Floor Statements

Mr. President, this is a difficult anniversary for people in Nevada and across the country. Tomorrow marks 4 years since the Route 91 Harvest Festival attack. And on that day 4 years ago, thousands attended a concert on a late summer night in my hometown of Las Vegas. They were at the festival to enjoy an evening with friends and loved ones.

Fifty-eight of them never made it home. I will never forget waiting with families at the Reunification Center in Las Vegas, where they braced themselves for the worst possible news.

Two more people have died of their wounds since the attack. Over 800 people were injured in the shooting and in the chaos that followed, as people fled for safety. And countless members of our community are still dealing with the emotional scars left by the violence of that night.

For those hundreds of concertgoers and for their loved ones, 1 October is a lingering presence--one that can return in a rush at the faintest reminder, like the sound of sirens or fireworks.

The day remains the deadliest mass shooting in modern American history.

While a nightmare unfolded around them, hundreds of people sprang into action to save lives, even at the risk of their own. Brave first responders rushed to the scene to direct people to safety and transport the wounded. Healthcare workers jumped into action. Ordinary Nevadans stood in line for hours in the days after the shooting to give blood to those in need. And businesses all over the State and country provided every imaginable support, from food to blankets, to airline tickets.

I think about that contrast every time I think of October 1, 2017, between the darkness of the circumstances and the light of our community coming together in the aftermath. In the midst of terror and heartbreak, a whole city, a State, a country of people showed up to help one another. And I am so proud of Nevadans, whose first response to tragedy was to help their community heal these painful wounds.

On that horrible night and the days after, every selfless act, large or small, made a difference. From bystanders who turned their pickup trucks into ambulances, to the thousands of Nevadans who put ``Vegas Strong'' signs in their windows to show survivors that they weren't alone, Nevadans came together to help.

Now, we cannot undo the terrible actions or tragic events, but we can always do something to lessen the weight of these events. And even though years have passed, we still owe it to everyone touched by this tragedy to continue moving through our grief toward healing, and there is still so much that we can do.

Every time we reminisce about those we have lost, we help their loved ones keep the memories alive. With every donation to the memorial scholarships, we honor those affected by the shooting. We help survivors deal with the impact of this tragedy when we talk about the mental health toll that the shooting has taken and when we work to decrease the stigma around mental health issues.

I have consistently worked to expand treatment options for mental health and substance use issues, and I will keep pushing in the Senate to support life-changing care for those facing mental health challenges.

We make it better when we advocate for commonsense laws to prevent gun violence as well, like the ones we have passed in Nevada.

It is unbelievable that I am standing here on the Senate floor 4 years after I first spoke about this tragedy and that we still have not been able to pass background checks and commonsense gun safety measures.

The majority of Americans are with us. We need to act because Las Vegas deserves it and so do communities all across the Nation. We cannot continue to stand by as mass attacks and shootings take a tragic toll all over the United States.

To the people of Las Vegas who continue to grapple with the pain we experienced on that day, know that I am with you. We will continue to work to create a permanent memorial at the site of the shooting to be a tangible reminder of what we know; that even in the darkest times-- especially in the darkest times--we can come together to help one another and we can make a difference.

I yield the floor.

Mr. President, today, I want to recognize a friend of mine, Susan Meuschke, who is the Executive Director of the Nevada Coalition to End Domestic and Sexual Violence. She is retiring after three decades working on behalf of women and children in my home State of Nevada.

Sue has been a champion for victims of domestic violence and their families since she worked as a volunteer for the Committee to Aid Abused Women in Reno, NV. It was there--listening to the stories of women dealing with family violence--that she began to understand both their struggles and their courage.

Sue went on to work with the coalition for 32 years, helping develop it into a powerful organization statewide for those affected by domestic and sexual violence.

I have had the pleasure of working with Sue since I was Nevada's attorney general, and together we passed legislation to create dedicated funding for domestic violence programs. She has continued to be a resource for me during my time in the U.S. Senate, as I have worked to prevent sex trafficking, to stem the tide of violence against Native women, and push for the reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act.

