Floor Statements

Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.

Mr. President, I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate T. Rowe Price and its development team on moving forward on building its new global headquarters in my home State of Maryland. T. Rowe Price has offices in 16 countries, but continues its long-standing commitment to Maryland by building its new global headquarters, with its thousands of employees, in Baltimore--what a wonderful testament to Baltimore.

I am proud that T. Rowe Price has been a great partner in the areas of retirement security policy and innovation as I advance legislation to create a more robust retirement system for all Americans. This is no surprise given the founding mission of the company. In 1937, Thomas Rowe Price sought to create an organization ``with a reputation for the highest character and soundest investment strategy.'' In the 1950s, T. Rowe Price focused on growing their research in the area and greatly expanded their associate ranks in the 1960s. From the beginning, T. Rowe Price has been client-centered and collaborative in its research. T. Rowe Price grew from a five-person firm serving local clients to a 300-person firm serving clients nationwide. This is the type of entrepreneurship we strive to support and encourage at the Small Business Committee. In 1979, T. Rowe Price launched its international joint venture with Robert Fleming, which expanded T. Rowe Price into several locations around the world.

It is an honor that even through the phases of expansion, T. Rowe Price has maintained its long tenure in Maryland, starting with its headquarters in Baltimore at 10 Light Street in the 1930s and continuing its presence in Baltimore by investing in a new global headquarters at Harbor Point as part of the historic redevelopment of the area. In addition to the building's contribution to developing a long unoccupied space in downtown Baltimore, the headquarters will be LEED-certified with high environmental standards, contributing to a sustainable Baltimore.

As T. Rowe Price continues to help clients reach long-term financial goals, including a stable and dignified retirement, it utilizes technological advancements to ensure the firm reaches as many people as possible. In 2017, T. Rowe Price celebrated its 80th anniversary of serving Marylanders and people across the globe. I have heard from countless Marylanders about the positive impact this company has had on their communities. Not only through their intentional presence in the State and their sound financial strategy, but also through their charitable giving and initiatives. John Brother, president of the T. Rowe Price Foundation and T. Rowe Price Program for Charitable Giving, stated that, ``The communities we support all have great assets and needs. To ensure our resources are channeled to create the best possible outcomes, we consult with local leaders and community organizations to get an informed perspective. We emphasize three pillars--education and youth development, human services, and arts and culture.''

To that end, T. Rowe Price has provided charitable giving to a range of projects with a strong focus on financial literacy. T. Rowe Price has published its Parents, Kids, and Money Survey for more than 10 years in order to help families work together to improve their money management skills. The survey explores the basic financial knowledge, attitudes, and behavior of both parents and their children to promote better spending and saving habits. Maryland is grateful for the company's continued commitment to investing in Baltimore and Marylanders alike.

I look forward to seeing T. Rowe Price's continued impact in Maryland for decades to come, both in ensuring a strong retirement system and through ongoing and new projects that support Baltimore and Maryland communities. Congratulations to T. Rowe Price on moving forward on building its new global headquarters.

First, I would ask consent that I be able to complete my brief remarks before the vote starts.

Mr. President, I rise today in support of the confirmation of Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Julie Rubin to be a U.S. district judge for the District of Maryland. I recommended Judge Rubin, along with Senator Van Hollen, to President Biden, and we strongly support her nomination.

Judge Rubin has been nominated to fill the vacancy created when Judge Ellen Hollander, appointed by President Obama in 2011, announced her intentions to take senior status.

President Biden nominated Judge Rubin for this position on December 3 of last year, and the Judiciary Committee held her confirmation hearing on December 15. Judge Rubin was favorably reported by the Judiciary Committee on January 20 of this year by a bipartisan vote.

She received a unanimous ``well qualified'' rating from the American Bar Association Standing Committee on the Federal Judiciary, which is the organization's highest rating. The ABA assesses the nominee's professional competency, integrity, and judicial temperament.

Shortly after the November 2020 Presidential elections, I worked with Senator Van Hollen to establish the judicial selection committee in Maryland. We used an open application process with public advertisement and communicated closely with State, local, and specialty bar associations in Maryland. In particular, we sought out highly qualified and diverse applicants. Our committee interviewed everyone who submitted an application, which involved several dozen interviews. Senator Van Hollen and I personally interviewed several finalists before recommending names to the White House.

Born in Baltimore, Judge Rubin received her B.A. cum laude from Mount Holyoke College in 1995 and her J.D. from the University of Maryland School of Law in 1998.

She worked at Astrachan Gunst, handling intellectual property and employment law matters in both Federal and State court.

Judge Rubin was appointed by the Governor of Maryland in 2012 as a Baltimore City circuit judge and was elected in 2014 by the people of Baltimore to a 15-year term.

The circuit court is the State trial court of general jurisdiction in Maryland, covering both civil and criminal cases, and is the exclusive court for jury trials, including felony trials--similar jurisdiction to what the Federal district court handles. So she has that experience.

Judge Rubin brings tremendous experience to the courtroom as a sitting Baltimore City circuit judge for nearly a decade. She has handled a substantial and diverse caseload in our State court in Baltimore, having served in the civil, family, criminal, and general trial divisions, as well as serving on special assignments to the asbestos docket. She previously served as a supervisory judge of alternative dispute resolutions. She estimates that she has presided over about 1,000 criminal and civil cases that have gone to verdict or judgment, including both bench and jury trials.

Judge Rubin is known as a judge's judge, in terms of her excellent temperament, work ethic, and congeniality with lawyers and litigants. She is known to be fair in judgment to all litigants. She was selected to serve as a faculty member of the Judicial College and tasked with instructing newly appointed Maryland trial judges on judicial ethics and best courtroom practices.

