Transcripts For CSPAN2 U.S. 20240702

Step out of partisan boxes and work with me to find Real Solutions to real problems. Weve done it time and time again. This time it didnt work. Nearly four months later, im still deeply disappointed that we didnt solve the border crisis for my state and for our country. But to use this failure as a political punching bag only punishes those who were courageous enough to do the hard work of finding compromise in the first place. So, who will be courageous next time . Who will stand up and do the hard work . Who will take the risks . Who will say yes, ill help solve this big challenge our country faces . Why would anyone . We dont leave today with a political victory. No one wins. No one gets the higher ground. Instead, were saying to each other, dont step out, dont try to solve big problems, stay in your partisan corner, yell some more, blame the other side. Today, yet again, the senate has chosen politics. But my state is still suffering, and as i said on the floor back on february 7, if you want to spend the spin the border crisis for you own political agendas, go right ahead. If you want to continue to use the southern border as a backdrop for your political campaign, thats fine, good luck to you, but i have a very clear message for anyone using the southern border for staged political events. Dont come to arizona for your political theater. Do not bring it to my state. In arizona were serious. We dont have time for your political games. There are big challenges facing the senate and our country, and evidently this is not a Senate Interested in solving those challenges. Americans deserve better. I yield the floor. Mr. Murphy madam president. The presiding officer the senator from connecticut. Mr. Murphy madam president , i am deeply grateful to senator sinema, senator lankford, senator mcconnell, senator schumer, and others who worked with us over the course of four months to craft this landmark, unprecedented, bipartisan Border Security bill, that if enacted would take the biggest step that we have taken in decades to bring order to our southwest border. It would give a shot of confidence to our constituents that we can find agreement on even the toughest of issues. I maybe come to a slightly different conclusion, though, on the reason that we are here today than my very good friend senator sinema and my great friend senator lankford. I think one of the most important enduring values in politics is the value of persi persistence. If you believe something is important, you dont give up the first time. We worked very hard to achieve this compromise. Its a good faith compromise. Youll see that its a compromise because there will be democratic members who will vote against it today. We solved some big problems in this bill, reducing the amount of time to process an slaument claim from an asylum claim from ten years to a handful of weeks or months, giving the president new powers to shut down the border when crossings get too high, giving new legal rights to migrants, allowing more visas for folks to come to the United States to work or be reunited with families. I think that was so important that we shouldnt give up after failing once. I think the American People have told us that solving the problem at the border is so important that we shouldnt put away that compromise simply because the first time politics won out. Maybe im naive, but i had some degree of hope, some degree of faith that maybe the second time we could come together and vote to proceed to a debate. Because remember, thats all this vote is, not a vote on final passage. A vote to bring this bill before the senate, to litigate the outstanding issues that republicans may have about the reforms in this bill. And so i deeply appreciate all of the work that senator lankford and senator sinema went into this bill. I just come to a slightly different conclusion. This doesnt make me less eager to engage in bipartisan compromise in the future. This doesnt dissuade me from trying to reach future compromises. Frankly, i think our decision to not give up when weve reached this really important product, i think it may frankly put wind behind the wings of those in the future who decide to do something really important on Something Big and work across the aisle to get it done. We have a chance right now to come together, to put politics and campaigns aside, to vote to proceed on this landmark bipartisan Border Security reform bill, and i hope that my colleagues do it. Mr. Schumer madam president , ill be very brief. For years, weve heard if you want to fix the border, then Congress Needs to act. Today, we have a chance to act on the strongest border bill congress has seen in generations. To those who have said for years Congress Needs to act on the border, this bipartisan bill is the answer. Its time to slow were serious about fixing the problem. Its our chance to hire more Border Patrol agents, asylum officers and immigration judges. Its a chance to stop the flow of fentanyl and give Law Enforcement the tools they need to scan 100 of whats coming into the country. Its our chance to give the president Emergency Powers to close the border, to update asylum laws and improve vetting. Its a chance to show the American People were listening, were acting, we can still reach across the aisle, and work on one of the most vexing problems facing the nation. I implore my colleagues to not let this moment pass. I yield the floor and call the question. The presiding officer the clerk will report the motion to invoke cloture. The clerk cloture motion, we, the undersigned senators, in accordance with the provisions of rule 22 of the standing rules of the senate, do hereby move to bring to a close debate on the motion to proceed to calendar number 397, s. 4361, a bill making emergency supplemental appropriations for Border Security and so forth and for other purposes. The presiding officer pursuant to rule 22, the chair now directs the clerk to call the roll to ascertain the presence of a quorum. The presiding officer is there objection . Without objection. The quorum is present, the question is, is it the sense of the senate that debate on the motion to proceed to s. 4361, a bill making emergency supplemental appropriations of Border Security and combating fentanyl for the fiscal year ending september 30, 2024, and for other purposes shall be brought to a close. The yeas and nays are mandatory under the rule. The clerk will call the roll. The clerk ms. Baldwin. Mr. Barrasso. Mr. Bennet. Mrs. Blackburn. Mr. Blumenthal. Mr. Booker. Mr. Boozman. Mr. Braun. Mrs. Britt. Mr. Brown. Mr. Budd. Ms. Butler. Ms. Cantwell. Mrs. Capito. Mr. Cardin. Mr. Carper. Mr. Casey. Mr. Cassidy. Ms. Collins. Mr. Coons. Mr. Cornyn. Ms. Cortez masto. Mr. Cotton. Mr. Cramer. Mr. Crapo. Mr. Cruz. Mr. Daines. Ms. Duckworth. Mr. Durbin. Ms. Ernst. Mr. Fetterman. Mrs. Fischer. Mrs. Gillibrand. Mr. Graham. Mr. Grassley. Mr. Hagerty. Ms. Hassan. Mr. Hawley. Mr. Heinrich. Mr. Hickenlooper. Ms. Hirono. Mr. Hoeven. Mrs. Hydesmith. Mr. Johnson. Mr. Kaine. Mr. Kelly. Mr. Kennedy. Mr. King. Ms. Klobuchar. Mr. Lankford. Mr. Lee. Mr. Lujan. Ms. Lummis. Mr. Manchin. Mr. Markey. Mr. Marshall. Mr. Mcconnell. Mr. Menendez. Mr. Merkley. Mr. Moran. Mr. Mullin. Ms. Murkowski. Mr. Murphy. Mrs. Murray. Mr. Ossoff. Mr. Padilla. Mr. Paul. Mr. Peters. Mr. Reed. Mr. Ricketts. Mr. Risch. Mr. Romney. Ms. Rosen. Mr. Rounds. Mr. Rubio. Mr. Sanders. Mr. Schatz. Mr. Schmitt. Mr. Schumer. Mr. Scott of florida. Mr. Scott of south carolina. Mrs. Shaheen. Ms. Sinema. Ms. Smith. Ms. Stabenow. Mr. Sullivan. Mr. Tester. Mr. Thune. Mr. Tillis. Mr. Tuberville. Mr. Van