Transcripts For CSPAN2 U.S. 20240703

Providing balanced coverage of government. All with the support of americas cable companies. Cspan, 45 years and counting. Powered by cable. We take you live now to the u. S. Senate where today members are continuing work on a measure to reauthorize funding for the federal Aviation Administration for another five years, ahead of fridays renewal deadline. The legislation would increase the number of air Traffic Controllers and require the f. A. A. To use new technology designed to prevent collisions on runways. Youre watching live coverage on cspan2. The presiding officer the senate will come to order. The chaplain, dr. Barry black, will lead the senate in prayer. The chaplain let us pray. Eternal lord god, were reminded of your mercies that have been of old; you have been our dwelling place in all generations. Because of your mercies, we are not consumed. Great is your faithfulness. Today, guard and guide our senators. Provide them with a sense of purposeful direction. As they strive to unite their best efforts for the health, strength, and safety of this nation. May they also work for peace and justice in our world. Cleanse anything in them that would block the flow of your blessings and joy. May gratitude to you be the motive for everything they think, say and do. Amen. The presiding officer please join me in reciting the pledge of allegiance to the flag. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of america, and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under god, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. The presiding officer the clerk will read a communication to the senate. The clerk washington, d. C. , may 8, 2024. To the senate under the provisions of rule 1, paragraph 3, of the standing rules of the senate, i hereby appoint the honorable peter welch, a senator from the state of vermont, to perform the duties of the chair. Signed patty murray, president pro tempore. The presiding officer under the previous order, the leadership time is reserved. Morning business is closed. Under the previous order, the senate will resume consideration of h. R. 3935, which the clerk will report. The clerk calendar number 211, h. R. 3935, an act to amend title 49 United States code to reauthorize and improve the federal Aviation Administration and other Civil Aviation programs and for other purposes. Like new york and several other states, my home state of oregon requires holocaust and genocide studies with ageappropriate frickin available. I remember an and think of me friend holocaust survivor who when he was in his 80s and early 90s told his story of hundreds at universities, colleges, schools and high schools places of worship, prisons and clubs. Personally and through his book from a name to a number. Thats the kind of unforgettable education that makes a real difference may his memory be a a blessing. I want to emphasize, strongly, its important for leaders to stand for antisemitism no matter where it comes from. Many of my call the claim to care about the rise of at the semitism in this country, but when White Supremacists marched in charlotte stilled virginia with torches and chanting jews will not replace us, the president at the time donald trump said the were very fine from both sides. When the participants of that unite the right rally who has died the scope of holocaust while comparing jews exterminated in concentration camps to cookies being baked in an oven. Former President Trump posted nick fuentes at maralago in november 2022. General john kelly who served as then President Trumps chief of staff has dated the former president spoke favorably about hitler including hitler had done some good things. Just a few months ago donald trump said quote any jewish person that votes for democrats hates the religion. Despite these persistent examples of comments of others have called at the semitic and continue relationships with well known antisemite i have not heard one word of century for my colleagues across the aisle there can fact that weve seen is consolidation of support for the former president. If my call is given at the semitism they would condemn and denounce these comments from the leader of their party. So ill offer my coat on the site of the of the opportunity right now to condemn these previous comments. If you would have the courage to stand up against . Let the record show no one spoke up at this time. I look forward to the testimony and conversation today again with hope we can have a constructive dialogue about how to fight back against antisemitism so all students can be safe and feel safe at school whether thats at a college or university. I yield back. Thank you very much, Ranking Member or pursuant to Committee Role all Committee Members who we should certain statements in record they do so by submitting them to the committee click. Electronically and microsoft word format by 5 p. M. After 14 days from the date of the sink which is may 22, 22 and 4. The objection of the record open for 14 days after the date of the sink to allow such statements and other materials referenced during hearing to be submitted for the official record. I note the subcommittee, there are members of colleagues that are not a permanent part of the subcommittee who may be waiting on for the purpose of todays ring. And now lets get to the introductions of our distinguished panel. Our first witnesses mr. David banks, the chancellor of the new york city Public Schools for the newark City Department of education in new york, new york. New york city Public Schools is a largest, the largest system in the nation. He was a point by Merrick Adams on january 1, 2022 and and started his career as a School Safety officer, after which he began his first teaching job at Ts Public School 167. 167. He serves as an assistant principal at ps 191 before coming a founding a founding principle at the bronx school for law government and justice. He is a native new yorker and graduate of new york city Public School system. He holds a bachelors degree from Rutgers University and earned his j. D. From st. Johns university of law. Our second witness is carla silvestri, who is the president of the Montgomery County board of education for the Montgomery County Public Schools in rockville, maryland. She was elected to her second fouryear term on november 8, 2022. Shes cohesively a second term as president of the board of education. Educational sixpence begin at the university of pennsylvania where she worked at the collaborative for Science Education working as a teacher, professional development and handson Science Education in West Philadelphia schools. She served as Vice President for children and youth who are for a large nonprofit managing preventive school year and summer youth programs. She graduate from Florida State university with a bachelors degree in biology and received her masters degree in education from the university of pennsylvania. Greetings from the sunshine state. We are glad to lets you to Ranking Member bonamoci for and reduction of a a witness. I welcome to the committee emerson sites, senior staff attorney with the American Civil Liberties union who works on the speech, privacy, and technology project. He focuses on First Amendment freespeech protections and among other things he previously served as Legal Advisor for africa at the International Center for nonprofit law and serves as an assistant general counsel to the new york city council. He held the basses degree in Political Science from stanford university, a masters in Public Affairs from the Princeton School of public and International Affairs and a juris doctor from the New York University school of law. Welcome to the committee. Our final witness is ms. Ford shes a superintendent of the Berkeley Unified School district in berkeley, california. She is an urban educator into an activist with over 21 years of experience. Aside from serving a superintendent of Berkeley Unified School district she is a professor, senior lecturer at the urban education at loyola miramonte university. Shes active in the committee serving as a board member organizations such as other nonprofits with missions aligned to restrict respect shr of Delta Sigma Theta sorority incorporated. Shielded the aa masters from education from university of california at berkeley. Welcome to all of witnesses. We thank you for being here and look forward to your testimony. Pursuant to committee will i would ask you limit each other oral presentations to five minutes, some of the written statements. Your full written statement is in the record but just like us up here you get five minutes. Thats what our little timer system will do it. If by chance you go past i would give you a little wave and thats great way to say wrap it up. I recognize, i want to recognize a few of your responsibility to provide Accurate Information to the subcommittee. With that lets get started. Its now a pleasure to recognize mr. Banks 45 minute testimony. Welcome, welcome. You are recognized. [inaudible] okay. Hope i didnt lose my time. [inaudible] [laughing] thank you so much begin. Good morning, chairwoman thoughts, chairman bean, Ranking Member scott, Ranking Member bonamoci, and distinguished member of the committee and subcommittee. Thank you for inviting me to address the horrific rise in antisemitism. The number one religiousbased hate crime in america. I also want to thank rabbi, Michael Cohen and reverend for joining me here today. Today i will share how we are confronting the scourge of antisemitism in the new york city Public Schools. The new York City School system which is our nations largest is a committee of over 1 Million Students and staff. We speak over 180 different languages in our schools. Our diversity however means our classrooms are not insulated from the global stage. Since october 7 our students and staff, jewish and muslim, israeli and palestinian have suffered immensely. I i come to come have felt deep pain mr. Flake of my own to electricity israel with the Jewish Community relations council. Again and again my mind has returned to my visit to a profoundly moving experience for me. In the immediate aftermath of october seven, new city a adams made remarks condemning the terror attacks. I sent messages to our School Community strongly condemning the heinous acts of hamas. The words are not enough. There have been unacceptable incidents of antisemitism in our schools. When jewish students or teachers feel unwelcome or unsafe, that should sound the alarm for us all. By regulation urgency of addressing this crisis from my seat. As an educator of 30 plus years, as a leader of the system nurturing the next generation of new yorkers, it is not on my job to produce good readers and writers. Our schools must also build good people, people to demonstrate respect and appreciation for our shared humanity. When it comes to reading of antisemitism our Public Schools must be part of the answer. Let me tell you about our work to make this moment which will focus on safety, engagement and education number one, safety is a precondition for learning. I started my career as a School Safety officer and my father was a proud decades long office of newark city police department. Keeping schools safe is in my dna. When antisemitism rears its head i believe we must respond, and we have. We have removed, discipline, or are in the process of disciplining at least a dozen staff and School Leaders, including removing a principal in the middle of a school year. We have to spend at least 30 students. Weve involve the nypd when hate crimes are committed, and weve retrained all 1600 principles on our discipline goal to ensure it is enforced properly. Secondly, we have engage dozens of partners help us design