Floor Statements

Mr. President, I spoke on this topic last week, but there is just so much more to talk about this week. This is about the important work that President Trump and Elon Musk and the other folks at DOGE are doing to save taxpayer dollars.

Just this past week, DOGE canceled contracts within NIH, including $75,000 for researching and studying structural racism; $620,000 for an LGB+ teen pregnancy prevention program for transgender boys--let me repeat that because it is hard to follow: an LGB+ teen pregnancy prevention program for transgender boys--$699,000 for studying cannabis use among sexual minority, gender-diverse individuals; $740,000 for examining social networks among Black and Latino sexual minority men in New Jersey; $50,000 for assessing sexual health among LGBTQ+ Latinx youth in an agricultural community.

The State Department, with Secretary of State Rubio, are canceling 83 percent of the programs under USAID. What is being cut: $4 million for engineering services in Liberia, $1.1 million for an online climate change tool, $4 million for assessing primary education in Kenya, and much, much more.

And at the EPA, Secretary Zeldin canceled over 400 DEI and environmental justice grants across 9 grant programs that total $1.7 billion, bringing the EPA's total savings to over $2 billion.

And wait until you hear this: According to reports from the Daily Wire, $2 billion in funding was directed toward a group called Power Forward Communities. Who runs Power Forward Communities? That would be Stacey Abrams.

And let me just opine, just for a second, on why my Democratic colleagues on the other side are so nervous about all this DOGE stuff. It is because of this racket that has been used to launder taxpayer dollars to their buddies and their leftwing, radical groups. The gravy train is stopping, and it is terrifying to them.

But to normal people, in real America, they think this stuff is crazy. And, finally, we have somebody in the Oval Office with a team that can root this stuff out. So keep going. We are just getting started with this stuff, and we will be back next week with more ridiculous things that the Democrats want funded with your taxpayer dollars.

I yield the floor.

Mr. President, I rise to bring attention to the cost- cutting efforts of President Trump and DOGE. A lot has been said about DOGE's work in the media in the last month. The truth is, DOGE is working tirelessly to cancel grants and funding that taxpayers absolutely should not be footing the bill for. I want the American people to know exactly what some of these ridiculous funding items are so here are a few examples from the last couple of weeks.

At NIH, DOGE identified these grants for cancelation this week and last: $532,000 to ``use a mouse model to investigate the effects of cross-sex testosterone treatment''; $33,000 to test feminizing hormone therapy in the male rat; $120,000 for personalized 3D avatar tool development focused on gender identities; $160,000 for researching radicalized sexual discrimination among ``young sexual minority men of color''; $241,000 for an intervention to promote healthy relationships among transgender and gender expansive youth''; $1.3 million for transforming health for gender-diverse young adults.

DOGE also canceled grants at the Inter-American Foundation that included $903,811 for alpaca farming in Peru; $364,500 to reduce social discrimination of recyclers in Bolivia; $813,210 for vegetable gardens in El Salvador; $323,633 to promote cultural understanding of Venezuelan migrants in Brazil; $731,105 to improve marketability of mushrooms and peas in Guatemala; $677,342 to expand fruit and jam sales in Honduras; $483,345 to improve artisanal salt production in Ecuador; and $39,250 for beekeeping in Brazil.

DOGE and EPA are cutting ridiculous grants funding at EPA, which includes the Vermont-based Institute for Sustainable Communities, which has yet to receive $12.4 million of the $16 million it was promised under two separate Biden-era grants to serve as the National Environmental Justice Thriving Communities Technical Assistance Center.

Another group losing funding was the San Diego State University Foundation, which was tapped to help bring ``environmental justice'' to ``underserved Tribal, Indigenous, and Pacific island communities'' and has yet to receive $4.2 million of its $5.1 million in grants.

DOGE is also looking to cut ridiculous DEI programs in the Department of Education. One grant was reportedly funding the training for teachers to ``engage in ongoing learning and self-reflection to confront their own biases and racism and develop asset-based anti- racist mindsets.''

