there's literally brackets and

1232
03:51:37,080 --> 03:51:40,280
question marks in the text.

1233
03:51:41,740 --> 03:51:47,720
The legislative draft, at least in the version that I see, haven't made decisions on when

1234
03:51:47,720 --> 03:51:48,880
the money is being spent.

1235
03:51:53,040 --> 03:52:00,120
Senator says that there's this pattern that plays out after these shootings in which Democrats

1236
03:52:00,120 --> 03:52:09,400
make demands about taking people's guns away, but aren't serious about making our kids safer.

1237
03:52:11,420 --> 03:52:13,540
Is that how it played out after the shooting in New Valdi?

1238
03:52:15,960 --> 03:52:17,280
Is that what happened last summer?

1239
03:52:18,860 --> 03:52:23,720
No, that's not what happens. What happened last summer after the shooting in the Senator's

1240
03:52:25,000 --> 03:52:31,900
is that serious members of this body, members of this body who are more interested in

1241
03:52:31,900 --> 03:52:42,070
legislating than enacting political theater, sat down together, and negotiated a bill

1242
03:52:42,070 --> 03:52:47,430
to save children's lives. Did it solve all of the problems in this country? Did it guarantee

1243
03:52:47,430 --> 03:52:55,050
every child's safety, no it did not, but let's be clear. Senator Cruz never expressed

1244
03:52:55,050 --> 03:53:00,910
one Iota of interest in being part of those negotiations. Other Republican

1245
03:53:00,910 --> 03:53:06,690
senators did, and while I understand he objects to the gun provisions in

1246
03:53:06,690 --> 03:53:14,130
that bill, guess what? That bill also put $15 billion in the school safety, into

1247
03:53:14,130 --> 03:53:19,890
mental health into hardening our schools, into community anti-gun violence programs.

1248
03:53:21,010 --> 03:53:26,890
I can't speak about the other members of the group that authored that bill, but I never

1249
03:53:26,890 --> 03:53:33,070
got a single phone call from Senator Cruz during the month of negotiations suggesting

1250
03:53:33,070 --> 03:53:37,270
that we add the language he's talking about to that proposal.

1251
03:53:37,270 --> 03:53:45,890
So last summer there were serious legislators who come to this floor to enact legislation

1252
03:53:46,620 --> 03:53:53,890
to set aside our differences and pass legislation that makes our kids safe, willing to

1253
03:53:53,890 --> 03:53:54,770
make compromise.

1254
03:53:56,470 --> 03:53:58,470
Senator Cruz didn't even sniff that room.

1255
03:54:04,050 --> 03:54:09,530
He references the NAMS consent request he made later last year that I objected to.

1256
03:54:09,530 --> 03:54:20,430
I think I suggested then as I suggest now that the result of that unanimous consent request was to create political theater and book cable news hits.

1257
03:54:20,710 --> 03:54:24,970
The result was not going to be a piece of legislation being enacted.

1258
03:54:26,430 --> 03:54:34,070
And I figured that if I was wrong about that, if the senators purpose was to pass a piece of legislation,

1259
03:54:35,410 --> 03:54:41,270
that the result of my objection would have been to get outreach from the senator's office.

1260
03:54:41,390 --> 03:54:51,370
It's try to figure out a way forward to try to find a compromise and I waited and I waited

1261
03:54:51,370 --> 03:54:58,070
and I waited and I waited and I waited and I waited and I waited but not once the senator

1262
03:54:58,070 --> 03:54:59,830
crews reach out and say let's work together.

1263
03:55:00,400 --> 03:55:01,960
To get this done,

1264
03:55:04,990 --> 03:55:06,770
which confirmed my suspicions

1265
03:55:09,620 --> 03:55:15,020
that these unanimous consent requests are not about passing legislation.

1266
03:55:16,560 --> 03:55:21,480
They're just about creating conflict for the sake of conflict.

1267
03:55:24,940 --> 03:55:27,280
This legislation was introduced minutes ago.

1268
03:55:27,980 --> 03:55:34,520
So I'm not able to debate the merits of it on the floor of the Senate right now.

1269
03:55:34,520 --> 03:55:43,360
It appears to make a whole bunch of changes to the not-for-profit security grant program that the presiding officer knows very well.

1270
03:55:43,820 --> 03:55:46,560
Changes that have little to do with school safety.

1271
03:55:47,220 --> 03:55:52,420
It seems that there's a bunch of processes changes to the not-for-profit security grant program.

1272
03:55:52,460 --> 03:55:59,680
That's probably something worth having a conversation with the chairman of the committee about before we pass it by unanimous consent.

1273
03:56:00,320 --> 03:56:07,000
It makes broad structural changes to Title IV, which is a very important program to schools.

1274
03:56:07,680 --> 03:56:14,160
They use that money for school security, but they also use that money for a host of other important

1275
03:56:14,160 --> 03:56:14,720
programs.

1276
03:56:14,860 --> 03:56:23,360
That's probably worth having a conversation with the members of the Education Committee about a

1277
03:56:23,360 --> 03:56:28,480
very quick look at this bill, suggested it likely opens up the use of those funds to arming

1278
03:56:28,480 --> 03:56:30,540
teachers in our school.

1279
03:56:31,400 --> 03:56:33,560
I think that's a terrible idea.

1280
03:56:35,440 --> 03:56:38,880
This is all to say that this isn't how the process works.

1281
03:56:39,100 --> 03:56:42,200
You don't drop a piece of legislation on the floor of the Senate

1282
03:56:42,200 --> 03:56:45,240
and two minutes later demand that the whole Senate pass it.

1283
03:56:45,580 --> 03:56:50,200
You do that if your intent is to create conflict

1284
03:56:50,200 --> 03:56:51,700
for the purposes of publicity.

1285
03:56:53,420 --> 03:56:55,040
I don't know what the senators intentions are,

1286
03:56:55,120 --> 03:56:57,200
but if that was your intention, this is what you do.

1287
03:56:57,200 --> 03:57:03,960
If you were interested in actually passing something, you would have dialed up the authors

1288
03:57:03,960 --> 03:57:07,780
of the bipartisan safer communities act and asked to be part of that negotiation.

1289
03:57:08,500 --> 03:57:14,140
You'd have reached out to my office after the objection last year and said, what's your

1290
03:57:14,140 --> 03:57:14,520
objections?

1291
03:57:14,520 --> 03:57:16,220
Let's sit down and do something together.

1292
03:57:17,780 --> 03:57:19,760
That's how legislation gets passed in this place.

1293
03:57:19,920 --> 03:57:24,060
I know because I've done it on this topic and I'm not saying that the bipartisan safer

1294
03:57:24,060 --> 03:57:29,480
communities act solve the problem. I know we have more work to do. I know it because I spend

1295
03:57:29,480 --> 03:57:34,220
time with those same families every single week. I know it because I live in a dangerous

1296
03:57:34,220 --> 03:57:39,960
neighborhood in South Hartford. I talk to those kids who have to fear for their life when

1297
03:57:39,960 --> 03:57:46,360
they go to school and that's why my purpose for being in the Senate is to work like hell across

1298
03:57:46,360 --> 03:57:48,460
the aisle through compromise.

1299
03:57:50,960 --> 03:57:54,660
Not by coming down here dropping a bill on the floor and then

1300
03:57:54,660 --> 03:57:58,440
immediately demanding that the entire Senate vote for it.

1301
03:57:59,000 --> 03:58:03,760
That's not how we save kids' lives, compromising,

1302
03:58:05,140 --> 03:58:07,720
working towards compromise, behind the scenes,

1303
03:58:07,820 --> 03:58:09,160
not always in front of the cameras.

1304
03:58:13,330 --> 03:58:13,630
I've checked.

1305
03:58:15,490 --> 03:58:16,590
Objection is heard.

1306
03:58:16,830 --> 03:58:17,430
Mr. President.

1307
03:58:17,870 --> 03:58:18,630
Senator from Texas.

1308
03:58:18,790 --> 03:58:20,610
As the Senator from Connecticut walks away

1309
03:58:20,610 --> 03:58:22,690
because he's unwilling to debate the topic,

1310
03:58:26,050 --> 03:58:28,430
I will note several things he said not a word about.

1311
03:58:28,430 --> 03:58:32,470
But let's focus on he set out this bill is very hard to figure out.

1312
03:58:32,850 --> 03:58:33,610
It's very complicated.

1313
03:58:35,650 --> 03:58:39,470
Well, the second bill, the one he just objected to, is all of one page long.

1314
03:58:39,970 --> 03:58:41,430
I'm going to read you the statutory text.

1315
03:58:42,310 --> 03:58:43,430
The Center for New Jersey here.

1316
03:58:44,430 --> 03:58:46,210
He is a learned senator.

1317
03:58:46,770 --> 03:58:51,330
It says the unobligated balance of funds made available in the COVID funding,

1318
03:58:51,390 --> 03:58:53,950
and I won't read the actual citation, but the COVID funding.

1319
03:58:54,350 --> 03:58:56,230
The unobligated funds made available.

1320
03:58:56,230 --> 03:59:03,110
So shall be made available to local educational agencies to keep elementary schools and secondary

1321
03:59:03,110 --> 03:59:06,550
schools served by such agencies physically secure.

1322
03:59:07,730 --> 03:59:09,390
That is the entirety of the bill.

1323
03:59:10,710 --> 03:59:17,150
You can use the $100 plus billion that Congress is appropriated to make schools safer.

1324
03:59:18,450 --> 03:59:23,230
Now, not a word from the Senator from Connecticut address that bill.

1325
03:59:23,230 --> 03:59:32,750
He just said, I object, and as for his counterwalling, that the first Bill got, he can't figure

1326
03:59:32,750 --> 03:59:36,470
out what's in it, you don't do it this way.

1327
03:59:36,510 --> 03:59:41,870
I will point out the first time I introduced it, it was Cruz Baraso, and every Senator voted

1328
03:59:41,870 --> 03:59:47,230
on it because I introduced it as an amendment to the Bill, the Senator from Connecticut,

1329
03:59:47,790 --> 03:59:51,330
Now, mind you in the wake of you, Valdi, with great fanfare.

1330
03:59:51,870 --> 03:59:58,710
Center for Connecticut passed a meaningless gun control bill that did nothing to prevent

1331
03:59:58,710 --> 03:59:59,770
what happened in Nashville.

1332
04:00:00,000 --> 04:00:05,460
It's not going to prevent the next mass murder. Why? Because it doesn't target criminals. It doesn't go

1333
04:00:05,460 --> 04:00:10,700
after the bad guys. It doesn't put police officers in a position to protect our kids.

1334
04:00:13,430 --> 04:00:13,930
I find

1335
04:00:13,930 --> 04:00:20,650
some rich irony that the senator from Connecticut suggested, gosh, the purpose of this is to get

1336
04:00:20,650 --> 04:00:27,330
on cable news. I don't know if the senator from Connecticut has difficulty getting on the news.

1337
04:00:29,440 --> 04:00:29,680
But

1338
04:00:29,680 --> 04:00:30,980
I can assure you that I don't.

1339
04:00:34,290 --> 04:00:38,230
What I do know is this is about stopping these damn murders.

1340
04:00:44,980 --> 04:00:46,380
Senator, if we're going to have to get suggest,

1341
04:00:46,500 --> 04:00:48,100
this is about conflict with him.

1342
04:00:48,240 --> 04:00:49,760
I can assure him,

1343
04:00:53,480 --> 04:00:55,200
very few people outside of Connecticut,

1344
04:00:56,260 --> 04:01:00,280
have any awareness of what he says.

1345
04:01:00,280 --> 04:01:01,540
Why is that?

1346
04:01:01,540 --> 04:01:03,460
Well, for one thing, when we did this last time,

1347
04:01:03,560 --> 04:01:04,960
there were zero reporters in the gallery.

1348
04:01:05,100 --> 04:01:06,280
Now they're two.

1349
04:01:07,580 --> 04:01:09,900
The corporate media doesn't report on this.

1350
04:01:11,590 --> 04:01:17,470
If you turn on cable news, they won't tell you that the reason there wasn't a police officer

1351
04:01:17,470 --> 04:01:22,830
at the Covenant School is because every Democrat in the Senate voted against it.

1352
04:01:24,410 --> 04:01:29,910
Corporate media won't tell you the reason the Covenant School couldn't spend these funds

1353
04:01:29,910 --> 04:01:35,250
on hiring a police officer and hardening that front door so you couldn't shoot through it

1354
04:01:35,250 --> 04:01:38,310
is because the Senator from Connecticut objected.

1355
04:01:39,070 --> 04:01:44,630
He knows he knows to an absolute certainty that a dishonest press corps will not tell anybody.

1356
04:01:46,250 --> 04:01:51,650
By the way, he great fanfare of saying, well, the legislative tax has a bracket.

1357
04:01:52,830 --> 04:01:57,310
What he didn't tell you is his staff gave him an old version of the bill, not the one that is filed.

1358
04:01:58,110 --> 04:02:06,760
And he was focused in particular on the one edit that was made, which was to change the fiscal year because we're now one year later.

1359
04:02:06,760 --> 04:02:14,440
So, it was to alter the date from the appropriate date last year to the appropriate date this year.

1360
04:02:15,300 --> 04:02:17,540
That was the amendment, and he reported,

1361
04:02:17,920 --> 04:02:20,360
well, gosh, no one knows what's in this.

1362
04:02:21,060 --> 04:02:22,760
You've all voted on it.

1363
04:02:25,120 --> 04:02:29,360
You know what he didn't say once why having police officers,

1364
04:02:30,080 --> 04:02:34,120
more police officers in schools is a bad thing.

1365
04:02:36,020 --> 04:02:38,880
He didn't talk at all about $10 billion for mental health counselors.

1366
04:02:38,880 --> 04:02:39,280
Mr.

1367
04:02:41,630 --> 04:02:43,950
President, I'm tired of these games.

1368
04:02:44,870 --> 04:02:47,170
I told you that he would give you process arguments

1369
04:02:47,170 --> 04:02:48,010
and who boy did he?