During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, I pushed to make sure that our next COVID package included more support for survivors of domestic violence. Sue worked to distribute those Federal funds fairly and effectively to Nevadans, and she worked especially hard to promote a microloan program that families could use to regain financial independence.

As Sue enters her retirement, I want to make sure everyone in Nevada appreciates her decades of advocacy. She has made a profound difference for families in the Silver State. I have no doubt that whoever succeeds Sue at the coalition will continue to work tirelessly to end domestic and sexual violence, because, honestly, we still have so much work to do.

That is why I am here on the Senate floor today. The reality is that women's rights are under attack around the country, and that includes reproductive rights. Anti-abortion extremists are going to great lengths to stop women from seeking reproductive care. As of June, they had proposed 500 new laws restricting reproductive rights and passed 70 of these laws.

Let's start with Texas, where a new law prohibits abortions before many people even know they are pregnant. The law lets anyone sue those who aid and abet abortions and get a $10,000 reward. It has the potential to create a whole industry of vigilantes prying into their neighbors' lives, all to stop women from being able to access reproductive healthcare.

The American people--70 percent of us--oppose deputizing private citizens to collect these kinds of bounties.

But even though the Texas law is extreme, the Supreme Court has refused to stop it from going into effect. That means that, right now, 7 million women of reproductive age in Texas have been deprived of a key constitutional right, a right that they have had for 50 years.

Clinics in Oklahoma City, OK, and Little Rock, AR, have seen the number of Texas women seeking abortions jump tenfold in a matter of days.

But it is not just Texas where the right to medical care is threatened. Dangerous abortion bans have been signed into law in Mississippi, Arizona, and Georgia, among others. And all of this is happening because anti-abortion extremists have been working for decades to limit women's choices.

Let's be very clear: they are on the brink of success. On December 1, the Supreme Court is set to hear oral arguments in a case called Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health, which deals with an abortion ban in Mississippi. This case was specifically chosen by anti-choice activists to help strike down Roe v. Wade.

Sadly, the Court has given every signal it is willing to do the activists' bidding by overturning Roe v. Wade and allowing these bans to take effect. That is why I and 47 of my Senate colleagues filed a friend of the court brief last week, calling on the Supreme Court to stick to the settled precedent of Roe and strike down the Mississippi law.

But if the Supreme Court doesn't abide by 50 years of its own rulings, well, there are 19 States where abortion would be illegal the day after a Supreme Court ruling overturning Roe V. Wade, and others where abortion bans would likely follow.

All in all, nearly half of women nationwide will see the nearest clinic close. The average distance to the nearest clinic for those seeking reproductive care will jump from 25 to 279 miles. Anyone who has ever worked a minimum-wage job knows that they don't have the luxury of traveling hundreds of miles for healthcare.

Women's healthcare isn't optional. Nevadans know this. That is why we worked so hard in Nevada to protect the right to choose.

In the nineties, we passed a ballot initiative to enshrine choice into law, and we have actually done away with the kind of restrictions on abortion that are popping up in State after State.

But what we are seeing in Texas and other States across the country threatens the future of Roe V. Wade everywhere. Let me be clear: It threatens the future of Roe V. Wade everywhere. And without Roe, there will be no Federal protections in place, paving the way for anti-choice lawmakers to pass legislation to restrict reproductive rights anywhere in the country.

And that is why it is so important for the Senate to pass the Women's Health Protection Act. This bill would outlaw bans in other medically unnecessary restrictions on abortion across the country. It would mean that States could not impose medically unnecessary ultrasounds, excessive waiting periods, and extreme burdens on

healthcare providers intended to limit abortion access.

In Nevada and across the country, the vast majority of voters believes that women should get to make their own decisions about their reproductive health, including when and whether to have a child. We cannot let a dedicated minority take that right away from the rest of us.

Let me just say, I am going to keep working on this issue because it is so important to Nevadans and to women all over this country. This is about making sure that women can control their own bodies and their futures, and I will always stand up for that.

