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April 2025 →

SenateFloor Session

April 9, 2025

Speeches 59Members 30Roll Calls 1

Congressional Record ↗Watch on C-SPAN ↗

Senate Floor VideoThe Senate does not publish its floor video for embedding. C-SPAN keeps the whole day.Watch on C-SPAN ↗

Bills Debated

01H.J. Res. 20 (Executive Calendar)
H.J.Res. 20 →1 member spoke
02Providing for Congressional Disapproval Under Chapter 8 of Title 5, United States Code, of the Rule Submitted by the Department of Energy Relating to "Energy Conservation Program: Energy...
H.J.Res. 20 →4 members spoke
03Introductory Statement on S. 1381
S. 1381 →1 member spoke
04Introductory Statement on S. 1400
S. 1400 →1 member spoke

Roll Calls

H.J.Res. 20Vote to See ResultProviding for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Department of Energy relating to "Energy Conservation Program: Energy Conservation Standards for Consumer Gas-fired Instantaneous Water Heaters".On the Motion to Proceed H.J.Res. 20

Speeches and Other Business

01Tariffs
1 member spoke
02National Crime Victims' Rights Week
2 members spoke
03Trump Administration
1 member spoke
04Vote on Huckabee Nomination (Executive Calendar)
1 member spoke
05Vote on Johnson Nomination (Executive Calendar)
3 members spoke
06Vote on Cabrera Nomination (Executive Calendar)
3 members spoke
07Maiden Speech (Executive Calendar)
1 member spoke
08Tribute to Jim Banks (Executive Calendar)
2 members spoke
09Tennessee Storms (Executive Calendar)
1 member spoke
10Afghanistan (Executive Calendar)
1 member spoke
11Tariffs (Executive Calendar)
2 members spoke
12Tariffs (Executive Calendar)
1 member spoke
13Vote on Atkins Nomination (Executive Calendar)
3 members spoke
14Recognizing 70 Years of McDonald's
1 member spoke

Routine Business (43)

01Senate
02Legislative Session
1 member spoke
03Executive Calendar (Executive Session)
1 member spoke
04Cloture Motion (Executive Session)
1 member spoke
05Legislative Session
1 member spoke
06Executive Calendar (Executive Session)
1 member spoke
07Cloture Motion (Executive Session)
2 members spoke
08Nomination of Mike Huckabee (Executive Session)
2 members spoke
09Tariffs (Executive Session)
10Gaza (Executive Session)
11Nomination of Mike Huckabee (Executive Session)
2 members spoke
12Waiving Quorum Call (Executive Session)
1 member spoke
13Cloture Motion
2 members spoke
14Unanimous Consent Request (Executive Calendar)
2 members spoke
15Unanimous Consent Request (Executive Calendar)
2 members spoke
16Unanimous Consent Request: S. Res. 165 (Executive Calendar)
S.Res. 165 →4 members spoke
17Unanimous Consent Request: S. 1364 (Executive Calendar)
S. 1364 →3 members spoke
18Executive Calendar
3 members spoke
19Unanimous Consent Request: S. 103 (Executive Calendar)
S. 103 →3 members spoke
20Trump Administration (Executive Calendar)
21Nomination of Mark Meador (Executive Calendar)
1 member spoke
22Providing for Congressional Disapproval Under Chapter 8 of Title 5, United States Code, of the Rule Submitted by the Department of Energy Relating to "Energy Conservation Program: Energy...
23Nomination Joint Referral
1 member spoke
24Morning Business
1 member spoke
25Arms Sales Notification
1 member spoke
26Arms Sales Notification
1 member spoke
27Nomination of Sean Plankey
1 member spoke
28Recognizing the Chamber of Commerce Hawaii
29Tribute to Most Reverend Joseph F. Naumann
30Recognizing Missouri's Disaster Response Teams
31Tribute to Rick Ziegenfuss
32Executive Reports of Committees
33Submission of Concurrent and Senate Resolutions
34Statements on Introduced Bills and Joint Resolutions
S. 1381 →2 members spoke
35Senate Resolution 163: Recognizing the Contributions of Clela Rorex, a Pioneering County Clerk Who, in 1975, Advanced Civil Rights for All Couples Seeking to Be Married
S.Res. 163 →
36Senate Resolution 164: Supporting the Goals and Ideals of National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week
S.Res. 164 →
37Senate Resolution 165: Expressing the Sense of the Senate That the Plan of President Trump and Elon Musk to Fire 83,000 Employees of the Department of Veterans Affairs Is Unacceptable and Must Be...
S.Res. 165 →
38Senate Resolution 166: Demanding the Immediate Reinstatement of All Veteran Federal Employees Involuntarily Removed or Otherwise Dismissed Without Cause Since January 20, 2025
S.Res. 166 →
39Senate Resolution 167: Recognizing the Importance of the Arctic Council and Reaffirming the Commitment of the United States to the Arctic Council
S.Res. 167 →
40Senate Resolution 168: Supporting the Goals and Ideals of the Rise up for Lgbtqi+ Youth in Schools Initiative, a Call to Action to Communities Across the United States to Demand Equal Educational...
S.Res. 168 →
41Authority for Committees to Meet
1 member spoke
42Orders for Thursday, April 10, 2025
H.J.Res. 20 →1 member spoke
43Adjournment Until 10 A.M. Tomorrow
1 member spoke

Daily Digest

Routine Proceedings, pages S2483-S2531 Measures Introduced
Forty-two bills and six resolutions were introduced, as follows: S. 1361-1402, and S. Res. 163-168.
Pages S2520-21
Measures Considered
Energy Conservation Program: Energy Conservation Standards for Consumer Gas-Fired Instantaneous Water Heaters--Agreement: Senate began consideration of H.J. Res. 20, providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Department of Energy relating to ``Energy Conservation Program: Energy Conservation Standards for Consumer Gas-Fired Instantaneous Water Heaters'', after agreeing to the motion to proceed.
Page S2506
During consideration of this measure today, Senate also took the following action
By 52 yeas to 42 nays (Vote No. 206), Senate agreed to the motion to proceed to consideration of the joint resolution.
Page S2506
A unanimous-consent agreement was reached providing for further consideration of the joint resolution at approximately 10 a.m., on Thursday, April 10, 2025; that at 11 a.m., all debate time on the joint resolution be expired, and Senate vote on passage of the joint resolution; and that notwithstanding Rule XXII, the motion to invoke cloture with respect to the nomination of Mark Meador, of Virginia, to be a Federal Trade Commissioner for the term of seven years from September 26, 2024, ripen following disposition of the joint resolution.
Page S2531
Appointments
Senate National Security Working Group: The Chair, on behalf of the Democratic Leader, pursuant to the provisions of S. Res. 64, adopted March 5, 2013, appointed the following Senators as members of the Senate National Security Working Group for the 119th Congress: Senator Reed (Administrative Co-Chair), Senator Durbin (Co-Chair), Senator Duckworth (Co-Chair), Senator Warnock, Senator Padilla, Senator Shaheen, Senator Schiff, Senator Kim, and Senator Gallego.
Page S2531
United States-China Economic and Security Review Commission
The Chair announced, on behalf of the Democratic Leader, pursuant to the provisions of Public Law 106-398, as amended by Public Law 108-7, and in consultation with the Ranking Members of the Senate Committee on Armed Services and the Senate Committee on Finance, the appointment of the following individual to serve as a member of the United States- China Economic and Security Review Commission: Livia Shmavonian of the District of Columbia for a term beginning January 1, 2025 and expiring December 31, 2026 vice Kimberly T. Glass of Virginia.
Page S2531
Caine Nomination: Cloture
Senate began consideration of the nomination of Lieutenant General John D. Caine (Retired) to be Major General in the Regular Air Force.
Page S2485
A motion was entered to close further debate on the nomination, and, in accordance with the provisions of Rule XXII of the Standing Rules of the Senate, a vote on cloture will occur on Friday, April 11, 2025.
Page S2485
Prior to the consideration of this nomination, Senate took the following action
Senate agreed to the motion to proceed to Executive Session to consider the nomination.
Page S2485
Caine Nomination: Cloture
Senate began consideration of the nomination of Lieutenant General John D. Caine (Retired) to be General and for appointment as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
Pages S2485-88
A motion was entered to close further debate on the nomination, and, in accordance with the provisions of Rule XXII of the Standing Rules of the Senate, a vote on cloture will occur upon disposition of the nomination of Lieutenant General John D. Caine (Retired) to be Major General in the Regular Air Force.
Page S2485
Prior to the consideration of this nomination, Senate took the following action
Senate agreed to the motion to proceed to Legislative Session.
Page S2485
Senate agreed to the motion to proceed to Executive Session to consider the nomination.
Page S2485
Fogel Nomination Joint Referral: Agreement
A unanimous-consent agreement was reached providing that as if in Executive Session, the nomination of David Fogel, of Connecticut, to be Assistant Secretary of Commerce and Director General of the United States and Foreign Commercial Service, received in the Senate on February 11, 2025, be jointly referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.
Page S2506
Nominations Confirmed
Senate confirmed the following nominations: By 53 yeas to 46 nays (Vote No. EX. 201), Mike Huckabee, of Arkansas, to be Ambassador to the State of Israel.
Pages S2488-89, S2531
By 60 yeas to 37 nays (Vote No. EX. 202), Peter Hoekstra, of Michigan, to be Ambassador to Canada.
Pages S2495, S2531
By 49 yeas to 46 nays (Vote No. EX. 203), Ronald Johnson, of Florida, to be Ambassador to the United Mexican States.
Pages S2495, S2531
By 51 yeas to 45 nays (Vote No. EX. 204), Kevin Cabrera, of Florida, to be Ambassador to the Republic of Panama.
Pages S2495-96, S2531
By 52 yeas to 44 nays (Vote No. EX. 205), Paul Atkins, of Virginia, to be a Member of the Securities and Exchange Commission for the remainder of the term expiring June 5, 2026.
Pages S2488, S2531
During consideration of this nomination today, Senate also took the following action
By 51 yeas to 45 nays (Vote No. EX. 200), Senate agreed to the motion to close further debate on the nomination.
Page S2488
Statements on Introduced Bills/Resolutions:
Pages S2523-30
Record Votes
Seven record votes were taken today. (Total--206)
Pages S2488-89, S2495-96
Adjournment
Senate convened at 10 a.m. and adjourned at 8:19 p.m., until 10 a.m. on Thursday, April 10, 2025. (For Senate's program, see the remarks of the Acting Majority Leader in today's Record on page S2531.)

Tariffs

Charles E. SchumerDemocrat, New York

Mr. President, Donald Trump's trade war has many casualties. Families will be hit with the largest tax hike in over half a century--$5,000 extra a year. Prices will go up for food and for medicine, for clothing and for furniture, for gasoline for cars, for travel, you name it.

The economy is in danger of a recession--60 percent odds. Yesterday, a leading person on Wall Street said the majority of CEOs he has spoken to believe the recession is already happening. A recession means small businesses will shutter, Main Streets will ossify, and all the progress we have made since COVID will disappear.

But one of the biggest casualties of Donald Trump's trade wars are American seniors and Americans planning retirement in the near future. If you were planning to retire this year or thinking about retiring soon, Donald Trump's tariffs are like a brick over the head.

This year, 4 million Americans will turn 65--that is a record. Another 80 million Americans are between 45 and 60 and thus approaching retirement and keeping their eyes on the future. And right now, Americans are watching helplessly as Donald Trump lights their retirement accounts and their dreams of a secure future on fire.

To put it in perspective, for Americans nearing retirement, Donald Trump's market crash has vaporized a whopping $104,000 from the average retirement account. That is when you factor in the 17-percent drop in the Standard and Poor's 500 since the middle of February.

Let me say that again. For Americans nearing retirement, Donald Trump's market crash has vaporized a whopping $104,000 from the average retirement account. That is years--sometimes decades--of people's savings gone in a flash. That is money retirees need to pay for healthcare, for prescription drugs, to see the grandkids, to buy groceries, and to live with a little bit of dignity--a little bit of dignity.

Meanwhile, as tariffs eat away at the 401(k)s, Elon Musk and DOGE are taking a blowtorch to people's Social Security--the last safety net for Americans in retirement. They are crashing the website. They are closing down local offices. They are disconnecting services done over the phone. It is a pincer.

Elon Musk, Donald Trump, and Vice President Vance continue lying about rampant fraud within Social Security without any evidence. Even DOGE's handpicked head of Social Security admitted that some of their claims--like saying checks are going to 150-year-olds--are wrong, dead wrong.

So Donald Trump is coming at American seniors from every direction. He is draining 401(k)s. He is sabotaging Social Security. He is gutting healthcare. He is driving up inflation. He is hitting seniors six ways from Sunday.

Even if you are not thinking about retirement right now, things are still awful. According to Bloomberg, the chaos of Donald Trump's tariffs has more and more Americans tapping into their 401(k)s early. Hardship withdrawals are about 15 to 20 percent above historical averages. That means eating into savings at the worst possible time.

The damage of the past few days will take a very long time to heal, but millions of seniors hoping to retire soon don't have that kind of time. They may not have enough to ride out a recession. They may never recover.

What makes this particular market crash especially painful is that it was wholly unnecessary. Donald Trump did not need to start a global trade war with no plan whatsoever. Donald

Americans wanted Donald Trump to focus on one thing when he became President: costs, inflation, keeping the economy whole. Donald Trump has spectacularly failed already at the one thing people wanted him to do. Instead of lowering inflation, he has made it much worse. Instead of strengthening the economy, he has singlehandedly teed us up for a recession. And few will suffer as much and as quickly as the millions of seniors who were planning to retire this year and in the years to come.

Retirement is supposed to be sacred in America. Part of the American dream is working hard all your life, chipping in, saving little by little, knowing that when you retire, there will be something there-- not to make you rich but so you can live a life with some degree of dignity. But Trump has stolen years from people's retirement with his boneheaded tariffs. For them, the damage could be permanent.

I yield the floor.

The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Iowa.

Official Text ↗

National Crime Victims' Rights Week

Chuck GrassleyRepublican, Iowa

Mr. President, today, I come to the floor to support National Crime Victims' Rights Week.

For many years, I have pressed the Department of Justice to do its part to shore up what is called the Crime Victims Fund. That fund supports victims and survivors of crime across the Nation.

On Monday, I, along with Senators Ernst, Crapo, and Risch, sent a letter to the Department of Justice. That letter urges the Department of Justice to ensure that criminal fines and penalties are collected and deposited into the Crime Victims Fund.

I made this request because last Congress, my oversight revealed Biden administration failures. Specifically, since the enactment of the Victims of Crime Act Fix in 2021, the Biden Justice Department failed to collect and deposit more than $1 billion in criminal fines and penalties, which belongs to this fund. Instead, the Biden administration allowed the fines to be paid to foreign governments and elsewhere.

Since my oversight shined the light on the Biden Justice Department's failures and misguided approach, the Department of Justice inspector general opened its own independent audit. And at my request, the Government Accountability Office also agreed to review the Department of Justice's administration of this Crime Victims Fund.

History has shown that sunshine is the best disinfectant. Since my Crime Victims Fund oversight began, the balance increased from $1 billion in 2023--the lowest in over a decade--to its current balance of $4-3/10 billion. Now, those figures that I just gave you came from the Department of Justice statistics.

The Department of Justice must ensure that the Crime Victims Fund has adequate resources, and if the Department of Justice doesn't, organizations across the Nation helping survivors and helping victims of crime are at serious risk of potentially closing their doors and not being able to continue this help.

The Department of Justice shouldn't allow the mistakes of the Biden administration to happen again.

I yield the floor.

I suggest the absence of a quorum.

The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.

The senior assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.

John ThuneRepublican, South Dakota

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.

The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

Official Text ↗

Trump Administration

John ThuneRepublican, South Dakota

Mr. President, President Trump has made it clear that his foreign policy is centered on advancing America's interests and keeping Americans safe. And in the first 3 months of the Trump administration, we have seen the President take action on these priorities.

President Trump has gone after terrorists who target Americans. He secured the release of Americans held hostage abroad. And he has put America on a stronger footing with respect to adversaries like China and Iran.

This is a welcome change in direction in our foreign policy. Over the last 4 years, the Biden administration too often demonstrated weakness on the world stage. The disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan, for example, attempts to accommodate Iran, and I could go on. At times, it seemed the administration was more interested in exporting its progressive ideology than in advancing America's interests.

On President Biden's watch, the world grew more unstable. So a foreign policy focused on American strength and security is much needed at a time like this.

This week, the Senate is continuing our work to get the President's team in place by confirming a slate of nominees for Ambassador postings.

Yesterday, we confirmed our new Ambassador to Japan. Japan is host to more U.S. troops than any other country, and it is one of our strongest allies when it comes to security in the Indo-Pacific. As China's military takes more aggressive actions in this part of the world, our relationship with Japan will only grow in importance. So I am glad we wasted no time in confirming an ambassador to Tokyo.