Additionally, according to DOGE, 4.6 million government credit cards resulted in $40 billion in spending last year alone.

President Trump and DOGE are saving your taxpayer dollars. Tune back next week for more updates.

I yield the floor.

Mr. President, I rise today to argue for a swift and decisive confirmation of Elbridge Colby as Under Secretary of Defense for Policy.

It is common today to hear leaders in the foreign policy establishment talk of upholding the rules-based international order and promoting liberal values and norms. What is much less common is to hear anyone talk about tangible, concrete American interests. Mr. Colby is a welcome exception. He believes that America is a real, concrete nation and people with real, concrete interests and that the fundamental purpose of our foreign policy is to protect and advance those interests.

For the past 30 years, American foreign policy has lurched from disaster to disaster. To be a friend of the reigning consensus is to be an advocate of the same failed ideas that led us to spend trillions of dollars and countless young Americans' lives for causes and conflicts that were not ours, while leaving us woefully unprepared for the ones that are.

America does not need more of the same. What America needs is a new approach, a new strategy, a new philosophy of strength for the 21st century. That is what Elbridge Colby will deliver.

No one could argue that Mr. Colby isn't qualified for this role. He spent well over 20 years working in defense and foreign policy, serving in the Department of State, the Department of Defense, and various national security positions at different think tanks.

He served faithfully in the first Trump administration as the Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Strategy and Force Development, where he was the lead author of the 2018 National Defense Strategy. From there, he founded a think tank, the Marathon Initiative, and wrote a book called the ``Strategy of Denial'' outlining his vision for confronting the true geopolitical challenge of our time: deterring--and if necessary, defeating--the threats posed by a rising China.

President Trump's decision to nominate Mr. Colby to this position was not a mistake. It was intentional. This administration wants to carry out a fundamental and long-overdue reorientation of our Nation's foreign policy, and Elbridge Colby is a critical component of that mission.

The media tells us that he is controversial. Why? Well, he believes that our foreign policy must prioritize our core interests, and that means that we can't be everywhere at once, doing everything all the time. His critics say that makes him weak. In reality, it is exactly the opposite. The quickest and most certain path to weakness is to waste our blood and treasure on Wilsonian adventurism abroad as the real threats and enemies of America grow unchecked. For years, Mr. Colby has been one of the lone voices in the foreign policy establishment with a real and viable vision for American strength.

It is true that Mr. Colby believes that the Iraq war was a mistake. He does not believe that a hot war with Iran would serve America's long-term interests. He believes that a costly and unwinnable proxy war in Ukraine is an obstacle to our ability to rebuild our military and revitalize our industrial base here at home and that our European allies must step up and do more to defend their own continent as the United States transitions to our focus in the Indo-Pacific. On all of these things, the decisive majority of Americans are on his side even if the foreign policy establishment isn't.

The political class in this city must come to terms with the fact that the world most of us grew up in no longer exists. President Trump intends to drag this city--kicking and screaming if necessary--into the 21st century. That is what we saw at the White House last week--a new foreign policy centered around uncompromising and unapologetic pursuit of the interests of the American people.

Mr. Colby will play a key role in that project, and I look forward to watching him serve as our next Under Secretary of Defense for Policy.

I yield the floor.

Mr. President. I rise today to honor Rick Barnes of Doolittle, MO, for his service to his neighbors and the State by a simple act of kindness.

On March 8, 2024, Stella Typaldos and her two young children were on the way to St. Louis to attend a family gathering. As Stella was driving eastbound on I-44, near Fort Leonard Wood, she hit a massive pothole that popped her tire and left her and her children stranded. Rick Barnes, a firefighter with the Doolittle Rural Fire Protection District, was driving west on I-44 when he saw Stella's car stranded on the other side of the highway. Barnes didn't hesitate to turn around and stop to help her. He drove Stella and her children to a nearby auto shop to purchase a new tire and help install it. Barnes began his firefighting career 7 years ago when he was 60 years old, and his desire to help his fellow Missourians when they are in need is inspirational.

