Floor Statements

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation be discharged from further consideration of S. 297 and the Senate proceed to its immediate consideration.

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 Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation be discharged from further consideration and the Senate now proceed to S. Res. 315.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions be discharged from further consideration and the Senate now proceed to S. Res. 325.

I ask unanimous that the resolution be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, and that the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions be discharged from further consideration and the Senate now proceed to S. Res. 339.

I ask unanimous consent that the resolution be agreed; the Murphy amendment at the desk to the preamble be considered and agreed to; the preamble, as amended, be agreed to; and that the motions 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. 362, submitted earlier today.

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

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the consideration of S. Res. 363, submitted earlier today.

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

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today, it adjourn until 11 a.m., Wednesday, September 15; that following the prayer and the pledge, the morning hour be deemed expired, the Journal of proceedings be approved to date, the time for the two leaders be reserved for their use later in the day, and morning business be closed; that upon the conclusion of morning business, the Senate proceed to executive session to resume consideration of the Strickland nomination.

Mr. President, if there is no further business to come before the Senate, I ask unanimous consent that it stand adjourned under the

previous order, following the remarks of Senator Lankford.

Madam President, first, I want to welcome back all of my colleagues from the August work period. As we return to Washington, as everyone knows, the Senate has a very busy schedule ahead of it.

On the nominations front, we will begin this week by holding a cloture vote on James Kvaal to be the Under Secretary of Education. Tomorrow, we will move the nominations of David Estudillo to be district judge of the Western District of Washington, Angel Kelly to serve as district judge for the District of Massachusetts, and the Senate will also begin consideration of Veronica Rossman to be the circuit judge for the Tenth Circuit.

On the legislative front, the Senate will pick up exactly where we left off last month. We will continue our fight to preserve voting rights for millions of Americans, and, of course, we will continue working to pass President Biden's Build Back Better agenda and set our country on a path to prosperity for decades to come.

At the end of last work period, the Senate took two important steps to achieving that goal. First, we passed the bipartisan $1 trillion infrastructure bill that will make historic investments in our Nation's physical infrastructure.

Second, Senate Democrats came together to pass a budget resolution with reconciliation instructions that will clear the way to pass a reconciliation bill with historic and transformative investments in American jobs, American families, and the fight against climate change.

Over the August State work period, I remained in constant communication with the chairs of the Senate's relevant committees, as well as with the Speaker and the White House, including the President. I am pleased to say we have made substantial progress in translating provisions of the budget resolution into policies we can pass into law.

As we continue our work over the next few weeks, I want to take a step back and explain why this legislation is so important.

For far too long, millions of American families have worried that the American dream has increasingly fallen out of reach. Too many in the middle class are just struggling to stay there. Too many who are trying to get to the middle class find the ladder up steeper and steeper.

Today, the cost of raising a family, saving for college and retirement, getting a good-paying job and affording healthcare have become very, very hard. As a result, that sunny American optimism, so key to our national identity, has been replaced by a growing sourness and divisiveness in the land. We have to do better, and we will do better.

With this legislation, we have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to rebuild our economy and rekindle faith in America's future. It will include the largest tax cut for the middle class in a generation. It will include provisions that are both critically important and overwhelmingly popular with the American people, from strengthening childcare and education to making healthcare more affordable for millions. And, crucially, it will include unprecedented steps to fight the climate crisis and preserve our planet for the next generation.

After yet another summer marked by hurricanes, floods, and wildfires, we cannot hold off on taking action any longer. The world is looking to us for leadership on climate change. By achieving the emissions goals Democrats are laying out, we can reassert America's leadership.

And through it all, we are going to make sure that this bill is paid for and that those at the very top finally pay their fair share.

When this Senate majority began its work many months ago, our original task was to pass legislation that would get our country out of the depths of the COVID pandemic. Now, the legislation we will work on over the next 2 weeks will lay a new foundation for the future of our economy. It will restore the middle class in the 21st century and give many more Americans the opportunity to get there. Building ladders to middle class--that is what this is about, and that is what we are going to do.

The next few weeks will be crucial to achieving this goal, and I look forward to working with my colleagues to continue to deliver on our promise of big, bold change for the American people.

Of course, even as we work to deliver on our Build Back Better agenda, the House and Senate will also work on other important priorities that demand immediate attention, including passing a continuing resolution before the September 30 expiration of government funding, providing emergency funding to help those devastated by recent natural disasters, and helping resettle our Afghan allies and partners. I expect all of this to be done in a bipartisan and timely way.

Of course, over the next few weeks, the House and Senate must also come together to address the debt ceiling. In America, when it is time to pay the bills, we follow through on our obligations, without exception. For a long time, addressing the debt ceiling was considered a routine and responsible step that both sides worked together to achieve. Even when President Trump was in office, Democrats worked three times with Republicans to suspend the debt ceiling because it was the right and obvious thing to do. We didn't pick excuses and say: Here is why we don't want to do it. We knew it was important and it was time to lay aside differences and move it forward.