Judge Rubin has continued to give back to the community as an adjunct legal professor at the Maryland Law School. She cochaired the Bench Bar Committee of the Bar Association of Baltimore City, served on the board of the Baltimore Metropolitan Chapter of the Simon E. Sobeloff Law Society, and assisted the CollegeBound Foundation and the Baltimore Education Scholarship Trust to help underprivileged or at-risk youth. She has served as chair of the board of trustees for the Bryn Mawr School in Baltimore. She has given back to our community and understands the challenges in our community.

As a fellow graduate of the University of Maryland Francis King Carey Law School, I am confident that Judge Rubin will meet the highest standards of integrity, competence, and temperament. I know she will uphold the rule of law for all Marylanders for this lifetime appointment.

Finally, let me say that I know that public service is a sacrifice, not only for the nominee but for their family. So I want to thank Judge Rubin's husband James and her entire family for sharing Judge Rubin with the people of Maryland.

Judge Rubin's confirmation will build on the quality and diversity of the Maryland District Court bench. All 10 of the confirmed judges have been recommended by me to the President for appointment as a Senator from Maryland. I am proud of their qualifications and diversity.

In Maryland, our Federal bench is 50 percent women, 50 percent men, 40 percent people of color. We appointed the first African-American woman, the first person of Palestinian descent. We have a diversified, quality bench representing the people of Maryland and providing the justice the people of Maryland deserve.

I urge my colleagues to vote in favor of the confirmation of Judge Julie Rubin to be a U.S. district judge for the District of Maryland.

I yield the floor.

Mr. President, this March, as we mark National Kidney Month, we have the opportunity to remember those we have lost to kidney-related illnesses, recognize the work we have done to combat kidney diseases, and recommit to continue and expand on these efforts to improve the care available to those who are suffering.

Kidney disease is the tenth leading cause of death in the United States. Today, more than 37 million Americans have chronic kidney disease. One in three adults is at risk of developing chronic kidney disease, which can lead to kidney failure or end-stage renal disease, an irreversible condition that is fatal without a kidney transplant or dialysis. In Maryland alone, almost 93,000 Medicare patients have been diagnosed with chronic kidney disease, and almost 10,000 of these individuals are currently on dialysis.

As with many health issues, communities across the Nation do not suffer from kidney disease equally. Black Americans make up 35 percent of the people with kidney failure in the United States, despite only making up 13 percent of the U.S. population. Hispanic Americans are 1.3 times more likely to be diagnosed with kidney failure than non- Hispanics. End-stage renal disease is 3.7 times more likely in Black Americans, 1.4 times more likely

in Native Americans, and 1.5 more likely in Asian Americans than in White Americans. Patients of color also wait longer than White patients to receive a deceased donor transplant and are less likely to receive a living donor transplant.

While progress is often too slow, in the past year alone, we have made significant steps to understand and address factors leading to the overrepresentation of certain populations with chronic kidney disease. Following research from the National Kidney Foundation and the American Society of Nephrology, institutions like the University of Maryland Medicine ended the outdated use of race as a factor in diagnosing chronic kidney disease. This change will lead to earlier diagnosis and treatment of Black Americans.

Not surprisingly, the COVID-19 pandemic has had a devastating impact on those with severe chronic medical conditions like kidney disease. Patients with chronic kidney disease or end-stage renal disease are often immunocompromised, especially those on dialysis or taking immunosuppressive medicines as part of the process for a kidney transplant. Consequently, people with kidney disease are at a higher risk of developing a more severe case of, and dying from, COVID-19.

Last year, I reintroduced the Chronic Kidney Disease Improvement in Research and Treatment Act with Senator Blunt. This legislation takes important steps to expand kidney disease awareness and education, improve the accuracy and transparency of end-stage renal disease quality programs, incentivize innovation in dialysis care, and expand patient choices of insurance coverage.

Nearly one-half of the people suffering from chronic kidney disease do not know they have kidney disease because of inadequate screening programs and a lack of awareness about the disease. My legislation would expand Medicare's annual wellness benefit to include kidney disease screening for at-risk patients and improve access to pre- dialysis kidney education programs to better manage patients' kidney disease--an effort that, in some cases, could actually prevent kidney failure and reduce the $153 billion Medicare spends on care for kidney patients.

To address health equity issues in chronic kidney disease, my legislation would also require the Department of Health and Human Services to submit a report to Congress on national kidney transplantation rates and make recommendations on prevention and treatment for communities disproportionally affected by kidney failure.

Further, my legislation would expand choices in health insurance coverage to those with end-stage renal disease by guaranteeing access to Medigap policies to all end-stage renal disease Medicare beneficiaries, regardless of age. Currently, Medicare patients under 65, whether disabled or end-stage renal disease beneficiaries, do not have access to Medigap plans, even though Medicare is their primary insurance.

The best treatment for kidney failure is kidney transplantation from a living donor, but only a third of kidney transplants are of this type. Over 100,000 Americans are on the transplant waitlist with 90,000 of them waiting for a kidney. Only 24,000 kidneys were transplanted in 2021. The average wait time for a deceased donor kidney transplant is 5 years but can be as long as 10 years in some States. But with the direct donation from a living donor, the average time is 3-6 months. Sadly, 114 patients in Maryland died while on the waitlist in 2021. This is why I am also a cosponsor of the Living Donor Protection Act, which works to remove barriers to organ donation and protect the rights of and prohibit discrimination against organ donors, with the goal of increasing the number of living donors.