Rick Barnes is truly a Champion of Missouri. He went above and beyond to support his fellow Missourians, and I am grateful for his commitment to helping our community. I wish him the best as he continues to serve at the Doolittle Rural Fire Protection District.

Mr. President. I rise today to honor Deputy Markus Burns of Benton County, MO, for his selfless act of bravery and continued service to the State.

As heavy storms came on April 29, 2024, Benton County Sheriff's Deputy Markus Burns responded to reports of a woman crying for help inside Deer Creek. Without knowledge of her whereabouts or regard for his own safety, Deputy Burns quickly shed his gear and entered the chest-deep water. Following the screams, Deputy Burns discovered a woman clinging to a tree for dear life. Deputy Burns quickly convinced the woman to let go of her anchor, allowing the current to safely bring the woman to his position. Thanks to Deputy Burns' quick thinking and rapid response, another Missourian made it home safe.

Deputy Burns is truly a Champion of Missouri. The selfless actions taken by Deputy Burns on that fateful day demonstrate not only a dedicated officer, but a true, American hero. For that, we are forever thankful. I wish him the best as he continues to grow in his career in the Benton County Sheriff's Office.

Mr. President, I rise today to honor Officer Dana Byerley of Sparta, MO, for her timely and heroic act of service to save the life of an infant.

The Short family welcomed their youngest daughter Bristol in July 2022. They soon discovered that she had cystic fibrosis (CF) and would need various medications every day to help her breathe and give her as normal a life as possible. The Short family is dedicated to creating as many life-giving memories as they can, so they attended the Persimmons Day Festival at the Roller Park in Sparta, MO, in October 2024. While at the festival, Bristol's mother Miranda noticed that her lips were turning blue and her body was going limp. They urgently searched for help among the crowd and reserve officer Dana Byerley quickly came to their aid. Officer Byerley performed mouth-to-mouth until Bristol was revived and the emergency medical services could arrive to bring her to the nearest hospital. The doctors and nurses at Mercy Hospital were able to attend to Bristol and treat her so she was well enough to travel to her CF hospital in Columbia, MO, where she remained and made a full recovery.

Dana Byerley is truly a Champion of Missouri. Her willingness to help and quick thinking kept little Bristol alive; now, she is a thriving and happy toddler. I commend Officer Byerley for her service to her fellow Missourians and wish her all the best with the Sparta Police Department.

Mr. President, I rise today to talk about the impressive pace by which this body is confirming President Trump's nominees to important Cabinet positions, to fulfill his agenda and his promises to the American people.

I think it is important to take a step back. November is a few months now in the rearview mirror, but President Trump completed the greatest political comeback in American history.

The Democrats did everything they could, including trying to jail him and bankrupt his family, to prevent him from stepping foot in the Oval Office--never again.

Well, guess what. On January 20, as we stood in that Rotunda, he completed that journey back--a journey that was highlighted by a reform agenda.

So what we see happening right now that the legacy media and my Democrat friends are losing their minds on every day was every single thing that he talked about: securing our border, being energy dominant, restoring accountability back in government, restoring our place on the world stage, after 4 years of humiliation, 4 years of lawlessness.

And just to give a few examples that the Supreme Court weighed in on, the student loan debt forgiveness scam--President Biden had no ability to do that. And I do find it interesting that my Democrat colleagues are, all of a sudden, talking about things that Presidents can and can't do.

Imperial Biden, with a stroke of his pen, tried to wipe out half a trillion dollars' worth of student loan debt. They were sued. I actually happened to file that lawsuit as attorney general of Missouri, and we won at the Supreme Court because the Supreme Court said: You can't do it.

Do you know what Joe Biden's response was? ``Yeah, I don't really care about that.'' He kept trying to do it, and then he would get struck down over and over with each failed attempt.

He tried to force a vaccination, the COVID shot, on 100 million Americans through OSHA. An Agency that was created to make sure forklifts beep when they back up was suddenly now forcing a medical procedure on a third of the country.

The censorship enterprise directed Agencies to coordinate, collude, coerce with Big Tech companies to silence conservative speech.