Countering China also needs to be a focus in our own hemisphere. I am grateful President Trump has gone after China for its role in the fentanyl supply chain. The administration is also working to strengthen our partnerships in the Western Hemisphere and ensure the Chinese Communist Party does not secure a foothold in our own backyard. Having a Senate-confirmed ambassador to Panama, which we will later today, will help advance this goal and the administration's effort to ensure the Panama Canal, a critical artery for American trade, is not under undue Chinese influence.

Later today, we will also be voting to confirm the U.S. Ambassador to Israel. The Trump administration has restored a much needed moral clarity when it comes to our ally Israel. More than 18 months after the October 7, 2023, attacks by Hamas terrorists, Israel is still at war. Hamas continues to hold hostages in Gaza, including multiple Americans. Israel depends on U.S. support as it fights to eliminate the terrorist threats on its borders.

President Trump has made it clear the United States stands squarely in Israel's corner. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for our friends across the aisle. Democrats filibustered the ICC sanctions bill earlier this year after Leader Schumer refused to bring it up on the floor last year. A number of Democrat Senators continue to vote to disarm Israel in the middle of a war by blocking U.S. weapons shipments to Israel, as several Democrats did just last week.

While the Democratic Party struggles to muster support for Israel, Republicans will continue to stand with our ally in the Middle East, especially in this time of war. I know that once he is confirmed, Ambassador Huckabee will be a strong and supportive voice for Israel and for America's interests from his post in Jerusalem.

The Trump administration is working hard to advance America's interests and Senate Republicans are working to ensure the Trump administration's foreign policy team is put in place as swiftly as possible and we will continue to support the President and his administration as they work to advance America's interests and secure peace through strength.

I yield the floor.

I suggest the absence of a quorum.

The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.

The senior assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.

The PRESIDING OFFICER. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.

The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

Official Text ↗

Legislative Session

John ThuneRepublican, South Dakota

Mr. President, I move to proceed to legislative session.

The PRESIDING OFFICER. The question is on agreeing to the motion.

The motion was agreed to.

Official Text ↗

Executive Calendar (Executive Session)

John ThuneRepublican, South Dakota

Mr. President, I move to proceed to executive session to consider Calendar No. 75.

The PRESIDING OFFICER. The question is on agreeing to the motion.

The motion was agreed to.

The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the nomination.

The senior assistant legislative clerk read the nomination of the following named officer for appointment to the permanent grade indicated in the Regular Air Force under the United States Constitution, article II, section 2, clause 2: to be Major General, Lt. Gen. John D. Caine (Retired).

Official Text ↗

Cloture Motion (Executive Session)

John ThuneRepublican, South Dakota

Mr. President, I send a cloture motion to the desk.

The PRESIDING OFFICER. The cloture motion having been presented under rule XXII, the Chair directs the clerk to read the motion.

The senior assistant legislative clerk read as follows:

Official Text ↗

Legislative Session

John ThuneRepublican, South Dakota

Mr. President, I move to proceed to legislative session.

The PRESIDING OFFICER. The question is on agreeing to the motion.

The motion was agreed to.

Official Text ↗

Executive Calendar (Executive Session)

John ThuneRepublican, South Dakota

Mr. President, I move to proceed to executive session to consider Calendar No. 74.

The PRESIDING OFFICER. The question is on agreeing to the motion.

The motion was agreed to.

The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the nomination.

The senior assistant legislative clerk read the nomination of the following named officer for appointment as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and appointment in the United States Air Force to the grade indicated while assigned to a position of importance and responsibility under title 10, U.S.C., sections 152 and 601: to be General, Lt. Gen. John D. Caine (Retired).

Official Text ↗

Cloture Motion (Executive Session)

John ThuneRepublican, South Dakota

Mr. President, I send a cloture motion to the desk.

The PRESIDING OFFICER. The cloture motion having been presented under rule XXII, the Chair directs the clerk to read the motion.

The bill clerk read as follows:

John ThuneRepublican, South Dakota

Mr. President, I suggest the absence of a quorum.

The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.

The senior assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.

John BarrassoRepublican, Wyoming

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.

The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

Official Text ↗

Nomination of Mike Huckabee (Executive Session)

John BarrassoRepublican, Wyoming

Mr. President, I am delighted that, today, the U.S. Senate is going to confirm Governor Mike Huckabee to be our U.S. Ambassador to Israel.

Governor Huckabee is a fierce friend to one of our closest allies. He is the right leader to have this very important job. This is a man who has visited Israel more than 100 times. He knows its people. He knows its purpose. He knows its potential. He also knows its promise. That is why I am sure that he will receive bipartisan support today.

His confirmation will strengthen the unbreakable bond between America and Israel. It is a bond that is stronger than ever under President Trump. Security is the backbone of our special relationship, and shared values are our moral bedrock. Liberty, faith, and opportunity--those are our shared beliefs. That is why America has always supported Israel.

Historically, in 1948, America recognized the creation of Israel 11 minutes after its birth. America was the first Nation to recognize a free and democratic Jewish State. We have stood shoulder to shoulder with the people of Israel ever since.

President Trump's record is proof of America's unwavering support. His first term delivered historic progress. He forged the Abraham Accords and shattered decades of deadlock to bring peace and prosperity to the Middle East. He moved the U.S. Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, as promised, which is Israel's eternal capital. President Trump recognized Israel's sovereignty over the Golan Heights. He stood firm against Iran. The nomination and confirmation of Governor Huckabee improves on that stellar record.

Today, the threats facing the United States and Israel are growing, menacing. Iran is racing to nuclear weapons. Iran's hired henchmen attack Israel from all sides. Hamas continues to wage war against Israel, and it continues to hold innocent hostages captive. The Houthis in Yemen are launching drone attacks against Israel. Israel's right to defend itself is not up for debate. America's security assistance to Israel is not a handout. It is necessary to keep Israel safe, and it is necessary to stop terrorism. Republicans understand that. We back Israel unequivocally. Yet Democrats in this body are wavering.

Last week, Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont tried to cancel $8.8 billion in weapons transfers to Israel. He failed. Every Republican voted with Israel, but 15 Democrats voted against Israel. This isn't the first time this year that Senate Democrats have stood against Israel. Today, there is a loud pro-Hamas fringe, and they are trying to hijack the Democrat Party. It isn't just happening in the Senate; it is happening around the country; it is happening by campus radicals on our Nation's college campuses. This is worse than bad politics. This is dangerous policy.

We are at an inflection point in history. Hamas launched a brutal attack against Israel on October 7 of 2023. It was the deadliest single-day attack against the people of Israel and the Jewish people since the Holocaust. Israel continues to fight for its safety and its survival. Faced with this reality, Democrats are still abandoning Israel, and that puts both Israel and America at risk.

Here are the facts: Israel is a democracy; Hamas terrorists are butchers. Israel shields its citizens; Hamas uses its citizens as human shields. Israel sends food to Gaza; Hamas steals the food and starves the people. That is why the Palestinian people are protesting against Hamas. Hamas faces the most serious challenge to its rule in 18 years. Israel fights terror. It has every right to defend itself. America has chosen a side. We stand with Israel. Our support is unwavering. It is unbreakable--no apologies made. Peace in the Middle East starts with supporting Israel, not appeasing our adversaries.

The roadblock to peace continues to be Iran. President Trump is restoring

The Senate is moving to confirm Governor Huckabee in spite of Democrat efforts to slow it down. We are right to do that. America and Israel share urgent challenges. We also share a sacred cause. Governor Huckabee is the right man at the right time with the right values to carry forward that cause.

I yield the floor.

The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Democratic whip.

Richard J. DurbinDemocrat, Illinois

Mr. President, I would like to comment on the statement on Israel just made by my friend and colleague from the State of Wyoming.

I am proud of the fact that President Harry Truman was the first President to recognize Israel's right to exist, and I certainly concur with that sentiment to this day. The creation of the State of Israel after World War II was almost inevitable if this group of people were to exist.

The Holocaust was a reminder of the prejudice against many of the Jewish faith and the enduring struggle which they have been engaged in for decades, if not centuries.

It was the right thing to do.

There have been times in history when Israel stood with us when we desperately needed their help, and there have been times when we have disagreed with their policy. That has never diminished, for me personally or for our Nation, our commitment to Israel's right to exist and our commitment to the values that Israel stands for in the Middle East and around the world.

What happened on October 7 was horrific--horrific. Some 1,200 innocent Israelis were killed, butchered, murdered by terrorists under the flag of the Hamas movement. And, unfortunately, they took hostages as well. I don't know the exact number, but I believe it was over 250 hostages who were taken. Some still remain in captivity under the control of Hamas.

Israel is defending itself, and it has a right to do that. Israel certainly has a right to exist, and no terrorist organization on its border should be allowed to do so with impunity.

My concern--and it was expressed graphically, dramatically, in last Sunday's ``60 Minutes'' program. I commend that program to those who would like to see what is happening on the ground in Gaza.

It is estimated that 50,000 people have been killed or seriously wounded among the Palestinians. That goes way beyond any members of Hamas or any terrorist organization. They are innocent people, the Palestinians in the Gaza area, who are simply trying to exist. They are fighting every possible element, not only an act of war with armaments killing innocent people, a large number being women and children, but also the fact that they are restrained from leaving that area and going to surrounding countries, which don't want to see the controversy exported to their borders.

Secondly, there is the simple question of humanitarian assistance for the people in Gaza. There is a disparity in the reports from the area. Some report that the humanitarian aid is being held back from the Palestinians--innocent Palestinians--to the detriment of their hospitals and feeding their people. Some suggest that a famine is underway in some parts of Gaza.

I don't have any personal knowledge, but, I will tell you, the scenes that were depicted last Sunday on ``60 Minutes'' are heartbreaking.

Two doctors from Chicago had gone there risking their lives to volunteer to try to save the children and those who have been the victims of Israeli bombing. And I am sorry to say they have not been as successful as they would have liked to have been. But they reported to us graphically what is going on there with the lack of medical supplies, the lack of hospitals and basic food and sustenance that is needed by the people in that area.

By every single measure, this war has to end. If it is going to continue until every Hamas terrorist is killed, I am afraid there will be thousands and thousands of innocent Palestinians lost in the process. Why? Because the Hamas soldiers hide themselves among the general population and use them as their shield. It is a dastardly, deadly strategy which has cost so many lives.

Those of us who voted to restrain the weapons that were going to be sent by the United States to Israel did it with the understanding that there were particular weapons--for example, the detonation bombs that weigh a ton or more--that could kill innocent people and have, over and over again.

This war must come to an end. This cease-fire should be resumed, and the hostages returned immediately--all hostages returned immediately. I am not making any excuse for Hamas, but I have to tell you, after meeting with the doctors who have been there, it breaks my heart to think this continues every day, and innocent people are in the midst of this gunfire and losing their lives.

Whatever your cause may be, wherever you stand politically, we should all keep them in mind as we decide what our future course of action will be.

Official Text ↗

Gaza (Executive Session)

The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Arkansas.

Official Text ↗

Nomination of Mike Huckabee (Executive Session)

Tom CottonRepublican, Arkansas

Mr. President, today, I urge my Senate colleagues to confirm Gov. Mike Huckabee's nomination to be the next U.S. Ambassador to Israel.

I have had the privilege of knowing Mike, his wife Janet, and his children John Mark, David, and Sarah, for many years.

Mike's exemplary character, steadfast faith, and lifetime of servant leadership make him the right choice to represent the President in Israel, particularly at this critical moment.

A friend, patriot, and fellow Arkansan, Mike graduated from Ouachita Baptist University with a degree in religion before attending Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary.

As minister at Immanuel Baptist Church in Pine Bluff and, later, pastor at Beech Street Baptist Church in Texarkana, Mike led congregations toward Christ-centered lives of faith, service, and charity. Throughout his time in ministry and, later, as president of the Arkansas Baptist State Convention, Mike encouraged others to grow in their faith by dedicating himself to spreading the good news of the Gospel to all.

For some unknown and largely inexplicable reason, Mike left the pulpit and entered politics. Mysterious are the ways of the Lord indeed.

As Governor of Arkansas for more than a decade, Mike led the Natural State toward a stronger, more prosperous future by building coalitions and gathering support from both sides of the aisle. Governor Huckabee cut taxes, created jobs, improved infrastructure, reformed education, and improved healthcare for all Arkansans. Mike was a solution- oriented, pragmatic leader who left a lasting legacy for generations of Arkansans and their families. Word on the street is he even

Now as the U.S. Ambassador to Israel, Mike will lead and strengthen our important diplomatic relationship with Israel with courage and conviction.

Upon selecting Mike for this critical role, President Trump said:

I couldn't agree more.

Mike has been a lifelong friend of Israel's and an ardent supporter and defender of Israel's right to exist.

In 1973, Mike made his first trip to Israel as a recent high school graduate. The experience of visiting the Biblical sites at the center of history had such a profound impact on 17-year-old Mike Huckabee that he would go on to lead tens of thousands of people on similarly life- changing visits. Over the course of approximately 100 trips since 1981, Mike developed deep friendships with the people of Israel--Jewish, Muslim, and Christian alike.

Mike spent his career leading fellow Christians on journeys of faith, Arkansans toward a brighter future, and pilgrims on voyages of discovery. I am confident that he will lead the United States' relationship with Israel on a path toward peace and prosperity for both of our peoples.

I urge my Senate colleagues to support his nomination and approve his nomination swiftly.

I yield the floor.

The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Idaho.

James E. RischRepublican, Idaho

Mr. President, I have come here today in support of President Trump's nominee for U.S. Ambassador to Israel, Gov. Mike Huckabee, who was reported out of our Foreign Relations Committee recently.

For years, the previous administration wrung its hands and withheld American support for Israel in the wake of the horrendous, awful October 7 terror attack by Hamas. Despite this, Israel had the courage to confront Iran, Hamas, and its other proxies, and it has decimated them.

Now, thanks to President Trump's negotiations and Israel's courage, Iran is at its weakest point in decades and hostages are returning home.

Israel is one of America's greatest allies, a bastion of freedom in the Middle East, and our closest partner in countering Iran's destabilizing efforts in the region.

To execute on President Trump's ironclad support of Israel, we urgently need a qualified ambassador in the region. I have no doubt Governor Huckabee is that person, and he will work alongside President Trump and Secretary Rubio and our friends in Israel to bring peace to a turbulent region and ensure both American and Israeli hostages are brought home from the clutches of Hamas.

The other countries in the region, our Arab allies, our Arab friends, are desperate to see peace in the region. They want it as badly as anyone else does.

I urge all of my colleagues to support Governor Huckabee and to fill this important national security position.

Official Text ↗

Waiving Quorum Call (Executive Session)

The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

James E. RischRepublican, Idaho

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that we immediately proceed to the rollcall vote.

The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

Official Text ↗

Cloture Motion

The PRESIDING OFFICER. Pursuant to rule XXII, the Chair lays before the Senate the pending cloture motion, which the clerk will state.

The senior assistant bill clerk read as follows:

The PRESIDING OFFICER. By unanimous consent, the mandatory quorum call has been waived.

The question is, Is it the sense of the Senate that debate on the nomination of Paul Atkins, of Virginia, to be a Member of the Securities and Exchange Commission for the remainder of the term expiring June 5, 2026, shall be brought to a close?

The yeas and nays are mandatory under the rule.

The clerk will call the roll.

The legislative clerk called the roll.

John BarrassoRepublican, Wyoming

The following Senators are necessarily absent: the Senator from Oklahoma (Mr. Mullin) and the Senator from South Dakota (Mr. Thune).

Further, if present and voting: the Senator from South Dakota (Mr. Thune) would have voted ``yea.''

Richard J. DurbinDemocrat, Illinois

I announce that the Senator from New York (Mrs. Gillibrand) and the Senator from Vermont (Mr. Sanders) are necessarily absent.

The yeas and nays resulted--yeas 51, nays 45, as follows:

The PRESIDING OFFICER. On this vote, the yeas are 51, the nays are 45.

The motion is agreed to.

Official Text ↗

Vote on Huckabee Nomination (Executive Calendar)

The PRESIDING OFFICER. The question is, Will the Senate advise and consent to the Huckabee nomination?

John BarrassoRepublican, Wyoming

Mr. President, I ask for the yeas and nays.

The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there a sufficient second?

There appears to be a sufficient second.

The clerk will call the roll.

The bill clerk called the roll.

John BarrassoRepublican, Wyoming

The following Senator is necessarily absent: the Senator from Oklahoma (Mr. Mullin).

The result was announced--yeas 53, nays 46, as follows:

The nomination was confirmed.

The PRESIDING OFFICER. Under the previous order, the motion to reconsider is considered made and laid upon the table and the President will immediately be notified of the Senate's actions.

The Senator from Connecticut.

Official Text ↗

Unanimous Consent Request (Executive Calendar)

Richard BlumenthalDemocrat, Connecticut

Madam President, I am here today in the hope that our colleagues will join me in condemning actions taken by President Trump and Elon Musk that are devastating to the healthcare of our veterans, as well as their disability benefits under the PACT Act, and most especially, deeply harmful to mental health care and suicide prevention for veterans, and to engage in this call for action restoring the doctors, counselors, psychiatrists, all who are essential to veterans' healthcare and have lost their jobs--thousands of them.

