Floor Statements

Mr. President, the last time that Congress passed a full farm bill was in 2018; that was 8 years ago, and that law expired in 2023. We should have passed a new bill by then, but Congress has only passed short-term extensions. A lot has changed over the past 8 years, and the farm economy looks vastly different.

To be frank, America's farmers and ranchers are struggling. Drought, high input costs and low yields have made it a very trying time.

I heard some of these concerns firsthand in August during a livestock roundtable in Crawford, NE. I also heard this at our State fair where I listened to ag producers from across our State.

These producers are in dire need of a modern farm bill, and we owe it to them--the people who feed, fuel, and clothe us all--to enact policies that promote stability and markets to sell their products.

I keep this goal front and center as a member of the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee. And I am proud to say that last week, we advanced the farm bill out of committee. We are one step closer to giving America's farmers and ranchers the long-term certainty that they need.

But I am disappointed in how long it took us to get there. You know, we first tried to move the farm bill in July. The Agriculture Committee took a vote, but it failed. Every Republican voted yes. Every single Democrat voted no. This was particularly disappointing given that this year's farm bill includes numerous priorities led by Democrats.

Republicans worked in good faith to include their legislation to help the producers in their States. I am proud of those bipartisan priorities in this bill. I worked with Chairman Boozman to build policies that support a safe, steady supply of food, fuel, and fiber.

Importantly, our bill also includes locking in permanent year-round E15. This is one of the most direct ways that Congress can provide relief without subsidies, by strengthening domestic demand for corn and ethanol.

We cannot continue to operate on the current waiver system. For 8 years now, we have needed a Presidential waiver for E15 to be sold during the summertime. And these waivers, they have been granted every year. But this uncertainty makes it harder for producers and retailers to invest and plan.

Permanent year-round E15, well, that would create a consistent, predictable market. It would allow farmers, ethanol plants, and fuel stations to operate with confidence.

Our biofuels producers and our retailers need that certainty. They deserve a stable market 12 months out of the year, and I have been fighting for this for over a decade. It is long overdue.

Unfortunately, there is a lot of misinformation out there circulating around E15. Let me be clear: This bill is not a government mandate. It simply gives fuel retailers the choice if they want to sell E15 at their gas station. And it also gives consumers a choice to fill up with E15 at the gas pump and to save some money.

The Environmental Protection Agency confirmed that E15 is completely safe in cars made in 2001 or later.

Let me repeat that. If you have a vehicle manufactured in 2001 or later, E15 can be used in your car. It does not hurt your engine.

So please, colleagues, public, quit saying that.

E15 expands domestic fuel options using American-grown corn. This reduces vulnerability to global supply

shocks. A more diverse energy mix of oil, gas, renewables, nuclear, and biofuels makes the United States harder to pressure, and it makes us more resilient in times of conflict and disruption.

In addition to E15, this year's farm bill includes my precision ag package, three bills that will help America's producers harness the full potential of precision agriculture. We need to make it more affordable for our farmers and ranchers to be able to access these cutting-edge tools.

In turn, we can help their operations become more productive, more efficient, and less resource intensive.

This farm bill also includes my legislation to prevent future food shortages in our Tribal nutrition programs. By incorporating input from Tribes on contracting decisions, we can strengthen this important resource for communities that depend upon it. And I was very, very happy to work with my Tribes in making sure that we got that included in this bill.

Additionally, I secured a provision to safeguard Federal conservation funds from being exploited by America's adversaries. This is going to protect U.S. taxpayers and our domestic manufacturers from being taken advantage of.

And, finally, I am very pleased to see my colleague Senator Ricketts' FENCE Act included, a bill that I cosponsored. Senator Ricketts' bill will give farmers and ranchers an opportunity to use virtual fencing as they build and recover from natural disasters, and this is especially helpful after the historic and devastating wildfires that blazed across Nebraska earlier this year.

All of these provisions are needed. Together, they make a 2026 farm bill a strong bipartisan legislation that truly serves our farmers, our ranchers, and rural Americans.

As a committee, we did the work. We agreed to include good bills from both Democrats and Republicans. We built strong bipartisan support for year-round E15. We offered a fair compromise on SNAP cost-share concerns.

