Legislative Session
For the majority leader, I move to proceed to Calendar No. 311, H.R. 7147.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report.
The senior assistant executive clerk read as follows:
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Iowa.
Mr. President, once again, I want to honor a fellow Iowan. This time I want to commend Jill Ridder of Woodbine, IA, for receiving the distinguished Milken Educator Award. Jill earned this award as a result of her outstanding service to her students, to her school, and to her community.
Throughout her career, Jill has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to student success and her innovative approach to education. As principal of the Woodbine Elementary School, she has fostered a culture of high expectations, resulting in over 75 percent of the students performing above grade level in reading and math.
Jill served as a classroom teacher at both the preschool and elementary levels, and as a school-based interventionist. This experience led to her use of a comprehensive, student-centered educational model at Woodbine Elementary.
Beyond her primary responsibilities as principal, she leads professional development efforts, provides mentorship to new educators, and helps teachers track student progress to provide effective intervention.
Jill is engaged with families and the broader community. Her service includes strengthening the parent-teacher organization and directing the school's in-house daycare program.
So I am here to congratulate Jill on her esteemed award.
I yield the floor.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Democratic whip.
Mr. President, Friday marks the deadline to fund the Department of Homeland Security. Last week, Congress--House and Senate--passed the five outstanding, bipartisan government appropriations bills that funded 96 percent of the Federal Government. Senate Democrats drew the line when it came to funding this Department, the Department of Homeland Security, after what we had seen in Minneapolis, in Chicago, and so many other places.
We successfully removed that bill from the government funding package to allow for negotiations with respect to Federal immigration enforcement agents and their operations.
Republicans have had a week to work with Democrats to reform ICE and the border patrol and rein in the campaign of terror we witnessed in Chicago, Minneapolis, and across the country. I am sorry to say we have made little progress in reaching an agreement.
The administration's campaign of terror has led to the detention of innocent people, serious injuries, and deaths, including those of Alex Pretti and Renee Good in Minneapolis--both American citizens who were exercising their constitutional rights to observe and protest ICE enforcement.
Americans are seeing this chaos play out in countless videos, and they are demanding change. President Trump has justified these militarized immigration enforcement operations as targeting the ``worst of the worst'' and ``murderers, rapists,'' terrorists, the criminally insane. But the statistics of the Department of Homeland Security tell a much different story--the real
The President was railing at his rallies: We are going after the murderers, the terrorists, the rapists, the child abusers--and then take a look at the numbers. Less than 14 percent of the 400,000 immigrants arrested by ICE in 2025 had charges or convictions for violent crimes or offenses. And this data from DHS indicates that only 2 percent--2 percent--of those arrested by ICE over the past year have any alleged gang affiliations--2 percent. Nearly 40 percent of all those arrested by ICE in 2025 did not have any criminal record at all-- none. And that is the truth of the matter.
These militarized immigration enforcement operations are not really designed to lock up the ``worst of the worst.'' They are designed to sow fear in a community. I saw it Saturday. St. Pius V church in a little village in the city of Chicago, a Hispanic community--the people all wore masks, very careful where they walked and where they went shopping, when they went to a restaurant, when they went to church. That is the climate of fear that has been created by this operation.
Removing dangerous criminals? Two percent--2 percent of those arrested and detained and separated from their families had any criminal background.
While Operation Metro Surge in Minnesota has been in the national spotlight recently, the city of Chicago, as I mentioned, is no stranger to Trump's campaign of terror. Last week, I also attended a Democratic forum examining the Department of Homeland Security's use of violence in immigration enforcement operations. There, I learned what happened to a 30-year-old Montessori schoolteacher, Marimar Martinez. Listen to this story and tell me that ICE is focusing on terrorists.
Marimar Martinez, on a Saturday morning, decided to take some spare clothing in her closet to her local church to give to people who might need it. She got in her car, drove over to her church. Marimar Martinez is a U.S. citizen. She was born and raised in Chicago.
What happened to her? ICE confronted her on a major street in Chicago on that Saturday morning. And when she drove away, they fired and hit her five times. Five times they shot her, a CBP agent during the Trump administration's Operation Midway Blitz. Five times--she is lucky to be alive.
Ms. Martinez described that moment in her opening statement. She said:
What crime is she guilty of? Taking spare clothing to her church on a Saturday morning. Good enough for ICE to fire away.
The fact that Ms. Martinez is alive today after being shot five times is a miracle. I told her as much.
But immediately after the shooting of Ms. Martinez, the agent--I won't say his name; we know what it is--the agent of CBP, a 23-year- veteran, went on his cell phone and bragged about his shooting abilities in private text to fellow agents. He wrote:
He was so proud of himself. He shot this woman, this 30-year-old Montessori teacher, five times.
What happened to the van that they alleged she rammed into causing this shooting incident? Mysteriously, it disappeared from the scene. The ICE van was taken away. Well, where would they take the ICE van? They took it to Maine, a thousand miles away from Chicago. Why Maine? That happened to be where the agent lived, but it also was an effort to cover up the actual evidence of what happened that day. You see, there was no indication on the van, the body of the van, that she rammed into it, and she did not. There was no evidence whatsoever, but they removed the evidence.
So what happened when they brought the charges in court against Marimar Martinez for ramming into the ICE van and for defying the agents? What happened to those charges? They were all dropped. Five times that woman was shot on the streets of Chicago, and when it came to pressing charges, the government dropped all charges against her.
Ms. Martinez, a teaching assistant to little kids, spoke of the trauma she continues to carry with her:
She continued:
That shooting will be with her the rest of her life.
They dropped all charges. They removed the van that was involved in this incident a thousand miles away and repainted it.
Does Ms. Martinez sound like the ``worst of the worst''? Does she sound like a murderer? A rapist? A terrorist? Criminally insane? Of course not.
Why are we letting this happen in America? For goodness' sake, the Constitution is clear. There are guarantees people have of their own freedom and liberty.
My friends on the other side of the aisle look past that. They don't want to talk about it. I am afraid I can't stop talking about it because what happened to her is totally unjust.
So now, we are trying to change the scene. We are doing this because what happened to her must stop. That is why Senate Democrats are setting to rein in ICE and CBP.
Last week, Leaders Schumer and Jeffries laid out our reforms to Federal immigration enforcement in writing. All we are asking is that ICE and other Federal immigration agents adhere to reasonable standards to maintain trust, safety, and accountability in our communities.
So what specifically are we demanding? First, stop these roving patrols. The United States is a nation governed by the rule of law. Government agents cannot indiscriminately round up people without probable cause, and they can't break down the doors of someone's home and disappear them without a judicial warrant.
Did you see the video in Minneapolis where they broke down the door of one of these families? The man was taking a shower. He wrapped a towel around himself in the freezing weather and was dragged out to the ICE vehicle. Turns out, they knocked down the wrong door. They identified the wrong person. They crashed his door, invaded his home, and had no basis for doing so whatsoever.
