Floor Statements

Mr. President, I send a cloture motion to the desk.

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

Mr. President, I move to proceed to executive session to consider Calendar No. 709.

Mr. President, I send a cloture motion to the desk.

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

Mr. President, I move to proceed to executive session to consider Calendar No. 582.

Mr. President, I send a cloture motion to the desk.

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

Mr. President, I move to proceed to consider Calendar No. 349, H.R. 7024.

Mr. President, I send a cloture motion to the desk.

I ask unanimous consent the mandatory quorum calls with cloture motions filed today, July 29, be waived.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on the Judiciary be discharged from further consideration of S. 4610, and the Senate proceed to its immediate ratification.

I ask unanimous consent that the bill be considered read a third time and passed and the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on the Judiciary be discharged from further consideration of S. 3574 and the Senate proceed to its immediate consideration.

I ask unanimous consent that the bill be considered read a third time and passed and the motion

to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table.

Mr. President, tonight, I am very happy to announce that I just filed cloture on the Tax Relief for American Families and Workers Act, a bill to expand the child tax credit, expand the affordable housing tax credit, help small businesses with the R&D credit, and lift half a million kids out of poverty. For the information of Senators, the step I take tonight sets up a cloture vote on Thursday.

Mr. President, it is time to get this bill done right away. This bipartisan bill passed the House overwhelmingly, 357 to 70. We hope this week the Senate Republicans will join us. Democrats strongly support moving forward on this bill because it is filled with good news for our kids and small businesses and jobs and housing.

For one, Democrats strongly support expanding the child tax credit because we know it will do immense good for tens of millions of families--so many kids. In fact, one of the very first things this majority did in 2021 was expand the child tax credit significantly under the American Rescue Plan, and it cut child poverty in close to half. That turned out to be an enormous success, but unfortunately that provision expired. We have a chance to help more kids get out of poverty--many more kids, millions of kids--through this important provision once again.

The bipartisan tax package will be a boon for small businesses because it will reward them and other businesses for investing in R&D and help them pay for new equipment so they can compete against larger competitors. This will inevitably mean more jobs for Americans. When businesses get this tax credit for investing, they are going to hire more people, more workers. It particularly benefits small businesses that don't have the flexibility to do these things on their own without this tax break.

Of course, I am very happy that this tax package delivers big wins on something near and dear to my heart: affordable housing. The bill would expand the low-income housing tax credit, LIHTC, very significantly. LIHTC is one of the most effective tools we have for increasing the supply of affordable housing units. I was insistent that this measure go into the bill, and I said it is nonnegotiable. Well, I am glad it is in the bill.

When it comes time to vote later this week, the American people will see for themselves who in reality supports the fine provisions of the tax bill and who does not. When we vote, the American people will see for themselves who, in fact, favors expanding the child tax credit and taking so many kids out of poverty, and they will see who opposes it. The American people will see who supports expanding affordable housing and who doesn't. The American people will see who stands for small businesses and who stands against them, as they have so requested this important R&D credit.

I urge my Republican colleagues not to stand in the way of helping businesses, small businesses, families, and young people keep a roof over their heads when it is time to vote Thursday.

I want to thank Chairman Wyden for his great leadership on this package, and I thank all the Senate Finance Committee members for their great work.

Orders For Tuesday, July 30, 2024

Mr. President, now I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today, it stand adjourned until 10 a.m. on Tuesday, July 30; 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, and morning business be closed; that following the conclusion of morning business, the Senate proceed to executive session to resume consideration of the Neumann nomination; further, that notwithstanding rule XXII, the order of July 25 with respect to the House message to accompany S. 2073 be modified so that at 12 noon, amendment No. 3022 be withdrawn and the Senate vote on the motion to concur in the House amendment to S. 2073 with amendment No. 3021 without further intervening action or debate; further, that following the disposition of the House message to accompany S. 2073, the Senate resume executive session and recess until 2:15 to allow for the weekly caucus meetings; that at 2:30 p.m., the Senate vote on the motion to invoke cloture on the Neumann nomination; further, that if cloture is invoked on the Neumann nomination, all time be considered expired at 4:15 p.m. and 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.

Madam President, 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 Cramer and Merkley.

I yield the floor.

Mr. President, as we all know, social media has been part of our lives for two decades. It has connected people in ways previous generations never could have fathomed. But with the benefits of social media also come the risks.

Many kids experience relentless online bullying. Kids' private, personal data can be collected and used nefariously. Predators can exploit or target kids. For kids who struggle with mental health, social media can magnify their anguish.

It has been decades--it has been decades--since the Federal Government has updated laws that protect our kids on the internet, but today, historically, the Senate has a chance to start changing that with bipartisan legislation.

This afternoon, the Senate will vote to advance two bipartisan bills: the Kids Online Safety Act, or KOSA, and an update to the Children and Teens' Online Privacy Protection Act, or COPPA.