longerterm solutions. My instinct as a leader in moments of crisis is never to shy away from an issue but rather to lean into it to understand better. New york city is home to the largest Jewish Community outside of israel and many of the nations foremost jewish institutions. So we have strengthened our relationships with these partners which include the federation, the j. C. Rc, antidefamation league, the jewish childrens museum, project witness and many more. I also launched for the first time in our history and Interfaith Advisory Council because we must model for our students how to build bridges, engage in genuine dialogue and share each others pain in challenging times. And finally education. We cannot simply discipline our way out of this problem. The true antidote to the goods and buys is to teach. My own children learned about antisemitism firsthand from our nextdoor neighbors who were Holocaust Survivors in teaneck new jersey. But as survivors pass on and the light of current events, the need for education becomes even more pressing. Our students cannot grow up to get anyone as the other pixel in addition to covering the holocaust, where creating a robust holocaust educator guide to bg museum of jewish heritage and building a brand brank and highlighted culture contributions of the Jewish Community because the history of the jewish people extends far beyond the holocaust. Weve also partner with the office of the prevention of hate crimes and in you hate crimes curriculum. Weve expanded our antisemitism resources and workshops. Finally let me just say this. At new york city Public Schools we are focused on our charge to fight hate and foster inclusion through safety, engagement and education. We are working hard and of long way to go. Theres always more to do. I hope in europe we can be a candle in the darkness. Thank you. Thank you very much, mr. Banks. Ms. Silvestri, you are recognized for five minutes. Welcome. Chairman bean, Ranking Member bonamoci and members of the subcommittee, good morning. My name is carla silvestri and im the president of the board of education for Montgomery County Public Schools in maryland. I appreciate the opportunity to speak with you today about our efforts to address antisemitism in our School System. Let the begin by assuring the committee the board of education i lead is committed to combating antisemitism, hate speech and racism wherever and whenever we see it. I cant tell you weve gotten it right every time but as a board were committed to working with our administrators and our community to constantly improve our processes and outcomes. Montgomery county Public Schools is the 15th largest School District in the country with 160,000 students and nearly 25,000 employees. We are one of the most diverse districts in a nation are families and from every major religion and ethnicity, or speak over 162 languages at home. More than onethird of our county residents are foreignborn. In Montgomery County n elected parttime board of education with a governance and oversight role. The board sets the standard for achievement and accountability. Our formation is education. This is the lens through which we approach our relationships with students, employees in the community. This is this is a perspeco todays hearing. I also bring the perspective of my history when i was eight i came to this country to escape the violence stemming from guatemalans civil war. I became a proud u. S. Citizen in 2007 and went on to be elected to serve in the board of education by the citizens of Montgomery County. I am also the parent of a student in our School System, and incidents of antisemitism and eightbased language are extremely important to me. With that in mind, i knew that the committee is aware of recent press reports of public complaints around antisemitic imagery, language and vandalism in our district. Let me be clear. We do not shy away from imposing consequences for hatebased behavior, including antisemitism. Our policy is to initiate an investigation each time the School System receives a complaint or we witnessed particular at the cement hate filled a racist language or action. There are a range of consequences for teachers and staff and if our investigation finds a step in the cannot uphold the employees could conduct and support a Safe Learning environment for all students, they will not remain in Montgomery County Public School. Students this was also a student could conduct an students rights and responsibilities. We are taking affirmative steps to address antisemitism and other forms of hate. First, in the past year we revise policies and procedures to strengthen our response to antisemitism, hate and racist behavior. Second, we are put in place a clear reporting process and training for School Leaders and staff. Were empowering students and families to report incidents of harassment so we can take action. Third, we are working to prevent antisemitic incidents from happening in the first place through education. We enhance the curriculum throughout k12 to expand on topics related to the jewish experience. Fourth, we are strengthening our relationships and partnerships with our community. We participated in listening sessions and synagogues, and this year 12 Community Organizations joined us to form a hate buys Advisory Group to support our collective effort to address hate based speech and incidents including antisemitism. Fifth, starting this summer we will have mandatory hatebased training for all staff. In closing, antisemitism haso place in Montgomery County Public Schools. The suffering, but antisemitism, hate and racism interferes with Students Learning and wellbeing. I want to do everything in my power to make sure all students can pursue their education without worrying about antisemitic racist or hate filled threats. We will continue to evaluate our policies and our actions to ensure all students in families, every single one of them, feel safe, values and welcomed in our School System. I welcome the opportunity to continue this important discussion. Thank you. Thank you very much, ms. Silvestre. Well done. Welcome to the committee. You are recognized. Thank you very chairwoman schultz, Ranking Member scott, subcommittee chairman bean, subcommittee Ranking Member bonamoci and members of the subcommittee, on behalf of the eeoc thank you for the privilege of testifying today. I want to start by telling todays topic confronting antisemitism is an and gravely important one. By many accounts antisemitic incidents happen more common in recent years. In jewish colleagues and friends have been struggling. On new York City Public High School principal both the jewish who understand full well the impact of antisemitism. Butders are themselves being accused of antisemitism or Police Failing to do enough to stop antisemitism in their School Community is. They are truly in an enviable position to give a deeply complicated and confusing times. But ive been invited here not to opine on at the semitism nor to condemn or defend my fellow witnesses. Rather i would like use my time to make three key points. First, i will briefly describe the First Amendment and his key principles. Second, i will describe the First Amendment applies in the schools. Third i will suggest more productive ways to do with controversial speech. The text of the First Amendment is short so i will just read it. Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof or abridging the freedom of speech or of the press or of the right of the people peaceably to assemble and to petition the government for a redress of grievances. As you no doubt noticed the very first word of the First Amendment is congress to you all are the stars of the show. The First Amendment is primarily about restricting the Government Authority related to five related freedoms. Religion, speech, the press, assembly, and the right to petition. Without Government Action the First Amendment does not apply. This is why the First Amendment applies in Public Schools that generally not in private ones. A legendary figure of the aclu has described the poetry guy in the ordering out of the five freedoms protected by the First Amendment. First, the government cannot regulate your religion. That is, what you believe, your thoughts, your ideas and your face. Second, the government cannot abridge the freedom of speech. Now you got from having an idea to communicating that idea to others around you. Third, the government cannot abridge the freedom of the press. Now youve gone from an idea to speaking that idea to those who are within earshot to using the press, which really means publishing or otherwise disseminating ideas to a wider audience. Fourth, is a right of the people peaceably to assemble. Now youre not just thinking something or saying something our writing and publishing something. Now you are gathering and mobilizing people around this idea because people like to feel solidarity and shared physical and digital space. Fifth, its a right to petition the government. This mange of the right not only to have an idea, though in to speak that idea or to publish that idea and not only to galvanize people around this idea but youre the right to bring that idea to the seat of power, to redress grievances. The First Amendment looking closely at the text can be read as facilitating the journey, an idea to a movement. But notwithstanding the strong protections of the First Amendment, not all speech is protected. True threats, fighting words, incitement and obscenity or categories of unprotected speech that we allow the government more leeway in regulating. So what does all this mean in the k12 context . The Supreme Court famously said the students and teachers do not lose their First Amendment rights at the schoolhouse gate. But the court has also recognized Public Schools necessarily have more authority to regulate speech at school and the government would normally have in the context. The government can regulate the facial skull content like curriculum as long as its decisions are reasonably related to a legitimate educational purpose. Right authorities may punish student speech only if it will lead to substantial disruption within the school environment. Outside school, students speech is fully protected by the First Amendment. The First Amendment also protects the right to access information including students right to access information through School Library shelves. Despite this come school board officials, lawmakers and others have recently stepped up efforts to ban books from circulation in libraries. Government employees and worker generally not protected by the First Amendment the teachers to making the First Amendment rights when theyre outside of school just like students. Parents also have an Important Role to play in k12 schools. Family spent the right to opt their child out of some teaching the know from his right to control what all children are allowed to learn including content about racism, sexuality and gender expression. Finally, i hope we can remember when we are exposed to more speech and more information, we can and do change our mind. I submit the tween throwing up her hands and saying theres nothing we can do to address controversial speech, and excommunicate a people because what they have said or thought are all the good ideas for how schools and communities can heal and grow together. I really appreciate the opportunity to speak with you today. Thank you very much, mr. Sykes. And ms. Ford, youre recognized. Welcome to the committee. Thank you. Chairman bean, Ranking Member bonamoci and members of the subcommittee, thank you for us me to participate in this critical conversation about at the semitism in k12 schools. I hope to should ongoing work were doing to post antisemitism, islamophobia