hollen. Mr. Vance. Mr. Warner. Mr. Warnock. Ms. Warren. Mr. Welch. Mr. Whitehouse. Mr. Wicker. Mr. Wyden. Mr. Young. Senators voting in the affir affirmative, blumenthal, brown, coons, cortezmasto, durbin, hassan, heinrich, hickenlooper, king, merkley, murphy, peters, reed, schatz, schumer, shaheen, smith, tester, warner, warnock, welch, whitehouse, and wyden. Senators voting in the negative, barrasso, blackburn, budd, capito, cassidy, collins, cramer, crapo, daines, fischer, hydesmith, johnson, kennedy, lee, lummis, marshall, padilla, romney, rubio, sanders, schmitt, scott of florida, sinema, sullivan, tillis, wicker and young. Mr. Markey, no. Mr. Cotton, no. Mr. Vance, no. Mrs. Gillibrand, aye. Ms. Rosen, aye. Mr. Thune, no. The clerk mr. Hoeven, no. Ms. Murkowski, aye. Mr. Braun, no. Ms. Klobuchar, aye. Mr. Paul, no. Vote the clerk mr. Ossoff, aye. The clerk mr. Bennet, aye. The clerk mr. Cruz, no. Mr. Carper, aye. Mrs. Murray, aye. Mr. Lankford, no. The clerk mr. Grassley, no. The clerk mr. Boozman, no. The clerk mr. Lujan, aye. The clerk mr. Cornyn, no. Ms. Stabenow, aye. The clerk mr. Booker, no. Ms. Butler, no. The clerk mr. Graham, no. The clerk mr. Van hollen, aye. The clerk ms. Ernst, no. Mrs. Britt, no. The clerk ms. Cantwell, aye. Mr. Cardin, aye. The clerk ms. Duckworth, aye. Mr. Fetterman, aye. The clerk ms. Hirono, aye. The clerk mr. Mcconnell no. The clerk mr. Hawley, no. Ms. Baldwin, aye. The clerk mr. Casey, aye. The clerk mr. Risch, no. The clerk mr. Kaine, aye. Mr. Rounds, no. Mr. Kelly, aye. The clerk mr. Moran, no. The clerk mr. Tuberville, no. C the presiding officer on this vote the yeas are 43, the nays are 50, threefifths of the senators duly chosen and sworn not having voted in the affirmative, the motion is not agreed to. The majority leader. Mr. Schumer i move to proceed to legislative session. The presiding officer the question is on the motion. All in favor say aye. All opposed, no. The ayes appear to have it. The ayes do have it. The motion is agreed to. Mr. Schumer i move to proved to executive session to consider calendar number 647. The presiding officer all if favor say aye. All opposed, no. The ayes appear to have it. The ayes do have it. The motion is agreed to. The the clerk will report. The clerk nomination Nuclear Regulatory commission, christopher t. Hanson, of michigan to be a member. The presiding officer the clerk will report. The clerk cloture motion, the undersigned senators, in accordance with the provisions of rule 22 of the standing rules of the senate, do hereby bring to a close debate on the nomination of executive calendar number 647, christopher t. Hanson, of michigan, to be a member of the Nuclear Regulatory commission. Mr. Schumer i ask that the reading of the names be waived. The presiding officer without objection. Mr. Schumer i move to proceed to legislatives g legislative session. The presiding officer the ayes appear to have it. The motion agreed to. Mr. Schumer i move to proceed to executive calendar number 507. The presiding officer the ayes do have it the motion is agreed to. The clerk will report the nomination. The clerk nomination, the judiciary, tanya jones bo cinch er to be associate judge of the d. C. Superior court. Sch mr. Schumer i senlt a cloture motion to the desk. The presiding officer the clerk will report. The clerk cloture motion, the undersigned senators, in accordance with the provisions of rule 22 of the standing rules of the senate, do hereby bring to a close debate on number 507, monique bosnier to be associate judge of the d. C. Superior court. Mr. Schumer i move to proceed to legislative session. The presiding officer the question is on the motion. All those in favor say aye. Opposed, nay. The ayes appear to have it. The ayes do have it the motion is agreed to. Mr. Schumer i move to proceed to executive session to i move to proceed to executive session to consider calendar number 511. The presiding officer the question is on the motion. All those in favor say aye. All opposed, no. The ayes appear to have it. The ayes do have it the it. The motion is agreed to. The clerk will report. The clerk nomination, the judiciary, judith e. Pipe of the di r district of columbia. Mr. Schumer i send a cloture motion to the determine. The presiding officer the clerk will report. The clerk cloture motion, the undersigned senators, in accordance with the provisions of rule 22 of the standing rules of the senate, do hereby bring to a close debate on the calendar number 511, judith e. Pipe of the district of columbia to be associate judge of the district superior court. Mr. Schumer i move to proceed to legislative session. The presiding officer the question somebody the motion. The ayes appear to have it. The motion is agreed to. Mr. Schumer i move to proceed to executive session to consider calendar number 590. The presiding officer the question is on the motion. All those in favor say aye. Opposed, no. The ayes appear to have it. The ayes do have it. The motion is agreed to. The the clerk will report. The clerk nomination, department of state, Stephanie Sanders sullivan of maryland to be representative of the United States of america to the african union. Mr. Schumer i send a cloture motion to the desk. The presiding officer the clerk will report. The clerk cloture motion, the undersigned senators, in accordance with the provisions of rule 22 of the standing rules of the senate, do hereby bring to a close debate on the nomination of executive calendar number 590, Stephanie Sanders sullivan, of america to be representative of the United States of america to the african union. Mr. Schumer i ask that the reading of the names be waived. The presiding officer without objection. Mr. Schumer i ask that the mandatory quorum calls for the cloture motions filed today be waived. The presiding officer without objection. Mr. Schumer i ask that the senate consider calendar numbers 653 through 665, and all nominations on the secretarys desk in the air force, army, marine corps, and navy, the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table with no intervening action or teebt debate that no further motions be in order to the nominations, that the that the president be immediately notified. The presiding officer is there objection . Without objection. Mr. Schumer i ask that the senate proceed to legislative session and be in a period of morning business with senators permitted to speak therein up to to speak therein for up to ten minutes each. The presiding officer without objection. Mr. Schumer madam president , i ask unanimous consent the committee on health, education, labor and pensions be discharged from further consideration of h. R. 2365, the senate proceed to its immediate consideration. The presiding officer the clerk will report. The clerk h. R. 2365, an act to direct the secretary of health and Human Services to prevent, diagnose, and treat parkinsons. The presiding officer without objection, the committee is discharged and the senate will proceed. Mr. Schumer i ask unanimous consent the bill be considered and read a third time. The presiding officer without objection. Mr. Schumer i know of no further debate on the bill. The presiding officer is there further debate . If not, all those in favor say aye. Opposed, no. The ayes appear to have it. The ayes do have it. The bill is passed. Mr. Schumer i ask unanimous consent that the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table. The presiding officer without objection. Mr. Schumer and for a moment a few moments ago, the Senate Unanimously passed the National Plan to end parkinsons act, a bill that marshals agencies across the government to tackle this awful disease in a comprehensive way. I