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03Recognizing Greatest Generation Week and 80th Anniversary of the End of Wwii
1 member spoke
04Recognizing the 200th Anniversary of Hudson, Maine
1 member spoke
Routine Business (100)
01Senate
4 members spoke
03Legislative Session
1 member spoke
1 member spoke
05Cloture Motion (Executive Session)
1 member spoke
06Legislative Session
1 member spoke
1 member spoke
08Cloture Motion (Executive Session)
1 member spoke
6 members spoke
1 member spoke
11Arms Sales Notification
1 member spoke
12Arms Sales Notification
1 member spoke
13Arms Sales Notification
1 member spoke
14Arms Sales Notification
1 member spoke
15Arms Sales Notification
1 member spoke
16Arms Sales Notification
1 member spoke
17Arms Sales Notification
1 member spoke
18Arms Sales Notification
1 member spoke
19Arms Sales Notification
1 member spoke
20Arms Sales Notification
1 member spoke
21Arms Sales Notification
1 member spoke
22Arms Sales Notification
1 member spoke
23Additonal Statements
24Tribute to Jay and Susan Wood
25Recognizing Dutchman's Store
26Recognizing Hall Roberts' Son
27Recognizing Marcus Lumber
28Recognizing Orange City Family Animal Care
29Recognizing Artisan Labs
30Messages From the President
31Executive Messages Referred
32Submission of Concurrent and Senate Resolutions
33Senate Resolution 371: Honoring the Victims and Survivors of the Mass Shooting at the Annunciation Catholic Church and School in Minneapolis, Minnesota
Seven bills and two resolutions were introduced, as follows: S. 2683-2689, S.J. Res. 75, and S. Res. 371.
Pages S5563-64
Measures Reported
S. 196, to improve online ticket sales and protect consumers, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. (S. Rept. No. 119-57) S. 841, to require online dating service providers to provide fraud ban notifications to online dating service members, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. (S. Rept. No. 119-58) S. 725, to direct the Federal Communications Commission to issue reports after activation of the Disaster Information Reporting System and to make improvements to network outage reporting, to categorize public safety telecommunicators as a protective service occupation under the Standard Occupational Classification system, with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. (S. Rept. No. 119-59)
Page S5563
Measures Passed
TRACE Act: Senate passed S. 1038, to direct the Attorney General to include a data field in the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System to indicate whether the last known location of a missing person was confirmed or was suspected to have been on Federal land, after agreeing to the committee amendment in the nature of a substitute.
Page S5987
Measures Considered
National Defense Authorization Act--Agreement: Senate resumed consideration of the motion to proceed to consideration of S. 2296, to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2026 for military activities of the Department of Defense, for military construction, and for defense activities of the Department of Energy, to prescribe military personnel strengths for such fiscal year.
Pages S5539-44, S5544-48
During consideration of this measure today, Senate also took the following action
By 84 yeas to 14 nays (Vote No. 500), three-fifths of those Senators duly chosen and sworn, having voted in the affirmative, Senate agreed to the motion to close further debate on the motion to proceed to consideration of the bill.
Pages S5546-47
A unanimous-consent agreement was reached providing for further consideration of the motion to proceed to consideration of the bill, post-cloture, at approximately 10 a.m., on Wednesday, September 3, 2025; and that all time during recess, adjournment, and Leader remarks count post-cloture on the motion to proceed to consideration of the bill.
Page S5987
Lanahan Nomination: Cloture
Senate began consideration of the nomination of Maria A. Lanahan, of Missouri, to be United States District Judge for the Eastern District of Missouri.
Page S5544
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 motion to proceed to consideration of S. 2296, to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2026 for military activities of the Department of Defense, for military construction, and for defense activities of the Department of Energy, to prescribe military personnel strengths for such fiscal year.
Pages S5544-45
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 S5544
Artau Nomination: Cloture
Senate began consideration of the nomination of Edward L. Artau, of Florida, to be United States District Judge for the Southern District of Florida.
Page S5544
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 Maria A. Lanahan, of Missouri, to be United States District Judge for the Eastern District of Missouri.
Page S5544
Prior to the consideration of this nomination, Senate took the following action
Senate agreed to the motion to proceed to Legislative Session.
Page S5544
Senate agreed to the motion to proceed to Executive Session to consider the nomination.
Page S5544
Nominations Received
Senate received the following nominations: Stephen Miran, of New York, to be a Member of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System for the unexpired term of fourteen years from February 1, 2012. Tammy Bruce, of California, to be the Deputy Representative of the United States of America to the United Nations, with the rank and status of Ambassador; the Deputy Representative of the United States of America in the Security Council of the United Nations; and to serve concurrently and without additional compensation as Representative of the United States of America to the Sessions of the General Assembly of the United Nations, during her tenure of service as Deputy Representative of the United States of America to the United Nations. Robert P. Chamberlin, of Mississippi, to be United States District Judge for the Northern District of Mississippi. Brent Christensen, of Virginia, to be Ambassador to the People's Republic of Bangladesh. Edmund G. LaCour, Jr., of Alabama, to be United States District Judge for the Northern District of Alabama. Sergio Gor, of Florida, to be Ambassador to the Republic of India. Bill Lewis, of Alabama, to be United States District Judge for the Middle District of Alabama. Stephanie Hallett, of Florida, to be Ambassador to the Kingdom of Bahrain. Jennifer Lee Mascott, of Delaware, to be United States Circuit Judge for the Third Circuit. James Holtsnider, of Iowa, to be Ambassador to the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. James D. Maxwell II, of Mississippi, to be United States District Judge for the Northern District of Mississippi. William Long, of Missouri, to be Ambassador to the Republic of Iceland. Harold D. Mooty III, of Alabama, to be United States District Judge for the Northern District of Alabama. Stephen F. Rickard, of the District of Columbia, to be an Associate Judge of the Superior Court of the District of Columbia for the term of fifteen years. Elana S. Suttenberg, of the District of Columbia, to be an Associate Judge of the Superior Court of the District of Columbia for the term of fifteen years. John Cuong Truong, of the District of Columbia, to be an Associate Judge of the Superior Court of the District of Columbia for the term of fifteen years. 6 Air Force nominations in the rank of general. 6 Army nominations in the rank of general. 3 Marine Corps nominations in the rank of general. 4 Navy nominations in the rank of admiral. 4 Space Force nominations in the rank of general. Routine lists in the Air Force, Army, Marine Corps, and Navy.
Pages S5987-88
Nomination Withdrawn
Senate received notification of withdrawal of the following nomination: Jennifer Mascott, of Maryland, to be General Counsel, Department of Education, which was sent to the Senate on February 11, 2025.
Page S5988
Record Votes
One record vote was taken today. (Total--500)
Pages S5546-47
Adjournment
Senate convened at 3 p.m. and adjourned at 7:37 p.m., until 10 a.m. on Wednesday, September 3, 2025. (For Senate's program, see the remarks of the Acting Majority Leader in today's Record on page S5987.)
Every speech and line is the Congressional Record's own text, read from GovInfo. Speakers are matched to members by GPO's own metadata. Referandom places each turn on the Clerk's video by matching its words: 23 of 77 spoken turns were found. Turns without a time are still listed; they just can't seek.
Legislative Session
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Under the previous order, the Senate will resume consideration of the motion to proceed to S. 2296, which the clerk will report.
Mr. President, one minute to honor my colleague Joni Ernst. She announced today that she will not seek another term in the U.S. Senate. It has been a wonderful opportunity serving with her and serving Iowans since 2015.
As the Senate's first female combat veteran and Iowa's first woman elected to Congress, she broke barriers at every turn and accomplished what she set out to do by coming to the U.S. Senate, in her words:
After a long career in the Iowa National Guard as well as elected office, Joni has served our country and State with pride and with distinction.
