Floor Statements

Mr. President, a few weeks ago, I rose in this Chamber in support of the SAVE America Act. I implored my colleagues to listen to the people who put us here, to restore their trust in our elections, to defend the integrity of what John Adams called ``the primary right by which [all] other rights are protected.''

Today, the rubber meets the road. We must continue our debate in front of

the American people, and we need to pass this bill. That is why I rise today to dispel the myths peddled by the bill's opponents and to remind us and to remind the American people what it is we are really debating here.

Now, I understand the importance of election integrity more than most. In 2022, I lost my first statewide election by 950 votes--that is about 14 per county--and I won my second statewide election by 15,000 votes out of about 7 million votes cast. These incredibly narrow races show just how important it is that our elections run smoothly, fairly, and that only--only--legitimate votes are counted.

And right now, we cannot pretend that all elections in America meet this standard. In my home State of Pennsylvania, an illegal immigrant named Mahady Sacko was recently indicted for having illegally voted in seven different Federal elections, including the 2024 election. He was not the only one. We have seen similar cases of noncitizens voting across the country. Also in 2024, a Chinese national was caught and charged in Michigan after his ballot had already been processed. And just days ago, a British national was charged in Texas for illegally casting a ballot in the 2024 election.

Now, critics of the SAVE America Act say such cases are rare, but in 2024, two--two--of the five swing State Senate races were decided by less than 0.3 of a percentage point, and the other three races were decided by 2 percentage points or less. The key point here is it doesn't take that many illegal votes to swing an election and, by doing so, to change the course of history.

And--and this is a big ``and''--because an additional 10 million illegal immigrants entered the country during the Biden administration--that is undisputed--that risk has risen dramatically. Therefore, it is no surprise--it is no surprise at all--that more than half of Americans say they are deeply concerned about the integrity and the fairness of our elections. And it is also no surprise that the American people are demanding we do something about it. They are demanding a change.

And so, to my colleagues: As stewards of our constitutional order, we have a duty. We have a duty to root out the source of this distrust and restore the integrity and the confidence in our democratic process, and that is why I support the SAVE America Act, and it is why I hope that we can gain support from across the aisle with our Democratic colleagues as well to support this incredibly important piece of legislation.

This bill does one thing--one thing. It ensures that only American citizens cast ballots in American elections, and it does so through a number of measures. First, it requires documentary proof of citizenship to register to vote. It requires standardizing the list of acceptable documents that prove such citizenship. It creates an alternative process for applicants who lack such documentation. It requires photo ID when casting a ballot, and it mandates ongoing roll maintenance to remove noncitizens, allowing States to use Federal databases for verification. And it strengthens enforcement and penalties against officials who knowingly register noncitizens.

These are commonsense measures. So basic, so reasonable, and most importantly, most importantly, the American people support them. Voter ID is an 80-20 issue. There are not that many 80-20 issues. This is an 80-20 issue. The Pew Research Center found that 95 percent of Republicans and 71 percent of Democrats support it. Meanwhile-- meanwhile--only 22 percent of Americans oppose requiring proof of citizenship to register for Federal elections. And that conclusion was from a recent Washington Post-ABC News-IPSOS poll, just last month-- just last month. The American people have spoken. Bottom line: The American people understand the problem, and they support the solution of the SAVE America Act.

Now, since I last rose in support of the SAVE America Act, President Trump has proposed three additional measures. These include the limiting of mail-in ballots to those who are sick, disabled, serving in the military, traveling, or otherwise experiencing hardship, keeping men out of women's sports, and protecting children from transgender mutilation surgeries. I support each of these efforts, and I support Senator Schmitt's amendment incorporating them.

Yesterday, I also voted for the Tuberville-Blackburn amendment which would have further protected women's sports, but again, the Democrats blocked this commonsense effort. These additions make a strong bill stronger, but the overall purpose--the overall purpose--and the reason I first rose in support of this legislation is restoring the people's faith in our elections. That is what the SAVE America Act does, that is what it is all about, and that is why I support it.

Now, I continue to hear a lot of misleading claims about this bill, and I would like to address a few of them directly right here and right now. Myth 1: that the bill disenfranchises women who change their names at marriage. False. If you are already registered, this bill requires nothing of you. For those registering for the first time or reregistering after a move, the bill explicitly directs States to accommodate name discrepancies. Applicants can sign a sworn statement, submit supporting evidence, and have an election official certify their citizenship. The bill anticipates the challenge and provides a solution.

Myth 2: that voters must bring proof of citizenship, like a birth certificate, to the polls. False. Proof of citizenship is required only at registration. On election day, a standard photo ID suffices. This includes a driver's license, a State ID, a military ID, or a passport. We ask Americans--we ask all of us--to show an ID to board a plane or to buy a beer. Asking the same to protect the ballot is not a burden; it is a basic, fundamental civic responsibility.