The plain, staggering fact is that Musk and Trump are kneecapping the VA healthcare system at a time when the VA projects a 59-percent increase. That is right. In this fiscal year going to 2032, a 59- percent increase in inpatient and outpatient mental health care is projected.

Now, they have taken a wrecking ball to the VA in order to save money that then can be used for tax cuts going to people who need them least--the ultrawealthy, the billionaires and millionaires--at a time when veterans who need healthcare most will be deprived of it.

The reason is quite simply the staffing shortages that they have purposefully created--2,400 already; on the chopping block, another 83,000--without a plan or a strategy, admitted to us by the VA itself. They are making it up as they go along, but they know they want to slash and trash the VA workforce.

This kind of cruel, heartless, heartbreaking approach to the VA comes at a time when they already have 40,000 openings of exactly the kind of skilled professionals that they are firing--40,000 openings, including 3,000 physician positions, 6,000 nurses, thousands of counselors, janitors, schedulers. And they are firing the very kind of people they are trying to recruit.

You would think that the Trump administration's top priority at the VA would be to bolster its mental health workforce at a time when 59- percent increase is projected, but they are doing just the opposite.

Since the beginning of this administration, there have been 2,400 employees unjustly and illegally terminated already, including Veterans Crisis Line employees. And the VA's newest staffing goal--that 83,000 number that I mentioned before--is going to be cutting employees at a time of ever-increasing demand, even in the short term.

All these cuts will do is to harm veterans. There is no elimination of waste or fraud or abuse. In every Agency and in every program, there is some waste, but the way to eliminate it is not to slash indiscriminately and draconian cuts as a way to do it.

While we wait for these 83,000 employees to be axed by Trump and Musk, we already see the impact. Employee assistance programs and mental health support contracts for the VA workforce have been canceled. Staff at vet centers--VA community-based counseling centers-- have been fired. VA mental health staff are being forced to conduct counseling sessions in open cubicles, putting veterans' privacy at risk. World-class researchers performing research on mental health and substance abuse disorders among veterans have been terminated.

Most devastating of all, Veterans Crisis Line has seen a recent increase in call volume largely from veterans who were either terminated from the Federal workforce or who were concerned about losing their benefits or both, because at least a quarter up to a third or more of the Federal workforce are veterans, and they need that mental health care.

Amidst that flood of cruel actions taken by the administration, I am proud that my Democratic colleagues have been united in our resistance to these relentless attacks on veterans.

It is not only on mental health care, it is all healthcare. It is not only on healthcare, it is on the PACT Act for veterans who need that screening, benefits, care. And it is not a matter of eliminating waste because we know the way to eliminate waste is to go line by line, item by item carefully and thoughtfully--or as Al Lipphardt, the national commander of the VFW, told us--and he was describing a wound that he sustained while in combat during the Vietnam war:

What we are seeing right now is the DOGE tech bros under Elon Musk operating with that famous chain saw that he has displayed, and they are doing it to the detriment of our veterans and to those who are being fired.

As Mr. Lipphardt said, these veterans are now being told their skills are no longer useful to the government. We are losing people who are genuinely committed to the mission and find a continued sense of purpose in what they do.

These dedicated, patriotic veterans--the ones who work at the VA, the ones who are served by the VA--are deeply disserved and damaged by these actions. As Mr. Lipphardt said, finally: We need to stop the bleeding. We need to, as he said, ``apply pressure and stop the bleeding.''

I am joined on the Senate floor today by two of my colleagues who have been integral to this fight, Senator Sanders and Senator Duckworth, who will be calling for passage of their own resolutions aimed at reversing damage from the Trump/Musk attacks on veterans.

I hope that our votes on these resolutions send a message. I hope we will have unanimous support for my resolution and for theirs, that we will keep faith with our veterans, and we will leave none of them behind.

Madam President, first, I ask unanimous consent that the text of my resolution be printed in the Record.

There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in the Record, as follows:

Richard BlumenthalDemocrat, Connecticut

As if in legislative session and notwithstanding rule XXII, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the consideration of my resolution, which is at the desk. Further, I ask unanimous consent that the resolution be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, and the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon table with no intervening action or debate.

The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection?

The Senator from Kansas.

Jerry MoranRepublican, Kansas

Madam President, reserving the right to object, clearly, this is an important issue and one that has received attention by the Committee on Veterans' Affairs and will continue to make certain that the decisions that are made by Department officials and by the administration are compatible with the well-being and best interests of those who served our Nation and are now veterans.

The Department of Veterans Affairs does need reform. The status quo is not acceptable. We need to make certain that every veteran, every member of our military who is now a veteran and seeks services in the Department of Veterans Affairs, that their needs are met.

It has been a longtime goal of mine to make certain that the promises that were made to those who served are promises that are kept. We know things aren't as they should be at the Department of Veterans Affairs.

All of us in this Senate have staff members who work on cases--what we call casework--to try to solve the challenges that a veteran meets in dealing with the Department of Veterans Affairs.

We all walk the streets of our home States. We have meetings and have conversations with those. And, often, it is a veteran who comes to tell us the story of what help they still need.

While I continue to believe that nearly everyone--most who work at the Department of Veterans Affairs, many of whom are veterans themselves, are working diligently to make sure their colleagues-- veterans they shared that service with--are treated in a fashion that provides them with the best quality care and provides them with the benefits they have earned. Yet we know the system is still far from being able to accomplish that goal.

In fact, the Department of Veterans Affairs--so many times, we have reports from the inspector general, who outlined dramatic changes that need to be made and outlined instances in which the Department of Veterans Affairs has failed in significant ways in meeting the needs of those who served our Nation.

We have about 150-, 200,000 veterans in Kansas. They are a significant component of the nature of our State. They are respected and admired by their fellow Kansans. It is important for us to make sure that the Department of Veterans Affairs is living up to its commitment. It is our job as Senators and it is our job as members of the Committee on Veterans' Affairs to do those things.

The Senator from Connecticut is right. We have provided the tools to the Department, new opportunities for veterans to be better served and served in more ways--combating suicide; making sure that mental health services are more readily available; providing services through telemedicine; and most recently--well, almost most recently--the PACT Act, which provided new and additional benefits, both healthcare and financial, to those who served in Southeast Asia and served in Iraq and Afghanistan in regard to toxic exposure; and even more recently than that, care for and support for caregivers, those who serve their loved ones, family members who help veterans throughout the day in their circumstances--the Elizabeth Dole Act.

So we are actively engaged in trying to make certain and hopefully making progress in making certain that more veterans receive better care at every opportunity. But the VA still needs a serious and thorough evaluation, and a component of that is workforce.

My goal is to make certain that the Department of Veterans Affairs evaluates how many people it needs to meet its mission and then adjusts accordingly, whether that is more or less, but to right-size the VA to make certain that those veterans who are in need of care, who deserve their benefits, are well cared for and receive the care and compassion they deserve.

So I am going to offer a resolution myself, and in order to get to that point, I need to object to the Senator from Connecticut's resolution--his unanimous consent request.

The PRESIDING OFFICER. Objection is heard.

The Senator from Connecticut.

Richard BlumenthalDemocrat, Connecticut

Madam President, I want to respond very quickly by saying, first of all, I think we share a lot of goals, but we need action. The VA is in crisis impending right now, in real time, affecting real lives in real time, people who need mental health care now, who need the Veterans Crisis Line now, who need those counselors and psychiatrists now.

What I am asking is unanimous consent for a resolution that calls for restoring the VA workforce to meet that crisis and to doing right by our veterans. It shouldn't be partisan. It isn't partisan.

I have been critical of the VA under Democratic administrations, under General Shinseki when he was there and the delays were unacceptable, and nobody was more direct or critical than I was.

We can be bipartisan in our praise and in our criticism, but we need to stand up to the Musk-Trump slash-and-trash regime that has been so harmful to our veterans. And we can't go about it with business as usual. These draconian, indiscriminate cuts are doing harm to our veterans as we speak, and to avoid action is not only inappropriate, it is injustice to our Nation's heroes.

The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Kansas.

Official Text ↗

Unanimous Consent Request (Executive Calendar)

Jerry MoranRepublican, Kansas

Madam President, I intend to ask for a unanimous consent agreement in regard to this issue of our care and the well-being of our veterans.

I would indicate that, to my knowledge, the Department of Veterans Affairs has 1,500 fewer employees today than it did at the beginning of the year.

While there is conversation and talk and, in fact, a stated goal about the sizing of the Department, those steps, either because they are not yet ready at the Department of Veterans Affairs to take those steps, the evaluations and understanding of what is necessary for the right-sizing of the workforce, haven't been completed or courts have put in place a stay against any reductions in the workforce. Today, we are 1,550 fewer employees at the Department than we were at the beginning of the year.

I would also remind my colleagues that in the last administration, late in the budget request by the Biden administration, there was a request for the reduction of 10,000 employees at the Department of Veterans Affairs.

The goal that we would say in our sense of the Senate is that the Secretary of Veterans Affairs should make

The Secretary should faithfully follow the MISSION Act in allowing for care in the community. The Secretary should conduct a comprehensive review of policies governing official time to ensure that taxpayer dollars are utilized efficiently and that the primary mission of the Department of supporting veterans is fully prioritized and that the Department's leadership and management should have the ability to act swiftly to ensure we remove employees who have engaged in misconduct or whose actions and performances fall short in providing high-quality care and benefits.

The Secretary should enhance the efficiency, accountability, and cost management in the acquisition programs in the Department.

We need to make changes at the Department of Veterans Affairs, and this resolution would indicate our support for doing so.

I would now say, as if in legislative session and notwithstanding rule XXII, I ask unanimous consent the Senate proceed to the consideration of my resolution, which is at the desk. I further ask unanimous consent that the resolution be agreed to, that the preamble be agreed to, and that the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table with no intervening action or debate.

The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection?

The Senator from Connecticut.

Richard BlumenthalDemocrat, Connecticut

Reserving the right to object, let me first say I appreciate the work of my colleague, the chairman of the VA Committee, where I am the ranking Democrat. Chairman Moran and I work together in a very bipartisan way on a lot of legislation.

I would like to support his resolution, but we received it only about an hour ago, and so I have been unable to check with my colleagues on this side as to whether there is any objection among them.

Second, although I would like to support it, I have to say no, not because of something it has but what it lacks, and that is, it fails to mention anything about the Trump-Musk assault on the VA and its workforce and particularly the negative impacts of those actions on veterans' mental health and suicide prevention. It fails to call for restoring the VA's skilled professional workforce that is necessary to provide sufficient healthcare, particularly mental health care.

I should also note that prior to Secretary Collins and DOGE, wait times for care--before they took over and seized control, wait times actually decreased in 2024 while the number of new patient appointments increased by 11 percent. So this idea that somehow the VA was wholly failing before this administration is exactly the opposite of reality. The time to process each claim actually decreased. The VA processed 116,192 veterans' appeals, representing a 12.5-increase over last year's record. Those are claims for disability and compensation. Additionally, under the previous administration, veteran homelessness reached record lows--a 55.6-percent reduction since 2010.

The VA also made it easier for veterans to seek mental health care while reducing wait times for that care in new appointments.

Claims that the VA has been placing more barriers for veterans to receive care in the VA and through community care are simply untrue. Since 2019, the VA has made enormous improvements in customer service and has become more welcoming to veterans through historic outreach.

If we listen to veterans, as I do every weekend because I go home every weekend, what I hear is customer satisfaction rising and happiness with VA healthcare. Sure, there are criticisms, and we need to meet those criticisms. There are shortcomings, and we need to improve VA healthcare to address those shortcomings. But VA trust has increased to the point of 80.4 percent this year--an alltime record and an increase of 25 percent since 2016.

Let me just say about labor rights and union activities at the VA, labor organizing and collective bargaining actually expedite conflict resolution. It reduces legal costs. It actually saves money through collective bargaining, not to mention the waste, fraud, and abuse that it helps the Department uncover and address. Those negotiations have allowed the Department to bar criminally bad actors from receiving settlement funds and being reinstated.

There is a lot more to say on this topic, but let me just finish by saying that I hope we can work together. I hope the chairman and I can work together in a bipartisan way to put together our two resolutions and devise one that will pass muster on both sides.

Because of the shortcomings of this resolution, I object.

The PRESIDING OFFICER. Objection is heard.

The Senator from Vermont.

Official Text ↗

Unanimous Consent Request: S. Res. 165 (Executive Calendar)

Bernard SandersIndependent, Vermont

Madam President, let me cut to the chase, and I will try to be brief here. We hear a lot of talk on the floor of the Senate about patriotism, about love of country, about how we all have to work together for the common good. It would seem to me that when we talk about those who sacrificed, those who have put their lives on the line to defend this country, we are talking about the men and women in America who are veterans.

Yet what we have seen in the last month from the President and from Elon Musk is a chain saw approach to essentially destroy the Veterans' Administration, and that is, there are plans afoot--public; no one is debating the numbers--they want to fire 83,000 employees. When you fire 83,000 employees, no one, nobody believes that anything else will happen but that there will be a deterioration in the quality of healthcare our veterans receive or a delay in the benefits they have earned.

Now, I have heard criticism of the VA. The VA is the largest healthcare system in America. Is it perfect? Absolutely not. Does it have its problems? Of course it does. But compared to what? Compared to the American healthcare system, which is the most expensive in the world? a system in which 83 million Americans are uninsured or underinsured? where 60,000 people die each year? where we have the lowest life expectancy of any other major country on Earth?

So, no, the VA is not perfect. It needs improvement. But I will tell you that in the State of Vermont, I talk to a lot of veterans. I am the former chair of the Veterans' Committee, and I have been honored to talk to veterans of Vermont and all over this country. In Vermont, what they tell me is there is enormous pride in the quality of care they get at the VA Medical Center in White River Junction, VT, and as well in the community-based outreach clinics that exist all over our State.

And I expect, with some exceptions, that is true all over the country. The bottom line is, veterans appreciate the care that they get at the VA. They want it improved, but they appreciate it, and they do not believe that there should be massive cuts to the Veterans' Administration.

The truth is that in fiscal year 2024, before Trump took office, the VA reported over 36,000 vacancies, including 2,400 doctors, 6,300 registered nurses, 1,800 social workers, and 1,200 custodians.

When you have a workforce shortage, the solution is not to fire 83,000 people; it is to add people. It is to make sure you know where your workforce is going and that you have quality people. But you don't lay off 83,000 people.

That is not just my view.

It would seem to me that before you take a chain saw to the Veterans' Administration, you might want to talk to the veterans organizations and see what they think about it.

The Veterans of Foreign Wars, or VFW, said:

The Paralyzed Veterans of America said that they are ``deeply troubled by actions being taken in Washington,

The Disabled American Veterans, or DAV, said:

That is what some of the major veterans organizations are saying, and I have talked to all of the--virtually all of the--veterans organizations. And they are deeply, deeply, deeply concerned about the cuts that we have seen and the cuts that Musk is proposing.

So this is not a difficult issue. Everybody here wants to make the VA more efficient. The way you do that is to come up with some plans. You work with the Veterans Committee, and you see how we can make the VA more efficient. Nobody in their right mind thinks that just firing 83,000 people is the way to go.

And let me be very clear: Mr. Musk has made it public that he thinks that we should privatize anything that can be privatized. There are people--not all people--in the Republican Party who eventually want to privatize Social Security. We are looking at $880 billion in cuts to Medicaid that dismantle that very important healthcare organization.

And if anybody thinks that the laying off of 83,000 employees of the VA--the lowering of quality of care that our veterans will receive--is not a prelude to the movement to privatize the VA, you would be surely mistaken.

So with that, Madam President, as if in legislative session and notwithstanding rule XXII, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the consideration of S. Res. 165, which was submitted earlier today; further, I ask unanimous consent that the resolution be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, and that the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table with no intervening action or debate.

The bottom line: Do not lay off 83,000 employees at the Veterans' Administration.

The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection?

The Senator from Alabama.

Tommy TubervilleRepublican, Alabama

Reserving the right to object, on November 5, President Trump was given a mandate: Get this country straightened out. This included waste, fraud, and abuse in our Federal Government, over all Agencies.

The VA is a perfect example. Under President Biden, the VA increased its staff 80,000 employees in 4 years.

Let me repeat that: Under President Biden, the VA increased its staff 80,000 people.

You would think that this would mean that we would increase the efficiency of our VA 80,000 percent. Unfortunately, that is not the case. Despite the Biden administration ballooning the size of the Department, the VA has nothing to show for it. In fact, wait times and backlogs have gone up. It hasn't worked. So these cuts are not warranted. They are completely necessary.

By reducing the numbers of employees, these savings can be redirected to actually providing veterans healthcare and benefits, while still protecting the VA's mission-critical jobs, like doctors, nurses, and claims processors, to do the job it was meant to do. And phasing out nonmission-critical jobs like DEI officers and interior designers, for just a few, is necessary to get this job done.

Now, I don't want to oversimplify this. I know these problems at the VA exist. They always have existed. Since 2015, the VA care has been on the Government Accountability Office's list of high risk. That means it has been audited: Are they doing their job? Not very good reviews.

We have to do better for our veterans.