Barbara and I wish her well and know that whatever she chooses to do in her next chapter, they will be lucky to have this outstanding leader on the team. I will miss serving with Joni but know she will enjoy having more time to cherish her favorite role as a mother and grandmother.
Mr. President, now on another subject, across Iowa and America, students and teachers are back in the classroom. As we look ahead to a new academic year, I would like to commend the dedicated educators, administrators, and support staff who make a difference in the lives of students each and every day. Teachers make a lasting impact on their students from one school year to the next and even decades after their students leave the classroom.
Like so many families across my home State, I am proud to have teachers in my own family tree. I am the son of a schoolteacher. My mother taught in one-room rural schools for nearly a half century, 49 years to be exact. My sister Lois was lauded for her work ethic and being a respected mentor to her peers. She taught business and computer classes to three generations of students.
Today, I would like to sing the praises of my daughter-in-law Diane Grassley. She is married to my son Robin who operates our fourth- generation family farm in New Hartford, IA, with their son Patrick Grassley. At the start of this school year, Diane marks 25 years of service in the Dike-New Hartford Community School District where she works as a teacher associate. Barbara and I congratulate Diane on this remarkable milestone, and we are proud to say that the apple doesn't fall far from the tree because both of Diane's daughters followed in their mother's footsteps. Dana teaches math at Union Middle School in Dysart, IA, and Carrie is a school counselor at the Dike Elementary School.
Congratulations, Diane, on your decades of service and unwavering commitment to educating the next generation in the Dike-New Hartford Community School District.
As a proud father-in-law and a graduate of New Hartford High School, I say: #rollblue to the Wolverines. Have a great year.
I yield the floor.
I suggest the absence of a quorum.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
Mr. President, it has been a very busy year here in the U.S. Senate. From confirming President Trump's nominees to repealing burdensome Biden administration regulations, to passing the One Big Beautiful Bill, to preventing a massive tax hike on hard-working Americans, Republicans have been hard at work delivering on the mandate we received from the American people.
The Senate has taken, so far, 499 votes this year, more than in any Congress at this point in the last 35-plus years. In fact, we have taken more votes in 2025 already in 8 months than the Senate has taken in a full 12 months for most--all but 2--of the past 36 years.
But we have a lot more work to do, and we are going to get it done. That starts this week with consideration of the National Defense Authorization Act, one of the most important pieces of legislation that we consider every year.
That will be followed by continued appropriations work so we can get the government funded by the September 30 deadline. We have already done some good work on appropriations. In fact, for the first time in years, we went into August having passed 3 of the 12 appropriations bills. The last time that happened--a single appropriations bill passed before the August break--was 2018.
But needless to say, there is a lot more to do. And I hope that our Democrat colleagues will resist the calls from within for a shutdown and work with us to fund the government.
Along with the National Defense Authorization Act and funding the government, we have another important task to accomplish in the coming weeks and that is making major headway on confirming more of President Trump's nominees. Thanks to a lot of hours here in the Senate to overcome Democrat obstruction, we went into August having confirmed 135 of the President's civilian nominees, more than had been confirmed by this point in his first term. But there are a lot more nominees to go.
I am here to tell my Democrat colleagues that their historic obstruction cannot continue. When voters elect a President, that comes with certain expectations, one of which is that a President will be able to fill up his or her administration with his or her nominees. And, historically, the Senate has reflected that by confirming most of a President's civilian nominees by unanimous consent or voice vote, which means without obstruction and blocking. President George H. W. Bush had 98 percent of his civilian nominees confirmed by unanimous consent or voice vote here in the Senate, and so did President Clinton. President George W. Bush and President Obama both had 90 percent of their civilian nominees confirmed by unanimous consent or voice vote. But things changed during the first Trump administration. Democrats started obstructing nominees who had previously been confirmed without a drawn-out process.
But even so, both President Trump and his first administration and President Biden had more than half of their civilian nominees confirmed by unanimous consent or voice vote without a long, drawn-out process.
Well, fast forward to 2025. As of today, September 2, President Trump has not had a single one--single one--of his civilian nominees confirmed by unanimous consent or voice vote, not a single one. By this point in his administration, President Biden had 76--76--confirmed without dragging it out and delaying and blocking and obstructing. When I say that President Trump's nominees have faced a historic level of obstruction, I am not being political or hyperbolic. I am doing nothing more than stating the bare facts. Between the calendar and committees, we currently have nominees pending for a total of 302 civilian positions. And 95 percent of those positions--95 percent--were confirmed by voice vote at least once during the previous three incoming administrations. Yet Democrats seem unwilling to expedite consideration for a single one.
This cannot continue. The American people elected President Trump. And like any President, he deserves to be able to fill up his administration. In fact, we owe the voters nothing less. That doesn't mean rubberstamping every nominee, but it does mean an end to the ridiculous--and I mean ridiculous--delays on every nomination, including on nominations the Democrats ended up supporting in significant numbers. I say that, ``supporting in significant numbers,'' because let's be clear here, the Democrat leader might like people to think Democrats are holding up all these nominees because they are, in his words, ``historically bad,'' but, in fact, at least some Democrats have ultimately voted in favor of many of these nominations. Mr. President, 61 out of the 135 civilian nominees confirmed received at least one Democrat vote on the final confirmation, and fully half of the civilian nominees currently on the calendar were reported out of committee with bipartisan support. Democrats aren't holding up nominations to minor administration positions out of principled opposition; they are holding them up because they don't like President Trump. That is not a good reason.
Democrats' obstruction is not only preventing voters from getting the administration they elected, it is also slowing down the essential business of the U.S. Senate. Over August, my colleagues and I discussed various ways of addressing this problem and expediting confirmations. There are a lot of options on the table, none of which, I might add, would be necessary if the Senate Democrats treated this President the way that Republican and Democrat Senates have treated Republican and Democrat Presidents for all of American history. In fact, you have to go back a long way in the annals of history to find a time--in fact, moving back as far as the Hoover administration--as far back as I think we can find records and data, to find a President who didn't have at least one of his nominees confirmed here in the Senate by voice vote or unanimous consent at this point in their administration.
In fact, the majority of Presidential confirmations were conducted on a bipartisan basis for a long time here in the Senate, and there is no reason we couldn't go back to that right now. All it takes is a little behavioral change and a willingness to acknowledge President Trump won an election. The American people voted for him, and they expect him to be able to populate his administration with the people that he wants to serve in many of these positions.
But if Democrats continue to obstruct, if they continue to drag out the confirmation of every single one of the nominations of the duly elected President, if they continue to slow the Senate's business to such a drastic degree, then we are going to have to take steps to get this process back on a reasonable footing.
This is not sustainable. You can't run a government this way. It has never been done before ever--ever--in history. This is not a sustainable business model. In one way or the other, it is going to have to get fixed.
The Democrats can play ball the way every Democrat and Republican Senate has, going back as far as we can find in the annals of history, or things are going to have to change around here. It is as simple as that. The ball, I would say, Mr. President, is in the Democrat's court.
I yield the floor.
I suggest the absence of a quorum.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
Well, Mr. President, today, we are starting an important work period in the Senate. Every work period is important but this one especially so because this month, Congress
Donald Trump has been President for 225 days, and each one has been worse than the last. Every time Trump creates a new crisis, each new controversy, each new lie, every time he sends armed troops to U.S. cities, each new attack on the courts, on the rule of law, on the Constitution is a disgrace--a disgrace--to the Presidency. That is what Donald Trump's Presidency has been--a disgrace, a failure, an exercise in pathetic leadership.
I just spent a month traveling from one corner of New York to the other, talking to families, businesspeople--Democrats, Republicans, Independents--and the trend is clear: American families are poorer because of President Trump, American businesses are less optimistic because of President Trump, and American communities are less safe because of President Trump. America is more isolated, less respected, and wields less influence over world affairs because of President Trump. The picture of Modi and Putin and Xi standing there together as allies--it was Donald Trump who ended up making that happen.