Although the scientific understanding of kidney disease has progressed immensely, significant gaps persist, and treatment has remained largely the same. Research on kidney failure is underfunded compared with the costs of treating chronic kidney disease and end- stage renal disease. I am proud of what the National Institutes of Health and other Maryland-based research institutions have done to combat kidney disease and other kidney-related illnesses. There is more to do, however, and I look forward to working with my colleagues to fight kidney diseases and bring relief to the millions of Americans who suffer from them.

Madam President, I would like to take this opportunity to pay tribute to a wonderful professor and man, Dr. Stephen--``Steve''--J. Simpson, of Frostburg, who died on February 21, 2022, of pancreatic cancer. Dr. Simpson taught and inspired generations of students at Frostburg State University--FSU--in a career there that spanned four decades. He was a widely respected scholar of the American Presidency and the intersection of media and politics.

Steve Simpson was born on October 10, 1951, in Abington, PA. He received his undergraduate degree from Dickinson College and his M.A. and Ph.D. in political science from Princeton University. Steve spent many years as FSU's dean of the college of sciences and provost and chief academic officer. While he excelled in these roles, his greatest enthusiasm was for being a professor of political science. He wasn't just an academic mentor to scores of students over the years; he was a life mentor who encouraged them to aim high in life as well as in school.

Steve was cheerful, kind, generous, and respectful to everyone whom he met and knew. He was a devoted son, brother, husband, uncle, and in- law to many members of an extended second family. He loved to discuss politics and play card games, especially pinochle with his mother-in- law Mary Morshead as his partner. He instilled in his nephews, John and David Simpson, a love of history and politics, which they have since passed on to their children. Steve loved to travel with his wife of nearly 30 years, Lisa Morshead. They traveled to Colonial Williamsburg, Sanibel Island, and Fort Myers for spring training. He could not shake his Pennsylvania roots entirely, so he was an avid Phillies, not Orioles, fan--but we won't hold that against him. His love of baseball extended to participating in fantasy leagues. He claimed he disliked pets but he loved and cared for three rescue cats and a dog. Steve had a big heart.

On behalf of the Senate, I would like to extend heartfelt condolences to

Steve's wife Lisa; his brothers William and Robert and their wives Brenda and Carolyn; his nephews John and David and their wives Laurie and Alison; the rest of his extended family and friends; and the FSU community. Henry B. Adams wrote, ``A teacher affects eternity; he can never tell where his influence stops.'' I hope that the family and friends who mourn Dr. Stephen Simpson's passing can find solace in the knowledge that he surely has affected eternity and his influence will continue to ripple far and wide among the students he so ably taught and inspired.

Madam President, first, let me thank Senator Murkowski for her leadership on behalf of women's issues here in the U.S. Senate. I join her in calling for the reauthorization of the Violence Against Women's Act. I am glad that she mentioned that. I join her as her partner in the ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment. We have to pass a resolution here extending the date. Senator Murkowski has been a leader on all these issues.

During Women's History Month, I am using this time to point out the progress we have made. Senator Murkowski mentioned that we have made tremendous progress on behalf of gender equality in the United States, but we still have a path in front of us. I was pleased to see Senator Murkowski point out the challenges that still exist and the reason why we need to be active in regard to gender equity issues, including the reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act and the passage of the Equal Rights Amendment. So I thank her for her leadership, and I am glad to be her partner on many of these issues.

So today, we can celebrate the progress that has been made and call attention to the obstacles that exist. Throughout our Nation's history, generations of women have won hard-fought battles in pushing closer and closer toward securing full citizenship and all that entails.

Our Nation today is stronger from this progress, reaching new milestones in gender equality. President Biden announced earlier this month his historic selection of Judge Jackson to fill the role of the retiring Supreme Court Justice Breyer on the highest Court in our land. Judge Jackson would be the first Black woman to serve on the Court and only the fifth woman to serve as a Justice of the total of 115 who have served on the Supreme Court throughout our history.

I was pleased, along with Senator Van Hollen, to recommend Lydia Griggsby to serve on the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland. She is the first Black female judge to serve in the State of Maryland.

Yes, we have a lot to celebrate during Women's History Month here in March.

During President Biden's recent State of the Union Address, which I attended, I was struck by the image of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Vice President Kamala Harris flanking President Biden. Vice President Harris is our first woman and first woman of color to hold the second highest office in the land. Though they undoubtedly both experienced significant challenges and obstacles on their career path due to their gender, they are now serving in two of the highest ranking offices in our government.

President Biden has appointed one of the most diverse Cabinets in history, including the first women to serve as Treasury Secretary and Director of National Intelligence.

We have a lot to celebrate on our path for gender equality in America, but we still have more that needs to be done.

At the same time, structural disadvantages and inequalities on account of gender persist across so many areas here in America. As one example, as chair of the Small Business Entrepreneurship Committee, where the Presiding Officer also serves, I have been working over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic to understand the economic effects on small businesses and to help provide needed resources. In this role, I have seen firsthand the structural disadvantages experienced by women- owned small businesses and how they have been compounded by the challenges of this pandemic. We need to take action to help in regard to that issue.

Further, the Supreme Court actions to date in cases related to reproductive freedom indicate an alarming openness to overturning the precedents that have given women control over their own bodies and futures for decades. Among many other very important reasons, full reproductive autonomy is essential in ensuring that women are able to participate fully as citizens in all facets of our democracy.

I am pleased that President Biden established the first Gender Policy Council to advance gender equity across the entire Federal Government and that the Gender Policy Council issued the first-ever national gender strategy to support the full participation of all people, including women and girls in the United States and around the world.