and all forms of hate and provide every student safe welcome in humanizing classrooms during these challenging times. I and the superintendent of Berkeley Unified School districts. Im honored to be the steward of the district powerful mission to enable and inspire a diverse student body to achieve Academic Excellence and make positive contributions to the world. I grew up in inglewood, california, and what is unnaturally brilliant entries black and brown children engagement were trapped by their descent left i miss and often ignored. These expenses from the roots of my belief that schools must nurture the hard counsel, purpose and intellect of each child. In berkeley unified work to ensure that each and every child is seen, valued and educated. We embrace this work every day and its what taught me to do this work and this district. Berkeley is a small diverse urban School District serving around 9100 students and i live in elementary schools, three middle schools and two high schools. Many now i often describe our students as our babies. As young as four they are someones baby. Most price gratian. Its a produce an awesome responsibility to serve them. Public schools reflect the values and aspirations of the local community. Berkeley is no different. Our history of activism, social justice, diversity and inclusion is alive and well today. We recognize the need to teach students to express themselves with respect and compassion. This is why we passed the policy against hate speech last year. True equity and inclusion requires listening, ongoing reflection, engagement and continuous learning. As of engagement members of our Jewish Community, some at your painful experiences of antisemitism. At the semitic exodus in our schools are Never Acceptable and they are not who we are. The conflict in the middle east is directly impacted our schools. Students and staff fm and friends who died or were kidnapped during the october 7 hamas attack. Many have deep concern for what is happening in israel. Was kidnapped on october 7. Members of our committee or tape on the shirt that updates the end other hostages have been held captive. Today is day 214. Other Berkeley Students and staff have family and friends who have died, been injured or missing or living under horrific conditions in gaza. Most heartbreakingly, and both israel and gaza the death and suffering include children. As educators, too often were called upon to address heart wrenching events that occur far beyond the walls of her classroom. Our Young Students with ties really is you are gaza some deeply traumatized by the horror they see and hear sit sidebyside in our berkeley classrooms. They are friends. We work hard to make sure you are all seen safe. Our babies sometimes say hurtful things. We are my fault all kits make mistakes we know our staff are not immune to missteps either and we dont ignore them when they occur. From the days of october 7 we can provide a resource at her are educated about how to support our children and each other. Since october 7 the district is at formal complaints alleging antisemitism arising from nine incidents within our jurisdiction. Few quotes from t last six months about securing our southern border from some of my Republican Senate colleagues. Quote, this crisis requires swift, serious, and substantive action. Unquote. Quote, it makes no sense for me, for us to do nothing when we might be able to make things better, unquote. And, quote, this moment will pass. Do not let it pass. Unquote. Yes, indeed, these are words, mr. President , of our Republican Senate colleagues uttered at press conferences and floor speeches and interviews from just the last few months. There are many, many, many more quotes like these going back years from republican senators, Republican Congress members, from the speaker, from republican speakers, from the former republican president. We kept hearing the same thing again and again and again. We need to do something about the border now, they shouted. The border is an emergency, they screamed. We cannot put this off until tomorrow. And on and on. So three months ago here on the floor republicans got a chance to back up their angry words with real action by voting on the strongest bipartisan border bill congress has seen in decades, and practically every republican voted no. Including my republican colleague who said it makes sense to do nothing. Then he voted no. Including my republican colleague who said this crisis requires swift action. He voted no. And the republican speaker johnson who said he said the time to act, unquote, on the border is yesterday. And then told the whole world that our bipartisan border bill would die in the house if we sent it over to them. Donald trump has spent years belly aching and bemoaning the problems at the border. But when Congress Finally reached a breakthrough on a strong and bipartisan border bill, a bipartisan border bill, he told his maga acolytes to kill it so he could exploit the chaos at the border for political gain. He was bald and open about that. He wanted to exploit the chaos at the border for his own political gain. That cynical, even for republicans, even maybe for donald trump, whose cynicism knows no bounds. For democrats, the situation at the border is utterly unacceptable. Thats why we worked with our republican colleagues for months to write the strongest Border Security bill congress has seen in a generation, a bill that had the support of the Border Patrol union and the chamber of congress and the extremely conservative wall street journal editorial board. But donald trump, desperate to exploit the border for the campaign trail torpedoed this bill in its tracks. He knew it would take real action to secure our border. Thats why he didnt want it to happen. Republicans will go on and on about the border this year, but their rhetoric, their political ads, Everything Else will ring hollow because the border bill they killed in congress will linger over them like stink on garbage. Now on a. I. , mr. President , i just returned from the special competitive studies project first ever expo on Artificial Intelligence where i spoke about the senates ongoing efforts to tackle a. I. As i said before, tackling a. I. Must be an allhandsondeck approach. A. I. Is so complexion, so broad in its impact that it will take all of us working together to maximize its potential and minimize its harms. Thats why i was pleased to see President Biden will announce a 3. 3 billion investment from microsoft later today for a new a. I. Center in wisconsin. This investment for microsoft will create thousands of new, goodpaying jobs and help america keep an Competitive Edge on a. I. A. I. Will remain a top priority for this u. S. Senate. We just finished our bipartisan a. I. Insight forums where we learned so much about a. I. s promises and challenges. Very soon our bipartisan a. I. Working group will release our policy road map highlighting the findings and the areas of consensus from our forums which will help our committees finetune their work on a. I. Legislation. We look forward to moving forward on a. I. Now on faa, last night i filed cloture on the underlying bill and the cantwell substitute amendment with the next procedural vote scheduled for tomorrow. All of us need to work constructively and with urgency to finish the job on faa. Nobody, absolutely nobody should want us to slip past the deadline. That would needlessly increase risks for so many travelers and so many federal workers. To get iowa done, we need three things to get faa done we need haste and a common desire to get to yes. Any member who insists on extraneous change will only increase the likelihood that we miss the deadline. God forbid something shouldnt happen when we do. I hope that we will finish this job very soon so we can send a bill to the house in time for them to act. I thank chairman, chair cantwell, the Ranking Member of the committee cruz, and all my colleagues who have worked assiduously to get faa done. Now on abortion, just when we thought republicans antichoice rhetoric couldnt get any more extreme, republicans keep stooping to new lows. In an interview yesterday, donald trump, the Presumptive Republican nominee for president , was asked about claims that he would, quote, would support certain states with bans monitoring a womans pregnancy. Donald trumps response that would be up to the states. That would be up to the states . Let me say that again so the American People hear how extreme this is. Donald trump was asked yesterday if he would support states who want to monitor womens pregnancy. Monitor womens pregnancies. Instead of condemning this grotesque invasion of womens privacy, donald trump thinks if states decide to do so, thats okay, aokay with him. In states like florida, enact some of the extreme bans in decades. If donald trump and hard right republicans get back into power should it be any surprise if some states pass laws allowing womens pregnancies to be monitored . I ask my Senate Colleagues, do you agree, Senate Colleagues . Republican Senate Colleagues, do you agree with Donald Trumps extreme, intrusive, crazy view that states should be able to monitor pregnant women if they want . Do my Senate Republican colleagues who say they are the party of individual freedom believe states should have the power to track movements of millions of women if they so choose . Make no mistake, Senate Republicans created the mess were in right now, where the Presumptive Republican nominee is seemingly open to states monitoring pregnant women. Senate republicans owe the American People an answer on where they stand on this absurd invasion of american privacy. Finally, mr. President , on the chips and science bill, yesterday the New York Times reported a remarkable statistic from recent study on the semiconductor industry. Thanks to funding provided by the chips and science act, the United States will triple its domestic chips manufacturing by 2032, the largest increase in the world. The report goes on, had congress not passed chips and science, americas share of global chip production would have kept slipping, but instead its expected to triple, triple in less than a decade. Mr. President , this report is great news for american jobs and americas economy and is precisely what we envisioned in the senate as we worked on the bipartisan chips and science bill. With help from the federal government, communities in new york and arizona and ohio and texas and montana, will become the next hubs of text innovation. Were seeing growth in front of our eyes. Micron is expanding, samsung is expanding, bae systems is expanding and more. All of these companies are expanding in the United States, thanks to the chips act. When i began working on the endless frontier act years ago, this was the hope. A new wave of tech jobs, a new wave of Scientific Research and revival of federal investment in these areas. This report on the impact of chips and science shows america is on the right track and our confidence in passing this legislation is vindicated. I yield the floor. Mr. Mcconnell mr. President. The presiding officer the republican leader. Mr. Mcconnell the attacks of october 7 brought the world face to face with the savage terrorists who tried to destroy the jewish state for decades. They forced us all to look at what our ally, israel, has to defend against every single day. In the months since, ive insisted repeatedly that america should provide israel the time, the space, and the support it needs to defeat iranbacked terrorists and restore its security. And ive made clear that the consensus of israels National Unity war cabinet, that lasting security can only come after hamas is defeated, ought to be our position here in america as