We compromised on many items, and now we need to get this done. Let's pass the farm bill. Let's give America's farmers and ranchers the stability that they need.

To my colleagues, please, join me, and let's get this over the finish line.

I yield the floor.

Mr. President, I have six requests for committees to meet during today's session of the Senate. They have the approval of the Majority and Minority Leaders.

Pursuant to rule XXVI, paragraph 5(a), of the Standing Rules of the Senate, the following committees are authorized to meet during today's session of the Senate:

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to waive the mandatory quorum calls with respect to the Pozos and Traynor nominations.

I yield the floor.

Mr. President, reserving the right to object, I would like to say a few words about Senator Schumer's legislation on the Presidential airlift.

This has been discussed before, and it was voted down earlier this year as part of a vote-arama that we participated in.

Senator Schumer's legislation would prevent any funding to be used to modify a foreign aircraft for Presidential airlift. We made this point during the vote-arama. The Senator is trying to make a political point today, of course, about the VC-25 Bridge aircraft, which was made in America and then owned by Qatar.

Unfortunately, this legislation would also apply to a different aircraft, the Survivable Airborne Operations Center aircraft, or SAOC. Those aircraft were actually purchased from Korean Air. So this legislation would hamper a crucial program that ensures Presidential safety in the event of a nuclear war.

Thus, Senator Schumer's bill would significantly harm our U.S. nuclear deterrents. To be clear, the SAOC is the cornerstone of our NC3 modernization. This is the plane that will command and control our nuclear weapons on America's worst day.

We cannot play these political games with the NC3. So with that, I object.

Mr. President, Lindsey Graham, a friend, a colleague, and a tireless national security advocate. He was a true leader in strengthening our military and our country's defense, and I miss him dearly. I am so pleased that his sister Darline now serves here in this institution. She is carrying on his legacy and honoring his commitment to the people of South Carolina and to this country.

So I rise here today to, yes, pay tribute to Lindsey Graham, but to also call on my colleagues to help us carry on one of his greatest efforts: ending Putin's barbaric and unjust war against sovereign Ukraine.

For more than 4 years, the Ukrainian people have shown extraordinary resilience and resolve. They have defended their homeland with courage that has inspired the world.

In 2022, Putin thought he could seize eastern Ukraine in days. He thought he

could drag Europe back into the dark shadow of the Soviet Union. He thought that he would be feared and respected.

But he is neither strong nor powerful; he is a war criminal.

Putin has made clear his intentions to push beyond Ukraine and into NATO territory. Russian drones have encroached on Polish, Finnish, Lithuanian, Latvian, Estonian, and Romanian airspace. These were deliberate--deliberate--provocations to test NATO's resolve.

Putin seeks to push deeper into Europe to see just how far he can go before we push back. That is why the United States and our allies must raise the stakes through tougher sanctions and a stronger United States' deterrence posture along NATO's eastern flank.

I commend the Polish and Dutch, German, and the Italian Armed Forces for their swift and also their professional response in intercepting drones that could have killed innocent civilians during these incursions. Their actions remind us that NATO's strength lies in that unity and readiness.

President Trump has made clear that Europe must carry more of the burden for its own security. Poland, in particular, has answered that call, committing 5 percent of its GDP to defense. Other allies are stepping up as well.

This is the path forward, a stronger more capable NATO prepared to deter but also to defeat any threat. But make no mistake on this: Putin understands only one language, and that is power. The surest road to peace in Europe lies in NATO's strength and Ukraine's survival.

Yet, strength must also be economic. The Kremlin's war machine runs on money it makes from selling cheap oil and gas to countries like China and India and Brazil. Those nations, well, then they profit by turning around and reselling Russian energy at a markup, and that must end.

It is long overdue for the financial enablers of Russia's atrocities to pay a price. They cannot keep fueling Putin's war and expect business as usual with us, with the United States.

That is why Congress must pass the Sanctioning Russia Act. This legislation would impose mandatory sanctions on Russia's political leadership, financial institutions, energy sector, and sanctions evasion networks. By employing targeted tariffs, this policy would pressure the world's largest purchasers of Russian energy to reduce their dependence on Moscow.