Yes, we have unfinished business in regard to gender equity issues. I am committed to working to advance the Equal Rights Amendment that Senator Murkowski talked about. The two of us are the lead sponsors of the resolution in this body that would remove the arbitrary time limit.

This simple amendment, the Equal Rights Amendment, first written by Alice Paul in 1923, states:

Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or

abridged by the United States or any state on account of sex.

The Congress shall have the power to enforce, by appropriate

legislation, the provisions of this article.

I can't understand any objection to including that fundamental protection in the Constitution of the United States.

As President Biden stated in his Presidential Proclamation during this Women's History Month, ``But despite the progress being made, women and girls--especially women and girls of color--still face systemic barriers to full participation and wider gaps in opportunity and equality . . . The Congress sent the Equal Rights Amendment to the States for ratification 50 years ago and it is long past time that the principle of women's equality should be enshrined in our Constitution.''

And as Senator Murkowski said, the requisite number of States have ratified the Equal Rights Amendment to the Constitution. The arbitrary time limit that was put on by Congress is the only reason we haven't had a certification process.

The vast majority of Americans agree with this principle today. A 2020 AP poll found that 74 percent of Americans--74 percent--favor the Equal Rights Amendment. A second spring poll conducted by Pew found that 78 percent of respondents were in support of adding women to the Constitution. In a nation as divided as ours has become, a principle with this level of support on this important topic compels our attention and our action.

Given that so much has changed since this amendment was first written and since it was first proposed by Congress to the States, it is worth explaining some of the practical effects it

could have if formalized today. First, it would expand legal recourse against gender discrimination. Second, it would empower those of us in Congress to enact stronger laws preventing gender discrimination across a wide array of issues. Third, it would require the Supreme Court--or courts--to use a higher standard of review than is currently applied in the cases of gender discrimination.

The ratification of the ERA could be expected to have effects across such diverse areas as pay discrimination, LGBTQ rights, gender-based and domestic violence, sexual harassment, and more. This constitutional amendment would provide a firmer foundation for existing laws and create new authority for Congress to pass laws in areas in which it has historically lacked a constitutional prerogative.

Our Constitution is a framework of, by, and for the people. It must be able to evolve to meet the changing views and beliefs of the people. Already a majority of the U.S. Senate has cosponsored the bipartisan resolution that I referred to, S.J. Res. 1, that Senator Murkowski and I introduced to remove the procedural deadline that Congress once set to honor the clear will of the people and to make the legitimacy of our 28th Amendment clear beyond a doubt.

The House of Representatives has already passed this resolution twice. It is time for us to do the same. I look forward to the opportunity to bring this resolution to the floor in the coming months and would strongly urge every one of my colleagues to support that resolution. Thirty-eight States have already ratified it. Most Americans already think it is in our Constitution. Let's get that job done.

Bicentennial Birth of Harriet Tubman

Madam President, March 8, as has been pointed out, is International Women's Day. It happens during the month of March, which is Women's History Month, here in the United States.

I wish to commemorate the bicentennial birth of one of Maryland's most iconic leaders, a true American hero who has inspired global human rights' defenders, and that is Harriet Tubman.

As we close this year's chapter of Black History Month and ring in Women's History Month, what better way to celebrate these annual observances than by honoring the valor, journey, and life of Harriet Tubman and her fight for freedom, which intersects with our modern-day fight for civil rights, climate action, and environmental justice.

Harriet Tubman was born Araminta Ross in Dorchester County, MD, along our Eastern Shore, around 1822. She was the ``Moses of her people,'' personally leading at least 70 enslaved people to freedom. She is a cherished daughter of Maryland. She did this at great personal sacrifice to her own safety and freedom on the Eastern Shore of Maryland.

This year, in 2022, we observe the bicentennial of the start of her life as a key leader in the abolition and women's suffrage movements. She embodied extraordinary courage and took immeasurable risks as a soldier, spy, and conductor on the Underground Railroad, leading her family and communities to freedom. In an unjust country to her race, she was there, working for America's future and helping to liberate the enslaved people.

In Maryland, this year also marks the 5-year anniversary of the Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Visitor Center, which opened its doors to the public in 2017. In its first year, it drew nearly 100,000 visitors from every State and more than 70 countries, exceeding all expectations. It is inspirational to see this visitor center and to see her journey through life and what she was able to accomplish. One person can make a difference. As Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., told us frequently, ``Each one of us in this world can make a difference.'' Harriet Tubman made such a difference throughout her lifetime.

The visitor center houses exhibit space that shares Tubman's compelling story, surrounded by landscape and waterways preserved to resemble how they would have appeared to her over 200 years ago in her early life as an enslaved child, young woman, and freedom seeker. The Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad National Monument and National Historical Park preserve these characteristics in her early home on Maryland's Eastern Shore.

The visitor center serves as an orientation center to the national monument and historical park and gateway to the larger Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad Scenic Byway, which includes the Brodess Farm, where Harriet Tubman lived as a child; Bucktown General Store, where she first stood up against the oppressors as a young girl; and other places that were part of the Underground Railroad in Dorchester, Talbot, and Caroline Counties.

I recently introduced legislation with my colleagues in the Baltimore congressional delegation, S. 3744, reauthorizing the designations of the Baltimore National Heritage Area, which encompasses listings on the Underground Railroad network.

Harriet Tubman was not only a fierce defender for freedom from slavery but also for the women's rights movement, particularly for Black women. Following her treacherous journey to freedom, Harriet Tubman spoke on the importance of women's suffrage in New York, Washington, and Boston. In 1896, she was one of the first guests to speak at the National Association of Colored Women and was hailed a strong advocate. Women secured the right to vote in 1920 with the 19th Amendment, but it wasn't until 1965 that voting rights became a reality for Black women.

