Floor Statements

Mr. President, I, like you, I know, am incredibly frustrated at the lack of funding for one of our most important Agencies in the Nation--the Department of Homeland Security. Due to my Democratic defund

disorder colleagues, the political antics they have thrown up to block funding for this incredibly important Agency is being done at the expense of protecting Americans.

We are now in week 6 of an ongoing DHS shutdown. While our country is actively fighting an adversary in the Middle East, it leaves our homeland vulnerable to attacks. Thousands of DHS employees have now missed multiple paychecks because of the show. At the same time, security efforts around the Capitol are being increased, so Democrats get to hide here in Washington, in the Capitol, safe and sound, while blocking funding to individuals around the Nation who can help protect Americans and keep our country secure.

Let's not fool ourselves. Floridians and Americans alike know that my colleagues on the other side of the aisle are pushing a shutdown of DHS funding because they don't want a secure border. They don't want to remove people that are here illegally and committing crimes. They have done everything they can to work against that.

This shutdown is about way more than what they profess it to be. This is about blasting apart the security structure President Trump has rebuilt after Biden destroyed the border. For 4 long years, we watched as the previous administration disregarded the law and sowed chaos and destruction at our southern border, allowing a historic surge-- historic; some say up to 20 million people, many unvetted--to pour into this country.

The shutdown has been dragging on so long because my colleagues on the Democratic side of the aisle cannot stand that the border is now secure again and DHS is doing its job. They cannot stand that the border isn't wide open. They can't stand that unmitigated illegal immigration has been halted. Because of this, they are throwing a temper tantrum, disguising this shutdown as anything other than what it is, and that is a mission to defund police.

Under Biden's watch, approximately anywhere from 11 million to 20 million people flooded into this country. Narcoterrorist cartels were enabled to bring massive amounts of deadly substances like fentanyl into our neighborhoods. It killed hundreds of thousands of Americans.

As the attorney general in Florida, I was among the first to call attention to the disregard of law and fought in court against the massive security breaches and shed a spotlight on how Biden and his administration disregarded their duty and put us all at risk. I took legal action to force them to simply follow the law and stop releasing dangerous people and violent offenders into our country.

That once wide-open border was closed by Trump. It is closed. On day one, he took unprecedented action to close the border and started enforcing the law again. He took action against the drug cartels and the flow of fentanyl and other dangerous drugs to keep our communities safe. Under President Trump, DHS provided the most secure border in American history.

It is such a stark difference in what the border looked like under the Biden years to what it looks like today. In fact, during the last month of the Biden administration, every single month saw more than 100,000 illegal immigrant encounters at the southwest border. At the peak of the disaster, they saw upwards of 300,000 encounters a month. And we know that approximately 85 percent of those immigrants apprehended at the border were released into our interior.

The judge who sided with Florida's lawsuit when I took Biden to court and stood up against the illegal actions of his radical administration--that judge who sided with Florida said it best: Biden ``turned the Southwest Border into . . . little more than a speed bump.''

``[L]ittle more than a speed bump.''

Then the American people fought back and elected President Donald Trump. Speed bump met the wall. On day one, Trump ended catch-and- release, and we saw 10 straight months of zero releases--zero--compared to its peak in 1 month by Biden of 300,000. Total border apprehensions under the Trump administration's first year in office were lower than a single average month under the Biden administration.

In addition to the millions of unvetted illegal immigrants Biden let into our country, according to at least 1 recent report that, shockingly, the mainstream media isn't reporting, they allowed 18,000 known or suspected terrorists into the United States. This opens up our country to dangerous attacks from within.

The current DHS shutdown is affecting President Trump's effort to get the unprecedented number of undocumented immigrants that may be a threat to this Nation and to our people out.

Now with our country engaged in fighting in the Middle East and DHS hampered by my Democratic colleagues, we face unimaginable danger, and we have already seen violent attacks within our borders. In fact, DHS recently issued a memo warning Americans to be on guard against potential cyber or other violent attacks. Those attacks are already here.