This gives the President maximum flexibility to enforce these measures, ensuring both legal strength and political durability.

I am grateful to Senator Blumenthal who worked closely with Lindsey on this important bipartisan legislation, and I am encouraged to see him carry this effort forward.

I was proud to be an early supporter of the bill, and I am proud to support this updated version now. The Sanctioning Russia Act is the sledgehammer that we need, decisive economic pressure that cripples Putin's lifeline, and it hastens the day that his war with Ukraine is finally going to end.

Peace will not come from weakness or hesitation; it will come from strength--military, economic, and moral strength, welded together by the free nations of the world.

So I ask my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to join our broad coalition in supporting this bill. Let us carry on Lindsey's mission. Let us stand up to evil. Let us bring freedom and security to the people of Ukraine.

I yield the floor.

I suggest the absence of a quorum.

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

Mr. President, I rise today to discuss an issue that is near and dear to the State of Nebraska and to rural America, and that is the issue of closing the digital divide for unserved and underserved communities.

My husband Bruce and I raised our family on a cattle ranch near Valentine, NE, so I know what it means to

live in a community where reliable internet is a luxury--it is not a given--and I know the opportunities rural America is missing as a result, from education and telehealth to entrepreneurship and precision agriculture.

Over the past decade, Congress has provided tens of billions of dollars for hundreds of programs administered by more than a dozen Federal Agencies. The centerpiece of that investment was the BEAD Program--a more than $40 billion broadband deployment initiative included in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, and it was enacted into law nearly 5 years ago.

As part of that legislation, I worked in a bipartisan fashion with Senator Cortez Masto to create the Broadband Funding Map--an FCC tool that provides a public overview of broadband infrastructure deployment projects that are funded with Federal dollars. But now we must ask, are those dollars making a difference for the families, for the businesses, and for the communities that need them the most? The American people, Federal Agencies, and broadband providers deserve clarity so they can make informed decisions about where additional investment is needed. This will also help avoid duplicative Federal funding.

Since then, we have identified a need for fresh oversight of the FCC's management of this tool. That is why Senator Cortez Masto and I introduced the MAP for Broadband Funding Act. At its core, this bill is about accountability. It will strengthen oversight of the Federal Communications Commission and direct it to review how usable and accurate that map really is for the public and also for providers. It also tasks the Government Accountability Office with ensuring Federal Agencies are reporting information correctly. If the map is flawed, then the billions of dollars that are tied to it risk missing the mark.

I am proud that this bipartisan bill cleared the Senate Commerce Committee unanimously in February. Now it is time for the full Senate to pass it too. Americans will be better connected and better served because of it.

Mr. President, as if in legislative session and notwithstanding rule XXII, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of Calendar No. 407, S. 2585.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the committee-reported substitute amendment be agreed to and that the bill, as amended, be considered read a third time.

I know of no further debate on the bill, as amended.

I ask unanimous consent that the motion to reconsider be

considered made and laid upon the table.

I yield the floor.

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

Mr. President, earlier this month, on April 1, 2026, we marked the 80th anniversary of the end of the North Platte Canteen. Now, Nebraskans know this story, and today I rise to make sure that the U.S. Senate knows it as well.

During World War II, a small town in West Central Nebraska became famous all across the country. In 1941, a few local women began bringing desserts to the soldiers who were stopping at North Platte's train station, and that simple act of kindness grew into a waiting room that was filled with sandwiches and coffee and cakes, all donated by volunteers from surrounding communities.

From Christmas Day 1941 to April of 1946, these Nebraskans met every single train that came through with food and with friendship. Each day, up to 32 trains rolled in, carrying thousands of uniformed servicemembers. As the war raged on, support poured in from communities across that region of my State. In just 1 month, the canteen received around 40,000 cookies, 30,000 hard-boiled eggs, 6,900 birthday cakes, and 28 pounds of sandwich meat.

Over the course of the war, more than 6 million soldiers passed through this canteen. The people of North Platte gave encouragement to our country's bravest, providing warmth and kindness to those headed to the frontlines during one of the darkest periods in modern history. They gave our soldiers a small but meaningful taste of home and of hope. I like to call it the origin of the saying ``Nebraska Nice.''