I come from a military family and have spent many hours in the VA. Some are good; some are not so good. Let's stand up for our veterans.

The VA challenges across the board, from overseeing simple things like safety and access of care, are essential. And it is not--not--by having more people. It is by having better people.

The VA is not supposed to be a massive bureaucracy. That is not what it was meant to be. It was created to serve our veterans.

This resolution being put forward would directly prevent President Trump from carrying out his mandate that the American people gave him. The American people have spoken, and the days of business as usual are over. The VA is going to get better.

For these reasons, Madam President, I object.

The PRESIDING OFFICER. The objection is heard.

The Senator from Vermont.

Bernard SandersIndependent, Vermont

I am not aware that in the so-called mandate of President Trump--and, by the way, he got millions of votes less than Joe Biden got 4 years previously. I don't recall that during the campaign, Trump went around the country saying: Hey, elect me, and then I will lay off 83,000 workers at the Veterans' Administration.

Yes, we all want the VA to operate more efficiently, but the idea that you can lay off 83,000 employees and make that happen is absurd.

The truth is, again, before Trump took office, we had a significant shortage in the number of doctors, nurses, mental health counselors, and other practitioners. So it is disturbing to me that anyone who claims to be supporting veterans in this country and the sacrifices they have made would object to this amendment, this resolution.

I yield the floor.

The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Illinois.

Tammy DuckworthDemocrat, Illinois

Madam President, let me just say that, at the VA, we recently passed the PACT Act, which added well over a million veterans to the rolls to help care for them after they were exposed to toxic substances. This is not the time to cut the funding for the VA.

But I am here today to speak on behalf of all veterans who have been fired by President Trump and Elon Musk.

Look, Donald Trump couldn't tell you the meaning of the words ``service'' or ``sacrifice'' if he had a dictionary laying open in front of him. So how dare a coward who cried ``bone spurs,'' when his Nation needed him the most, turn his back on those who, unlike him, were actually brave enough to serve our country in uniform.

What he has done to our veterans in just a few months since he has been back in office amounts to a total betrayal. For no apparent reason, he has already fired more veterans than any other American President in modern history, over 6,000 and counting. He has been forcing the bravest people you or I could ever meet to have to worry about how they are going to put food on their family's table next week or keep a roof over their heads next month.

The biggest predictor of veterans homelessness is not that they are suffering from post-traumatic stress. It is not substance abuse. It is loss of a job. Homelessness is directly linked to joblessness.

These folks that Trump fired, these are folks who did one, two, six, even seven tours. They came home and chose to continue serving their Nation by joining the Federal service. These are heroes who deserve our utmost gratitude, not a letter from Elon Musk telling them that they failed to do their jobs and that they are out of those jobs.

Instead, Trump and Elon Musk gave them the middle finger and a pink slip. ``Cadet Bone Spurs'' may like to wrap himself in the flag with one hand, but with the other he is signing off on the orders that sell out our veterans to line the pockets of his rich friends, and our warriors deserve better.

So this afternoon, Senator Blumenthal, Senator Sanders, and I are introducing three resolutions that demand the reinstatement of every veteran who has been fired and betrayed by Donald Trump. If Republicans actually care about our heroes, like they claim to when they are on the campaign trail, then they will vote with us Democrats and help give our veterans their Federal jobs back. Otherwise, they are making it clear that they would rather bow down at the altar of Donald Trump than stand up for our heroes.

As if in legislative session and notwithstanding rule XXII, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the consideration of S. Res. 166, which was submitted earlier today. Further, I ask unanimous consent that

The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection?

The Senator from Montana.

Tim SheehyRepublican, Montana

Reserving the right to object, my colleague Senator Duckworth is a brave veteran of our Nation's War on Terror, and Senator Blumenthal as well served, as did many of us. And I don't think there is any disagreement that we want the absolute best for our veterans-- combat or otherwise--and we will always do everything we can in this body to make sure that our veterans not only have the care they need when they get home, but they can pursue great careers for the next phase of life.

But truth also matters, and the truth is there was no outrage from our Democrat colleagues when the Biden administration summarily fired tens of thousands of veterans--Active-Duty servicemembers and reservists--from Federal contracting jobs and from Active-Duty military service without any due process, during the COVID pandemic, when they decided that these people, who had very legitimate reservations about their personal health, did not have a place in our government or military, and they were blowing out the side of the service.

No due process, not even a thank-you letter--they were kicked out of the service--highly trained patriots who fought for this country, who were willing to fight for this country again. That is betrayal. They were betrayed, and nothing was ever said from our Democratic colleagues about that.

The truth is, the VA--the VA, as an organization--is meant to serve our veterans. The purpose of the VA is to take care of veterans, not to grow its own bureaucracy. In the last 5 years since 2019, the VA employment has gone from 379,000 to 486,000 employees, over 5 years--a 28 percent increase--while the VA's budget grew by 77.7 percent during the same period.

During that time, the amount of veterans in our country decreased by 9.2 percent. So as our veteran population decreased, our employment overhead at the VA increased tremendously, and that reflected the similar growth across the rest of our Federal Government.

So what was going on for 5 years, especially during the COVID years, was artificial job creation by the government on a mass scale. And now, to recover our Nation from fiscal tragedy--from a $37 trillion debt and growing--we have to make hard choices, and those choices have to come down to what is working. And what veterans need most of all is a healthy government.

They fought to protect this country. They have put their lives on the line and sometimes gave away limbs and family members so that this country could be strong. We owe it to them to make sure we make good decisions and that this country continues to be strong. And that means we have to get this government back in order, and that means returning our Agencies back to prepandemic size. And most veterans will support those tough decisions full-throatedly.

The truth is, President Trump is very pro-veteran. His policies, right now, are putting our servicemembers first. He is showing strength on the world stage instead of weakness, which has brought untold tragedy not just on our military but also on our allies around the world.

Growing the government with no end in sight, growing Agencies with no metric for success is not pro-veteran. That is not pro-American. It is just more government.

And the truth is, whether it is the VA or any other Federal Agency, we are proud to have veterans working in this government across the board. They have preferred hiring rights, as they should, and we are going to protect their important jobs and, most importantly, protect their care when they get out. But the VA has to be a healthy, functioning organization for that to occur, as do other Agencies.

Veteran employment is a core value that we have in our Federal workforce. President Trump knows that. This body knows that, and we will protect it. But we also owe those veterans a strong, efficient government. That is what we are going to deliver to them. That is what we are going to do today.

Therefore, I object.

The PRESIDING OFFICER. The objection is heard.

The Senator from Illinois.

Tammy DuckworthDemocrat, Illinois

I just want to set the record straight that the VA's population of employees did grow because of the PACT Act, a bill that was voted on and passed in a bipartisan way to save the lives of those veterans who would otherwise be dying if they did not have access to VA healthcare for the illnesses that are caused by their exposure to toxic substances.

So let's be clear about why we hired more people within the Department of Veterans Affairs: It was because they were given the permission by this Congress, by this body, in a bipartisan way, passing the PACT Act legislation, which funded care for veterans who were exposed to burn pits in Iraq and Afghanistan and toxic substances from their military service.

My resolution is about all veterans who serve this Nation. Some of the veterans who have been laid off are park rangers in our National Park Service who are now out of a job--people who were promoted because they did such a good job.

One person I was trying to get their job back was actually working with the Veterans Crisis Hotline. They were doing such a good job answering the phones that they were promoted to trainer. As soon as they were promoted to be a trainer to help other people to answer those hotlines, which could help stop veterans death by suicide, they became probationary employees, and they were fired.

That is the kind of thing we are talking about--people being laid off from their jobs, veterans who worked hard for this country and worked hard in the Department of Veterans Affairs and other Federal Agencies like the National Park Service, like the EPA, like the DOT. And that is whom Donald Trump and Elon Musk are firing.

If you want to save money, I am all for it. I am there with you. I actually passed legislation that saved this country billions of dollars in fraud and waste that occurred in the Department of Defense.

I also think that Elon Musk's decision to deport people to India using a C-17 aircraft at the cost of $2 million of taxpayer money, when normally that flight would cost $38,000 if you were to actually charter an aircraft, was an egregious waste of taxpayer dollars.

Let's talk about who is wasting money here. Elon Musk is wasting money, and it is Donald Trump wasting money. At the same time, President Trump has become the President who fired the most veterans in our Nation's modern history, over 6,000 fired and counting. Let's set the record straight.

Thank you, Mr. President.

The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Nevada.

Official Text ↗

Unanimous Consent Request: S. 1364 (Executive Calendar)

Catherine Cortez MastoDemocrat, Nevada

Mr. President, I rise to talk about President Trump's tariffs and how they are ruining confidence in our economy. They are raising prices on all of our families, and they are hitting our allies for no reason.

We all know that tariffs can be a useful tool to protect critical American manufacturing and combat our enemies. Targeted tariffs on adversaries like communist China or Iran can actually work to our advantage. And it is natural for us to have trade deficits with countries that have smaller economies because they just can't afford to pay for quality American goods. We are always going to buy more cheap goods from less wealthy countries than they are going to be able to buy from us. Even my Republican colleagues have acknowledged this.

This is why President Trump's blanket tariffs just make no sense. They have no legitimate economic basis. And the formula that he used to impose these blanket tariffs is nonsensical. We know this because President Trump has imposed tariffs on islands uninhabited by humans and on one of the United States' own military bases.

Probably the most egregious error in President Trump's tariff plan was punishing our allies, Israel and Ukraine. Both these countries are currently under attack. They need the United States to be standing with them, not hitting them with nonsensical tariffs that could cause them even more harm.

Meanwhile, our adversary and the initiator of the war in Ukraine-- Russia--is getting no tariffs. Our adversary North Korea is getting no tariffs. And while our ally Israel got slapped initially with a 17- percent tariff, even though we maintain a free-trade agreement with them, their adversary Iran got tariffed at a mere 10 percent.

I will admit, as I am sitting here right now, I just saw that Donald Trump changed his mind again and is telling countries around the world they now have to have a 10-percent tariff. He just made a major trade decision action via a tweet as I was sitting here to provide a stand with Israel and Ukraine.

Let me just say, those actions by this administration are just bad for our economy. It is outrageous, and it is bad for U.S. credibility. It is just clear there was very little thought put into President Trump's major, potentially catastrophic, gamble with the global economy. He did this without any advice and consent from Congress, and that was a mistake. It was a mistake that our allies in need of aid are paying the price for.

We have an opportunity to rectify a small part of this error right now and exempt Israel and Ukraine from these oppressive tariffs that could do significant damage to their already hurting economies.

Really, this shouldn't be a partisan issue. It is a national security issue. Let's come together and protect our allies who rely on our help from these harmful tariffs. I hope my Republican colleagues can join me.

Mr. President, as if in legislative session, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of S. 1364; that the bill be considered read three times and passed, and that the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table.

The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection?

The Senator from Ohio.

Bernie MorenoRepublican, Ohio

Reserving the right to object, think about some numbers. I was 5 years old when I came to this country from South America, 18 when I became a citizen. Since that time, there have been 10 Presidents of the United States of America and only one that actually had the guts and the courage to stand up for working Americans.

We lost 90,000 factories in this country. If you take the logic of my colleague, let's shut down all of our factories and send manufacturing to the lowest wage countries on Earth that employ slave wages, that have massive government subsidies, and gut out what is left of the American manufacturing ecosystem.

Of course, that is completely illogical. But that is almost what we have done over the last four to five decades.

You drive through Ohio, Dayton was the computing capital of the world; you go to Toledo, it was the glass capital of the world; Youngstown, the steel capital of America; Akron, the rubber capital of the world.

Today, these cities are working to get past what they have gone through. But as I went on the campaign trail against a Democrat that always claimed to be on the side of the working men but then saw what their policies enacted, we beat him soundly.

I urge my Democratic colleagues to go back to your original North Star. The point of the Democratic Party for decades, as far as I knew, was that you were for the working men and women of this country. But that is not the Democratic Party today. They are the party of electric vehicle mandates, against tariffs, against fringe social issues.

If we want to talk about the specific resolution, look, there is no greater ally ever in the history of the United States of America with Israel than President Donald J. Trump. Every single Republican last week voted against Bernie Sanders' resolution to block arms sales to Israel. Fifteen Democrats voted to kneecap them while in the middle of a war. When we talk about Israel, they have already negotiated a situation with President Trump.

So let's talk about Ukraine. This is a country that both sides of the aisle--shockingly to me, quite honestly--have given hundreds of billions of dollars to this country of Ukraine when we have enormous needs in our country. What do we get in return? They impose a tax of 20 percent or more on our goods that we send there. Let me repeat that. We sent them hundreds of billions of dollars in aid, and then when we send them our products, they add a tax on our imports.

Look, President Trump is doing a masterful job of negotiating with countries and with companies to finally do what should have been done a long time ago, which is to rebuild this country from the inside out.

So for the reasons that President Trump laid out last week that we are going to rebuild this country with American hands, with American hearts, and with American pride, it is with that sentiment that I, therefore, object.

The PRESIDING OFFICER. Objection is heard.

The Senator from Nevada.

Catherine Cortez MastoDemocrat, Nevada

I appreciate my colleague being here to object. I don't think he actually read the resolution. The real focus was on how we address tariffs against Israel and Ukraine.

I appreciate his partisan argument, but I think he also neglected to represent that there are Democrats that opposed Bernie Sanders' bill, and I was one of them. I think it is important we work in a bipartisan way to move this country forward.

I am also a Democrat that supports bringing manufacturing back to my State. You are welcome to come to Nevada anytime and see what we have done around the work that is essential.

I think what I am looking for in this time is common sense, working across the aisle where we see it to show the American public that, yes, we can still function and work together on moving forward. I think it is important we stand with Israel at all levels, including ensuring that they are not tariffed, there is no tariff against them.

It is very, very simple here. And I think targeted tariffs make sense. I don't quite understand the continued partisan conversation here. But at the end of the day, I am hopeful that many of my colleagues still want to work in a bipartisan way on issues that reflect not only who we are as a country but will still be working to address protection for our allies and, at the same time, protecting our economy. I am disappointed in the objection today.

I yield the floor.

The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Ohio.

Bernie MorenoRepublican, Ohio

I actually read the resolution. Again, I will repeat it. There is no greater friend of Israel's in the White House, ever in the history of the United States of America, than Donald J. Trump.

He negotiated with these countries. We need to give him the latitude in terms of negotiating with these countries. In terms of bipartisan, go back through the record in the last 90 days and see almost the complete block voting on everything, including we have two votes coming up and another two votes at the end of the day. Let's see if there is one Democrat that doesn't vote in total unison with their party.

Look at the Republican side. We are much more freethinkers and we have differences of opinion and that comes out when we vote. When we talk about bipartisanship, I hope the Democrats get to a point where they are willing to work with us on common sense.

I had a bill that I presented to the floor about 3 weeks ago. Here is what it said: If you come into this country illegally, you can't claim asylum. And if you do, you invalidate your right for asylum for life, and you must only claim asylum at a designated port of entry. This is a 90-10 issue. Democrats blocked that.

I want to work in a bipartisan manner. I think the American public demands that we do. But when every Democrat votes in total and complete lockstep with their leadership every single time to block any progress, we are going to be unable to do that.

I yield the floor.

The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Nevada.

Catherine Cortez MastoDemocrat, Nevada

Thank you. I have to stand up here and call my colleague out. He is trying to paint all the Democrats together. If he would look at my record in standing independent from some of my party's votes and the fact that I think it is important and know it is important that we work in a bipartisan way and have done just that in committee in my votes in a bipartisan way with my colleagues, I would

I yield the floor.

The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Tennessee.

Marsha BlackburnRepublican, Tennessee

Mr. President, I ask the previously scheduled vote begin immediately.

The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

Official Text ↗

Executive Calendar

The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the nomination.

The bill clerk read the nomination of Peter Hoekstra, of Michigan, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to Canada.

The PRESIDING OFFICER. The question is, Will the Senate advise and consent to the Hoekstra nomination?

Tina SmithDemocrat, Minnesota

I ask for the yeas and nays.

The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there a sufficient second?

There appears to be a sufficient second.

The clerk will call the roll.

The bill clerk called the roll.

John ThuneRepublican, South Dakota

The following Senators are necessarily absent: the Senator from Wyoming (Mr. Barrasso) and the Senator from Oklahoma (Mr. Mullin).

Richard J. DurbinDemocrat, Illinois

I announce that the Senator from Vermont (Mr. Sanders) is necessarily absent.

The result was announced--yeas 60, nays 37, as follows:

The nomination was confirmed.

The PRESIDING OFFICER. Under the previous order, the motion to reconsider is considered made and laid upon the table, and the President will be immediately notified of the Senate's action.

Official Text ↗

Vote on Johnson Nomination (Executive Calendar)

The PRESIDING OFFICER. Under the previous order, the question is, Will the Senate advise and consent to the Johnson nomination?

Sheldon WhitehouseDemocrat, Rhode Island

I ask for the yeas and nays.

The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there a sufficient second?

There appears to be a sufficient second.

The clerk will call the roll.

The senior assistant legislative clerk called the roll.