I yield the floor.

Mr. President, today I am honored to recognize Susan Meuschke, executive director of the Nevada Coalition to End Domestic and Sexual Violence--NCEDSV--who will officially retire on September 30, 2021.

Ms. Meuschke has been a champion for victims of domestic violence and their families for more than three decades. Her career in advocacy and awareness of the problem of family violence in our communities began when she was a volunteer for the Committee to Aid Abused Women in Reno, NV. It was there, while listening to the struggles and the courage of those dealing with family violence, that she found her lifelong passion for helping those in need. Ms. Meuschke then went on to work with NCEDSV for 32 years and was instrumental in developing the organization into a powerful force in the State of Nevada with 10 full-time staff members, a variety of consultants, and offices in both Reno and Las Vegas. Ms. Meuschke is also a founding member of the Nevada Domestic Violence Prevention Council and a former member of the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence Steering Committee. In 2019, Nevada Governor Steve Sisolak proclaimed February 1 as a day in honor of Ms. Meuschke, a fitting tribute for such a remarkable woman.

It has been an honor to work with Ms. Meuschke to help grow domestic violence programs. While I was Nevada's attorney general, I worked closely with Ms. Meuschke to ensure we passed legislation to create dedicated funding for domestic violence programs through fees on marriage licenses. Before her retirement, Ms. Meuschke and NCEDSV were also working on a bill to increase statewide funding for domestic violence services and to create funding for sexual violence services. These efforts reflect her dedication to working across the aisle to build a safer, more caring world for survivors of domestic and sexual violence.

During 2020 and the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, Ms. Meuschke worked hard to ensure that Federal coronavirus relief funding delivered to NCEDSV went to programs aimed at providing education and support to survivors in rural communities. The funding also sought to improve the financial independence of survivors through the Financial Empowerment Microloan program. Ms. Meuschke was crucial in seeing that the funds were distributed equitably to programs that would make the biggest difference in the lives of survivors.

As Ms. Meuschke enters her retirement, I want to make sure her decades of strong advocacy and empowerment are recognized for the important impact they have had in the State of Nevada. First as Nevada's attorney general and now as a U.S. Senator, I have been fortunate to work side-by-side with Ms. Meuschke to support families and make our communities safer. NCEDSV is not only a strong advocate for policies that protect victims but a resource for survivors who are looking for help. Much of its strength can be attributed to Ms. Meuschke's leadership and her unwavering resilience and fortitude to advocate on behalf of all survivors.

Mr. President, I was unable to attend the rollcall vote on the motion to invoke cloture on the nomination of James Richard Kvaal, of Massachusetts, to be Under Secretary of Education. I am supportive of his nomination and would have voted in support of cloture.

Madam President, I call up my amendment, No. 3317, and ask that it be reported by number.

Madam President, I am joined on this amendment by Senators Tester, Wyden, and Warnock.

Our amendment will protect family farms, ranches, and small businesses while ensuring that the wealthy pay their fair share. Family-owned businesses, farms, and ranches are the backbone of the American economy. Many of these family-owned businesses have held their assets for generations and have a deep connection to the land they inherit. They are essential for feeding America.

Congress should protect these multigenerational, hard-working families who have spent a lifetime creating jobs, building businesses, and serving their communities. We are committed to protecting these family-owned businesses while ensuring that the top 1

percent of corporations pay their fair share.

Madam President, I ask for the yeas and nays.

Mr. President, I rise today in support of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act that will make historic investments in Nevada, pending legislation we are working on right now.

With this legislation, Senators from both sides of the aisle were able to come together to negotiate policy that will prepare us for a sustainable future. It will create good-paying jobs, and it will strengthen the economy. This is an example of how Congress can work to the benefit of all Americans.