This all happened in 4 years, and the American people sat in a jury box and watched all this. They saw it play out. They didn't want to become a banana republic. They didn't want lawfare to be weaponized to take out political opponents. And President Trump won the popular vote, including sweeping all of the battleground States.

So now here we are with an opportunity for real reform. Some of those people are already in place. Pete Hegseth was already confirmed--I sit on the Armed Services Committee, along with Mr. President up here--and he promised to get rid of DEI. He is doing that. He promised to really, really focus in on China. He is doing that. He has talked about procurement reform. Our first hearing under Chairman Wicker was about procurement reform.

We have some serious issues to get at, but DEI is poison. It has hurt recruiting. It divides the room, has no place in our military. It doesn't have any place in our government at all, which is why I filed legislation this week to just get rid of all of it writ large across the government. It is discriminatory. It is divisive. And I think actually now the fever has broke. People see it, and there is an opportunity for reform.

Pam Bondi, who was confirmed yesterday and was just sworn in, was an excellent pick. I spoke on the Senate floor last night about why. I won't get into that all again, but we come from AG world. She is incredible, she is smart, she is respected, and she is going to restore credibility to the Department of Justice.

There are a couple more people I just want to mention to highlight I think why the American people are very excited about the reform that is happening.

We had the hearing of Kash Patel last week in the Judiciary Committee. I expect him to get confirmed as well.

The FBI was weaponized against its own citizens to score political points and to settle debts. It went after traditional Catholics. I happen to be Catholic. It went after traditional Catholics, set up a spy network. Because of the religious affiliation of another American, the FBI spied on them and viewed them as domestic terrorists because they went to Latin mass.

They also went after parents who had the audacity to show up at a school board meeting because they didn't like critical race theory in their classrooms. They were home during COVID. They saw what was happening. They didn't like it. They showed up to school board meetings. The teachers union complained. Joe Biden sent the guards out. Merrick Garland used the FBI to go after parents.

Then, of course, there is the lawfare that we saw against President Trump.

So Kash Patel is going to come in. He has a big job. The trust for the FBI is at an alltime low. It has plummeted. You can hardly argue with the reasons why. I laid out just a few. But, again, somebody that is going to come in and clean up.

Then the last person I want to mention, because there are a lot of great nominees--and to the credit of Leader Thune, we will have gotten to I think 13 maybe by the end of this week, which is the pace that we used to be on before the last 8 years or so, back to the Obama years, when the President actually could get his team in place--is Russ Vought to be OMB Director.

For those in the Gallery and those folks watching at home, the Office of

Management and Budget deals with a lot of sort of the tentacles inside of government, where the wheels kind of turn, and you also get a glimpse of the opportunities to save money that have been neglected for far, far too long. We are $36 trillion in debt. We are going to have an opportunity to vote on him I think tomorrow. We will see.

But the ``hair on fire'' histrionics we have heard the last couple days about--whether it is DOGE or Russ Vought, I am afraid my Democrat colleagues--they haven't hit rock bottom yet. They don't really get what November was about. They continue to be the ones that defend the status quo, the guardians of permanent Washington, of the establishment that--in an election cycle that was decided between the disrupters and the establishment, the people have weighed in.

So let them defend it. I think it is a fight that we want because you can't really defend this kind of stuff: $45 million for diversity inclusion scholarships in Burma; $3 million for girl-centered climate action in Brazil; $125 million to racialize public health; $288,000 for diverse birdwatcher groups; USAID, which is in the center of the storm right now, and rightfully so, spent $1.5 billion to ``advance diversity, equity and inclusion in Serbia's workplaces and business communities''; $70,000 for the production of a DEI musical in Ireland; $2.5 million for electric vehicles for Vietnam; $47,000 for a transgender opera in Colombia--not Columbia, MO, or Columbia, SC, the country of Colombia; $32,000 for a transgender comic book in Peru; $2 million for sex changes and LGBT activism in Guatemala; $6 billion to fund tourism in Egypt. This is what they are mad about, that the veil is coming down. Russ Vought is going to be part of this reform movement.

