Floor Statements

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 President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to withdraw the cloture motion with respect to the motion to proceed to S. 2093.

I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. President, before I begin, I ask unanimous consent to deliver a portion of my remarks in Spanish.

Mr. President, in Spanish, we say ``en Espanol,'' but I know the Presiding Officer knew that from Colorado.

I rise today, as we mark the beginning of Hispanic Heritage Month, to reflect on a historic leader whose work inspires me in this fight for voting rights and the work that we have before us.

Willie Velasquez, recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom, dedicated his life to improving the freedom to vote in Latino communities.

Everywhere he went, he brought a simple motto. You might have heard it.

(English translation of the statement made in Spanish is as follows:)

``Your vote is your voice.''

Willie Velasquez was born in 1944 and grew up in a Latino community in Texas which suffered from the harms of segregation, redlining, and government neglect. He understood that the path to greater recognition for Latinos was through participation in our democracy. So Willie set out to make sure Latinos across the Southwest could participate.

In 1974, Willie Velasquez founded his groundbreaking organization, the Southwest Voter Registration Education Project. Through his efforts, Willie helped bring the vote--and a powerful voice--to many Latino communities.

Now, Willie's successes were built on the hard-earned victories of those of past civil rights leaders. Especially critical was Congress's 1975 extension

of the Voting Rights Act--yes, a bipartisan reauthorization of the Federal Voting Rights Act--which established protections for language minorities, like Spanish speakers. In just 10 years, with Willie's and other activists' hard work on the ground, the number of Latinos registered to vote nearly doubled, and in the same 10 years, the number of Latinos holding elected office also nearly doubled.

That is the power of the freedom to vote and the power of what we can do here in the Senate and here in Congress--give every American a voice in our democracy.

Now, in his time, Willie fought to do exactly this, like the generations of Americans of all ages, colors, creeds, and genders who came before him. Their efforts reflect a fundamental truth about our country: We are stronger when more Americans can vote, and we are stronger when all communities have a say in government. But the path to realizing our highest ideals has never been easy. From a convention hall in Seneca Falls to a bridge in Selma, from Willie's home in San Antonio, TX, to this very Chamber, the voting rights' victories of each generation have been hard-fought and hard-won, and it is no different today.

In recent months, we have seen the latest challenge to the core of our democracy: scores of new laws proposed by Republican State legislatures to target the past five decades of gains in voting rights; cynical politicians, spreading false claims of voter fraud because they fear losing in a fair election. You can see the danger of it even in my home State of California where, just yesterday, we held a recall election. Republicans ran a campaign of disinformation, spreading baseless claims of massive voter fraud before the polls even closed, before they even opened, and long before a single ballot was even counted. It is straight out of Donald Trump's playbook--the same playbook that perpetuated the Big Lie and fueled the domestic terrorism that the world witnessed on January 6.

It is no coincidence that the cynical claims of voter fraud are often targeted at communities of color. In the face of these challenges, we must overcome, together, again. We must renew our collective fight for our democracy. It is up to us. The time is now to get the job done.

It is an honor to lead the Freedom to Vote Act alongside my colleagues Senators Klobuchar, Merkley, Warnock, Manchin, King, Tester, and Kaine.

The Freedom to Vote Act will make it easier for all eligible citizens to register to vote and to cast their ballots. This bill will set a baseline of protections for voters across the country, with commonsense, proven reforms that have already been successfully implemented in blue and red States across the country. I urge all of my colleagues to join us and vote to strengthen our democracy.

As the first Latino to represent California in this body, in the U.S. Senate, I am proud to be spending this Hispanic Heritage Month fighting for voting rights because so many of our community's gains have been achieved through political participation and representation. The fight to expand voting rights is, indeed, part of our heritage. It is also a tradition that unites Americans because we have come together, generation after generation, to expand the promise of our democracy for all. Yes, we are strongest when every eligible voter can make their voice heard.

``Your vote is your voice.

(English translation of the statement made in Spanish is as follows:)

Your vote is your voice.''