well. Early on, there was reason to believe that President Biden shared this view. I was encouraged by his initial willingness to move quickly to transfer needed munitions to is israel, by his requests for an Emergency National security supplemental, including urgent Security Assistance to israel, and by what he called his administrations ironclad commitment to israels security. Unfortunately, weve seen since that since then, that that iron bend under the heat of domestic political pressure from his partys antiisrael base and the campus communists who decided to wrap themselves in the flags of hamas and hezbollah. Weve seen his administration cave in to growing demands to condition and limit assistance to our democratic ally. Weve seen public attempts to micromanage israels se selfdefense, to constrain is israels freedom of action. And a few days ago, we saw reports that the president was delaying weapon shipments to israel, creating daylight between america and a close ally. As it turns out, these reports were true, and the decision to pause the shipments were withheld from congress. We still dont know the key facts. I speak with some experience in the difficulties of standing up to extreme elements in ones own plainly Party Political party, but the president s apparent inability to keep the most radical voices on his left flank out of the situation room isnt just a shameful abdication of leadership, its actually dangerous. Failing to pass the Emergency National security supplemental would have been devastating to ukraines defense and americas credibility. For the administration to withhold assistance from israel is devastating in its own right. At home, it will only whet the appetite of the antiisrael left, and abroad it will embolden iran and its terrorist proxies. Theres no secret shortcut to restoring peace and security. A return to the status quo doesnt solve the challenge at hand. The status quo before october 7 was what allowed iran the latitude to export terror across the muslim across the middle east and allowed hamas to exploit a ceasefire to launch the attacks. For those who care about the humanization, the humanitarian system in gaza, and i would count myself among those who do, the most enduring way to help the Palestinian People is to help israel defeat hamas. A return to the status quo will only perpetuate the conditions that have longed plagued the people of gaza and threatened the people of israel. In the last week, terrorist oppressors have struck the main humanitarian entrance to gaza twice with mortars. Its time for the president to stop letting domestic political demands of the far left determine his foreign policy. And its time to stop doubting the will of israels unity government and their overwhelming view of the israeli people. A future of peace for israelis and palestinians a one in which iranbacked terrorists play no part. Now, on a related matter, israel knows it cannot blink in the face of savages who seek to destroy it. The same cannot be said of the Biden Administration. The disastrous retreat from afghanistan, the dilution that over the Horizon Counterterrorism could fill in for ontheground operations, and of course an abiding fixation on releasing hardens killers from the detention facility at Guantanamo Bay so they can symbolically end the war on terror. Negotiations between federal prosecutors and representatives of the masterminds of the september 11 massacre have been ongoing for years. The terrorist defense has tried every trick in the book to dodge justice, from bids for transfer to u. S. Soil to medical treatment to plea deals that would take the capital sentence off the table. Many of our colleagues have followed these proceedings with great interest. Many of us feel strongly that a terrorist mass murderer ought to get his just desserts. In the way this story is sometimes covered in the press, you might think theres something wrong about a u. S. Senator insisting on it, so lets be clear of a couple of things. First, Khalid Sheikh mohammed deserves nothing less than the death penalty, and the fact he hasnt yet received it is a disgrace. Second, on President Bidens watch, the terrorist threat has grown significantly while our ability to combat it has actually shrunk. Law enforcement and intelligence officials confirm the urgency of the threat to our homeland. Weve been kicked out of sahil, and we are blind in afghanistan. The president s precipitous withdrawal from Bagram Air Base led to the emptying of the terrorist detention facility there and fueled isis terrorist plots against america. Finally, if the president and his attorney general let the perpetrators of the deadliest terror attack on american soil plead out or cut a secret deal for Better Health care and living conditions, the Biden Administration will pay a steep political price. Now, on one final matter, last week, the Biden Administration rolled out the second wave of guidance in the price fixing scheme it calls medicare drug price negotiation program. But as i said the first time around, the word negotiation is doing a lot of work in that name. Calling administration bureaucrats strongarm tactics a negotiation is like calling jury duty a paid vacation. What were really talking about here is Prescription Drug socialism. The administration is dictating to americas worldleading medical innovators the maximum fair price for their products. In response, producers have three choices eat the fixed price, pay an ex or trent excite exorbitant tax, or stop participating in Medicare Medicaid plant altogether. We know its not that neat and tidy. The underlying problem with price fixing is that it simply doesnt work. When the federal government predetermines outcomes it kills the inisntives that prompt in incentives that prompt innovators to bet big on Cutting Edge Research and development. Artificially fixing the price for a lifesaving cure doesnt make it cheaper. It makes it less likely to exist in the first place. By one estimate, over the next ten years the sort of Prescription Drug socialism the Biden Administration is driving at could snuff out development on nearly 140 140 new treatments before theyve begun. Needless to say, the people who stand to lose the most from state meddling in the market for medical treatments are the people who rely on them, american patients, especially seniors. Theres a reason the United States leads the world in the pharmaceutical development. Its precisely because we encourage innovation and welcome risk taking, and its because, until now, weve kept washington from pouring cold water on the most prolific engine of lifesaving cures in our history. I suggest the absence of a qu quorum. The presiding officer the clerk will call the roll. Quorum call the clerk ms. Baldwin. Mr. Thune mr. President. The presiding officer republican whip. Mr. Thune thank you, mr. President. Mr. President , i would ask unanimous consent the quorum call be lifted. The presiding officer without objection. Mr. Thune mr. President , this week the senate is finally considering the federal Aviation Administration reauthorization act, and im glad we are here, even if belatedly. Our nation depends on a safe, efficient, and Robust National Aviation System, and the bill before us today will help strengthen aviation safety, address the Pilot Shortage, and improve airport infrastructure, all of which will contribute to a better experience for the traveling public. Im particularly pleased my proposal to create an enhanced Qualification Program for perspective Airline Pilots was included in the bill. United states is facing a serious Pilot Shortage, which has resulted in reduced air service at airports around the country. This has real impacts on the flying public, particularly for those in rural states, like south dakota, since smaller, Regional Airports have tended to see the greatest reduction in flights. To help address this shortage and improve the quality of pilot training, senator sinema and introduced a proposal to create an enhanced Qualification Program for prospective Airline Pilots. Our protest was a direct response to a recommendation from the air carrier Training Aviation rulemaking committee, a body of industry, labor, and safety representatives who meet regularly under the auspices of the faas office of aviation safety, which recommended the implementation of such a program to create a structured pathway for pilots to obtain intensive training. While the United States has stringent requirements for the number of flight hours prospective Airline Pilots must complete before obtaining their pilots license, the quality of that cockpit time is often less than optimal preparation for flying commercial jets. So to better prepare pilots for airline jobs, our proposal implements an enhanced Qualification Program designed and audited by the faa and administered by air carriers that will give aspiring Airline Pilots intensive training with experienced air carrier pilots and other experts. Intensive training, mr. President , is the in the kind of air carrier environment where prospective Airline Pilots will be flying is something that is largely missing from current training. And getting the chance to work closely with seasoned pilots will help turn out hilt qualified pilots who are better prepared for flying commercial jets. In addition, our programs use of Simulator Training, whose proven values gives pilots exposure to the cockpits of the jets they will be flying, and crucially allow them to experience what its like to handle challenging and dangerous situations in those cockpits. For obvious reasons, standard Flight Training hours dont involve deliberately flying into perilous weather conditions or dealing with things like fires or engine failure. But Simulator Training eff efforts offers prospective pilots the chance to deal with all those situations and more, and deal with them again and again, until the response is finetuned. These. Our proposal is a winwin. It will turn out better prepared pilots and it will help address the Pilot Shortage by making training more accessible. Im very pleased it was includededin the bill that is before us today. Im also very pleased that the senate klobuchars Aviation Workforce Development being an and recruitment act was, which i cosponsored is in the bill. This will expand resources to recruit and train pilots, Aviation Manufacturing workers and mechanics. And, finally, with Rural Air Service once again in mind, im very pleased that my provision to allow communities to receive multiple Small Service air Development Grants for the same project was includededin the legislation before us today. This will help make it easier to expand air service for rural communities. The bill includes language providing small airports with flexibility to use funding for terminal improvement which will be crucial for rural airports to expand. On another topic. The legislation before us today clufts my bipartisan increasing competitiveness for American Drones act with senator warner, which will streamline the approval process for beyond visual sight of drone sights and clear the way for drones to be used for krcommercial transport of goods across the country. This has the potential to transform the economy with innovative ideas. My bill will ensure that the United States remains competitive in a growing industry increasingly dominated by countries like china. Im also pleased that legislation the legislation i cosponsored with senator duckworth to help improve the flying experience for individuals who use mobility aids. No bill is perfect. But i believe that the legislation before us today will make Real Progress towards a safer and more reliable Aviation System and an improved flying experience for the american public. And im grateful to all those