It is amazing to me the response I often hear on this floor: Well, what is $2.5 million? What is $6 million? What is $1.5 million?

Tell that to the truckdriver working his tail off. Tell that to the waitress who is working an extra shift to afford to send her kid to a school that she wants them to go to or a family saving up to go to Washington, DC, to show their kids our Nation's Capital. It is insulting. It is insulting to taxpayers.

So a reckoning, indeed, is coming. It is coming, and we have been waiting for far too long to have accountability in our government. Business as usual just isn't working for working families anymore. So this team that President Trump has assembled and put together--I am excited for them to get to work. I am excited for a golden age of America. And I am excited for accountability finally to make its way to our Nation's Capital.

I yield the floor.

On behalf of taxpayers who have been insulted for too long, I vote aye.

Mr. President, I stand here to amplify my support that I was able to give in the Judiciary Committee of Pam Bondi, who will hopefully, in a few short hours here, be confirmed as the next Attorney General of the United States of America.

I want to thank, before I do that, the leadership and the hard work of Leader Thune and Senate Majority Whip Barrasso in this entire confirmation process, working at a clip that I think is responsible and one that honors the mandate that President Trump got to shake things up here in Washington, DC.

I think what you saw in November was a dynamic where people weren't particularly happy with what was going on in this town. They voted for reform. President Trump is putting together a team of reformers. Look no further for an ideal place for that reform than the Department of Justice.

Before I get there, I do want to point out on a personal note that when President Trump announced that he was supporting Pam Bondi, I think I had said to somebody that this was a home run. Many of us in this Chamber are often outdone by Senator Graham. He described it as a ``grand slam touchdown, hole in one, ace, hat trick, slam dunk, Olympic gold medal pick.'' And he was right.

I have known Pam Bondi for years from the AG world. That was my job before I had this job. I was attorney general of Missouri. Pam was always known as a leader and somebody who has this really rare combination of a steel backbone and a heart of gold. She is in it for the right reasons. She cares about the rule of law.

She started her career from humble beginnings in a small town in Florida. She wanted to be a prosecutor. We heard it in her testimony in the Judiciary Committee, that that was her goal. It was to be a prosecutor. She spent hours and years in those courtrooms prosecuting the bad guys. She later became the attorney general of one of our bigger States.

As I mentioned, she was a leader. She defended the Constitution. She took on the opioid epidemic. She was relentless in taking on human trafficking and is somebody, I think, that everybody can look up to, not just from a personal perspective and her personal story but also in the way that she took on her job and had accolades from both sides of the aisle. There was actually somebody in the Senate committee, who was on the other side of the aisle in Florida, who ran for attorney general at the same time Pam Bondi was running for attorney general and testified to her character.

There is just no question that she is supremely qualified for this job, and we are really going to need somebody as the Attorney General to lead the Department of Justice who has that kind of integrity, who believes in the Constitution, and believes in individual rights and getting that Department back to where it always should have been, which is fighting crime.

Sadly, over the last 4 years, we have seen a Department of Justice gone astray--one that has made headlines, of course, for going after parents who showed up to school board meetings, under the auspices of the PATRIOT Act, treating moms and dads as terrorists who went to a school board open-forum meeting and had concerns about things like critical race theory or forced masking.

The full weight of the Federal Government honed in on parents and Catholics, who were treated the same way because they were traditional Catholics, literally setting up informant networks in an effort to spy on them because of their religious affiliation.

I am not talking about the Soviet Union in the 1980s. I am talking about the United States of America in 2021.

What Merrick Garland did to this Agency and the Department of Justice is a tragedy.

Kash Patel, hopefully, will move out of the Judiciary Committee here soon and be the next leader of the FBI and restore integrity to that Agency as well. But, of course, the Department of Justice that Pam Bondi, hopefully, in a few short hours, will be confirmed and then sworn in to lead, will restore integrity.