A recent survey showed that the United States is now the only country--we are the only country--among 184 that shows a drop in international visitors. People don't want to come to America anymore because Donald Trump has so tarnished what our country is all about and what has made our country so great. And it is not just about reputation; it is going to cost our economy billions that come from tourism and kill jobs.
It will freeze entire communities. I was just in Niagara Falls, in the Finger Lakes. Twenty to twenty-five percent of our tourists each summer are usually Canadian but not this year. Canadians don't want to come here. And they are angry. The people--not just the government but the people are angry about what Trump is saying about their country and saying about them. When folks as friendly as the Canadian people suddenly don't want to have anything to do with America, that is when you know that Donald Trump is like a disease to America's greatness.
It is incumbent upon Republicans in Congress to join us to fix these disasters through the appropriations process, through commonsense legislation.
The question still is, Will Senate Republicans keep bowing to Donald Trump and enabling his lies every step of the way? When will they have the guts to stand up to him? Because they know he is lying because that is what Donald Trump is. Donald Trump is a liar through and through. It has been his MO his whole life. I have seen that in New York. He has lied to the American people, lied about the economy, about fixing inflation, about peace in Europe and the Middle East. He lied about Epstein and the Epstein files. He lied about elections. He lied about Social Security and Medicaid. One lie--one lie--after another and another.
Let's start with the economy and Donald Trump's tariffs. Donald Trump said his tariffs would bring liberation to America. This has turned out to be one big, fat lie. Companies are losing revenue, shedding jobs, and raising costs.
Just look at companies--great American companies--like John Deere and Caterpillar. They are strong; they are solid; they have always been a rock of America. But last month, they reported losses in the hundreds of millions and layoffs in the hundreds. Why? Donald Trump did it-- nothing to do with farm conditions; the tariffs did it. Look at retailers like Target and Walmart, not to mention every grocery store chain in America. They are all raising prices. Hormel? They are raising the price of pork and beef. J.M. Smucker, which owns Folgers and Dunkin' Donuts and other coffee brands, said prices for its products will keep going up. Why? Trump's tariffs, plain and simple--no ands, ifs, or buts.
But, of course, Donald Trump will lie to the American people about his failures. As we have said, that has been his MO all along. Here is what he said on Monday. He said on Monday--he tweeted--that prices are way down in the United States, with virtually no inflation. Every single person in America knows that is a lie. Anyone who buys anything knows it is a lie. Every one of the 77 million Americans who voted for Trump knows he is lying. They know it when they go to the supermarket or try to buy something. They see higher prices at the grocery store, when paying their electric bills, and higher prices when buying school supplies. Yet the MAGA bots and FOX News propagandists, who always seem to want to cover up for Donald Trump, will pretend he is right just so they can keep on sucking up to him. It is pathological. It is delusional. It is more lies.
Nowhere is the Trump psychosis more evident than in gas prices. Listen to this: President Trump claims that gas prices are under $2 when every single American driver knows that is a lie. Maybe for the MAGA extremists, this is the point, unfortunately. Maybe this is their idea of success. Maybe MAGA radicals are perfectly fine having Americans pay more for produce, for meat, for gas so long as masked agents can arrest Uber drivers right off our streets, so long as billionaires get their tax cuts, so long as Medicaid recipients lose their coverage and Social Security gets privatized. Maybe that is MAGA's idea of a golden age, but for the rest of America, this is chaos.
When Donald Trump is not running America's economy into the ground, he has been busy incinerating America's reputation on the world stage. He is rolling out the red carpet for Vladimir Putin. He brags about stopping wars that still rage on. He has failed to stop the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, failed to end the war, and failed to bring the hostages held by Hamas home.
He creates problems so he can pretend to solve them. That is what he does. He creates a problem, he creates a real mess, and then he says ``Oh, I have solved it,'' when nothing like that has ever happened in so many areas.
The only foreign policy accomplishment Donald Trump has under his belt is bringing India, China, and Russia closer together thanks to his unbelievable, stupid tariffs and his lack of understanding of how diplomacy works and how to get along with people in countries.
Listen to this: He is even obsessed, for some strange reason, with winning the Nobel prize, and he has even phoned foreign leaders, asking them to recommend him for the award. Have we ever had a President so pathetic? so pathetic?
Frankly, does this sound like someone who is firing on all cylinders? I think we know the answer to that. Everyone listening today knows the answer to that deep down in their hearts, including my colleagues on the other side of the aisle even if they won't dare say it aloud. They are afraid of him. They know he threatens them and brandishes everything over them.
Egos are often part of the territory in politics, but I have never seen a bully in the Oval Office with such a nakedly fragile ego. Earlier today, I got to see that ego in all its ugly glory while I was driving to the Capitol. In driving past the Department of Labor, I got to see, as many others have, the massive banners that have Donald Trump's face airbrushed on them. A number of these banners are going up all across Washington. For generations, Americans have looked at these kinds of images and laughed at them, snickered at them, because they are such obvious signs of deep insecurity.
Lenin, Stalin, Mao, Putin, Kim Jong Un, and other bullies throughout history have depended on these images because they were desperate to seem powerful and important and untouchable. Yet here we are in 2025 America, and we have an insecure bully in the Oval Office who orders his sycophantic Cabinet Secretaries to grovel to him at Cabinet meetings. Have you ever watched one of these meetings? It is embarrassing. Who can suck up more to Donald Trump, as he beams, even though what they are saying has very little truth?
How about adorning the faces of buildings in our city with his picture? It is laughable that Donald Trump says he wants to make Washington more beautiful; yet, at the same time, he plasters his face all over our buildings, these beautiful buildings that have been built for so long and have stood for so much to so many.
Do you know what else is even more pathetic about this President? Pulling a power grab in red States and trying to redraw maps. And why is he doing it? Because he knows the American
I ask again: Have we ever had a President so pathetic, so pathological as Donald Trump?
Finally, no discussion of Donald Trump's incompetence and lies would be complete without talking about healthcare.
Now, what is Donald Trump's signature domestic accomplishment? Tell me. What is it? He would say it is, undoubtedly, the so-called Big Beautiful Bill, but Americans are learning--every day, more and more Americans learn that it is nothing more than a big betrayal--a big betrayal--the biggest cuts to healthcare and food assistance and good- paying jobs in American history.
Donald Trump's signature feat in office is throwing people off Medicaid--can you imagine?--to make life better for those at the very, very top. He is destroying the ACA marketplace and sending costs skyrocketing for millions of Americans. They are going to learn about this as early as next month. And who are we kidding? We know that Medicare is next. We all know his Treasury Secretary gloated that they found a way to hurt Medicare in the so-called Big Beautiful Bill.
I was in New York last month, and I spoke with countless New York doctors and hospital managers and nurses and parents and patients who are frustrated and worried that hospitals will close, that costs will go up, that people who need coverage won't be able to get it--the mom who has a daughter with cancer and can no longer get help and watches that child suffer, and the mom suffers too.
Thanks to Donald Trump and Senate Republicans, healthcare costs are going to increase for every American in the country, and it is not just--you know, you say: Well, I am not on Medicaid. I am not on Medicare and the ACA.
Even people with private insurance will see their costs go up and go up significantly. Rural Americans will see their hospitals close. It is happening already in States like Nebraska and Maine. And this isn't theoretical; it is real.
Meanwhile, while all this devastation is going on, we have an HHS Secretary--instead of looking out for the healthcare of the American people, he is firing thousands of Federal workers, he is canceling medical research, and he is promoting cod liver oil supplements to treat diseases like measles. This is crackpot nonsense.