who contributed to getting this bill to the floor today. As former chairman of the commerce committee, i know how much work goes into drafting an faa reauthorization bill. I want to thank the chair and Ranking Member and all of their staff. I particularly want to thank Ranking Member ted cruz for his tireless efforts both in getting this bill to the finish line and ensuring that we ended up with a strong piece of legislation. His work to ensure that that we have strong staffing mandates for air Traffic Controllers as well as his efforts to reduce backlogs and improve the faas efficiency deserve particular recognition. I want to thank senators moran and duckworth for their management on the subcommittee of aviation operations and innovation. Mr. President , as i said, final passage of the faa reauthorization act has been a long time coming. But the day is finally here and i look forward to seeing this bill enacted into law in the very near future. Mr. President , i yield the floor and i suggest the absence of a quorum. The presiding officer the clerk will call the roll. Quorum call the clerk ms. Baldwin. A senator mr. President. The presiding officer the senator from iowa. Mr. Grassley i ask that the calling of the quorum be suspended. The presiding officer without objection. Mr. Grassley mr. President , today i come to the senate about my ongoing bureau of tobacco first time oversight regarding the misclassification of Law Enforcement positions. All of this costing the taxpayers tens of millions of dollars. As my colleagues know, ive done a lot of atf oversight work dating back more than a decade. The obamaBiden Administration covered up and fast and furious is just one example. But today we dont need to go back to 2011. To today well start in january 2018. According to emails provided to me by atf whistleblowers, atf leadership was notified in january 2018 that some nonLaw Enforcement positions were were misclassified as Law Enforcement. That cost taxpayers tens of millions of dollars because law. Law enforcement gets paid more than nonLaw Enforcement positions. Specifically in these atf emails from january and june of 2018, whistleblowers alerted atf officials that positions in the Human Resource division were misclassified. The positions were classified as Law Enforcement, but they performed no Law Enforcement duties. This is an example that i keep telling my colleagues we need to pay more attention information that comes from these patriotic people we call whistleblowers. Accordingly, these positions were misclassified in violation of law. Thats what oversight by congress is all about to make sure that the executive branch faithfully executes the laws according to the constitution. Emails from july 2019 show that whistleblowers contacted the Justice Management Division at the department of justice headquarters about these very problems. The whistleblowers informed the Justice Management Division that they notified atf management of the misclassified positions and that atf hadnt corrected this illegal conduct. Based on what whistleblowers have told my office, the Justice Department didnt even bother to get back to the whistleblowers. Then in july 2019, one whistleblower reported the matter to the office of special counsel. And the other whistleblowers maybe the same report to the same office in april of 2020. After the second whistleblowers reported atf misconduct to the office of special counsel, that Office Opened the claim for investigation in may of 2020. On june 9, 2020, the office of special counsel determined there was a substantial likelihood both whistleblowers allegations disclosed violation of law, of rule, or regulation a gross waste of funds and gross mismanagement. Once again, emphasizing tens of millions of dollars wasted here. The office of special counsel referred the matter to the attorney general for investigation. Then november 2, 2020, the office of Personnel Management partially suspended atfs position Classification Authority. That office did so after preliminary findings from their investigation revealed that certain atf nonenforcement positions were misclassified in violation of statute and regulation. On march 1, 2021, the office of Personnel Management issued their final report substantiating the whistleblowers claims and found, i quote, atf leadership had acted outside of the merit system principles and demonstrated disregard for the rule of law and regulations, end quote. This illegal scheme came to light because of brave whistleblowers. The atf whistleblowers we now know were right. All those government bureaucrats should have listened to the whistleblowers from the beginning, instead atf rudely ignored their evidence and obviously ignored whistleblowers doing what they thought was right for our country. So i wrote attorney general garland and thenacting atf director Richard Richardson concerning these findings on october 6, 2021. I asked for copies of the final office of Personnel Management report and accounting of how much taxpayer dollars were wasted due to the atfs illegal misconduct. I also asked how long atf unlawfully misclassified positions and the total number of misclassified positions within all of the atf. On december 15, 2021, the Justice Department responded that it couldnt provide answers because of various ongoing investigations. How tired i am of hearing from our Law Enforcement agencies in the federal government that they cant comment on oversight investigations by the congress because of, quoteunquote, ongoing investigation. Its an excuse to avoid what they promise us every time they come before congress that theyll answer our confesses. Questionses. Going on now, april 7, six months later in 2022, the Justice Department provided me with a redacted copy of their investigative report which they submitted through the office of special counsel march 29, 2022. But they still failed to fully answer all of my questions. So let me remind the executive branch, yet again, the United States congress maintains independent Constitutional Authority to investigate the federal governments irrespective of any ongoing federal investigation. After the conclusion of the investigation, which was may 2, 2023, the office of special counsel notified President Biden that, quote, whistleblowers allegations were wholly substantiated, end of quote. That investigation found to, quote, once again, substantial waste, mismanagement, unlawful Employment Practices at the atf, end quote. It also found, to quote again, for years the agency intentionally misled jobs im sorry. Misclassified jobs as Law Enforcement and paid those employees benefits to which they were not entitled. End of quote. The office of special counsel also found that atfs illegal scheme wasted at least 20 million taxpayers dollars. When is the government going to learn that it needs to listen to whistleblowers instead of treating these patriotic whistleblowers like skunks at a picnic . Atf could have saved the taxpayers at least 20 million if they would have listened to these brave whistleblowers. Then on november 6, 2023, the office of Personnel Management wrote to atf and the Justice Department. Now incredibly, if you can believe this, that letter restored atfs position Classification Authority effective immediately, even though atf was unable to provide the necessary evidence to support that its updated position classifications were proper and within the law. This restoration doesnt bring this matter to a close. On january 30 this year, my colleague from iowa, senator ernst, and i wrote to the Justice Department and to the atf. In that letter we noted that atf internal Affairs Division had been investigating the illegal scheme. We asked for answers and for findings relating to that investigation. Those Government Employees who were notified of the illegal misconduct and did nothing to investigate or stop it must be held accountable, because in this town if heads dont roll, nothing changes. Of course that applies the same, of course, to those who participated in that scheme of misclassification. No one is above the law, but as of right now, because of atfs failure to give any update on the internal investigation, all Congress Knows is that nobody has been held accountable. Its very clearly hypocritical of the Biden Administrations atf to revoke the licenses of firearms sellers for innocent clerical errors, but at the same time refuses to hold its own employees accountable for an illegal misclassification scheme. Finally, in our january 2024 le letter, we also noted that whistleblowers allege to us that the atf had been illegal ly classifying positions for more than the fiveyear period reviewed by the office of Personnel Management. The office of special counsel noted in their letter to President Biden the evidence suggests that atf engaged in this illegal activity since at least 20032004. The whistleblowers also allege to us that hundreds of employees across all atf field divisions and offices occupied positions that were identified as misclassified. Accordingly if true, the cost to taxpayers for these misclassifications is likely significantly higher than 20 million. And if true, the review done by the office of Personnel Management was really, really narrow. Clearly the Justice Department and the atf have a lot of explaining to do. The taxpayers deserve to know how much of their money atf wasted. The taxpayers deserve to know who was held accountable and how they were held accountable. And if nobody was held accountable, why not. The entire matter is an example of the Important Role whistleblowers play in shining light on government waste, fraud, and abuse. Without the continued persistence of these grave whistleblowers to report wrongdoing that they know about, and maybe the people in the head of the departments dont know about, atfs illegal misclassification scheme, substantial waste of taxpayers funds and gross mismanagement would have likely continued. I commend the grit of these whistleblowers. Senator ernsts and my oversight on this issue will continue. I suggest the absence of a qu quorum. The presiding officer the clerk will call the roll. Quorum call the clerk ms. Baldwin. Who worked in our schools has been processed right, sir [laughter] we do not have the authority [inaudible] [inaudible conversations] there are egregious crimes thats not the way it works in our School System. There are e greener juice crimes that have been committed under your watch. I want to give you the ton, we have one minute remaining, to speak direct reto the parents of jewish students in directly to parents of jewish students in new york city. As parents walk their children too to School Tomorrow morning, what should they say to allay their childrens fears . How should they reassure their children that this antisemitic nightmare in your school, sir, has come to an end . Please. I speak the jewish parents to jewish parents speak to them now. Right here. Speak to them now. I speak to jewish teachers and parents and families every single day and what do you say . What i say to them is we do everything we can to insure that your child or that you as a teacher or going to be safe in our schools. We dont always get it right. Part of the reason that happened at Hillcrest High School is what i considered a lack of proper supervision in that school. Thats why the principal was removed from the school. The teachers in that school are not unsafe. We removed the leader i doubt very much that theyre comforted that this might if nightmare is over. Im sorry you feel that way. Lets go to the great state of connecticut where representative the hayes is recognized for five minutes. Thank you. And thank you to our witnesses for being here today to testify. I would just like to say that i agree