The Lincoln County Historical Museum has preserved this history for decades, including letters written by soldiers who passed through that station. These letters speak for themselves. Allow me to share two.

One soldier, who was writing from Fort Warren in Cheyenne, reached out to a young woman named Virginia Schlueter after meeting her at the station. He reminded her of who he was by recalling that he and his fellow Ohioans had borrowed her lipstick to write down her address, and he noted that in 1,400 miles of travel, North Platte was the only town that had done a single thing for them.

Another soldier, Lyle Parks of Bay City, MI, wrote that most of the journey had been over flat, flat country, broken only by that one stop in North Platte. The town may not be large, he said, but the people there had big hearts and what they were doing was making a real difference for the morale of the men.

Those words were written by men on their way to war who were inspired by a small Nebraska town that simply decided to show up.

The North Platte Canteen was a remarkable volunteer effort. More than 55,000 people, nearly all of them women, kept it running, and those volunteers raised over $137,000. That is worth more than $2 million today. I am proud to say that one of those women was my mom, Florence Strobel. She was a new teacher. She moved from Lincoln to North Platte to teach kindergarten during the fall of 1944. She hadn't graduated yet from Teachers College at the University of Nebraska, but the dean of the college came up to her and said: North Platte needs a kindergarten teacher, Florence, so you better go. So she went out, and she proudly served among those canteen volunteers.

She would tell us wonderful stories of her time there greeting ``the boys'' on the troop trains and the wonderful volunteers that she met at the station. Her stories are part of why I am standing here today.

In honor of all of those 55,000 volunteers, I introduced the North Platte Canteen Congressional Gold Medal Act, and this bill would award a collective Congressional Gold Medal to every individual and community who volunteered at or donated to the canteen. This is the highest honor that Congress can bestow upon civilians. I am proud to have 53 cosponsors, and I ask my colleagues to join us as we work toward that 67 number that is needed for passage.

Eighty years later, the North Platte Canteen still speaks of something essential about who we are as Americans--no fanfare, no orders, just neighbors deciding that the men and women that were heading out to war deserved a warm meal, a kind word, and a piece of home.

I ask my colleagues to help us give these volunteers the place in American history that they have long deserved.

I yield the floor.

I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. President, I rise today to honor U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Joshua Haynes.

As an Air Force Senate legislative liaison officer, from 8 December 2023 to 30 June 2026, Josh performed his duties without reservation supporting the 118th and 119th Congresses. A 23-year veteran who rose from an enlisted Security Forces specialist to a master nuclear and missile operations officer, Josh has consistently proven his exceptional airmanship. He served as the coalition coordination cell chief during his deployment to Qatar last year, where he responded to an Iranian ballistic missile attack. Disregarding all personal risk, his immediate and decisive warning ensured U.S. and coalition partners found shelter, saving countless lives. He then orchestrated the post- attack explosive ordnance disposal response, which resulted in zero casualties and a swift return to full operational capability for the base.

Lieutenant Colonel Haynes further distinguished himself through his professionalism and dedication by serving as an Air Force legislative liaison to the Senate. In this role, he advised Department of the Air Force senior leaders and helped develop strategic engagement opportunities to advance U.S. Air Force and U.S. Space Force priorities. His leadership facilitated seamless collaboration across 64 congressional offices, serving as the principal Air Force liaison to 21 Senators and their respective staffs. He supported 219 engagements and delegations for 10 members of the Senate Armed Service Committee and their staff to showcase the Department's equities within the United States and abroad. Notably, Josh spearheaded initiatives within the Air Force's headquarters to effectively bridge the information gap between Members of Congress and the service branch.

Josh's direct support led to the successful execution of countless Senate confirmations, posture, and subcommittee hearings, all while managing 138 congressional requests and 21 briefings that shaped and advanced legislative priorities. Additionally, Josh's commitment to enhancing global partnership was evident during 17 congressional and staff delegation trips planned and executed under his leadership. These trips supported the Air Force Caucus, State delegations, key Senate committees, and our allies and partners. Through these interactions, he strengthened international collaboration and cultivated relationships crucial for advancing shared defense priorities while showcasing select Department of the Air Force equities. His involvement and oversight enabled Members of Congress to make informed decisions to equip our warfighters with the necessary authorities and resources from the Department of the Air Force.