Myth 3: Voter ID suppresses turnout. The argument is that this bill-- as some have called it--is a Jim Crow 2.0. This is false. There is no evidence that voter ID suppresses turnout. In fact, a 2021 National Bureau of Economic Research study analyzed a full decade--an entire decade--of data and found voter ID laws have no negative effect on registration or turnout. Let me repeat that: no negative effect on registration or turnout. A 2006 study by the Crime Prevention Research Center went further. Fraud prevention measures actually increase participation. And when my good friend Governor Kemp of Georgia enacted a voter ID law in 2021, the State turnout records in 2022 and again in 2024 were alltime highs.

These facts are pesky things. But despite the facts and despite the support of the American people, many Democrats have stood against this act from the very beginning. The reason: They fundamentally oppose requiring proof of citizenship to register to vote and voter ID at the polls. It is just a fundamental disagreement. They fundamentally disagree with what 80 percent of the American people agree with. And because they know these principles are so simple, so intuitive, some have decided, sadly, that they cannot defeat this measure with honest debate; and so instead, as is so often the case in Washington, they try to bury it--this legislation and this very idea--in hysteria and misinformation.

Sadly, I have heard this bill smeared as ``one of the most despicable pieces of legislation,'' ``an attack on our sacred right to vote,'' ``a voter suppression bill.'' And the Democratic leadership, before even seeing the specifics of the bill, declared it dead on arrival.

I should be used to it. I am new to Washington, but I should be used to this kind of performative language, this kind of escalation I see on the left. It is simply petty--petty political theater. It is wrong, it is disgraceful, and it is unworthy. This kind of rhetoric is unworthy of the serious attention, the honest debate, and the thoughtful action that is required on such an important and such a fundamental issue.

The facts around this issue are clear. Fact 1: The American people are worried about the integrity of their elections and rightly so. Fact 2: The American people overwhelmingly--overwhelmingly--support voter ID and citizenship requirements to ensure that only American citizens cast ballots in American elections. Fact 3: These are the core features-- these are the core features of the SAVE America Act. Fact 4: There are abundant, readily available ways to get the proper documents or meet the requirements to ease access for all those who are qualified to vote. The bill expects that. It protects that. Fact 5: This Chamber

can and must work together in a bipartisan manner to address this critical concern of the American people. It is possible. Don't believe this is not possible.

We just did it. We just did it with the ROAD to Housing Act last week.

Ladies and gentlemen, we have a problem. We have a problem with voter confidence. We have a problem with voter integrity. The American people want it fixed, and the SAVE America Act is a commonsense and effective solution for addressing this problem.

For all these many reasons, I implore my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to join me in supporting the SAVE America Act.

I yield the floor.

I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to suspend the quorum.

I ask unanimous consent that the rollcall vote begin immediately.

I ask for the yeas and nays.

Mr. President, I thank the distinguished Senator from Louisiana.

Mr. President, I rise today in support of the ROAD to Housing Act. I grew up in northeast Pennsylvania, in a town called Bloomsburg, believing in a simple deal: You work hard, you play by the rules, and you can build a life in your own home. But that promise--the American dream--has become increasingly out of reach to families across our great Commonwealth. There are too few homes to buy and too many aging homes that families can't afford to maintain.

The numbers tell a clear and disturbing story. Pennsylvania is short about 100,000 homes today. That is the same number of seats as we see here in Penn State's Beaver Stadium. Median home prices have hit an alltime high of $325,000, rent has surged, and more than half our housing stock in Pennsylvania is over 50 years old, which means greater repair costs for homeowners already struggling with tight, tight budgets.

The absence of good, new, affordable housing has locked out young families. When I was a teenager, the median age of a first-time homeowner was 29--29 years old. Today, it is 40--40 years old. That is an entire decade of home ownership and wealth building that has been lost by a generation.

Now, American families didn't create this problem; Washington did. Major Federal housing programs had been funded for decades without serious reform. Some hadn't been updated since the 1960s. The Biden administration had 4 years to address this crisis, and instead, we got more bureaucracies, more mandates, and reckless spending that drove this problem off the cliff.

From the row houses of Philadelphia to the small towns of the Monongahela Valley, home prices across Pennsylvania have risen more than 75 percent--75 percent--since 2020. Nationally, the average monthly mortgage payment is over $1,000 higher than when President Biden took office.

Just last year, I visited Bedford Dwellings in Pittsburgh's historic Hill District with HUD Secretary Turner, and we spoke with great Pennsylvanians who feel that the American dream is increasingly out of reach. I hear this feedback everywhere I travel across the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. This is a big problem, it is an unacceptable problem, and it is time for a new direction.