with my colleague that those who have committed egregious crimes should not have the moral authority to lead a school or a nation. Also as an educator, i just i dont know what people think it is that teachers do. I dont know what people think it is that teachers inside of a classroom or or people who choose this as a profession do. I acknowledge and recognize theres been an an unprecedented rise in antisemitism in our k12 schools. And we have had multiple hearings on this committee and the full in this full committee on antisemitism. But as an educator, i remind you that we have to teach children that all forms of hate are unacceptable. I listened to my colleague go down the list of all of the things we deal with, that teachers deal with in schools, and i can remember, i mean, the only parallel i have is im not in the classroom right now, but i remember after a september 11th going to my Department Head and saying e, we need some professional development on the muslim experience. I need to be able to support our students and make sure that other students understand their perspective. We had parents come in describing this is what this holiday means. We had students coming in saying this is why i wear a hijab, really doing a deep dive and helping students to understand the background and perspective of their peers. Were doing a disservice to students if we are not teaching them about the background withs and perspectives of all people. And teachers ors have the impossible job of bringing students together from different races, religions, ethnicities, socioeconomic backgrounds into one classroom and creating a space where all students feel safe. I really hope that on this committee that we spend some time really looking at these intersections between what is happening in our ca class room so that kids its a lot harder to hate someone that you know. Its a lot harder to diminish or devalue someones experience when you know what it means or why a person practices a certain religion or whatever. According to Research Conducted by the adl center on antisemitism research, theres a direct relationship between deficiencies in Holocaust Education and heightened prejudice prejudicial antisemitic beliefs. Ms. Sylvester, youve mentioned that your district is taking affirmative steps to address antisemitism and other forms of hate by with enhancing the curriculum for k12 students to expand on topics related to the jewish experience. Can you tell us a little bit about what your district has done to enhance the curriculum and, additionally, why you believe the teaching of in this education is important . And before you answer, i just want to add one thing about the comment if about members of this committee not voting for congress doesnt set curriculum. You do. So can you let us know what youve done to make sure that students understand the jewish experience . Yes. Curriculum, teaching and learning is the bread and butter or of what we know how to do well. We have been looking to have our social studies curriculum better with reflect our student population, and we have enhanced our jewish experience education starting going younger, going into the elementary grades, training teachers so that they can implement Holocaust Education in sixth grade, training, as i mentioned in my statement, for the first time were having k5 training starting this summer for all staff, 25,000 employees in our School System do you think it would be important for students to understand why a Statement Like from the river to the sea, palestine will be free could be harmful to some of their, their peers or why displaying a map in the classroom that does not have the state of israel could be hurtful and antisemitic to their friends . Because thats what kids are, their friends around them. Finish. Absolutely, congresswoman. That is our role, is to educate them on the history so that they can understand why our jewish students might if find that phrase antisemitic. Thank you. Ms. Ford, can you it wasnt your testimony, it was actually mr. Banks testimony where he talked about we cant suspend if ourself, our way out of this problem. Can you talk to us about some of the direct actions that youve taken when things, when these things do occur . Because with it has been my experience as an educator that often times dont people repeat what theyve heard from other people at home and really dont understand the consequences or the history behind what theyre saying or doing . Yes, thank you for the opportunity to to respond. So i appreciate you saying that. First and foremost, we do believe our role is to educate, and so we engager our students in conversation. We want to make sure they can evaluate is and reflect on their actions and their words to think about their intent and also to think about the impact. Is so conversations are something, a tool that we use as educators a lot. We also believe in restorative conversations so that students sit with their peers who theyve hurt or caused harm to hear from the them and their perspective about what happened and why it was hurtful. All of these are efforts to, again, change, redirect and correct behave. And then, of course, education. We talk to students about history, about how and why, for example, the term that you just used might be hurtful to other students when they hear it. And, again, thats what we believe is really the way to change behaviors for the long run. Not a shortterm solution, but one that can actually thank you. Thank you very much. The gent gentleladys time has expired. Lets go to the great state of new york again where representative stefanik is recognized for five minutes. Thank you very much, mr. Chair. Mr. Banks, theres been many questions on hillcrest, and i just want to make sure its very clear for the record, the principal of Hillcrest High School is still employed by the department of education, correct . Correct. Enter and what is his role . Hes serving in a role working on one of the teams with one of our deputy chancellors. I am told the hes director of Teacher Development and evaluation. Is that accurate . That i dont know his official time right now. Id have to double check that. Thats concerning to me, that you have him in ident. Mr. President , with me the presiding officer the senate is in a quorum call. Mr. Kennedy i apologize, mr. President. I would ask that we come out of that quorum call. The presiding officer without objection. Mr. Kennedy thank you, sir. With me today, mr. President , are two of my valuable colleagues from my office, ms. Mattie dibble and mr. Christian ami. Im glad to have them today and thank them for their good work. You know, mr. President , from afar being an nfl Football Player looks like a lot of fun. But if youve ever been down on the field when those guys are playing, it is brutal. I mean, it is brutal. Some nfl linemen weigh over 300 pounds, and its all muscle. A lot of nfl quarterbacks, who are pretty big themselves theyre not 300 pounds probably miss their High School Days when they only had a chubby 16yearold lineman trying to tackle him under those friday night lights. We have a player on the new orlean saints, one of the best in the nfl, has days when he wishes his competitors were only half as big as the ones he faces every sunday and every day in practice. But think about this. If mr. Jordan were to announce tomorrow that he identifies as a 16yearold, and if mr. Jordan then tried to join the Football Team at Zachary High School my alma mater no one in america would protend that mr. Jordan would pretend that mr. Jordan is actually a student athlete with the right to take the field along with teenage boys. I mean, most americans would think youre from outer space. They would be thinking, what planet did he just parachute in from . I mean, every sane person in louisiana and on planet earth would understand that a 34yearold nfl player has no place tackling kids who havent even been to the prom yet, for gods sakes. Not only would it be unfair to allow mr. Jordan on the Zachary High School Football Team, hed probably send a few kids to the hospital. In the first quarter, in the first minute. Men and women dont take the field against one another for the same reasons. Its fundamentally unfair. And women could get hurt. Yet there are activists in our country today i wish i didnt have to say this. There is a president in our white house who think the laws of physics and biology dont apply to Transgender Athletes. And these activists and President Biden are happy to destroy athletic opportunities for every woman in america to prove their point. These activists and President Biden are working throughout the country youve read about it in the media to force biological women and girls to compete against biological men and boys. The aclu is one of those supporters. The aclu, for example, says its a, quote, fact that, quote, transgirls are girls. Now, these activists and President Biden say that it is a, quote a myth. They call it a myth that transgender female athleteses have an advantage over biological girls. As an aside, if that is the case if this is a myth and not a fact then you have to wonder why so few transgender men who are actually biological women are anxious to play on male sports teams. But i digress. The fact is, you dont need a graduate degree in anatomy to know that these claims are specious. They just had. Both the medical and the physical science and the data show that men have obvious and significant advantage advantages over female athletes. I mean, unless youre the reason that your parents draining, you know that your parents drank, you know that. Its just a fact. Thats how our creator made us. Even before birth, baby boys begin developing different hormones and skeletal structures that help them outperform women. Tess toss at the republican tess to have rone in the woman alters Brain Development in boys. This improves their motor skills, increases their aggression two traits that benefit competitive athletes. Boys also experience what doctors and scientists call a, quote, minipuberty. They call it a minipuberty in the womb so that shortly after birth baby boys will gain weight faster than baby girls. Thats bothersome. Thats not political ideology thats biology. Thats not political ideology. Thats biology. That contributes to boys being taller than girls on average later in life. The differences between boys and girls, as i think most of us know, explode during puberty, explode during puberty. Girls develop hearts that are 14 smaller than boys. Girls develop lungs, smaller lungs that are 12 smaller than men, on average. That helps boys take in more oxygen, duh. It helps them pump blood more efficiently than girls can. Thats biology. And that gives boys a clear edge in endurance sports, sports like running, cycling, swimming, rowing. Girls also during puberty again a biological fact develop a wider pelvis, on average, and this decreases the amount of force their legs can exert when theyre lifting or kicking or pedalling. Thats another relative disadvantage when you compare female athletes to male athletes. Boys develop broader shoulders. I think most of us know that. Common sense is illegal in washingt washington, d. C. , but its not in the rest of america, and i think americans know that a boys develop broader shoulders to make space for more upper body muscle mass. Again, a biological fact. It is hard to think of a sport i cant think of one did in which a higher muscletofat ratio not helpful. The average boy will also grow five inches taller than the average girl during this time. Even when women and men are the same height, men have higher levels of bone dense tissuesing which helps them bone density, which helps them escape injuries in athletics. A biological fact. Women are at