Let me conclude my comments on Women's History Month by once again quoting from President Biden.

As President Biden proclaimed Women's History Month this month, he said:

As we reflect on the achievements of women and girls across

the centuries and pay tribute to the pioneers who paved the

way, let us recommit to the fight and help realize the deeply

American vision of a more equal society where every person

has a shot at pursuing the American dream. In doing so, we

will advance economic growth, our health and safety, and the

security of our Nation and the world.

I yield the floor.

Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate now recess until 2:15 p.m.

Mr. President, I rise today to recognize the Naval Surface Warfare Center at Indian Head, MD. They were recognized as a winner in the 2022 Federal Laboratory Consortium National Awards Program, also known as the FLC. The FLC Awards Program annually recognizes Federal laboratories and their industry partners for outstanding technology transfer achievements.

The Excellence in Technology Transfer Award recognizes employees of FLC member laboratories and non-laboratory staff who have accomplished outstanding work in the process of transferring federally developed technology.

Indian Head received the award for its efforts in developing Silent Spring, a technology that desensitizes homemade explosives or HMEs. HMEs are extremely sensitive and unpredictable; a stray spark, a change in temperature, exposure to sunlight, or even an accidental bump can set them off.

Silent Spring shields volatile explosive materials from these potential triggers. This allows explosive ordnance disposal and law enforcement personnel to more safely move the explosive materials, while preserving forensic evidence and minimizing damage to existing infrastructure.

Silent Spring is now available commercially and is approved within the Department of Defense to address the highest priority EOD threats. The partnership has already provided hundreds of product units to Department of Defense explosive ordinance disposal users for demonstration and training and will soon do the same for the civilian public safety and law enforcement communities.

``This collaboration is one of many we have across the command that deliver innovative technologies to the warfighter,'' said NSWC IHD commanding officer Capt. Eric Correll. ``The faster we can get new innovative products to our warfighters and our first responder partners, the better.''

This emphasizes the need to invest in energetics experts. The need for this experience is more apparent than ever. As foreign threats emerge, the bright minds at Indian Head have been able to meet and exceed these threats.

Indian Head does not just explore the detection of explosive devices. They also look at ways to enhance the United States' capabilities to deter foreign aggressors.

Indian Head is a premier facility that has developed ejection seats for our pilots and have developed materials that ensure that our military has the best and sharpest tools to deter our adversaries and keep the people of this country safe.

Indian Head is an unsung hero that has tirelessly worked to ensure our national security and has humbly provided to this country for over a hundred years. We must recognize the importance of energetics research in this country. Other countries are recognizing this, and we cannot ignore this.

We need to continue to invest in this research and development, these are vital capabilities that keep our aggressors at bay.

I want to recognize and thank Indian Head for all of their contributions to the security of our country and for this great achievement.

Mr. President, yesterday, many of us in the Senate had the opportunity to meet with the Ukrainian Ambassador to the United States.

It was an opportunity for many of us to express our admiration for the commitment of the Ukrainian people to the sovereignty of their country. They are motivated by the love of their country and a passion for freedom. Their President, President Zelenskyy, has shown courageous leadership. He has been inspirational as we have watched how he has put his own life at risk in order to serve his country. He has put country before personal safety.

Ukraine versus Russia, good versus evil, this unprovoked attack on a peaceful sovereign country, orchestrated by Mr. Putin. We are not surprised. It was widely publicized, the use of his playbook. We knew what he was doing hour by hour in planning the invasion on Ukraine. It doesn't diminish the tragedy of Mr. Putin's actions. This is Mr. Putin's war, and he must be held fully accountable for what he has caused.

I want to thank President Biden for his extraordinary global leadership on this issue. We have seen unity among our alliance, and we have seen global unity in condemning Mr. Putin's actions, which is so important in order to put the right focus on who is responsible and who can end this tragic war.

We have imposed the strongest set of multilateral sanctions ever on Russia's leaders and institutions. We have cut off many of its banks from the Swiss system of banking. We have put personal sanctions on Mr. Putin and his enablers. We have frozen assets around the world. We have isolated Russia from international organizations and events. We have restricted airspace to Russian aircraft. All that has been done not just by the United States but in conjunction with our allies around the world, and it is having a major impact on Russia.

We have seen unity in NATO. I think Mr. Putin thought that his campaign in Ukraine would weaken the NATO alliance. It has done just the opposite. It has strengthened the NATO alliance. We have sent NATO troops to the countries that border Russia that are members of NATO to make it clear that we understand our collective obligation under article 5 of the NATO treaty: an attack on one is an attack on all, and we will come to each other's mutual defense.

And we have seen many countries that have been reluctant to get involved in war-type activities change their position because they realize how clear it is what Russia is doing violates every international commitment and jeopardizes not just the integrity of Ukraine but the integrity of Europe, the integrity of sovereign states around the world.

So let me point out just one of our NATO partners, Germany. Germany canceled--put on hold Nord Stream 2. We know Mr. Putin has used energy as a weapon. He has weaponized the source of energy he has in his country. He has done that several times. Nord Stream 2 would give him additional wealth and energy--stopped by Germany. But Germany has gone further than that. For the first time, now they are going to be supplying lethal weapons to Ukraine, recognizing that all of us have a responsibility to help Ukraine in its hour of need.

And, yes, Germany has now made a commitment that we have asked all NATO nations to do, devote 2 percent of their economy to our mutual defense, and Germany is now stepping up to meet that 2 percent commitment. That is what we are seeing from NATO partners.