In addition to going after Catholics and in addition to going after families who showed up to school board meetings, the very coordinated effort of lawfare by the past administration to take out their chief political rival under the moniker of ``show me the man, and I will show you the crime'' can't be dismissed. They are not going to want to talk about that, but the effort to financially ruin President Trump, to literally throw him in jail for the rest of his life, deserves the scorn of the history books.

Joe Biden gave a speech in the fall of 2022 calling half of America a threat to democracy; that President Trump would never make it back to the Oval Office. And guess what happened: A series of zombie cases-- with, at best, novel legal theories--was resurrected.

In New York, the No. 3 person at DOJ left the Department of Justice to join the DA's office in New York. Why would that person want to do that? Well, guess what. President Trump was prosecuted in a Manhattan courtroom not long after that.

In State cases, the No. 2 person in the DA's office in Atlanta was coordinating with the White House Counsel's Office on the prosecution of President Trump in Georgia.

And then Jack Smith--Jack Smith--was brought in, who was notorious among legal circles for being overzealous with overprosecutions, overcharging--was brought in specifically to take out President Trump. And it was only the Supreme Court, ultimately, that prevented that.

But this was all a scheme devised by the Biden administration to make sure President Trump never got back into office. Well, guess what. He stared it all down, and he won. And we have a real opportunity now to have a level set.

I don't think it is right that we have people pursued because of their politics from a criminal perspective. Nothing was out of bounds in the last 4 years by the Biden administration and Merrick Garland.

So Pam Bondi is just the kind of person to come in to restore integrity, to make sure that our Department of Justice is fighting on behalf of the American people and not in an attempt, ironically, to undermine our Republic, the accusation--the very accusation--that was leveled at Joe Biden's political opponent.

With that, I look forward to voting yes on Pam Bondi and having a real leader, somebody we can look up to, to lead that very important Department of Justice.

I yield the floor.

Mr. President, I rise to speak about the grave threat that the administrative state poses to our country and what we can do to stop it.

I want to thank the Senator from Oklahoma for sort of leading the effort here today to talk about this and to air this out on the Senate floor. Quite frankly, one of my big surprises, I think, in my first 2 years here in the U.S. Senate, is how little we actually talk about this and how little time we have spent addressing this.

So many of the conversations that happen inside the beltway here are so detached from the conversations that I have back home in Missouri. Quite frankly, the people whom I talk to who work hard every day can't believe the waste that happens here. They can't believe we spend millions of dollars on drag shows and DEI trainings in countries halfway around the world. If they knew more about it, my guess is it would be an even bigger topic of conversation; there would be more outrage. I think that is part of what the table setting is going to be over the next 6 months or so here, which is to identify these things, talk about them, highlight them, and do something about it.

Last year, when I gave my inaugural speech on the Senate floor, I talked about how the administrative state was one of the biggest threats to our to Republic. Nameless, faceless bureaucrats who are accountable to nobody, promulgate rules and regulations that deeply impact everyday Americans every day.

The EPA can promulgate a rule that devastates farmers. A farm that has been in a family for generations can be under water just like that, and they don't even know whom to talk to about it.

Ranchers are impacted.

None of these folks are ultimately ever held accountable. You don't know

their name. Their title is ambiguous, and they are in an Agency you have never heard of.

The Loper Bright case that the Supreme Court just recently heard dealt a significant blow to the power of the administrative state. It involved NOAA, which was attempting to force fishermen in that case to pay out of their own pocket for Federal observers on their own boats. There are many, many more examples than just this particular case, but this one made it to the Supreme Court. They had an impactful decision. Real Americans--real Americans--have been impacted by this bloated bureaucratic mess that has developed over the decades.

While the administrative state is still a great threat to our country, the good news is that President Trump will soon occupy the White House. DOGE will soon get to work, and we can finally have some real momentum to dismantle the administrative state once and for all, returning the power back to the people.

You see, the difference is, when the Senator from Oklahoma gets elected or I get elected, the folks get a say. They can send us back or they can send us home. If you want to ban gas stoves, we should have to vote on that. My guess is, it would receive very few votes. But if you have got a bureaucrat that is not even in an office anymore--because only 6 percent of them are actually in the office--making these kinds of decisions, you lose every sense of accountability, and our representative form of government is ultimately undermined.