My Senate colleagues know that what R.F.K., Jr., is doing is dangerous. The damage R.F.K., Jr., is causing right now will be felt for generations, and so many of our kids and grandkids will suffer. More of our kids will die from preventable diseases. The damage will be long-lasting. Donald Trump should fire R.F.K., Jr., immediately. Republicans should come out of hiding and demand Trump fire R.F.K. too. They see the damage. They read the insane things he says day after day after day after day. They know the immense harm R.F.K. poses to our kids the longer he stays in place.
Every second that R.F.K. is running our healthcare system is a healthcare crisis of its own, and he cannot be allowed to continue to lead this Agency.
So, in conclusion, the challenges I have mentioned today are just a few that plague America. They are a result of Donald Trump's pathetic leadership and his incessant lies.
I lay all of this at the feet of my Republican colleagues. They could stop it. I ask my Republican colleagues: Will you join us in making things right, in putting a stop to Donald Trump's madness, in protecting our kids, in lowering costs, in setting America back on the right track, and making our neighborhoods safe, or will you keep bowing down before the throne of Donald Trump?
We ask you not to turn your back on the vision of our Founders, not to let America slide down the road to autocracy--and that is an expensive autocracy for that matter--where Americans pay more and more for rent, electricity, groceries, and things like that. Senate Republicans can't pretend they are helpless against Donald Trump. The majority in this Chamber--the majority--could very easily undo what he does. They have the power to rein in his worst impulses. Republicans just need to make the decision for themselves to act, to stand up, to put the needs of people back home ahead of Donald Trump's narcissistic wishes.
We have an opportunity this month--this month--to start setting things right by advancing commonsense legislation to protect our healthcare, to hold the line against Trump's abuses, and to reverse the immense, harmful Medicaid cuts that Trump and Republicans pushed in the summer.
Will Senate Republicans continue to kowtow to a leader they know is dragging the country down, they know is a pathological liar, or will they--as the Founding Fathers intended--stand up to him? Will they help us fight America's slide into authoritarianism? Will they help us give the American people some hope in the future and prevent their costs from continuing to rise? This month--this month--will tell us in which direction they choose.
Mr. President, I listened carefully to my friend John Thune, the Republican leader. We have known one another and served together for many years. We have worked on issues together, and I think we will continue to, but we disagree on many political things. I respect him, and I hope he respects me.
He made a plea to the Senate that we have more voice votes, more unanimous consent requests for nominations. He went through the history of this Chamber. And, certainly, it bears repeating, and it is certainly true, that in the past there were many more voice votes than there are today.
What is the difference between a record vote and a voice vote? Time. Time is so precious here. We only meet for a few days each week and a few hours each day. We need more time if there are more rollcall votes. It takes up anywhere from 20 minutes to 2 hours to complete a vote. A voice vote, of course, is instantaneous.
So the Republican leader, Mr. Thune, is asking for more and more voice votes. And he recounts the history in this Chamber to make his case. There is one chapter that he failed to admit and failed to concede; that is, what happened in the last year of the Biden administration.
I was then chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and I am a member of that committee to this day. One of the most important responsibilities of a President is to fill the 90-plus U.S. attorney spots all across the United States that represent the Department of Justice. These are men and women who are on the firing line in the enforcement of law, and it is critical that these appointments be confirmed as quickly as possible.
Under the administration of President Donald Trump in his first term, all 90-plus U.S. attorneys were approved by voice vote, all of them. There was one that became controversial and was later reconsidered and removed. But all of the 90-plus U.S. attorneys in Trump's first term, voice vote.
What happened when Joe Biden defeated Donald Trump--and he did defeat him--and became President of the United States and tried to do the same thing to fill up the spots of U.S. attorneys? We were doing quite well following the precedent that had been around for years under leaders of both parties, following the precedent of President Trump's first term. We were doing quite well until one Senator objected. In the Senate, that can stop the train.
That Senator was JD Vance of Ohio. He came to the floor and made it clear that he would no longer allow us to have unanimous consent to move to a voice vote on U.S. attorneys. The vacancies and positions for a U.S. attorney had to be filled by a record vote--just what Senator Thune is objecting to these days. He insisted--JD Vance
I went to the floor on six or seven different occasions begging him to reconsider that position, saying to him: A day may come when your party, the Republican Party, has a President who wants to fill U.S. attorney slots by a voice vote and we will have the JD Vance precedent that says you can't do it.
He didn't care. He wouldn't budge. He stuck to that position. As a consequence, almost 30 U.S. attorneys under President Joe Biden were not approved.
So I say to Leader Thune, be honest about the analysis of this situation. If we are going to do something by way of reform, I would like to be at the table--particularly when it applies to U.S. attorneys and judges--but we should do this in a fashion that is fair to both political parties.
I might also say that though the U.S. attorneys are virtually subject to a blue slip, it means that some of them will receive the approval of Democrats. We have that case right now. I can point to States, specific States, where Democratic attorneys have given blue slip approval of U.S. attorney nominees. That, to me, is an important factor that should be brought into this conversation.
I might also say that from the Republican side, if they will sit down and be fair with us in terms of Democratic appointments, we need to be fair back to them. That, I think, would mean turning our back on the JD Vance precedent that we have been living under ever since. So I hope we can do something positive for the good of the Senate.
Mr. President, back home in Illinois, there is one item of news when it comes to Washington, DC: When or if Donald Trump is going to send in the troops.
In June, President Trump deployed the military against American citizens when he sent National Guard troops and 700 Active-Duty marines to Los Angeles in an attempt to crush protests against his administration's cruel immigration raids.
Last month, the President took the unwarranted step of federalizing Washington, DC's police force and sending thousands of National Guardsmen to patrol our Nation's Capital.
For months now, President Trump has been looking for any excuse to send National Guard troops and Active-Duty Forces into American communities. And over the past few weeks, he has boasted ``Chicago will be'' next.
Let me be clear: This would be yet another dangerous, illegal, and unconstitutional abuse of power by President Donald Trump. The President claims his actions are meant to drive down crime and restore order, but all they have done is created a political spectacle, a political theater.
He ignores the reality that violent crime is down in the District of Columbia and in Chicago. And he ignores the fact that under our Constitution, the part to maintain law and order belongs to the States. That doesn't matter to Donald Trump. The only thing that matters to him are the optics, continuing to push the limits of our Constitution and the rule of law as he abuses his office.
Using the military to ``occupy'' an American city in the absence of an emergency politicizes the institution, erodes civilian control of the Armed Forces, and places unnecessary burdens on the servicemembers, families, and employers.
There are also troubling reports that Federal law enforcement officers could operate out of Naval Station Great Lakes, where the Navy trains thousands of new recruits a year.
We are so proud of the Great Lakes Naval Training Station. Every single member of the U.S. Navy on the enlisted side goes through basic training in our State in the Great Lakes Naval Training Station. My brother who was a volunteer serving in the Navy in the Korean war went through that training in his day. It is a magnificent facility, and over the time I have served in Congress in the House and the Senate, it has been my honor to make sure that it is the very best training center in the world.
Supporting law enforcement is not the core mission of the U.S. Navy or the National Guard, and it distracts our troops from preparing to respond to real threats from our adversaries around the world.
We were just notified recently that there have been secret plans underway for a long period of time. The Pentagon has been developing plans for military deployment for weeks. The plans reportedly include several options, including mobilizing thousands of National Guard troops this month to restore law and order, so to speak, in areas where they are cracking down on crime, homelessness, and undocumented immigration. But in most instances--legal and constitutional instances--the use of federalized troops or the use of Federal troops requires the approval and consent of the Governor of the State. That is not the case, certainly, in Illinois. It also takes a financial toll on our readiness.
We are going to start to consider the National Defense Authorization Act this evening here in the U.S. Senate. It is an important bill--one of the most important--and it has the history of always being passed every single year. And I hope we can maintain that kind of commitment.