Turkey is going to block the use of warships from being able to use its waters in order to get engaged in the conflict; that is, Russian warships.

We have seen non-NATO countries step up to the plate. We are very pleased with the global response, Finland's response, Switzerland's response. This is unprecedented that we had this type of global unity saying to Mr. Putin: Stop this invasion, an unprovoked attack on a peaceful nation. Stop it.

Now, the consequences of our action have had major impact on the Russian economy. Their interest rates have gone up dramatically. The value of their currency, the ruble, has fallen dramatically. Their economy is suffering dramatically. And when the Russian people want to know who to blame as a result of their economy going into the tank--one person, the person who caused this war, Mr. Putin.

The Ukrainians are defending their country and have disrupted Putin's military expectations. These are really people motivated for the right reasons to defend their country, and they have been able to do amazing things in stopping Russia's advancements. That is because of the will, determination, and bravery of the Ukrainian people.

They need our help, and they need the help of our allies in supplying the necessary military equipment in order to defend themselves. We know how many Russian tanks are out there, and we know how many Russian aircraft are out there. They need anti-tank and anti-aircraft weapons, and they need ammunition. They need a lot in order to defend themselves, and we and our allies need to step up to make sure they have what they need.

They also, by the way, need humanitarian aid. We know that there are already over several hundred thousand refugees who have escaped the violence in Ukraine and have gone into neighboring countries. It is estimated that number could grow into the millions. We need to work with the international community in regard to the humanitarian needs of the refugees. We also have to realize that Ukraine's supply chain has been totally disrupted. We need to provide humanitarian aid within Ukraine, get it to the border, and work with the Ukrainian officials so they can get it inside the country. That is our responsibility in order to help in this hour of need. We need to do even more than that, and there are additional steps that we can take.

We need to continue to ratchet up the sanctions that are being imposed against Mr. Putin and Russia. As I said earlier, these sanctions are severe today, and we need to consider doing more. The administration is already setting up a process by which we can trace laundered assets so that, when we say we are going to freeze the assets of those who are being sanctioned, we will find those assets wherever you try to hide them. We are going to work with our allies around the world in order to make it clear that there is no safe haven for you to hide your wealth.

We need to continue to build on individual sanctions. We know that. Individual sanctions mean a great deal, and there are others who need to be sanctioned. Yes, I think we need to consider the oil and gas industry as to how we can make it clear that we are not going to let Mr. Putin benefit from his assets.

Trading policies need to be reevaluated. A country that invades another country without any provocation whatsoever should not be entitled to normal trade relations with the United States, and we should be looking at how we can enforce those types of changes.

Yes, there needs to be personal accountability. It has now become quite obvious that Mr. Putin has had no regard whatsoever for civilian casualties. In fact, there have been reports that he may have targeted civilians in his effort to gain control of Ukraine. We

need to make it clear that, if the facts are there, we will pursue potential war crimes. No one should escape accountability. We should hold those who are responsible for these tragedies accountable for them.

Let me make it clear. As Mr. Zelenskyy has said, the President of Ukraine, we will always look for a diplomatic way to end this war. We want this war never to have started, and we want it to end as soon as possible. We will look in any way we can for a diplomatic end to this war--preserving the sovereignty of Ukraine.

We recognize that Mr. Putin's war has brought to our attention other issues that we need to really pay attention to. One is the energy policy of Europe and the United States. I have heard my colleagues talk about this, but the right answer is energy independence, investment in renewable energy sources, so that we can not only protect our national security but so that we can also protect our environment. We need to make those investments moving forward so none of our allies ever has to rely upon an autocratic government's supply of oil or gas.

I want to underscore the importance that was brought to our attention yesterday. There was a parliamentarian from Ukraine who was there who said: Thank you so much for the Magnitsky sanctions that you have imposed on individuals because that really hurts.

Well, we are proud because it was this body that initiated the Magnitsky sanctions.

Let me remind my colleagues that our law expires at the end of this year. Now is the time to expand and extend the Global Magnitsky law. We need to protect our supply chains. We saw that during the coronavirus, but we also recognize, with supplies in autocratic countries, that we need to shore up our own supplies and make them in America. We have legislation that has passed the House and Senate. Let's get that bill to the finish line. That would be so important for our national security.

Our immediate priority: Let us all stand with the people of Ukraine in their struggle for freedom. They have not only our admiration, but they have our support. We want to do what we can, and we stand with the people of Ukraine.

I yield the floor.

Mr. President, I rise today in recognition of a rare event happening this Saturday at my home synagogue of Beth Tfiloh in Pikesville, MD. At what is the largest Modern Orthodox Synagogue in America, with over 1,200 members, we will install only the fourth senior rabbi since the founding of the congregation in 1921.

In Judaism, a rabbi is a leader or teacher. ``Teacher'' is the literal translation of the word. He or she is a spiritual guide for the community through spiritual learning and religious exploration. Our rabbi is an integral part of all life-cycle and congregational events.

Rabbi Chai Posner was selected by a unanimous vote of the members of the Beth Tfiloh congregation as the next spiritual leader of our synagogue in September 2019, just before the pandemic transformed our world. While his official installation will take place on Saturday, March 5, Rabbi Posner officially became the senior rabbi of Beth Tfiloh Congregation and dean of the Beth Tfiloh Dahan Community School on January 1, 2022.

Originally, from Brooklyn, he has been a member of the Beth Tfiloh clergy since 2010 and is often described as ``wise beyond his years.'' Rabbi Posner represents the next generation of leadership in our community. He has a keen understanding of where the community has been and where we are heading.