It is going to take time to clean up the disaster of the last administration, but we are well on our way. We were making great strides, and the other side of the aisle hates that. We know that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has been instrumental in preventing terror threats, removing more than 1,500 known or suspected terrorists.

One of the saddest things that I think we learned after the last administration, and certainly as a mother--not just as Florida's attorney general but as a mother--we watched as hundreds of thousands of unaccompanied minors were trafficked across the border by cartels, and then the Biden administration took the last step--shipped them all over the country.

From a grand jury investigation, we know that some were put with people they didn't even know. One ended up at a strip club. One ended up in an empty lot. We know many went into trafficking. It is the saddest thing imaginable for a child. Too many of these children were exploited and abused before, during, and after they came across that border with cartel members. All told, it is estimated that the Biden administration lost more than 450,000 children.

Today, it is a different story. Under President Trump, DHS and the Department of Health and Human Services have located 145,000 of those unaccompanied children that the Biden Administration lost.

The American people expressed their will when they said: Trump is now our President. We want to secure our Nation.

They wanted to secure our border, and now my Democratic colleagues are obstructing the will of the American people by saying: Oh yeah? You have a President that is following the law? You have a President that is taking seriously his duty to protect this country and our communities? Well, watch what we do now. We are going to defund the police, we are going to defund those agents at the border, and we are going to defund those within that are protecting your communities and helping get those that are here right now--we saw this in Chicago last week; a murder by someone here, let in by the Biden administration-- here illegally--of a young college student again. And they want to tie the hands of the law enforcement officials charged with getting them out. That is nothing more than defunding the police that have taken oaths to protect you and your family.

Someone needs to remind my colleagues across the aisle that the American people are our bosses. They want a safe border. They want safe communities.

The shutdown of DHS has gone on long enough. We are in our 38th day. People are going without paychecks, people that are doing very important jobs, like our TSA officers, like our law enforcement officers, like our personnel at the border, thousands that are charged with keeping this country safe.

Every day the Democrats on the other side of the aisle put politics above people, they show where their allegiances lie. I, for one, know who I am for. I am for the American people. I am for the people that wear a badge and keep us safe. I will always show up on this floor and make sure that the American people know who we are fighting for. The American people are our bosses.

It is time we stand up for this country and for its people and put it first.

Put simply, I implore my colleagues on the other side of the aisle to remember why they are here, to remember the country they profess to serve and the people they profess to serve. Put them first. And let's fund DHS.

I yield the floor.

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

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate now proceed to the en bloc consideration of the following resolutions, which are at the desk, S. Res. 652 and S. Res. 653.

I now ask unanimous consent that the resolutions be agreed to; the preambles be agreed to; and that the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table, all en bloc.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today, it stand adjourned until 12 noon on Friday, March 20; that following the prayer and pledge, the Journal of proceedings be approved to date, the morning hour be deemed expired, the time for the two leaders be reserved for their use later in the day, morning business be closed, and the Senate resume the House message with respect to S. 1383.

Mr. President, for the information of my colleagues, we expect to vote on reconsideration of cloture on the motion to proceed to DHS appropriations at approximately 1 p.m. tomorrow.

If there is no further business to come before the Senate, I ask that it stand adjourned under the previous order, following the remarks of Senators Lee, Baldwin, and Kim.

Mr. President, I know how hard the Presiding Officer and so many of our colleagues have worked to get the SAVE America Act to the floor. I want to thank the Presiding Officer because more than 200 years ago, this Nation began as a bold experiment in self- representative government, guided by the enduring words ``we the people.''

While the challenges we face today may seem more modern, more complex, and more immediate than those confronting the Founders, the principles they laid out still offer us lasting guidance because ``we the people'' agreed as to how we would live among one another. We laid out our founding documents in how we would create and enforce and uphold our laws. We made it clear that our strong Republic depended on ``we the people'' being engaged in our elections so that we could elect our representatives--the representatives of ``we the people''--to serve us.