But that bill is passed in a popular and bipartisan basis because it does something that is critical. It authorizes the funding for the troops that defend our Nation. We worked long and hard on it.
I am not a member of the committee, but I know they spend hours of debate on each and every provision of the bill, and then it comes to the floor and is subject, many times, to amendments on the floor. It takes a week or sometimes 2 or more to get it done, but it is that important.
Why do we spend so much time? To make sure that our military has the money that they need to keep America safe--our first responsibility. And now we have this prospect that even if we pass this bill, that some other Agencies in this government, for some other political reason--in this case, massive deportation--are going to be using the Department of Defense funds.
I offered an amendment in the Appropriations Committee where I serve that said if any other Agency of government takes money away from the Department of Defense for another purpose, it has to be reimbursed. If we are going to stand by our men and women in uniform and make sure that they are adequately financed, we cannot allow these raids that are being considered by the Trump administration.
For example, the cost of Donald Trump's deployment of troops to Los Angeles was estimated at $134 million, and some experts calculate the mission in the District of Columbia costs the Department of Defense and taxpayers $1 million a day--$1 million a day.
While the National Guard is meant to serve American communities in true emergencies, like pandemics and natural disasters, what is it doing in DC at the President's request? Patrolling neighborhoods for political theater: picking up trash and spreading mulch. Give me a break. These men and women who are being trained to defend our country are being used by this President for political purposes in the District of Columbia.
In Chicago, crime rates may be unacceptably high--and I don't doubt that in some categories--but they have been on a steady decline for years, and we are already pursuing successful community-based strategies to deter crime. We are reaching out to the most vulnerable members of our communities directly and personally, working with trusted and trained leaders who understand the impact that trauma can have on communities.
We can work together, but it doesn't mean that Donald Trump shoves it down our throats. We want to cooperate with him. We have programs that he failed to fund in this budget cycle that we believe are critical for the maintenance of the diminishment of criminal experiences. This is being accomplished through the Community Based Violence Intervention and Prevention Initiative, which represents a historic Federal investment in programs designed to help prevent and reduce violent crime.
But these programs have been cut by the Trump administration. The initiative supports evidence-based violence intervention and prevention programs based on partnerships. It combats crime by collecting data, identifying
Ask professional law enforcement and they will tell you in virtually every conversation on the subject that you can't arrest your way out of a crime wave; you have got to analyze the basic causes of crime and what to do about it. Of course, dangerous people should be arrested and should pay the price for their wrongdoing, but a strategy that reduces violent crime over any long period of time takes more than that.
Replacing these efforts with troops not trained for urban policing risks alienating residents, destabilizing neighborhoods, and harming the National Guard's reputation. And I can tell you, over the years, I have come to be a big fan of the National Guard. They are there when we need them. We shouldn't overuse them. We shouldn't abuse them. We shouldn't put them in jobs they are not trained for. That is exactly what the Trump administration is doing in the District of Columbia and threatening to do in Illinois.
Incidentally, there is one common fact that belies any objectivity in this effort. You would think if the President were setting out to eliminate crime across America, he could find many examples in red States and blue States, States that supported him and States that didn't. All he has found are in the areas that were voting for Joseph Biden in the election of 2020, and those States are the State of California, the State of Illinois, the District of Columbia, and now he is threatening to move into Maryland.
So if he is going after crime, why is he ignoring the States of Louisiana, Mississippi, Arkansas, Tennessee, or Texas? Why? Because they voted for him for President. He doesn't see crime in those States. And there is just as much, if not more, as there is in the State of Illinois. Yet he focuses his attention only on blue States. All of these States that I have mentioned have high violent crime rates. President Trump doesn't target them because they are led by Republican officials. That is it. It is a political decision.
Trump's power grab sets a precedent that any President could invoke to deploy troops anywhere without an actual emergency. He was called to task by a judge in California on that just this week, and I am sure that will be contested. He is reinforcing a pattern of targeting large cities with significant Black and Latino populations, undermining trust between law enforcement and the community.
The Founders of this Nation understood that an unchecked power to turn the military on the American people themselves poses a grave threat to democracy and individual liberty. Trump's decision to deploy the military in American cities is more fitting for an authoritarian regime than the democracy that our Nation's Founding Fathers fought for.
These tactics are all smoke and mirrors to distract from the real issues facing us. Trump is hoping the American people will forget about his so-called ``Big Beautiful'' budget that rips away healthcare and food aid for millions across America--all to give tax breaks to the wealthiest--or forget how his reckless tariff policies are increasing the costs on everyday goods and essentials that working people rely on, or forget about the Epstein coverup being orchestrated by this White House.
Well, America won't forget, and we will continue to hold Donald Trump's feet to the fire where it counts. As the ranking member of the Senate Judiciary and a Senator from the State of Illinois, I will not sit idly by while this President tramples over the Constitution. I will use every tool at my disposal to protect our constitutional system of checks and balances and individual liberties that define us as Americans--from Los Angeles, to Chicago, to the District of Columbia, and everywhere in between. We will continue to put pressure on this administration to explain to the American people why we would waste millions of dollars appropriated for the defense of this country on a political stunt by this President that applies only to blue States that went for Joe Biden in the 2020 election.
The bottom line is the American people want to be safe in their homes and in their neighborhoods and safe as a Nation. This strategy by Donald Trump is not going to achieve that goal.
Mr. President, I move to proceed to executive session to consider Calendar No. 262.
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 Maria A. Lanahan, of Missouri, to be United States District Judge for the Eastern District of Missouri.
Mr. President, I move to proceed to executive session to consider Calendar No. 291.
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 Edward L. Artau, of Florida, to be United States District Judge for the Southern District of Florida.
Mr. President, I rise to discuss the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2026.
The Armed Services Committee approved this bill in July by a wide bipartisan vote of 26 to 1. I appreciated the opportunity to work with Senator Wicker and commend him for his leadership in this regard and also my colleagues on the committee who worked to produce this bill that we are now considering on the floor.
But before I turn to the details of the bill, I must take a moment to address the ongoing deployment of National Guard troops here in the capital and across the country. Over the past several months, President Trump has drastically escalated his use of the military for political purposes, first in Los Angeles--in fact, a judge, today, found that it violated the Posse Comitatus Act with his actions--and now in Washington and very likely soon in other major cities. The President has abused his power as Commander in Chief to order thousands of military servicemembers to conduct law enforcement in American cities. This is antithetical to the core principles of our country. Our military is there to fight our wars. Police officers, under local jurisdiction, are there to enforce the laws. And then there are Federal laws that can be enforced by Federal authorities, not military personnel.
I have always been a proponent of strong law enforcement and safety in our communities. That is why I supported the COPS and Byrne-JAG Programs, among others. But using military forces to police American citizens blurs the vital line between civilian law enforcement and the armed forces, and it damages public trust. Public trust in the military is hard-won and easily lost. And I fear the President is causing severe harm to that relationship.
These deployments threaten the very freedoms our servicemembers swear to protect, and I urge my Republican colleagues to join us in calling for them to end immediately, this use of military personnel to enforce the civil laws of the United States.
To that end, the fiscal year 2026 NDAA establishes important congressional oversight of Defense Support of Civil Authorities. The bill reinstates mandatory training for all servicemembers on the rules of engagement, domestic operations, ethics, and the code of conduct to prevent escalation during deployments on American soil--legal deployments--under both title 10 and title 32. It requires personnel deployed alongside law enforcement to wear clear service identification on their uniforms and ensures military lawyers remain fully qualified and in good standing.
The bill also mandates reviews of military costs incurred supporting the Department of Homeland Security, reporting on the use of military facilities for migrant detention, and transparency when military aircraft and resources are diverted for immigration enforcement. We are accumulating a multi-multimillion-dollar bill in the Department of Defense for functions that are the responsibility of the Department of Homeland Security. That is not smart spending. That is not a wise investment in our military.