a competitive physical disadvantage against men from birth, and this is especially clear at the very elite levels of athletics. T t topranked High School Boys regularly outsprint female olympians. Many High School Boys now, were talking the elites in high school. I wasnt one of those. But the really fine male athletes in high school, they can run faster than female olympians. And theyre in high school. In 2016, for example, american female sprinter Allison Felix ms. Felix earned an olympic gold medal in the womens 400 meter race. A wonderful athlete. A year later, after she won a gold medal, more than 285 American Teenage boys logged a faster 400 meter time than ms. Felix. Dont take my word for it. It came from a study done at duke university. More than 4,300 adult male athletes across america have clocked faster 400 meter times than ms. Felix, and she was an olympian. And many owe limbic track in many olympic track or swimming events, the female record holder wouldnt even equal fay to compete against qualify to compete against men. In strengthbased sports such as weight lifting, men outperform women by as much as 30 . Activists try to distract from biological reality by claiming that men lose their advantages over women when the men begin taking crosssex hormones. Thats not true. The differences between men and women begin in the womb, and no number, no amount of hormone treatments or surgeries with undo those. Estrogen shots dont shrink a mans heart or his lungs, nor do they change the structure of the pelvis or the size of the cancel ton. Now do they change your height. One study revealed that men who have been taking crosssex hormone treatments for two years can still run 12 faster and do 10 more pushups, on average, than the women. Thats just a biological fact. If you think thats misogynistic, curse our creator, if you have the courage. Its just a biological fact. Perhaps thats why the university of pennsylvania swimmer did you have a heard of her did you have did you have heard of her you have heard of her, when she first competed her name was william thomas. She was a male. She is now a transgender female, a very prominent athlete. She now goes by lea thomas. She went from being the 554th ranked man in swimming to a topranked woman in the 200yard freestyle when she was allowed to compete with biological women as a transgender female. Now, swimmer. In swimming each athlete gets their own lane. A transition into a toptier female athlete kills the scholarships of biological women. Ill talk more about that later. Usually the female swimmers are not in danger because everyones got their lane. Contact sports are a whole different whole different thing. Transgender athletes have seriously injured female competitors on several occasions, as President Bidens and these activist movement have been forced on many of these schools. On may 2023, for example, about a year ago, a High School Volleyball player sued after a transgender player, transgender female, born a biological male, spiked a ball on her face. Boom, hit her right in the face. She got a concussion. Shes suffering from longterm and mental injuries, not just physical, mental injuries, last october a High School Senior in california suffered a seasonending concussion after a transgender, born a biological male, now a female, after a transgender female spiked the ball and hit this young woman in the face during a game. She couldnt play High School Volleyball anymore. This february a Girls Basketball team in massachusetts forfeited a game, they said no masse, we quit, they cant go on, they forfeited a game after a transgender athlete, biological male, transgender female injured other players. The other team was going to run out of players so they had to quit. And the coaches were worried more of their players were going to be hurt. 000, how many women now, how many women and girls are going to be rushed to the hospital while activists and President Biden create safe places in which Transgender Athletes can hurt female athletes as a hear the of course . Shouldnt we be asking that question . Some activists say that a biological man, as i indicated, some activists say that a biological man has the same physicality as a biological woman. This is america, youre entitled to say what you want. Some say that a biological man doesnt have any advantage physically over a biological female. That doesnt change the laws of nature. That doesnt change the law of science. It doesnt change the law of anatomy. The truth is a womans bone doesnt care that a woman who snapped it identifies as a woman or man or whatever. They just know their bones br broken. American female atshletes are nt lab rats. They are not lab rats that we can subject to a social experiment. They have goals and dreams too, and they worked hard too to develop their skills to earn scholarships, to win championships. No girl, no woman, no female in america should end up on the bench with her arm in a sling because the Biden Administration wanted a biological man to feel included. Broken bones will heal in most cases, but Transgender Athletes have also inflicked a different inflicted a different kind of pain on female athletes, a different kind of pain, im thinking of the pain like the swimmer from the university of florida who missed out on a chance to swim as an all american because miss lia thomas, formerly mr. William thomas who ranked 554th in swimming took her place and dominated the race. We should all worry about the swimmer from Virginia Tech who didnt get to race in the final race of her collegiate career. Thats something you will never get back because ms. Thomas stole her spot in the pool. As discouraging. How discouraging it must be to dedicate your life to a goal only to have these activists and President Biden rip them away because institutions are unwilling to accept the facts of anatomy. I reject the proposition i do i reject the proposition that some athletes in louisiana who spends her time in a pool each night has her opportunities taken away by a biological boy because the Biden Administration says so. I reject that. Transgender athletes are in the just undermining the game for female athletes, they are also stealing scholarships for women to get an education. This is not just about competitiveness, its about getting a scholarship. The ncaa, for example many for example, not exactly a model of courage, by the way have you ever seen a catfish once you bring it up on the bank or the bay, it flips and flops, thats the ncaa, they just go with the political winds. Their attitude is we have standards, if you dont like our standards, we have others. The ncaa sets limits on the number of Scholarships Available for every sport, men and women, by definition giving a transgender athlete a sch scholarship means a n nontransgender girl will not get one. Duh. Yet, the university of washington recently offered the First Division i womens volleyball scholarship in the country to a biological male. It wont be the last. This is the First Division i scholarship taken away from a female athlete, but it wont be the last. Now that makes President Biden happy. Im happy hes happy. If that makes but that makes most fairminded americans sad. It makes me sad. Additionally, we have only just begun to see how much money is at stake for female athletes who could earn private sponsorships. Have you followed the career of angel reese, our former star at lsu now playing in professional basketball . Have you followed the career of ms. Katelyn clark . They make more money from their sponsor sheps than they sponsorships than they do from playing their sport. Regardless of how you feel about College Athletes, name and image sponsorships are here and they present an enormous financial opportunity for athletes from july 20 2021 to 2022, College Athletes earned 1 million in sponsorship deals. We dont know yet how much sponsorship money female athletes can earn. Were sort of in the infancy of this. We know they wont earn a penny if a biological male takes a spot on the team. We already know that. A lot of girls are suffering the consequences of this reality. Ms. Chelsea mitchell, she missed out on several track and Field Championships because the state of connecticut forced her to compete against biological boys. She sued her State High School athletic association. Good for her. Because she believed she could have earned a better scholarship if she finished first. This is what she sold report erts, quote told reporters, quote, when colleges looked at me, they didnt see a winner, they saw second or third place, i wasnt a firstplace finisher and i think thats what really hurt me. The Playing Field, i talked a lot about it, the Playing Field is not the only place where young women worry about facing transgender females. The locker room has become a nightmare. Ms. Riley gaines, a female wimmer, she has been very she has been protective about female athletes. She said i felt and feel extreme discomfort, her words, not mine, sharing a locker room with a nude biological man. She added, quote, we were not forewarned, we were not asked for our consent and we did not give our consent. Ms. Gaines and more than a dozen other female athletes recently sued the ncaa, good for them, for forcing them to share a locker room with ms. Lia thomas, formerly mr. William thomas. The plaintiffs say what the ncaa did violated their 14th amendment right to bodily privacy, and its hard not to believe them. If ms. Gaines, who is a tremendous adds leet and well athlete and well educated felt violated by having a biological man in her locker room, think how it is for a Junior High School girl, a teenaged Junior High School girl in her locker room after a soccer or volleyball practice with a biological male. Imagine how helpless parents feel when they cant shield their teenaged daughters from naked boys or sacrifice them playing the sports they love. Here is what they face. You can their daughter can either play the sport they love or forced to look at a young boys penis in a locker room. Are you kidding me . The discomfort that adults and President Biden are subjecting female athletes wto should be enough for thank yous to say that for us to say that biological males should not be in the female locker room, let alone exposing their penises in front of those girls. Only fools would ignore the reality that some, not all now, that some men would abuse misguided gender policies for their own sexual advantage. Weve already seen some horrific instances of this. Youve probably read about the disturbing assault in loudoun county, virginia, sexual abuse in girls restrooms by biological males. I will happily send you the media articles, President Biden, if your staff has not shown them to you. Now, look, i have great empathy, i have genuine empathy for the small percentage of americans who struggle with gender dysphoria. I do. And i hope they can somehow find peace in their lives, but i do not think that away need to sacrifice the physical safety of women. I do not think that we need to or should sacrifice womens athletic educational, professional opportunities just because some activists and President Biden claim that injecting biological men into womens sports is the only way to make Transgender Americans feel included. And dont let activists and President Biden try to tell you that protecting women is a controversial opinion. Theyre going to try. 70 70 of americans youll see this every time. 70 of americans think that only girls should compete in womens sports. In fact, many Transgender Americans are part of that 70 . They dont believe biological men should compete in womens sports because its going to destroy womens sports. Yet their stories, by some members of the media, have been coopted by people determined