John ThuneRepublican, South Dakota

The following Senators are necessarily absent: the Senator from Wyoming (Mr. Barrasso), the Senator from Missouri (Mr. Hawley), the Senator from Oklahoma (Mr. Mullin), and the Senator from Florida (Mr. Scott).

Further, if present and voting: the Senator from Florida (Mr. Scott) would have voted ``yea.''

Richard J. DurbinDemocrat, Illinois

I announce that the Senator from Vermont (Mr. Sanders) is necessarily absent.

The result was announced--yeas 49, nays 46, as follows:

The nomination was confirmed.

The PRESIDING OFFICER. Under the previous order, the motion to reconsider is considered made and laid upon the table, and the President will be notified of the Senate's action.

Official Text ↗

Vote on Cabrera Nomination (Executive Calendar)

The PRESIDING OFFICER. Under the previous order, the question is, Will the Senate advise and consent to the Cabrera nomination?

Roger F. WickerRepublican, Mississippi

I ask for the yeas and nays.

The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there a sufficient second?

There appears to be a sufficient second.

The clerk will call the roll.

The senior assistant executive clerk called the roll.

John BarrassoRepublican, Wyoming

The following Senators are necessarily absent: the Senator from Missouri (Mr. Hawley), the Senator from Oklahoma (Mr. Mullin), and the Senator from Alabama (Mr. Tuberville).

Richard J. DurbinDemocrat, Illinois

I announce that the Senator from Vermont (Mr. Sanders) is necessarily absent.

The result was announced--yeas 51, nays 45, as follows:

The nomination was confirmed.

The PRESIDING OFFICER. Under the previous order, the motion to reconsider is considered made and laid upon the table, and the

The Senator from Massachusetts.

Official Text ↗

Unanimous Consent Request: S. 103 (Executive Calendar)

Edward J. MarkeyDemocrat, Massachusetts

Mr. President, I rise today to lawfully extend the deadline by which ByteDance must either divest TikTok or face a ban in the United States.

In a few moments, I will ask unanimous consent to pass my legislation with Senator Wyden, Senator Van Hollen, and Senator Booker, the Extend the TikTok Deadline Act, to extend the divestment deadline until October.

My colleagues may be wondering: Didn't President Trump just extend the TikTok deadline last week by 75 days? Why are we passing legislation to do the same thing? Well, it is because we need legislation because President Trump's move was illegal, both the first time he extended the deadline in January and his second extension last Friday.

Although the statute permits the President to extend the TikTok deadline by 90 days if certain conditions are met, President Trump never triggered that provision in the statute. Instead, he twice issued Executive orders that directed the Department of Justice to not enforce the law for 75 days. Nothing in the statute permits President Trump to simply not enforce Federal law.

By Trump's logic, he could negate any statute enacted by Congress by simply directing his administration to not enforce it. That is not how our system of government actually works. It is lawless, and it is dangerous.

Beyond being an affront to the rule of law, these Executive orders are also unfair to TikTok's 170 million creators and users and the 7 million small businesses that rely on the platform to reach their customers.

By lawlessly extending the TikTok divestment deadline, Trump has effectively put the fate of TikTok in the hands of risk-averse corporate shareholders at major technology companies like Oracle and Apple and Google. That is because the TikTok ban imposes up to $800 billion in fines for companies like Oracle and Apple and Google that help keep TikTok online and distribute the app through their app stores.

Trump's lawless extension puts these companies in a difficult spot. They can comply with the law--take TikTok offline and face the wrath of Trump and the public--or they can violate the law--leave TikTok up and risk ruinous legal liability.

So far, the tech companies have been willing to risk that liability based on promises from President Trump that he won't punish them. But we all know that President Trump's promises aren't worth a whole lot. The President could reverse course at any moment or threaten to rescind his Executive order to coerce these companies into supporting unrelated political objectives. No good comes from giving any President that kind of leverage.

So while TikTok remains online today, these unilateral illegal extensions are unfair to TikTok's users and dangerous for our country.

So here is the thing: I actually agree with the President on extending the TikTok divestment deadline. There was no reason that TikTok should have gone dark in January, just a couple of days after the Supreme Court ruled on the law.

Clearly, the Supreme Court had only 2 days left to resolve all of the national security issues, all of the other issues that were surrounding this issue. It wasn't TikTok or anyone else's fault that it took all the way up until to 2 days before the deadline to have TikTok get an answer as to whether or not what was happening was constitutional. So we needed more time to have a negotiation over whether or not those national security issues and other issues could be resolved.

It is now, ultimately, again, a decision that has to be made as to whether or not TikTok should have gone dark last week as rumors swirled about potential new investors in TikTok's U.S. business.

We don't need to find a lawful solution; it is imperative that we find a lawful solution. That is why I am bringing my legislation out here. That will protect free speech rights of TikTok's 170 million users and will also give us some time to be able to negotiate an end.

I want national security issues to be the central part of this negotiation, and I believe such a solution is possible. But unlawful, ad hoc extensions only sow chaos for the tech companies facing ruinous penalties and for the millions of Americans who rely on TikTok as a vital communications platform.

Instead, Congress should pass my legislation, the Extend the TikTok Deadline Act, to lawfully extend the divestment deadline until October, creating legal certainty for TikTok's users and creators and giving all parties a longer period to reach a solution.

So, Mr. President, as if in legislative session and notwithstanding rule XXII, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation be discharged from further consideration of S. 103, and the Senate proceed to its immediate consideration; further, that the bill be considered read a third time and passed, and the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table.

The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there an objection?

The Senator from Arkansas.

Tom CottonRepublican, Arkansas

Mr. President, reserving the right to object because I do object to this effort and will object to future efforts to change the TikTok law.

Let's remember how we got here. TikTok is a Chinese communist spy app and a tool of Chinese communist propaganda. That is why Congress passed an overwhelmingly bipartisan law mandating that TikTok's parent company sell it if TikTok is to continue operating in America.

Why did Congress pass this law? Because TikTok is not just another social media platform. TikTok addicts our kids, harvests their data, exposes them to pedophiles, and promotes harmful and manipulative content, including vile, anti-Semitic videos.

TikTok also silences, censors, and suppresses content that exposes communist China for what it really is--a monstrous tyranny. The truth about China's genocide against the Tibet and Uighur people, the massacre at Tiananmen Square, the crackdown on Hong Kong, the origins of COVID, and more are all disappeared behind the veil of TikTok's algorithm.

What TikTok doesn't say is only part of the problem. What it does say is deadly.

The Chinese version of TikTok tells kids to study hard, eat their vegetables, and revere their dictator, Xi Jinping. But the American version of TikTok exposes our kids to videos that glamorize and glorify violence, obscenity, eating disorders, drug use, and even suicide.

TikTok's lethal algorithm has, without question, cost the lives of too many Americans. That is why TikTok is so dangerous, and that is why Congress insisted that TikTok cut ties entirely with communist China.

President Trump is trying to implement the law that Congress passed, and many American businesses and investors are, apparently, interested in buying TikTok.

I applaud patriotic Americans who want to buy this app and cut all ties with the Chinese communists. But reports have surfaced that some businesses and investors want a bad deal that would violate the law by letting communist China continue to influence the TikTok algorithm. Even worse, these potential buyers may ask Congress to somehow indemnify them for violating the law or immunize them for TikTok's past crimes against and injuries to the American people, especially young Americans.

Let me say bluntly to any American who wants to invest in some half- ass TikTok deal: Congress will never protect you from going into business with communist China.

So American businesses and investors who want to dip their beaks in the golden TikTok fountain should think twice before giving their money and their good name to Chinese communists. If the TikTok deal maintains any operational relationship with China, you will be stuck with the consequences. Caveat emptor.

So I do oppose this effort to change the law, and I will oppose, in the future, other efforts to change the law that Congress already passed. Let's allow President Trump to negotiate and see if communist China is willing to make a deal. If not, then the law is the law.

Now I will yield to my colleague from Nebraska.

The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Nebraska.

Pete RickettsRepublican, Nebraska

Mr. President, reserving the right to object, I echo my colleague from Arkansas' comments with regard to TikTok.

Let's recall that in communist China, there really isn't such a thing as a private company, as much as ByteDance might want to say it is.

The Chinese communist law is very clear that companies in China have to do what they are told to do by the Chinese Communist Party, and that is one of the reasons TikTok is so dangerous.

TikTok, as has been covered by my colleague from Massachusetts, reaches 170 million people; 52 percent of those people say that they regularly get their news from TikTok.

As I have risen on this floor in the past, I have discussed specific cases where the Chinese communists have been pushing their propaganda through TikTok.

Now, let's also bear in mind that we would not allow any American TV, news station--even newspaper--to be able to own as much of the American marketplace as TikTok has today--170 million people. Current law says that you can only own 39 percent, for example, of the TV marketplace across the country. That would roughly equate to about 50 million households in the United States--far above what we are seeing here with what TikTok has access to. So if we are not going to allow Americans to be able to have such broad access to our population, why on Earth would we allow the Chinese Communist Party to do it? And by the way, the Chinese Communist Party has no First Amendment rights in this country.

ByteDance was given 270 days to make a deal. The Communist dictator Xi Jinping clearly did not want it. They tried to lobby us. They avoided getting a deal done. President Trump came into office. They are still avoiding getting a deal done.

The people who are taking on the liability here are the companies that are the facilitators. I urge those companies to reconsider. You should think carefully about what you are doing. The law is very clear. TikTok needs to be sold to an American owner to continue operation, not some half-baked plan, as my colleague from Arkansas was describing, where the Chinese Communist Party would still have influence on the TikTok algorithm, still have the ability to push their propaganda to the American people. That cannot happen. We need to make sure that the Chinese Communist Party cannot do that in our country.

Again, we won't allow other TV or radio stations to have that much access. Why on Earth are we doing it with the Chinese Communist Party? It is absolutely ludicrous.

We need to keep the pressure on. We need to make sure that TikTok is sold. I echo my colleague's comments with regard to any sort of future Chinese ownership that would allow them to be able to continue to do this. We need to make sure this is no longer going to threaten our young people.

Therefore, Mr. President, I object.

The PRESIDING OFFICER. The objection is heard.

The Senator from Massachusetts.

Edward J. MarkeyDemocrat, Massachusetts

Mr. President, I just want to reiterate what I said in my remarks--that ByteDance ownership in TikTok does create national security risks--but I also agree with my colleague. We just spoke. My colleague who just spoke said: Let's allow the President to continue to negotiate. Well, that is what my legislation does. It says that the President has out until October to negotiate a resolution that solves the national security-related issues. That time is needed because, in response to my colleague who said that he doesn't want a half-baked solution--well, that is what would happen if there was a rush to try to negotiate. So we need to give the President the legal space, passed by the Senate and the House, to be able to negotiate. That is all I am asking for.

What the President is doing right now is illegally extending the time, creating a cloud of legal jeopardy over all of the American companies which deal with TikTok right now.

So I think what I heard my colleague say was that they want to allow President Trump to negotiate, and that is what I am saying, except I am saying let's do it with the Senate having passed the legislation that gives him the time to do it in a very deliberate way so that the answer is not half-baked and that ultimately we can get to a resolution of this issue.

I will also note, by the way, that in a filing at the U.S. circuit court of appeals, that the intelligence community did, in fact, say that they have no information that the Chinese Government has, in fact, compromised this information that can be used against the United States at this point in time.

I would also add that I do agree with my colleague when he says that TikTok does prey upon young people, does contribute to mental health issues, especially amongst the teenagers and children in our society. But so does YouTube and so does Facebook and so does every one of the American sites.

So if we want to deal with the problem of social media creating problems for young people in our society, let's pass a law. Let's pass a tough law. That is the law that I have been able to get out of the Senate Commerce Committee. It is a tough law. It is the Child Online Privacy Protection Act, up to the age of 16, and it says to companies: If the parents want this, you have to delete any information you have gathered about the child. It says: You can't target a teenager or a child with ads.

Let's pass that law on the Senate floor, not just for TikTok but for the American companies as well, which invented this targeting of children. That was invented here, the targeting of children, exploiting of teenagers, causing this mental health crisis in our Nation.

So it is time for us to, in my opinion, pass the legislation that has been objected to by my colleagues on the Republican side of the aisle so that the President has the time to negotiate with the Chinese, with TikTok, about the national security issues, so that there is a divestment that does work and provides real security for Americans.

But the next issue arises immediately because even if there is a divestment, that TikTok that is then American-owned, theoretically, is going to be targeting teenagers and children just the same way that every other American social media company does. Where is the concern about that? I hear it, but I don't hear any legislation coming out here on the floor from the Republican leadership to deal with the crisis, which everyone knows is front and center in our society right now.

So I think this debate really gives us a great opportunity to have a wider conversation about all of the impact social media is having upon our society.

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

The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Indiana.

Official Text ↗

Maiden Speech (Executive Calendar)

Jim BanksRepublican, Indiana

Mr. President, it is the honor of my life to be here representing Indiana in the U.S. Senate. I want to start out thanking Hoosiers for sending me here to serve them, my State, and my country. It is an incredible honor. It is humbling and thrilling, truly, speaking on the floor of the U.S. Senate for the very first time.

You know, I grew up in a trailer park in Columbia City, IN, a small town of less than 10,000 people. I still live there today with my wife Amanda and our three young daughters, and, really, it is the best hometown in America.

But when I was a kid, we lived on the very south end of town, on a dead-end street with about a dozen trailers. I often drive by that boyhood home, and I point it out to my daughters, and I say: That is where I came from.

Unfortunately for them, it is on the way to school. So they hear me say that a lot, and they get annoyed every time I say it.

But I have a lot of great memories growing up in that trailer park. I remember my dad teaching me how to ride a bicycle in the cul-de-sac at the end of the street.

I remember his cream-colored Ford Bronco. The top would come off. He would wax it on the street and drive it around town. He was so proud of it.

I remember the bunkbed at the front of the trailer that I shared with my brother Chad. I remember the swing set in the side yard.

I remember deer hunting season. My dad would bring the buck home that he was proud of. We would can the meat, and we would live off it for the winter.

You see, my parents didn't have much, but they worked hard, and they provided for my two younger brothers and me.

My mom and dad were high school sweethearts. They didn't go to college. They had me at a young age. My mom started working when she was 13 years old at a local nursing home called Miller's Merry Manor, and she only recently retired from working there for most of her life.

My dad worked at a local Dane factory, where they made axles for cars and other vehicles. My uncle, my grandpa, many relatives, and many friends of our family also worked in that same factory. In fact, it was my grandpa, my mom's dad, who got my dad his job there when he started dating my mom.

When I was growing up, that factory provided good pay and opportunities for so many families in my community. During all three shifts, 24/7, the parking lot would be overflowing as workers earned a wage that was good enough to support their families. That was our American dream. Those were exactly the kinds of jobs that allowed my parents to put food on their table and raise their boys.

To so many Americans like my parents, the American dream isn't just some concept that think tank experts in Washington, DC, write about. It is real. It is what they have lived in their lives, like my mom and dad did, because to my mom and dad, the American dream is, if you work hard, then perhaps your kids might have a better shot than what you did.

I want to take a moment, like the Good Book says to do, and I want to honor my mom and my dad. It is because of them that I have lived the American dream. Look at where I am today: on the floor of the U.S. Senate, from humble beginnings in a small town in Northeast Indiana, the first of my family to go to college, and the great honor of wearing the uniform and serving my country.

I served my country in the U.S. House of Representatives and now here in this historic Chamber, the U.S. Senate. My oldest daughter Lillian is in the Gallery with us today. And just like my parents, I want my three daughters to be better off than what I was. That is the American dream.

This really is the greatest country in the history of the world. That American dream is always worth fighting and protecting.

But sadly, the country has changed a lot from when I was a kid growing up in that small town. There used to be plenty of those good- paying factory jobs like the one that my dad had, with pay that kept up with the cost of living and companies that treated their workers right.

It is no accident that a lot of those jobs have disappeared, and the working class is falling further and further behind. You see, it is clear: It is the result of bad policy choices that put corporate and foreign interests ahead of those workers like my dad. Decades of America-last policies have hollowed out our industries and crushed our workers.

Wall Street shipped factories overseas and stripped our companies for quick profits. For a State like Indiana, the top manufacturing State in the country, that is a huge blow.

We have lost 6 million manufacturing jobs since 1980, while our population grew by over 117 million people. Like President Trump said last week, we have also lost more than 90,000 factories since NAFTA was signed. Adjusting for the value of the dollar, working-class wages for men haven't gone up at all. They earned about $850 a week in 1980, and they still earn about $850 a week today. About 600,000 jobs went to Mexico over two decades since NAFTA. In the 1980s, it took about 40 weeks of work for a factory worker to earn enough to support their family. Today, it takes about 62 weeks, which means those working-class families are growing debt and falling further and further behind.

For too long, empty lots, boarded-up buildings, and dead store fronts could be seen all over America because of the choices that our Nation's elites made. It was a tremendous failure of leadership. They opened up our borders, they cut wages for workers, and, as a result, cheap labor flooded into our country.