Government agents cannot indiscriminately round up people without probable cause, and they can't be breaking down the door of your home. There is an amendment to the Constitution which was written specifically to protect us from this sort of government behavior.
Second, there needs to be accountability, including new use-of-force standards that allow local law enforcement to participate in investigating complaints of excessive force by immigration agents.
You think if there was an investigation into the shooting of Marimar Martinez that they would allow the vehicle that was involved, ICE vehicle involved, to be removed a thousand miles away from Chicago and repainted before any hearing? Of course not.
And there should be no immigration enforcement operations at sensitive locations like hospitals, schools, churches, courts, and polling places.
Finally, we are asking that body cameras be mandatory and masks come off: Masks off, cameras on. Virtually every professional law enforcement department in my State and the Nation has accepted that standard--all except for ICE. They want to be secret police, secret paramilitary, and they want to wear masks to hide their identity. What are we doing in this country?
Democrats are united in our cause for these commonsense reforms, and the American people back us up on every single one of them. This week, we need the Republicans to work in good faith to get the deal done.
In the meantime, I want to note something. Secretary Noem, she has been on television a lot, hasn't she--paid ads as well as her own appearances. She has not appeared once before the Senate Judiciary Committee in the last year. When I have asked repeatedly of the chairman of that committee to bring her in for an accountability session, he has tried, with no
The administration must end this aggressive immigration enforcement surge and mass deportation campaign. ICE and Federal agents need to play by the same rules as professional police forces across America. That is the bottom line.
If the police force in your town and your State can do its job without wearing a mask on the job, can do the job with a video camera recording what actually happened, why in the world are these Federal agents treated any differently? Why are they given special privileges so they can arrest 2 percent of the people that they are looking for? That is not a very enviable record.
I yield the floor.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The majority leader is recognized.
Mr. President, funding for the Department of Homeland Security runs out on Friday. Over the weekend, the Trump administration and congressional Democrats engaged in meaningful talks on a path forward.
Democrats have made their demands known in detail. Some of them are positive starting points for further discussion or are nonstarters and unnecessarily tie the hands of law enforcement. In the coming days, the administration and Democrats will need to work out their differences.
I expect that the Trump administration, with the full backing of congressional Republicans, will continue to resist any effort to make it harder for law enforcement to detain and deport dangerous illegal aliens, which is what many of the Democrats' demands would do. I expect that the administration--again, with the backing of Republicans here in Congress--will insist on reforms of its own. I expect that those will include changes aimed at protecting Federal law enforcement officers, who are increasingly under threat from an organized and well-funded campaign to undermine immigration enforcement efforts.
Equally important is addressing the cooperation--or the lack thereof--between local and Federal law enforcement. Too many jurisdictions prohibit local police from cooperating with immigration enforcement--a policy that not only defies common sense but makes things more dangerous for everyone.
So I hope my Democrat colleagues are prepared to talk about these and other issues. As in any good-faith negotiation, there will be some back and forth. We have already seen the Trump administration act in good faith. Last week, Tom Homan announced an agreement to draw down 700 Federal agents in Minnesota--something made possible thanks to increased cooperation from local law enforcement. The Trump administration has already said it will deploy body cameras to all officers deployed in Minneapolis. And, as I have mentioned before, Republicans previously agreed to provide additional money for body cameras and deescalation training for Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers in a bipartisan, full-year Homeland Security bill, but Democrats reneged on that deal.
Going forward, it is my hope that Democrats will work constructively and honor their commitments because Republicans are serious about getting this funding bill done. That is one of the reasons we wanted to provide more time for negotiations. We are just a few days away from a deadline that Democrats chose, and it is very possible we won't have our work finished by then. If Democrats are serious about finding a solution here, they may need to find more time to bring these efforts to a productive conclusion.
A government shutdown--even one that affects just one Agency--is not in anybody's interest, least of all in that of the hard-working Americans who staff these Agencies and the American people who depend on their important work.
As Roll Call reported, the Coast Guard is awaiting funding ``for new cutter and icebreaker ships, plus new helicopters and drones, not to mention higher spending on day-to-day missions'' in a full-year bill.
DHS oversees cyber security missions that, if not fully funded, would leave America vulnerable to a cyber attack.
FEMA is a DHS Agency, and it needs certainty to be able to both prepare for and respond to natural disasters.
Then there is the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center, which provides instruction for Federal, State, local, and Tribal law enforcement officers, not to mention for our own Capitol Police.
I could go on about the important work that falls under the Department of Homeland Security and the need to pass a full-year bill to fund the entire Department, but I will leave it here. We need to keep working toward a solution, and if it is going to take longer than a few days, we need to provide the time necessary to finish the job.
I yield the floor.
I suggest the absence of a quorum.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
The bill clerk proceeded to call the roll.
Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
Mr. President, let me take you back to November 2024. President Trump and his family were together in Florida, awaiting the election results after one of the most brutal campaigns in American history.
You know, 4 years earlier, President Trump had been forced to leave the White House after rampant voter fraud had resulted in Joe Biden being elected President.
In 2022, President Trump announced he would run again in 2024--much to the Democrats' dismay. The mainstream media went into full meltdown, claiming it was impossible for President Trump to return to the White House.
During Trump's campaign, he was shot live on television, arrested on made-up charges, and even had his home raided by the FBI, but he was still standing and was determined as ever to get back to the White House to finish what he had started.
Thankfully, 77 million people--Americans--agreed, helping President Trump win both the electoral college and the popular vote. Americans also gave Republicans control of the House and Senate to help President Trump accomplish his agenda.
This historic victory on November 5, 2024, wasn't just about President Trump, however; it was also a rejection of the Democrats' ridiculous open border policies that had allowed tens of millions of illegals to come into our country unvetted; it was a rejection of the sky-high inflation that made life unaffordable for millions and millions of Americans; it was a rejection of woke policies, like men in women's sports and allowing doctors to perform life-ruining surgeries on children; and it was a rejection of the weaponization of the Federal Government to go after political opponents.
November 5, 2024, was one of the most consequential elections of my lifetime. It paved the way for Republicans in the House and the Senate to deliver historic tax cuts just last summer with popular policies like no tax on tips, Social Security, and overtime. We look forward to seeing all of those policies take effect this year, but we still have much, much work to do.
You know, there has been a lot of talk in the media about what Republicans need to focus on into the midterms later this year--a lot of talk. If you ask me, the No. 1 issue must be to secure our elections. If we don't deliver on this, we will lose our country to the woke globalists who hate our Constitution and want to destroy the greatest Nation on Earth.