Finally, Josh organized engagements with Congress and international partners, driving congressional representation at Poland's inaugural $4.6 billion F-35 rollout, strengthening U.S.-Poland partnerships, and supporting NATO defense cooperation. He led briefings and operational visits that resulted in legislation for improved missile defense and Indo-Pacific power projection. Josh's efforts led to numerous successful engagements between this body, current and former administration officials, senior military leaders, industry executives, technology innovators, and thought leaders. These interactions helped Senators and their staff advance our shared goal of peace through strength.

Next, Lieutenant Colonel Haynes will move on to serve as the commander of Air Force ROTC Detachment 600 at East Carolina University in Greenville, NC. Josh and his wife Amanda have instilled a legacy of service for their three children: Morgan, Bridger, and Landrey. They have sacrificed much as a family in service to our Nation. I am thankful for Josh's service--along with his work with my office and the Senate--over the past 2 years. Please join me in saluting this American patriot's many contributions to our great Nation.

Madam President, only U.S. citizens should be voting in U.S. elections. That is not a controversial statement; that is common sense. And Republicans believe in that statement. We believe we need to protect voting in our elections. But I think our colleagues on the other side of the aisle want to make those elections less secure. This is against the will of most Americans and against the will of their own voters.

The SAVE America Act is simple: It requires proof of citizenship to register to vote and requires a photo ID when you go to cast a ballot. Common sense. It has overwhelming public support, but Democrats stand in opposition.

The polling numbers are clear. A recent CBS News poll shows that 80 percent of Americans support requiring a photo ID to vote, and that includes 65 percent of Democrats. A Pew Research Center poll finds that 83 percent of voters support photo ID at the polls, and that includes 71 percent of Democrats. Sixty-six percent of Americans support requiring documents showing proof of citizenship in order to register to vote.

Proof of citizenship is required when you apply for government benefits. It is required when you join the military. Every single job in this country requires new hires to fill out a form I-9 proving they are eligible to work here. Americans show photo ID to drive a car, to pick up their kids early from school, to check into a hotel, to purchase cold medicine at the pharmacy, to board a plane, and to get a library card. If we expect this of Americans in these instances, why on Earth shouldn't we expect it when they vote?

We have applied this program in my home State of Nebraska. In 2023, Nebraska adopted a law through the voter-driven initiative process requiring voters to provide an ID with their name and photo when they vote. There are a lot of acceptable forms of ID in Nebraska: a driver's license, a State ID card, a U.S. passport, a military ID, a Tribal ID. My State of Nebraska found a sensible way to verify voters' identity without restricting access for eligible voters. In fact, Nebraskans can get an ID and a certified copy of their birth certificate at no cost if they don't have one.

Here in Washington, Democrats have spent the past few weeks waffling on this issue. In fact, Senator Schumer recently announced that Democrats do support voter ID. You know, that is great. Vote for it.

My colleague Senator Husted, a former chief election official in his home State of Ohio, decided to take Senator Schumer at his word.

He offered a clean, basic photo ID bill, just a simple requirement to show voter ID at the polls: a driver's license, a military ID, a Tribal ID, or a passport.

Well, guess what happened? The Democrats blocked it. They are completely unserious on this issue. They are out of step with the majority of Americans. The stakes couldn't be higher. America's election integrity is on the line. The SAVE America Act is a commonsense solution, proof of citizenship to register and photo ID to vote.

Every Democrat will be put on the record, and the American people will be watching. I urge my colleagues to support the SAVE America Act.

I yield the floor.

Mr. President, my home State of Nebraska is currently facing devastating wildfires, the worst in our State's history. Yesterday, I, along with Senator Ricketts, Congressman Adrian Smith, and our Governor Jim Pillen welcomed U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins to Nebraska so that she could meet firsthand with responders and ag producers who have experienced incredible damage.

Across the State, more than 800,000 acres and counting have burned, turning grasslands to ash. We saw this firsthand up close. Family farms and ranchers have watched hundreds of miles of fences burn. They have done everything they can to protect their livestock.