Together, the provisions I described provide greater assurances that when our troops are deployed domestically and legally, their role is tightly defined, accountable, and consistent with American values.
More broadly, this is a defense bill that is laser-focused on the threats we face. It addresses a broad range of pressing issues from strategic competition with China and Russia to countering defense from Iran, North Korea, and violent extremists.
The bill authorizes important investments in key technology like artificial intelligence, unmanned systems, and hypersonics, and makes real progress toward modernizing our ships, aircraft, and combat vehicles.
Most importantly, this NDAA delivers key wins for servicemembers and their families. It authorizes a 3.8-percent pay raise for our troops and provides important new resources, such as improved housing and barracks, additional childcare assistance benefits, and expanded programs to address traumatic brain injuries. It also strengthens education support for military children and requires more transparency in how pay and housing allowances are calculated.
Our greatest asset in this country are the men and women of our Armed Forces. They deserve and they have earned these benefits. Bringing into the military qualified Americans from all ranks and all sections and all regions, both genders, is critical to the success of our military forces.
Additionally, this bill reaffirms America's role on the world stage. It extends and expands the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative and commits the Department of Defense to continue providing military and intelligence support to Ukraine.
It also strengthens our alliances in Asia by fully funding the Pacific Deterrence Initiative and providing new authority for U.S. military cooperation with Taiwan. The bill would help modernize our partnership with Japan and the Philippines and ensure our defense industrial base works hand in hand with our allies to counter shared threats. Importantly, the bill will also prohibit any reckless reductions in our force posture in Europe and the Indo-Pacific.
Building upon progress directed by Congress the past several years, this year's bill further improves defense acquisition processes by enabling the Department to rapidly invest in and field cutting-edge commercial technologies. By improving defense small business programs and partnerships with high-tech companies, this legislation will help meet the defense, industrial, and civilian needs of the United States.
Similarly, to compete successfully abroad, our military services and combat commanders must have the resources they need. This legislation broadly supports the procurement of naval vessels, combat aircraft, armored vehicles, weapon systems, and munitions requested in the President's defense budget for fiscal year 2026.
The bill provides additional funding for the procurement of Virginia- and Columbia-class submarines, which are critical to power projection and deterrence around the world. Importantly, this NDAA also provides greater predictability and stability in our naval acquisition programs and improves the U.S. shipbuilding infrastructure through modernization efforts.
And as we navigate the threats of nuclear escalation from Russia and increasing capabilities from China, this Defense bill strengthens our deterrence strategy by helping to modernize the U.S. nuclear triad. It makes progress in ensuring the safety, security, and reliability of our nuclear stockpile, our delivery systems, and our infrastructure, increasing capacity in theater and homeland missile defense and strengthening nonproliferation programs.
There are many more provisions in this bill that will help equip the Department and our warfighters with the tools they need to succeed. I look forward to discussing them throughout this process on the floor.
Let me conclude by, once again, thanking Senator Wicker and my colleagues for working, thoughtfully, on a bipartisan basis to develop this important piece of legislation. I look forward to a very thoughtful debate on the issues that face our national defense and our Department of Defense.
I yield the floor.
I suggest the absence of a quorum.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
Mr. President, the Senate is about to take up this year's National Defense Authorization Act. My colleagues and I on the Senate Armed Services Committee have worked hard to bring this bill to the floor for consideration by all of our fellow Senators, and we bring it to our colleagues with a resounding committee action.
In our committee markup, we voted in a landslide--26 yeses and only 1 nay--to advance the bill--a nearly unanimous endorsement of this legislation. My colleagues and I have spent
The committee's fiscal year 2026 NDAA is focused on two things: rebuild and reform. Again, by a vote of 26 to 1, we adopted a bill with a $924.7 billion top line--an increase that recognizes the urgent need to rebuild our military. We also adopted numerous reforms to the Pentagon's antiquated business processes captured in my FoRGED Act--the most significant acquisition reform proposal in decades.
This NDAA will help rebuild the U.S. military so that our servicemembers are better equipped for the threats of the 21st century. This bill makes investments in cutting-edge technology, such as artificial intelligence, cyber defenses, drone production, and the means to defend ourselves against drones. We authorized a 3.8-percent pay raise for servicemembers, and we expanded programs to continue President Trump's successful military recruitment surge. This NDAA supports the DOD's role in border security and rolls back statutory requirements for diversity, equity, and inclusion programs at the Pentagon.
Throughout, we sought to give the President the tools needed to keep the homeland safe. This NDAA helps equip the United States to counter the Chinese Communist Party. The committee included authorizations to replenish munitions used earlier this year against Iran, to accelerate shipbuilding, and to support the Golden Dome initiative and many other important initiatives.
This National Defense Authorization Act would bring the Pentagon's acquisition process into the modern day. As one example, in just a single provision of this bill, we repeal 86 outdated or unnecessary acquisition policies. Actions like that help turn the page on an outdated system as we look to the future.
This bill streamlines decision-making processes at the Pentagon and brings more competition to the procurement process. The committee recognizes that America is full of innovators who are developing exactly the kinds of technologies that dominate the battlefields of the 21st century. We have produced an NDAA that taps into that talent.
Our deliberations resulted in an overwhelming vote count. Perhaps one reason for such a consensus was that our drafting process was collaborative and involved. The bill contains 985 items that were driven by Members of this body. Of that, 78 items were Member requests for military construction. Another 136 items came from Senators requesting budget increases for procurement operations and maintenance and research and development, and 771 items were policy ideas directly responding to Member requests. In total, those 985 items totaled 60 more than last year and are a sign of a strong, bipartisan consensus that we need to move quickly to modernize our Armed Forces. As those statistics bear out, this is a highly Member-driven bill.
Our committee markup was characterized by that same collaborative spirit. We conducted 49 votes on amendments, working from 9:30 a.m. to 7:30 p.m., only 10 hours--perhaps a record--and I am certain it was an efficient and effective process.
As I look at that 26-to-1 committee vote--have I emphasized that enough, a 26-yes, 1-no committee vote?--I want to thank my colleagues on the committee.
My dear friend, the ranking member, Jack Reed of Rhode Island, has already spoken. He deserves credit. He and his colleagues contributed thoughtful and decisive ideas to this bill, and our staffs worked closely throughout the process.
As I prepare to conclude, may I stress that a regular order process will always yield the best results. I regret that, last summer, the NDAA was not given full consideration on the Senate floor. This is our opportunity to correct that. I am confident that Leader Thune will want to do things differently this week and next. We need an open amendment process undertaken in the light of day. My fellow Senators have already filed hundreds of amendments. The American people deserve to see how their elected officials are voting on important national security matters.
It has not been that long since we have had an open amendment process with multiple managers' packages and dozens of votes. As recently as 2023, we considered 900 amendments during floor debate, and we adopted 121 of them--the most amendments adopted to the Senate NDAA in years. We can do it again, and I ask my colleagues to join us in showing this great body by working as the Founders intended.
In an increasingly dangerous world, this is our moment to provide a strong national defense. My colleagues on the Armed Services Committee stand fully behind this bill. We are eager to begin working with the rest of our colleagues in the Senate as we consider this year's National Defense Authorization Act on the floor. Let's have a resounding ``yes'' vote in just a few minutes, and then let's get to work.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Mississippi.
Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the previously scheduled rollcall vote commence immediately.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
Pursuant to rule XXII, the Chair lays before the Senate the pending cloture motion, which the clerk will state.
The legislative clerk read as follows:
The PRESIDING OFFICER. By unanimous consent, the mandatory quorum call under rule XXII has been waived.