That is why the issue before us--the SAVE America Act--is so important. It is because it is grounded in a simple, commonsense-- indeed, a foundational--principle that only American citizens should vote in American elections.

This should not be controversial. We should not have to dedicate days and days and days on the Senate floor in the United States of America to guarantee the foundational principle that only Americans should vote in American elections. It is a basic safeguard of our Republic that ensures that our government remains truly of, by, and for the American people.

In the very beginning, our Founders understood the importance of protecting elections. The Framers knew that our laws and our systems should reflect the will of the American people--no one else. So Americans must trust that their elections are not corrupted or skewed or nullified by noncitizens or fraudulent voting.

Right now, as I stand here, the American people have been very clear with us--with all of us--not just with those of us on the Republican side in this room but all of us--the Independents, the Democrats. They have been clear. Over 80 percent of the American public agree and think that we should have IDs presented when we vote. Eighty-three percent of Americans support voter ID laws.

I sat there on the dais late last night and listened to my colleagues on the other side of the aisle come up with some plausible reason they may oppose this simple concept, and none of it holds water.

They say it will keep certain people from voting, so we fixed that. You can file a paper and explain right there when you vote who you are and why you don't have the correct ID. It is very simple.

They say it is going to harm people. In fact, the people they profess to be protecting in some way have come out and said they want voter ID--the very people they think this will harm.

This is not a fringe idea. It is broadly supported. It is a commonsense safeguard.

Questions about election integrity are not new. They were debated by the Founders themselves.

We now have States that give licenses, admittedly, to people who are here in our country who are not here legally. Many States do that. We also have many of those States that sign people up to vote right when they give them that ID.

So people ask: Why now? Why do we need ID now?

Because of the nonsense and the subversiveness of radicals in the States in this country.

In Florida, where we have done everything right--everything we can do to secure our elections--how do Floridians know that their votes are not being diluted by some of these lawless, radical States?

I am one of the newest U.S. Senators here, and I am constantly asking: Who do the Democrats stand for? They will fly off to other nation-states to defend noncitizens. They will even stand up for communists in New York. For the life of me, I think they are even putting their necks out there for cartels time and time again.

When the rubber hits the road, they know exactly what they want to advocate for. They know exactly who they want to defend and who they will stand up for. But when it comes to American citizens and having their backs: We are going to fight it. We are fighting it for somebody.

It may not be American citizens, but they are fighting against it for somebody.

We have to ensure people's confidence in the system and in the legitimacy of our election results, and if we see resistance on the other side of the aisle to even the most basic safeguard--that of requiring an ID at the ballot box--it does not make sense. In fact, the States that have implemented voter ID laws did not see participation decline. In most cases, participation increased.

In the Federalist Papers, it was warned that groups may place their own interests above the public good, risking instability and distrust. That certainly feels familiar to me these days. One of the ways we protect against that danger is by ensuring that the rules governing our elections are fair, consistent, and trusted by the people because when trust erodes our entire system, our Republic is weakened.

The SAVE America Act helps to reinforce trust in our elections, but it is about more than this one bill; it is about preserving the great experiment of the United States of America, of ``we the people'' governing ourselves and doing so through our duly elected officers. That is how we hold them accountable to ``we the people,'' and power rests where it should--with the people. It is about protecting this great Nation that has endured for 250 years.

Because of that, regardless of what party you identify as supporting, I urge my colleagues to pass the SAVE America Act.

I yield the floor.

Mr. President, I am honored to rise on the Senate floor today to recognize one of Florida's best.

Last month, a Martin County man was going about his day when he saw a terrible crash behind him in his rearview mirror. And what he did next was truly remarkable and heroic.

The car behind him had crashed into a canal and was sinking under water. Casey Curtis, who I am told is watching this, didn't hesitate. He jumped into the water ready to help. And when he got out there, he found three young children stuck in the back, screaming for help from that sinking vehicle, and their mother was unconscious behind the wheel.