Indiana is also the top steel-producing State in the country, but the steel industry has shrunk by two-thirds. In 1980, the United States made one-sixth of the world's steel. Now that has dropped to one- twentieth.

Foreign companies have used their low wages and subsidies to dump cheap steel and take over our market, while American steel companies have struggled to keep up.

Today, America produces 1 percent of all of the cargo ships in the world. But in 1980, we made over 50 percent of them. It costs over double to build a ship in the United States than it does in China and South Korea, and they heavily subsidize their shipbuilding industries.

You see, in Columbia City, my small hometown, the best paying jobs are at a local steel mill called Steel Dynamics. A lot of guys I went to high school with, a lot of friends of our family work there today, and they do really well and provide for their families.

But we have lost way too many of those kinds of jobs around the country to China and foreign countries that have taken advantage of us and our workers. It was great to see leaders from that steel mill-- Steel Dynamics--in the Rose Garden last week when I had a front row seat to celebrate President Trump's tariffs announcement, which will massively help our steel industry in places like Columbia City, IN. For too long, our leaders have turned a blind eye when our enemies like China took those good-paying skilled jobs away from us.

One of the really memorable moments from the Rose Garden, last week, of President Trump for me was when he said that it is hard to fully blame foreign countries when it was the lack of leadership on our own part that allowed those countries to take advantage of America.

In fact, he kept pointing back to the Oval Office and saying that we are in the position that we are today because many of the men who sat in that office behind him did nothing while foreign countries took advantage of us and our workers.

President Trump understands, like we all do, that we can't pass the American dream on to the next generation if we let China dominate us. In fact, he is the first President of my lifetime to call China a threat to the American way of life. That is why I believe that letting China into the World Trade Organization was the worst economic mistake of my lifetime.

For too long, they have stolen our technology, they have copied our products, and they have built up their industries with slave wages that American workers can't and shouldn't have to compete with. No one has held them accountable until now. Too many of our leaders have been playing footsie with China instead of pushing back and standing up for our workers.

In 2001, our trade deficit with China was $84 billion. By 2024, that deficit more than tripled to $295 billion. Nearly 25 years ago, China accounted for 8 percent of the world's manufacturing output, but by 2020, that number has gone up by 35 percent.

The Chinese Communist Party wants to make the United States irrelevant in every key industry: steel, aluminum, nuclear power, AI, semiconductors, telecom, planes, ships, cars, and many more.

They are making us weaker and dependent. And here is the worst part about it: the CCP conned American investors into footing the bill. They rolled out the red carpet to corporate America, and Wall Street poured nearly $1 trillion into Chinese companies that destroyed American jobs.

Some people believed naively that China would become freer, more open, and more like America; the complete opposite has happened. Now, they are our biggest adversary, and it is past time that we fight back.

During my time in the House, I made it my mission, my biggest priority to stand up to China, and only one President in my lifetime, once again, has understood that threat. In the U.S. Senate, I intend to help and stand with President Trump to stand up to China and put America first.

When President Trump first came down that escalator over 10 years ago, my dad, a retired union factory worker, was for him from day one. I wasn't so sure about it, but my dad knew that

President Trump tapped into the American people's hopes in a way that few leaders before him ever have. And that is why I was so inspired in just the first couple of weeks on the job as a U.S. Senator to be in that Rotunda for President Trump's inauguration when he talked about ushering in the golden age of America. It was so encouraging and inspiring to real people in real places like my hometown.

I feel like I am living through some of the best parts of our history, and I stand with President Trump in his commitment to put those working families first. He is removing the ``kick me'' sign from the backs of our workers and our producers. He is doing what the voters elected him to do, and he is keeping his campaign promises.

He is putting our attention on the issues that matter most to working Americans, like being able to afford a home, a car, groceries, education, and healthcare.

He is standing up against global companies that are selling out to our enemies, and he is bringing back a country that builds and makes things. Just last month, so important to Indiana, we heard that Honda is going to build their new Honda Civic in Indiana, not in Mexico. And last week, GM said that they would increase truck production just a few miles from my hometown in Fort Wayne. Our steel mills are roaring back to life. Our tech companies are hiring in America again.

And Eli Lilly, also based in Indiana, plans to invest $27 billion in American manufacturing. So far in just 10 weeks, President Trump has announced $6 trillion in new investment in the United States of America. That type of investment is helping to bring back the American dream for hard-working Americans.

On election day this past November, I took what ended up being a long and nostalgic walk with my dog Marshall. He is named after Thomas Riley Marshall, the 28th Vice President of the United States, who is also from my small hometown.

In fact, his Vice Presidential statue is right outside the west door as you enter this Chamber. In fact, on election day, we walked right past his home, which today is a museum in his honor to his history. When I was in elementary school, we would go to field trips to the museum, and the teachers would say: Look what this guy did coming from a small town like this. If you work hard and dream big, maybe you can do something like that too.

I went on this dogwalk with Marsh, and we walked past the museum, we walked past the courthouse and the town square in my hometown. We walked past the hot dog stand that was where I had my first job as a teenager, and then we ended up in that trailer park that I mentioned earlier where I grew up.

I have driven past it many times, but it was the first time that I have actually gone through alone and walked through and down this street since I was a kid. It was just a couple of hours before the news would call my race and name me the Senator-elect for the great State of Indiana, so this was rather an emotional experience for me. As memories of my childhood flooded back, I realized how incredible of a life and opportunity that I have been given.

But as we were walking down that street, I noticed a mom sitting on the steps of her trailer, smoking a cigarette, watching her two boys in the yard who would have been about the same age as my brother and I would have been when we lived in that trailer park too. As I watched them, I couldn't help but wonder if those boys would be able to achieve what I did or if the deck was so stacked against them today that that kind of opportunity for them was way out of reach.

Later that evening as the results from election night poured in, it became apparent to me that America decided to turn the page to a new chapter for this great country. And as someone who has lived the American dream, I have got great news for those boys and their mom: The golden age of America is here.

It has only been 5 months since election day when I took that walk, and we have already seen a major shift for hard-working Americans. For too long, Washington has not cared about people like those boys and that mom, but I do. And I know that all of you do, and I know that President Trump does too.

As leaders in this country, we have a duty to fight for those boys and those moms like her for their American dream.

To my Republican colleagues and my colleagues across the aisle, we must stand together more than ever before to fight for those working families.

It is going to take everyone in this Chamber working together to do it. There is so much in this fight that we can all agree on as Republicans and Democrats, and now is the time for leadership of both parties to step up for American workers and families.

We are kicking off a new era of peace and prosperity like we have never seen before. Again, Indiana, thank you for this incredible opportunity. To my colleagues, it is a privilege to serve with you. I am so excited about what lies ahead.

I yield the floor.

(Applause.)

The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Indiana.

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Tribute to Jim Banks (Executive Calendar)

Todd YoungRepublican, Indiana

Mr. President, I am thrilled to be in the audience for my colleague's maiden speech.

Senator Banks just delivered inspired words. And he gave a speech from his heart as well as his head, and those are always the best received.

It is really--he has an amazing life story. He is a great public servant. I know his family is very proud of him. I know his hometown in Northeastern Indiana are very proud of him, people throughout the great State of Indiana and really beyond, and I am proud of him.

I have known Senator Banks for a lot of years, and we have long been friends. And it is really remarkable what he has done up to this point in his professional career and what he is going to do.

I want to thank Jim and his family for taking this step. It is not always easy serving in a public capacity. I want to welcome him formally to the U.S. Senate in front of the world, and I know Amanda is watching. Amanda, thank you so much for your service to this country. Sometimes it is like being the preacher's wife. You are not always given the credit that you are due. But certainly my colleagues here understand the sacrifices that are made as your husband serves the State of Indiana.

So I am glad you are here, Jim. We have a lot in common. We are both IU basketball fans. We both have a degree from Indiana University. We are both veterans. We both have three beautiful daughters, and one of yours is here. Lillian, thank you for visiting and being part of this important moment.

So I will just tell the world and to certainly my colleagues that Jim Banks is committed, committed to making our economy work for everyone. Jim Banks is committed to making sure that we satisfy our responsibilities of keeping the American people safe and secure by taking care of our warfighters and giving them all they need.

And, Jim, if you are up to it, and I think you are, we are going to do some amazing things together on behalf of the people of Indiana. We are going to have to right some wrongs from the past--you alluded to that--rethink some preconceived notions that require rethinking, and offer solutions. And we will work together on that and drive those solutions to outcomes.

More on that later, but I am just so appreciative to have you here, and I thank you for your words.

I yield the floor.

The PRESIDING OFFICER. The majority leader.

John ThuneRepublican, South Dakota

Mr. President, I, too, just want to welcome, officially-- now that he has delivered his maiden speech--Senator Banks from the great State of Indiana. Like his colleague Senator Young, I, too, have had the opportunity to observe, and one thing I really appreciate about Senator Banks is he obviously served his country as a Member of the House of Representatives; he served his country in the military; he was deployed abroad.

He is a veteran, and he is passionate about serving causes that are greater than himself. And that is a family passion, a partnership he and Amanda have and his girls. And I am just grateful that they are willing to roll up

I am not a Hoosier, but my favorite movie, at least top five, is ``Hoosiers,'' and I also had the opportunity to travel a couple of times with Senator Banks in his great State and had the opportunity to welcome him to ours for something he enjoys as passionately as I do, and that is pheasant hunting.

But you have been a great addition already to the U.S. Senate. You are a great leader for Indiana, and we look forward to working with you.

So welcome, and thanks so much for serving.

The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Tennessee.

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Tennessee Storms (Executive Calendar)

Marsha BlackburnRepublican, Tennessee

Mr. President, in recent days, Middle and West Tennesseans have faced severe storms that have truly upended the lives of many of our communities and our citizens. Over 4 days, parts of our State saw more than 12 inches of rainfall. This has caused rising rivers, flash floods, and it has forced people out of their homes and their businesses.

At the same time, we have seen devastating tornadoes that have destroyed homes, businesses, and entire communities. In Selmer, TN, one tornado reached winds of 160 miles per hour, leaving a path of destruction. In the words of one survivor, the storms have left the town ``unrecognizable.''

As a result of this devastation, we have lost the lives of 10 Tennesseans. My heart goes out to every single one of their families as our State mourns this loss and as the communities gather to grieve the loss of their citizens.

Right now, Tennessee remains in a state of emergency. Over the weekend in Nashville, I visited the State Emergency Operations Center and received an update from the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency, FEMA, Tennessee Department of Transportation, Tennessee Highway Patrol, and other agencies on our State's emergency response. I also had the opportunity to visit with nonprofits that are meeting the needs on the ground of our citizens.

I do want to say thank you to all of the first responders and the volunteers and the emergency teams who are working around the clock to meet the needs of so many.

With water still rising in our State, power lines down, and many roads blocked completely, it is imperative that Tennesseans listen to local authorities and take every precaution to keep themselves safe. My team is working closely with State and Federal and local agencies, and we are ready to assist anyone who has endured these awful, awful storms.

In the face of any crisis, Tennesseans always come together. As we start to pick up the pieces from these storms, I know you will see that volunteer spirit alive and well in Tennessee.

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Trump Administration (Executive Calendar)

The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Vermont.

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Afghanistan (Executive Calendar)

Peter WelchDemocrat, Vermont

Mr. President, it has been 3\1/2\ years since August 30, 2021, when the last American forces withdrew from Afghanistan.

The withdrawal was, by any objective measure, a total fiasco. However, the Biden administration does deserve some credit for evacuating at least 120,000 Afghans in those chaotic days after the Taliban overran Kabul. It was one of the largest--if not the largest-- humanitarian airlifts in history. Nevertheless, hundreds of thousands of Afghans and their families remain stranded in Afghanistan and other countries, especially Pakistan.

Many of these people had worked for our government or participated in programs funded by the United States, in women's rights, in education, judicial and economic reform, in counternarcotics, and many other areas.

These refugees worked with and for our government, our soldiers, our diplomats, and our intelligence officers. Some of these refugees have made it safely to the United States, thanks to the determined persistence of humanitarian organizations, including one in Vermont, the Vermont Afghan Alliance, and the outstanding work of Molly Gray and her staff.

These organizations have advocated for refugees ceaselessly. They have not forgotten what those refugees did for our soldiers in Afghanistan. And these organizations have helped arrange for the practical needs that refugees face--housing, employment, and other social services--upon their arrival in the United States.

I so appreciate the work of the Vermont Afghan Alliance and the many other refugee assistance organizations around the country, including in your State, Mr. President. They have been indispensable in helping us meet our obligation to support the Afghans who helped our soldiers. That is our obligation.

But, ultimately, the resettlement is the responsibility of the Federal Government. In the end, the Biden administration did fall short in its promises to the Afghan refugee population. This population of refugees exists, I state again, because of their work with and for our government, for our soldiers, for our diplomats, and our intelligence officers. We have abandoned our partners in their time of need.

One of the things, the screening process for these refugees became hopelessly bureaucratic, opaque, and fraught with inexplicable delays, including the processing of long-delayed special immigrant visas for Afghans who supported the U.S. mission. Many of them were interpreters. Congress failed by not providing the necessary funds and authority to streamline the resettlement process.

And then, regrettably, in one of President Trump's first Executive orders, signed on January 20, he made the situation exponentially worse by suspending admission to the United States of Afghan refugees. And now Pakistan has threatened to deport them back to Afghanistan where many of them would face the risk of arrest and, literally, execution.

Today, thousands of Afghan refugees are facing total abandonment by the U.S. Government, and this is despite the fact that they completed or they have nearly completed the laborious and time-consuming process of obtaining the necessary security and medical clearances for themselves and their families.

I would like to share one example. For over a year, my office has tried to help an Afghan man, now in Vermont, who worked at the U.S. Embassy in Kabul. This man is working to support fellow Afghans in finding employment for Afghans in Vermont. This man's father served as a Deputy Minister of Justice supporting U.S. rule of law projects.

Since 2021, the father and his family have been hiding in a third country, knowing they would face arrest and persecution if they are deported back to Afghanistan. Then, in December 2024, after years of waiting, they were finally cleared to fly to the United States. He thought his father was coming home. The son had already signed the lease for an apartment and was paying the rent for this to happen. But since January 20, as a result of the President's order, the father and his family have remained in hiding, preparing for the worst as the son is continuing to pay rent on an apartment that was to be available for his father.

You know, this is really shameful. These are folks who were there for us and our soldiers and our diplomats and our intelligence officers. And the situation for this family is typical of the situation for so many Afghan families who served us.

I have long believed that the U.S. invasion and occupation of Afghanistan was a terrible mistake. Tracking down Osama Bin Laden and the other members of al-Qaida responsible for the September 11 terrorist attacks was justifiable and was necessary. But spending literally hundreds of billions of dollars to try to transform a country of warring clans, led by corrupt and ruthless warlords with no history of democracy, was doomed to fail. Yet we did do that.

And millions of Afghans believed in us, and they shared our vision for that country. And many of them served us, acting as interpreters for the U.S. military or faithfully serving our intelligence Agencies. And these men, some of whom now live in Vermont, risked their lives for us, something that our soldiers take very seriously and have expressed immense gratitude for. Thousands were rushed to the airport in the first frantic days of the evacuation. When they got there--and some who got out--they were told to leave their wives and their children behind and that their families would join them in the United States within 1 year.

This is an obligation we have to those folks who, as a result of the collapse in Kabul, were in serious physical jeopardy. It now is 3\1/2\ years later, and I am not aware of a single evacuation or reunification of family members of these men. They are here or elsewhere, and their families are still in Afghanistan.

These refugees, as I stated and will state again because it is the heart of the matter and the heart of the obligation, they worked with our government, they worked with our soldiers, our diplomats, and our intelligence officers, and we have abandoned our partners when they need us.

Some are still waiting on the SIV processing, others on their green cards, and most on the broken promise of reunification. This is really shameful.

These men continue to stand with the United States, working in our communities, paying taxes, and growing our economy. We owe it to them, the Afghans who made it here, and to our honor to bring their families to join them.

Yet there are alarming reports that President Trump plans to ban admission to the United States for citizens of

Although the Taliban leadership issued a so-called general amnesty for former officials in the U.S.-backed government more than 3 years ago, the reality is that the U.N. has reported what we knew would happen--at least 200 killings of former Afghan officials and members of the Afghan Army who were trained and equipped by the United States. The Taliban, of course, has also reneged on its pledge to uphold the rights of women, including allowing girls to attend school. Today, the situation that faces Afghan women and girls is literally no better, regrettably, than under the Taliban before the U.S. occupation.

The Trump administration's termination of USAID's assistance programs in more than 100 countries, including Afghanistan, without any meaningful review, has caused people everywhere to doubt that they can rely on the United States. We are putting our reputation in jeopardy.

President Trump and Secretary Rubio provided, literally, no credible explanation and justification, in clear violation of Congress's intent, with the destruction of these USAID Programs. But by abandoning thousands of Afghans who do face persecution if forced to return, we reinforce those doubts. And by doing so, we encourage those who have long seen the United States as a world leader and as a partner to look for more reliable partners elsewhere. That is bad for our national security.