The coming weeks and months will be difficult. Fences will need to be rebuilt. Grazing plans will need to change. Entire seasons of work will likely need to be reconsidered.

While recovery will be difficult, we should do everything in our power to ensure that disaster recovery programs at the USDA can support our farmers and ranchers during this difficult time.

It was feedback from ag producers in previous years' wildfires that led me to introduce my bipartisan Emergency Conservation Program Improvement Act. The goal of this legislation is to expedite Federal cost sharing following these natural disasters, just like the wildfires burning across Nebraska right now.

My bill would ensure that the Emergency Conservation Program eligibility can be triggered faster in response to a wildfire and provide flexibility for the producers completing the rehabilitative work.

In times of crisis, Nebraskans deserve relief, not additional burdens. The Emergency Conservation Program's current distribution system, well, it too often fails to provide the support it was designed to offer. We need to streamline the recovery process so we can restore agricultural land more quickly following emergencies like these tragic wildfires.

This legislation won't solve all the challenges Nebraska's producers are facing, but it would meaningfully improve this disaster recovery program.

That is why I am asking my colleagues to join my bipartisan effort to improve the Emergency Conservation Program. This is a bipartisan piece of legislation that has already passed through the Senate and the House Ag Committees in various packages.

Farmers and ranchers not only in Nebraska but all across America will have more security and stability because of it.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry be discharged from further consideration of S. 629 and the Senate proceed to its immediate consideration.

Mr. President, 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.

I yield the floor.

Mr. President, I rise today to pay special tribute to Marilyn Mitchell of Norfolk, NE. Marilyn's dedication to music and the arts has enriched the cultural life of communities across our State, made evident by the Norfolk Arts Center naming its art gallery in her honor.

Marilyn graduated from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln School of Music in 1954 with a degree in music education and piano performance. She began her career teaching music in the public school system in Imperial, NE. In 1959, Marilyn and her family moved to Norfolk, NE, where she established a private studio teaching piano and organ. For more than three decades, Marilyn instructed and mentored students, shaping young musicians and leaving a lasting artistic impact on her community.

Marilyn also faithfully served as organist and music director at the First Congregational Church of Norfolk for 25 years. During that time, she founded a junior choir, adult choir, and handbell choir, bringing music to life for congregants of all ages. She shared her talents widely, playing for countless weddings, funerals, civic events, and community performances throughout Nebraska. She was also an enthusiastic supporter of Norfolk's Crimson Cadets Drum and Bugle Corps.

Beyond her musical contributions, Marilyn played a vital leadership role in strengthening Nebraska's arts institutions. She served for 18 years on the board of the Norfolk Arts Center, including 7 years as president. During her tenure, Marilyn provided the vision and leadership that resulted in the construction of a new $1.8 million arts center, dedicated in 2000. With its galleries, classrooms, and sculpture garden, the center continues to serve as a cornerstone of arts and culture in northeast Nebraska.

Marilyn's commitment to the arts also extended statewide and beyond. In 1989, she was appointed to the Nebraska Arts Council by Kay Orr and later reappointed by Ben Nelson. During her service, she promoted arts programming throughout the State. Under her leadership at the Norfolk Arts Center, the center's programming received national recognition from the National Endowment for the Arts.

Marilyn Mitchell's lifelong commitment to music, education, and cultural leadership has left an indelible mark on Nebraska. I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing Marilyn Mitchell for her extraordinary contributions to the arts and to the people of Nebraska.

Mr. President, I want to begin with a moment of solemn gratitude. Yesterday, we received devastating news. U.S. Army SFC Noah Tietjens of Bellevue, NE, was killed in Kuwait during an unmanned aircraft system attack while supporting Operation Epic Furry.

He was assigned to the 103rd Sustainment Command out of Des Moines, IA. Sergeant Tietjens enlisted in the Army Reserve in 2006 as a wheeled vehicle mechanic. He gave two decades of his life to this country, deploying to Kuwait in 2009 and again in 2019--always answering the call, always showing up.

His record of service speaks for itself. Sergeant Tietjens earned the Meritorious Service Medal, the Army Commendation Medal, the Army Achievement Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary and Service Medals, the Iraq Campaign Medal with Campaign Star, the Army Service Ribbon, Overseas Service Ribbon, and the Armed Forces Reserve Medal with ``M'' Device.