It is far past time for my Republican colleagues in the Senate to stop worrying about getting reelected and pass one of the most critical pieces of legislation that we will see in our lifetimes--the SAVE America Act.
The SAVE America Act is most important. It requires voters to show a government ID to vote in Federal elections--what a thought. This is common sense.
By the way, 83 percent of all Americans support it according to a 2025 poll,
This really isn't complicated.
The SAVE America Act also requires proof of citizenship for an individual to register in one's State.
If you are here illegally, you should not be voting in our elections--period.
Lastly, the bill requires States to remove non-U.S. citizens from existing voter rolls. It makes sense.
These policies are not controversial. Yet the Democrat Party is throwing a tantrum. You should be asking yourself: Why is that? Why are they against voter ID, no mail-in ballots, no ballot harvesting and 1- day voting? Why is that? Is it because their illegal voting base will no longer be able to keep them in power once the legislation becomes law? Sure, it is.
Democrats claim that the SAVE America Act is voter suppression and that it is racist, but the American people are not falling for it. Don't believe the mainstream media's portrayal of this. The American people have already spoken. The SAVE America Act is supported by a huge majority of Americans, and they want it.
There are many things in our day-to-day lives that require us to show a government photo ID. Many things. Almost everything--purchasing alcohol, lottery tickets and tobacco products, boarding flights, renting a car, checking into hotels. If you want to open up a bank account or apply for credit, you must show a photo ID. Marriage license, the signing of legal documents, and many other benefit programs often require proof of identification as well, not to mention my Democrat colleagues in the Senate are supporting that ICE agents prove their identities while deporting criminals.
Let Federal law enforcement agents do their jobs, folks. Let them do their jobs.
The hypocrisy from the radical left knows no bounds. Ask yourself: Why is it easier to vote than it is to board a plane? It makes no sense.
Why are Republican politicians in Washington ignoring the mandate of 77 million American patriots? There are 77 million who voted to get this done.
Washington, DC, we have problems. It is where elected officials are completely out of touch, and they don't listen to the people they represent; they vote for themselves. And that has gotten us in trouble. They are more concerned about getting reelected than in actually doing what they promised to do on the campaign trail. It is easy to talk, but you need to follow up on what you ran on.
For years, Democrats have shouted from the rooftops that it is impossible for illegals to vote in our elections, but the proof is in the pudding.
In August 2024, Texas Governor Greg Abbott announced that they found more than 1 million ineligible voters on the Texas voter rolls--1 million.
In October of 2024, the Supreme Court of the United States approved the State of Virginia to remove 1,600 ineligible voters from the voter rolls. Virginia had to be forced to do it.
Earlier this year, Oregon was forced to begin removing 800,000 inactive voters from the State registration rolls. Why did they have to be told to do that? It doesn't make any sense. This is not a coincidence. It is an intentional political strategy being orchestrated by the Democratic National Party.
Democrats, they have lost their traditional blue-collar and minority voter base. How do we know that? The majority have just voted for President Trump just a year ago. Because of that, the Democrats have now found themselves a new girlfriend. Who are they? Illegal immigrants. That is why the Democrat-controlled States refuse to work with the Department of Justice and have denied the Agency access to the voting rolls--denied the Federal Government: No, you can't see our voting rolls. What have you got to hide?
They would rather fall on their swords for criminal illegal aliens-- murderers, rapists, and terrorists--to get their votes than prioritize the safety of American citizens. Thanks to the Director of National Intelligence, Director Tulsi Gabbard, Americans are finally seeing evidence of the past fraudulent elections come to light.
Millions of Americans have thought for years that there was serious election interference in Fulton County, GA, during the 2020 Presidential election. Thanks to President Trump, FBI Director Kash Patel, and DNI Tulsi Gabbard, the 2020 Presidential election ballots have been seized and will soon reveal the real truth to the American people.
The SAVE America Act must be our main priority this year, and that is saying a whole lot because we have got a lot of problems up here, but it has got to be our No. 1 priority. For instance, Washington, DC, has a serious spending problem. Yet we are more than $38 trillion in debt with nothing to show for it.
Or look at the fact that we are one of the sickest countries on Earth. Thank God for R.F.K., Jr., and Make America Healthy Again. We are working to address this problem, not to mention all the problems created by the Biden administration and their office for 4 years. But we can't even start addressing these problems until we pass the SAVE America Act. We have to do it.
Luckily, we still have time to get it to the finish line. One way we can do this is to get rid of the outdated 60-vote filibuster. The way it is used today has nothing to do with what it was originally intended for. Instead of the zombie filibuster, today it has become a tool of obstruction used to overturn the will of the American people. We don't work for the Senate. We work for the American people. The filibuster was set up to allow debate, and that should be happening right here, real debate on this floor. My Democratic colleagues need to come to the floor and explain to the American people why they want illegals to vote in elections. I would like to hear it. What is their reasoning?
President Trump ran on the commonsense policies of the SAVE America Act, and he won, also, the popular vote, by the way. It is time my Republican colleagues started acting like we were in the majority. We have the power. As Republicans, we currently have 53 seats in the Senate. Clearly, the American people are behind us and support the ``America First'' agenda. That is exactly why 77 million people voted in 2024, and we owe it to each and every one of them to get the job done instead of sitting up here looking at each other.
Passing legislation like the SAVE America Act is essential for the future of our country. We are not going to have another chance. We have no choice. We have got to get it done. If we do not pass this bill, we may never have a secure election in this country again. Never. That is a long time.
Democrats will work overtime to import as many illegals to this country as they can. They just showed they would do it for 4 years. We can't allow that to happen again.
We are seeing the Democrats' strategy play out in realtime in other countries as we speak. I have been saying this for years: All you have got to do is go to Europe. They are us 10 years from now. If we don't pass the SAVE America Act, it is gone. Their leaders are getting fired right and left. They have lost their moral values; they have lost their culture; and they have lost their country.
All of it started with mass migration, which they have allowed to completely destroy what they have had for centuries. The socialist- controlled Spanish Government recently imported 500,000 migrants and are in the process of granting residency. You have got to be kidding me.
Or look at Romania where the conservative pro ``Romania First'' candidate was cheated out of a victory in 2024 because of made-up claims that Russia interfered in their elections. Sounds familiar.
If we don't pass the SAVE America Act this year, what is happening in Europe won't just be overseas anymore. It is going to be right here in our backyard because many of the enemy are already inside the gates.
Politicians often warn about the crime or national security threats that illegals pose to this country, but this isn't just about American safety. It is also a serious financial problem.
Do you know that every year now we are having to pay for the illegals that
We must get rid of the Dominion voting machines; stop mail-in voting; absentee ballots only in certain situations; stop ballot harvesting; and return to same-day-only voting.
In my State of Alabama, I get two questions: Are you going to close the border and are you going to have fair elections? I want my vote to count.