I yield the floor.

Mr. President, I rise to speak in support of the ``Comprehensive Mental Health in Schools Pilot Program Act of 2021,'' which I introduced today.

Millions of children and adolescents across the Nation struggle every day with mental health concerns that threaten their emotional well- being and academic achievement.

The COVID-19 pandemic has underscored the need for comprehensive school mental health systems that can provide the support and services that students desperately need.

This bill is a targeted effort to address the worsening mental health crisis in this country. If enacted, this legislation would help schools as they work to promote positive school climates, improve social and emotional learning, and reduce the prevalence and severity of mental illness.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that between March and October of 2020, the proportion of children between the ages of 5 and 11 who visited an emergency department because of a mental health crisis climbed 24 percent compared to the same time period in 2019, and climbed 31 percent for children between the ages of 12 and 17. More people are reporting frequent thoughts of suicide and self- harm than have ever been recorded. The full effects of increased learning loss, social isolation, uncertainty, and trauma may not manifest for years, and schools must be prepared to deal with this preventatively.

That is why I am proud to introduce this bill, which would direct the Secretary of Education to establish a $20 million 4-year pilot grant program to help schools serving low-income students address mental and behavioral wellbeing, as well as academic, cognitive, and social and emotional development, through multi-tier, evidence-based interventions that foster positive learning environments. More specifically, this funding may be used for providing professional development opportunities, encouraging restorative policies, establishing racially, culturally, and linguistically appropriate trauma-informed practices, and hiring more school-based mental and behavioral health professionals.

I want to thank Representative David Trone for introducing this bill with me, and I hope our colleagues will join us in support of this solution to our youth mental health crisis.

Thank you, Mr. President. I yield the floor.

Mr. President, I rise to introduce the bipartisan ``Salton Sea Projects Improvement Act'' to expand the Bureau of Reclamation's ability to participate and invest in projects at the Salton Sea.

This legislation would ensure Reclamation can meaningfully partner with state, local, and Tribal governments to address both the public health and environmental crises at the Salton Sea.

Under current law, the Bureau of Reclamation is only able to engage in projects that have a research focus. This means that Reclamation can only engage in projects to research how to protect habitat, enhance fisheries, enhance recreational opportunities, or control salinity. Reclamation also operates under a $10 million authorization.

This effectively prohibits Reclamation from participating in the Salton Sea Management Program run by California.

This legislation would expand Reclamation's authority so they can participate in large-scale projects, even if they don't have a research focus. Projects could improve air and water quality, restore fish and wildlife habitat, and improve public health at the Salton Sea. It would also increase Reclamation's authorization for Salton Sea efforts from $10 million to $250 million.

The Salton Sea, located in southern Riverside and northern Imperial counties, is California's largest inland body of water. It formed after Colorado River floodwater breached an irrigation canal and flowed into the Salton Sink.

The current Salton Sea maintains water levels from irrigation runoff but has been shrinking for many years. The water has become increasingly salty, so much so that its salinity is 50% higher than the Pacific Ocean. This has led to major water quality issues with

devastating impacts to the Salton Sea's ecosystem, which serves as critical habitat for migratory waterfowl and other species.

But this ecological crisis has even more widespread impacts. The declining water levels have also exposed wide swaths of lakebed at the Salton Sea, polluting the air with dust and pesticides. The largely disadvantaged communities who live nearby suffer from toxic, poisonous air and experience higer levels of related health conditions like asthma.

It is an environmental and public health crisis, and we need to ensure that the Bureau of Reclamation has the authority it need to partner with the State of California, Tribal and local governments, and nonprofits to adequately address these crises.

I thank Senator Feinstein for co-leading this bill with me, and for her decades of efforts at the Salton Sea. I also thank Congressmen Ruiz and Vargas for their relentless leadership to address this environmental hazard.

I look forward to working with my colleagues to pass the bipartisan ``Salton Sea Projects Improvements Act'' as quickly as possible.

Thank you, Mr. President. I yield the floor.