thank senators murphy and capito and everyone who championed this bill. Parkinsons is truly a terrible illness. It has taken an awful toll on my family, my mom suffers from this disease. I know parkinsons has affected the families of others in this chamber as well as over a million americans in this country. This bill for the first time will unite the government in an effort to find a cure for this disease once and for all by promoting Parkinsons Research and encourage treatments, with this bill were taking one step closer to bringing this awful disease to an end and i thank everyone who made it possible. I wish to thank representative Jennifer Wexton of virginia who spent months championing this bill even though diagnosed with a rare form of parkinsons, she is an inspiration, she has used his struggle to help others and now the bill goes to the president s desk. Now, madam president , i ask unanimous consent the senate proceed to the immediate consideration of calendar number 367, s. 138. The presiding officer the clerk will report. The clerk calendar number s. 138 to modify certainly provisions. The presiding officer without objection, the senate will proceed. Mr. Schumer i ask unanimous consent the committeereported substitute amendment be considered and agreed to, the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table. The presiding officer without objection. Mr. Schumer i ask unanimous consent the senate proceed to the consideration of s. Res. 706 submitted earlier today. The presiding officer the clerk will report. The clerk s. Res. 706 706, recognizing National Foster care month and so forth. The presiding officer without objection, the senate will proceed. Mr. Schumer i ask unanimous consent the resolution be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, and the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table. With no intervening action or debate. The presiding officer without objection. Mr. Schumer madam president , i ask unanimous consent the senate proceed to the consideration of s. Res. 707, which is at the desk. The president pro tempore the clerk will report. The clerk roiging the significance of Jewish American heritage month as a time to celebrate the contributions of Jewish Americans to the society and culture of the United States. The presiding officer without objection, the senate will proceed. Mr. Schumer i ask unanimous consent the resolution be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, and the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table, with no intervening action or debate. Pro the presiding officer without objection. Mr. Schumer madam president , i ask unanimous consent the senate proceed to the consideration of s. Res. 708, submitted earlier today. The presiding officer the clerk will report. The clerk s. Res. 780, commemorating the 100th anniversary of the designation of the gila wilderness. The presiding officer without objection, the senate will proceed. Mr. Schumer i know of no further debate on the resolution. The presiding officer if no further debate, all those in favor say aye, all opposed say no, the ayes appear to have it, the ayes do have it, the resolution is adopted. Mr. Schumer i ask unanimous consent the preamble be agreed to, and the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table, with no intervening action or debate. The presiding officer without objection. Mr. Schumer i have three requests for committees to meet during todays session of the senate. They have the approval of the majority and minority leaders. The presiding officer duly noted. Mr. Schumer madam president , i ask unanimous consent that the appointment at the desk appear separately in the record as if made by the chair. The presiding officer without objection. Mr. Schumer i yield the floor. The presiding officer the senator from maryland. Mr. Cardin i rise today in recognition of may as Jewish American heritage month. Im pleased we just acknowledged that through the resolution that was passed by this body. Since 1980, when president jimmy carter first celebrated Jewish American heritage week, our country has come together to recognize jewish contributions to american culture, history, military, science, government, and more. Over the course of 250 years, since before the revolutionary war, Jewish American values and culture have been woven into the fabric of our nation. We in the congress of the United States, despite our political differences, have historically stood united in our support for the Jewish Community. This position aligns with our nations founding commitment to safeguard the right to worship free of persecution. Countless members in this body, on both sides of the aisle, have quoted George Washingtons letter from 1790 to the hebrew congregation in newport, rhode island, in which our first president wrote, for happily the government of the United States gives to bigotry no sanction, to persecution no assistance, requires only that they who live under its protection shall demean themselves as good citizens and giving in all occasions their effectual support. Jewish American Heritage commemorations have always shared a mix of celebrations. With the anniversary of the founding of the state of israel, with darker memories and commemorations, such as holocaust remembrance day. This month, we also honor the victims of the holocaust and live up our lives of the survivors, nearly 40,000 of whom live in the United States. These men and women came to this country seeking refuge from unimaginable horrors. They have enriched our nation and made your stronger. We have an obligation to provide Holocaust Survivors the Community Support and special services they need to live out their final days, and we must do all we can to ensure their stories are never forgotten. The split screen between Jewish American accomplishments and sober reflections is more intense this year as the war continues between hamas and israel. As an american jew, i can tell you that there is a level of trepidation and fear that mushroomed throughout the American Jewish Community Since the deadly attacks of october 7 by hamas. In the wake of these this horrific terrorism, antisemitic activities have soared with documented verbal and physical threats against jews in the United States and around the world. Im pleased to say that along with the president , majorities in congress are taking steps and not sitting idly by. Earlier this month, the United States house of representatives passed the antisemitism awareness act. This bill codifies the u. S. Department of educations need to consider the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance working definition of antisemitism when enforcing antidiscrimination laws. This legislation meets the seriousness of this moment by providing clear guidance to address the full scope of discrimination and antisemitic behaviors. As a cosponsor of the senate companion, i urge my colleagues to stand with the Jewish American community and vote for this legislation. Im also pleased to join my colleagues in cosponsoring the countering antisemitism act, which is bipartisan, bicameral legislation that will strengthen efforts to combat rising antisemitism in the United States, including the establishment of a National Coordinator to counter antisemitism, who would oversee the federal efforts to counter domestic antisemitism and lead in the Interagency Task force. It requires mall sis on antisemitism and violent extremism. Of great interest to many marylanders is that the countering antisemitism act also requires fema, an administrator to ensure the agency has sufficient resources and personnel needed to carry out the Nonprofit Security