1370
04:02:48,110 --> 04:02:51,950
He said, gosh, Cruz didn't call me.

1371
04:02:52,250 --> 04:02:53,970
I guess his feelings were hurt.

1372
04:02:56,630 --> 04:02:58,270
I've also done this a long time.

1373
04:03:00,390 --> 04:03:02,050
I've seen the political posturing

1374
04:03:02,050 --> 04:03:03,970
that too many Democrats do on this issue.

1375
04:03:05,960 --> 04:03:07,460
Center for Connecticut suggests

1376
04:03:07,460 --> 04:03:08,900
that this is a newfound interest.

1377
04:03:08,960 --> 04:03:11,220
I've served 11 years on the Senate Judiciary Committee.

1378
04:03:11,340 --> 04:03:13,000
I have fought for 11 years.

1379
04:03:13,220 --> 04:03:14,340
I've introduced legislation

1380
04:03:14,340 --> 04:03:18,480
after legislation after legislation to lock up gun criminals.

1381
04:03:19,460 --> 04:03:22,840
If you commit a crime with a gun, you should be prosecuted and go to jail.

1382
04:03:23,500 --> 04:03:28,220
If you're a felon or fugitive or someone with serious mental illness and you try to illegally buy guns,

1383
04:03:28,500 --> 04:03:30,460
you should be prosecuted and sent to jail.

1384
04:03:33,150 --> 04:03:35,850
And repeatedly Democrats block those bills.

1385
04:03:37,410 --> 04:03:44,450
The sad reality of this body is if you're a mom at home who wants to be able to protect your kids,

1386
04:03:44,450 --> 04:03:47,430
the Democrats are really eager to disarm you,

1387
04:03:49,800 --> 04:03:51,660
but if you're a gang-vanger in Chicago,

1388
04:03:53,920 --> 04:04:01,040
they're not interested in a gun task force to lock you up and take the murderers off the street.

1389
04:04:04,960 --> 04:04:07,280
Mr. President, why is it an unreasonable question?

1390
04:04:10,180 --> 04:04:14,540
To ask, what's wrong with having more police

1391
04:04:14,540 --> 04:04:15,880
officers to protect our kids?

1392
04:04:18,570 --> 04:04:21,710
And I want to show you how little interest the Democrats have.

1393
04:04:21,710 --> 04:04:23,190
The Center for Connecticut has gone.

1394
04:04:25,440 --> 04:04:27,500
He gave his little speech and ran away.

1395
04:04:29,930 --> 04:04:32,590
This is supposed to be the world's greatest deliberative body.

1396
04:04:33,990 --> 04:04:36,110
But as long as the press doesn't do its job,

1397
04:04:38,360 --> 04:04:40,120
the Center for Connecticut can send out a

1398
04:04:40,120 --> 04:04:44,760
fundraising email tonight to all the gun control groups,

1399
04:04:47,540 --> 04:04:48,680
saying, guess what, we're coming

1400
04:04:48,680 --> 04:04:51,580
after the Second Amendment, please click here.

1401
04:05:00,000 --> 04:05:02,360
Now to the kids who are scared at home right now.

1402
04:05:05,330 --> 04:05:08,550
The solutions put forth by the Democrats in this

1403
04:05:08,550 --> 04:05:15,630
body are not designed to stop crime. This bill is,

1404
04:05:24,430 --> 04:05:26,190
you know, for a long time,

1405
04:05:28,370 --> 04:05:28,650
in the weeks

1406
04:05:28,650 --> 04:05:37,870
and months following you've already, there's been a talking point raised by the left on Twitter

1407
04:05:37,870 --> 04:05:40,550
and echo just moments ago by the senator from Connecticut.

1408
04:05:42,070 --> 04:05:44,750
That says, well, we don't want more police

1409
04:05:45,910 --> 04:05:48,710
because the police don't stop these crimes

1410
04:05:49,390 --> 04:05:51,490
and they point to you, of all day.

1411
04:05:51,950 --> 04:05:53,310
Now, I will say having been in you

1412
04:05:53,310 --> 04:05:54,750
of all day right after that shooting.

1413
04:05:57,740 --> 04:06:01,080
What the police officers did there was tragic.

1414
04:06:03,740 --> 04:06:05,720
Hundreds of officers showed up at that school

1415
04:06:05,720 --> 04:06:09,360
and for an hour and 14 minutes,

1416
04:06:10,180 --> 04:06:13,520
They did nothing, they didn't go in and take out the shooter.

1417
04:06:17,870 --> 04:06:20,150
That was true even a shots rang out repeatedly.

1418
04:06:20,290 --> 04:06:24,390
That was true even as little children were calling 911 begging for help.

1419
04:06:25,250 --> 04:06:28,350
For over an hour, they didn't go in.

1420
04:06:30,330 --> 04:06:36,710
I agree the conduct of law enforcement that day was inexplicable and indefensible.

1421
04:06:38,510 --> 04:06:42,470
I will say, when I went to you of all the immediately after the shooting,

1422
04:06:43,950 --> 04:06:50,690
Seeing your law enforcement there and you've all the satin room and lied to me and lied to

1423
04:06:50,690 --> 04:06:53,690
John Corden and lied to Greg Abbott the governor about what happened.

1424
04:06:54,170 --> 04:06:58,930
The story they described was utterly false as would come out in the days to follow.

1425
04:07:00,110 --> 04:07:03,990
One of the things they claim that day is they said, oh an officer was there when the shooter

1426
04:07:03,990 --> 04:07:04,330
arrived.

1427
04:07:04,350 --> 04:07:05,250
That was not true.

1428
04:07:07,950 --> 04:07:12,150
You want to know why having an officer there matters, watch the body cam footage.

1429
04:07:14,010 --> 04:07:20,690
In Nashville, those heroic officers who heard the sounds of gunshots and ran towards them,

1430
04:07:20,690 --> 04:07:22,370
risking their lives.

1431
04:07:25,400 --> 04:07:28,940
There are children who are thank God alive because of the heroism of those officers.

1432
04:07:31,200 --> 04:07:37,260
Is it too much to ask how things would have been different if the officers could have been

1433
04:07:37,260 --> 04:07:39,300
at the front door to begin with?

1434
04:07:40,080 --> 04:07:41,600
They could have been.

1435
04:07:42,260 --> 04:07:44,360
If not, for Senate Democrats.

1436
04:07:46,820 --> 04:07:51,120
Now, the Senator from Connecticut said, gosh, he hasn't had time to read this bill that

1437
04:07:51,120 --> 04:07:53,360
he's voted on before that he's objected to before.

1438
04:07:53,620 --> 04:08:00,260
But you know, it really did make his head hurt to have to read this legislative language.

1439
04:08:00,500 --> 04:08:03,000
Well, I'll tell you what, we're getting ready to go in a two week recess.

1440
04:08:04,320 --> 04:08:06,780
When we come back, we can do this again.

1441
04:08:07,480 --> 04:08:09,980
Senator from Connecticut, take two weeks to read the bill.

1442
04:08:11,340 --> 04:08:18,500
It's not complicated and then I look forward to the center from Connecticut telling me why on the

1443
04:08:18,500 --> 04:08:19,880
half of the Democrat party.

1444
04:08:21,400 --> 04:08:25,040
He thinks having police officers on school campuses is a bad idea.

1445
04:08:25,480 --> 04:08:31,640
And by the way, I would note, even though it's just the center from Connecticut objecting

1446
04:08:31,640 --> 04:08:36,680
every Democrat in this body voter against this bill and not a single Democrat has come

1447
04:08:36,680 --> 04:08:39,680
to the floor to say they disagree with what the center from Connecticut is doing.

1448
04:08:39,680 --> 04:08:45,420
When he stands up and does this objection, he's doing it on behalf of the whole Democrat party.

1449
04:08:46,600 --> 04:08:49,640
I'll make an invitation to any one of you.

1450
04:08:51,930 --> 04:09:00,390
If there is a Democrat member in this body that actually believes that having police officers protect our kids would be a good thing,

1451
04:09:01,270 --> 04:09:05,970
that actually believes having mental health counselors in our schools would be a good thing,

1452
04:09:05,970 --> 04:09:08,610
that actually believes that providing funding

1453
04:09:08,610 --> 04:09:12,070
to enhance physical security and schools would be a good thing,

1454
04:09:13,710 --> 04:09:14,730
and come join me.

1455
04:09:17,530 --> 04:09:19,930
I don't have a whole lot of optimism that's gonna happen.

1456
04:09:23,780 --> 04:09:24,640
But if it doesn't,

1457
04:09:27,980 --> 04:09:29,340
this is all gonna happen again.

1458
04:09:32,020 --> 04:09:33,660
The bill passed last fall.

1459
04:09:35,300 --> 04:09:37,940
Nobody, nobody, nobody, nobody, nobody, nobody.

1460
04:09:37,940 --> 04:09:43,780
Things it is going to do anything to stop mass murders.

1461
04:09:45,140 --> 04:09:51,990
What was designed to do that was designed to a swage gun control activists.

1462
04:09:55,220 --> 04:09:57,940
You want to stop mass murderers go after the murderers.

1463
04:09:58,100 --> 04:09:59,980
If you want to stop mass murderers, stop mass murderers.

1464
04:10:00,000 --> 04:10:04,280
Yes, murders, protect our kids. We can do this.

1465
04:10:07,840 --> 04:10:16,600
But to do it, we've got to have someone from the Democrat Party willing to stand up and say, let's actually get it done.

1466
04:10:20,100 --> 04:10:23,160
Right now today the answer from Democrats is thoughts and prayers.

1467
04:10:25,660 --> 04:10:36,780
I agree, thoughts and prayers are not enough. How about action? And by the way, they do want action. They'd be happy to confiscate all the law-abiding citizens' firearms, which doesn't work and wouldn't have kept anyone safe.

1468
04:10:37,560 --> 04:10:41,280
How about action to keep our kids safe?

1469
04:10:49,440 --> 04:10:52,160
If the Democrats had an objective in September of 2022,

1470
04:10:54,820 --> 04:10:57,100
this horrific murder and Nashville could have been prevented.

1471
04:10:59,830 --> 04:11:00,990
It should have been prevented.

1472
04:11:03,200 --> 04:11:05,640
And we have a responsibility to do everything

1473
04:11:05,640 --> 04:11:07,540
we can to prevent the next one.

1474
04:11:09,100 --> 04:11:09,680
I yield a floor.

1475
04:11:14,320 --> 04:11:14,960
Mr. President.

1476
04:11:15,540 --> 04:11:18,000
Senator Minita, Mr. President, I'm back again

1477
04:11:18,000 --> 04:11:23,520
seeking unanimous consent for the passage of my free bird act.

1478
04:11:23,520 --> 04:11:29,280
Now, previously, my request for unanimous consent was met with an objection.

1479
04:11:30,000 --> 04:11:34,660
Objection on the grounds that we're still in the midst of a public health emergency.

1480
04:11:36,160 --> 04:11:45,520
It was ovated, this objection that this unanimous consent request was objected to on

1481
04:11:45,520 --> 04:11:51,060
the grounds that if we were going to do this, we should end the vaccine requirement for foreign

1482
04:11:51,060 --> 04:11:57,760
and the public health emergency at the same time to do this in the words of the

1483
04:11:57,760 --> 04:12:03,840
objector to make it clean. Well Mr. President, just last night the Senate voted to

1484
04:12:03,840 --> 04:12:10,560
terminate COVID-19 pandemic national emergency order. That makes this as clean as

1485
04:12:10,560 --> 04:12:15,820
it gets. We've passed this now and early this morning the White House announced

1486
04:12:15,820 --> 04:12:20,080
that the President will be signing that measure which had previously been passed

1487
04:12:20,080 --> 04:12:24,780
by the House in the law, so that's happening now, that makes it means that this is as clean

1488
04:12:24,780 --> 04:12:25,620
as it gets.

1489
04:12:26,580 --> 04:12:30,380
He thinks would go out at the same time with a bang, as well they should.

1490
04:12:31,940 --> 04:12:37,340
Now, it also means that there's no reason why we shouldn't end this particular restriction.

1491
04:12:37,680 --> 04:12:42,140
The restriction on unvaccinated foreign travelers coming into the United States today.

1492
04:12:43,500 --> 04:12:50,000
Now, to those who might think that the Senate passed something last night that might somehow

1493
04:12:50,000 --> 04:12:57,320
make it unnecessary to pass the free bird act, make it unnecessary separately to enact legislation,

1494
04:12:58,200 --> 04:13:04,440
ending the foreign traveler vaccine requirement. They're mistaken. And they're mistaken

1495
04:13:04,440 --> 04:13:13,700
because those two legal documents that are proclamation issued by President Trump in 2020 declaring

1496
04:13:13,700 --> 04:13:22,280
national public health emergency and the October 2021 executive order issued by President Biden

1497
04:13:22,280 --> 04:13:27,460
putting in place the foreign traveler vaccine requirement. There are separate things.

1498
04:13:28,620 --> 04:13:34,540
Neither depends on the other. And so the fact that the public health emergency executive order is

1499
04:13:34,540 --> 04:13:40,980
now on its way out the door it will be no more in a matter of hours or days. It makes no difference

1500
04:13:40,980 --> 04:13:51,080
this one. This one remains in effect, unless or until it's undone. So, to paraphrase the words of the

1501
04:13:51,080 --> 04:13:57,900
member of the Senate from the Democratic Party who objected to this just a few days ago, we can make it clean.

1502
04:13:58,300 --> 04:14:03,060
Now, we should make it clean, in fact. We should make it clean by getting rid of this just as the other expires.

1503
04:14:04,220 --> 04:14:10,360
Now look, so it begs the question, why does this matter so much, why do we care about the

1504
04:14:10,360 --> 04:14:15,680
fact that we're requiring foreign travelers to prove that they've been vaccinated prior

1505
04:14:15,680 --> 04:14:19,640
to entering the United States? Well, we care and we should care because it's levying

1506
04:14:19,640 --> 04:14:27,080
a really heavy cost on state and local economies and on the American economy and on American

1507
04:14:27,080 --> 04:14:33,040
relationships across this country. Continuing to keep this mandate in place and it's

1508
04:14:33,040 --> 04:14:38,380
when President Biden himself is declared that the pandemic is over, and is prepared apparently

1509
04:14:38,380 --> 04:14:45,980
to sign into law legislation passed by both houses, officially ending the order declaring

1510
04:14:45,980 --> 04:14:48,860
the existence of the public health emergency over COVID.