Mr. President, I rise to introduce the bipartisan ``Salton Sea Projects Improvement Act'' to expand the Bureau of Reclamation's ability to participate and invest in projects at the Salton Sea.

This legislation would ensure Reclamation can meaningfully partner with state, local, and Tribal governments to address both the public health and environmental crises at the Salton Sea.

Under current law, the Bureau of Reclamation is only able to engage in projects that have a research focus. This means that Reclamation can only engage in projects to research how to protect habitat, enhance fisheries, enhance recreational opportunities, or control salinity. Reclamation also operates under a $10 million authorization.

This effectively prohibits Reclamation from participating in the Salton Sea Management Program run by California.

This legislation would expand Reclamation's authority so they can participate in large-scale projects, even if they don't have a research focus. Projects could improve air and water quality, restore fish and wildlife habitat, and improve public health at the Salton Sea. It would also increase Reclamation's authorization for Salton Sea efforts from $10 million to $250 million.

The Salton Sea, located in southern Riverside and northern Imperial counties, is California's largest inland body of water. It formed after Colorado River floodwater breached an irrigation canal and flowed into the Salton Sink.

The current Salton Sea maintains water levels from irrigation runoff but has been shrinking for many years. The water has become increasingly salty, so much so that its salinity is 50% higher than the Pacific Ocean. This has led to major water quality issues with

devastating impacts to the Salton Sea's ecosystem, which serves as critical habitat for migratory waterfowl and other species.

But this ecological crisis has even more widespread impacts. The declining water levels have also exposed wide swaths of lakebed at the Salton Sea, polluting the air with dust and pesticides. The largely disadvantaged communities who live nearby suffer from toxic, poisonous air and experience higer levels of related health conditions like asthma.

It is an environmental and public health crisis, and we need to ensure that the Bureau of Reclamation has the authority it need to partner with the State of California, Tribal and local governments, and nonprofits to adequately address these crises.

I thank Senator Feinstein for co-leading this bill with me, and for her decades of efforts at the Salton Sea. I also thank Congressmen Ruiz and Vargas for their relentless leadership to address this environmental hazard.

I look forward to working with my colleagues to pass the bipartisan ``Salton Sea Projects Improvements Act'' as quickly as possible.

Thank you, Mr. President. I yield the floor.

Madam President, I rise today because my home State of California is on fire. Nearly half a million acres have burned in the last month by the Dixie Fire alone. That is more than 10 times the size of the District of Columbia. It is larger in size than the city of Los Angeles. Thousands of Californians have been forced to flee their homes with only the clothes on their backs and the belongings they can carry in their cars. Entire towns have burned to the ground. As of Sunday, Dixie is the largest single-source fire in California's history. California is not alone. The entire Western United States is on fire.

Colleagues, this morning, the IPCC, the world's foremost body of climate scientists, presented a new report. I am hoping you have seen it. There are 195 countries, including the United States, that have agreed on every statement that it makes, and the verdict could not be clearer: Climate change is happening, and we must act now.

As the report says, in more than 1,000 centuries, the Earth has never seen a decade as hot as we have seen in the last 10 years. Scientists can show that particular disasters are fueled by climate change. The heat wave that is fueling fires, destroying crops, and sending areas across California into drought--that is on us. Devastating floods from Texas to Central Europe--those are on us.

We have pushed our planet to this point, and if we continue to stall, the pace of recordbreaking catastrophe will only increase. This is planet Earth's 10-alarm fire. Yet, my Republican colleagues pretend that they can't see the smoke blowing across the country--smoke that is visible from space.

But the good news is, we have a Democratic majority, and we know how to fight this fire. If we race to zero out our carbon emissions, we can slow the pace of climate change. We can even bring down temperatures by the middle of the century. But our path to avert a catastrophic cycle is narrowing by the day. We must act boldly and with urgency to tackle this crisis head-on.