And that is the reason I am here today. If we don't secure our Federal elections, we will become a banana republic. It is right around the corner. The American people want it. The only question is, Do my colleagues in the Senate want to keep their tradition of the Senate or do they want to work for the American people? That is the reason we are here.
Are we just interested in protecting our own power? I hope not because it won't be here long if we don't. Let's do the right thing for the American taxpayers and pass the SAVE America Act. Our Nation and the future of our kids and grandkids depend on it. Think about it.
I yield the floor.
I suggest the absence of a quorum.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
The bill clerk proceeded to call the roll.
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 Democratic leader is recognized.
Mr. President, on Saturday, Senate and House Democratic leadership, including myself and Leader Jeffries, sent legislative texts detailing the 10 items we outlined in our letter, which has been public since Thursday, for reining in ICE. We sent them to our Republican counterparts, including Leader Thune, Speaker Johnson, and the White House.
So since Saturday, the ball has been in the Republicans' court. We have no idea which of our proposals they will accept and which they reject. And when I say the Democrats offered exceedingly reasonable proposals and have the support of the American people, I am not exaggerating. In fact, many on both sides who have seen our proposals say they are reasonable, and they are reasonable for one obvious reason: We are asking ICE to do nothing more than follow the standards that the vast majority of law enforcement agencies already follow. Why should ICE be different, especially when they have such a record of brutality?
We are simply saying no barging into people's homes without a judicial warrant. Who on the other side objects to that?
No secret police wearing masks with zero identification. Who has police officers in their own jurisdictions who don't have any identification and are not identifiable? Of course not. It is perfectly reasonable. That is how we do law enforcement.
I ask Republicans: When have they ever seen a traffic cop wearing a mask?
Democrats also say: no use of force without a code of conduct.
Well, I hope people listen to this. Our proposed language for use of force is based off language currently in effect in the State of Florida. If it is good enough for Florida law enforcement, it certainly should be good enough for Republicans in Congress. Florida hardly is a State run by Democrats.
We also cannot have unannounced raids in places like hospitals and elementary schools and polling places. Republicans should ask people back home if they think it is OK for ICE to tail schoolbuses or to have ICE ``surround the polls,'' like Steve Bannon and others say. Most Americans would say this has nothing to do with going after criminals and everything to do with intimidation, coercion, and trying to jaundice our election process.
Well, Republicans, the clock is ticking. We have sent you our proposals, and they are exceedingly reasonable. I hope our colleagues on the other side, many who--at least here in the Senate--recognize that things need to change, show they are ready to act in a meaningful way.
Mr. President, now, on the SAVE Act, as Americans struggle with high costs, fewer jobs, and endless chaos from Donald Trump, House Republicans are choosing to spend their time this week on federalizing Jim Crow. Republicans bristle--the rightwing bristles--every time that I say that the SAVE Act is Jim Crow 2.0. They don't like it because sometimes the truth hurts. While the specific policies may have changed since the days of the Jim Crow South, the goal of the SAVE Act is the same: disenfranchising American citizens and making it harder for eligible people to vote, particularly low-income Americans and people of color. This is the truth.
The SAVE Act is not a mainstream bill whatsoever. It is a fringe piece of legislation that has now taken over the Republican Party, masquerading as election security when it is really about laying the groundwork to meddle in the midterm elections and make it much harder for people to vote.
Here are just some of the nasty reasons the SAVE Act is as extreme as it gets: No. 1, the SAVE Act includes such extreme voter registration requirements that, if enacted, it could disenfranchise 21 million American citizens--21 million. That is more than 10 percent-- significantly more than 10 percent--of the people who vote.
No. 2, millions of American citizens--millions--don't have access to the paperwork that SAVE would require and would be in danger of getting shut out of our democracy. For example, if you are one of the 50 percent of Americans who doesn't have a passport or if you are one of the tens of millions of Americans who can't quickly access your birth certificate, the SAVE Act would, in effect, take away your right to vote.
No. 3, the SAVE Act would gut tried-and-true methods of voter registration, including registration by mail and registering online. That means our servicemembers overseas could get shut out. That means Americans who have trouble leaving their homes could get shut out. That means rural Americans could be shut out of our democracy.
The SAVE Act would introduce the 21st century equivalent of a democracy that tolerates literacy tests and asks people to guess the number of jellybeans in a jar. And for what reason? Because Donald Trump, to this day, lies about the 2020 election, and Republicans in the House--dutiful lemmings to the end--eagerly enable his lies and push radical bills pretending they care about election security.
The SAVE Act is dead on arrival in the Senate. Democrats will not sign our names to this radical piece of legislation that takes away the right to vote from tens of millions of American citizens.
Mr. President, on Epstein, the most important ad that Americans saw during Super Bowl Sunday had nothing to do with a new product or a TV show. It was about justice for Jeffrey Epstein's victims. An ad, yesterday, championed by the organization World Without Exploitation reminded the American people of the ugly truth: Millions upon millions of files, roughly half of the Epstein files, are still being locked away by the Department of Justice, and they have failed to explain why in a way that the law requires.
The Senate passed legislation unanimously, last year, requiring these files to be released by December 19. That was more than 50 days ago. The American people are wondering, and they are still waiting: What is Pam Bondi hiding?
Earlier today, Ghislaine Maxwell came before the House Oversight Committee and refused to answer questions, instead invoking the Fifth Amendment for every single question. Later this week, Pam Bondi will testify before the House Judiciary Committee but to date has failed to show the American people the transparency Americans are demanding.
The American people aren't getting the answers they were promised about Jeffrey Epstein. Shame--shame--on the Department of Justice. While they continue to hide the truth, Jeffrey Epstein's victims continue to wait for their day of justice.
Mr. President, finally, on Trump nominee Jeremy Carl, this week, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee
Of his political opponents he once said:
He called Juneteenth a ``race hustling and white-shaming'' holiday and that ``if you're a white person celebrating Juneteenth, you've already surrendered.'' Do you believe a guy would say this?
He said that ``Jews often have loved to play the victim.'' And on a podcast a few years ago, he added:
Can you believe this? What stereotypical garbage.
On the Holocaust, Carl simply says:
In other words, he is saying: Get over it.
That is vile.
Jeremy Carl's long history of racist, White-supremacist and anti- Semitic views plainly disqualifies him from serving in a senior diplomatic post at the Department of State. No person who thinks Jews should get over the Holocaust and spreads pernicious Jewish stereotypes can claim to have the character or judgment to serve as a diplomat for this country. Jeremy Carl's nomination should go no further after this week, and he should be forced to answer during testimony for his long history of violent, racist, and anti-Semitic rhetoric.
I yield the floor and note the Senator from Washington State has arrived.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Washington.
Mr. President, before I get started, I just have to say: How about those Seahawks?