President Trump's leadership is lowering housing costs for American families. He cut redtape in permitting and construction, and he directed key Agencies to keep Wall Street out of the starter home market. And he delivered the most significant Federal investment in affordable housing in decades via the Working Families Tax Cut Act. But today--today--the Senate has an opportunity to build on this progress, with serious bipartisan support, by passing the ROAD to Housing Act.

This important bill advances three goals: First, build more. The act cuts the redtape, lowers costs, and speeds up zoning and permitting. Second, fix what we have. Grants and forgivable loans are provided to low-income homeowners for repairs, for helping to

preserve home values, and to help stabilize neighborhoods. Third, empower communities, not the bureaucrats. Local leaders are empowered to make decisions that fit their towns. The Federal Government should be a partner, not a gatekeeper.

Guided by these three principles, the ROAD to Housing Act represents the most consequential Federal action on housing in a generation. Let me repeat that: the most consequential Federal action on housing in a generation. Passing through the Banking Committee with a unanimous 24- to-0 vote--Republicans and Democrats alike--is also proof that the Senate can address important issues in a bipartisan way.

I am particularly proud of the amendments my friend and colleague Senator Fetterman and I champion together. They protect Pennsylvania workers, Pennsylvania veterans, and Pennsylvania homeowners. For example, I was the lead or colead on six provisions that will help ensure Pennsylvanians, including our 800,000 veterans, can afford good homes without the risk of falling through the cracks.

The bill in my provisions also empower Pennsylvania's community lenders. There is a scene in the iconic movie ``It's a Wonderful Life'' where George Bailey, played by Jimmy Stewart--Jimmy Stewart, by the way, was a native of my dad's hometown Indiana, PA. In that movie, he fights to save the Bailey Building & Loan. This was a community lender in the fictional town of Bedford Falls that knew every borrower by name and made the mortgages that helped ordinary people own homes. That model once helped build a wonderful life for generations of Americans, but we have regulated so heavily that community lenders who want to serve their neighbors can't make the math work.

My friends, home ownership for most young families should not exist only in the movies. It should exist in Bloomsburg and Bedford and Braddock and in every Pennsylvania community where a local lender knows the borrower and wants to say yes. This bill--this bill--makes important steps in that direction.

And one more thing: The ROAD to Housing Act builds on President Trump's efforts and takes on Wall Street landlords competing directly with first-time home buyers for single-family homes. The housing market should work for Main Street, not for Wall Street.

So for all of these reasons, I am proud to stand in support of the ROAD to Housing Act. I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to vote yes. Vote yes and make the American dream of home ownership possible again for the next generation of Pennsylvanians.

I yield the floor.

Mr. President, I rise today in support of the SAVE

America Act. I have heard a lot of hysteria, hyperbole, and, sadly, falsehoods about this bill, which have created a good deal of confusion. Frankly, a lot of the issues have become muddled. I think we have lost sight of what we are really debating in this Chamber. So today I would like to dispel a few myths about the SAVE America Act and address the legitimate questions raised or voiced by some of my colleagues, but first I want to make sure we all understand how important this issue really is.

I consider myself uniquely qualified when I say that every vote matters. In 2022, I lost my first statewide election in Pennsylvania by 950 votes. That is 14 votes per county. I won my second election in 2024 by 15,000 votes--of over 7 million cast. These incredibly narrow races, each of which had electoral issues of their own, show just how important it is that our elections run smoothly, fairly, and that only legitimate votes are counted. And right now, we cannot--we must not-- pretend that all elections in America meet this important standard.

Just last year--just last year--in my home State of Pennsylvania, Chester County officials mistakenly omitted 7,000 third-party votes from the voter rolls. Registered voters were turned away at the polls, and an unknown number of unverified voters cast regular ballots.

Every single time Americans hear about election problems like those in Chester County, they rightly question the integrity of our electoral process.

It should come as no surprise to us that according to a recent Scripps and Ipsos poll, more than half of Americans--more than half-- are concerned about noncitizens voting and more than half fear electoral fraud.

The bottom line is we cannot stand in this Chamber and claim there is not a problem. There is a problem, and the people who put us here agree.

Colleagues, we have a duty to root out the source of this distrust and restore the integrity of our democratic process.

As we celebrate America's 250th anniversary, we must not put to chance what John Adams called ``the primary right by which all other rights are protected.'' That is why I support Senator Lee's SAVE America Act. This bill will not fix every issue with our elections, but it does three critical things.

First, it prevents noncitizens from voting by requiring people to show proof of citizenship when registering to vote and to show a government-issued photo ID when casting a ballot.

Second, it directs the States to remove noncitizens from their voter rolls by mandating regular reviews of those lists and giving States the abilities and the tools to accomplish this critical task.