1511
04:14:51,900 --> 04:14:54,500
It doesn't make any sense to continue this.

1512
04:14:54,500 --> 04:14:59,960
especially, you know, time when this body is voted, and the present.

1513
04:15:00,000 --> 04:15:02,100
Prepaired to sign the other measure.

1514
04:15:05,400 --> 04:15:05,400
Look,

1515
04:15:07,580 --> 04:15:27,600
those who oppose this really are unjustified in what they're trying to do, especially because they're ignoring the new risk calculus that is affording Americans a renewed sense of normalcy, much needed normalcy after three years of chaos.

1516
04:15:27,600 --> 04:15:31,660
This policy has separated loved ones for far too long.

1517
04:15:32,220 --> 04:15:36,220
It's time to end the COVID-19 vaccination requirement for foreign travelers,

1518
04:15:37,720 --> 04:15:41,720
prohibit using federal funds to carry out the requirement

1519
04:15:41,720 --> 04:15:48,400
and prevent the CDC from ordering future COVID-19 vaccine mandates for foreign travelers.

1520
04:15:48,820 --> 04:15:50,800
It's costing us too much.

1521
04:15:52,140 --> 04:15:55,240
Mr. President, in 2021 alone, you talk visitors,

1522
04:15:56,620 --> 04:16:06,800
Travelers coming into Utah spent nearly $11 billion generating over $130,000 and almost $2 billion in state and local tax revenue.

1523
04:16:08,620 --> 04:16:19,300
Look, Utah's tourism sector experienced so much decline during COVID, particularly during 2020.

1524
04:16:20,320 --> 04:16:27,580
by 2021 and even more so by today, it really has recovered quite well, except in one area.

1525
04:16:28,920 --> 04:16:34,960
We still haven't recovered much less made in the gains with regard to foreign visitors

1526
04:16:34,960 --> 04:16:36,440
to the state of Utah.

1527
04:16:37,280 --> 04:16:37,480
Why?

1528
04:16:37,660 --> 04:16:43,700
Well, I think a lot of it has to do with this unnecessary draconian requirement, a requirement

1529
04:16:43,700 --> 04:16:49,440
that the developed world no longer recognizes the need for.

1530
04:16:49,660 --> 04:16:53,300
We're outliers in the free world for keeping this in place.

1531
04:16:53,940 --> 04:16:57,360
But by lifting the vaccine mandate, Utah and the United States

1532
04:16:57,360 --> 04:17:02,600
stand to benefit tremendously from increased international travel.

1533
04:17:02,720 --> 04:17:05,340
Look, it's not just that it's costing us tourism.

1534
04:17:06,360 --> 04:17:08,060
It's costing us meaningful connections,

1535
04:17:09,080 --> 04:17:11,380
connections that enrich and promote our shared humanity.

1536
04:17:11,380 --> 04:17:17,620
Right now, foreign travelers, including family members, including friends, business relations,

1537
04:17:18,920 --> 04:17:25,040
and even international sports figures, are being kept off of U.S. soil arbitrarily due

1538
04:17:25,040 --> 04:17:26,720
to this draconian vaccine mandate.

1539
04:17:27,940 --> 04:17:31,980
Look right now, today, this very moment, we have the opportunity to reverse course.

1540
04:17:32,960 --> 04:17:38,220
In fact, the House of Representatives has already passed this very bill ending the vaccine

1541
04:17:38,220 --> 04:17:38,680
mandate.

1542
04:17:38,680 --> 04:17:41,160
And it's pasted with bipartisan support.

1543
04:17:41,980 --> 04:17:46,400
Today, we can restore our personal and business relationships.

1544
04:17:47,500 --> 04:17:50,400
Boost our tourism, not just in Utah, but across America,

1545
04:17:51,540 --> 04:17:55,880
and re-engage in the competitive spirit that brings nations

1546
04:17:55,880 --> 04:17:56,980
together.

1547
04:17:58,180 --> 04:18:00,180
It's time Mr. President to end this mandate.

1548
04:18:00,840 --> 04:18:05,760
It's time to join the rest of the developed and the free world.

1549
04:18:05,760 --> 04:18:13,370
It's time to free the bird and to pass the free bird act.

1550
04:18:13,750 --> 04:18:17,650
Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration

1551
04:18:17,650 --> 04:18:22,430
of calendar number 14, HR185, further that the least substitute of amendment at the

1552
04:18:22,430 --> 04:18:27,670
desk be considered and agreed to, that the bill has amended be considered red a third

1553
04:18:27,670 --> 04:18:33,890
time and pass and that the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table.

1554
04:18:33,890 --> 04:18:35,670
Is there an objection?

1555
04:18:36,410 --> 04:18:37,010
I'm Mr. President.

1556
04:18:37,050 --> 04:18:38,370
Reserving the right to object.

1557
04:18:38,590 --> 04:18:39,750
Senator from New Jersey.

1558
04:18:40,430 --> 04:18:46,750
Mr. President, I am here on behalf of Senator Sanders, who was pulled away from the

1559
04:18:46,750 --> 04:18:48,610
floor on an important matter.

1560
04:18:48,850 --> 04:18:54,250
He asked me to object on this matter.

1561
04:18:54,570 --> 04:18:57,130
He gave me some documentation and some points.

1562
04:18:57,710 --> 04:19:00,890
I don't want to burden the Senate with reading everything that I was given.

1563
04:19:00,890 --> 04:19:09,990
But I would like to ask permission to enter into the record the objection on behalf of Mr. Sanders if there's no objection to that, sir.

1564
04:19:10,510 --> 04:19:11,130
Without objection.

1565
04:19:11,630 --> 04:19:18,230
And I will say, I really feel so blessed to be a senator.

1566
04:19:18,950 --> 04:19:22,630
And one of the great blessings for me has been getting to know my colleagues.

1567
04:19:23,410 --> 04:19:27,610
And I know folks on both sides of the aisle and have sincere friendships and admiration.

1568
04:19:27,610 --> 04:19:33,530
Senator Lee is one of the people I respect in this body, the most he's learned it, I have learned from him.

1569
04:19:34,010 --> 04:19:40,770
My positions on issues have evolved from taking the time to actually listen to my colleague from Utah speak.

1570
04:19:41,750 --> 04:19:46,070
And he's passionately, I now see both colleagues from Utah here.

1571
04:19:46,070 --> 04:19:49,910
I need to get Menendez down to this floor and get some firepower here.

1572
04:19:51,510 --> 04:19:54,650
But I've also learned a lot about Utah itself.

1573
04:19:54,650 --> 04:19:58,190
And when he talks about the reasons for getting rid of this, they're very compelling to me.

1574
04:19:58,350 --> 04:19:59,970
The reality is...

1575
04:20:00,000 --> 04:20:13,840
Tourism is one of our greatest industries that creates jobs and opportunities. When he talks about sports teams, I'm not sure it's because he's a sports fan. I think he understands that sports teams help create economic growth and economic opportunity.

1576
04:20:14,580 --> 04:20:29,560
And even more than that, what I've learned from my colleague and my friend is that Utah is a very special place. I remember you told me the Center for Utah told me that I think one of the cities in Utah is one of the places in America that most foreign languages,

1577
04:20:29,560 --> 04:20:32,720
is our spoken and mastered in all of our country.

1578
04:20:32,800 --> 04:20:35,340
And I imagine, because of the extensive foreign travel,

1579
04:20:35,420 --> 04:20:38,240
there's real connections, and he said something

1580
04:20:38,240 --> 04:20:40,140
that resonated with my spirit, which is his idea

1581
04:20:40,140 --> 04:20:42,180
that it's affecting families.

1582
04:20:42,420 --> 04:20:43,680
We might have blended families.

1583
04:20:43,780 --> 04:20:47,640
Americans do often marry people from outside of our country.

1584
04:20:47,820 --> 04:20:50,460
All those reasons I feel are very compelling.

1585
04:20:50,560 --> 04:20:52,880
When I read Senator Sanders remarks here,

1586
04:20:52,980 --> 04:20:54,540
though I found him compelling as well.

1587
04:20:55,020 --> 04:20:56,720
And one of the things I found most compelling,

1588
04:20:56,720 --> 04:20:59,800
I don't know about the senator from Utah.

1589
04:21:00,120 --> 04:21:03,620
I actually have a science degree, a political science degree.

1590
04:21:04,520 --> 04:21:06,760
So I tend to rely on health professionals.

1591
04:21:08,280 --> 04:21:11,160
And the Senator Sanders remarks, all of which I'll put in the record,

1592
04:21:11,740 --> 04:21:15,180
talk to the point about the fact that people are still

1593
04:21:15,180 --> 04:21:16,820
dying in the United States from COVID.

1594
04:21:17,440 --> 04:21:20,300
But the also point that COVID didn't originate here.

1595
04:21:20,340 --> 04:21:22,540
We know it came from another country.

1596
04:21:22,540 --> 04:21:31,880
we know that a zutonic disease spread from wet markets and other countries into human beings

1597
04:21:31,880 --> 04:21:35,280
that then travel to our nation most likely and spread it to us.

1598
04:21:35,400 --> 04:21:38,020
We know that variants are still happening.

1599
04:21:38,680 --> 04:21:41,700
Many of them can come from outside of our country and there are many health professionals

1600
04:21:41,700 --> 04:21:49,620
who believe that doing the right thing and showing people our vaccine may help us to stop a future

1601
04:21:49,620 --> 04:21:49,980
variant.

1602
04:21:49,980 --> 04:21:54,660
But now, again, there are reasonable objections on the other side on this.

1603
04:21:54,780 --> 04:22:03,720
And my hope is that perhaps we as a body can come together and find a just way forward.

1604
04:22:03,920 --> 04:22:08,620
We are, indeed, a body where a lot more happens in a bipartisan way than I think most of

1605
04:22:08,620 --> 04:22:09,500
the public understands.

1606
04:22:10,140 --> 04:22:14,760
And I know for my experience of nine years in the Senate that a lot of the bipartisan legislation

1607
04:22:14,760 --> 04:22:19,180
I've respected most, Senator Lee, especially in our judiciary committee, has been involved

1608
04:22:19,180 --> 04:22:26,260
than those. So I, on behalf of Senator Sanders, am objecting, because of his reasons, but

1609
04:22:26,260 --> 04:22:31,520
I do hope to continue my personal conversations with Senator Lee on that. So I officially

1610
04:22:31,520 --> 04:22:33,980
Mr. President, I object.

1611
04:22:34,540 --> 04:22:34,920
Mr. President.

1612
04:22:35,240 --> 04:22:35,700
Mr. President.

1613
04:22:35,700 --> 04:22:36,560
Senator, for me.

1614
04:22:36,560 --> 04:22:40,760
I just respond very quickly because I know that floors backed up, and I want to help people

1615
04:22:40,760 --> 04:22:45,380
get back on schedule. First of all, I really appreciate the kind remarks from the Senator

1616
04:22:45,380 --> 04:22:47,260
from New Jersey, who's a dear friend.

1617
04:22:48,160 --> 04:22:56,080
I'm a former resident of his state and I first heard his name when I lived there about 25 years ago.

1618
04:22:56,580 --> 04:23:02,340
I've always enjoyed working with him and I appreciate the dignified manner in which he responded to this request today.

1619
04:23:03,260 --> 04:23:06,260
You drew this short stick and you've got a job to do I get it.

1620
04:23:06,400 --> 04:23:08,380
I do look forward to working with you on this.

1621
04:23:08,620 --> 04:23:11,920
I suspect you and I can get to the point where we agree on this.

1622
04:23:12,020 --> 04:23:14,220
I would love nothing more than to add you as a co-sponsor.

1623
04:23:14,220 --> 04:23:22,620
The bottom line is I haven't reviewed what Senator Sanders has submitted to Senator Booker but I look forward to doing that.

1624
04:23:22,900 --> 04:23:27,780
I surmise based on the summary that these are relying on certain experts.

1625
04:23:28,220 --> 04:23:32,380
Some of the same experts who have given some phenomenally bad advice much of which turned out to be wrong.

1626
04:23:32,500 --> 04:23:36,720
Same experts that told us that it didn't leak from a lab.

1627
04:23:36,960 --> 04:23:43,880
Same experts that told us that it wouldn't spread among the vaccinated, the same experts that told us that we should

1628
04:23:43,880 --> 04:23:49,780
have to mask two-year-old children when getting on a plane, there would be no adverse consequences

1629
04:23:49,780 --> 04:23:55,320
from sending children to school during COVID, and that it was absolutely necessary in

1630
04:23:55,320 --> 04:23:59,720
a pair to do so. Some of the same experts who tell us to vaccinate young children sometimes

1631
04:23:59,720 --> 04:24:07,000
infants with this particular vaccine. So I have great reluctance to defer to those same experts

1632
04:24:07,000 --> 04:24:12,780
when especially considering the fact that even though some of those very same experts are

1633
04:24:12,780 --> 04:24:17,600
telling us not to end the public health emergency, we've now done so, and President Biden's

1634
04:24:17,600 --> 04:24:18,820
going to sign that into law.

1635
04:24:19,340 --> 04:24:26,060
Let's end the madness of difference to experts who have proven time and time again to be

1636
04:24:26,060 --> 04:24:26,300
wrong.

1637
04:24:26,460 --> 04:24:27,540
Thank you, Mr. President.

1638
04:24:29,920 --> 04:24:30,740
Senator from Louisiana.

1639
04:24:31,540 --> 04:24:43,320
Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that I be amounted to 10 minutes before our vote.

1640
04:24:43,320 --> 04:24:45,280
Is there a objection?