Casey acted quickly and helped free the kids. He got them to dry land, and then he turned back and went to the driver. He stayed in the water, holding the unconscious woman's head above the water to keep her from drowning, until the first responders got there.

Because of his courageous efforts, this mother and her three children are still alive. The family is still together because he selflessly acted without hesitation and put others' safety ahead of his own.

I am so proud to honor him today with a ``Florida's Finest Award.''

This is not somebody who dedicated his professional career in law enforcement. He didn't take an oath. He just decided that day he was going to be someone's guardian, and he chose to do what few others would have chosen to do.

This award honors Floridians and law enforcement officers who demonstrate selfless courage and go above and beyond to save lives.

Casey did not have to do what he did that day, but what he did makes him remarkable, and we are so proud of his efforts.

So thank you, Casey, for stepping in, risking your own safety to save a family. You are truly one of Florida's finest.

I yield the floor.

Mr. President, I rise today in support of what should be a given. It is already law, common sense--a bill that supports this country and our citizens.

I rise today to, in fact, speak on behalf of American citizens and in support of the rule of law, and I rise to say that we have to pass without delay the SAVE America Act. This would require ID to vote.

This is something where the vast majority of Americans agree-- Democrats, Independents, and Republicans. The vast majority agree this should become law. According to the Pew Research Center, that is about 83 percent of Americans that are in support of ID to vote. Breaking that down into groups, 76 percent of Black Americans support this idea, and 82 percent of Hispanic Americans support this idea. These are all groups that the Democrats claim this measure would harm.

So my Democratic colleagues--coming up with excuse after excuse after excuse, which I suspect is just distraction from why they are really opposing this--my Democratic colleagues continue to block this reform, and they place partisan politics above the clear will of the American people.

The United States of America, which will celebrate its 250th anniversary this year--indeed, this great American experiment--hinges on the sanctity and integrity of our elections. We must protect this institution and safeguard our democracy by ensuring that only Americans are allowed to participate in American elections.

This just makes sense. If you need a valid ID to drive, to buy alcohol, to check into a hotel, why would you not need an ID to vote? In fact, even the mayor of NYC is now requiring people to provide IDs to take part in their snow-shoveling program. Yet they say it is unreasonable to expect Americans to provide one at the ballot box.

Retaining election integrity should not be a partisan issue; it is foundational to our self-government. The SAVE America Act upholds the rule of law. It makes sure there are stronger protections in place across the country to ensure that only citizens can participate in our elections.

When voters trust the system, participation increases. Secure elections will strengthen democracy. Ben Franklin famously replied to a bystander after the Constitutional Convention that we have a Republic if we can keep it. We must preserve our elections to preserve our Republic, and that is why it is so important that we pass the SAVE America Act.

I yield the floor.

I ask unanimous consent that the rollcall vote begin immediately.

I ask for the yeas and nays.

As the newest, most junior Member from the great State-- the free State of Florida, I rise today--as well as the proud granddaughter of a World War II Army veteran--and I rise today to congratulate Mr. Duane Brewton of Cantonment, FL, on the extraordinary occasion of his 109th birthday celebrated on February 5, 2026.

Mr. Brewton is Florida's oldest living World War II veteran and among the oldest surviving veterans of the Second World War in the United States. He is a proud member of what history rightly calls the ``Greatest Generation''--ordinary Americans who answered the call, did extraordinary things, and helped save the world.

They did not do it for recognition. They did not ask for praise. They simply did their duty. Honoring their service while they are still with us is both a privilege and a responsibility.

When his country called, Duane Brewton answered. He served from 1944 to 1945 as a private in the U.S. Army during the Second World War. He was stationed in Vire, France, where he was wounded in the line of duty and later returned home.

For his sacrifice, he was awarded the Purple Heart, a lasting testament to his courage, humility, and devotion to freedom. The world owes a debt to Mr. Brewton and to his generation that can never be repaid.

Born and raised in Pensacola, FL, Mr. Brewton returned home after the war. He raised a family and devoted his life to faith, service, and community.