Finally, it improves accountability by strengthening the enforcement of the current law and imposing penalties on election officials who violate the law by registering noncitizens to vote.

Now, the requirements for voter ID and proof of citizenship in particular have been twisted and misrepresented. Let me set the record straight. Federal law mandates that only U.S. citizens may vote. However, under the Supreme Court's interpretation, voters are not required to show proof of citizenship. The risk is clear.

According to the Department of Homeland Security, over 10 million illegal immigrants entered our country during the last administration and a total of at least 22 million noncitizens reside in the United States. In 19 States, noncitizens can obtain a driver's license, and in some cases, that driver's license automatically registers them to vote. This is an unacceptable vulnerability in our election integrity. For that reason, it is now incumbent on Congress to close the loophole. We must secure the fundamental principle that voting is a right reserved only for American citizens.

The SAVE America Act also requires voters to show a government ID when casting a ballot. Now, I have heard some claim this is too high a barrier. Let's be serious. We ask Americans to show an ID to buy a beer, to board a plane, to donate blood, to apply for benefits, to even get married, but when it comes to electing leaders who decide the direction of our country, write our laws, and command our Armed Forces, no ID is required. That is absolutely absurd.

Now, many on the left look at our electoral system and say: There is nothing to see here, no issue, no problem. But that is what they said about wide-open borders. That is what they said about censoring conservatives online. That is what they said about the botched Afghanistan withdrawal. That is what they said about President Biden's cognitive decline. They were wrong on all those things, and they are wrong on this, too, and they are out of step with the country.

Americans of all political persuasions have supported tighter election laws for decades. In 2005, former President Jimmy Carter, a Democrat, joined former Secretary of State Jim Baker, a Republican, to form a Commission on election integrity. They identified voter ID laws as the single most important reform that was needed--20 years ago.

A vast majority of the American people agree. As we see here on a poll from the Pew Research Center, 95 percent of Republicans and 71 percent of Democrats polled all support voter ID. My friends, if an 80- 20 issue such as this cannot get 60 votes in this 100-person Chamber, something is amiss.

Now, some of my colleagues have raised concerns regarding voter suppression. They warn that many U.S. citizens do not have a hard copy proving their citizenship. The SAVE America Act directly addresses this concern. It puts in place alternate documentation options, State verification processes, and other protections that will ensure citizens are not disenfranchised.

I also hear some of my colleagues voice fears of Federal overreach. As a conservative, I believe that the less government interference in people's lives, the better. But the SAVE America Act does not federalize our elections. Article I, section 4 of the Constitution makes clear that while States determine the time, place, and manner of Federal elections, the Congress ``may at any time by Law make or alter such Regulations''; that is, we in the Congress, in this body, have the constitutional authority to set certain rules of the road nationwide. The SAVE America Act merely creates a mechanism to verify that State elections comply with existing law.

Now, there are other electoral reforms that are also necessary and critical, including Senator Hagerty's proposed Equal Representation Act, which I am proud to cosponsor.

It ensures that the census does not count noncitizens when determining congressional seats and electoral college votes.

Frankly, I worry. I worry that some on the left oppose the SAVE America Act simply because they want to cheat by allowing noncitizens to vote.

But, at the same time, and as always, for my Democratic colleagues in this body--in the Senate--who oppose this bill, I trust that they are acting in good faith. But I do ask them--I do ask them and all who oppose the SAVE America Act, regardless of party--to consider the extraordinary stakes.

We have the opportunity in this Congress to remove deep vulnerabilities in our elections and to restore America's trust in this core function of our Republic. I can think of few things more important than that, and for that reason, I implore my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to join me in supporting the SAVE America Act.

And if not--and if not--I respectfully challenge you to explain to the clear majority of your constituents why you believe our elections are not in desperate need of repair.

I yield the floor.

Mr. President, I rise today to honor the life and legacy of Mr. Steve Sheetz, a proud Pennsylvanian, visionary leader, and devoted family man, who passed away on January 4, 2026. Mr. Sheetz leaves behind an enduring legacy of entrepreneurship, community service, and unwavering commitment to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

Mr. Sheetz was a central figure in the growth and success of Sheetz, the family-founded business that began as a single dairy store in Altoona and grew into a nationally recognized brand employing thousands of people across multiple States.

Beyond his business accomplishments, Mr. Sheetz was deeply committed to giving back. He believed strongly in supporting local communities, investing in employees, and ensuring that success was shared with

others. His philanthropy and civic engagement made a meaningful difference in the lives of countless Pennsylvanians and strengthened communities throughout the region.

On behalf of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, I extend my deepest condolences to the Sheetz family, friends, and all those mourning his loss. May we honor Mr. Steve Sheetz's memory by continuing to uphold the values he embodied and the legacy he leaves behind.