Across the country, across industries, and across the world, we need to end our dependence on fossil fuels. We also need to aim high and fully fund transformational infrastructure that will allow us not just to survive this transition but to come out better than we were before. On a zero-emissions schoolbus, students won't have to breathe dirty air. In an economy rebuilt to meet this challenge, millions of Americans will work in high-paying, sustainable jobs.

Sometimes, I have worried that we have grown numb to the idea of the climate crisis. If we truly understood the meaning of those words, how could we even contemplate business as usual? If my colleagues across the aisle were to listen to scientists, how could a single one of them argue that we need to spend less on climate?

As many of you know, my wife and I are raising three sons, trying to raise three gentleman. Today, they are age 14, 8, and 6 years old. We are trying to get them ready to go back to school. Protecting them and giving them every opportunity to thrive is the cause of my lifetime. But the IPCC report makes clear that we will blow through the 1.5 degrees of global warming by the year 2040--it is right here--no matter what we do today.

Come 2040, my sons will be ages 33, 27, and 25. I think about what their lives will be like at that stage--just starting their careers, maybe starting their own families. What will their adulthood look like?

If we act now, we have a chance to turn the tide to begin the planet's recovery as my children--my children--reach middle age. If we fail, they will face a world of accelerating disasters; up to 4 degrees of warming, the report says--4 degrees.

Now, as an engineer, I understand how deadly serious it is to upset the delicate balance of our environment, but if 4 degrees does not sound significant to you, just listen to the scientists warning of what 4 degrees of warming will create: global conflict over food, water, and safe shelter; millions of climate refugees and desperate migrants.

Failure is not an option. I refuse to tell my boys that we knew what to do but could not muster up the political will to act. I refuse to leave to them a world where their lives are defined by climate disaster and where they fear that every summer will bring the fire or drought or storm that consumes their home. I refuse to leave that world for my children or for anyone's children. That means time is of the essence.

Climate cannot be on the chopping block of any budget. It is nonnegotiable. So let's rise to meet the challenge of our generation. We cannot, we will not let our home burn.

Budget Reconciliation

Madam President, on a different topic, I rise to speak today on the budget resolution that will soon come before us and the opportunity that it represents to finally provide a pathway to citizenship for millions of our neighbors, friends, and family members.

I rise today on behalf of the people who are the subject of our immigration debate and the immigrants who have lived and worked in communities throughout the United States for years, sometimes decades, while stuck in a limbo that Congress has created.

Our Nation depends on the labor of immigrants. There has been bipartisan agreement on this for generations. But while our Nation depends on the labor of immigrants, we do not provide the pathways to citizenship that these individuals and their families have earned. Today, we stand on the brink of a historic opportunity to adopt long overdue reforms to our immigration system.

I rise to share just a few stories of the people on whom our Nation depends and for whom we must act.

In May, I had the honor of welcoming Rose Tilus to testify before the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Immigration, Citizenship, and Border Safety, the Subcommittee which I chair.

Rose was born in Haiti but fled gang violence and political instability at the age of 17. Alone, in an unfamiliar country, she dreamed of becoming a nurse, but Rose's immigration status kept that dream out of reach.

For 10 years, she sustained herself working as a housekeeper and as a babysitter to make ends meet. But Rose's life changed in 2010, when a devastating earthquake in Haiti allowed her to obtain a work permit under a program called temporary protected status, or TPS.

Now, she seized this opportunity to return to school and fulfill her dream of becoming a nurse and going out to serve and care for others in nursing homes, in hospitals, in community health centers.

Now, while Rose's story is the story of the American dream, her legal status in this country remains all too temporary.

Our Nation's economy has always depended on the dreams, the dedication, and the contributions of immigrants. No State knows this better than my home State of California, which also represents the fifth largest economy in the world and which nearly a quarter of America's immigrants call home.

Immigrants make up 27 percent of California's population, and, yes, they are essential to our success in every industry, from farm workers in the Central Valley to tech innovators in the Silicon Valley, to construction and domestic workers throughout the State, and to nurses and teachers, and more.