But now, unfortunately, some of our Republican colleagues--even though they were eager to have Democrats support them when President Trump was President--now some of our Republican colleagues are reportedly contemplating a reckless idea, spearheaded by the Republican Senator from Wisconsin, to oppose any effort to raise the debt ceiling whatsoever. And, unfortunately and sadly, the Republican leader seems to be going along.

Let me be clear: taking the debt hostage and playing games with the full faith and credit of the United States is reckless, irresponsible, and will harm every single American. It is a complete nonstarter.

This is not just another political debate. It is about honoring our unbroken commitment to pay our debts and avoid another financial crisis at a crucial moment for our country.

Now it is important to remember that this is not about green-lighting future spending. This is about paying debt from past spending, which was incurred during the Trump administration and which received favorable votes from the majority of Republicans and Democrats.

Indeed, it is a new study that came out. According to the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service, the Trump administration incurred $5.4 trillion in new debt after the debt ceiling was raised in 2019, up through his last day of office. So all of the new $5 trillion in debt, bottom line, was caused under the Trump administration, not by Democratic spending--under the Trump administration, $5.4 trillion from the last day the debt ceiling was raised in 2019 to the last day of Trump being in office.

Another report by the Treasury Department further states that, over the entirety of the Trump administration, that figure rose to as high as $8 trillion.

Again, let me repeat this so my Republican colleagues hear it loud and clear. This is not about the Democrats incurring debt. Between the last time that the debt ceiling was raised in 2019 and the final day of the Trump administration--nothing to do with Biden or Democrats or anything in 2021--his administration added more than $5 trillion to the national debt; and over the 4 years of Donald Trump, new debt totaled as much as $8 trillion.

So both sides--both sides--have a responsibility to pay our bills. Both sides, led by the Republican Senate, incurred much of this new debt. Senators from both parties voted overwhelmingly in support of the many laws that contributed to this obligation.

In the middle of the COVID pandemic, the Congress came together under Donald Trump, when Donald Trump was President, to pass successive COVID relief laws, like the CARES Act, the PPP extension, and the ``908 COVID deal'' in December. Democrats and Republicans voted in huge numbers in support of these laws. Republicans voted to make these expenditures.

Now we must come together to do the responsible thing and pay those bills. Leader McConnell assured the country in 2019, when Donald Trump was President, that we would ``no doubt [raise the debt ceiling] on a bipartisan basis.'' Again, that is what McConnell said when Trump was President: We will ``no doubt [raise the debt ceiling] on a bipartisan basis.'' He said, when Trump was President, failure to do so would be a ``disaster.''

Failure to do so now, Leader McConnell, is an equal disaster. It doesn't matter who is President. We still incurred the bills. So I believe it should be no different this time around.

The United States has never, ever, defaulted on its debt. I can't imagine Republicans would want to be responsible for the first-ever default. We need to work together to raise the debt ceiling and avoid causing irreparable harm to our economy, still recovering from the devastation of the pandemic.

I would say to the business community and the financial community, let Leader McConnell know, stop playing games with the debt ceiling.

Madam President, now on one final issue, on voting. Before the Senate concluded the previous work period, Republicans blocked multiple efforts to even debate voting rights legislation in the U.S. Senate.

Let me be clear: Republicans refusing to support anything on voting rights is not an excuse for Democrats to do nothing.

Over the recess, a number of my colleagues and I, including Senators Klobuchar, Merkley, Warnock, Manchin, Padilla, Kaine, King, and Tester, worked diligently to craft a revised voting rights piece of legislation.

This compromise proposal would protect the freedom to vote, end partisan gerrymandering, stop the scourge of dark money in our politics, among many other good things.

I applaud my colleagues for their hard work and their progress to come together with a very strong voting rights bill that all Democrats can support, while respecting the role of States and promoting greater confidence in our democracy.

Now Senator Manchin has been having discussions with our Republican

colleagues to try and garner support for this important legislation. This is a good proposal and I encourage all my Senate colleagues to support it.

That said, we must be honest about the facts. The Republican-led war on democracy has only worsened in the last few weeks. Most notably, the Governor of Texas recently signed into law a vile new voter suppression bill that ranks as one of the most draconian and undemocratic in living memory. Meanwhile, partisans across the country are sharpening their knives for a coming spate of vicious gerrymandering, which further threatens to divide our politics.

This is unacceptable. So the Senate much must act. I intend to hold a vote in the Senate as early as next week on voting rights legislation. Time--time--is of the essence.

I yield the floor.

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 when the Senate completes its business today, it adjourn until 10 a.m., Tuesday, September 14; that following the prayer and pledge, the morning hour be deemed expired, the Journal of proceedings be approved to date, and the time for the two leaders be reserved for their use later in the day and morning business be closed; that upon the conclusion of morning business, the Senate proceed to executive session to resume consideration of the Kvaal nomination postcloture; further, that all postcloture time on the Kvaal nomination expire at 11:30 a.m.; that following the cloture vote on the Estudillo nomination, the Senate recess until 2:15 p.m. to allow for the weekly caucus meetings; that if cloture is invoked, at 2:20 p.m., all postcloture time on the Estudillo nomination expire; that if cloture is invoked on the Kelley nomination, all postcloture time expire at 5:30 p.m.; finally, that if any of the nominations are confirmed, the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table and the President be immediately notified of the Senate's action.