Grant Program which provides critical security equipment and upgrades for many faithbased institutions and facilities across our state. We are building on president Bidens National strategy to combat antisemitism, the first ever, that identifies the problem we face today. It states, now voices or normalizing this venom but we must never allow it to become normal. Antisemitism not only affects the Jewish Community but all americans. I would like to take this moment to praise the u. S. Memorial Holocaust Museum and its incredible staff to counter misinformation. Im proud to be a member of the advisory council. The Memorial Museum has always put education in countering antisemitism at the forefront of its mission activities. Since october 7 it has ramped up in an unprecedented way and further cemented itts role as an indispensable resource as well as a myth buster in this national and International Fight against antisemitism and hate. Antisemitism did not start with the hamas attacks. From the White Supremacists chanting jews will not replace us in charlottesville forcing jews to leave their synagogue through the back door, to the rightwing extremists armed with an ar15 rifle and three handguns who attacked the tree of life synagogue in pittsburgh killing 11 jews and leaving seven others wounded, this has been a violent surge that goes back centuries. No matter what your political affiliation, we all must speak out against this hatred and correct the misinformation that breeds it. The sobering reality is that threats against jews continue to rise, not just in the United States but also around the world. Just since 2015, ive had the honor to serve as the special representative on combatting antisemitism, racism, and intolerance for the Parliamentary Assembly of the Worlds Largest Regional Security organization, the organization for security and cooperation in europe, best known as the lsce. Ive used this role to urge the oscs 57 participating states, United States included, to develop strategies and invest the political will and resources necessary to eradicate hate by developing and sharing best practices, building broad based coalition, and encountering Holocaust Denial and distortions. Just as the obligation to combat antisemitism is not just an american endeavor, it is also not just a jewish endeavor. Responsibility to rid our society of the scourge of antisemitism is a shared responsibility. Mr. President , i was proud to be part of the u. S. Delegation to the berlin conference. In berlin, germany, in 2004 the osc participating states declared that antisemitism is a threat not only to jews everywhere but also to democracy, human rights, and international stability. When society is permitting antisemitism to thrive, they also allow conspiracies and disinformation and hate in all forms to thrive. In extreme cases ignoring antisemitism can lead not only to the erosion of public trust and Democratic Institutions in the media but it can koster extremism and lead to violence. With the dangerous rise in antisemitism in recent months in the United States, jewish students and faculty have been blocked from attending classes or campus events and have been regularly harassed and attacked on campus. Many are scared to attend classes or walk around. Jewish businesses and synagogues have been vandalized. Students and nonstudents have expressed concern about wearing clothing or jewelry that might be used to identify them as jewish. Throughout my career in public service, ive stood for the right of individuals everywhere to free speech and peaceful protests, even if i vehemently disagree with what theyre saying. But its another thing to target, threaten, harass jewish students or faculty on the basis of their identity. As President Joe Biden said at the u. S. Holocaust Memorial Museum recently, violent attacks, destroying property is not peaceful protests. Its against the law. And we are not a lawless country. We are civil society. We uphold the rule of law. No one should have to hide or be brave just to be themselves. As a Jewish American, i was raised with the standing that repairing the word was an essential part of every community. Through acts of charity, justice, and kindness, we are encouraged to make things better for those in need. This has been my mission over the years and it is no it is more important today than ever before. The jewish people have survived the holocaust. We have overcome terrorist attacks and antisemitism before. By holding fast to our values, we as a Jewish Community will overcome these difficult times, too. So i want to end with a quote from ann frank who was reflecting on the difficult times she was seeing when she wrote, i see the world being slowly transformed into a wilderness. I hear the approaching thunder that one day will destroy us, too. I feel the suffering of millions. And yet when i look up at the sky, i somehow feel that everything will change for the better, that this cruelty, too, will end, that peace and tranquility will return once more. My wish during this Jewish American heritage month is that we as americans, jews and nonjews along alike find a way to come together only by rejecting antisemitism in all forms of hate, racism, and xenophobia will we find a path forward where all people can live together in peace and stability with an abundance of hope and opportunity. I thank my colleagues and i yield the floor. A senator mr. President. The presiding officer the senator from dm. Mr. Tuberville thank you, mr. President. I ask unanimous consent that the following interns from my office be granted floor privileges until august 2, 2024, abigail clark, addison cole, emma blackman, jack allison, jackson dire, john gaston, mary douglas evans, owen beaverstock, preston mcgee, and virginia enderson. The presiding officer what was the last name, sir . Mr. Tuberville virginia anderson. The presiding officer without objection. Thank you, mr. President. Mr. President , our National Anthem closes with the lines, quote, o say does that starspangled banner yet wave, over the land of the free and the home of the brave. Mr. Tuberville usually sung as a declaration, the songs author actually intended for this to be a question because while we often take our freedom as a guarantee, it should never be taken for granted. President Ronald Reagan once said, quote, freedom is a fragile thing, and its never more than one generation away from extinction. It is not ours by way of inheritance. It must be fought for and defended constantly by each generation, for it comes only once to a people. And those in World History who have known freedom and have then lost it have never known it again. Our freedom depends on men and women who are willing to defend it no matter what the cost. This coming weekend we will observe memorial day. Started as a declaration day for the 1860s, congress made memorial day a National Holiday in 1968. Many people would take this day as an opportunity to cookout cook out, go to the lake, go to the pool, be around friends, but thats not the purpose of this day. Its a time to reflect on the sacrifices that have been made for all of our freedom. Those who made the ultimate sacrifice and the honorable families they leave behind. I think we can all agree our Fallen Heroes deserve to be remembered for more than one day a year. Thats why i introduced a resolution to designate may as Fallen Heroes memorial month. I appreciate my friend, congressman dan bishop of North Carolina for introducing this resolution in the house. I hope our colleagues will join us in passing this resolution because theres no cause more deserving for our time and effort. Setting aside a month to