Congratulations to the Seattle Seahawks on a very well-earned win in last night's Super Bowl. We are very excited to welcome them back home and celebrate a hard-fought victory. Our players brought the grit, the 12's from every part of our State brought the heart, and now our team is bringing home a trophy.
I am extra proud of my State today, and I will be introducing a resolution to commemorate this victory. It just goes to show you, you can't spell Washington State without a big ``W.''
Mr. President, I am not just talking about the Super Bowl here because, in the spending bills that I negotiated, we have a lot more wins headed back home. As of last week, we have gotten 11 of the 12 spending bills for the year signed into law.
Now, there is still some very hard work ahead on the DHS spending bill to enact serious accountability measures. The abuses and violence are so blatant and alarming. We have to rein in these Agencies that are trampling Americans' rights.
But, today, I want to talk about what the bills we did pass so far actually mean for folks back home in my home State of Washington. For one thing, they mean no more slush fund CR that lets Trump rob blue States like mine. Congress is reasserting its authority.
These bills mean none of the drastic cuts that Trump and the House Republicans were pushing. And for Washington State, these bills mean nearly $500 million in congressionally directed spending and $5 billion in programmatic spending are headed our way, with much more in Federal resources to come later in the form of competitive grants and formula funding. These are projects and programs that make a real, meaningful difference in lives across Washington State. I should know; I heard directly from these communities that requested this funding, and I fought side by side with them to secure these investments during very tough negotiations.
Now, some phrases, like ``congressionally directed spending,'' or CDS, can sound pretty vague. It is another DC acronym. So I want to take some time to really spell out what I am bringing back home to Washington State and make sure all the amazing things happening in our communities don't stay buried in jargon, because the reality is these are some of the most concrete projects we fund, with results you can go and see firsthand in our communities. And nothing demonstrates that better than literal concrete projects--or asphalt, as the case may be.
In Clark County, I secured $2 million for Ridgefield to continue improvements along Royle Road. Just 15 minutes away from there, in Vancouver, I secured $2 million to help reconstruct a section of the Devine Road. Another 20 minutes east, in Washougal, I secured $2 million to replace one of the busiest rail crossings in our State, with an underpass to separate the trains from the vehicles, which will reduce traffic for drivers, increase rail capacity, and improve safety for pedestrians.
In Cowlitz County, I secured $2 million for safety improvements, like new sidewalks along Columbia Heights Road. This is going to be a huge relief to parents of many children who regularly walk that road on their way to Columbia Heights Elementary School and Cascade Middle School.
In Douglas County, I secured $10 million to help build the Wenatchi Landing interchange, which will increase traffic flow with new roundabouts and increase safety with separate bike paths for pedestrians and facilitate new housing and commercial developments across the river from the growing city of Wenatchi. Folks in Douglas County will tell you this project is a big deal and is going to mean hundreds of jobs.
In Pierce County, I secured $2.5 million to replace deteriorating roads on a key freight route to the Port of Tacoma and over 300 businesses in the manufacturing industrial center. In Pend Oreille County, I secured over $700,000 to help get Dike Road back open after a spring runoff caused a devastating failure last year, limiting access to the Kalispel Reservation headquarters and creating a very serious risk of leaving people stranded in an emergency.
These kinds of crucial road repairs and upgrades aren't the only way, however, that Federal funds I have secured will make it faster and safer for Washington State families to get from point A to point B. When it comes to buses, I secured $3 million in Snohomish County to support the work on the Swift Gold Line, which will connect Everett and Arlington, two of the largest cities in that county. With stops at Marysville and Everett Community College and more, this bus rapid transit line will help workers who are heading to the Cascade Industrial Center, students who are heading to Everett Community College and WSU Everett, and connect North Snohomish to the rest of the regional network--and, someday, to light rail all the way to Seattle and Tacoma.
When it comes to ferries, I secured nearly $2 million to help the Port of South Whidbey to replace a dock on the South Marina with updated facilities. This would be a big step toward pedestrian ferry service between Clinton on Whidbey Island and Everett--something that has been proposed for a long time and would make a big difference for commuters.
In addition to CDS, I secured $25 million for Federal urban ferry grants and $20 million for rural ferry grants, and I made sure Washington State ferries can compete for that funding. We all want ferries that run safely and on time, and--I am thinking long term here--I will continue fighting for major Federal funding streams dedicated to supporting ferries because, for States like mine, it is really important for daily commuters.
Now, let's talk about public transit. I believe in public transit. Why? Because the people in Washington State voted for it again and again. And it works. Let's look at Sound Transit in Seattle. Public transit means you can get from your apartment on Capitol Hill to your job at U-Dub and back down to dinner and boba in the International District. Painless, no-hassle public transit in your daily commute-- that is the dream for many people in Washington State.
Every time we expand public transit, it means more foot traffic for small businesses, more ways to get to work without being crushed by traffic, and
How has that been possible? Well, in large part thanks to capital investment grants. Federal funding helped us connect Lynnwood to Federal Way, and just next month, you will be able to take the train all the way across the lake to Bellevue and Redmond.
Yet, House Republicans wanted to cut those capital investment grants by 98 percent. They wanted to basically obliterate Federal funding for public transit. So I said: No way. I don't really think you could call House Republicans an unstoppable force, but I am certainly an immovable object when it comes to defending public transit. I have gone to the mat for public transit since back when George W. Bush tried to defund Sound Transit in its earliest days.
Now we all know that Trump will use every tool possible to stall State projects. So I also made sure Congress wrote into law explicitly how this funding should be allocated to projects to make certain Washington State gets its fair share, including $100 million for the light rail component of the I-5 bridge replacement program and $82 million in Spokane.
Overall, fighting for this funding supports future projects down the line all across Washington State.
And beyond public transit, Washington State is a proud hub of trade, which is why I worked hard to secure $8 million to help terminal 18 on Harbor Island provide offshore power onsite, meaning that when vessels like our enormous shipping container boats dock, they don't have to run their engines to keep the lights on. They will be able to plug into the local power grid which will save money, reduce emissions, and improve air quality.
While these projects are making progress, other funds I secured are fueling research to chart a course for future improvements, like a million dollars for the Pacific NorthWest Economic Region Foundation to strengthen supply chains and logistics throughout our region and a half million dollars for the Puget Sound Regional Council so it can make sure its regular survey of the area's travel behaviors and infrastructure needs includes the voices from all of our communities.
Now in Washington State, of course, infrastructure is not just our roads and our bridges and our public transportation; it is our waterways and our water systems as well, which is why when it comes to programmatic funding, I am pleased to say I secured a record $3.47 billion for the Harbor Maintenance Trust Fund, and I included language that makes it clear that States like Washington are not going to be shortchanged; we will get our fair share.