KOSA and COPPA represent something very urgent: a first step to keeping our kids safe on social media and other online platforms. I am hopeful that we can act on these two bills swiftly. They have already passed out of the Commerce Committee for the last 2 years, under the careful guidance of Chairman Cantwell. KOSA has 68 cosponsors-- bipartisan--more than enough to pass this Chamber.

Getting here wasn't easy. I have worked for years with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to prepare these bills for the floor. I want to

thank Senators Blumenthal and Blackburn and Markey and Cassidy. They have been a relentless and powerful force to get these bills moving. I made sure everyone had a chance to offer their input, and we worked together through any disagreements. Finalizing these safety bills has been a long and winding and difficult road, but one thing I have known from the start: It sure would be worth it.

We must remember that we could never have reached this point without parents of children who tragically took their own lives because of what happened to them on social media who came down here to relentlessly lobby and tell their stories. Over the past few months, I have sat down with these parents. I have listened to their stories. They are some of the most painful but important meetings I have ever had. We cried together. We looked at pictures of their kids--gone--and felt the deep frustration that we must do more as a society to keep kids safe online.

Looking at these pictures made me think of my own children, now in their thirties, and my grandkids--5, 2, and 1--Noah, Ellie, and Henry. The thought of losing them is incomprehensible.

The message from these parents has been simple and consistent: It has been long enough. The Senate must pass kids' online safety legislation with all due haste.

So, today, as we begin voting on these bills, I want to thank the parents who turned their grief into grace--the parents who turned their grief into grace. I want to thank them and thank them again.

Nobody would blame these parents if they preferred to process their pain in privacy, curse the darkness, but instead they have shared their stories, pushed the Senate into action, lit a candle to make sure other families won't suffer as they have been suffering and always will.

AI Deepfakes

Mr. President, now on AI deepfakes, it is an important bill, but it has been a busy and frenzied week in Washington, so there has been a lot of news about major speeches and congressional hearings. But this also deserves attention even though it passed late Tuesday night after most were gone.

This week, the Senate passed the DEFIANCE Act--a bill to combat the spread of sexually explicit, AI-generated deepfakes--and we also passed another act on fentanyl, which I will get to in a minute. These two bills passed, as I said, late in the evening Tuesday but deserve significant attention.

AI plays a bigger role in our lives than ever before, and while it has many, many benefits, it is also easier than ever to create sexually explicit deepfakes without a person's consent. These fake explicit images can ruin a person's life, especially if you are a child or a teenager. They can circulate online for years, if not forever, with no or little recourse to hold abusers accountable.

Make no mistake about it, this is not a fringe problem. Ninety percent of deepfake videos are nonconsensual, and 2023 saw more deepfakes generated than every other year combined. Bad people--some for mercenary purposes, some just kids who do bad things--have learned about this, and the idea is spreading. No one is immune from it--not kids in school; not Members of Congress; not even, as we have learned recently, the most famous celebrities in the world.

The DEFIANCE Act will give these victims justice by allowing them to take civil action against those who generate and distribute deepfakes using AI and other technologies.

As I have said before, this DEFIANCE Act is one example of the AI guardrails I often talk about. AI is remarkable technology. It can spur incredible innovation. Maybe it will even cure cancer, things like that. But at the same time, we must be vigilant and pass guardrails to prevent its worst abuses from causing people great harm.

I am very hopeful that the House will pass this bill quickly. It got broad support here in the Senate.

I want to thank Senator Durbin for leading the effort relentlessly on the DEFIANCE Act. I have been proud to support this bill every step of the way and encourage its passage. Tuesday night, we finally got it done in the Senate.

House, move quickly. Save people from the scourge of this horrible, horrible action.

Preventing the Financing of Illegal Synthetic Drugs Act

Mr. President, on Tuesday night, we also passed, as I mentioned, another significant bill, another crucial bill to combat the scourge of drug trafficking: the Preventing the Financing of Illegal Synthetic Drugs Act. This bill will get to the root of the financing behind deadly and destructive drugs like fentanyl and methamphetamine.

I want to thank every Senator who supported this bill, particularly our two amazing Senators from Nevada, Catherine Cortez Masto and Jacky Rosen. They worked very hard to see that this bill passed.

This drug trafficking bill is the latest example of a concerted effort in the Senate to combat America's drug crisis.

Last fall, I met with Chinese President Xi, along with my colleagues--bipartisan--and we urged him and the Chinese Government to do more to crack down on Chinese companies that make precursor chemicals and send them to Mexico where the gangs turn them into fentanyl.

A few months ago, I led the Senate in passing the national security supplemental, which included the FEND Off Fentanyl Act.

We are making good progress in the scourge of fentanyl, which had tens of thousands of our young people die and some of our law enforcement officers as well. So the American people should take note. There have been some very important things happening in the Senate recently to combat drug trafficking. This bill has already passed the House. It should go to the President's desk and be signed quickly-- another marker, another action in our fight to end the horrible scourge of fentanyl, which has taken so many young lives.