recognize our fallen servicemembers and their families instead of one day is the least we all can do. But today i would like to recognize some of alabamas Fallen Soldiers who have paid freedoms high cost and the families who still grieve their absence. Its estimated that more than 81,000 american soldiers who gave their lives for our country remain unidentified, unidentified since world war i. For nearly 80 years this was the case for alabamas own mess attendant, first class Johnny Laurie of alabama. Johnny was very active as the Red Mountain Baptist Church teaching both sunday school and Baptist Young Peoples Union classes. He graduated from Dunbar High School where he competed in basketball and high jumping and track. In 1940 johnny joined the u. S. Navy and was later assigned to serve aboard the u. S. S. Oklahoma. He was aboard the ship on the fateful day of december 7, 1941. When our country was attacked by japanese aircraft. Unfortunately, johnny was one of the 2400 2403 americans who died at pearl harbor that day. He was awarded several medals posthumously including a purple heart for paying the ultimate sacrifice. Out of the 429 crewmen aboard the ship, the Central Identification Laboratory was only able to identify 35 of the 429. This mystery seemed like it would never be solved. But in july 2019, Johnnie Lauries remains were identified and he was finally able to return to his home state of alabama to receive a proper heros welcome. He is now buried at the Alabama National cemetery in month bellow montebello, alabama. His brother finishes continues to attend ceremonies to honor the sacrifices of the Fallen Heroes and that theyre never ever forgotten. For many of our heroes, the desire to serve began at an early age. That is the case of Lance Corporal Thomas Rivers jr. Of hoover, alabama. His parents and thomas knew as a child that he wanted to be a marine. His lifelong dream. This is our only throughout his life and he was motivating motivated in everything that he did by this thought of becoming a marine. He struggled at first in high school until a military recruiter told him hed need a High School Diploma to enlist. Low grades were never a problem. After that conversation. This was evidenced in an english essay he wrote titled, why i want to go into the marines. In the essay he wrote in part, quote, i dont think i would be afraid of combat and would be proud to fight for my country. He went on to say, quote, i believe that joining the marines would be a great experience for me because it will teach me to rely on god to make it through. Thomas joined the marines as soon as he graduated from Briarwood Christian School in 2007. After complete be training at camp lejeune, he deployed to iraq and then to afghanistan. His faith never wavered despite the intense conditions of combat he was in almost daily. He and one of his friends again at one night began a bible study while deployed leaning on passages of the bible for comfort. Corporal rivers was killed by an ied explosion at the age of 22. His mother sharon spoke about how he never how she never really got to know the fine young man she raised as he grew to be an adult. Between deployments he was unable to spend much time at home despite the devastating loss, sharon and her husband tom find comfort in their faith and the belief that lives were changed through their sons story. After thomas passing, sharon began a nonprofit that sent care packages to soldiers on the front lines of battle because she remembered how much thomas loved receiving things from home. Through her efforts she sent more than 5,000 care packages to soldiers overseas own an eightyear span. Sharons reminder to us is that for families like hers, memorial day isnt a happy holiday or just another day at the pool or cooking out. Its a day to remember heroes like her son, thomas, who answered the call to serve and courageously laid down his life for ours. You know, president Franklin Roosevelt once said, quote, those who have long enjoyed such privileges as we enjoy forget in time that men have died to win them. May we as americans be a nation that remembers the sacrifices made for the many freedoms that we all enjoy. Not just on memorial day, but every day of the year. May we never forget those like Johnnie Laurie or Thomas Rivers who didnt allow freedom to die on their watch. And may we hold their families near to our hearts as we go into this memorial day weekend. Mr. President , i yield the floor. The presiding officer the senator from missouri. Mr. Schmitt thank you, mr. President. As though it was the voice from god, i have been recognized. I rise, mr. President , to address what just happened here. Senator schumers failed attempt to resurrect a failed immigration bill in a bipartisan beatdown. But first, let me recite some numbers. In fy2021, there were 387,000 known gotaways. In fy2022, there were 606 ex131 606 thousand 131. In fy2023, 670,000 known gotaways. Because of joe bidens disastrous border policies, there are nearly ten Million People who have crossed our border illegally, dispersed throughout the United States, many of which we have no idea who they are, where theyre from, some given court dates. We hope they return sometime in the 2030s. Thousands and thousands of chinese nationals have illegally crossed our border since joe biden took office, the dea has stated that the most ruthless mexican cartels now operate in all 50 states. The American People are more at risk now from a terror attack than they have been since noichl. Since 9 11. How did we get here . The answer is Pretty Simple joe biden reversed nearly every successful trumpera policy working to secure our border. We had a 45year low in illegal immigration at the end of 2020. Thats all changed. His administration reversed the remain in mexico policy and attempted to sell border wall materials sitting and rusting, at an extreme discount. He paused deportations. He took nearly a hundred actions in his first hundred days to weaken our Border Security and signal to the dartles our border to the cartels our border was open for their business, a deadly business. I said from the beginning that joe biden has all the authority he needs to shut the border down right now. He could have shut down the border as illegal immigration numbers shattered record after record, but he didnt. And he wont. Now the American People are seeing the absolute carnage caused by joe bidens policies. Democrats are attempting to give joe biden cover by wasting our time on this vote we just saw, that went down on a vote for a bill that had already failed. Why . I think some people actually believe in open borders. They have no real problem with this. They believe that borders are arbitrary lines on a map. But the risk for americans are real. What happened on this floor, im trying to draw some analogy. Seinfeld was a great show, great show, and it was famously cast as a show about nothing. This week was a show about nothing. No vehicles, no amendments on anything substantive that could help the American People. Just this ca just this kabukki theater we witnessed. My criticisms of that bill are the same as they were in feb. This bill would have changed the jurisdiction from Immigration Law related cases, from texas to washington, d. C. This, quoteunquote, break glass Emergency Authority is a disaster. This bill would have only potentially shut down the border if there were 5,000 illegal crossings per day. Thats over a Million People a year. Somehow, we would normalize the idea that a Million People can come here illegally before we take this seriously. That would be a step backwards in our law. The law currently is, and has been across