This has been a very long, hard-fought battle, one I have fought for more than a decade. But the tides turned in a major way back in 2024, and it is nothing short of a sea change when it comes to annual funding for the ports of Seattle and Tacoma.
I also secured crucial design funds for the Seattle Harbor project. That investment secures Seattle's future as a global trade and maritime hub, supporting thousands of local jobs while enabling a new generation of cleaner, more efficient vessels to protect our Puget Sound ecosystem.
I also secured funding for the Columbia River Turning Basins project. Southwest Washington's economy moves on the water, but our rivers' ``parking'' and ``turning'' spots are stuck in the past. This project is the final piece of the puzzle making sure that the world's ships can dock safely and farmers' grain reaches the sea faster.
Now, I have to talk about investments I secured to address another element of managing our water resources, and that is especially top of mind now after the devastating storms we saw last year. That is flood control.
For example, funding for American Rivers and their crucial work supporting communities across our State to manage their flood plains and make our State flood resilient or funding to help model and monitor the Cowlitz and Toutle Rivers so cities nearby can evaluate their flood protection and plan accordingly.
In addition to protecting our cities, we have to protect our ecosystems which are irreplaceable and our fish which are truly a way of life in Washington State.
Now, beyond the CDS projects, I also stood my ground to defend several Federal programs our State relies on: protecting the Pacific Coastal Salmon Recovery Fund, $65 million, which Trump tried to eliminate entirely, and increasing funds for our Pacific salmon account at the National Marine Fisheries Service, the Mitchell Act salmon hatcheries, and EPA's Puget Sound and Columbia River Basin Geographic programs.
As long as I am a Senator here in Washington, DC, our fish and our salmon have a voice in Congress. So when it comes to projects for our fish and communities that rely on them, I secured funding for the Columbia River Fish Mitigation Program, funding to remove the Bateman Island Causeway--its work happening as we speak right now, which has blocked access for salmon migration and left them vulnerable to invasive species; funding to install new irrigation lines and remove existing irrigation diversions in Cowiche Creek which will improve habitat for steelhead and Coho salmon; and funding to live up to our treaty obligations and bring our Tribal fishing access sites on the Columbia River up to health and safety standards.
And, of course, I have to mention the $190 million I secured to continue our progress on the Howard Hanson Dam, something that is critical to our fish, our water supply, and our flood resistance alike. This was a project Trump tried really hard to cut. Last year, he straight up robbed $500 million and gave it away to red States. If the President wants to have a fight over our fish and our water on the Green River, make my day. This was a fight I fought and I won.
I secured huge investment to get progress back on track at Howard Hanson Dam, and I am not going to stop fighting until we see this work through to the end.
When it comes to pipes and water infrastructure, I worked hard to keep Federal dollars flowing to communities across our State. I secured funding for projects to get our communities clean drinking water by building new pump and pressure stations for the city of Chelan to make sure the water system is reliable, even in power outages; removing PFAS contamination from a well in Moses Lake so it can provide safe, drinkable water to that community; replacing an old iron water main in Redmond to reduce the risk of a break and improve water quality; increasing the groundwater sources and pumping capacity in Sunnyside to improve reliability and avoid potential shortages; and making upgrades in Skamania County to improve resilience so our wildfires don't cause dangerous water shortages.
Of course, it is not just drinking water into our communities that count. I also secured funding for important wastewater and sewage projects like eliminating a failing septic tank system in Wallace Heights and helping those homeowners connect to the county wastewater system; upgrading sewer lines in Douglas County when they were removed for a major highway project; installing a new sewer line in Carbonado, replacing century-old clay pipelines and pipes; replacing a failing water lift in Granite Falls that poses a safety hazard to a local elementary school there; and connecting the Samish Indian Nation's Summit Park campus to the city of Anacortes' sewer system.
Of course, there is another important pipeline we need to be investing in as well, and that is our skills pipeline. There are several projects I helped fund in this bill that will connect people with new skills and set them up to pursue promising careers.
I secured funding for Workforce Southwest Washington which aims to provide over 200 people with career services and case management and the Workforce Development Council of Seattle-King County which is working to address healthcare workforce shortages by building a school- to-work partnership between local colleges, unions, and others.
When it comes to our colleges and universities, I secured funding for the Northwest Indian College to help start its cyber security program, for Washington State University to develop coursework that better prepares students to pursue work in healthcare, and for Renton Technical College to
Another program at Green River College will help military members and their families overcome barriers to higher education.
And let us not forget our littlest learners. I secured funding for programs that help them learn and grow, from expanding the Hands On Children's Museum in Olympia with a focus on preschools and camps and a new early learning center; to expanding Page Ahead's statewide effort to fight learning loss with their summer reading program called ``Book Up Summer,'' which provides kids books to read at no cost and hosts book discussion nights for their families; to supporting the 253 Skills Center which is developing an interactive curriculum to teach hundreds of students about the maritime sector; or to replacing failing infrastructure at NatureBridge's facilities in the Olympic National Park, which gives students an incredible opportunity to explore one of our State's amazing national parks.
Last but not least, we funded a hands-on gardening program that helps young kids learn and grow along with their garden.
When it comes to education policy, this President gets an F from this former preschool teacher and former school board member. I ripped up Trump's budget and made clear Congress would not abolish the Department of Education. Instead, we funded Washington State's title I schools. We continued to invest so students with disabilities can get the education that they deserve, and we supported so many of the critical programs administered by the Department of Education.
I am sure this President would love nothing more than to tear apart our public education system and sell off the scraps to Betsy DeVos, but not so long as former educators like me have anything to say about that.
It is not just the little ones who are going to make big discoveries around the world, as I was able to secure funding for important research priorities across Washington State from modernizing the Kirsten Wind Tunnel testing facility and the radiocarbon lab at UW, to purchasing high-performance storage infrastructure that will bolster UW's AI research, to establishing a new scientific research center at WSU that is focused on aquatic resources and ecosystems, to research on Orcas Islands tracking the health of killer whales and learning how we can best protect that endangered species.
That is not even considering all the medical funding we protected by rejecting Trump's sabotaged proposals, rejecting his 40-percent cut to NIH, and instead increasing medical research.
It is not even considering the funding we protected for the Department of Energy research and for the National Science Foundation which means we are continuing to invest in groundbreaking work that is constantly happening at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and rejecting Trump's attempt close in the LIGO facility in the Tri-Cities.
And, of course, anyone who knows me knows I am always focused on childcare, which is why I am very pleased to say, in addition to increasing funding for the childcare development block grant and Head Start and protecting preschool development grants, I was able to direct funds to several important childcare initiatives in Washington State.
From $6.2 million for the construction of the Bremerton Early Learning Center, which is going to be located near one of the largest employers in Kitsap County and provide a crucial new childcare option for working families there; to over a million dollars for a program in Clark County, which is focused on increasing the supply of quality, affordable childcare; to $600,000 for the organization Open Doors for Multicultural Families so it can work on starting up a new early childhood education center at Kent/Des Moines light rail site.