A devout Christian, he lived his values daily and by example. His daughters recall that throughout their childhood, their father rose every single morning at 4 a.m. to study the Bible and pray, an enduring memory that shaped their lives and reflected the quiet strength of his character.

That faith extended far beyond his home. Mr. Brewton was a founder of the Brownsville Assembly of God in Pensacola, a church that continues to serve his community today.

Through his life, he set a shining example--before his children, his family, all who knew him, and to us--of what it means to honor God and country.

May we all strive to live with the same humility, discipline, and integrity that he has shown for more than a century--109 years, to be exact.

In recent years, Mr. Brewton has resided in an assisted living community where he is deeply loved by residents and staff alike. I am told that they are all watching today.

On his 109th birthday, it was marked by a joyful celebration of family, friends, and community members gathering in great numbers. Surrounded by his two daughters and loved ones, the occasion was fittingly warm and celebratory--centered, as it should be, on a man whose life had meant so much to so many.

Florida is the proud home to more than 1.4 million veterans. Florida is also home to the second largest number of living World War II veterans, a distinction we hold with deep gratitude and respect.

We honor their service, we cherish their presence and recognize our responsibility to preserve their stories and sacrifices.

Mr. Brewton embodies the very best of Florida and, indeed, the very best of America: faith, family, humility, duty, and service. His life stands as a living reminder of the generation that answered the call, endured unimaginable hardship, and secured liberty for generations that they would never meet.

On behalf of the people of Florida and a grateful nation, I congratulate Mr. Duane Brewton on his 109th birthday, thank him for his extraordinary service, and wish him another joyous year surrounded by faith, family, and the enduring appreciation of a nation forever indebted to him.

I yield the floor.

Mr. President, I rise today to speak about an issue that is critically important to millions of Americans: how our Federal Government responds when disaster strikes and whether communities can quickly receive the help they are promised in a timely and transparent manner.

As someone from the great State of Florida who is no stranger to natural disasters, we know how vital emergency recovery assistance is after disasters like hurricanes.

Unfortunately, we discovered that recovery assistance--public assistance--can be delayed for years. That is very hard for communities that rely on that essential funding to recover.

As a U.S. Senator, it is important to me to fight on behalf of Floridians to help aid in these recovery efforts and make sure that, if communities are entitled to public moneys to help them, those are efficiently received, because recovery doesn't end the day after a storm.

After major hurricane strikes, like we have seen in back-to-back years in the State of Florida, it can take years to get communities back to normal, and the process can be onerous and confusing for leaders and communities.

So to streamline it and make it more clear, I introduced legislation called the TRACK Act. I introduced this along with Senator Alsobrooks. The Transparency in Recovery Assistance and Claims Knowledge Act would implement a status tracker on the FEMA website. This is so victims of disaster can have easily available knowledge of insight as those claims progress.

As I travel around the State of Florida, I continue to hear from folks that not just want more transparency but need that as they advocate on behalf of their communities--just a little more insight into the aid process when they are recovering from these catastrophes.

While FEMA is making incredible strides under President Trump's leadership, the TRACK Act will bring more sunshine, more transparency.

After disaster strikes, the most important thing is to get help to those who need it as soon as possible, and this bill helps us to do just that.

While transparency and accountability are essential, they must also be paired with real action and real results. And so I am so proud to announce and inform my fellow Floridians that following very productive meetings with DHS, I was able to secure nearly half a billion dollars in FEMA public assistance funding, which was released, totaling in 535 projects across 14 disasters. And these had been requested for years.

This is thanks to the advocacy and coordination from folks all across my State--from Bay County to Broward County; city managers, mayors, constituents. Truly, it was all of us working together to bring this to the attention of those here in Washington to not delay these funds.

We are just getting started.

I want to thank President Trump and his administration for his leadership and for standing with Floridians as we recover from these natural disasters. Indeed, I believe Floridians and their participation in coming to Washington and meeting with their representatives, making sure that they are heard by their government--the people's government-- that is why we have seen progress.