Madam President, I ask unanimous consent to waive the mandatory quorum with respect to the Chamberlin nomination.

Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the rollcall vote begin immediately.

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

Mr. President, it is with great pleasure that I, along with my colleague Senator John Fetterman, rise today to recognize Pennsylvania's own Thomas B. Hagen, a true American patriot and public servant on his 90th birthday.

Thomas B. Hagen has been a business and civic leader for more than 60 years. He is chairman and a former CEO of the Fortune 500 listed Erie Insurance Group and also chairman of Custom Engineering Co. Mr. Hagen served as the first secretary of the department of community and economic development in the administration of Pennsylvania Governor Tom Ridge. He was cofounder and past chairman of Team Pennsylvania Foundation and a past chairman of the Pennsylvania Chamber of Business and Industry. Mr. Hagen continues to make significant philanthropic contributions in local, statewide, and national nonprofit organizations, historic property restoration efforts, and economic development initiatives; he has left a particularly indelible mark on his hometown of Erie, PA.

Mr. Hagen funded the Susan Hirt Hagen Center for Transformational Philanthropy at the Erie Community Foundation, the first of its kind for philanthropy in Greater Erie; the restoration of the historic main building at the beloved Erie Zoo; the Susan Hirt Hagen Center for Community Outreach, Research, and Evaluation at Penn State Behrend Campus; and the Erie County Historical Society. Mr. Hagen has invested in the revitalization of Erie through Erie Restorations, LLC and the historic preservation trust that he founded and chairs. A trustee of American Ancestors in Boston and a recipient of Preservation Pennsylvania's Otto Haas Award, he has led the restoration of over 30 houses in the Federal West Sixth Street Historic District with plans to preserve and maintain a total of more than 40 buildings as part of this initiative.

In addition to his philanthropic service, Thomas B. Hagen served his Nation for nearly three decades, first enlisting in the Inactive Naval Reserve at Pittsburgh, PA, on June 18, 1957, in the special enlisted rate of officer candidate seaman apprentice. Soon after graduation from The Ohio State University, he was called to Active Duty for 16 weeks' duty under instruction in Class 34 at the Navy Officer Candidate School, Newport, RI.

He graduated from officer candidate school and commissioned an ensign, Supply Corps, on November 1, 1957. He was sworn in by revered maternal grandfather, retired Commander Frank J. Bailey, who presented him with his naval officer sword acquired upon his commissioning in 1909.

Mr. Hagen graduated from Navy Supply Corps School in Athens, GA, on May 29, 1958; after qualifying for independent duty he was ordered to the Atlantic Fleet Destroyer, USS Harwood DDE 861, homeported Newport, RI, as the sole supply and disbursing officer and one of four department heads.

Mr. Hagen reported on board Harwood in June 1958 at the Boston Navy Yard. The Harwood soon became one of eight destroyers in Destroyer Squadron 24 that was assigned to Task Group Bravo, one of two ready anti-submarine warfare groups patrolling the North Atlantic to detect Soviet submarines during the Cold War. Task Group Bravo would switch off with Task Group Alpha out of Norfolk, VA. Task Group Bravo consisted of Destroyer Squadron 24 and the aircraft carrier USS Wasp CV18 homeported at Quonset Point Rhode Island. During this period, the task group visited Bermuda, Norfolk during NATO exercises, and a midshipman cruise to Quebec City, Canada. He was promoted to lieutenant junior grade on May 1, 1959, while on board Harwood.

In late January 1960, Mr. Hagen was transferred to the Naval Supply Depot, Newport, RI, as fleet liaison officer and issue control officer. This duty included being liaison officer to the British warship, HMS Shoulton.

On October 2, 1960, he was released from Active Duty and returned to Erie, PA, where he affiliated with the Naval Reserve Training Center. Attached to a Ready Reserve billet with the mobilization team unit, he performed 2 weeks Active-Duty training for the next few years at Philadelphia Navy Yard and the Navy Pay Center in Cleveland. On February 6, 1963, he became a ``Plank Owner'' in the then-new Naval Reserve Training Center on Old French Road near Erie's Veterans Affairs Medical Center.

During his early Reserve Training Center years, he was promoted to lieutenant and lieutenant commander, and he transferred to the Inactive Reserve. After about 5 years in the Inactive Reserve, he reaffiliated and returned to a drilling status at the Naval Reserve Center. Back in the Ready Reserve, he performed Active Duty for training with the commanding officer of the Naval Supply Depot, Norfolk. He was soon promoted to commander and affiliated with a Reserve unit in Erie serving the Commander-in-Chief of the U.S. Atlantic Fleet. His 2 weeks Active-Duty for training were then performed in Norfolk with the Commander-in-Chief of the U.S. Atlantic Fleet Assistant Chief of Staff for Logistics Readiness. One such Active-Duty period was serving as the senior watch officer for a NATO logistics exercise at London-based Naval Activities, United Kingdom, for which he received a Letter of Commendation from Commander-in-Chief of the U.S. Atlantic Fleet for ``outstanding performance of duty'' during 1980 and 1981.