1641
04:24:50,000 --> 04:24:50,760
A objection insert?

1642
04:26:14,350 --> 04:26:22,390
Under the previous order, the Senate will proceed to executive session to resume consideration of the following nomination, which the clerk will report.

1643
04:26:23,350 --> 04:26:30,250
Now, the nation, Department of Defense, Laura Calay, of California, to be an assistant secretary.

1644
04:26:33,510 --> 04:26:34,610
Questions on the nomination?

1645
04:26:36,430 --> 04:26:37,150
Senator from New Jersey?

1646
04:26:37,950 --> 04:26:43,110
I ask for the A, A, for the A's and Nays or whatever means yes and no.

1647
04:26:44,330 --> 04:26:45,730
Is there sufficient second?

1648
04:26:46,090 --> 04:26:47,170
There appears to be.

1649
04:26:47,710 --> 04:26:48,910
The clerk will call the wrong.

1650
04:26:49,150 --> 04:26:53,970
Ms. Baldwin, Mr. Baraso, Mr. Bennett, Mrs. Blackburn, Mr. Blumenthal, Mr. Bucker.

1651
04:27:10,460 --> 04:27:14,440
Mr. Boseman, Mr. Braun,

1652
04:27:17,010 --> 04:27:17,830
Mr. Brant,

1653
04:27:26,730 --> 04:27:30,210
Mr. Brown, Mr. Bud,

1654
04:27:32,850 --> 04:27:33,650
Mr. Cantwell,

1655
04:27:36,190 --> 04:27:37,090
Mr. Capito,

1656
04:27:40,000 --> 04:27:40,860
Mr. Cardin,

1657
04:27:43,160 --> 04:27:43,940
Mr. Carper,

1658
04:27:46,670 --> 04:27:47,350
Mr. Casey,

1659
04:27:49,960 --> 04:27:50,820
Mr. Cassidy,

1660
04:27:53,430 --> 04:27:54,250
Mr. Collins,

1661
04:27:55,980 --> 04:27:57,680
Mr. Coons,

1662
04:28:00,650 --> 04:28:01,790
Mr. Cornon,

1663
04:28:08,560 --> 04:28:09,700
Ms. Cortez Masto,

1664
04:28:16,360 --> 04:28:17,040
Mr. Cotton,

1665
04:28:28,210 --> 04:28:30,310
Mr. Cotton, Mr. Cramer, Mr.

1666
04:28:30,470 --> 04:28:41,210
Crapham, Mr. Cruz, Mr. Daines, Ms. Duckworth, Mr. Durbin, Ms. Ernst,

1667
04:29:21,460 --> 04:29:22,920
Mr. Durbin,

1668
04:29:25,400 --> 04:29:27,040
Ms. Ernst,

1669
04:29:29,230 --> 04:29:30,290
Mrs. Feinstein,

1670
04:29:32,530 --> 04:29:32,670
Mr.

1671
04:29:32,670 --> 04:29:33,470
Mr. Fatterman,

1672
04:29:41,430 --> 04:29:50,210
Mrs. Fisher, Mrs. Gillibrand, Mr. Graham, Mr. Grassley,

1673
04:29:54,620 --> 04:29:57,600
Mr. Haggerty, Ms. Hassen.

1674
04:30:00,000 --> 04:30:01,140
Mr. Holly.

1675
04:30:03,460 --> 04:30:04,360
Mr. Heinrich.

1676
04:30:10,140 --> 04:30:10,920
Mr. Haken Lupa.

1677
04:30:13,720 --> 04:30:14,340
Mr. Ronaldo.

1678
04:30:17,700 --> 04:30:18,440
Mr. Holvin.

1679
04:30:20,770 --> 04:30:21,790
Mr. Height Smith.

1680
04:30:24,960 --> 04:30:25,680
Mr. Johnson.

1681
04:30:28,870 --> 04:30:29,690
Mr. King.

1682
04:30:51,060 --> 04:30:55,020
Mr. Height Smith. Mr. Johnson. Mr. King.

1683
04:30:57,540 --> 04:31:00,740
Mr. Kelly. Mr. Kennedy.

1684
04:31:03,400 --> 04:31:04,220
Mr. King.

1685
04:31:06,410 --> 04:31:07,290
Mr. Clobechar.

1686
04:31:11,980 --> 04:31:12,080
Mr.

1687
04:31:12,080 --> 04:31:15,180
Mr. Langford, Mr. Lee,

1688
04:31:17,400 --> 04:31:18,300
Mr. Luhan,

1689
04:31:20,520 --> 04:31:21,140
Ms. Lomas,

1690
04:31:24,960 --> 04:31:28,400
Mr. Manchin, Mr. Markey,

1691
04:31:30,480 --> 04:31:31,300
Mr. Marshall,

1692
04:31:33,670 --> 04:31:34,550
Mr. McConnell,

1693
04:31:36,820 --> 04:31:37,800
Mr. Menendez,

1694
04:31:40,350 --> 04:31:41,090
Mr. Merkley,

1695
04:31:43,780 --> 04:31:44,760
Mr. Moran,

1696
04:31:49,350 --> 04:31:50,470
Mr. Mullen,

1697
04:31:50,470 --> 04:31:51,590
Ms.

1698
04:31:54,420 --> 04:31:55,260
McCalski,

1699
04:31:58,900 --> 04:31:59,600
Mr. Murphy,

1700
04:32:02,730 --> 04:32:03,550
Mrs. Murray,

1701
04:32:05,930 --> 04:32:07,810
Mr. Aasov,

1702
04:32:11,200 --> 04:32:11,940
Mr. Petia,

1703
04:32:15,470 --> 04:32:16,210
Mr. Paul,

1704
04:32:24,700 --> 04:32:25,380
Mr. Peters,

1705
04:32:28,390 --> 04:32:29,150
Mr. Reed,

1706
04:32:32,760 --> 04:32:33,620
Mr. Ricketts,

1707
04:32:36,450 --> 04:32:36,870
Mr.

1708
04:32:36,870 --> 04:32:38,190
Mr.

1709
04:32:41,200 --> 04:32:42,040
Romney,

1710
04:32:48,900 --> 04:32:49,540
Ms. Rosen,

1711
04:32:53,320 --> 04:32:54,240
Mr. Rounds,

1712
04:32:56,800 --> 04:32:57,720
Mr. Rubio,

1713
04:33:06,000 --> 04:33:06,740
Mr. Sanders,

1714
04:33:09,350 --> 04:33:10,290
Mr. Shots,

1715
04:33:13,400 --> 04:33:14,220
Mr. Schmidt,

1716
04:33:17,040 --> 04:33:17,860
Mr. Schumer,

1717
04:33:20,920 --> 04:33:22,080
Mr. Scott of Florida,

1718
04:33:24,350 --> 04:33:26,830
Mr. Scott of South Carolina,

1719
04:33:30,550 --> 04:33:31,450
Mr. Shaheen,

1720
04:33:35,370 --> 04:33:35,990
Ms. Sinema,

1721
04:33:38,910 --> 04:33:39,570
Ms. Smith,

1722
04:33:42,480 --> 04:33:43,420
Ms. Stabba now,

1723
04:33:45,920 --> 04:33:46,540
Mr. Sullivan,

1724
04:33:49,990 --> 04:33:50,730
Mr. Tester,

1725
04:33:53,490 --> 04:33:54,210
Mr. Thun,

1726
04:33:57,640 --> 04:33:58,440
Mr. Tillis,

1727
04:34:01,600 --> 04:34:02,420
Mr. Tuberville,

1728
04:34:07,130 --> 04:34:08,070
Mr. Van Holland,

1729
04:34:12,180 --> 04:34:13,000
Mr. Bams,

1730
04:34:16,990 --> 04:34:17,790
Mr. Warner,

1731
04:34:21,640 --> 04:34:22,500
Mr. Warnock,

1732
04:34:26,600 --> 04:34:27,240
Ms. Warren,

1733
04:34:30,560 --> 04:34:31,360
Mr. Welch,

1734
04:34:33,600 --> 04:34:34,580
Mr. White House,

1735
04:34:37,440 --> 04:34:37,440
Mr.

1736
04:34:37,440 --> 04:34:38,380
Mr. Wicker,

1737
04:34:41,260 --> 04:34:44,620
Mr. Widen, Mr. Young.

1738
04:35:00,660 --> 04:35:29,220
Senators voting in the affirmative. Booker, Brown, Casey, Collins, Coons, Durbin, Gillibram, Grassley, Hassan, King, King, Manchin, Menendez, Murphy, Murray, Padilla, Reed, Romney, Shaheen, Sinema, Tester, Welch, White House,

1739
04:35:29,220 --> 04:35:31,880
Widen N. Young.

1740
04:35:32,400 --> 04:35:34,000
Senators voting in the negative.

1741
04:35:34,940 --> 04:35:45,540
Cassidy, Krapo, Ernst, Hyde Smith, Johnson, Kennedy, Marshall, Paul, and Taberville.

1742
04:35:50,060 --> 04:35:52,880
Mr. Peters, Mr. Peters, I.

1743
04:36:34,240 --> 04:36:36,740
Ms. Smith, I.

1744
04:36:44,020 --> 04:36:46,660
Mr. Asof, Mr. Asof, I.

1745
04:36:56,480 --> 04:36:59,640
Mr. Cardin, Mr. Cardin, I.

1746
04:37:18,220 --> 04:37:23,740
Mr. Hickenlooper, Mr. Hickenlooper, I. Mr. Braun, Mr. Braun, no.

1747
04:37:48,610 --> 04:37:51,150
Mr. Rubio, Mr. Rubio, no.

1748
04:37:55,800 --> 04:37:58,560
Mrs. Blackburn, Mrs. Blackburn, no.

1749
04:38:08,810 --> 04:38:11,370
Mr. Shots, Mr. Shots, I.

1750
04:38:28,650 --> 04:38:31,070
Mrs. Britt, Mrs. Britt, no.

1751
04:39:02,040 --> 04:39:04,520
Mr. Cotton, Mr. Cotton, no.

1752
04:39:04,520 --> 04:39:05,580
Mr.

1753
04:39:25,280 --> 04:39:27,580
Kornin. Mr. Kornin. No.

1754
04:39:53,190 --> 04:39:55,970
Mr. Warner. Mr. Warner. I.

1755
04:40:11,630 --> 04:40:18,110
Mr. Bud, Mr. Bud, no. Mr. Tillis, Mr. Tillis, aye.

1756
04:40:26,110 --> 04:40:28,850
Mr. Vance, Mr. Vance, no.

1757
04:40:50,320 --> 04:40:52,760
Mr. Deans, Mr. Deans, no.

1758
04:40:56,350 --> 04:40:59,110
Mr. Rounds, Mr. Rounds, aye.

1759
04:41:09,460 --> 04:41:12,080
Mr. Fisher, Mr. Fisher, aye.

1760
04:41:15,760 --> 04:41:18,940
Mr. Ricketts, Mr. Ricketts, aye.

1761
04:41:28,260 --> 04:41:32,200
Mr. Rish, Mr. Rish, no. Mr. Rono, Mr. Rono,

1762
04:41:32,200 --> 04:41:33,820
I,

1763
04:42:34,400 --> 04:42:37,560
Miss Sabanel, Miss Sabanel, I,

1764
04:42:43,300 --> 04:42:46,880
Miss Clobachar, Miss Clobachar, I,

1765
04:42:58,200 --> 04:43:01,620
Mr. Bozman, Mr. Bozman, I,

1766
04:43:11,690 --> 04:43:15,010
Mr. Van Hallen, Mr. Van Hallen, I,

1767
04:43:24,340 --> 04:43:26,980
Miss Warren, Miss Warren, I,

1768
04:43:38,730 --> 04:43:41,890
Mr.

1769
04:45:07,090 --> 04:45:10,390
Mr. Lankford, Mr. Lankford, no.

1770
04:45:24,390 --> 04:45:29,770
Mr. Schumer, Mr. Schumer, aye, Mr. Warnock, Mr. Warnock, aye.

1771
04:46:05,120 --> 04:46:16,260
Mr. Lee, Mr. Lee, no. Ms. Baldwin, Ms. Baldwin, aye. Mr. Scott, Mr. Scott of Florida, no.

1772
04:46:19,740 --> 04:46:22,640
Mr. Merkley, Mr. Merkley, aye.

1773
04:46:31,960 --> 04:46:32,800
Mr.

1774
04:46:43,650 --> 04:46:44,490
Marky.

1775
04:47:28,790 --> 04:47:29,570
Mr. Mullin.

1776
04:47:30,830 --> 04:47:31,350
No.

1777
04:47:39,540 --> 04:47:40,160
Mr. Cruz.

1778
04:47:40,400 --> 04:47:41,580
Mr. Cruz.

1779
04:47:42,060 --> 04:47:42,220
No.

1780
04:48:15,430 --> 04:48:16,130
Mr. Luhon.

1781
04:48:16,270 --> 04:48:17,010
Mr. Luhon.

1782
04:51:26,060 --> 04:51:29,060
Ms. Rosen, Ms. Rosen, aye,

1783
04:51:40,020 --> 04:51:42,400
Ms. Lumis, Ms. Lumis, no.

1784
04:51:53,380 --> 04:51:56,060
Mr. Thune, Mr. Thune, aye.

1785
04:52:20,650 --> 04:52:23,330
Mr. Wicker, Mr. Wicker, aye.

1786
04:52:38,190 --> 04:52:41,670
Mr. Scott, Mr. Scott of South Carolina, no.

1787
04:52:45,520 --> 04:52:48,220
Mr. Sullivan, Mr. Sullivan, no.

1788
04:54:35,800 --> 04:54:38,580
Mr. Kelly, Mr. Kelly, aye.

1789
04:56:48,750 --> 04:56:51,510
Mr. Carper, Mr. Carper, aye.

1790
05:00:29,940 --> 05:00:33,060
Mr. Heinrich, Mr. Heinrich, aye,

1791
05:02:40,140 --> 05:02:42,560
Ms. Duckworth, Ms. Duckworth, aye.