If there is one thing I can say--and I continue to be inspired as Florida's newest U.S. Senator--government will only work if people remain engaged with their government. If we the people remain engaged with the representatives that serve us, we the people are an essential part of our Republic working.

So I am proud to make this announcement about these moneys being released to help Florida recover and to further strengthen our State. But, indeed, it is just an announcement, because while I was the voice of so many, it was their work, their advocacy, them being a part of their government that got this done.

Since becoming a Senator, I have been inspired by so many across my State that want to help in the administration of the people's government. They have shared their struggles in getting Federal aid. They have shared their needs as a result of natural disasters, hurricanes, flooding. And all of that went into making this a reality. And I am so proud to have worked to secure these long-awaited funds for my State.

This urgency is why I am also urging my colleagues to join me in supporting the TRACK Act. It will improve transparency between Washington and communities back home. Indeed, it will allow Americans to be more a part of their government.

I yield the floor.

Mr. President, as you may know, we are recognizing National School Choice Week, and I thank my colleague for organizing those of us who believe dearly in educational options for children to come to the floor and speak about what we have accomplished and what we hope to accomplish on behalf of America's kids.

As you may know, in addition to being a U.S. Senator, I am also a mom of a kid in school who has gone to many different kinds of schools over the course of his educational career, and I am honored to serve as a cohost this week with the chairman of the HELP Committee Senator Cassidy, as well as my friend Senator Tim Scott to represent the long strides that my home State of Florida has taken to make us the best State, I believe, in the Nation for educational freedom.

This did not happen overnight. It took decades of thoughtful policymaking and implementation and tweaks along the way, and we are still working to get it right. But I wanted to show up here today and tell my colleagues about how Florida has set its kids on paths to success by thinking outside the one-size-fits-all approach for education. That has happened from tireless work from parents, from advocates, and a State government that has transformed Florida from a State with poor performance across the board to a leader nationwide in education.

We went from having graduation rates at just 60 percent, with less than 1 percent of K through 12 students attending a public charter school, and fewer than 10 students in the State receiving a K through 12 scholarship in 1999. I will say that again: a 60-percent graduation rate. In the decades that have followed--today, I am proud to say Florida now has a graduation rate of 92 percent of its kids graduating on time. That coincides with when we really started pushing educational options for our kids, beginning with Governor Bush right up until our current Governor Ron DeSantis, who got to make this great announcement. We were one of the first States, a few years ago, to adopt universal school choice. Close to 1 in 8 of our students now attends a public charter school--a public charter school--and more than 450,000 students receive some form of K through 12 scholarship, including the Florida Tax Credit Scholarship.

For our children in Florida, school choice has been an invaluable tool for success no matter their background, their means, or what ZIP Code they live in. It is these accomplishments in Florida that drive me now as a U.S. Senator to ensure that all of America's kids can prosper.

I have been a proud champion of the Education Freedom Tax Credit, which is now, I am proud to say, signed into law. Not only do Florida kids have access to all of the options that we have provided to them through State law, but they now have access to supplemental resources that were provided through the Education Freedom Tax Credit. I thank my colleagues, and I thank the President for supporting this measure as, now, 2 million children across the Nation will be able to seek the schooling that best fits their needs. This is another way that we are empowering parents: by supporting educational freedom across the country.

As we wrap up National School Choice Week, we must remember and keep advocating publicly because there are some States that have the opportunity to opt in but refuse to do so, and that breaks my heart for the many kids who could benefit from what is available to them through educational choice. We must continue to remind the rest of America about the success we have seen in States that have embraced educational alternatives and have seen what it means when you place an emphasis on individual school needs and student needs, not ZIP Codes or economic means.

The individual needs of students and the individual circumstances of students should drive their opportunities for success. The possibilities are endless when we do away with that one-size-fits-all approach and empower parents to choose what best fits their individual child. That is why I commit to continuing to advocate for school choice--so that all of America's kids see the same opportunities that we have been able to offer to the children of Florida.