President Trump's January 20 Executive order triggered a 90-day review of our Refugee Admissions Programs. In February, a Federal court did issue a nationwide preliminary injunction prohibiting the implementation of the order. But despite that, despite that court order, the Trump administration issued termination orders to refugee resettlement agencies in States around this country. Again, this is going to affect these folks who work for our government, our soldiers, our diplomats, and our intelligence officers. We owe them. There is no justification for us to abandon them.

I am really concerned about the administration's, what I see as an increasingly brazen flaunting of court orders. I think all of us in Congress should condemn any deviation from abiding by court orders by the administration.

I hope the administration's review of the refugee admissions is not another pretext review like we had supposedly of the USAID Programs. It cannot be an excuse to manufacture a false justification for abandoning the victims of our nation-building debacle. We have to take ownership of what it is we did.

We have to meet our commitments to people who helped us in our efforts in Afghanistan.

This must be an opportunity to expedite--expedite--the resettlement to the United States of these Afghan refugees who trusted in us and whose lives are very much at risk.

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Tariffs (Executive Calendar)

The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Massachusetts.

Elizabeth WarrenDemocrat, Massachusetts

Mr. President, Donald Trump is trashing our economy.

First, Donald Trump imposed across-the-board tariffs. Then, just a few hours ago, he dropped those tariffs to 10 percent on everyone and moved the tariffs up to 125 percent on China, up from 105 percent yesterday. Now there is confusion. There is chaos. No one knows what the tariffs will be tomorrow or the next day or next week or next month.

But here is what we do know: Are prices still going up? Yes. Are businesses still wary about investing? Yes. Are millions of working people still worried about their jobs and millions of small businesses still worried about closing shop? Yes.

Right before Donald Trump declared that some of his tariffs were off again, he sent out a message to his billionaire buddies. He posted ``THIS IS A GREAT TIME TO BUY!!!'' Was that market manipulation? Was it corruption in plain sight? We need an independent investigation into market manipulation because Americans need to know whether President Trump or anyone in his administration manipulated the market to benefit their donors all while they are working for the American people and while small businesses and those working families are paying the price.

It is a disaster, but here is the thing: Republicans in Congress have a chance to stop him right now. If they do nothing, they, along with Trump, are responsible for the fallout. Congress could end this dangerous trade war right now by passing my bipartisan resolution with Senator Ron Wyden to turn off the fake emergency authority that Donald Trump is using to impose his worldwide and chaotic tariffs.

So I have a simple question for the Senate: Why aren't we passing this resolution this instant?

Let's take a step back and talk about what has happened since Trump imposed his illegal, across-the-board tariffs 1 week ago today. Americans' retirement accounts took a hit. Businesses started hiking prices, and many are preparing for layoffs. Consumer confidence hit its lowest point in years as millions of Americans wonder will they have a job in 3 months' time. Economists have said that if we continue down this path of uncertainty, recession is inevitable.

We have actually seen this before--in 2008 during the mortgage meltdown and in 2020, as we were hit by a once-in-a-century virus. But this time, there is no mortgage meltdown; there is no virus. No, the crisis is entirely the fault of one person: Donald Trump.

This might be the first time in history that the actions of a single man have destroyed so much economic value around the planet. If we do not reverse course, this catastrophic mistake will seriously hurt people, seriously hurt small businesses, and seriously hurt the United States' position in the world.

We all know what is happening. It isn't possible to turn on a television or check your news feed without seeing it. Every single elected Republican in Congress knows what these tariffs would mean for people--from farmers who are pleading for help as they brace for the trade war, to seniors who are on the verge of retiring and now having to scramble to figure out how they can work longer, to workers who don't know how many more paychecks they will get before being laid off.

I know there are people who say tariffs are always a bad idea. I don't agree. I have long argued that smart tariff

For three decades, politicians from both parties have worked together to cut bad trade deals--trade deals that sold out American workers and promoted offshoring. Entire communities across this country were hallowed out, and American families across this country were left in the wreckage.

We owe it to these communities, we owe it to these families to forge a new path forward on trade, one that invests in American workers and American industry. We owe it to these communities to integrate tariffs with other economic tools to encourage domestic production and good jobs right here in the United States of America. But everyone knows that the kinds of tariffs that Donald Trump is putting in place will not do that. They aren't strategic; they are just plain dumb.

It is widely reported that the math behind this brilliant tariff scheme looks exactly like it came from someone typing a bunch of basic questions into ChatGPT and using the resulting bogus numbers to slap tariffs on essentially every country in the world, including a group of islands whose only inhabitants are penguins. Plagiarizing an AI chatbot's idea of a rational tariff policy and using it then to blow up the world economy would make a very funny movie--if real people's livelihoods weren't at stake.

Trump's on-again, off-again, on-again, off-again, on-again, off-again tariffs are not encouraging businesses to develop plants in the United States. Instead, they have the opposite effect--they scare off investors.

Donald Trump's on-again, off-again tariffs won't bring back manufacturing jobs. Instead, companies are cutting manufacturing jobs, and factory productivity is declining across the country. These tariffs are job killers no matter the sector.

As much as Trump loves taking credit for investments that were announced before he took office, the reality is, layoffs are now at the highest they have been since the start of the pandemic and first- quarter hiring plans are at a decade-plus low.

Let me say that again. The tariffs are scaring off investors. They are not bringing back manufacturing jobs, and layoffs are on the rise.

That is a lot of bad news all at once, and believe it or not, there is more bad news. Donald Trump's tariffs will also be used as an excuse by companies to jack up prices and rip off American families.

The Chairman of the Federal Reserve said that Trump's tariffs will mean higher prices. Then he gave an example from the first term of the Trump administration when tariffs on washing machines led to companies hiking prices on washing machines. OK. We understand that, but the damage didn't stop there. Those companies also hiked prices on dryers even though there were no tariffs on dryers. Why? Because they knew American consumers would just assume those prices also went up because of tariffs.

Now imagine what companies can get away with when the President is loudly yelling about putting 10 percent tariffs on everyone, everywhere, everything, all at once, and threatening to do more and at rates that make no sense, and he could change again at any moment. It is not just a killer for honest businesses; it is also going to be a field day for companies that want to juice their profits with just a little price gouging.

CEOs are already talking about it. Here are some quotes:

Another:

Can they be any clearer? They are already telling us that they don't just pass along cost increases that they face; they are saying they will use tariffs to push prices higher and higher.

Right now, every economic indicator is flashing red. Every community around the country is ringing the alarm bell. People understand that if we do not put an end to this chaos once and for all, we are headed for an economic disaster.

As it turns out, even Senators are raising the alarm.

Senator John Kennedy said:

Go, John.

Senator Thom Tillis said:

Senator Ted Cruz said he was not ``a fan of jacking up taxes on American consumers.''

Yes, no surprises here. These Republicans all know what is happening. They just refuse to do anything about it. They sit on their hands while millions of Americans across the country are sitting at home wondering when Republicans in Congress are going to step up and do something.

A few Senators have commented, but so far, we have seen no action-- none--from Republican leadership. Republican Senate leadership knows how bad the tariff situation is, but it is just the same old cowering before Donald Trump.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune and Speaker Mike Johnson could hold a vote immediately to shut off these tariffs and end the chaos. They could stand up to Trump and stand up for their constituents. They could demonstrate to the world that Congress has a role to play and can put some curbs on President Trump's tariffs by whim. But apparently Majority Leader Thune is in no hurry. He said earlier this week that he would just wait to see what is happening.

Senator Mike Johnson has said:

Yes, it has only been a week. And in that week, capital markets around the world have lost trillions of dollars in value, working people and seniors have seen their savings decimated, people have already started getting pink slips, prices are already going up. And Thune and Johnson's own constituents are urging their Representatives and their Senators to fight back, but so far, they do nothing.

Farmers like Rodney Koch, who grows soybeans in Garretson, SD, are worried that tariffs ``will hurt our pocketbooks.'' Can Leader Thune explain to farmers in his home State why he is sitting on his hands while Republicans put their livelihoods at risk?

Business owners in Louisiana say they are bracing ``for price hikes from Trump tariffs.'' Can Speaker Johnson explain to his constituents back home why he is sitting on his hands as their costs go through the roof?

Republican leadership knows how bad this is, but they do nothing. Normally, that would be it. There is nothing that the minority party, the Democrats, could do about it. But with Senator Wyden's and my bipartisan resolution, Republicans cannot stop us. We can force a vote on the tariff question. Republicans cannot stop us from forcing a vote, but they can delay us, and that is what they are doing. Instead of passing a bill to save our economy, instead of reassuring both Americans and people around the world that there are some limits on what Donald Trump can do in terms of jerking tariffs up and down and sideways and on and off--instead of doing that, the Senate is about to vote to put a career Wall Street suit in charge of the SEC. But it is not just any Wall Streeter. This is a corporate guy, Paul Atkins, who actually has a track record on financial crashes.

The Republican nominee for Chairman of the SEC was a member of the SEC during the years leading up to the 2008 financial crisis. His track record in the runup to the crash was impeccable: Mr. Atkins sat on his hands--no acknowledgement that the crash was coming, no steps to avoid the crash, no push to help out families or small businesses once the crash hit. Instead, Mr. Atkins took votes while he was on the SEC that directly contributed to the crash.

Even today, despite all of the evidence about how loose regulations triggered a crisis that cost 10 million families their homes and put millions more out of work, Mr. Atkins has 20/0 hindsight about his mistakes. Apparently, he thinks that the only thing we did wrong in the runup to the 2008 crash was not to remove more rules from the giant banks so they could have loaded up even faster on more risk, taken

Once he left government, Mr. Atkins moved to a long career helping billionaire scammers like Sam Bankman-Fried get even richer.

Getting Mr. Atkins confirmed instead of stopping the economic chaos-- this is the priority for Republicans in Congress right now. Put another fox in charge of the henhouse while the whole farm could burn to the ground.

So that is the Republican plan: Ignore the economic chaos happening around us, confirm a guy who helped cause the last crash, and then go on vacation for 2 weeks. If the Republicans do that, it will be a month before Congress can vote to reverse the President's disastrous tariffs and demonstrate to the world that there are some limits on his ability to cause economic chaos.

The Republican approach is reckless, it is dangerous, and most of all, it is cowardly. Trillions of dollars in wealth evaporated last week. Who knows how much irreversible damage will be done to our economy in a month or in 90 days when Trump decides to put these tariffs back on, back off, back on, and back off. Does anyone want to find out? I certainly don't.

This kind of uncertainty is enormously damaging to our economy. In the meantime, all that happens is that CEOs continue to bow and scrape to Donald Trump at black-tie galas, hoping to secure loopholes for their own companies.

Congress has the tools to put a stop to this. We need to act now to stop the chaos. Senator Wyden's and my bipartisan resolution would turn off the emergency, bogus declaration that Donald Trump is using. It would demonstrate that Congress is willing to stand up and say that Donald Trump will not have the magic wand to continue to turn tariffs on and off at whim. I urge my Republican colleagues to join us and to vote down the President's abuse of emergency authorities.

Republicans in Congress have a choice to make. They can continue to bow down to Donald Trump while he sabotages our economy, or they can stand up for the American people who elected them.

Every Democrat is ready to go. We are ready to vote to end this destructive tariff war, but we need Republicans to stand up and show some courage.

If Republicans don't step up and our economy falls off a cliff, we will know who is responsible. If Trump's tariff games of ``on-again, off-again'' crash our economy, we know which Republicans will be responsible. If Trump's tariff games lead to layoffs around the country, we know which Republicans will be responsible. If Trump's tariff games force small businesses to close their doors, we know which Republicans will be responsible. If Trump's tariff games hurt our farmers, we know which Republicans will be responsible. If Trump's tariff games force retirees to have to get out and find work, we know which Republicans will be responsible.

We know who is responsible, and it is every single one of these cowards who will not take the blowtorch out of Donald Trump's hands. These Republican Senators understand that what is happening is not normal. They understand that we are in an extremely dangerous moment. They understand that if Congress does not act, Americans of every class, every race, every age, every religion, every region of the country, and every political party will suffer. This is the time for Republicans to act.

Donald Trump's friends at Mar-a-Lago may flatter him over candlelit dinners and tell him he is all powerful, but Donald Trump is not a King, and Congress is not powerless. We can act to stop him, and that is exactly what we should do.

I yield the floor.

The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Massachusetts.

Elizabeth WarrenDemocrat, Massachusetts

Mr. President, I suggest the absence of a quorum.

The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.

The bill clerk proceeded to call the roll.

Maria CantwellDemocrat, Washington

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.

The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

The Senator from Washington.

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Tariffs (Executive Calendar)

Maria CantwellDemocrat, Washington

Mr. President, I come here today to urge my colleagues to vote no on the nomination of Mark Meador to be the FTC Commissioner. But before I do that, I did want to take a moment and talk about today's actions that happened when the President created a 90-day pause on the tariffs, taking the temperature down a bit.

I definitely want to thank my House colleagues Representative Bacon and Gottheimer for introducing legislation similar to the Trade Review Act of 2025 that we have introduced here in the Senate.

And while we have seen America on a roller coaster the last couple of days, I think it also is a reminder that we need to continue to play this oversight role. If you want to have the ability not to have the roller coaster ride we have been on, the best way to do that is to make sure that Congress continues to play a role in this very important policy. So I appreciate all my colleagues, and I appreciate my House colleagues for their leadership.

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Nomination of Mark Meador (Executive Calendar)

The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.

The senior assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.

Ted CruzRepublican, Texas

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.

The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

The Senator from Texas.

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H.J. Res. 20 (Executive Calendar)

Ted CruzRepublican, Texas

Mr. President, I rise today to call up my resolution to undo a regulation about appliances, which was imposed by the Biden- Harris administration weeks after American voters had overwhelmingly rejected that administration and its policies and which, if left in place, would increase costs and limit the options of everyday Texans and everyday Americans across our Nation.

After the election, President Trump and the new Republican Congress systemically moved in exactly the opposite direction to decrease costs and to expand the options of Americans.

Indeed, on January 20, in his Executive order on American energy, President Trump made it the policy of the United States ``to safeguard the American people's freedom to choose from a variety of goods and appliances, including, but not limited to, lightbulbs, dishwashers, washing machines, gas stoves, water heaters, toilets, and shower heads, and to promote market competition and innovation within the manufacturing and appliance industries.''

What refreshing common sense that was missing from the previous administration.

My resolution deals with a rule imposed by the Biden-Harris Department of Energy in December, after the election, and which deals with what they describe as the energy efficiency of non-condensing tankless gas water heaters, which millions of Americans rely upon in their homes.

The Biden-Harris administration knew that they were increasing costs on Americans. Indeed, that is what they were deliberately doing. They acknowledge that because of their rule, the cost of each affected unit would increase by at least $200--and industry experts say the true increase is double even that estimate. The administration's own numbers show that as many as 40 percent of affected customers would experience a net cost increase over the appliance's lifetime.

They didn't care, and it is worth discussing some of the reasons they didn't care about the hardship they were inflicting on hard-working American families and why it is so important today for the Senate to pass my resolution to undo their actions.

First and foremost, hypocrisy. The Biden administration believes in rules for others but not for themselves and conveniences for themselves but not for others. This was an administration that believed in shutting down businesses and banning events all across the United States because of COVID but exempting themselves and what they cared about. If you were at an antifa riot, the COVID virus could not affect you, but God help you if you wanted to go to church, clearly, everyone in the congregation was going to die of COVID that day.

The American people saw that hypocrisy play out again and again, including with appliance regulations such as gas stoves, and, indeed, the hypocrisy played out again with the water heater regulation that my resolution will overturn. Left in place, this regulation would force American consumers to either pay more for these heaters or, if they can't afford to pay more, to shift to less efficient models.

Democrats used to pitch themselves as the party of the working class, as a blue-collar party. No more. Today's Democratic Party is the party of rich coastal elites, and the blue-collar working men and women, Mr. President, that elected you, that elected me--blue-collar workers are now the base of the Republican Party.

Second, corruption. The administration used regulations, mandates, and grants to enrich their allies, including especially radical climate activists. Just to give you an example in one of these infamous ``gold bar schemes,'' Biden's EPA funneled $2 billion--that is billion with a ``b''--into Georgia Democratic gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams' ``Power Forward Communities.'' They said the money was going toward purchasing new home appliances for low-income families to help ``the decarbonization of homes.'' But that funding was only available to families who worked with Power Forward Communities after the grant was issued.

Biden's very generous, taxpayer-funded gift went to Stacey Abrams' coalition in a brazen attempt to buy Georgians' votes.

And, third, power. For advocates of these regulations, limiting consumer choice is the point. It is a feature, not a bug. Their goal is to control the choices and freedoms of Americans.

I believe it should be you, the consumer, that makes those choices, not unelected bureaucrats in Washington.

Last year, I spoke on this floor about a different Department of Energy appliance regulation. That regulation was about gas furnaces. It would have required over half of American households to purchase new furnaces, which they also didn't care about. Their goal was to target the natural gas industry.

Today's vote is about protecting such fundamental issues as fairness, consumer choice, and affordability. I strongly urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to vote yes, especially if you care about blue- collar workers, if you care about families struggling to make ends meet. Vote yes and vote to end this government mandate driving up the costs on Americans across this country.