1792
05:05:36,720 --> 05:05:40,300
Mr. Blumenthal, Mr. Blumenthal, aye,

1793
05:06:46,520 --> 05:06:49,060
Mr. Holly, Mr. Holly, no,

1794
05:09:17,320 --> 05:09:20,340
Mrs. Capitone, Mrs. Capitone, aye,

1795
05:09:51,240 --> 05:09:54,580
Ms. Cortez Masto, Ms. Cortez Masto, aye.

1796
05:11:09,140 --> 05:11:14,620
It's vote. The Yays are 63, the Nays are 27, and the nomination is confirmed.

1797
05:11:17,140 --> 05:11:17,760
Under the previous

1798
05:11:17,760 --> 05:11:22,720
order, the motions to reconsider is considered made and laid upon the table, and the president

1799
05:11:22,720 --> 05:11:27,420
will be immediately notified of the Senate's action. Under the previous order, the Senate will

1800
05:11:27,420 --> 05:11:29,140
resume legislative session.

1801
05:11:34,790 --> 05:11:37,770
Mr. President, the senior senator from Texas.

1802
05:11:38,750 --> 05:11:39,630
Thank you, Mr. President.

1803
05:11:41,780 --> 05:11:45,160
Earlier this week, the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security

1804
05:11:45,160 --> 05:11:50,980
testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee. Under a Secretary of my

1805
05:11:50,980 --> 05:11:56,400
Arcus's leadership, over these last two years, we've seen more than 4.8

1806
05:11:56,400 --> 05:12:03,600
million migrants encountered at the Southern border. We've seen deadly drugs pouring

1807
05:12:03,600 --> 05:12:11,740
into our country, killing more than 108,000 Americans in a single year. And there's

1808
05:12:11,740 --> 05:12:16,840
Not no question, but that the transnational criminal organizations, known as the cartels,

1809
05:12:17,660 --> 05:12:20,460
are fueling the chaos and the destruction.

1810
05:12:22,160 --> 05:12:26,480
When Attorney General Merrick Garland testified before the Judiciary Committee just a few

1811
05:12:26,480 --> 05:12:32,940
weeks from earlier, I brought up the role that the cartels were playing in this ongoing crisis.

1812
05:12:33,900 --> 05:12:39,420
I asked the Attorney General what he was familiar with, the business model of the cartels.

1813
05:12:40,200 --> 05:12:54,260
flood the border with migrants, overwhelmed law enforcement, and then allow the movement of the illegal drugs across the border and into the interior of the United States.

1814
05:12:55,360 --> 05:13:05,920
Attorney General Garland said yes, he was aware. Not only that, he highlighted actions that he had taken at the Department of Justice to crack down on these operations.

1815
05:13:08,160 --> 05:13:13,480
First, earlier this week when I posed the same question to Secretary Mayorkas, I asked

1816
05:13:13,480 --> 05:13:18,380
if he was familiar with this tried and true strategy of the cartels.

1817
05:13:19,660 --> 05:13:20,740
And he was clueless.

1818
05:13:21,920 --> 05:13:24,980
He said, I'm not aware of any such strategy.

1819
05:13:27,080 --> 05:13:30,100
Well, Mr. President, I don't know how that could possibly be true.

1820
05:13:30,100 --> 05:13:37,060
So this is a well-known tactic that's been used throughout Secretary of my orcas' tenure.

1821
05:13:38,220 --> 05:13:46,100
One of the most notable examples was in 2021, when the small town of Del Rio, Texas, all

1822
05:13:46,100 --> 05:13:49,720
of a sudden was flooded with 15,000 migrants from Haiti.

1823
05:13:51,640 --> 05:13:58,380
35,000 people live in that small town, and they were overwhelmed by the huge volume of people

1824
05:13:58,380 --> 05:14:03,080
from, I know it's hard to imagine, but from Haiti.

1825
05:14:04,520 --> 05:14:07,080
To state the obvious, the Del Rio Border Patrol sector

1826
05:14:07,080 --> 05:14:09,640
doesn't have the capacity to process or care

1827
05:14:09,640 --> 05:14:11,700
for that many individuals at one time.

1828
05:14:12,840 --> 05:14:14,960
And it attempt to help the administration

1829
05:14:14,960 --> 05:14:18,720
moved agents from other checkpoints to the sector

1830
05:14:18,720 --> 05:14:20,080
where their surge was happening.

1831
05:14:21,080 --> 05:14:23,740
But after all, that's exactly what the car tells

1832
05:14:23,740 --> 05:14:25,000
had hoped for.

1833
05:14:25,940 --> 05:14:33,360
As there was a surge of agents to Del Rio, that left other portions of the border unprotected.

1834
05:14:35,060 --> 05:14:40,020
Administration officials later told Congressional staff that this massive surge of migrants

1835
05:14:40,580 --> 05:14:43,660
was a coordinated effort by the cartels.

1836
05:14:44,900 --> 05:14:52,060
They directed Haitian migrants to a single location so that other areas would be left uncovered

1837
05:14:52,060 --> 05:14:56,820
and clear a path for their illicit trade.

1838
05:14:58,040 --> 05:14:59,660
Officials from the Biden administration.

1839
05:15:00,000 --> 05:15:06,560
It admitted that this surge was coordinated by the card tells, but yet, the Secretary of Homeland Security is unaware.

1840
05:15:08,790 --> 05:15:18,410
How could that possibly be? Well, Secretary my orchestra is either trying to deceive the Senate,

1841
05:15:21,450 --> 05:15:24,190
or is completely unaware of the reality on the ground.

1842
05:15:24,190 --> 05:15:27,810
I think both of those are fireable offenses,

1843
05:15:29,980 --> 05:15:35,580
either you're lying or you're completely oblivious.

1844
05:15:35,940 --> 05:15:46,100
So the threat to public safety posed by the current crisis, which is singularly of the making of the Biden administration,

1845
05:15:46,380 --> 05:15:53,080
and they're unwillingness to use the tools that they have, the laws that already are on the books in order to deal with this crisis.

1846
05:15:53,080 --> 05:15:56,440
this humanitarian crisis, this public health crisis.

1847
05:15:58,620 --> 05:16:05,860
So every day the United States is getting played and criminal organizations whose illegal

1848
05:16:05,860 --> 05:16:10,940
businesses are making them a lot of money are getting richer.

1849
05:16:12,520 --> 05:16:19,000
These groups are what I like to call commodity agnostic because they deal in any product or

1850
05:16:19,000 --> 05:16:23,900
service that makes the money, they really don't care, they certainly don't care about the

1851
05:16:23,900 --> 05:16:32,000
migrants who are frequently abused and many of whom, unfortunately, are left to die on

1852
05:16:32,000 --> 05:16:34,940
that long and dangerous journey from their home.

1853
05:16:36,520 --> 05:16:41,340
We're well aware of their drug trafficking operation, which brings all sort of illegal drugs

1854
05:16:41,340 --> 05:16:46,360
in the United States, and over the years law enforcement has interdicted everything from

1855
05:16:46,360 --> 05:16:53,020
marijuana, the methamphetamine, to cocaine and heroin, but recently we've seen an alarming

1856
05:16:53,020 --> 05:16:54,260
rise of fentanyl.

1857
05:16:55,880 --> 05:17:01,780
When I was in Mexico City just a couple of weeks ago visiting with the Drug Enforcement

1858
05:17:01,780 --> 05:17:08,980
Administration, they said fentanyl is made from chemicals that are imported from China

1859
05:17:08,980 --> 05:17:16,720
to Mexico, where the cartel simply mixed them up, and then put them through a industrial

1860
05:17:16,720 --> 05:17:25,740
size pill press, and make it look like regular prescription drugs, although these are

1861
05:17:25,740 --> 05:17:30,320
laced with fentanyl, a deadly drug in very, very small amounts.

1862
05:17:31,560 --> 05:17:36,200
We know a lot of communities throughout Texas and throughout the country have experienced

1863
05:17:36,200 --> 05:17:40,500
waves of deaths caused by unintentional fentanyl poisoning.

1864
05:17:41,040 --> 05:17:47,500
In other words, the person taking the pill usually, usually a teenager, thinks they're

1865
05:17:47,500 --> 05:17:51,080
taking something innocuous that won't kill them, certainly.

1866
05:17:53,020 --> 05:17:59,100
They may think they're taking anything from a pain killer or other sorts of prescription drugs

1867
05:17:59,100 --> 05:18:04,120
and then they unknowingly ingest a lethal dose of fentanyl.

1868
05:18:04,120 --> 05:18:10,940
Well, and of course the cartels continue to get rich and the destruction caused by these

1869
05:18:10,940 --> 05:18:16,200
overdoses and drug abuse continue.

1870
05:18:17,620 --> 05:18:20,920
But we know that these cartels, again, are commodity agnostic.

1871
05:18:21,160 --> 05:18:22,800
They just don't traffic and drugs.

1872
05:18:23,520 --> 05:18:27,780
They also pray on vulnerable people to want to come to the United States.

1873
05:18:28,760 --> 05:18:33,920
They what spin a web of lies and false promises to convince migrants to make the journey

1874
05:18:33,920 --> 05:18:39,620
to our border under their care, but it, like all other things, that the car

1875
05:18:39,620 --> 05:18:42,500
tells deals in, it comes at a price.

1876
05:18:43,300 --> 05:18:47,660
And there are a lot of factors that determine how much it costs somebody to make

1877
05:18:47,660 --> 05:18:51,340
their way to our front doorstep on our southern border.

1878
05:18:52,300 --> 05:18:56,880
Typically, it's thousands of dollars ahead, but really it just depends on where you're coming

1879
05:18:56,880 --> 05:18:57,840
from.

1880
05:18:57,840 --> 05:19:04,240
Because recently in New My Arizona, a sleepy little agricultural community, the Board of Patrol

1881
05:19:04,240 --> 05:19:11,320
Chief welcomed at bipartisan delegation of senators there and said, we've encountered

1882
05:19:11,320 --> 05:19:18,600
people who speak 200 languages from 176 countries in this sleepy little-ag community.

1883
05:19:19,620 --> 05:19:26,540
Senator Mark Kelly from Arizona said, well, it's all, it all likelihood people are flying

1884
05:19:26,540 --> 05:19:36,600
to Mexico, which is a city in northern Mexico, and then simply calling an Uber and making

1885
05:19:36,600 --> 05:19:41,760
their way to the border and then claiming asylum only to be released by the Biden administration

1886
05:19:41,760 --> 05:19:45,000
into the interior of the country.

1887
05:19:48,040 --> 05:19:51,980
Those are the lucky ones. Those who turn themselves over

1888
05:19:51,980 --> 05:19:57,100
to the coyotes, the human smugglers, frequently end up dead.

1889
05:19:58,520 --> 05:19:59,980
We all remember last June when it was true.

1890
05:20:00,000 --> 05:20:15,260
Contractor Trailer Rig, smuggled migrants in San Antonio, which was found abandoned in sweltering conditions. 53 people died, trapped in the back of that truck.

1891
05:20:16,580 --> 05:20:22,280
Those that did survive often arrived malnourished or abused.

1892
05:20:22,560 --> 05:20:24,920
Many women and men

1893
05:20:27,350 --> 05:20:29,450
are injured or otherwise abused.

1894
05:20:30,150 --> 05:20:33,310
Many women and girls are raped along the way.

1895
05:20:33,970 --> 05:20:35,270
Some arrive pregnant.

1896
05:20:37,230 --> 05:20:43,350
As we know the customers of these criminal organizations aren't limited to Mexican or Central

1897
05:20:43,350 --> 05:20:47,450
American citizens, these are international criminal

1898
05:20:47,450 --> 05:20:56,490
networks. Last year, consisted with what the U.M. Board of Patrol chief told us, last year,

1899
05:20:57,010 --> 05:21:03,210
customs and border protection encountered migrants from 174 countries. People from every

1900
05:21:03,210 --> 05:21:10,630
corner of the globe are traveling to Mexico and crossing the U.S. Southern border. All in

1901
05:21:10,630 --> 05:21:15,490
the tender care of these transnational criminal organizations.

1902
05:21:18,880 --> 05:21:19,640
Of course, given the nature

1903
05:21:19,640 --> 05:21:24,460
of this business, it's tough to estimate just how much the cartels are making from their

1904
05:21:24,460 --> 05:21:26,100
human smuggling operations.

1905
05:21:27,120 --> 05:21:32,380
But last year, Homeland Security Investigations estimated that the cartels were making

1906
05:21:32,380 --> 05:21:38,020
roughly $13 billion a year, just from migrants smuggling alone.

1907
05:21:39,360 --> 05:21:45,720
And there's no question that their success is built on a breakdown of enforcement by the

1908
05:21:45,720 --> 05:21:46,660
Biden administration.

1909
05:21:46,660 --> 05:21:53,580
If our border was truly secure, if people knew that they would not be able to just enter

1910
05:21:53,580 --> 05:21:58,840
our country, willy-nilly, but had to follow legal pathways, the cartels wouldn't be

1911
05:21:58,840 --> 05:22:03,560
able to flood the zone with migrants to clear the way for their smuggling operations.

1912
05:22:04,940 --> 05:22:11,140
Unfortunately, instead of making the cartels job harder, the Biden administration's policy

1913
05:22:11,140 --> 05:22:14,460
of open borders just keeps making it easier.

1914
05:22:15,860 --> 05:22:27,580
Rather than secure the border and enforce our laws, the Biden administration continues to send a message loud and clear that our border is open for anyone to come across.

1915
05:22:28,820 --> 05:22:36,800
For more than two years the administration has refused and forced the law ensuring that the cartels illicit gateways remain wide open.

1916
05:22:38,050 --> 05:22:42,150
They've released hundreds of thousands of migrants into the United States.

1917
05:22:42,250 --> 05:22:48,010
Some of whom will wait as long as ten years before they can even begin the immigration

1918
05:22:48,010 --> 05:22:49,470
court process.

1919
05:22:50,690 --> 05:22:52,530
Talk about a major pull factor.