In fact, the COVID-19 pandemic has made us a country that relies even more on the essential work of immigrants. More than 5 million undocumented workers have held jobs that the Federal Government deems essential during the pandemic.

TPS holders, like Rose, who care for our loved ones in hospitals and nursing homes; DACA recipients, like Erika Henriquez, a medical assistant who works helping to distribute COVID tests and lifesaving vaccines; farm workers, like Vicente Reyes and his parents, who show up to work every single day to keep grocery store shelves stocked and for us to be able to put food on our table--as has been the case since the founding of our Nation, immigrants are serving at the heart of the American story.

An overwhelming bipartisan majority knows that people like Rose, Erika, and Vicente have earned the right to live here without fear of deportation. Seventy percent of Americans support creating a pathway to citizenship for TPS holders, for Dreamers, and farm workers. That includes a majority of Democrats and Republicans and Independents.

Colleagues, right now, we have an opportunity to provide stability and security for the very workforce that the Department of Homeland Security, beginning during the Trump administration, has deemed essential to our Nation's economy and security. So as we write a reconciliation bill to create an equitable and sustainable economic recovery, we must include immigration reform. We have strong arguments and precedent from this very body in our corner.

The logic is simple: Providing a pathway to citizenship is a direct government action, not some carrot-and-stick approach involving private businesses and private actors.

Newly eligible immigrants would pay fees directly to the U.S. Government, as part of this direct government action, which would then be processed by government employees. Every step of this process involves direct government action and direct government revenues, expenditures, and personnel.

And by expanding pathways to citizenship, we will grow our economy and improve the workplaces for all. That is precisely the spirit and the intent of the infrastructure investments that we are developing as part of the budget reconciliation bill.

Research by the Center for American Progress shows that providing a pathway to citizenship for Dreamers, TPS holders, farm workers, and all essential workers will boost GDP by $1.5 trillion over 10 years. It will raise wages for all American workers. It will create 400,000 new jobs, and it will generate billions of dollars of spending and tax revenue, fueling our economic recovery.

We have more than just an opportunity; we have an obligation to pass meaningful immigration reform as part of the upcoming reconciliation bill--for Rose; for Erika; for Vicente; for the millions of essential workers and long-term residents who lack permanent status; for the bipartisan majority of Americans who support reform for their immigrant friends, families, and neighbors; and for every one of our constituents, because all Americans will see the economic benefits of immigration reform.

(English translation of the statement made in Spanish is as follows:)

Madam President, we have more than an opportunity--we have

an obligation--to pass meaningful immigration reform as part

of the upcoming reconciliation bill.

For the millions of essential workers and long-term

residents who lack permanent status.

For the bipartisan majority of Americans who support reform

for their immigrant friends, families, and neighbors.

And for every one of our constituents--because all

Americans will see the economic benefits of immigration

reform.

I recently met with President Biden in the Oval Office to discuss California's immigration needs. And I am so thankful for President Biden and Vice President Harris's unequivocal support for including immigration reforms in the budget reconciliation process.

As I said, we have an opportunity and a responsibility to bring security to millions of federally recognized essential workers and their families.

I urge my colleagues to join me in recognizing the essential work and economic contributions of immigrants by opening the pathway to citizenship and the American dream.

Thank you.

I now yield the floor.

Madam President, I understand Senator Carper has already called up the amendment 2133.

Madam President, thank you for the opportunity to speak on this important bipartisan amendment. I want to thank Senators Lankford, Moran, Rounds, Schatz, Feinstein, and Smith for joining me in this effort.

Tribal communities face grave and unjust disparities in access to all kinds of infrastructure, but the disparities and access to healthcare and health infrastructure are increasingly stark. This amendment is very simple. It is common sense, in my opinion. It is a technical fix that would allow urban Indian organizations to use the Indian Health Service funds that they already receive for infrastructure and facilities improvements.

So I want to be clear. This amendment would not give urban Indian organizations more funding or take away funding from anybody else. It would simply give them additional flexibility to use the funding they already receive for necessary infrastructure improvements.