I yield the floor.

Mr. President, it is an honor to stand on the Senate floor today and speak in support of my Pregnant Students' Rights Act.

Today, I am proud to continue this important work to protect the most vulnerable among us and to support young mothers by urging my colleagues, both Democrat and Republican, to vote in favor of this important legislation.

Navigating college can be challenging for any young student but especially for pregnant women. Unfortunately, many feel pressured when they become pregnant to either end their pregnancies or risk academic failure.

No woman should ever have to choose between continuing classes or continuing her pregnancy. College and university young women who become pregnant should be informed of all of the resources available to them to help them carry their pregnancy to term, whether that is modified class schedules, excused absences, or other accommodations.

This is commonsense legislation that ensures young women know their rights as pregnant college students and have the support they need to stay in school and support their baby.

Far too often, young women are made to feel that having a baby as a student will be the end of their academic career. This is absolutely not true.

With this bill, we are sending the message that women are supported and set up to succeed in school and raise a healthy baby. Through this bill, universities will now have to inform pregnant students of their rights and protections. It also instructs universities to tell students how to file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education if there is a title IX violation.

No matter where you are politically--Republican or Democrat, pro-life or pro-choice--one thing I think we can all agree on is that the more information for women making life-changing decisions, the better.

For these reasons, I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to vote in favor of my Pregnant Students' Rights Act to support young mothers and protect life.

I yield the floor.

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

I ask unanimous consent to speak for up to 5 minutes prior to the scheduled rollcall vote.

I ask unanimous consent to waive the mandatory quorum call with respect to cloture on Calendar No. 299, H.R. 6938.

Mr. President, I am honored to rise on the floor today to recognize some of Florida's--the Sunshine State--very best.

As you know, last week we celebrated Law Enforcement Appreciation Day, and I wanted to recognize two great officers from the Tampa Bay area, where I, as one of the newest U.S. Senators, hail from.

Last month, Tampa Police Department Officers Jason Sikoski and Kaleb Girard saved an 86-year-old man who was found dangling off of his roof.

The senior had gotten to the roof to clear foliage, lost his balance, and had inched his way, with no success, to climb back up to the edge of the roof. When the officers found him, he was already dangling and was almost falling off the roof.

And so you can imagine the quick response from Tampa Police Officers Sikoski and Girard, along with fire rescue, who showed up. They acted timely, without hesitation, and they were able to save this Florida man from falling.

And it was obvious from the situation that they found, had they not shown up, had they delayed in any way, had they not responded swiftly and acted quickly, that Floridian would have fallen 30 feet to the ground, where no doubt this story would have ended with a very tragic conclusion.

So I am very proud today to rise to recognize Officer Sikoski and Officer Girard on the Senate floor as some of Florida's finest and present them with our Florida's Finest Award.

Certainly, as attorney general of Florida before I came to the Senate a year ago, I had always recognized law enforcement for their courage, for dedicating their professional lives to enforcing the people's law. Certainly without that brave commitment by them, our society would not function as we know it. It has been important to me to honor the extraordinary work of those selfless officers that protect Floridians.

Our Florida's Finest Award honors those Floridians and law enforcement officers who demonstrate selfless courage, who go above and beyond to save lives. I am so thankful that these Tampa police officers saved this man's life and for all they do every day to keep the Tampa community safe.

Congratulations to Officers Sikoski and Girard for helping us make Florida stronger and safer. I am so honored to recognize them today on the Senate floor.

I will end by saying that each and every one of our law enforcement officers is essential to upholding the rule of law, the people's law. Without them showing up day after day, faithfully executing their duties without obstruction or threats or attacks, certainly government and the people's government could not function the way it is intended to.

I will keep standing up for the men and women of law enforcement, every law enforcement officer, because we know that they are essential not only for a stronger and safer Florida but for a stronger and safer United States of America.

I yield the floor.

