Chuck Grassley

Mr. President, today is Constitution Day. On September 17, 1787, 39 delegates signed the U.S. Constitution in Philadelphia. They set forth an experiment rooted in American exceptionalism: Government authority comes from ``We the People,'' the first words of the preamble to the Constitution.

The U.S. Constitution is the only founding document of any country in the history of humankind that is meant to protect the people from the government. Other constitutions throughout history were written to give the government power over the people. That is why the United States is unique, and that is why we continue to say that the United States is an exceptional system of government.

There are some in this country who want to fundamentally change the U.S. Constitution. In recent months, there is an organization within the Democrat Party that call themselves the Democratic Socialists of America. Their document wants to abolish the Senate. That document would uproot our system of checks and balances. That system would rip up our Constitution and draft a new one--particularly when some of them are saying they want a parliamentary system of government like other countries, particularly in Europe, have.

Democratic socialism of America is antithetical to America's promise of prosperity and the founding principles enshrined in our great Constitution.

The U.S. Constitution is now 239 years old this very day, and the principles that it embodies are timeless. On this Constitution Day, September 17, it is my hope that Americans of all ages will reflect upon the blessings of freedom handed down from one generation to the next.

I yield the floor.

I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Madam President, this past Friday, our Nation marked the 25th anniversary of the September 11 attacks.

I will never forget that day. That morning, after my weekly interview with Iowa radio networks, the U.S. Capitol was evacuated, and I remember officers pounding on my door here in the Capitol office: You have got to get out of here.

No one knew right then that nearly 3,000 lives would be lost in that morning's attack or that more than 8,000 people would die from post-9/ 11 illnesses.

Now, a quarter of a century later, more than one-third of the U.S. population is too young to remember the terrorists' attacks. So we need to carry history forward so that we never forget and keep our country safe.

We all know that, under the Constitution, national security is the No. 1 responsibility of the Federal Government. As a Federal policymaker, I have worked to ensure that we don't repeat the mistakes that led to the intelligence failures preceding 9/11 and that the missions of the intelligence community, the U.S. military, and Homeland Security are effectively and efficiently serving the American people.

On this solemn 25th anniversary, let's recommit ourselves to the spirit of America and never forget the lives that were lost on 9/11 and in the years that followed. We honor the memory of those who have passed and carry forward the legacy and uncommon courage of the heroic first responders, survivors, servicemembers, and their loved ones.

I yield the floor.

I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. President, I want to pay tribute to a friend and longtime supporter, who was a lifelong champion for the family farmer and highly respected leader for innovation and conservation that he put into practice on his own family farm in southwest Iowa. Today would have been his 74th birthday.

On Saturday, September 5, Ray Gaesser passed away unexpectedly after a farming accident, a heartbreaking loss to his beloved family and a big loss to the farming community.

Like many farmers across Iowa, Ray never stopped working. He started farming as a teenager alongside his dad in southern Indiana. When he married his wife Elaine, they began Gaesser Farms on a few hundred acres near Corning, the county seat of Adams County. With more than 50 years of farming under his belt, his farming operation eventually expanded to thousands of acres that he worked with Elaine and their son Chris.

A lifelong steward of the soil, Ray practiced what he preached. Conservation was central to his farming operation, and he was a tireless pioneer for sustainability, clean energy, and water quality. Decades ago, he implemented terraces, grass waterways, turn areas, 100- percent no-till planting, and cover crops to conserve the land and strengthen Earth's natural resources.

Ray was widely respected in his southwest Iowa farming community. To be sure, his voice and advocacy on behalf of American agriculture carried near and far, from podcasts to the policymaking table around the world and in Washington, DC.

Throughout his 73 years, Ray burned the midnight oil on the tractor seat and extracted every minute out of the day. He traveled around the globe, sharing stories with farmers about feeding the world, participating at UN Climate meetings, and testifying before Congress on Capitol Hill. A dedicated member of the Iowa Soybean Association, serving as its president from 2006 to 2007, Ray went on to serve as president of the American Soybean Association from 2013 to 2014. His resume reflects his commitment to conservation and forging consensus to address challenges facing the future of farming. Among his many hats, Ray held leadership positions on the Iowa Soybean Promotion Board, the Iowa Economic Development Agriculture Advisory Board, the Iowa Conservative Energy Forum, the North American Climate Smart Agriculture Alliance, and the International Soybean Growers Alliance. He served as cochair of the Iowa Conservation Infrastructure Initiative and was named Iowa Master Farmer in 2012 and American Soybean Distinguished Leader in 2018.

In 2014, Ray cofound Solutions from the Land and was a tireless crusader for renewable energy, including biomass, wind, solar, and hydropower. Ray understood that proper stewardship of God's natural resources can produce bountiful rewards for the Nation's food and energy security. Just like he never punted on hard work on the farm, he rolled up his sleeves to making things work when a solution seemed out of reach. From climate change to water quality and carbon sequestration, Ray didn't avoid political hot potatoes. He immersed himself and brought stakeholders together on transcendent issues of our time: feeding the world, conserving resources, providing clean water, and producing renewable energy takes a coalition of the willing. In his words, ``When we work together, we all benefit.''

In 2021, Ray was nominated by U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue and U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer to serve on USDA's Agricultural Technical Advisory Committee for Trade in grains, feed, oilseeds, and planting seeds. In this role, Ray brought decades of farming experience and dirt underneath his fingernails to the ears of the Nation's top ag and trade leaders to ensure Iowa soybean farmers were heard during global trade negotiations. He served as a commissioner on the Iowa Department of Transportation since 2022.

Ray was a gifted leader and communicator. He used his talents and work ethic to share a pragmatic vision for resiliency and sustainability in agriculture. A son of the soil, Ray wanted to ensure the land could feed the world and sustain livelihoods for generations of farmers yet to come.

From my annual county meetings and policy discussions in my office in Washington, I appreciated Ray's enthusiasm and expertise. He was an impactful problem-solver who effectively leveraged levity and bone deep passion for farming that connected stakeholders and made a difference.

Ray was a faith-filled servant leader, a family man, and a farmer who was called home to the Lord. I have no doubt he will continue doing the Lord's work among the angels, but as his friend, I will miss his advocacy for the family farmer, good-natured outlook on life, and warm, welcoming smile. Barbara and I extend our condolences to his wife Elaine and his two children Chris and Jennifer.