Urban Indian organizations provide culturally competent care for over 70 percent of American Indians and Alaska Natives who live in urban centers. Many of those served live in low-income, medically underserved areas. According to recent congressional testimony from the Indian Health Service, ``expanding the current authority to be consistent with the authority for other government contractors. . . . would allow [urban Indian organizations] to make renovations, construction, or expansion of facilities necessary to improve the safety and quality of care provided to urban Indian patients.''

In fact, the Deputy Director of the Indian Health Service went on to state: Providing [urban Indian organizations] with broader authority . . . to improve their health care facilities will assist in providing the high quality, safe, and culturally relevant health care for the Urban Indian population.''

This amendment, I believe, is particularly relevant in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, when items like ventilation, along with social distancing and other infrastructure upgrades, are desperately needed. This is an easy, no-cost, bipartisan way to help ensure that this package bolsters infrastructure in Indian Country, because no infrastructure package would be complete without robust, strategic improvements to Tribal infrastructure. It has the support of the chairman and ranking member of the Indian Affairs Committee, which just held a hearing on this issue last month, and I urge my colleagues to support it.

I yield the floor.

I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. President, I rise to recognize the 99th birthday of Norman Lear, a man who came to Hollywood and entertained the Nation, then dedicated his life to bettering it as a champion for progressive values.

Born in 1922, Norman Lear served bravely in the Air Force during World

War II, flying 52 combat missions over Europe. After the war, he made his way to California and struck out as a television writer. Norman Lear's sitcoms were beloved for their humor, empathy, and willingness to dive into the lives of diverse characters. His innovative shows reached more than 120 million viewers per week in the 1970s and `80s.

And yet, in the midst of this success, Norman Lear put his career on hold because, once again, he felt called to serve his country. Distressed by the rise of radical rightwing activists, Norman Lear founded People for the American Way in 1980 and became a champion of American constitutional values.

Through his writing, producing, and activism, Norman Lear has strengthened our democracy. He has championed free expression, civic participation, and equal justice for all. He even bought a copy of the Declaration of Independence to send on a 50-State tour, bringing Americans closer to our founding ideals and encouraging voter registration, a cause that is dear to me.

Today, at 99, Norman Lear is still fighting for progressive values. He also continues to produce some of the funniest and wisest works for the screen, highlighting the diverse experiences that make America stronger.

I want to offer Norman Lear my best wishes for the first day of his 100th year and my thanks for his dedication to bettering the lives of so many.

Mr. President, I rise to recognize the 50th anniversary of Tapatio, a family-run company from the great State of California that exemplifies the American Dream.

Jose-Luis Saavedra, the founder of Tapatio, immigrated to California from Guadalajara, Mexico. He started out working in the aerospace industry, and he often shared a delicious homemade salsa with his coworkers. In 1971, after a recession shut down the plant where he worked, Mr. Saavedra decided to try perfecting and selling his hot sauce.

Tapatio was born out of a small kitchen in Maywood, CA, and continues its operations to this day in Vernon, CA. With the hard work and innovation of Mr. Saavedra, his wife, and his children, Tapatio grew in popularity and size, spreading from small groceries in East Los Angeles to stores and restaurants around the country.

Today, Tapatio is known for introducing the flavors of Guadalajara around the world. It now produces about 200,000 bottles of Tapatio a day and exports globally to about 30 countries. The company has even developed single-serving packets of its signature hot sauce to meet the demand from American servicemembers stationed abroad and at least one U.S. Senator.

Tapatio has remained a family-run business for 50 years, employing three generations of the Saavedra family. It is more than an immigrant success story, Tapatio is an icon of cultural ambassadorship. According to Mr. Saavedra, the Smithsonian Institute displayed a bottle of Tapatio to showcase the brand's role in spreading positive images of Latino culture.

I congratulate Tapatio on reaching this historic milestone, serving as an important reminder of the cultural and economic contributions of immigrants to our country, and keeping the American dream alive for future generations.