Cloture Motion

Mr. President, tomorrow is Law Enforcement Appreciation Day, and it was my intention to come to the floor today and talk about some great officers and celebrate the men and women that put their lives on the line to protect us every day. Indeed, I encourage every American across this great Nation to do just that, say thank you for signing up courageously for an often thankless job. But in light of recent events, I feel I must address a more pressing issue.

The horrific situation that occurred yesterday morning in Minnesota is tragic. Radical protestors intending to run over Federal immigration officers with cars, that cannot happen. In fact, protestors that show up with intent to harass or obstruct or impede or aggressively approach or violently assault officers, it cannot happen.

When they are doing their jobs, it is a precarious, often dangerous, situation. I can tell you that firsthand as the wife of a law enforcement officer. I beg anyone thinking about participating in this kind of behavior to think twice for all involved.

They must be given space to focus. It is a very dangerous situation in some of these missions and law enforcement activities. That is why I introduced the Halo Act back in November because, as I saw the threats of political violence, of threats against our law enforcement officers were rapidly increasing, I knew that we had to do something. And so I introduced the Halo Act so that one of these events wouldn't occur.

I don't know how officers are able to do their jobs with people impeding them and getting in their faces as they are trying to focus on executing their duties.

It is deeply troubling to hear the anti-law enforcement rhetoric being used by so many when it comes to Federal officers simply trying to show up and do the jobs that we, as a nation, hired them to do.

And what happened yesterday in terms of folks showing up with the intent to obstruct officers, that is not an isolated incident. It is part of this broader pattern of coordinated efforts, encouraged by elected politicians who keep increasing their rhetoric and almost encouraging--let me just take the ``almost'' out, encouraging people to get in the way of law enforcement officers trying to do their job, knowing how dangerous that is, not only dangerous for law enforcement officers but for those who show up and try to impede their efforts.

Elected Democrat officials right now are using radical rhetoric and encouraging people in their cities and their States to harass and obstruct officers. Many of them are even using taxpayer funds to help speak out and coordinate. According to the Department of Homeland Security, assaults on police are up 1,300 percent, death threats on police up 8,000 percent.

This alarming trend threatens public safety and the rule of law--the rule of law--and the expectation that we would support the men and women who uphold it. That is what is attracting people from around the United States of America to my home State, the great free State of Florida, because we support them. We protect our officers. In fact, we introduced legislation and passed legislation to give them a safety zone, a buffer zone to do their jobs and do them safely.

The Halo Act, which I introduced 2 months ago, will ensure that Federal officers can perform their duties without fear of intimidation, interference, or violence. The legislation would make it illegal for anyone, after being asked, told to stand back, to knowingly come within 25 feet of an officer who is doing their job if their intent is to interfere with the officer's work or threaten them with physical harm.

It is modeled after a law in Florida, and we know it will work. It will provide the necessary buffer zone to allow officers to focus on the execution of their duties, and that is what is safe for everyone.

Essentially, the bill would institute the zones and keep the officers safe. It would also make sure that this buffer zone or safety zone is there to protect others.

I implore my colleagues to join in this mission, in this proposed legislation, and cosponsor the Halo Act. It is obvious we must act now to protect these officers that protect us. And we must send a message that targeted attacks, interference with the duties of officers, threat, harm, violence against law enforcement must end. We owe it to our communities. We owe it to the brave people that sign up for these jobs to strengthen the protections around them.

Ahead of Law Enforcement Appreciation Day, we have to acknowledge that without the men and women that put on that badge every day, this would not be the country that we know. It is a fragile line between order and chaos, and the people that sign up to stand on that line, come what may, need to be protected, and this act would do just that.

I urge my colleagues to join me and support the Halo Act to have our officers' back, to ensure our communities are safe and that they can do their jobs.

I yield the floor.

As if in legislative session and notwithstanding rule XXII, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources be discharged from further consideration of S. 3082 and the Senate proceed to its immediate consideration; further, that the bill be considered read a third time and passed, and that the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table. And prior to any further ruling by the chair, if I might make a comment--I withdraw so I might be able to make a comment, and then I will resubmit it.