In the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, I worked to make sure that Nevada and the Western States have the tools they need to address the drought and wildfires caused by the extreme weather we are experiencing now. This package includes necessary legislation to fund large-scale water-recycling projects that can clean millions of gallons of wastewater a day to keep water in Lake Mead for the Las Vegas Valley. This act also includes measures I wrote to help prevent wildfires and to fund state-of-the-art fire-detection equipment. New technologies can keep us one step ahead of disastrous fires, and we need this kind of forward thinking to protect our communities.

I also ensured this bill would support Nevada's mining industry and create new union jobs. It does this by strengthening the critical mineral and battery supply chain that provides key components of cell phones and laptops, electric vehicles, solar panels, and more. We should be processing the minerals we mine in Nevada right here in the United States, and this bill will help us do that in a responsible way while protecting the environment and our public lands.

I am so pleased that this bill will also make historic investments in our students. My bipartisan Renew America's Schools Act will invest $100 million a year in environmentally friendly school improvement projects, and I worked to include additional support for our students, from funding for electric school buses to programs that keep kids safe when they walk, bike, or ride the bus to school.

This legislation also includes $65 billion in funding to expand broadband access to Americans across the country, and I helped draft additional bipartisan provisions to promote digital equity and ensure the government is being transparent about how it is spending this funding.

The infrastructure bill will also secure improvements for our public transit systems and airports and allow us to produce and charge more electric vehicles. It will make our lives more sustainable. It will bolster our economy and uplift working families.

You know, I like to call Nevada the Innovation State. I know we have the technology and creativity to deal with the challenges of the 21st century. My State is full of innovators and inventors, small business owners, and students, all of whom are eager to play a part in a sustainable and prosperous future. This package will bring us closer to that goal.

I look forward to the positive changes this legislation will bring my State, and that is why I am supporting it.

I yield the floor.

Mr. President, I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. President, I join my colleague from Nebraska in support of this bipartisan amendment.

Transparency around broadband is so important for all of our communities, and it fits with, I think, what we are all doing to address our broadband needs across the country and trying to ensure we are bringing broadband into the communities most in need. So I urge my colleagues to support this amendment.

I yield the floor.

Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that all remaining time be yielded back on the nomination.

Mr. President, I rise today to tell you about Brian Neuman, an Iraq combat veteran who was wounded while serving our Nation overseas in 2004.

Brian has spent years working with the Wounded Warrior Project to help other veterans get the benefits that they need.

Years after returning home, Brian applied for an annual clothing allowance of $841. This allowance should be available to veterans like Brian when a medication or a medical device causes irregular wear or damage to their clothing.

As many vets with service injuries will tell you, their clothes wear down much faster than other people's, and the prosthetics can rip or tear clothes as well. Some veterans need tailoring to make clothing fit more comfortably around their injuries. Others have to treat skin conditions with creams that damage their clothes.

These veterans get compensation for the expenses associated with their injuries--and rightly so. Our veterans have given this country so much, and Congress has a responsibility to hold up its end of the bargain, to care for them when they are injured during their service to our Nation.

But right now, this benefit isn't accessible for many veterans, and that is wrong, and we need to change it.

In the case of the clothing allowance benefits, as Brian discovered, the VA currently requires veterans to be evaluated for this benefit in person, every year. One year, Brian physically went to a VA clinic to submit the clothing allowance application, and his request was denied because the VA had no record that he received a prosthetic at that specific clinic. At that point, like many vets, Brian gave up on the process in frustration.

That is just unacceptable. These are brave men and women who are living with severe burns or who wear prosthetic devices as a result of their service. In many cases, the VA already knows these veterans have a medical condition that isn't going to change year from year.

And that didn't make any sense to Brian, so he did something about it. He reached out to see if Congress could solve the problem. He did. He did it, he says, less for himself, but more for the many veterans in rural States, like mine in Nevada, who live hours away from the nearest VA Brian knows that many of them are so worn out by the process of applying for what is owed them that they just give up.

These men and women are tired of jumping through hoops to access their earned benefits. So why are we forcing them to navigate this complicated bureaucracy? There are certainly places to cut costs, but this isn't one of them.