republican and democrat administrations, if you come here, you are apprehended and sent back, unless theres a special reason for you to stay, like asylum. Nine out of ten of those claims are typically bogus. What else did this bill do . It created more asylum agents to create an express lane in a path for sit zepship at the citizenship at the border, outside of the normal judicial process where its an adversarial hearing. Those wouldnt exist anymore under this bill. Most importantly, this bill gave the architect, joe biden, unilateral authority to terminate the meaningless trigger i just mentioned. This bill failed for a reason. Now its failed twice for a reason. It took us backwards. I think its very important for us to remember that we have an executive branch right now that isnt interested in executing the law. Joe biden has every authority under the sun to crows this to close this border. He just doesnt want to. With that, mr. President , i yield back. The presiding officer the senior senator from iowa. Mr. Grassley thank you, sir. I come today to provide some realworld perspective from what i call the real america. Im honored to speak on behalf of the tens of thousands of iowa farmers who this very day are tending fields across my home state, that feed and fuel america. I often remind people here in washington that farmers make up only 2 of our population. That means that the other 98 of the American People depend on the livelihoods of just 2 of the people for their next meal. Here in the United States senate, im one of only two Grain Farmers serving among 98 other lawmakers in this body. This puts me in a unique position. As a lifelong family farmer and a u. S. Senator, i use my platform to speak up on behalf of American Farmers, and i know theres lots of other colleagues that i have in this body that do the same thing for the farmers in their state. But i think i do it with some handson experience. From one generation to the next, the way of life of these family farmers upholds our nations food Computer Security Food Security and in recent decades have strengthened u. S. Energy independence. The productivity of american agriculture is has empowered the family farmer to supply the grain for our domestic Renewable Fuels industry and to displace foreign oil in the u. S. Transportation fleet. Americas farmers embrace best conservation practices to strengthen soil health and precision agriculture to reduce their Carbon Footprint in food and fuel production. Now, it happens that my state is number one producer of corn and ethanol and number one in a couple other areas that i wont go into. Cleanburning Renewable Fuels are better for the environment, lower Greenhouse Gas emissions, and create good jobs in rural america, and fuels the Economic Growth of that same rural america. When it comes to the hard work and ingenuity of the American Farmers, the sky is the limit, quite literally. Now, to the point of my remarks today to my colleagues lets consider Sustainable Aviation fuel, an alternate fuel made from nonpetroleum f feedstocks. Something the environmental communities in the United States is promoting to get Greenhouse Gas down. Scientists say that this next generation fuel will help lower Carbon Emissions in the envir environment. Thats a pretty big shoeprint, considering aviation accounts for 2 of all Carbon Dioxide emissions and 12 for the transportation sector alone. Sustainable Aviation Fuel, that goes by the acronym saf, has tremendous market potential. According to the u. S. Department of agriculture or no, the u. S. Department of energy, more than 360,000 commercial flights have used saf at 46 airports, mostly in the United States and europe. Thats really just a spit in the ocean, considering more than ten million scheduled passenger flights in the United States per year, according to our faa. Displacing conventional jet fuel with sustainable products, such as homegrown feedstocks, presents a tremendous Market Opportunity for americas far farmers, and at that time reduce Greenhouse Gas emissions. Im proud to say that iowa is the leader in clean energy. Nearly 20 years ago, i worked to enact the renewable fuel standard, and this very day keep my thumbs on both democrat and republican administrations to faithfully implement the law as congress intended. As chairman of the Senate Finance committee, i also created the biodiesel tax credit thats helped to reduce Greenhouse Gas emissions by around 74 . Last year, my home state produced a record breaking 4. 6 billion gallons of ethanol and 350 million gallons of biodiesel. Iowa farmers stand ready to help scale up production of this sus Sustainable Aviation fuel, the next generation of airplane and Aviation Fuel, but it seems that partisan ideology might be standing in the way of that ef effort. While we can find name agreement that are find unanimous agreement that clean air is good for everyone, finding agreement on Public Policies to help keep our air clean is not always so clearcut. In washington its even harder than finding a needle in a hey needle in a haystack. Many people in this town would find reason to argue if the sky was blue on a cloudless, sunny day. The consensus really clouds over when federal bureaucrats behind policy bend policy to fit ideology instead of sound science. In december of 2022, i spoke on this very floor to urge the Treasury Department not to shortchange americas farmers when it wrote rules for the Sustainable Aviation fuel tax credit. Unfortunately, when the democrats wrote the partisan Inflation Reduction Act, they chose to ignore our very own department of energy and preferred modeling by the International Civil aviation organization. Now, thats pure pop when i cock. Poppycock. U. S. Policymakers need to put america first. Thats why i pressed usda secretary tom vilsack at a hearing in february this year to champion grain feedstocks for the Sustainable Aviation fuel market because hes a big voice in this administration. American farmers are ready to provide lowcost and low carbon fuel to consumers, whether thats on land, air, or sea. For years ive been fighting in the trenches to stop the obama and Biden Administrations from misguided regulatory schemes. Im glad that the Supreme Court recently kept check on their ridiculous plans commonly known as the waters of the u. S. Rule that would have regulated dry creek beds and mud puddles on family farms. When the government starts meddling and telling farmers how to farm, how to raise livestock, you can bet your boots that environmental extremists are bending the ears of bureaucrats and pushing policies disconnected from reality. Writing federal regulations not backed up by science or common sense is hogwash. Two weeks ago the Biden Administration put lipstick on a pig when it released guidance to qualify the new federal incentives for Sustainable Aviation fuel. So, as the senior senator from iowa and a lifelong family farmer, im here to squeal on the Biden Administrations stupid regulations. The decisionmaking process clearly got mired in politics and bureaucratic nonsense, not the sound science that has governed this process for about three decades. So lets take a closer look at the guidance issued by the Treasury Department two weeks ago. The regulations would have the regulations would be used to implement section 40b, Sustainable Aviation fuel tax credit. Thats the federal subsidy enacted in the Inflation Reduction Act to help this alternative fuel liftoff and scale up to meet market demand. Unfortunately, rather than adopt the sciencebased greet im going to spell that because it is an acronym greet. Thats the sciencebased modeled thats been used by epa and others