Mr. Hagen also received Letters of Commendation for ``meritorious achievement,'' ``superior performance,'' and ``professional achievement'' from the Chief of the Naval Reserve and Commander of the Naval Reserve Readiness Command Region Five regarding U.S. Navy Great Lakes Cruises between 1978 and 1980. He was promoted to captain on June 1, 1985, and retired after nearly 30 years service on November 1, 1986. In post-retirement years, he was honored by the Navy Supply Corps Foundation and by the Chief of Supply Corps with the Navy Supply Corps School Distinguished Alumnus Award on April 21, 2011.

Born in Buffalo, NY, Mr. Hagen moved to Erie at age 7 and attended Erie Public Schools, graduating from Strong Vincent High School. He attended Penn State Behrend and received a bachelor of science degree in

business from The Ohio State University, where he was a Griffith Scholar and president of the Insurance Society. He also holds an honorary doctorate in public service from Edinboro University of Pennsylvania and honorary doctor of laws from Mercyhurst University, where the history department is named in his honor.

The distinctive accomplishments of Mr. Hagen reflect great credit upon himself, his family, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, and the United States. It is with great pride that we recognize the achievements of Thomas B. Hagen's leadership and service on the occasion of his 90th birthday and bring the attention of Congress to this successful son of Pennsylvania; September 10, 2025.

Mr. President, I am honored to be here on the Senate floor for the first time. Each time I enter the Senate Chamber, I am humbled to walk in the footsteps of the Pennsylvanians who came before me, from founding father Robert Morris to Simon Cameron, from Joseph Clark to John Heinz.

It was the namesake of the Commonwealth, William Penn, who said:

Patience and diligence, like faith, remove mountains.

In my short time here in the Senate, I have found these words to be of comfort. At this moment, our circumstances and fellow countrymen require us to remove mountains and to do so with great haste.

I would also not be here today without the patience, love, and example of my parents Jim and Maryan. I am also so grateful for the love and encouragement and belief in me by my incredible wife Dina, who is in the Gallery today. She believed in me when few others did. Finally, Dina and I are both so grateful for the love and support of our amazing six daughters through two hard-fought campaigns.

I chose to rise today for the first time because something miraculous happened last week in Pittsburgh, the city that Dina and I are proud to call our home. In the middle of the so-called rust belt, President Trump, members of the Cabinet, the CEOs of the world's leading energy, technology, and investment companies, labor leaders, and political leaders from both parties came together at Carnegie Mellon University to commit over $90 billion in new investments--investments that affirm Pennsylvania's central role at the crossroads of America's energy and AI revolutions.

These projects announced at the inaugural Pennsylvania Energy and Innovation Summit will bring enormous benefits to communities across our great Commonwealth: new data centers and powerplants in Northeastern Pennsylvania, data centers and hydroelectric power in York and Lancaster Counties, new natural gas power capacity and production in Western Pennsylvania, and plans by Pittsburgh's iconic Westinghouse to begin constructing 10 large nuclear reactors by 2030.

For Pennsylvania workers, this will result in tens of thousands of jobs for skilled labor, including electricians and welders, steamfitters, machinists, and countless other trades, and many, many more indirect jobs supporting these projects will come to Pennsylvania's communities.

Perhaps most important, the significant media focus on the summit allowed Pennsylvania to tell its unique and compelling story to the world.

Last year, President Trump and I promised to make America energy dominant and to secure our Nation's AI leadership and to create jobs and opportunity for working families in Pennsylvania and across America during our campaigns. Last Tuesday, it was clear to all that we were delivering on all those promises.

These investments come at a defining moment not only for Pennsylvania but also for the future of our great Nation. Embracing the AI revolution and achieving energy dominance will require us to do something very special: once again build in the United States. In this process, we can revitalize the American dream for all Pennsylvanians and for all Americans by training and deploying workers across our economy, from the trades, to engineers, to our very finest scientists.

The stakes could not be higher. If the United States does not rise to this challenge, we risk putting our future in the hands of the Chinese Communist

Party, which seeks to dominate industries and technologies that will define the 21st century. This is a competition we must win, and it is a moment that demands leadership, sound policies, and, yes, bipartisanship--bipartisan cooperation to ensure our Nation's prosperity.