In a recent interview with local Jmore Baltimore Jewish Living, he described the legacy he has taken on: ``One of the main reasons that Beth Tfiloh has been so successful is we have stayed true to our mission but have also adapted to the changing world around us. Rabbi Samuel Rosenblatt, Beth Tfiloh's founding rabbi, was committed to tradition, modernity, Israel, education, children and women's inclusion. All of those look different today than they did 100 years ago, but it's astounding to see that we are still committed to all of these same principles.''

The other part of this spiritual transition, along with Rabbi Posner, is Rabbi Mitchell Wohlberg, who held the position of senior rabbi for 43 years. He will serve in the position of rabbi-in-residence through December 2025.

What can I say about Rabbi Wohlberg? He has been a friend and a counselor, a leader and guide for Beth Tfiloh Congregation and Baltimore over the course of four decades--for my family and me as well.

Through his legendary sermons and community involvement, his moral leadership has inspired generations of community leaders. For 40-plus years, he has led our community through the most joyous and most painful moments in our lives, and everything in between. Through it all, he maintains, ``we are supposed to serve God in joy.''

As for those sermons--on every topic imaginable and then some--they stand as a legacy to Rabbi Wohlberg's love of scripture, his faith, and the world as a whole. In one such sermon, he shared ``It is said that actions speak louder than words. That may be so but words carry a lot of weight. They are what makes us human.''

Rabbi Wohlberg also has embodied the spirit of tikkun olam--repairing our world. I want to share one example among countless instances of how he has transformed the lives around him.

A half-dozen years ago, Rev. Dr. Terris King of the Liberty Grace Church of God in Ashburton reached out to Rabbi Wohlberg in fellowship. This was a time when Baltimore was still healing from the death of Freddie Gray and some national leaders chose to attack Baltimore for their own personal gain. Rabbi Wohlberg and Dr. King connected over faith, shared community and shared history. Barely 5 miles separates the two congregations, but as the two clergy have explained: ``In some ways, Ashburton and Pikesville are in two different worlds. But the reality is, we are next-door neighbors. Maryland's recently maligned

seventh district reminds us that there are no barriers separating Baltimore City and Baltimore County; the only barriers are the ones we establish in our hearts. We have discovered that getting to know each other not only brings us closer, but helps us to learn from each other, to better understand each other's lived experiences, and even to better understand ourselves.''

The interfaith and interracial relationship between Beth Tfiloh and Liberty Grace has grown stronger over the years, nurtured by Rabbi Wohlberg and Dr. King. Branded as ``Building Bridges Across Baltimore,'' volunteers from both communities have come together to provide fresh produce and meals to West Baltimore residents, renovate local schools, host local festivals and book fairs, promote reading and writing partnerships, and work together to reduce violence. This model of community involvement has maintained its focus of ``Working together to improve the education and health of Baltimore children and families [as] the only way we will improve the conditions of our city.''

Throughout Rabbi Wohlberg's four decades at Beth Tfiloh Congregation, I especially have been struck at how he has made the children of our congregation and our community a priority. During his tenure, the Beth Tfiloh Dahan Community School has grown in both size and reputation.

Thanks in no small part to Rabbi Wohlberg's determination and high expectations, in 2000, the school, which now serves children from preschool through high school, was named a National Blue Ribbon School of Excellence. It was 1 of 12 schools nationally to receive an award for its special emphasis in technology.

On a very personal note, I am a third-generation member of Beth Tfiloh congregation. Rabbi Wohlberg and I have been friends for years, and my children and grandchildren have attended the schools. He presided over the B'nai Mitzvahs of our children and the wedding of my daughter. Rabbi Wohlberg is and will forever be an indelible part of my family history.

As Beth Tfiloh congregation begins to write a new chapter in its century-long history, I want to extend my heartfelt congratulations and thanks to both Rabbi Posner and Rabbi Wohlberg.

Transitions are not always easy, but these two spiritual and community leaders, who have worked side-by-side for so many years, have forged a path forward that celebrates past successes and has the community excited for the future.

As it says in Ecclesiastes Chapter 3, ``to every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven.''

I ask for the yeas and nays.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that I be able to finish my remarks prior to the scheduled vote at 11:30.

Mr. President, at the end of this month, the U.S. Supreme Court is slated to hear oral arguments in the case of West Virginia v. EPA, in which the Justices will consider the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's authority to regulate greenhouse gas emissions. The stakes could not be higher. This case will have lasting impacts in Maryland, the Nation, and the planet.

As we follow the science and work to mitigate the damaging impacts of climate change, it is imperative that the Court respect EPA's authority, which

Congress granted, to regulate greenhouse gas emissions to protect public health and the environment.

I would like to take a moment to consider where we are and how we got here.

At issue in the case is the question of whether EPA acted outside of its statutory authority when it promulgated in 2015 the Clean Power Plan, the CPP, which established guidelines for States to limit carbon dioxide emissions from powerplants. The Trump administration repealed the CPP and issued in its place the Affordable Clean Energy rule, which eliminated or deferred the guidelines. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit vacated the Affordable Clean Energy rule as arbitrary and capricious.

One of the challengers, North American Coal Corporation, challenged how broad the EPA's authority is to regulate greenhouse gas emissions.

Notably, the Clean Power Plan was never implemented. Yet several of the parties challenging the plan are asking the Supreme Court to issue a decision far beyond whether the CPP constitutes a reasonable interpretation of section 111(d) of the Clean Air Act. The challengers have put forth interpretations of two legal doctrines--the nondelegation and major questions doctrines--that could, if adopted, strip EPA of its authority to regulate greenhouse gases entirely.