to measure the Carbon Intensity of biofuels and theyve been using that formula for decades. Now, the Biden Administration guidelines instead played politics by adopting an untested and untried modified greet model to determine lifestyle Carbon Emissions of corn and soybeans for the purpose of calculating who can qualify for this Sustainable Aviation fuel tax credit. And therein lies the rub. Let me explain. First, everything in washington goes by an acronym. Greet stands for these words that i dont know how you connect the title with the acronym, but heres what it says. G Greenhouse Gas gases, regulated emissions and energy use in technology. The department of energys Argonne National laboratory, a very respected laboratory, began developing the greet analysis 30 years ago back in 1994. So thats why i said weve had decades of the use of this, and it was a sciencebased agreement that they came to for this formula. And now the politicians step in to reform it or to change it. Scientists used the methodology to develop the Environmental Impact isaassociated with all stages of the supply chain. Now, in a nutshell, the federal government three decades ago launched a process to measure the Energy Output and Environmental Performance that could inform policies throughout government of energy efficiency, affordability, and sustainability. Scientists developed models for particular purposes to evaluate, say, Greenhouse Gas emissions, water consumption, and air pollutant emissions. Let me pause here to make an important distinction. Nonpartisan scientists develop methodologies to inform policymaking. These meth dollings methodologieses should not be used by political scientists to advance a political agenda. So you can understand my dismay when i reviewed the Biden Administrations new formula to qualify for Sustainable Aviation fuel tax credits. First, the guidelines, quite obviously, were written by bureaucrats who dont know the first thing about family farming. And, second, the formula is flawed from another fundamental standpoint. Its going to be easy to violate and nearly impossible to verify. And complicate decisionmaking for the family farmer. To put it very bluntly, the Biden Administration greet model update is a stupid approach. While the lions share of washington can agree that more widespread use of Sustainable Aviation fuel is good for the environment, the new greet model fell victim to a political lions den. The Biden Administration caved to extreme environmentalists who wouldnt know the difference between a corn planter and a combine, let alone what the effects of uneven emergence means on crop yields or how soil c compactions impacts germination of seed. Every field on every farm is different. For example, notill versus what we call conservation tillage, is tailored to the requirementeds of that requirements of that farm and some of those requirements are based upon the soil compaction law no or, the soil conservancy law that i helped pass in 1986. Farmers are stewards of the soil, passing down this heritage from one generation to the next. Its obviously obvious that the Biden Administration either doesnt care or doesnt get what its greet formula that its greet formula is pigheaded. The formula says, all or nothing in order for farmers to qualify as a Sustainable Aviation fuel producer and help the Aviation Industry achieve its clear goals. American farmers stand ready to help clean the air, and im here today to clear the air on how the Biden Administration is standing in their way. For those who want to argue that these regulations make sense, let me explain why they wont work in the real america. Lets consider the Practical Impact of the Biden Administrationproposed rule. In the fall when crops are harvested, the grain is transported from the field to the market. From the combine it goes into a wagon or truck that takes it to the local elevator. On my family farm, we go to the local elevator at new hartford. Ten thousands of farmers are doing the same thing. In fact, in iowa it is 86 family farmers. I say doing the same thing. That means either hauling it straight from the field or, after a period of onfarm storage, then taking it to market. Sooner or later, grains are weighed, graded, and commingled with hundreds of millions of grains from across the state, all coming from those 86,000 different family farmers in my state. So, do you see where im going here . Let me summarize. First, to qualify for the maximum saf credit and additional Carbon Intensity score reductions, the Biden Administration dictates that farmers must comply with the u. S. Department of agriculture climatesmart agricultural pilot program, and that requires compliance with the following updates on the same acres. You have to practice what we call notill farming. You have to plant cover crops in the fall after you harvest to protect the ground through the winter and, more importantly, not to have soil loss in the spring. And then you have to use enhanced efficiency nitrogen fertilizer. Now, when i heard first heard about this, what direction they might go, it said youd only have to apply for one of these three in order to get the tax credit. And then thats where the outrageous opinions of environmentalists come in and said, no, we got to have them apply to all three. I dont think that these bureaucrats would think in terms of what in the fall, if you dont harvest the last of your corn crop until november and the ground freezes, you cant plant cover crops at that time. You got to plant your cover crops in the early spring so that they get they grow and get some root and can preserve that root through the spring and turn green next spring. But if its frozen, you cant do that. Those are just one example of what i wonder if these bureaucrats in washington know what theyre talking about. Now, for the soybean farmer, its a little less number of requirements. You just have to do notill farming and plant cover crops in the same acres. Now, the fact is, not every let me emphasize this climatesmart practice that the usda has works on every farm in the same way. No knowing this town, one size fits all. The greet update, then, unworkable for the family farmer. Unrealistic burdens on family farming are counterproductive to feeding and fueling the world. Let me entertain the idea that farmers who want to participate have complied with all these criteria. Now they must pass another dog and pony show, the Sustainable Aviation fuel producers or importers must be Unrelated Third Party must get thirdrelated thirdparty regulations that their feedstock has eligibility requirements. Only ver fires can very fieer verifiers. This is an lala land that will have miles of red tape and hoop holes loopholes. The Biden Administrations changes to the greet model needs a doover. Democrats who know nothing about farming shouldnt tell farmers how to grow theisoybeans. President biden is abandoning iowa farmers with his boneheaded update. Now, i think there might be a little bit of good news if roomers around this town mean anything. I think theres a lot of people in this bureaucracy, and theres four bureaucracies involved in making this sustain able Aviation Fuel rules, its only the treasury announces them. I think theres people right here in this town that know what i describe thats wrong with these rules are ready to rewrite them and these rules are written for what we call the section 40b tax credit rules. That expires at the end of this year. And then theres going to be a new rule, section 45c take over and maybe well have a whole bunch of new faces in town after the first of the year when those rules are read. But i think people even today realizes