World Trade Center Health Program

Mr. President, I was just at a press conference on something else that we had to do to make America better. That is the World Trade Center Health Program.

We all know that in the aftermath of 9/11, many of our brave first responders suffered severe health complications, lifelong injuries, serious cancers. Many of them--far too many of them--are no longer with us. I remember them as they trod the halls to try to pass this legislation even though they were suffering from cancer.

My friend Ray Pfeifer, I think of him all the time. He is gone now, looking down upon us, smiling that we are moving forward.

I fought hard to establish and fund the World Trade Center Health Program and to help our 9/11 heroes get care at no cost to them or their families. That program has struggled with funding. We had to renew it year after year after year because there were some here in the Senate, some in the House, who said: I don't want to fund it permanently. But now we are attempting to fund it permanently.

Sadly, the program has struggled with funding over the years. But today we have good news, very good news. I just returned from a press conference with my colleague Senator Gillibrand and members, Democrat and Republican, of the New York delegation in the House where we announced legislation to permanently fund the World Trade Center program. That is right--not coming back year after year and getting a little more and a little more, but permanent. We need to fund it permanently. There are people still getting cancers, first responders and others, who rushed to the towers after 9/11. But their cancers don't show up until 10 or 20 or 30 years later. We can't leave them behind.

This funding will make sure everyone--everyone--who has been exposed to the toxins after 9/11 will get the treatment they need. And because the program screens early, we catch more people, we save more lives, and, frankly, it costs less to keep them alive.

I am proud to have secured nearly $1.7 billion for this program over the last 2 years--$1 billion 2 years ago, then $700 million--just to keep extending the program because it was running out of money because more people were getting these cancers and other illnesses. It was clear to all of us we need to do more. By providing permanent funding to this program, our legislation will make sure our 9/11 heroes

never, ever have to worry again about getting the care that they need. They won't have to constantly traipse down on subways from New York and elsewhere to lobby Congress and go to those with somewhat hardened hearts and show them why it is needed.

Let's pass this bill. Let's make it permanent. I promise to those first responders, to Ray Pfeifer and all those who have been lost and fought for this, that I will do all I can to make sure this permanent bill becomes law by the end of the year.

President Biden

Mr. President, on President Biden, last night, the American people saw why Joe Biden will go down as one of our Nation's most consequential, most decent, most patriotic Presidents.

Over the last 3 years, he has amassed a record of accomplishment that has few equals in the history of the Senate. We, in the Senate here-- many times bipartisan, sometimes not--worked hard with the President to create one of the great legislative records in the year 2022.

When President Biden entered office, America was in crisis. But today it is stronger, more prosperous, has a more hopeful future because of his steadfastness, his strength, his vision.

So this morning, I wish to say yet again: Thank you, Mr. President. Thank you. You have shown what the world looks like to put our country over self. You have restored dignity and honesty and integrity at the White House. I think of the song in Hamilton, ``we're going to teach them how to say goodbye,'' that George Washington sang in the play about knowing when to stay and when to leave. Well, at this moment, Joe Biden is standing right next to George Washington and showing America he understood that message.

It has been an honor to work with the President to enact the most ambitious legislative agenda since the Great Society. With President Biden, we made tens of millions of Americans' lives better, and we will keep working with him until his term is complete.

Tribute to LaVerne Allen

Mr. President, finally, as colleagues know, I rarely go anywhere without my either famous or notorious--depending on your viewpoint-- flip phone. That means I will occasionally--just occasionally--forget to leave my phone in the cloakroom, as the rules say, when I am here on the Senate floor. And occasionally--just occasionally--it will ring in the middle of my remarks. You have heard that happen. Whenever it happens, the first thing I do is look up at LaVerne Allen, one of our wonderful Senate doorkeepers, as she is staring at my phone and very gently, but firmly, shaking her head as I quickly try to turn it off. LaVerne is one of the people in the Senate who can readily put me in my place.

But I am sad to say that after over 40 years--40 great years-- LaVerne's time with the Senate will be coming to an end next month. And here, we often celebrate elected officials who dedicate their entire careers to public service, but today, that light shines on LaVerne.

As a doorkeeper, she has helped maintain the order and decorum that defined the Senate for over 200 years. We are all, on both sides of the aisle--I am sure the Republican leader will attest--grateful for her work.

But I am glad to hear LaVerne will be moving on to bigger and better things. She will be spending more time with her son in Japan, where he is stationed in the Navy.

LaVerne, from the bottom of my heart and the hearts of all my colleagues, thank you, thank you, thank you. We will miss you. Best of luck in your next journey.

I yield the floor.

Recognition of the Minority Leader

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

Madam President, I move to proceed to executive session to consider Calendar No. 708.

Madam President, I send a cloture motion to the desk.

I ask unanimous consent the mandatory quorum call for the cloture motion filed today, July 25, be waived.