The Supreme Court has spoken on the Clean Air Act. In 2007, in Massachusetts v. EPA, a Supreme Court decision ruled that EPA has the authority to regulate heat-trapping gases in vehicle emissions. The majority found that the Agency could not sidestep its authority to regulate greenhouse gases that contribute to global climate change unless it could prove a scientific basis for its refusal. There is none.

The same year, in Environmental Defense v. Duke Energy, the Court ruled unanimously with regards to the EPA's authority to regulate factories and powerplants that add capacity or make renovations that increase emissions of air pollutants.

In the current case of West Virginia v. EPA, I joined Chairman Carper's amicus brief with nearly 200 Members of Congress. The brief illustrates EPA's authority under the Clean Air Act to protect the public from harmful pollution, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and address the climate crisis. It also rejects arguments made by the petitioners challenging the EPA's authority to address carbon pollution. It is among a notable number of briefs filed in this case, many citing my home State of Maryland.

In their brief in support of the respondents, climate scientists observe that heavy rain and snowstorms across most of the United States have increased in both intensity and frequency since 2001. The Northeast region also faces flooding, particularly in the historic districts of cities like Annapolis, MD--home to the U.S. Naval Academy--and Newport, RI, as well as portions of Washington, DC, near the Tidal Basin. For example, human-caused climate change made the exceptionally heavy precipitation and flooding events that occurred in 2018 in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland, and Washington, DC, up to 2.3 times more likely.

The Washington Post reported that more than 40 percent of Americans live in counties hit by climate-related disasters in 2021, including three in Maryland: St. Mary's County and Calvert County in Southern Maryland and Dorchester County along Maryland's Eastern Shore. According to FEMA data, each suffered declared disasters spawned by hurricanes.

Because of the vulnerability in my home State, I took direct action in 2019. I was proud to lead an effort with over 20 of my colleagues in a joint resolution providing for the congressional disapproval of the Trump administration's repeal of the Clean Power Plan.

Maryland is at risk not only to extreme weather events but also to slow-onset climate impacts that are equally damaging.

The National Parks Conservation Association in its brief remarks on Maryland's cultural history:

The Harriet Tubman Underground Railroad National Historical

Park is located in . . . Maryland. The approximate elevation

of the park is a mere three feet above sea level and is

surrounded by the inlets of the Chesapeake Bay. Viewed

another way, 3 feet is half the depth of one-quarter of

the bay.

As water levels continue to rise, this national historic

park may be permanently lost.

The National Park Conservation Association's brief discusses the obligations Congress conferred on EPA to protect public lands and their resources.

On February 15, NOAA announced the interagency ``Sea Level Rise Technical Report,'' which provides the most up-to-date sea level rise scenarios, available for all U.S. States and territories. The report projects sea levels along the coastline will rise an additional 10 to 12 inches by 2050, with specific amounts varying regionally, mainly due to land height changes.

This effort is a product of the interagency Sea Level Rise and Coastal Flood Hazard and Tool Task Force, comprised of NOAA, NASA, EPA, USGS, Department of Defense, FEMA, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, as well as several academic institutions. The report leverages methods and insights from both the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change ``Sixth Assessment Report'' and supporting research from the U.S. Department of Defense regional sea level database. The report tells us that the United States is expected to experience as much sea level rise by the year 2050 as it witnessed in the previous 100 years, and it must serve as a wake-up call.

Maryland's urban and suburban centers, in addition to our rural communities and coasts, are in danger. The National League of Cities and the U.S. Conference of Mayors in their brief state that Baltimore, MD, as well as other major cities, including Washington, DC, Philadelphia, and Boston, have all experienced significant increases in exposure to wildfire smoke that prevailing winds carry across the country.

State and local governments are taking action. In their brief, the National League of Cities and the U.S. Conference of Mayors cite that in 2013, ``Baltimore developed comprehensive responses--touching infrastructure, building codes, natural coastal barriers, and public services--to threats from rising seas, heat waves, and storms. [In central Maryland], Annapolis developed a first-in-the-nation Cultural Resources Hazard Mitigation Plan in 2018 to mitigate climate impacts on important cultural and historical landmarks, and the Eastern Shore Climate Adaptation Partnership has brought together local governments from across the Eastern Shore to prepare for climate impacts.''

Private companies, too, are among subnational actors that are all-in on climate. Maryland's McCormick & Company has set a new, more ambitious goal for reducing greenhouse gas emissions 42 percent by 2030, after achieving its prior target of 20 percent by 2025--4 years earlier than expected. The spice manufacturer and Fortune 500 company has also announced a new commitment to achieve net zero emissions by 2050, in line with the enhanced U.S. National Determined Contribution Secretary Kerry delivered ahead of the COP26 meeting that occurred last year. But the company cannot mitigate climate change alone. The Federal Government must support it. The Clean Air Act is an essential tool by which we do so.

Through the Build Back Better agenda and elsewhere, Congress is taking an all-of-the-above strategy to combat climate change, complemented by the Biden administration's whole-of-government approach.

I am proud that the draft Senate Environment and Public Works Committee title to fulfill reconciliation instructions includes funding legislation to make Federal buildings greener. But more is needed. The legislation also includes funding for water utilities to enhance their resilience to natural hazards as authorized by the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.

The Supreme Court must tread carefully in curtailing any specific tool, including the Clean Air Act, and must not intercede where legislative efforts to curb EPA's authority have failed. Conversely, we must continue to pursue as many avenues as possible to deal with the climate crisis.

I yield the floor.

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