That is what this summit in Pittsburgh was all about--bringing the President and his team together with many leaders who can seize this moment, who can chart a course forward to build the infrastructure, the talent, and the technology required to lead America's next chapter of growth and opportunity.

I will come back to the significance of the summit in a few minutes, but let me step back for a moment and describe the journey that has brought me here today.

I am a seventh-generation Pennsylvanian from Washington County. I grew up in a small town called Bloomsburg--the majority leader visited--in Northeastern Pennsylvania. I spent my Friday nights on the wrestling mat in high school gyms from Shikellamy to Shickshinny, from Selinsgrove to Schuylkill Haven. I spent my summers baling hay and trimming Christmas trees with my high school buddies. Many of them are still close friends today.

This upbringing, like for so many generations of Pennsylvanians, taught me the timeless lessons of toughness, hard work, and resilience.

My senior year in high school, I was nominated to the U.S. Military Academy at West Point--the first kid from Bloomsburg to attend the Academy in decades. There, I learned the three words that General MacArthur called the rallying points for every cadet: ``duty, honor, country.''

Three years after graduating, I saw those words put into action when I deployed with the 82nd Airborne Division to Saudi Arabia and later Iraq during Operation Desert Storm.

Following the Army, I joined and eventually led a successful technology company in Pittsburgh. I served in several senior positions in the government at the intersection of national security and our economy. And I led, as CEO, one of the world's great global investment firms. But nothing--nothing--I have done in my life compares to the honor of serving as the 54th elected Senator from the Keystone State. I am also proud, following the great Senator from Rhode Island, to be the ninth Senator in American history who is a graduate of West Point.

I decided to enter the political arena because America is a superpower in peril. I gave up a successful business career because I could see that despite the strength and the spirit of the American people, our future is threatened by a cycle of stagnation and disillusionment and decline. The American dream is out of reach for far too many families in Pennsylvania. And the Chinese Communist Party is actively subverting America's economic and military power.

Breaking this cycle and focusing on the renewal of our Nation is the only way forward, and I felt a calling to try to do my part in fulfilling this mission.

During his campaign, President Trump uniquely grasped this challenge. He saw the struggling communities next to the shuttered steel mills along the Monongahela Valley on the outskirts of Pittsburgh, and he understood the devastation in small towns like Bloomsburg, where I grew up, 50 miles from Scranton. The Magee Carpet Mill once employed more than 2,000 workers, including the parents of many of my high school classmates, and is now occupied by a mere 200.

Like the President, our fellow citizens saw thousands of brave men and women who fought for two decades in the endless wars in the Middle East. Too many--too many--returned home with broken bodies or troubled minds, like Michael Wargo of Lehighton, the son of Dina's and my dear friends Michael and Sally. They lost Michael to suicide years after he returned from a tour in Afghanistan. I share their heartbreak--and I know many of you do, too--and disbelief that 18 veterans a day still take their own lives, every single day.

Finally, we all saw the wide-open southern border bringing millions of illegal immigrants into our towns and cities and violent crime and deadly fentanyl into our communities. More than 4,000 Pennsylvanians lose a loved one every year to a fentanyl overdose. One of those families is that of my good friend Blair County Sheriff Jim Ott, who lost his 33-year-old son Josh to the scourge of fentanyl.

Last year, I heard these concerns over and over and over again from my fellow Pennsylvanians in hundreds of campaign stops I made across the Commonwealth. And in November, the people spoke. Pennsylvania voters gave President Trump and me a mandate for change. They wanted a dramatic turnaround from 4 years of open border policies, soaring prices caused by reckless spending, and weak leadership on the world's stage that emboldened China, Russia, and Iran.

After only 6 months, the results speak for themselves. President Trump, with the support of this Congress, has made enormous progress. Illegal border crossings are at a record low, with more resources on the way. The One Big Beautiful Bill just delivered and made permanent the largest tax cut in history for working families. And the U.S. economic indicators across the board are getting better by the day.

We are making America safer. We are rebuilding our military. President Trump ordered a flawless attack on Iran's nuclear enrichment facilities so the mullahs can never wield a nuclear weapon. And we are working together to end the Russia-Ukraine war while preserving Ukraine as a free and independent country.

As a Senator, my job is to deliver for the people of Pennsylvania whether they voted for me or not. We are going to have some tough fights in this Chamber. This year, we already have had many. But when I look back on my time serving the people of Pennsylvania, I want to be able to tell my children and my grandchildren that I worked with anyone, regardless of their party, who shares the goal of delivering results and much needed change for Pennsylvania and our Nation.

That is why I appreciate my collaboration with my colleague and friend Pennsylvania senior Senator John Fetterman. Despite our differences, we found a way to work together on critical issues, such as fighting anti-Semitism at home and abroad.