Now if you believe, like I do, that a budget is a statement of your values, then President Trump's budget was morally bankrupt. It ignored fiscal reality and human consequences. The President wanted to drastically cut funding and access for housing and homelessness programs. He effectively wanted to kick millions of people out on the street, and that is just plain wrong. Having a roof over your head is about as fundamental as it gets. So I again tore up the President's budget, and instead, I secured a $4.1 billion or 6-percent increase in rental assistance and a $366 million-increase in homeless assistance programs.
It is not everything, but you better believe it matters, and it will make a difference. So that is a win in my book
People deserve a safe place to sleep. They deserve help in tough times. Housing and homelessness are a crisis in Washington State. So I made certain to secure funding for very local projects to address homelessness and increase affordable housing across Washington State.
In Seattle, this funding will support 150 units of affordable housing through the Low Income Housing Institute, 181 units through Bellwether Housing, 162 affordable housing units through the Seattle Indian Services Commission, and another 500 through the city of Seattle's Fort Lawton redevelopment program.
I also funded projects that will support 60 affordable housing units for seniors in Spokane, 40 new units plus a library and community center in Kelso, 38 affordable housing units for families in the foster system in Renton, 20 affordable townhome rentals at the Pea Patch Community Campus on Orcas Islands, 12 sleeping units for homeless youth at the Shelton Family Center in Mason County, safety upgrades to retain 38 units for housing for Community Roots Housing, and a transit- friendly housing project that is focused on serving farmworkers in Lynden.
And it is not just housing we are building for people, it is the wraparound services that help people get on their feet and stay on their feet when times are hard.
In Vancouver, funding for the Council for the Homeless will support expansion of the Housing Solutions Center, so it can increase capacity and connect more families to housing and resources, and funding for the Akin Family Resource Center, which will allow long-needed renovations, including better storage space for family essentials like diapers and hygiene products, a behavioral health wing with a dozen large therapy rooms, a community kitchen with an attached childcare room, and more.
All told, this will help double their capacity and continue their crucial work connecting struggling families to the resources they need.
There is also support in this bill for the United Way King County's home grocery delivery program, which helps fill a crucial gap in food security, and funding for renovations at Partners Inland Northwest, which operates the largest food pantry and clothing bank in Spokane County and the largest free diaper bank in the Inland Northwest. This will help them renovate a new space to increase their warehouse capacity by over seven times and to give room to partner organizations that connect these families with other services.
To improve access to care for our rural communities, I secured funding to help expand and modernize the clinics for surgical services at Kittitas Valley Healthcare, which sees 4,500 patients annually.
Another crucial challenge I know communities are continuing to struggle with is the mental health and substance abuse crisis, so I fought really hard to secure funding for several projects that tackled this head-on.
In Spokane County, the funds I passed will help convert an old public works property into a 23-hour crisis relief center that will provide much needed, continuous behavioral health care, like mental health care and substance use care.
Additionally, I secured more funds for the Spokane Mobile Alternative Response Teams--or SMART--Program. SMART units free up police, firefighters, and EMTs by offering another response option for emergencies like overdoses and mental health crises. They already respond to 2,000 calls a year--increasing the capacity of other first responders--and these funds will help build on that work.
In King County, I secured funds for Seattle Children's Hospital to provide a safe and comfortable space for kids in crisis who are at risk of seriously harming themselves or taking their
In Whatcom County, I secured funding for the Lummi Indian Nation to establish a dedicated space for community members to hold Narcotics and Alcoholics Anonymous meetings. The Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department will also get new funds to help expand a mobile medical unit to provide opioid use disorder treatment, primary care, behavioral health, and wraparound services.
Meanwhile, another mobile clinic I secured funds for will help put substance use treatment in reach of rural patients in Clark, Klickitat, and Skamania Counties.
There are still a lot of other projects I funded in these bills that will make their impact felt across the State. Funds for the Washington State Hospital Association will help improve maternal care in rural communities through training and assistance and simulations at 43 rural hospitals across our State. Funds for dental equipment at Sea Mar Community Health Center in Tacoma will help establish a new dental school that will also serve Yakima and Kennewick and help address a statewide dentist shortage. Funds for the Washington Recovery Alliance will help establish a network of regional coalitions to coordinate our response to substance use and mental health challenges across the State. Funds for Communities in Schools of Washington State will help expand their mental health support network, which equips schools across our State with experts and resources to meet their students' mental health care needs. Funds for the Washington Poison Center will update emergency infrastructure and better serve the many families who call them for free, lifesaving advice.
Let's not forget some other incredible programs that support our communities which I fought to fund in this bill. We included funds for Need of the Community Society, which provides young adults with disabilities the chance to enjoy the great outdoors, which we all love in Washington. I funded the National Asian Pacific Center on Aging Helpline, which offers crucial assistance to seniors across the State when English might not be their first language. I funded the Northwest Native Chamber Technical Assistance Program, which gives no-cost business support to small business owners based on their needs, and the Seattle Good Business Network's plan to establish a shared food facility to help small businesses, bakers, and professionals access the kitchen space they need to grow and thrive.
I also fought to provide crucial funding to help the King County Sexual Assault Resource Center to continue its important work getting survivors the support they need.
I am proud to say that after years of fighting to stop Donald Trump from selling off the National Archives and Records in Seattle during his first term, this year, the tables have truly turned, as I secured $30 million in this bill for a new National Archives facility in the Seattle area so we can better preserve Washington State's rich Tribal and local history for generations to come.
Of course, I have to note that I was once again able to secure record funding for Hanford cleanup and resources to support the incredible workers who power that mission.
A lot of Presidents have tried to cut corners when it comes to Hanford, and I always make sure to set them straight. I remind each and every one of them of our legal and moral obligation to Hanford. If that doesn't work, I make sure to write the appropriate amount of resources we need for Hanford into our funding bill, and then I make sure the President signs that into law.
Mr. President, I know I have been speaking for a while, so while there are many wins I haven't covered, I will wrap up. But for as long as I have been speaking, I can assure you I fought for these programs much longer. And if I have to fight even longer still, my colleagues should know and President Trump should definitely know I won't slow down a bit.
You know, a lot of critics like to say: Patty, you are a bleeding heart. You care too much about childcare and schools and the environment.
Well, yeah, you bet I do. And you better believe that is going to be reflected in how this Federal Government spends our taxpayer dollars.
Trump might want money to build an arch that is named after him, but I want money to fund rental assistance and healthcare. So I don't care who calls me a bleeding heart--when it comes to fighting for Washington State, I don't give an inch, and I bring back every single dollar for my constituents that I can down to the penny.