I yield the floor.

The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Texas.

Ted CruzRepublican, Texas

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the previously scheduled rollcall vote occur immediately.

The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection?

Without objection, it is so ordered.

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Vote on Atkins Nomination (Executive Calendar)

The PRESIDING OFFICER. Under the previous order, The question is, Will the Senate advise and consent to the Atkins nomination?

Rand PaulRepublican, Kentucky

I ask for the yeas and nays.

The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there a sufficient second?

There appears to be a sufficient second.

The clerk will call the roll.

The senior assistant legislative clerk called the roll.

John BarrassoRepublican, Wyoming

The following Senator is necessarily absent: the Senator from Oklahoma (Mr. Mullin).

Richard J. DurbinDemocrat, Illinois

I announce that the Senator from Pennsylvania (Mr. Fetterman), the Senator from Vermont (Mr. Sanders), and the Senator from Virginia (Mr. Warner) are necessarily absent.

The result was announced--yeas 52, nays 44, as follows:

The nomination was confirmed.

The PRESIDING OFFICER. Under the previous order, the motion to reconsider is considered made and laid upon the table, and the President will be immediately notified of the Senate's action.

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Providing for Congressional Disapproval Under Chapter 8 of Title 5, United States Code, of the Rule Submitted by the Department of Energy Relating to "Energy Conservation Program: Energy...

Ted CruzRepublican, Texas

Mr. President, I move to proceed to Calendar No. 17, H.J. Res. 20.

The clerk will report the motion.

The legislative clerk read as follows:

The PRESIDING OFFICER. The question is on agreeing to the motion.

Tina SmithDemocrat, Minnesota

I ask for the yeas and nays.

The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there a sufficient second?

There appears to be a sufficient second.

The clerk will call the roll.

The bill clerk called the roll.

John BarrassoRepublican, Wyoming

The following Senators are necessarily absent: the Senator from Missouri (Mr. Hawley), the Senator from Oklahoma (Mr. Mullin), and the Senator from Kentucky (Mr. Paul).

Charles E. SchumerDemocrat, New York

I announce that the Senator from Illinois (Mr. Durbin), the Senator from Vermont (Mr. Sanders), and the Senator from Vermont (Mr. Welch), are necessarily absent.

The result was announced--yeas 52, nays 42, as follows:

The motion was agreed to.

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Providing for Congressional Disapproval Under Chapter 8 of Title 5, United States Code, of the Rule Submitted by the Department of Energy Relating to "Energy Conservation Program: Energy...

The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the bill by title.

The senior assistant legislative clerk read as follows:

The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Texas.

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Nomination Joint Referral

Ted CruzRepublican, Texas

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that as if in executive session, the nomination of David Fogel, of Connecticut, to be Assistant Secretary of Commerce and Director General of the United States and Foreign Commercial Service received in the Senate on February 11, 2025, be jointly referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs and the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation.

The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

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Morning Business

Ted CruzRepublican, Texas

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate be in a period of morning business, with Senators permitted to speak therein for up to 10 minutes each.

The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

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Recognizing 70 Years of McDonald's

Richard J. DurbinDemocrat, Illinois

Mr. President, I am the son of an immigrant from East St. Louis, IL. As a reminder to myself, I keep my mother's naturalization certificate on a table behind my desk in the U.S. Capitol. She came to the United States from Lithuania, fleeing oppression from the Soviet Union, when she was just 2 years old. Little did she know that her youngest son would go on to become a U.S. Senator.

This might be my personal story as the son of an immigrant, but it also is the story of America--the American dream. You can find stories like this everywhere, even in places you might least expect them. Take the story of McDonald's. Next week, McDonald's is celebrating 70 years of selling hamburgers, strengthening communities, and connecting people. Since 1971, Illinois has been home to the headquarters of McDonald's, but the multibillion-dollar hamburger chain's history with the Prairie State does not begin there.

In the 1920s, Richard ``Dick'' and Maurice ``Mac'' McDonald, two sons of Irish immigrants, headed to California to try their luck in Hollywood. By the 1940s, they had pivoted to the drive-in restaurant industry, opening their first McDonald's restaurant in San Bernardino, CA. With their simple menu and signature Speedee Service System to efficiently serve a large number of customers, McDonald's soon became the talk of California. It was a success, and people noticed.

One of those people was Ray Kroc, a traveling salesman from Oak Park, IL. Kroc also was the son of immigrants, his parents were born in Bohemia, which is now part of the Czech Republic. Ray became enamored by Dick and Mac's business model and had a vision of expanding the chain across the Nation--with a goal of opening 1,000 restaurants in the U.S. Before long, Ray returned to Chicago with the rights in hand to establish McDonald's restaurants throughout the country. On April 15, 1955, Kroc opened his first McDonald's restaurant in Des Plaines, IL--the City of Destiny. Its first day of sales was $366.12, equivalent to about $4,374 today. A global franchise was born.

While this liberal arts lawyer is far from a high-rolling stock broker, I am not shy to say that I knew McDonald's was going to be a success. Not because of any sophisticated financial analysis or detailed market research--I just knew the McDonald's in East St. Louis was one of the few restaurants that always had a line.

Today, McDonald's operates 36,000 restaurants in more than 100 nations, and it bolsters economies across the country and world. And there are few more recognizable logos than the McDonald's Golden Arches. Crisscrossing the State of Illinois requires driving hundreds of miles on interstate highways. And after long stretches on the road, I have made my fair share of stops at the Golden Arches. So many stops, in fact, that my wife Loretta and my chief of staff conspired to institute a rule: No more pit stops at McDonald's.

You also are sure find McDonald's on your international travels. In fact, I remember being in Moscow when the first McDonald's opened in Pushkin Square. It was January 31, 1990, and I remember seeing the dreary grey colors of the former Soviet Union punctuated by the Golden Arches. It was a vision of hope for many, representing the possibilities available under a free society.

But the reach of McDonald's goes beyond hamburgers and french fries. If you are a parent whose child is dealing with the devastation of illness, you have heard of Ronald McDonald House. Providing housing, resources, and support for families with children who are ill or injured, the nearly hundreds of Ronald McDonald House programs across the world keep families traveling for their child's medical needs cared for and together. And McDonald's helps make this effort a reality.

The story of McDonald's is one of three sons of immigrants using their drive, ingenuity, and ambition to go from a local drive-in restaurant to one of the most profitable businesses the world has ever known. While the days of 15-cent hamburgers and 20-cent cheeseburgers may be gone, the economic contributions and storied history of McDonald's continues to strengthen Illinois and our Nation. I am grateful Chicago is home to such a treasured American franchise that reminds us of the promise of America.

Congratulations to McDonald's on 70 years of leaving a lasting impact.

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Arms Sales Notification

James E. RischRepublican, Idaho

Mr. President, section 36(b) of the Arms Export Control Act requires that Congress receive prior notification of certain proposed arms sales as defined by that statute. Upon such notification, the Congress has 30 calendar days during which the sale may be reviewed. The provision stipulates that, in the Senate, the notification of proposed sales shall be sent to the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

In keeping with the committee's intention to see that relevant information is still available to the full Senate, I ask unanimous consent to have printed in the Record the notifications that have been received. If the cover letter references a classified annex, then such an annex is available to all Senators in the office of the Foreign Relations Committee, room SD-423.

There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in the Record, as follows:

Australia--AIM-120C and AIM-120D Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air

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Arms Sales Notification

James E. RischRepublican, Idaho

There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in the Record, as follows:

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Nomination of Sean Plankey

Ron WydenDemocrat, Oregon

Mr. President, I must object to the Senate proceeding to the nomination of Sean Plankey of Pennsylvania, to be Director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), Department of Homeland Security.

Since July 2022, I have repeatedly urged CISA to release an important, unclassified report by independent cybersecurity experts that the Agency commissioned, titled ``U.S. Telecommunications Insecurity 2022.'' Congress and the American people have a right to read this report, and until CISA releases it, I must object to this nomination.

CISA permitted my staff to read the report in person at the Agency's office in the fall of 2023. However, CISA has marked this unclassified report ``For Official Use Only'' and has refused to provide copies of the report to Congress and in response to FOIA requests from the public. I directly asked then-CISA Director Jen Easterly to release the report in a February 27, 2024, phone call; however, she continued to stonewall my requests until she left office in January 2025.

CISA has to date refused to release the report by making a claim that the report is predecisional and deliberative and protected by a so- called ``deliberative process privilege.'' Setting aside that a FOIA exemption does not apply to disclosures to Congress, based on my staff's review of this report, this report is a technical document containing factual information about U.S. telecom security. The report does not recommend or discuss specific policy options that CISA could take to address this threat. As such, this report contains important factual information that the public has a right to see and CISA should stop withholding the entire report under a purported ``deliberative process privilege'' claim.

On February 29, 2024, I wrote to then-President Biden, urging the administration to take action to address the serious national security threat posed by foreign governments exploiting U.S. phone carriers' weak cybersecurity. In that letter to then-President Biden, I stated that ``CISA is actively hiding information about [the threat] from the American people . . . CISA refuses to publicly release this unclassified report, which includes details that are relevant to policymakers and Americans who care about the security of their phones.'' The Biden administration took no action in response to my letter.

CISA's inaction on telecommunications security prompted the Agency's top telecommunications security expert to file a whistleblower report with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in the summer of 2024. Citing his access to nonpublic reports and other ``very concerning information,'' the CISA official told the FCC that ``there have been numerous incidents of successful, unauthorized attempts to access the network user location data of communications service providers operating in the USA.'' He added that foreign surveillance went beyond location tracking and included ``the monitoring of voice and text messages'' and ``the delivery of spyware to targeted devices.''

CISA's multiyear cover up of the phone companies' negligent cybersecurity has real consequences. In a November 2024 joint statement, CISA and the Federal Bureau of Investigation confirmed that the Chinese Government hacked ``multiple telecommunications companies to enable the theft of customer call records data, the compromise of private communications of

The Federal Government still does not require U.S. phone companies to meet minimum cybersecurity standards. While it is too late to prevent the Salt Typhoon hack, there is still time to prevent the next incident. As such, I intend to object to considering this nominee until CISA agrees to release this report, which will enable Congress and the public to better understand the current threats and the need for stronger cyber defenses.

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Statements on Introduced Bills and Joint Resolutions

Richard J. DurbinDemocrat, Illinois

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record.

There being no objection, the text of the bill was ordered to be printed in the Record, as follows:

S. 1400. A bill to amend the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act and the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act to strengthen adult education; to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.

Jack ReedDemocrat, Rhode Island

Mr. President, we have a longstanding adult literacy crisis that affects the quality of life for individuals and families and holds our economy back, and the latest international assessments show that it is only getting worse. It is time for a major expansion of adult education. Today, I am proud to introduce bipartisan legislation--the Adult Education Workforce Opportunity and Reskilling for Knowledge and Success Act--or the Adult Education WORKS Act--with my colleague Senator Young.

Adult education provides numeracy, literacy, digital literacy, English language skills, work readiness, soft skills, high school equivalency, and numerous wraparound services to millions of adult learners nationwide. These essential skills can make the difference between earning a family-sustaining wage and struggling to make ends meet. A study commissioned by the Barbara Bush Foundation estimated that getting all U.S. adults to the equivalent of a sixth grade reading level would generate an additional $2.2 trillion in annual income for the country. Without the opportunities provided through adult education programs, many adults will be left on the sidelines.

The latest results for U.S. adults on the Program for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies, PIAAC, are sobering. Between 2017 and 2023, literacy and numeracy skills sank, with the percentage of adults at the lowest performance levels increasing from 19 to 28 percent in literacy and from 29 to 34 percent in numeracy.

Building a sustainable economy that truly works for everyone is going to require helping these individuals acquire the basic skills they need to succeed. Unfortunately, we are reaching only a fraction of these individuals today. A recent study from the Adult Literacy and Learning Impact Network, found that over 80 percent of the adults surveyed indicated a strong or moderate interest in developing their skills, but only 20 percent reported knowing about existing programs in their communities. At current funding levels, the Department of Education reports that 1.1 million individuals were served, with over one-third of programs reporting waiting lists.

In my home State of Rhode Island, there are over 61,000 adults who could benefit from English language instruction and nearly 64,000 working-age adults without a high school credential. Yet, under current funding levels, the adult education program serves just over 5,100 individuals.

The Adult Education WORKS Act provides a roadmap for addressing this crisis. It calls for increased resources, nearly doubling funding for adult education by 2030. At the same time, it makes significant improvements to the adult education system. It calls for a new emphasis on digital and information literacy, which are essential for success in the workplace and in navigating everyday life. It enhances the role of adult education providers, with a special focus on public libraries and community-based organizations throughout the workforce development system, ensuring coordination and efficient use of resources. It invests in the professionalization of the adult education field, strengthening State certification policies, encouraging full-time staffing models, and expanding professional development opportunities and career pathways for adult educators. It provides support for college and career navigators in public libraries and community-based organizations to support adult learners where they live. Finally, it invests in innovation and accountability through pilot projects that test new approaches for measuring program performance and learner outcomes.

In developing this legislation, Senator Young and I worked closely with key stakeholders, who are on the frontlines in the adult education community. I am pleased to count the American Library Association, the Center for Law and Social Policy, the Coalition on Adult Basic Education, the National Coalition for Literacy, National Skills Coalition, ProLiteracy, the TESOL, Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages, International Association, and the Urban Libraries Council among the supporters of this legislation.

I urge my colleagues to cosponsor this legislation and work with us to ensure it is passed on its own or as part of legislation to reauthorize the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act.

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Introductory Statement on S. 1381

Richard J. DurbinDemocrat, Illinois

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record.

There being no objection, the text of the bill was ordered to be printed in the Record, as follows:

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Introductory Statement on S. 1400

Jack ReedDemocrat, Rhode Island

I urge my colleagues to cosponsor this legislation and work with us to ensure it is passed on its own or as part of legislation to reauthorize the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act.

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Authority for Committees to Meet

Marsha BlackburnRepublican, Tennessee

Mr. President, I have 14 requests for committees to meet during today's session of the Senate. They have the approval of the Majority and Minority Leaders.

Pursuant to Rule XXVI, paragraph 5(a), of the Standing Rules of the Senate, the following committees are authorized to meet during today's session of the Senate:

The Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Wednesday, April 9, 2025, at 10 a.m., to conduct an executive session.

The Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Wednesday, April 9, 2025, at 10:15 a.m., to conduct a hearing on nominations.

The Committee on Energy and Natural Resources is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Wednesday, April 9, 2025, at 10 a.m., to conduct a business meeting.

The Committee on Environment and Public Works is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Wednesday, April 9, 2025, at 9:45 a.m., to conduct a business meeting.

The Committee on Environment and Public Works is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Wednesday, April 9, 2025, at 10 a.m., to conduct a hearing.

The Committee on Foreign Relations is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Wednesday, April 9, 2025, at 9:30 a.m., to conduct an executive business meeting.

The Committee on Foreign Relations is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Wednesday, April 9, 2025, at 9:30 a.m., to conduct a hearing on nominations.

The Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Wednesday, April 9, 2025, at 10 a.m., to conduct a business meeting.

The Committee on the Judiciary is authorized to meet during the session

The Committee on Veterans' Affairs is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Wednesday, April 9, 2025, at 11:30 a.m., to conduct a business meeting.

The Committee on Aging is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Wednesday, April 9, 2025, at 2:30 p.m., to conduct a joint hearing with the House Select Committee on the Strategic Competition between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party.

The Select Committee on Intelligence is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Wednesday, April 9, 2025, at 2:30 p.m., to conduct an open nomination hearing.

The Subcommittee on Cybersecurity of the Committee on Armed Services is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Wednesday, April 9, 2025, at 2:30 p.m., to receive testimony in closed and open sessions.

The Subcommittee on Personnel of the Committee on Armed Services is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Wednesday, April 9, 2025, at 2:30 p.m., to receive testimony in open session.

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Orders for Thursday, April 10, 2025

Ted CruzRepublican, Texas

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today, it stand adjourned until 10 a.m. on Thursday, April 10; that following the prayer and pledge, the Journal of proceedings be approved to date, the morning hour be deemed expired, the time for the two leaders be reserved for their use later in the day, morning business be closed, and the Senate resume consideration of Calendar No. 17, H.J. Res. 20; further, that at 11 a.m., all debate time on Calendar No. 17, H.J. Res. 20, be expired, the joint resolution be read a third time, and the Senate vote on passage of the joint resolution; further, that notwithstanding rule XXII, the cloture motion with respect to the Meador nomination ripen following disposition of Calendar No. 17, H.J. Res. 20; finally, that if any nominations are confirmed during Thursday's session, the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table and the President be immediately notified of the Senate's action.

The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

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Adjournment Until 10 A.M. Tomorrow

Ted CruzRepublican, Texas

Mr. President, if there is no further business to come before the Senate, I ask that it stand adjourned under the previous order.

There being no objection, the Senate, at 8:19 p.m., adjourned until Thursday, April 10, 2025, at 10 a.m.

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