To ensure that President Trump and DOGE hit the ground running, yesterday, I introduced two bills that are a critical one-two punch in dismantling the administrative state.

The first bill is called the ERASER Act, which prohibits any Agency from issuing a rule unless the same Agency has repealed at least three rules. Additionally, the bill prohibits an Agency from issuing a major rule unless the Agency has repealed three or more rules and the cost of the new major rule is less than or equal to the cost of the rule that is being repealed.

This would make Agencies think twice before promulgating new regulations, and because Agencies are addicted to the power that comes from regulating Americans, it could have the added benefit of stripping many regulations from the books altogether and freeing Americans from the bonds of overregulation.

The second bill is called the Separation of Powers Restoration Act, which builds on the Supreme Court's ruling in the Loper Bright case and the tearing down of the Chevron deference that we have lived with for decades. This bill would enact a stricter standard of review. No longer can Agencies expect the courts to just side with their interpretation of the statute, like they could when the Chevron deference was in place.

This bill would institute a de novo standard of review. Under a de novo standard of review, courts will weigh the merits of the arguments without deference--without deference standards--to either side, placing American citizens and businesses, either caught on the wrong side of regulatory enforcement action or challenging the validity in the first place, on equal footing in a court with that Agency. This is a critical effort, which will strip power away from the unelected bureaucrats and put the power back in the hands of Americans.

I look forward to working hand in hand with the Trump administration, Elon Musk, Vivek Ramaswamy, and my colleagues in the DOGE Caucus to finally reform and dismantle the administrative state, shrink the size of the Federal Government, reinstitute fiscal sanity here in Washington, and stop these Agencies from burdening American citizens with onerous regulatory schemes.

I yield the floor.

Mr. President, reserving the right to object, I am heartened to hear the historical references from my friend from Virginia and my friend from Maryland, but if we go back just a little bit further, to our Nation's founding, the Founders were very concerned about concentrations of power. That is why we have our system of federalism, three branches of government, separation of powers. All was meant to disperse government so that no one branch, no one person ever got too powerful.

But the underlying belief that would save this system of self- government was that people would be accountable to the people, that if you sent somebody up here and you agreed with them, you would send them back or you would send them home.

What we have seen, particularly in the last hundred years, is the growth of an administrative state that isn't accountable to anybody. That is the truth.

I was in Northwest Missouri a couple of years ago, and a farmer told me: Eric, I just don't ever remember voting for the Deputy Under Secretary of the EPA.

He had a point. A guidance letter--not even a rule and certainly not even a law--can destroy a farmer's livelihood in a farm they have had for generations. Or take for example the abuses we saw during COVID. The Supreme Court--I know something about this. I was the AG that brought the case. The vaccine mandate. They didn't have any authority to force a medical procedure on 100 million people, but they wanted to do it anyway. Student loan debt forgiveness. There was no authority to wipe away half a trillion dollars' worth of student loan debt with the stroke of a pen, but they did it anyway.

These are big, broad discussions. The Supreme Court has weighed in. The major questions doctrine. They have been reining in the abuses of government now in unelected bureaucrats over the last decade.

Of course, with the overturning of the Chevron decision, the ball is now in our court to sort of reassert the article I branch's role that we are the ones--if you want to ban gas stoves, we should have to vote on it.

So this bill, what it does--it blatantly infringes upon executive prerogative to shape the executive workforce. So the courts have weighed in, and dare I say the American people weighed in just about a month ago. There is no secret that President Trump ran on greater government efficiency and reducing the size of government.

This is another effort to Trump-proof before January 20. We are seeing a wholesale auction of the border wall for less than 1 percent of its value. It is happening right now to thwart what is coming. These sort of efforts that are happening behind the scenes and now here on the Senate floor are intended to do one thing, which is to prevent President Trump from executing on what he campaigned on, which is government efficiency.