The Senate can fix this problem easily, and I have introduced a bipartisan bill to do just that. I am glad to be working across the aisle with my colleague Senator Boozman to support injured and disabled veterans. Our bill makes it easier for them to get clothing that works for their specific needs. My legislation requires the VA to automatically renew this clothing allowance. Veterans can get it until they say they don't need it anymore or until the VA's records indicate that they don't require it. This will make sure they aren't forced to drive long distances to access a VA benefit they are owed.

I am looking forward to moving this legislation through Congress so we can make life a little easier for the 40,000 wounded warriors who currently receive this benefit and for the thousands more who qualify. There shouldn't be any redtape stopping veterans from getting their benefits, so let's pass this bill and fix this problem.

I am going to continue to work in every way I can to make sure that veterans in Nevada and across the country get the Federal resources they need

Mr. President, I rise today to tell you about Brian Neuman, an Iraq combat veteran who was wounded while serving our Nation overseas in 2004.

Brian has spent years working with the Wounded Warrior Project to help other veterans get the benefits that they need.

Years after returning home, Brian applied for an annual clothing allowance of $841. This allowance should be available to veterans like Brian when a medication or a medical device causes irregular wear or damage to their clothing.

As many vets with service injuries will tell you, their clothes wear down much faster than other people's, and the prosthetics can rip or tear clothes as well. Some veterans need tailoring to make clothing fit more comfortably around their injuries. Others have to treat skin conditions with creams that damage their clothes.

These veterans get compensation for the expenses associated with their injuries--and rightly so. Our veterans have given this country so much, and Congress has a responsibility to hold up its end of the bargain, to care for them when they are injured during their service to our Nation.

But right now, this benefit isn't accessible for many veterans, and that is wrong, and we need to change it.

In the case of the clothing allowance benefits, as Brian discovered, the VA currently requires veterans to be evaluated for this benefit in person, every year. One year, Brian physically went to a VA clinic to submit the clothing allowance application, and his request was denied because the VA had no record that he received a prosthetic at that specific clinic. At that point, like many vets, Brian gave up on the process in frustration.

That is just unacceptable. These are brave men and women who are living with severe burns or who wear prosthetic devices as a result of their service. In many cases, the VA already knows these veterans have a medical condition that isn't going to change year from year.

And that didn't make any sense to Brian, so he did something about it. He reached out to see if Congress could solve the problem. He did. He did it, he says, less for himself, but more for the many veterans in rural States, like mine in Nevada, who live hours away from the nearest VA Brian knows that many of them are so worn out by the process of applying for what is owed them that they just give up.

These men and women are tired of jumping through hoops to access their earned benefits. So why are we forcing them to navigate this complicated bureaucracy? There are certainly places to cut costs, but this isn't one of them.

The Senate can fix this problem easily, and I have introduced a bipartisan bill to do just that. I am glad to be working across the aisle with my colleague Senator Boozman to support injured and disabled veterans. Our bill makes it easier for them to get clothing that works for their specific needs. My legislation requires the VA to automatically renew this clothing allowance. Veterans can get it until they say they don't need it anymore or until the VA's records indicate that they don't require it. This will make sure they aren't forced to drive long distances to access a VA benefit they are owed.

I am looking forward to moving this legislation through Congress so we can make life a little easier for the 40,000 wounded warriors who currently receive this benefit and for the thousands more who qualify. There shouldn't be any redtape stopping veterans from getting their benefits, so let's pass this bill and fix this problem.

I am going to continue to work in every way I can to make sure that veterans in Nevada and across the country get the Federal resources they need

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that all postcloture time on the Cunningham nomination be expired and that at 5:30 p.m., Monday, July 19, the Senate vote on confirmation of the nomination; further, that if the nomination is confirmed, the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table and the President be immediately notified of the Senate's action.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to legislative session and be in a period of morning business, with Senators permitted to speak therein for up to 10 minutes each.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of Calendar No. 73, S. 658.

I ask unanimous consent 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.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the consideration of S. Res. 306, submitted earlier today.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the resolution be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, and the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table with no intervening action or debate.