Mr. President, I rise to introduce the ``Water Reuse and Resiliency Act.'' This legislation would authorize $1 billion for innovative water infrastructure projects that respond to our Country's growing water needs and the historic drought facing the Western United States.

In the face of unprecedented heat and drought conditions across the Western United States, and growing water resource challenges across the entire Nation, it is critically important that we invest now to modernize and adapt our water systems for the 21st century.

The Environmental Protection Agency's Alternative Water Source Projects pilot program provides competitive grants to engineer, design, construct, and test alternative water source systems, including water recycling systems and projects that conserve, manage, reclaim, or reuse water resources.

The Water Reuse and Resiliency Act would reauthorize the EPA's Alternative Water Source Projects pilot program for five years, increase the authorization to $1 billion, and make stormwater reuse and groundwater recharge projects eligible for grant funding.

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), as of July 13, an estimated 89% of the Western U.S. is experiencing drought. Unfortunately, historic droughts are becoming the new normal. The impacts of drought on water availability are compounded by triple-digit temperatures, record low snowpack levels, and a growing population.

By expanding the use of alternative, non-traditional water sources, such as capturing stormwater runoff and recycling wastewater for groundwater recharge, the Water Reuse and Resiliency Act supports innovations in water treatment that can deliver a new, safe, and reliable source of water for potable use or irrigation.

I thank my co-lead, Senator Feinstein, for her tireless leadership fighting for clean water for Californians and

all Americans. I also thank the cosponsors of this bill for championing this vital effort with us in the Senate.

I look forward to working with my colleagues to enact the ``Water Reuse and Resiliency Act'' as quickly as possible.

Thank you, Mr. President, I yield the floor.

Mr. President, I rise to introduce the ``Water Reuse and Resiliency Act.'' This legislation would authorize $1 billion for innovative water infrastructure projects that respond to our Country's growing water needs and the historic drought facing the Western United States.

In the face of unprecedented heat and drought conditions across the Western United States, and growing water resource challenges across the entire Nation, it is critically important that we invest now to modernize and adapt our water systems for the 21st century.

The Environmental Protection Agency's Alternative Water Source Projects pilot program provides competitive grants to engineer, design, construct, and test alternative water source systems, including water recycling systems and projects that conserve, manage, reclaim, or reuse water resources.

The Water Reuse and Resiliency Act would reauthorize the EPA's Alternative Water Source Projects pilot program for five years, increase the authorization to $1 billion, and make stormwater reuse and groundwater recharge projects eligible for grant funding.

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), as of July 13, an estimated 89% of the Western U.S. is experiencing drought. Unfortunately, historic droughts are becoming the new normal. The impacts of drought on water availability are compounded by triple-digit temperatures, record low snowpack levels, and a growing population.

By expanding the use of alternative, non-traditional water sources, such as capturing stormwater runoff and recycling wastewater for groundwater recharge, the Water Reuse and Resiliency Act supports innovations in water treatment that can deliver a new, safe, and reliable source of water for potable use or irrigation.

I thank my co-lead, Senator Feinstein, for her tireless leadership fighting for clean water for Californians and

all Americans. I also thank the cosponsors of this bill for championing this vital effort with us in the Senate.

I look forward to working with my colleagues to enact the ``Water Reuse and Resiliency Act'' as quickly as possible.

Thank you, Mr. President, I yield the floor.

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

Mr. President, 1 year ago this week, our Nation lost a giant, a man with a righteous purpose and a remarkable legacy, John Robert Lewis, who dedicated his life to the cause of justice.

From Troy, AL, to a bridge in Selma, to the Halls of this very Congress, he put his body on the line for every American's sacred right to vote.

John Lewis never stopped fighting because he understood that democracy is a commitment we have to make again and again and again. As he wrote in the last days of his life:

The vote is the most powerful nonviolent change agent you

have in a democratic society. You must use it because it is

not guaranteed. You can lose it.

John Lewis understood the power and the fragility of our multiracial democracy, because he did so much to build it in his lifetime. At the age of 25, he led peaceful protesters on a march through Alabama to demand their right to vote. As the world witnessed, they were attacked, gassed, and beaten by police officers.