In the months and years ahead, I hope to serve my constituents not only inside this Chamber through legislation, hearings, and votes but also outside this Chamber by using my platform, my voice, and my leadership to bring about meaningful change.

That is why I began today by talking about the Pennsylvania Energy and Innovation Summit. Our vision for the event came from a realization that Pennsylvania sits at the crossroads of America's energy and AI revolutions. Yet the key political, business, and labor leaders had never actually been brought together in one place to make things happen.

I highlight this summit not because it is the answer to all the problems we face but because it exemplifies the key ingredients that I believe we need as a country at this unique moment.

This moment demands bold, innovative leadership across the political spectrum to build coalitions--unique coalitions--required to tackle these challenges.

This moment--this moment--demands a willingness to discard conventional wisdom to improve the lives of our fellow countrymen.

This moment demands embracing partnerships between our Nation's public institutions and the private sector, where much of the innovation that is required is taking place.

This moment--this moment--demands urgency, moving at the speed that is necessary to overcome the obstacles facing working families each and every day that we all hear about when we are home in our States.

I have the privilege, the true privilege, of representing the birthplace of our Nation during its 250th year, but the Keystone State's special place in American history extends far beyond our Nation's birth.

In the summer of 1787, Philadelphia gave our young Nation new life at the Constitutional Convention. As Benjamin Franklin emerged from the convention, he famously said that the United States would be ``a Republic, if [we] can keep it.''

More than 100 miles to the west at Gettysburg, almost 100 years later, the

Civil War put Franklin's warning to the test. On that hallowed ground, Abraham Lincoln told his audience to be dedicated to the great task remaining before us--that task, of course, being the preservation of our Union.

Our Nation's history and Pennsylvania's history are full of such significant milestones, and today we face another make-or-break moment for America's future. I have seen our country at its best, as many of you have, from the brave men with whom I served in Iraq to the shopkeepers and the storekeepers along the streets of vibrant, small Pennsylvania towns, to the farmers whose plowed fields dot our Commonwealth's beautiful landscape, beautiful countryside.

I have witnessed firsthand our uniquely American ability to get to the edge of the cliff and to pull ourselves back in times and moments of national peril. We can do it again. A bright future can and should be ours, but it depends on what we do next. We must confront the difficult task ahead, while staying true to the values and ideals that have made America the last best hope of man on Earth.

And what I can say with certainty today, Mr. President, standing in this esteemed Chamber with so many friends, is that this Senator and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania can be counted on to do our part.

I yield the floor.

(Applause, Senators rising.)

Madam President, it is with great pleasure that I rise today to wish happy birthday to Malphine Fogel, who celebrated her 96th birthday on March 11.

Malphine is a native of Brady's Bend, PA, where she graduated from East Brady High School in 1947. She then worked at the local paper, the Butler Eagle, for many years as a proofreader. In 1957, she married her late husband Maurice L. ``Cubby'' Fogel, and she continued to work at the Butler Eagle while he finished his B.S. in economics at Grove City College. Malphine and Cubby made their home in Butler and raised three children.

Malphine demonstrated her strength and tenacity while fighting for her son Marc's release while he was wrongfully detained in Russia from 2021-2025. Malphine continues to inspire us every day, as she embodies what it means to be an outstanding Pennsylvanian.

I now ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing Malphine for all that she has accomplished and in wishing her a happy 96th birthday.

Mr. President, it is with great pleasure that I rise today to recognize Pennsylvania's own Jo Ann Verduce.

Starting as a young intern in the communications office for the Diocese of Scranton, she later met the late Sister Marian Denise Walsh, IHM, during the first capital campaign for St. Joseph's Center. Since first joining the St. Joseph's Center Auxiliary, she has spent over 20 years serving as the director of development for the center. As the daughter of Anthony and Josephine Verduce, she was born and raised in Archbald, PA. She lived in other States due to her father's work schedule in construction, which made her a pro at meeting new people across this great Nation. While she attended school in Florida and Hawaii, she graduated from Valley View High School and received a BA in communications and an MS in counselor education from Marywood University. Her deepfelt connection with the IHM Sisters of Marywood led her to a 19-year stretch in public relations for the university.

She is also involved with the Steamtown Marathon team of St. Joe's, and the Go Joe Bike Ride every July with WNEP meteorologist Joe Snedeker. She served on the board of the Scranton chapter of UNICO, promoting Italian heritage, and as president of the ladies auxiliary of the Scranton chapter of UNICO National. She is the president-elect of the Association of Fundraising Professionals NEPA Chapter and was featured in Happenings Magazine and as the Scranton Times Northeast Woman and NOW.

It is with great pride that I recognize the achievements of Jo Ann and bring the attention of Congress to this successful daughter of Pennsylvania; March 5, 2025.