The question is, Is it the sense of the Senate that debate on the motion to proceed to S. 2296, a bill to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 2026 for military activities of the Department of Defense, for military construction, and for defense activities of the Department of Energy, to prescribe military personnel strengths for such fiscal year, and for other purposes, shall be brought to a close?
Mr. President, I rise today with my colleague Senator Whitehouse to pay tribute to a legendary Rhode Islander, Judge Frank T. Caprio, whose limitless compassion while serving as the chief judge of the Municipal Court of Providence made him a beloved figure not only in Rhode Island but around the world.
Judge Caprio's illustrious career was marked by a special dedication to serving others, and it spanned nearly 40 years with the Providence Municipal Court, where he established a reputation for his empathy in the application of justice.
Judge Caprio passed away on August 20, 2025, at the age of 88 after a long and courageous battle with pancreatic cancer. In his signature optimistic and heartwarming way, Judge Caprio did not let his diagnosis dampen his good spirits, and he continued to spread his warmth to the many fans he earned through the Emmy-nominated television show ``Caught in Providence.''
This show, ``Caught in Providence,'' was a worldwide phenomenon. It was picked up virtually all across the globe, which made him an international celebrity, not just a local Rhode Island personality. Through national syndication and social media, the ``Nicest Judge in the World'' scored legions of admirers.
Following his example, we want to take a moment to honor his legacy, which will undoubtedly continue to live on through the many lives he touched in the courtroom and throughout the world.
Let me be very, very clear. Frank Caprio was a great man. His greatness came from two fundamental principles: He never forgot where he came from and who he came from.
As a son of an immigrant father and a Providence native mother, Judge Caprio grew up in the Italian neighborhood of Federal Hill in Providence, just down the street from the courthouse where he presided.
He learned from his father to work hard and to help others wherever possible. He spoke often of shining shoes to make a little extra cash as well as his father's apt advice to always put himself in the other person's shoes, to understand who people are and what brought them to where they are today.
His message as a judge was never about punishment. He saw people first and sought fairness in justice. He was committed not just to enforcing the law but to doing justice. In word and deed, Judge Caprio exemplified his father's advice.
Speaking with CBS News after his diagnosis--again demonstrating his unyielding humility--Judge Caprio said:
As much as he tried to play down his contributions, Judge Caprio was much more than ``a small-town municipal court judge''; he was the premier example of noble public service and the embodiment of the ideal form of justice, one that focuses less on punishment and judgment and more on overcoming our mistakes, seeking forgiveness, and forging a stronger community.
Before his time on the court, his dedication to service was apparent. He was a teacher, a member of the Rhode Island Army National Guard, and a local elected official. Judge Caprio was also a dedicated lawyer, an accomplished restauranteur, and a business owner.
He also treasured the wisdom his parents shared and valued the opportunities that education brought him. He wanted to see others share in that success, so he worked to create scholarships and served for a decade as chairman of the Rhode Island Board of Governors for Higher Education.
Judge Caprio's compassion and generosity inspired the best in others. After seeing his kindness online and on TV, viewers from around the world sent in unsolicited donations to support Judge Caprio's mission-- so many donations, in fact, they inspired the establishment of a fund known as the Filomena Fund, which was named after Judge Caprio's beloved mother. The fund celebrates the generosity of his mother--a trait so clearly inherited by Judge Caprio. Even after Judge Caprio's retirement, the Filomena Fund continues to support charitable work in and around his beloved neighborhood of Federal Hill.
His support for philanthropic causes, and the scholarships he established to support those seeking to make a difference in their community, further exemplified Judge Caprio's work to lift up those around him.
A true believer in the power of empathy, Judge Caprio used his wit, wisdom, and grace to make the world a better place.
He often said:
A humble and benevolent man of integrity, Judge Caprio was bestowed with the Mother Teresa Award for Social Justice in 2023.
Judge Caprio was a mentor to generations of Rhode Island leaders. I always enjoyed catching up with him over a cup of coffee. We spoke of current events, the state of our Nation, and about our families. I valued his wisdom, optimism, and sensibility, and I will remember him fondly for his generous spirit, his personal example of leadership and, indeed, his many, many kindnesses to me.
Along with Senator Whitehouse, I want to express our deepest condolences to Judge Caprio's beloved wife of more than 60 years, Joyce. I also want to extend my condolences to Judge Caprio's entire family--Frank, David, Marissa, John, and Paul, his children, along with his seven grandchildren and two great-grandchildren, who filled him with enormous joy.
Know that your husband, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather is a shining example of a great man and a cherished public servant. Through you, his love and empathy will live on.
And now I yield to my colleague Senator Whitehouse to continue this tribute to this truly good and decent man whose life has brought honor to every Rhode Islander.
I yield the floor.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Rhode Island.
Mr. President, I thank Senator Reed, and I am very cognizant of the honor of having the chance to reflect on Judge Frank Caprio, who was indeed, as Senator Reed has said, a Rhode Island legend.
Judge Caprio was Rhode Island through and through. He was born on Federal Hill, an iconic Italian-American neighborhood in Providence. He started helping his milkman father about age 10. A lot of the apartments there were three-decker tenements. Somebody had to run the milk bottles up to that third floor. An energetic 10-year-old was just the one to do it.
He went on to study in Providence's public schools and, to earn money, served as a dishwasher and a shoeshiner while he was a student.
He graduated and went on to Providence College, the first in his family of dozens of cousins to attend college. And, of course, he graduated. And then he went back to teach at Hope High School to give back to the Providence school system that had lifted him up and taught him so well.
He also served in Rhode Island's Army National Guard for years.
Eventually, he became a lawyer. It wasn't easy. He had to work. So he had to take night classes up in Boston, and Providence to Boston for night classes is a considerable effort.
He became a Providence city councilman, and, ultimately, he became chief judge of the Providence Municipal Court, chief judge for 38 years. It was there where the man found his mission, and the mission found its man and that was, while presiding over literally thousands of cases, to become an exemplar of what is right and what is decent
He heard cases related to unpaid parking tickets and traffic violations, and he listened to everyone who came before him.
His authenticity quickly captured the hearts and minds of Rhode Islanders. His TV show from the courtroom, ``Caught in Providence,'' first became a treasure of Rhode Island Public Access TV, but then it exploded. Judge Caprio and his court officer and straight man Ziggy Quinn turned the tedium of traffic court into a beloved and enduring human spectacle, and people from around the world tuned in. People told Judge Caprio their stories of personal hardship, and he listened. Whenever he could, he gave the benefit of the doubt and offered advice and encouragement, delivered in that signature Federal Hill voice.
Sometimes there were tears of relief. Sometimes there was laughter. Some of those moments went viral online, racking up more than a billion views. People were attracted to Judge Caprio because he did not fake authenticity. He was the real deal.
The show became nationally syndicated in 2018. And when that syndication deal was announced, Judge Caprio called it ``a dream.'' It was wonderful that he could have his dream come true in his lifetime.
So the world got to witness Judge Caprio's compassion. The empathetic judge from Rhode Island became an ambassador for our capital city and for our State and for his solid, old-school values. He did it his way. And we all got to enjoy it.
At the end, stricken with pancreatic cancer, he was still giving back and still being compassionate. At the last PurpleStride pancreatic cancer walk that he attended, he and I sat next to each other for 15 minutes chatting and catching up. He was, by then, quite the celebrity. He could have hustled in and hustled back out, gone to do other things. No. He wanted to just hang out with people and be there and make sure that the entire proceedings went off well. He did not treat himself as a star, but he was one.
Judge Caprio's son David said that the Judge's parting advice to him was this:
That sums it up nicely.
I offer my condolences to his wife Joyce of more than 60 years and to their five children: David, who also served in government in Rhode Island; Marissa; Frank, who also served in government in Rhode Island, was our treasurer; Paul; and John. Quite a family. It has lost its patriarch. Our hearts are with them.