1920
05:22:53,210 --> 05:22:57,170
If someone is on the fence about making the dangerous journey to the United States, but

1921
05:22:57,170 --> 05:23:03,130
sees that virtually anybody that shows up is able to stay in the United States for

1922
05:23:03,130 --> 05:23:08,030
a decade, at least even before facing an immigration judge, their decision to come

1923
05:23:08,030 --> 05:23:16,250
is far easier. As though the cartels don't have enough business already, there are

1924
05:23:16,250 --> 05:23:23,270
about to be given the gift of a lifetime. When Title 42 ends in six weeks on May 11th,

1925
05:23:24,550 --> 05:23:30,590
Title 42, of course, is a public health law which is given the Board of Patrol one tool to

1926
05:23:30,590 --> 05:23:34,910
deter and to return migrants out of the country.

1927
05:23:37,950 --> 05:23:39,770
It's given the Department of Homeland Security,

1928
05:23:39,770 --> 05:23:45,430
the ability to quickly expel migrants and prevent our border facilities and local communities

1929
05:23:45,430 --> 05:23:48,690
from becoming even more overwhelmed than they already are.

1930
05:23:49,050 --> 05:23:55,030
But once it disappears, in May, the floodgates will be wide open.

1931
05:23:55,890 --> 05:23:59,810
Law enforcement and border communities have been bracing for the migration surge that

1932
05:23:59,810 --> 05:24:03,250
sure to come once Title 42 goes away.

1933
05:24:03,770 --> 05:24:08,770
They're worried that they don't have the people, the facilities, or resources to manage

1934
05:24:08,770 --> 05:24:15,050
this flood of humanity, and the administration has done zero to inspire confidence.

1935
05:24:16,770 --> 05:24:22,190
Just last week, Secretary my orcas visited El Paso, which has been at the epicenter

1936
05:24:22,190 --> 05:24:28,490
of this crisis since late last year. The streets and the shelters have been filled with vulnerable

1937
05:24:28,490 --> 05:24:34,830
migrants with nowhere else to go, and its leaders are very anxious about what will happen on May 11.

1938
05:24:34,830 --> 05:24:35,750
But

1939
05:24:38,050 --> 05:24:42,330
during his visit, Secretary Myorcus met with board of patrol agents and customs and board

1940
05:24:42,330 --> 05:24:47,630
of protection, office-of-field operations officers to thank them for their hard work.

1941
05:24:48,810 --> 05:24:52,530
These men and women have been on the front lines of this crisis for more than two years

1942
05:24:52,530 --> 05:24:57,090
than they deserve our unending gratitude for the sacrifices they made.

1943
05:24:58,510 --> 05:24:59,690
But they deserve more.

1944
05:25:00,000 --> 05:25:09,740
Then our thanks. They deserve our help, so that they can do the law enforcement and do the job that

1945
05:25:09,740 --> 05:25:17,080
things have pledged to do. But we've designed the system to fail because we've made it impossible

1946
05:25:17,080 --> 05:25:20,440
for them to do their job the way they're trained to do.

1947
05:25:23,260 --> 05:25:24,740
Well, Secretary Mayorca's couldn't

1948
05:25:24,740 --> 05:25:28,740
be bothered to meet with other stakeholders in help pass, so he might have actually learned

1949
05:25:28,740 --> 05:25:35,240
something. When I visited the city in January with a bipartisan group, we took the time to meet

1950
05:25:35,240 --> 05:25:41,280
with law enforcement, local elected officials, business owners, non-governmental organizations,

1951
05:25:41,280 --> 05:25:47,880
and many others. And they told us about the strain this crisis had placed on the entire

1952
05:25:47,880 --> 05:25:54,780
community. And they shared their fears about what might happen once Title 42 has lifted if there's

1953
05:25:54,780 --> 05:26:01,760
alternative plan put in place. Unfortunately, during his most recent trip, Secretary of

1954
05:26:01,760 --> 05:26:05,780
my office didn't take the time to hear from a full range of stakeholders who were

1955
05:26:05,780 --> 05:26:11,020
on the front lines. He didn't sit down with those elected officials to discuss the

1956
05:26:11,020 --> 05:26:15,680
care of hands of migrants that are forming just across the border in water as across

1957
05:26:15,680 --> 05:26:21,500
from El Paso. He didn't offer advice about how the community should prepare for

1958
05:26:21,500 --> 05:26:28,760
what happens when Title 42 is eliminated or what the federal government was prepared to do to help.

1959
05:26:29,840 --> 05:26:36,060
So once again, our Board of Communities and Texas are doing the back-breaking work of managing

1960
05:26:36,060 --> 05:26:40,680
this crisis with little or no support from the Biden administration.

1961
05:26:42,180 --> 05:26:48,080
But at the end of Title 42 in sight, the administration needs to prepare for what's to come,

1962
05:26:48,080 --> 05:26:55,660
And they need to help get ready to deter this huge flood of humanity.

1963
05:26:56,320 --> 05:26:59,000
They simply can't ignore the problem and hope it goes away.

1964
05:26:59,460 --> 05:27:03,400
That had worked for the last two years, and it certainly won't work now.

1965
05:27:05,530 --> 05:27:09,690
March is quickly coming to a close, and the challenges are only going to grow from there.

1966
05:27:10,110 --> 05:27:13,830
As the spring months are typically some of the busiest for migration.

1967
05:27:14,670 --> 05:27:19,370
That's because mild temperatures make the journey a little less dangerous, and folks want

1968
05:27:19,370 --> 05:27:23,270
to come to the United States, many to work during the summertime.

1969
05:27:24,890 --> 05:27:31,030
Our border communities are bracing for this perfect storm of policies and circumstances

1970
05:27:31,030 --> 05:27:34,630
that will hurt everybody except the cartels.

1971
05:27:35,910 --> 05:27:40,630
Their drugs trafficking and human smuggling have never been more profitable, and they're

1972
05:27:40,630 --> 05:27:46,170
up for an even bigger windfall thanks to the Biden administration and the end of Title 42.

1973
05:27:47,830 --> 05:27:52,350
These criminal organizations will continue to extort and profit off the backs of vulnerable

1974
05:27:52,350 --> 05:27:57,530
migrants, they'll coordinate migration surges to distract and overwhelm law enforcement,

1975
05:27:58,110 --> 05:28:04,330
and they'll smuggle fentanyl and other dangerous drugs into every corner of this country.

1976
05:28:05,030 --> 05:28:10,950
And they'll get richer, while migrants and communities throughout America suffer.

1977
05:28:12,470 --> 05:28:15,290
The administration has six weeks to come up with a plan.

1978
05:28:16,490 --> 05:28:20,430
They know the clock is ticking, and they'd better get to work.

1979
05:28:20,870 --> 05:28:26,090
And even more significantly, they ought to work with us on a bipartisan basis to come up

1980
05:28:26,090 --> 05:28:26,850
with the solution.

1981
05:28:27,950 --> 05:28:33,490
Senator Sinema from Arizona, and I, and require a Democrat from

1982
05:28:33,490 --> 05:28:37,990
Moreado, Tony Gonzalez, Republican from the largest border district in the country.

1983
05:28:38,410 --> 05:28:43,490
The four of us introduced the bill called the bipartisan border safety act.

1984
05:28:44,130 --> 05:28:50,430
We did that almost two years ago, and yet our Democratic colleagues, even though they've

1985
05:28:50,430 --> 05:28:56,670
had the majority for two years preceding this last election, did nothing to have

1986
05:28:56,670 --> 05:29:04,610
hearings on that proposed legislation, or to offer a mark-up or vote on the bill.

1987
05:29:06,190 --> 05:29:10,770
And certainly, we were happy if somebody had a better idea to come forward, but all we

1988
05:29:10,770 --> 05:29:12,250
heard were crickets.

1989
05:29:15,020 --> 05:29:20,900
Well, the top clock is ticking, and we know what's going to happen in May unless something

1990
05:29:20,900 --> 05:29:25,620
changes, and I hope it will, a yield of four.

1991
05:29:33,250 --> 05:29:33,690
President.

1992
05:29:33,690 --> 05:29:42,610
Senator from Virginia. Mr. President, I take the floor because of a letter that I received in my office a few days ago.

1993
05:29:43,610 --> 05:29:51,730
This was a letter that was mailed to our office via email on March 23rd and I just want to read it.

1994
05:29:51,930 --> 05:29:55,830
Hello Senator, my name is, I'm going to omit the name.

1995
05:29:55,830 --> 05:29:59,970
My name is, and I am terrified to go.

1996
05:30:01,440 --> 05:30:09,980
I've lived in your state for almost six years and never have I been more scared than I am when I go to school every day.

1997
05:30:10,760 --> 05:30:18,860
My father was in the Army, my mother works with where blue run to remember a military nonprofit for gold star families.

1998
05:30:19,660 --> 05:30:28,180
I am no stranger to death, and yet I am scared that one day that may be waiting for me at school.

1999
05:30:28,180 --> 05:30:31,880
I lived in Lakewood, Washington, I went to St. Francis,

2000
05:30:32,020 --> 05:30:36,400
cabrini, and we once had a lockdown, because a car ran down our fence while

2001
05:30:36,400 --> 05:30:42,800
children were at recess. I was present during the shooting at Ford Hood in 2013.

2002
05:30:43,100 --> 05:30:48,080
My sister can't remember, but she was so close to the perpetrator. I still have

2003
05:30:48,080 --> 05:30:54,340
nightmares from both of these incidents. I'm supposed to be safe at school, but

2004
05:30:54,340 --> 05:30:59,480
Today, when it was rumored that someone was planning to target our school out of revenge

2005
05:30:59,480 --> 05:31:05,640
on an ex-partner, I was reminded of another day I spent huddled under a desk in art class

2006
05:31:05,640 --> 05:31:08,200
feverishly reciting the Hail Mary.

2007
05:31:10,820 --> 05:31:12,060
Something needs to change.

2008
05:31:12,560 --> 05:31:14,760
I'm not the only kid who feels this way.

2009
05:31:15,080 --> 05:31:18,640
Why should I be scared to go to school?

2010
05:31:20,100 --> 05:31:24,420
This letter came to my office on March 23rd, a few days later.

2011
05:31:24,420 --> 05:31:30,200
this student in all America woke up to the story of the shooting in Nashville.

2012
05:31:32,200 --> 05:31:34,560
Why should I be scared to go to school?

2013
05:31:36,580 --> 05:31:41,620
In January of this year, just a few months ago, there was an incident that also attracted

2014
05:31:42,220 --> 05:31:47,160
significant intention in Virginia and around the country where a teacher, first-grade teacher

2015
05:31:47,160 --> 05:31:51,600
Abby Zwerner at the Richneck Elementary School in Newport, Newport, Newspaper, Virginia.

2016
05:31:51,600 --> 05:31:58,660
saw a sexual point in a gun at her and she acted heroically to come toward the student

2017
05:31:58,660 --> 05:32:04,800
to try to take the gun and she was shot and badly, badly wounded but she was able to

2018
05:32:04,800 --> 05:32:07,420
protect the lives of her students and others in the school building.

2019
05:32:07,540 --> 05:32:12,840
She has recovering slowly from that and just starting to talk about that experience.

2020
05:32:13,880 --> 05:32:18,980
Mr. President, I went to Newport News about a month after that incident in early February

2021
05:32:18,980 --> 05:32:22,520
to meet with a number of the parents and teachers.

2022
05:32:22,660 --> 05:32:24,660
And they wanted it off the record, no press.

2023
05:32:25,140 --> 05:32:26,880
Just let's sit down and talk.

2024
05:32:27,560 --> 05:32:30,000
And I'm going to respect their privacy by not talking

2025
05:32:30,000 --> 05:32:32,860
about their names, the names of their kids,

2026
05:32:33,700 --> 05:32:35,040
or particulars of their story.

2027
05:32:35,360 --> 05:32:37,280
But I can summarize it.

2028
05:32:37,700 --> 05:32:40,900
These parents are afraid when they drop their kids off at school.

2029
05:32:42,080 --> 05:32:45,220
And they're afraid that when they come at the end of the day,

2030
05:32:45,260 --> 05:32:46,900
something might have happened to their children.

2031
05:32:47,000 --> 05:32:48,380
They're afraid that they may get a call

2032
05:32:48,380 --> 05:32:52,100
in the middle of the day that something has happened to their kids.

2033
05:32:53,260 --> 05:32:55,900
And the teachers who are with me that day, they have that same fear.

2034
05:32:56,040 --> 05:33:00,600
They go into these classrooms every day because they love children, but they are afraid

2035
05:33:00,600 --> 05:33:02,780
now to do that job.

2036
05:33:02,840 --> 05:33:07,720
Lord knows, we've got teacher shortages all over this country, and we're working our best

2037
05:33:07,720 --> 05:33:12,960
to try to attract people to the profession, but these teachers, many of whom had been in

2038
05:33:12,960 --> 05:33:13,480
the profession.

2039
05:33:13,480 --> 05:33:20,280
And for decades, they're now afraid for the first time in their lives to go to school every day.

2040
05:33:22,600 --> 05:33:30,260
Emergency room visits for gun-related injuries in Virginia increased by 72% from 2018 through 2021.

2041
05:33:31,440 --> 05:33:39,920
In an average year, about 1,020 people die in Virginia in another 2,050 or so were wounded by guns.

2042
05:33:40,580 --> 05:33:48,600
And among young people, guns are the leading cause of death among children and teens in Virginia.

2043
05:33:48,600 --> 05:33:54,900
In average of 85, children and teens die by guns every year, 55% of these deaths are homicides.

2044
05:33:55,500 --> 05:33:59,280
Others are accidental shootings or deaths by suicide.

2045
05:34:03,700 --> 05:34:05,500
I don't know what to do with this.

2046
05:34:06,960 --> 05:34:08,500
I don't know what to do with this.

2047
05:34:08,500 --> 05:34:14,750
I react negatively when in the aftermath of shootings,

2048
05:34:15,350 --> 05:34:18,310
it sometimes seems like all members of Congress can say

2049
05:34:18,310 --> 05:34:19,850
is that they're heartbroken

2050
05:34:19,850 --> 05:34:21,610
and they send thoughts and prayers to the family.