to force boys onto girls teams and into their locker rooms. Now, louisiana has already pushed against this. In 2022, the Louisiana State Legislature Passed a bill it is not an act called the fairness in womens sports act. It prohibits biological boys from competing against girls in elementary and high school sports. It sailed through our state legislature. It was bipartisan. Republicans voted for it and a whole bunch of democrats voted for it. It is just common sense. That biological girls should take the field against biological girls and biological boys should compete only against biological boys. We need a whole lot more of louisianas common sense in washington, d. C. Congress has done a lot. Im proud of this body. Congress has done a lot to protect womens sports in the 50 years since title 9 became law. Im very proud of title 9. I think President Biden is trying to turn it into something that we dont recognize, and i dont think he has the authority to do it. But im very proud of the original title 9, and it would be a great disgrace to allow activists and President Biden to erase all the progress that we have made in elevating women and women athletes. In order to conduct a social experiment, in order to demand inclusion. Activists i mean, let me give you the bottom line. Activists and President Biden, they want to force young female athletes to change clothes in front of biological boys in their locker rooms. They accept a biological mans slide tackle on the football field with a smile. Thats what they want women to do, just grin and bear it. And President Biden and activists want young women to hide their tears when a biological male walks away with with a trophy that those women have spent their entire lives working for, and it is wrong. Pass me the sick bucket. Pass me the sick bucket. Thats what most fairminded americans are thinking. Mr. President , i suggest the absence of a quorum. The presiding officer the clerk will call the roll. Quorum call the clerk ms. Baldwin. Mr. Barrasso mr. President , i ask unanimous consent that the quorum call be vitiated. The presiding officer without objection. Mr. Barrasso i rise to talk about a great win for americas people and for Americas Energy future. And i want to start by saying something that i know Vladimir Putin is going to hate to hear. Thats that russias choke hold on americas uranium supply is coming to an end. Putins war machine has now lost one of its cash cows. America is finally starting to take back our Energy Security as well as our energy future. Last week this body unanimously passed legislation that i sponsored, bipartisan legislation, to ban the import of russian uranium. It will soon become law. This victory is tremendous and transformative. And it is truly bipartisan. Im very grateful for senator manchin, senator risch, senator lummis, mr. Coons and senator marshall for their critical work in helping get this bill into law. I also want to thank kathleen m{l1}c{l0}morris rodgers. Together we all worked together to make america more safer and more prosperous. Im especially pleased because my home state of wyoming has worldclass Uranium Resources. For years russia has used its Nuclear Monopoly to flood the market with uranium. Russias monopoly could do so only because it owned, ran, and manipulated the entire situation and have it done by the russian government. Putin tried to corner the global market. He used enriched uranium to enrich himself and to further his dangerous ambitions. Now, russia has been undermining Americas Nuclear industry for decades. As a result, putin now controls 50 of the worlds enrichment capacity. Today he supplies 24 of americas enriched uranium. Putins control is so vast that currently today the equivalent of one out of 20 homes in america is powered by uranium enriched by america. My legislation ensures that americans will no longer count on russia to turn on our lights. Even worse, putin uses the money from selling uranium to pay for his war efforts in ukraine. For two years america has unintentionally helped fund russias war in ukraine. Thats not how we stand up for democracy. America cant stop talking about helping stop putins march in ukraine while still funding their uranium. Americans want to see consistcy. Banning the sale of russian uranium in the United States shows putin that the world is united against him. With our legislation, putin will lose a billion dollars in revenue each and every year. By banning russian uranium, ware striking a serious blow to putins war machine. Perhaps whats most important is what this legislation does to boost americas industry. We are helping america become the Global Leader once again in nuclear energy. I have spoken to many people. What i hear is that theyre ready to transition away from russian uranium. They point out that expanding our enrichment capacity here at home could be expensive. It takes time, it takes money, and it takes certainty. This legislation provides american uranium producers with the support that they need. The bill also dedicates dollars for Strategic Investments to help jumpstart Americas Nuclear supply chain. Were not starting over from scratch. Now were not. No, were not. America is ready. My home state, wyoming, is Americas Energy breadbasket. Were americas leading uranium producer. We have large Uranium Resources and we will keep building upon them. We have cooke county, converse county, and sweetwater county. They are ground zero for making sure america has the uranium that our nation needs. Wyoming has the uranium to free america from dependence on russia, and we are ready to deploy it. I have great confidence in wyomings Energy Resources and, of course, in wyomings energy workers, remarkable individuals. Through their hard work, america will once again be a world leader in uranium production, conversion, and enrichment. Mr. President , Americas Nuclear supply chain must begin with americanmined uranium and end with americanmade fuel. Russias control of the worlds Nuclear Fuel Supply is coming to an end. Its good news for wyoming. I. D. Good news its good news for america, and its good news for the world. Thank you, mr. President. I yield the floor. I suggest the absence of a quorum. The presiding officer the clerk will call the roll. Quorum call the clerk ms. Baldwin. Ms. Lummis mr. President. The presiding officer the other senator from wyoming. Ms. Lummis i ask unanimous consent to vitiate the quorum call. The presiding officer without objection. Ms. Lummis and, mr. President , i ask unanimous consent that the following interns in my office be granted floor privileges until may 9, 2024. They are georgin, jessica and elizabeth michael. The presiding officer without objection. Ms. Lummis thank you, mr. President. Every five Years Congress has the responsibility to fully fund the federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation safety board to ensure airports across the country have the resources they need to bolster security measures and fulfill costs associated with meeting the demands of both national and global travel. As the cowboy state continues growing making sure the people of wyoming have reliable, safe and Affordable Access to travel is critical to maintaining our states economy. The faa reauthorization act of 2024 stands to not only further boost our thriving tourism industry, but eliminates burdensome regulations that challenge small airports across wyoming and across the nation. For more than a year, ive fought to ensure that millions of wyomings tax dollars sent to washington will be put to work to improve air travel across wyoming. Wyoming is small to many small airports that serve what would otherwise be isolated parts of our state. This bill reauthorizes the essential air service that supports flights for cody and laramie and increases funding for the program that multiple wyoming airports use for capital projects. And as you know, mr. President , cody is the East Entrance to Yellowstone National park. It is home to the buffalo bill historical center, which is a worldclass museum. And it is an important tourism and art defendant in addition art destination. These are communities that need air transportation. The bill counters federal overreach that has threatened to burden airports by slapping them with multimilliondollar expenses following arbitrary changes to federal funding criteria for airport runways and taxi ways or plunge essential renovations into sort of a regulatory purgatory. But thanks to critical improvements in this faa reauthorization, not only will the rock springs airport be spared from arbitrary new faa requirements to pay for the upkeep of runways and taxiways, but wyoming airports can now move forward with projects costing less than 6 million in federal funds without being subject to unnecessary red tape. These are the sizes of airports that we have in wyoming. And to have these regulatory burdens and shackles taken off so these airports can improve runways and taxiways which are essential to having an operational airport is a true benefit of this bill. I want to thank the full committee, and i want to thank the chair and the Ranking Member for understanding the importance of our small airports. For too Long Congress has delivered faa reauthorization bills that prioritize big aviation and overlook the needs of our rural airports, but this bill takes many of those rural airports into consideration. States like wyoming rely on small airports to support entire regions of our state, and previous versions of this bill have reflected that misunderstanding. The bill we have in front of us fixes that misunderstanding. I am very, very pleased with how the treatment of small airports in this bill considered the needs of those small airports. While we work to meet the needs of the nations largest airports, we cannot forget the small ones that work hard to serve rural america, and we have a responsibility to make sure this bill creates an environment where they can thrive and not just struggle to survive. My provisions included in this legislation help airports like casper international address air Traffic Control staffing shortages and waive unrealistic rules that require emts to be on site at every airport when rural areas are already grappling with medical personnel shortages. Unfortunately, these arent the only challenges wyoming airports face. My western colleagues and i know better than anyone how critical these small airports are not only for serving our rural communities, but also in fighting wildfires. Wildfires continue to devastate our western habitats, and we need every tool readily available to mitigate the damage. Yet, current regulatory hurdles dramatically slow response times. Every minute wasted trying to gain access to restricted airspace results in irreparable damage to wildlife, homes, and may even cost lives. My provision to this legislation eliminates costly hurdles to fighting wildfires and establishes a Reimbursement Program for airport sponsors to replace firefighting agents and equipment that meet military specifications. This legislation is a win for the state of wyoming that will offer muchneeded support for our small airports and bolster our economy. Together we have created a bipartisan and workable reauthorization that improves access to our Nations Capital for all americans, eliminating onerous regulations and creates an environment where smaller airports can do more than just survive. I want to thank the members of the commerce committee, including you, mr. President. I want to thank chair cantwell and Ranking Member cruz, who worked together to create a bipartisan work product of which the committee can be proud, and they have prepared this faa reauthorization for bipartisan passage. Mr. President , i yield the floor