They were attacked because the right to vote is power, and White supremacists feared the power of people of color exercising that right. But out of the pain and outrage over this Bloody Sunday came one of our country's greatest monuments to freedom, the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

For nearly 50 years, the Voting Rights Act stood as a guardian of our multiracial democracy. It outlawed literacy tests. It prohibited voting procedures that would deny or abridge the right to vote on account of race or color. It gave the U.S. Department of Justice the power to review any new voting rules in places with a history of voter suppression and to block rules with discriminatory effects.

Critically, the Voting Rights Act recognized the important role of the Federal Government in protecting the right to vote. It helped guarantee communities of color their rightful voice in our democracy.

Over time, the Voting Rights Act was reauthorized four times, including most recently in 2006, when Representative Lewis and a nearly unanimous Congress voted to affirm the continued need for its protections. That's right. Passage of the Voting Rights Act and every reauthorization of the Act was always on a bipartisan basis.

But in 2013, five conservative Justices of the Supreme Court overrode the bipartisan consensus of Congress. In spite of the voluminous record assembled by the Congress and the reality of the country around them, these five Justices effectively ended preclearance and gutted a key protection of the Voting Rights Act.

As the late Justice Ginsburg wrote in her dissent, it was ``like throwing away your umbrella in a rainstorm because you are not getting wet.''

Well, the storm of voter suppression is most certainly pouring over us now.

In 2020, in the midst of an ongoing global health pandemic, our Nation held one of the most successful and secure elections in our history. Voters of color made their voices heard in record numbers and confirmed again that our democracy is strongest when all eligible Americans are able to participate.

But instead of celebrating this remarkable achievement, Republican legislative leaders in statehouses around the country this year have proposed and passed bill after bill after bill restricting the right to vote and restricting access to the ballot. They are doing this on the basis of lies about voter fraud and rooted firmly in the legacy of White supremacy. They continue to do so as we speak.

The Supreme Court's most recent anti-democracy decision in the Brnovich case, which eviscerated a key remaining protection of the Voting Rights Act, will only embolden these attacks.

But, so far, in this Senate, our Republican colleagues have turned a blind eye, choosing to be complicit in the outright assault on our democracy. Senate Republicans have refused to even open a debate on voting rights legislation. Instead, they prefer to abuse the filibuster to enable Republican legislative leaders across the country to continue their assault.

Our democracy is on the line. The unfinished work of John Lewis remains. We must summon the courage to act. That is why I am committed to passing the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act, which will protect the right to vote for all people. I can think of no more fitting way to honor the memory of a man who chose our democracy as the struggle of his lifetime.

When I was first elected California Secretary of State to serve as the Chief Elections Officer for the State of California, I sought out the counsel of John Lewis. For more than 45 minutes during our first meeting, and time and again after that, John guided me with his wisdom, taught me by his example, and inspired me through his courage. He was always gracious with his time, warm with his spirit, and true in his conviction. And he reminded me, as he reminded so many of us, that our struggle is a struggle of a lifetime.

As he said, we cannot be afraid to make some noise and get into good trouble, necessary trouble, along the way. In fact, given the circumstances, it is exactly what we need to do today. As a bipartisan Senate, if we can, or as the elected Democratic majority, if we must, it is imperative that we pass legislation to preserve our democracy.

We must carry the torch that John Lewis carried for us for so long and build for all Americans a democracy that is as free, as fair, as accessible, and as inclusive as we can possibly make it. And we must remain hopeful in this pursuit.

You see, despite the scars that he bore and the hatred that he faced down, John Lewis was fundamentally a hopeful man, a man who never abandoned the youthful spirit that carried him across that bridge in Selma, and he always looked to the next generation for leadership, for energy, and for inspiration to carry the cause forward.

It is now on us to take up his work. There is no better way for us to honor the legacy of John Lewis.

I yield the floor.

I ask for the yeas and nays.