2051
05:34:22,270 --> 05:34:24,410
That starts to sound very hollow.

2052
05:34:24,530 --> 05:34:25,950
Of course, thoughts and prayers are meaningful,

2053
05:34:26,690 --> 05:34:28,770
but it starts to sound very hollow

2054
05:34:28,770 --> 05:34:30,950
to those who are victimized by gun violence

2055
05:34:30,950 --> 05:34:34,070
when that is the response and nothing more.

2056
05:34:37,060 --> 05:34:38,420
But let me be self-critical.

2057
05:34:39,060 --> 05:34:42,000
I'm not into offering hollow thoughts and prayers.

2058
05:34:42,000 --> 05:34:46,500
I tend to say I'm heartbroken for the families and I think we need to do things in the Senate

2059
05:34:46,500 --> 05:34:52,260
like doing assault weapons, ban, or other meaningful legislation that could save some of the

2060
05:34:52,260 --> 05:34:56,260
things we ought to do in Congress or things that we have done in Virginia in recent years.

2061
05:34:56,740 --> 05:34:59,980
That is made our state safer, but there's nothing you can do that's going to complete.

2062
05:35:00,000 --> 05:35:29,050
Let me eliminate this problem. But I was challenging my staff the other day. If we think thoughts and prayers and nothing else is hollow, then saying we should do an assault weapons ban, when we know that's not going to get 60 votes on the floor of the Senate. I do think we should do an assault weapons ban. When we had one in the 90s it worked. But I also know to a certainty that in the near future there is zero chance that this body is going to get to 60 votes for an assault weapons ban or other kinds of gun safety regulations.

2063
05:35:30,000 --> 05:35:36,360
that would take a student and make her less afraid to go to school or a parent and teacher and reduce their fear.

2064
05:35:37,680 --> 05:35:49,480
And so what I'm challenging people around me, including my own staff and challenging myself on is, have we allowed this tough issue that debate about this tough issue to get a little stale?

2065
05:35:50,400 --> 05:35:56,640
Thoughts and prayers, assault weapons ban, thoughts and prayers don't do anything to help people assault weapons ban might, but we're not going to pass it.

2066
05:35:56,640 --> 05:36:05,200
we allowed it to get stale and are there solutions and strategies that we're not talking

2067
05:36:05,200 --> 05:36:12,720
about, that we might be able to find common ground on because if anything should cry

2068
05:36:12,720 --> 05:36:20,760
out to us and demand that we find common ground is that we not do nothing, that we not listen

2069
05:36:20,760 --> 05:36:27,680
to the fears of students and parents and teachers and just say, well, that's just the way life

2070
05:36:27,680 --> 05:36:30,360
is in America, that's just America in life.

2071
05:36:31,120 --> 05:36:36,320
We can't be complacent about it, and Mr. President, I'm just thinking about our differences

2072
05:36:36,320 --> 05:36:36,900
in age.

2073
05:36:37,020 --> 05:36:43,080
My children are out of high school now for my youngest is 10 years out of high school.

2074
05:36:43,560 --> 05:36:48,300
You still have school age kits, so you're still grappling with the reality of safety and

2075
05:36:48,300 --> 05:36:51,020
schools at the pickup and to drop off.

2076
05:36:51,580 --> 05:36:54,560
This has gotten so much worse in just in the last 10 years.

2077
05:36:54,640 --> 05:36:56,840
My children all went to the rich in public schools,

2078
05:36:57,140 --> 05:37:00,860
which are urban public school, you know, setting and a community

2079
05:37:01,480 --> 05:37:05,280
that had some significant problems with violent crime.

2080
05:37:05,840 --> 05:37:08,760
But my wife and I were never nervous when we took them to school.

2081
05:37:09,300 --> 05:37:13,100
And we never worried about getting a text or something in the middle of the day.

2082
05:37:13,320 --> 05:37:16,000
And we never were afraid that when we got there at the end of the day,

2083
05:37:16,000 --> 05:37:19,680
something would happen. And that was just a little bit over 10 years ago. My children

2084
05:37:19,680 --> 05:37:24,100
finished high school right before my youngest right before the Sandy Hook shooting.

2085
05:37:25,160 --> 05:37:30,720
So they were not in the K-12 system in Virginia when there has just been the steady drum

2086
05:37:30,720 --> 05:37:36,680
beat of one school shooting after the next. They weren't terrorized or afraid. Their teachers

2087
05:37:36,680 --> 05:37:43,620
weren't. My wife and I weren't. And that was just 10 years ago. How much more devastating

2088
05:37:43,620 --> 05:37:48,220
getting the problem of school shootings has become in the last 10 years.

2089
05:37:48,420 --> 05:37:56,280
And so I just take the floor to say, I need to write something back to this youngster.

2090
05:37:57,160 --> 05:38:00,000
Her question, why should I be scared to go to school?

2091
05:38:00,080 --> 05:38:02,920
I've got to write her and respond in some way.

2092
05:38:03,020 --> 05:38:05,580
And I don't really know now what to say.

2093
05:38:05,700 --> 05:38:10,380
But I've challenged my team and I've challenged my colleagues that we're in a recess

2094
05:38:10,380 --> 05:38:10,760
period.

2095
05:38:10,900 --> 05:38:11,920
We're back in our states.

2096
05:38:11,920 --> 05:38:17,040
We're talking to people, we're hopefully getting ideas from them and listening to them.

2097
05:38:17,040 --> 05:38:19,200
What's asked some young people who go to school?

2098
05:38:19,260 --> 05:38:20,220
Let's ask some teachers.

2099
05:38:20,440 --> 05:38:26,680
Let's ask some parents of school kids if they have ideas for us that are new or different.

2100
05:38:27,240 --> 05:38:31,960
Let's ask them whether they are political debate about solutions as grown-stale and whether

2101
05:38:31,960 --> 05:38:36,660
there are solutions that we haven't yet contemplated that could respond to the question

2102
05:38:36,660 --> 05:38:38,200
that the student has raised.

2103
05:38:38,200 --> 05:38:40,680
And with that Mr. President, I yield the floor.

2104
05:38:42,660 --> 05:38:44,220
The absence of a quorum.

2105
05:38:45,040 --> 05:38:46,160
Clerk will call the rule.

2106
05:38:46,900 --> 05:38:47,380
Ms. Baldwin.

2107
05:38:57,920 --> 05:39:00,120
Might I ask that the quorum call be suspended?

2108
05:39:00,260 --> 05:39:01,120
Senator from Virginia.

2109
05:39:01,700 --> 05:39:03,540
The quorum is suspended without objection.

2110
05:39:03,680 --> 05:39:07,140
I have six requests for committees to meet during today's session of the Senate.

2111
05:39:07,200 --> 05:39:10,380
And they do have the approval of both the majority and minority leaders.

2112
05:39:10,400 --> 05:39:10,920
Really noted.

2113
05:39:11,660 --> 05:39:12,880
I now note the absence of a quorum.

2114
05:39:13,500 --> 05:39:14,460
The clerk will call the rule.

2115
05:39:15,600 --> 05:39:16,120
Ms. Baldwin.

2116
05:42:40,560 --> 05:42:41,100
President,

2117
05:42:43,390 --> 05:42:46,310
senior senator from the state of Delaware.

2118
05:42:48,360 --> 05:42:52,300
Mr. President, I really didn't have anything to say. I just wanted to hear you say that.

2119
05:42:52,300 --> 05:42:54,940
Sir, I apologize for interrupting, but we...

2120
05:42:54,940 --> 05:42:56,960
I'm hearing a quorum call. Excuse me?

2121
05:42:57,020 --> 05:42:59,600
I ask you, you know, I'm just going to say that the quorum call will be initiated.

2122
05:42:59,820 --> 05:43:01,240
Without objection.

2123
05:43:01,800 --> 05:43:02,520
Thank you, sir.

2124
05:43:04,720 --> 05:43:05,340
Rise today.

2125
05:43:05,620 --> 05:43:08,940
It's a military standing next to a woman from New Jersey.

2126
05:43:09,120 --> 05:43:10,400
He's our communications director.

2127
05:43:10,400 --> 05:43:17,000
and who handles the Delaware and somehow manages the handle of New Jersey and raise the family at the same time.

2128
05:43:17,040 --> 05:43:24,720
She's amazing, but delighted that I have the two of you on the floor at the same time, this is a wonderful coincidence.

2129
05:43:25,680 --> 05:43:35,340
But Mr. President, I arrived today to highlight something that I believe you, Knights, all of us, and that supports for our local firefighters across the country.

2130
05:43:35,340 --> 05:43:40,720
if you're New Jersey or Delaware or Oregon or New Mexico, there's a great

2131
05:43:40,720 --> 05:43:46,060
affection and appreciation for our firefighters. Our firefighters throughout

2132
05:43:46,060 --> 05:43:51,440
America are every day people who every day do extraordinary things with

2133
05:43:51,440 --> 05:43:57,700
their lives. They put their lives on the line to protect us. They're willing to

2134
05:43:58,240 --> 05:44:03,320
and they have to to lay down their lives to save ours and the lives of our

2135
05:44:03,320 --> 05:44:08,480
families. For that we ought to them to make sure that they are fully equipped with a life-saving

2136
05:44:08,480 --> 05:44:15,020
protection with the equipment, the education and training they need to get their job done.

2137
05:44:15,800 --> 05:44:22,800
That's why I'm very proud to co-lead the Fire Grants and Safety Act with my colleague on the

2138
05:44:22,800 --> 05:44:33,300
Congressional Fire Services Caucus that would be with our colleagues. One of them would be

2139
05:44:33,300 --> 05:44:39,080
of Susan Collins, of Maine, a long-time supporter of firefighter and leader in the Congressional

2140
05:44:39,080 --> 05:44:39,680
Fire Classes.

2141
05:44:39,820 --> 05:44:44,420
And Lisa Mercowski also a leader in the Congressional Fire Caucus from Alaska.

2142
05:44:45,140 --> 05:44:49,800
And I was pleased that the Committee on Homeless Security and Governmental Affairs, on which

2143
05:44:49,800 --> 05:44:54,900
I'm privileged to serve, used to be chair, has passed this important bill out of committee

2144
05:44:54,900 --> 05:44:57,220
just earlier this month, Mr. President.

2145
05:44:57,220 --> 05:44:59,960
and the fire grants and safety act.

2146
05:45:00,000 --> 05:45:07,560
Act authorizes critical federal programs that support local fire departments. Namely, among those

2147
05:45:07,560 --> 05:45:16,980
FEMA staffing for adequate fire and emergency response, also known as the SAFER, SAFER grant

2148
05:45:16,980 --> 05:45:24,440
program. And the assistance to firefighters grant program. These programs are not just incidental.

2149
05:45:24,580 --> 05:45:28,640
They are vital. They are critical. They are essential. So local fire fighting departments

2150
05:45:28,640 --> 05:45:35,580
to help recruits staff to purchase life-saving equipment like fire trucks and protective

2151
05:45:35,580 --> 05:45:43,200
gear to provide fire training and education to current firefighters and also to new firefighters

2152
05:45:43,200 --> 05:45:46,800
and improve medical services to our communities.

2153
05:45:47,500 --> 05:45:52,440
In Delaware, our fire departments rely on these programs to protect our communities.

2154
05:45:52,440 --> 05:46:01,300
In fact, in 2021, and I think in 2022, the SAFER program and the SOCLE AFG programs provided

2155
05:46:01,300 --> 05:46:05,580
almost $3 million in funding to Delaware fire departments.

2156
05:46:05,700 --> 05:46:10,420
They may not sound like a lot of money in New Jersey or California or some other places,

2157
05:46:10,740 --> 05:46:16,160
$3 million in real money, and I state to the other side of Delaware, and it's put to

2158
05:46:16,160 --> 05:46:18,080
very good use every year.

2159
05:46:18,080 --> 05:46:22,280
So Mr. President, that we know these threats from fire

2160
05:46:22,280 --> 05:46:25,240
whether they're in their homes, whether those threats are in

2161
05:46:25,240 --> 05:46:27,500
our businesses, whether they're wildfires.

2162
05:46:27,800 --> 05:46:28,820
We know they're not going away.

2163
05:46:29,480 --> 05:46:30,540
We know they're not going away.

2164
05:46:30,860 --> 05:46:36,980
Alaska last year, three million acres burned in a wildfire,

2165
05:46:37,080 --> 05:46:41,480
a wildfire, three million acres burned in one wildfire.

2166
05:46:41,700 --> 05:46:43,960
That's nearly half of the acres burned in the

2167
05:46:43,960 --> 05:46:45,300
entire United States of America.

2168
05:46:45,300 --> 05:46:48,380
I just think that in one wildfire in Alaska.

2169
05:46:48,900 --> 05:46:50,680
Just three weeks ago, I'm told high winds,

2170
05:46:51,000 --> 05:46:53,460
spread out fire in my own home state of Delaware,

2171
05:46:53,740 --> 05:46:55,860
they didn't go up about a half dozen homes.

2172
05:46:55,960 --> 05:46:57,800
I left some 16 people homeless

2173
05:46:57,800 --> 05:47:00,740
and caused over a million dollars in damage.

2174
05:47:01,580 --> 05:47:05,000
We got to ensure that our firefighters have what they need

2175
05:47:05,000 --> 05:47:07,940
when they wake up each morning to bravely respond

2176
05:47:07,940 --> 05:47:10,380
to the cause that come their way.

2177
05:47:10,960 --> 05:47:13,420
Without action authorization of both a safer

2178
05:47:13,420 --> 05:47:17,380
and the FG programs would expire later this year.

2179
05:47:18,260 --> 05:47:20,240
And as I said at the beginning of my remarks report,

2180
05:47:20,620 --> 05:47:23,460
for a local firefighter is an issue that brings us together.

2181
05:47:23,620 --> 05:47:26,420
A lot of issues that divide us as a lighting officer knows.