Each ribbon and each medal marks a chapter of life poured out in service to something larger than himself. We honor Sergeant Tietjens today, and we hold his family, his unit, and all who loved him in our hearts.

In addition to Sergeant Tietjens, five other American heroes did not come home. All six of these servicemembers gave their last full measure of devotion in service to this country, and we will never forget them. To their families--their mothers, their fathers, their spouses, their children--a grateful nation stands with you and prays for you. May they rest in eternal peace.

Iran

Mr. President, last week, President Trump made a decisive call to strike at the world's leading State sponsor of terrorism. The Iranian regime is responsible for the death of hundreds of Americans and continued to pose unacceptable threats to this country--to the United States.

Our brave men and women in uniform carried out Operation Epic Furry with courage, precision, and unwavering commitment to protecting this Nation and to protecting the world from one of its greatest threats. Because of their valor, Iran's ability to project force and project terror throughout the region has been significantly degraded, and their nuclear ambitions have been devastated.

But the threat does not end with the strikes this weekend. Iran's terrorist proxy networks are already embedded in our hemisphere, in part because of years of open border policies that left this country dangerously exposed.

Department of Homeland Security

Mr. President, the risk of a terror attack on American soil has gone up, and our Department of Homeland Security, it is shut down--not understaffed, not underfunded--it is shut down, for 19 days and counting.

This Agency was created on September 11, 2001, for one purpose: to make sure that we never again suffer a catastrophic attack on our homeland. DHS, they guard our airports; it responds when hurricanes and wildfires devastate our communities; it defends our power grids, our water systems, and our financial networks from foreign adversaries who seek to bring us to our knees. And right now, well, this critical Agency is crippled.

Sixty-one thousand TSA employees are working without pay, including 42,000 screeners who are standing at security checkpoints in airports around this country at this very moment. They are screening your bags; they are checking your boarding passes; they are doing their jobs with professionalism--all while not knowing how they are going to pay their rent, how they are going to feed their children, or how they are going to keep their lights on.

This is not just unfair; this is a disgrace. Two-thirds of CISA, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, has been furloughed. The people whose sole job is to protect our power grids, to protect our hospitals, our financial networks from Chinese and Iranians and Russian cyber attacks, they have been sent home.

FEMA's emergency response capacity is totally disrupted.

The Coast Guard, the Coast Guard is unfunded.

The Secret Service is strained.

And every single day that this drags on, the window for a catastrophic attack on this country--on American soil--it opens up a little wider. It is these organizations that are bearing the brunt of this government shutdown.

So I would ask my Democratic colleagues--I will ask them directly-- why? Republicans have put forward a counterproposal. The ball--well, it is in Senator Schumer's court; and so far, do you know what? We all know what. He has chosen politics. He has chosen politics over protecting American people.

Well, let me be clear about where Republicans stand. We will not accept any agreement that ties the hands of Federal law enforcement. We will not accept provisions designed to obstruct immigration enforcement. We have been ready to fully fund the Department of Homeland Security and get every one of those 61,000 workers back to doing the jobs that keep this country safe.

Mr. President, let me close with this: Six Americans just gave their lives to make this world safer. The very least we can do is ensure that the Agencies defending our homeland here at home have the funding, the personnel, and the operational capacity to do their job.

To my colleagues across the aisle: End this shutdown, fund our Department of Homeland Security, and stop holding our national security hostage.

To the American people: Know that there are those of us who will not stop fighting until every Agency charged with protecting this homeland is fully funded, fully staffed, and fully focused on our safety because that above all else is our most basic responsibility.

God bless our fallen heroes. God bless every servicemember still in harm's way. God bless the United States of America.

I yield the floor.

Mr. President, I am here today to talk about the recent progress made by the U.S. Senate. We have officially passed 11 of the 12 government funding bills, and I am hopeful that my Democrat colleagues will come to a reasonable agreement so that we can get the Homeland Security funding bill over the finish line soon.