that what ive described here isnt workable. So as washington perhaps to distribute tens of billions of dollars in federal incentives for the Sustainable Aviation fuel, ill continue to battle on behalf of the American Farmer and taxpayer. From the irs to the epa and the usda, the alphabet soon of federal agencies makes conv consequential decisions that impact the lives and livelihoods of real people from the taxpayers to Small Businesses and the family farmers across america. The Biden Administrations greet model needs to stick with sound science, not political science. Before i yield the floor, mr. Chairman, im going to ask unanimous consent to put in some newspaper articles from the lets see the may 8 issue of the Iowa Farm Bureau spokesman newspaper, a front page story entitled Sustainable Aviation fuel credit rules are announced. And on page 11 of the same newspaper a section that is entitled questions surround impact of the Sustainable Aviation fuel guidance. I yield the floor. The presiding officer without objection, that will be included in the record. The senator has yielded. Mr. Grassley i suggest the absence of a quorum im sorry. The presiding officer will the senator withhold . A senator mr. President. The presiding officer the senator from kansas. Mr. Moran mr. President , thank you. On the last day, on the last monday in may, our nation sets aside to remember, honor and pay respect to those who have made the ultimate sacrifice in our nations military. Flags are flown at cemeteries, families visit the graves, and war memorials, theyre sharing and reliving memories of the ones weve lost. This memorial day will be different for the family of u. S. Army Sergeant John o. Eric. Nearly 80 years ago Sergeant Herrick was killed off the coast of normandy and his body was never identified. The ending to his story was left unwritten until earlier this year when his family received word that his soldier would soon be coming home. 80 years later. During world war ii, Sergeant Herrick was assigned to company b in the european theater, he was Landing Craft infantry 92 alongside 9200 other servicemembers when the craft was hit by an underwater mine. Everyone on board was killed. At the tender age of 19, on june 6, 1944, during dday landing, Sergeant Herrick paid the ultimate sacrifice for our nations freedom. He was a young boy from a small town, allen, population about 100. Hes memorialized on the normandy cemetery wall of the missing. When i was there, i saw his name. There are many heroes like Sergeant Herrick who are remembered at places like the a vote a number Vietnam Memorial wall. Remembering and honoring the sack faces of these heroes is not only the right thing to do, it is right for our nation. Hopefully it pulse us together, not pull us apart. We must never forget those who fought tyranny in the pacific. They one way the stories of these fallen servicemembers is being preserved is through the veterans legacy programs which works to uncover the stories of fallen servicemembers and make them available to the public. The veterans legacy programs provides grants to Community Organizations to conduct Historical Research on veterans buried in national sem brings and to share those veterans stories through an educational programming. To help further, that mission of the veteran electriccy program, i introduced with senator mazie hirono, my colleague from hawaii, honoring legacies enhancement act. This would be be a nonprofit that would be used to fund the veterans legacy program. Furthering the mission of the vlp, it will help to create the collection of stories of our nations heros. How we memorialize and onnor honor our members, it shows that we value the past, the present and the future sacrifices made by those in military service. Doing so not only honors our fallen servicemembers but encourages another generation of americans to model their lives after Sergeant Herrick and others who gave their lives and devotion to country. When Sergeant Herrick is laid to rest on veterans day in kansas, where veterans day was first celebrated, hopefully his life and story lives on and his story is remembered and retold and revered on this and every memorial day to come. Mr. President , say what i said to my dad when i called him from the world war ii memorial shortly before it was dedicated. Called home, home to plainville, kansas, to say to my dad, im at the world war ii memorial. Dad, i want you to know this memorial, built in your honor, it causes me to tell you that, dad, i respect you, i appreciate your service, and, dad, i love you. This memorial day i can no longer say that to my dad. Incidentally on my way back to the capitol from that visit, my phone rang. It was my dad. He said, gerald, you left me a message. Could you repeat it . I didnt understand it. I cant repeat it to my dad any longer, hes no longer living. But we can use this memorial day and every other day to say just exactly what i said to my dad then, a world war ii veteran. Dad, and to every servicemember and to every veteran, we respect you. We appreciate your service. And we love you. I yield the floor. The presiding officer the senator from new jersey. Mr. Booker thank you, mr. President. Mr. Schumer consideration of s. Res. 712, submitted earlier today. The presiding officer the clerk will report. The clerk s. Res. 712, designating may 2024 as Older Americans month. The presiding officer is there objection to proceeding to the measure . Without objection. The senate will proceed to the measure. Mr. Booker i ask consent from all of my colleagues, otherwise known as unanimous consent, that this resolution be agreed to, that the preamble be agreed to, and that the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid plain upon the table with no action or debate. The presiding officer is there objection . Without objection. Mr. Booker mr. President , i ask unanimous consent that the appointment at the desk appear separately in the record as if made by the chair. Mr. Booker i ask for the consent of my colleagues, i ask unanimous consent, that when the senate completes its business today, it adjourn to then convene for pro forma sessions only, with no business being conducted on the following days and times friday, may 24 at 10 00 a. M. Tuesday, may 28 at 10 30 a. M. Friday, may 31 at 4 30 p. M. Further, that when the Senate Adjourns on friday, may 31, it stand adjourned until 3 00 p. M. On monday, june 3, that on monday, following the prayer and the pledge of allegiance to the United States of america, the journal of proceedings be approved to date, the morning hour be deemed expired, the time for both leaders be reserved for their use later in the day and morning business be closed. Following the conclusion of morning business, the senate proceed to executive session to resume consideration of the hanson nomination. Further, that the cloture further that the cloture motions filed during todays session ripen at 5 30 p. M. On monday. The presiding officer without objection. Mr. Booker mr. President , it is a privilege to say that if there is no further business to come before the United States senate, i would like to ask humbly to you, sir, that it stand adjourned, that the United States senate stand adjourned under the previous order. The presiding officer the Senate Stands adjourned until 10 00 a. M. Tomorrow. 10 00 a. M. Tomorrow. Ahead of the dinner you can use our free video app or website to watch the guest arrivals in real Time Starting at 5 00 p. M. Eastern. Cspans campaign 2024 coverage continues live with a three day Libertarian Convention beginning friday at 3 30 p. M. 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