2182
05:47:26,720 --> 05:47:29,980
There's some issues at the United States, and this is one of those issues.

2183
05:47:30,560 --> 05:47:34,620
Senate voted yesterday to begin consideration of the fire grants and safety act.

2184
05:47:35,040 --> 05:47:39,400
That vote passed by 96 to 0.

2185
05:47:39,720 --> 05:47:40,960
That doesn't happen every year.

2186
05:47:40,960 --> 05:47:56,480
So, providing officer knows, but let me repeat that, 96 to nothing, and we're happy to see that kind of unanimity, and I think it loads well for when we return after the recess of the next week or two to take up this legislation.

2187
05:47:57,140 --> 05:48:05,760
I look forward to the Senate coming back in two weeks, look forward to finishing the job that we've begun, and we look forward to passing again this important legislation.

2188
05:48:05,760 --> 05:48:15,460
I strongly encourage our friends over in the House representatives to do their part and to send the fire grants and safety act to the President's desk.

2189
05:48:16,000 --> 05:48:27,740
We owe that to our first responders and that Mr. President, I thank you for the chance to speak on the Florida day and wish you and your family safe recess and we'll see you in two weeks.

2190
05:48:28,280 --> 05:48:30,560
With that, I know the absence of a call.

2191
05:48:31,760 --> 05:48:35,620
The clerk will call the roll.

2192
05:48:35,960 --> 05:48:36,400
This is Baldwin.

2193
05:59:38,990 --> 05:59:40,230
Mr. President,

2194
05:59:45,100 --> 05:59:49,980
majority leader, I move to proceed to executive session to consider calendar number 19.

2195
05:59:50,120 --> 05:59:53,120
Excuse me sir, we are in a quorum call.

2196
05:59:53,420 --> 05:59:54,500
And I am in a hurry.

2197
05:59:55,380 --> 05:59:55,720
Okay.

2198
05:59:57,260 --> 05:59:58,760
I ask unanimous consent.

2199
05:59:58,780 --> 05:59:59,440
Without objection.

2200
06:00:00,000 --> 06:00:03,960
I move to proceed to executive sessions to consider calendar 19.

2201
06:00:04,380 --> 06:00:07,800
Questions on the motion? All those in favor say aye? Aye.

2202
06:00:07,800 --> 06:00:11,080
The eyes have it. The clerk will report.

2203
06:00:15,890 --> 06:00:16,410
Plum.

2204
06:00:17,510 --> 06:00:19,650
Nomination, the Department of Defense.

2205
06:00:20,170 --> 06:00:23,490
Radha Iyangar Plum of New York to be a deputy secretary.

2206
06:00:25,630 --> 06:00:29,810
I send a closure motion to the desk. The clerk will report.

2207
06:00:29,810 --> 06:00:33,850
Well, close to motion, we understand senators and accordance with the provisions of Rule

2208
06:00:33,850 --> 06:00:38,270
22 of the Standing Rules of the Senate, do hereby move to bring to a close debate on the

2209
06:00:38,270 --> 06:00:43,430
nomination of executive calendar number 19, Rada A. Anger Plum of New York to be a deputy

2210
06:00:43,430 --> 06:00:46,550
under Secretary of Defense signed by 18 senators as follows.

2211
06:00:46,630 --> 06:00:48,690
As consent, the reading of the names be waived.

2212
06:00:49,130 --> 06:00:51,750
Without objection, I move to proceed to legislative session.

2213
06:00:52,090 --> 06:00:53,070
Questions on the motion?

2214
06:00:54,130 --> 06:00:55,310
All those in favor say aye.

2215
06:00:56,950 --> 06:00:56,970
Aye.

2216
06:00:56,970 --> 06:00:57,530
All those opposed?

2217
06:00:57,910 --> 06:00:57,950
No.

2218
06:00:57,950 --> 06:01:04,190
Aye's have it. I move motion is agreed to. I move to proceed to executive session to consider calendar 57.

2219
06:01:05,030 --> 06:01:06,130
Questions on the motion?

2220
06:01:07,010 --> 06:01:11,450
Aye. All in favor say aye. Aye. Aye's have it. Motion is agreed to.

2221
06:01:11,670 --> 06:01:13,330
The clerk will report.

2222
06:01:13,530 --> 06:01:19,950
Nomination Department of Justice Amy Lefke with Solomon of the District of Columbia to be an assistant attorney general.

2223
06:01:21,190 --> 06:01:23,710
I send a quote to motion to the desk.

2224
06:01:24,190 --> 06:01:25,110
Clerk will report.

2225
06:01:25,470 --> 06:01:25,970
The motion.

2226
06:01:26,330 --> 06:01:29,570
We, the undersigned senators and accordance with the provisions of Rule 22, the

2227
06:01:29,570 --> 06:01:30,770
Standing Rules of the Senate.

2228
06:01:31,130 --> 06:01:33,850
Do hereby move to bring to a close debate on the nomination of Executive

2229
06:01:33,850 --> 06:01:35,010
Calendar number 57.

2230
06:01:35,750 --> 06:01:39,870
Amy Lefko, its Solomon of the District of Columbia to be an assistant attorney general,

2231
06:01:40,170 --> 06:01:41,810
signed by 18 senators as follows.

2232
06:01:44,830 --> 06:01:47,790
I ask consent to reading the names be waived.

2233
06:01:47,790 --> 06:01:50,910
Without objection, sir, move to proceed to legislative session.

2234
06:01:51,590 --> 06:01:52,290
Questions on motion?

2235
06:01:53,630 --> 06:01:54,990
All those in favor say aye.

2236
06:01:55,830 --> 06:01:55,870
Aye.

2237
06:01:55,870 --> 06:01:56,910
Aye's have it.

2238
06:01:57,230 --> 06:01:58,410
Motion's agreed to.

2239
06:01:58,610 --> 06:02:00,290
I send a close motion to the desk.

2240
06:02:00,970 --> 06:02:02,150
The clerk will report.

2241
06:02:02,730 --> 06:02:03,550
Close your motion.

2242
06:02:03,690 --> 06:02:06,390
We, the Intercent Senators and accordance with the provisions of Rule 22,

2243
06:02:06,550 --> 06:02:07,630
the Standing Rules of the Senate.

2244
06:02:07,850 --> 06:02:10,570
Do you hear by the move to bring to a close debate on calendar number 28,

2245
06:02:10,850 --> 06:02:12,150
is S-870?

2246
06:02:12,650 --> 06:02:16,490
The Builder Women, the Federal Fire Prevention and Control Act of 1974,

2247
06:02:16,490 --> 06:02:24,650
to authorize appropriations for the United States Fire Administration and Firefighter Assistance Grant Program signed by 17 Senators as follows.

2248
06:02:24,730 --> 06:02:28,110
I ask consent to the reading of the names be waived. Without objection.

2249
06:02:28,370 --> 06:02:34,110
I ask unanimous consent at the mandatory quorum calls for the closure motions filed today, no March 30th, be waived.

2250
06:02:34,750 --> 06:02:40,450
Without objection. I ask unanimous consent, the Senate proceed to executive session to consider the following nominations.

2251
06:02:40,450 --> 06:02:45,350
All nominations placed on the Secretary's desk for the Army, the Air Force, the Marine Corps,

2252
06:02:45,490 --> 06:02:49,510
the Navy, the Space Force, that the nominations be confirmed on block the motions

2253
06:02:49,510 --> 06:02:53,710
so we consider be considered made and met late upon the table with no intervening action

2254
06:02:53,710 --> 06:02:58,670
or debate that further motions be in order to any of the nominations that the President

2255
06:02:58,670 --> 06:03:02,650
be immediately notified of the Senate's action and the Senate resumed legislative session.

2256
06:03:03,190 --> 06:03:04,150
Without objection, sir.

2257
06:03:04,510 --> 06:03:08,390
I ask unanimous consent that Judiciary Committee be discharged from further consideration.

2258
06:03:08,390 --> 06:03:11,010
the Senate now proceed to Senate Res 120.

2259
06:03:11,710 --> 06:03:12,510
Clerk will report.

2260
06:03:12,830 --> 06:03:14,330
Senate Resolution 120,

2261
06:03:14,570 --> 06:03:16,670
designating March 23, 2023,

2262
06:03:17,270 --> 06:03:19,650
as National Women and Agriculture Day.

2263
06:03:20,550 --> 06:03:22,130
The committee is discharged,

2264
06:03:22,910 --> 06:03:24,850
and the Senate will proceed.

2265
06:03:27,100 --> 06:03:28,580
Please take your phones out of the chamber.

2266
06:03:29,640 --> 06:03:32,540
I ask unanimous consent that the resolution be agreed to.

2267
06:03:32,600 --> 06:03:33,820
The preamble will be agreed to,

2268
06:03:33,900 --> 06:03:35,900
and that motions that we consider be considered

2269
06:03:35,900 --> 06:03:37,180
made in the late upon the table.

2270
06:03:37,520 --> 06:03:38,260
Without objection.

2271
06:03:38,260 --> 06:03:44,520
I ask unanimous consent the Senate proceed to the consideration of S. Res. 149 submitted earlier today.

2272
06:03:47,240 --> 06:03:48,620
149, 149,

2273
06:03:52,210 --> 06:03:54,590
148 submitted earlier today.

2274
06:03:55,030 --> 06:03:57,490
The clerk will report 148.

2275
06:03:57,970 --> 06:04:07,150
Senate resolution 148 recognizing the heritage, culture, and contributions of American Indian, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian women in the United States.

2276
06:04:09,110 --> 06:04:11,550
Without objection, the Senate will proceed.

2277
06:04:11,550 --> 06:04:15,750
I ask unanimous consent to resolution be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, and that

2278
06:04:15,750 --> 06:04:19,290
the motions that we consider be considered made laid upon the table with no intervening

2279
06:04:19,290 --> 06:04:20,450
action or debate.

2280
06:04:20,850 --> 06:04:26,210
Without objection, Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to Senate proceed to consideration

2281
06:04:26,210 --> 06:04:29,510
of Senate Res. 149 submitted earlier today.

2282
06:04:30,010 --> 06:04:30,730
Clerk will report.

2283
06:04:31,070 --> 06:04:37,810
S. Res. 149, designating the first week of April 2023 as national S. Bestis Awareness

2284
06:04:37,810 --> 06:04:38,150
Week.

2285
06:04:38,150 --> 06:04:41,030
With our objection, the Senate will proceed.

2286
06:04:41,690 --> 06:04:44,110
I ask unanimous consent, the resolution be agreed to.

2287
06:04:44,130 --> 06:04:47,290
The preamble be agreed to in that commotion so we consider be considered made

2288
06:04:47,290 --> 06:04:50,390
laid upon the table with no intervening action or debate.

2289
06:04:50,890 --> 06:04:51,530
Exile objection.

2290
06:04:52,630 --> 06:04:57,790
I ask unanimous consent, the Senate proceed to the consideration of S. Res. 150, which is at the desk.

2291
06:04:58,370 --> 06:04:59,570
The clerk will report.

2292
06:05:00,000 --> 06:05:08,200
Resolution 150 honoring the memories of the victims of the senseless attack at the Covenant School on March 27, 2023.

2293
06:05:08,900 --> 06:05:11,400
Without objection, the Senate will proceed.

2294
06:05:11,880 --> 06:05:16,060
I ask unanimous consent, the resolution be agreed to. The preamble be agreed to, and the motions

2295
06:05:16,060 --> 06:05:20,300
that we consider be considered made and laid upon the table with no intervening action or debate.

2296
06:05:20,800 --> 06:05:25,920
Without objection, I ask unanimous consent that the judiciary committee be discharged from further consideration

2297
06:05:25,920 --> 06:05:30,000
of S-659, the Senate proceed to its immediate consideration.

2298
06:05:30,580 --> 06:05:31,620
The clerk will report.

2299
06:05:31,920 --> 06:05:38,720
As S-659, a bill to amend chapter 38 of Title 31, United States Code relating to civil

2300
06:05:38,720 --> 06:05:40,320
remedies and further purposes.

2301
06:05:42,240 --> 06:05:45,900
Without objection, the committee is discharged, and the Senate will proceed.

2302
06:05:46,220 --> 06:05:49,500
I ask unanimous consent to bill be considered read a third time and passed in the

2303
06:05:49,500 --> 06:05:52,260
motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table.

2304
06:05:53,360 --> 06:06:04,180
And finally, I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today, it stand a adjourn to convene for pro-formous sessions with no business being conducted on the following dates and times.

2305
06:06:04,680 --> 06:06:12,640
Monday April 3, 2012 noon Thursday April 6, 10 AM Monday April 10, 10 30 AM and Thursday April 13, 845 AM.

2306
06:06:13,360 --> 06:06:19,980
Oh, Monday, April 10th at 1130 AM, and Thursday, April 13th at 845 AM.

2307
06:06:20,660 --> 06:06:24,580
Further, that when the Senate adjourns on Thursday, April 13th, and that's convene

2308
06:06:24,580 --> 06:06:28,700
a 3 p.m. on Monday, April 17th, that following the prayer and pledge, the morning

2309
06:06:28,700 --> 06:06:32,780
hour be deemed expired, the general proceedings be approved today, the time for the two leaders

2310
06:06:32,780 --> 06:06:37,060
be reserved for the use later in the day, and morning business be closed, that upon the

2311
06:06:37,060 --> 06:06:40,920
conclusion of morning business, the Senate proceed to executive session to resume consideration

2312
06:06:40,920 --> 06:06:45,020
of the Plum nomination, and that culture motions filed during today's session right

2313
06:06:45,020 --> 06:06:49,460
been at 530 p.m. Further, that the filing deadline for the first degree amendments

2314
06:06:49,460 --> 06:06:56,120
to S-870, be at 330 p.m. on Monday, April 17th. Without objection, if there's no further

2315
06:06:56,120 --> 06:06:59,920
business to come before the Senate, I ask that it's standard adjourned under the previous

2316
06:06:59,920 --> 06:07:00,580
order.

2317
06:07:04,660 --> 06:07:10,080
The United States Senate stands adjourned until noon on Monday.