Mr. President, for the information of Senators, there will be two rollcall votes at 11:30 a.m., two rollcall votes at 2:20 p.m., and two rollcall votes at 5:30 p.m.

Mr. President, if there is no further business to come before the Senate, I ask unanimous consent that it stand adjourned under the previous order.

Mr. President, first let me, before I begin, thank Senators Carper and Capito for managing this bill and doing it in such a fine way--and their staffs as well.

Now, Mr. President, it has been a long and winding road, but we have persisted, and now we have arrived. There were many logs in our path, detours along the way, but the American people will now see the most robust injection of funds into infrastructure in decades.

In a few moments, the Senate will pass the bipartisan infrastructure bill, dedicating over a trillion dollars to strengthen every major category of our country's physical infrastructure. It has been a long time in coming. Our economy is No. 1 in the world, but infrastructure ranks No. 13. You will find better roads, bridges, airports, and broadband in the United Arab Emirates than in the United States of America.

Today, the Senate takes a decades-overdue step to revitalize America's infrastructure and give our workers, our businesses, and our economy the tools

to succeed in the 21st century. The bill will make large and significant differences in both productivity and job creation in America for decades to come.

To my colleagues, particularly the group of 10, then 11, then 22 who worked so hard in a bipartisan way, congratulations. Congratulations on a job well done. Thank you to our committee chairs and ranking members whose expertise was required at several stages. And to the staff who sacrificed weekends, family gatherings, and most often sleep in order to finish this bill, thank you.

Thank you to President Biden and his team at the White House. President Biden has been in office for only 7 months, and already the Senate is about to pass the first major infrastructure package in over a decade, on a bipartisan basis, with his complete and total involvement.

Throughout the process, I have tried to prod the negotiators along when they have needed it and given them space when they have asked for it. At times, it took a deadline to kick negotiations into high gear; other times it required a few extra days to allow compromise to gel. But when the Senate is run with an open hand rather than a closed fist, Senators can accomplish big things.

So despite this long road we have taken, we have finally, finally reached the finish line.

Of course, we Democrats believe we need to do much more. The bipartisan infrastructure bill is a very significant bill, but our country has other very significant, very important challenges. Working families need help. Small businesses need a leg up. Climate change threatens the future of our planet. Our Tax Code needs to be straightened out. Other parts of our infrastructure not addressed in this bipartisan bill still need focus, attention, and help.

So to my colleagues who are concerned that this does not do enough on climate, for families, and making corporations and the rich pay their fair share, we are moving on to a second track, which will make generational transformation in these areas.

Once this bill is complete, the Senate will immediately turn to the second track in our two-track strategy, passing a budget resolution that will unlock historic investments in American jobs, American families, and the fight against climate change. The two-track strategy is proceeding full steam ahead.

At its core, the Democratic budget--both parts--is about restoring the middle class in the 21st century and giving more Americans the opportunity to get there. Too many in the middle class are worried about their future. The sunny American optimism has turned into a sourness, an anger, a divisiveness in the land.

Bold, transformative action on both traditional infrastructure and on helping families--middle-class families--cope and on climate will restore that bright, sunny optimism that has been part of this American psyche for centuries.

At its core, what we want to do is this: We want to cut taxes for families.

We want to create millions of jobs while tackling the climate crisis, and we want to pay for it by making corporations and the wealthy finally pay their fair share.

After we pass the bipartisan infrastructure bill this morning, Senators should expect to vote to proceed to the budget resolution, and we will begin the process for debating amendments shortly thereafter.

Democrats are prepared to move quickly and decisively through the amendment process so we can finish what we set out to do before the end of the work period. The longer it takes to finish, the longer the Senate will be in session.

At the start of July, I set two ambitious goals for this Chamber before our August recess. One was to pass a bipartisan infrastructure bill to boost our economy, something the Senate has not achieved in many years, and this is a strong and bold accomplishment. The second was to pass a budget resolution with the kinds of transformative changes I have mentioned. Pundits called it wishful thinking in a Chamber known for unhurried deliberation.

Well, we are moments away from achieving the first goal, and I am confident that very soon the Senate will take the first major step toward achieving our second goal. The Senate is on track to finish both tracks and deliver an outstanding result for the American people.

Vote on H.R. 3684

I ask for the yeas and nays.

Madam President, once again, congratulations to all of those who worked so hard on this very significant and very important bill, and now we proceed to the second track.

Madam President, I move to proceed to Calendar No. 122, S. Con. Res. 14, the concurrent resolution on the budget.

Motion to proceed to Calendar No. 122, S. Con. Res. 14, a

concurrent resolution setting forth the congressional budget

for the United States Government for fiscal year 2022 and

setting forth the appropriate budgetary levels for fiscal

years 2023 through 2031.

Vote on Motion to Proceed

Madam President, I ask for the yeas and nays.