I am here to be a voice for my people--the moms and dads who are both working full-time jobs and the people who had to take loans out to go to school. Moms and dads in tennis shoes have just as much right to be heard in how we spend our taxpayer dollars as the lobbyists who crowd the hallways here in DC.
So that is who I am here to speak up for and make sure it gets heard when it comes to our Nation's spending bills. That is a power we all have, each and every Senator. We have the power of the purse, and this is why it is so important we use that power and we defend it from Trump and Russ Vought.
We saw last year just how much damage they can do with a slush fund CR. Well, the bills this year showed just how much good we can do when we refuse to leave the table, refuse to take no for an answer, and refuse to give up our power to President Trump.
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.
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.
Mr. President, just over a month ago, a video went viral on the internet that exposed a shocking fraud scheme by Somali nationals in Minnesota. An organization that went by the name of ``Quality Learning Center''--or ``Quality Learing Center,'' as they misspelled it--was receiving massive amounts of Federal funding--by some estimates, more than $1 million--under the pretext of providing childcare. However, as the video shows, the facility was not, in fact, a daycare center, and there were no children present.
The mainstream media may have moved on from this scandal, but our job here in Congress on this scandal is not done. As a matter of fact, it is just beginning.
I applaud President Trump and his administration for quickly freezing Federal childcare funds to Minnesota in the wake of this alleged fraud scheme. This will give government officials a chance to conduct a thorough investigation to find out exactly what was going on before more money is shoveled out the door to potential swindlers.
These are U.S. taxpayer dollars, and they were intended to fund a program to help make childcare more accessible to those who needed it. Instead, these tax dollars were lining the pockets of a group of charlatans and fraudsters.
Now, the radical left, of course, has villainized the young, independent journalist who uncovered this scandal, calling for his death--his death--on social media. They have accused him of ``bringing ICE to Minnesota'' and put up posters encouraging people to tell him to kill himself if they see him.
But as we all know, the American people voted in record numbers last fall for President Trump, who ran on a program of immigration enforcement, and we all know that what President Trump says, he means and he will follow through on. I don't think there was ever a doubt in the minds of the American people about where Donald Trump stood on illegal immigration.
If anyone is responsible for bringing ICE to Minnesota, it would be the criminal aliens who came into the country illegally and the feckless politicians, including President Joe Biden, who refused to enforce our immigration laws.
President Trump is simply keeping his word to the American people who elected him.
But the notion that this young man should be somehow ashamed for shining a light on this fraud that occurs in Minnesota is simply absurd.
The mainstream media once again is failing the test of objectivity. It is not telling the truth about who ICE is targeting, particularly the criminal aliens, including fraudsters that were responsible for this scandal. This deception encourages leftwing radicals to target young men, young journalists like Nick Shirley.
It is important to note that the fraud scheme in Quality Learning Center is hardly an isolated case. The State of Minnesota has been under Federal investigation on multiple occasions for fraud schemes with Federal taxpayer dollars.
In 2022, the Department of Justice investigated a Minnesota nonprofit, nongovernmental organization, NGO, known as Feeding Our Future. The Department ultimately charged 47 defendants associated with Feeding Our Future for participating in a massive fraud scheme. These defendants took advantage of taxpayer-funded programs intended to provide food for needy children and used it to enrich themselves, buying luxury cars, jewelry, and vacation properties in other countries.
More recently, last September, eight defendants were charged by the Federal Government with participating in a housing stabilization fraud scheme.
That same month, another woman was charged for participating in a fraud scheme involving an autism program. This woman was also participating in the Feeding Our Future fraud scheme and allegedly stole nearly half a million dollars.
There is clearly a problem here and a pattern. When describing the full extent of fraud cases in Minnesota, this is what one Federal prosecutor said:
But while the State of Minnesota has a longstanding history of widespread fraud, we would be foolish to assume that this is an isolated event, and it is high time for Congress to address it. These instances of fraud are an illegal diversion of Federal tax dollars so it should be of concern to all taxpayers, not just those in the State of Minnesota.
In the last year, we have seen dozens of arrests, charges, and convictions of illegal aliens who have committed public benefit and other types of fraud all across America. For this reason, as chair of the Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration and Border Security, I am hosting a hearing tomorrow entitled: ``Somali Fraud in Minnesota--the Tip of the Iceberg.''
In this hearing, we will begin by examining the most recent case of childcare fraud in Minnesota, but we will not limit our inquiry to this recent scandal that has dominated the headlines. We will also go a step further and look at the longstanding, endemic cases of fraud committed by illegal aliens all over the United States. We will hear from several witnesses, including Rebecca Gambler, Chief Quality Assurance Officer and Managing Director of Audit Policy and Quality Assurance with the Government Accountability Office. She will be able to offer GAO's perspective on these longstanding abuses of taxpayer dollars. Simon Hankinson, a former Foreign Service Officer who currently serves as a research fellow on border security and immigration at the Heritage Foundation will also testify. We will hear from another Foreign Service Officer, Phillip Linderman, who is now a fellow at the Ben Franklin Fellowship. And, finally, Matt O'Brien, deputy director at the Federation for American Immigration Reform, or FAIR, will speak to this issue.
All of these witnesses will help us get a better handle on the full breadth of the problem posed by illegal immigration and the aliens who are abusing our country's welfare system in order to send money back home to their home countries.
But let me be clear: It is not racist or xenophobic to target fraud wherever it is found. Fraud is not a victimless crime, and neither is identity theft. And Democrat attempts to deflect discussions of fraud are an injustice to the victims of these crimes, which happen to be all of the American taxpayers.
Furthermore, these incidents raise questions about the prevalence of government grants and contracts to nongovernmental organizations. For us here in Congress, we will consider whether it is wise to continue to dole out funds to nongovernmental organizations without sufficient accountability mechanisms in place.
Recently, I introduced the Stop Fraud by Strengthening Oversight and More Accountability for Lying and Illegal Activity Act, or Stop Fraud by SOMALIA Act, to amend the Childcare and Development Block Grant Program and impose strict penalties on childcare providers who commit fraud.
But as we know, this issue touches virtually every industry. It is nothing short of an insult to the generosity of the American taxpayer that aliens are able to enter the country and enrich themselves by taking advantage of Federal programs that are intended to help needy Americans.
Hard-working American citizens who paid taxes to the U.S. Government deserve accountability for how their dollars are being spent, and tomorrow's hearing will help shine a light on just how rampant this abuse is. I look forward to tomorrow's hearing so we can get to the root of this rampant abuse that is happening, not just in Minnesota but all over the country, and begin to take concrete and positive steps to stop it.
Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to waive the mandatory quorum call in relation to the Burrows nomination.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
I yield the floor.
I suggest the absence of a quorum.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
The senior assistant executive clerk proceeded to call the roll.
Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