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.
Mr. President, on this very day, an outstanding civic and business leader in my home State and our capital city of Des Moines, will conclude an impressive 41-year career with the Principal Financial Group. Today, Dan Houston will step down as chair of the Principal Board of Directors.
As many Iowans do throughout their careers, Dan rose through the company ranks by climbing the corporate ladder with hard work, grit, and sacrifice. He showed exemplary leadership skills and thrived in a competitive environment to build a culture of opportunity and servant leadership at Principal Financial Group.
During my first term in the U.S. Senate, Dan joined Principal in 1984 as part of the sales team after graduating from Iowa State University. Through the years, he took on key leadership roles, including president, CCO, and CEO. For the past decade, Dan served as the driving force to steer Principal through extraordinary times. At the helm, Dan navigated one of the largest acquisitions in company history, a global pandemic, and a new enterprise strategy, just to name a few.
A principled leader, Dan cultivated a successful climate by planting the seeds of success for team members on every rung of the ladder. With charisma and generosity, he inspired the company's rank-and-file and management teams to manage assets, innovate, and build tools to help people achieve retirement security.
In addition to an impressive professional career in global finance and asset management, Dan shared his visionary leadership skills to give back to the greater Des Moines area, including Principal's philanthropic contributions to United Way, the annual Principal Charity Classic, and of course, the scenic Principal Riverwalk that transformed downtown Des Moines with a series of parks and public-use areas along the banks of the Des Moines River.
When I served as chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, I was glad to lead Iowa's congressional delegation to help support this infrastructure project that links the east and west sides of our State capital in the heart of downtown Des Moines. Thanks to a public-private alliance and gifts from the Principal Foundation, generations of Iowans and outdoor enthusiasts can enjoy its landscaped public spaces, world class public art, pedestrian bridges, and pathways that connect downtown with 300 miles of central Iowa trails.
Although Dan is hanging up his CEO hat, Iowans will continue to reap the benefit from the bounty that his servant leadership brings to the community. I have no doubt Dan and his wife Joanie will throw their civic stewardship into high gear to support causes closest to their hearts--including Joanie's work with hospice and ChildServe--and Dan's contributions to the ICON Water Trails, Legacy Woods, the Principal Charity Classic, Iowa State University's Ivy College of Business, and Future Ready Iowa Alliance, among others.
Barbara and I wish Dan and Joanie many years of happiness in retirement. Dan spent his entire professional career helping people reach retirement security. Now, it is time for you to enjoy the fruits of your labor. May this next chapter bring even more quality family time with your children and grandchildren. Congratulations, Dan, you have left the Principal Group, and your adopted hometown of Des Moines, even better than you found it.
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:
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:
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:
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:
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:
Mr. President, section 36(b) of the Arms Export Control Act
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:
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
There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in the Record, as follows:
NATO Support and Procurement Agency--AIM-9X Sidewinder Missiles
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:
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:
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:
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.
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:
United Kingdom--C-17 Globemaster III Aircraft Sustainment Support
Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to have printed in the Congressional Record a letter containing the legal opinion of the Government Accountability Office, No. B-337330, titled U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management-Applicability of the Congressional Review Act to 2024 Coastal Plain Oil and Gas Leasing Program Record of Decision, dated August 25, 2025.
The letter provides notification that the U.S. Department of the Interior, Bureau of Land Management 2024 Coastal Plain Oil and Gas Leasing Program Record of Decision is a rule subject to the Congressional Review Act, 5 U.S.C. Sec. 801 et seq.
There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in the Record, as follows:
Mr. President, I rise today to recognize Greatest Generation Week and the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II. I am honored to have the opportunity to speak about this truly significant milestone marking the end to one of the most tumultuous and tragic global events in history. It was the resilience and patriotism of millions of Americans, both soldier and citizen, that shaped a generation and the future of this Nation. On the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, we pay tribute to our fellow Americans, and the ``greatest generation,'' that united under the banner of our flag to fight tyranny and injustice.
On September 2, 1945, U.S. Army General Douglas MacArthur accepted the formal surrender of Japan aboard the USS Missouri. For those of the ``greatest generation,'' this date represents the culmination of 1,226 days of arduous and demanding sacrifice. During World War II, over 16 million Americans served in uniform. In fields and factories, American workers produced the materials for victory in quantities previously unimagined. Michigan became an arsenal for democracy as our assembly lines became the frontlines of an unprecedented war effort. Untold others sacrificed at home by rationing, purchasing war bonds, or contributing to the war effort in countless small ways.
As we commemorate the 80th anniversary of the end of that costly war, we wish to express our deep gratitude to those remaining members of the ``greatest generation'' who willingly bore such burdens for our freedom. As we honor the living among us, we must also remember the dead. Over 400,000 Americans made the ultimate sacrifice during World War II, and of these, the remains of over 70,000 have never been located. To this day, the bodies of over 2,400 Michiganders remain unrecovered in distant battlegrounds and beneath the waves.
It is my great honor to extend my gratitude to the servicemembers and civilians that have sacrificed for our country. I ask all my colleagues to join me in recognition of Greatest Generation Week and commemoration of the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II.
Mr. President, I rise today to wish the town of Hudson, ME, a very happy 200th birthday. The people of Hudson are proud of their hometown and the generations of hard-working and caring people who have made it such a wonderful place to live, work, and raise families.
Hudson's incorporation in 1825 was but one milestone on a long journey of progress. For thousands of years, the region, with its pristine waters and vast forests, was the hunting grounds of the Penobscot Tribe. Early settlers began arriving around 1800 and turned those resources into busy lumber mills, followed by a furniture factory and cooper shops.
The wealth produced by the land, and by hard work and determination, was invested in a church and several schools to create a true community. In 1824, the settlement became a plantation--a pre- incorporation designation unique to Maine--called Jackson, in honor of the hero of the War of 1812 who would later become our Nation's seventh President. In 1825, the plantation was fully incorporated as Kirkland, after an early settler. Finally, in 1855, the name was changed to Hudson, recognizing the Massachusetts hometown of many residents.
During the Civil War, Maine contributed a higher percentage of its population to abolishing slavery and preserving our Union than any other State, and Hudson played a significant role in contributing soldiers and supporting the war effort. Today, the Veterans Memorial Park stands as an inspiring tribute to all the men and women of Hudson who have defended our freedom throughout history.
Little Pushaw Pond, Pushaw Lake, and the lovely connecting stream running through fields and forest give Hudson a refreshing rural feel. At the same time, the nearby city of Bangor and the flagship University of Maine campus at Orono offer the arts and entertainment activities that make life in Hudson truly the best of both worlds.
The energy that so many have devoted to this year's exciting bicentennial celebration is but one example of the spirit that has guided Hudson from its founding to today. Thanks to those who came before, Hudson, ME, has a wonderful past. Thanks to those who are there today, it has a bright future.
Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of Calendar No. 126, S. 1038.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the bill by title.
The senior assistant legislative clerk read as follows:
There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the bill which had been reported from the Committee on the Judiciary with an amendment to strike all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed in italic, as follows:
Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the committee-reported substitute amendment be agreed to; that the bill, as amended, be considered read a third time and passed; and that the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
The committee-reported amendment in the nature of a substitute was agreed to.
The bill (S. 1038), as amended, was ordered to be engrossed for a third reading, was read the third time, and passed.
Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today, it stand adjourned until 10 a.m. on Wednesday, September 3; 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 the motion to proceed to Calendar No. 115, S. 2296, the National Defense Authorization Act, postcloture; further, that the Senate recess from 12:30 p.m. to 2:15 p.m. to allow for the weekly conference meetings and that all time during recess, adjournment, and leader remarks count postcloture on the motion to proceed to Calendar No. 115, S. 2296.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