It is essential that we get this bill passed for FEMA funding, for our TSA agents, for our Coast Guard officers, and for our Nation's cyber security. That is all part of this bill. In fact, I think it is about 80, 85 percent of this bill. But first and foremost, funding the Federal Government is Congress' most basic responsibility, and it is also the most important. When Congress fails to do that job, the consequences reach beyond Washington. The harmful impacts include delayed services, uncertainties for families and businesses, and eroded trust in government.

Our recent progress stands in sharp contrast to where we were just a few years ago. This body had not passed a single government funding bill in this Chamber before August, and that was since 2018. And that failure was not accidental. Under the previous Democrat majority leader, Senator Schumer, the Senate was repeatedly blocked from holding full votes on appropriations bills. That approach was unacceptable to many Members on both sides of the aisle.

It was not until just over a year ago when we elected Senator John Thune as majority leader that this body recommitted itself to doing the work. Under Leader Thune's leadership, the Senate is once again advancing funding bills through what we call regular order.

We are restoring transparency. We are restoring accountability, and we are restoring deliberation to the appropriations process. I am grateful to Leader Thune for bringing these bills to the floor, and I look forward to continuing our work to pass the remaining measure and responsibly fund our government.

In addition to keeping the government open, passing funding bills, it is an opportunity to bring back Nebraska tax dollars that we send to Washington every single year. To do this, my team works really closely with localities back home. We make sure to get their

input on how their Federal tax money is spent.

In the funding bills that we passed thus far, I am proud to have secured millions of dollars in critical investments for the State of Nebraska. One of my top priorities was securing critical funds for Offutt Air Force Base in the Defense appropriations bill. In total, we obtained $83 million for the United States Strategic Command, the 55th Wing, and the 557th Weather Wing--all of those are based at Offutt.

These funds are going to strengthen national security, and they are going to enhance Nebraska's role in that.

In the agriculture and rural development funding bill, I secured $16 million for the USDA's Agricultural Research facility at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. This investment will support research that benefits Nebraska producers and strengthens American agriculture.

In the Commerce-Justice-Science funding bill, I secured over $7 million for radio communications and equipment upgrades for Nebraska law enforcement. Nearly a dozen counties reached out to my office asking for help replacing outdated systems and gear. With these upgrades, officers will be able to communicate, and they will be able to respond faster. And this will improve safety for both our first responders and also the communities that they serve.

I also worked to secure $8.8 million in the Interior and Environment funding bill. These funds are going to be used to upgrade aging water treatment plants and sewer systems in McCook, Greeley, Farwell, Gothenburg, Genoa, Shelby, Valparaiso that were beginning to require really costly repairs--taxpayer dollars going home.

These projects are going to help secure safe drinking water and sustainable infrastructure for residents across these counties.

And after the EPA deemed the Santee Sioux Nation's water source ``not consumable,'' I secured $8.25 million to deliver safe drinking water to that Tribe. This is a necessity that no community should be without.

Finally, in the Energy and Water Development bill, we had $14.6 million so that we can restore irrigation tunnels on the Gering-Fort Laramie Canal. This need was identified after a catastrophic tunnel collapse that left 55,000 acres of farmland without reliable irrigation. Now this investment will protect regional economic stability and reduce financial pressure on local ag producers.

These projects, they reflect what I believe Federal funding should do: listen, work with localities so that we can invest in practical needs that improve daily lives. It is imperative that elected officials continue to have influence over this process. We really cannot leave these decisions to unelected bureaucrats in Washington who don't know where McCook, NE, is, who don't know the issues facing the Santee Sioux Nation, who don't understand where Greeley is, where Gothenburg is--and some, probably, where Omaha or Lincoln are.

Just as important in bringing Federal tax dollars back home, it is providing that tax relief to Nebraska taxpayers. Many of these projects would otherwise fall on our local property taxes, which are considered very high in the State of Nebraska. It will shift the burden onto families, farmers, and small businesses. So when we can fund these priorities with Federal dollars that Nebraskans have already sent to Washington, it provides a major boost for our communities, and it is also a shining example of responsible government.

I am proud of the significant progress that this body has made under Senator Thune's leadership. We are finally restoring regular order, transparency, and accountability to the government funding process.

This is a win for Nebraskans, and it is a win for all Americans.

I yield the floor.