About 16 percent of the Federal workforce right now is in any one of those buildings on Pennsylvania Avenue. I think that over the coming months, with the DOGE committee and some of those efforts--and I hope we can work in a bipartisan way. I agree, this shouldn't be a partisan issue. Saving money should not be a partisan issue. And there are some people that probably need to go. There are great Federal workers in our Federal workforce, but we are wasting a lot of money, and people aren't even willing to show up to work right now.

So having flexibility to deliver on the message that people saw cross their television screens and in rallies all across this country over the last 2 years during the Presidential campaign--that is what this is about. This bill would thwart those efforts, and that is why I am objecting.

Therefore, I object.

Mr. President, I rise today to honor the tenth anniversary of the Women Veterans of Southwest Missouri American Legion Post 1214.

The men and women who serve our country during war represent the courage, bravery, and resilience of the celebrated ``Greatest Generation,'' who demonstrated selflessness and diligence in the face of great adversity and struggle. Every citizen played their part to help in the war effort, whether that entailed fighting on the frontlines or bolstering manufacturing and domestic production. Everyone who stepped up to answer the call of duty deserves our honor and respect.

Today, the women veterans of southwest Missouri are still committed to service. After valiantly serving their country, they now serve in their communities. Whether Active Duty or retired, these women share a special comradery and sisterhood that unites them. Granted a temporary charter in December 2014 followed by a permanent charter in November 2015, the Women Veterans of Southwest Missouri American Legion Post 1214 marked the first post of its kind in the southwest region of Missouri. The Women Veterans of Southwest Missouri American Legion Post 1214 are faithful to the four pillars of the American Legion; they participate in programs to support our national security, promote Americanism, facilitate veterans' affairs and rehabilitation, and care for children and youth.

The American Legion continues to be a cherished force of good in the communities they inhabit, offering familiar traditions and selfless service that make a positive difference in the lives of so many people. They embody the best of America, and I wish the members of this post the best as they continue to serve their communities.

Madam President, I rise today to honor Clarissa Cauthorn of Columbia, MO, for her passionate leadership in agricultural policy and service to her local community in Missouri.

Agriculture is a way of life in Mid-Missouri, and Clarissa Cauthorn is a dedicated and innovative leader who has connected policymakers, bright students, and Members of Congress together to find the best solutions to challenges local farmers face. Clarissa's desire to serve in a leadership role is rooted in the work she and her husband Andrew facilitate on their farm near Mexico in Audrain County, MO. I had the privilege of visiting the Cauthorn farm this past October with Senator Boozman and was honored to learn more about the important work Clarissa and other farmers across the State accomplish each season.

As the vice chairwoman of American Farm Bureau Young Farmers and Ranchers Committee, Clarissa is able to foster relationships with farmers, as well as use her service-oriented leadership to benefit her community and forge new connections. She also serves as a member of the University of Missouri Alumni Association Board of Directors and on the youth leadership committee for the Missouri Cattlemen's Association.

Clarissa Cauthorn is truly a ``Champion of Missouri.'' I am appreciative of the work she and her husband do in their community and for farmers across Missouri. I admire her devotion to her husband Andrew and their three children J.R., Emmett, and Carter Sue and wish her continued success in her endeavors.

Madam President, I rise today to honor Jack Foster of Lee's Summit, MO, for his heroic act of service to save the life of sports network host Peter Burns.

On September 13, Peter Burns and his colleagues dined at Bud's Classic BBQ in Columbia, MO, ahead of Saturday's Mizzou v. Boston College football game. As they ate, Burns began to choke on a piece of food. He motioned to the people at the table he could not breathe. Multiple people, including a friend and a nurse, attempted the Heimlich maneuver to dislodge the blockage in Burns' throat without success. As Burns started to lose his vision and slip into unconsciousness, Jack Foster came over and was able to successfully remove the food from Burns' throat. Jack explained that he was a youth sports coach and had recently completed his CPR and Heimlich maneuver training to save people from choking. It was that timely training and Jack's willingness to help that saved Peter Burns' life.

Jack Foster is truly a ``Champion of Missouri.'' Though Foster pushes back on being called a hero, his actions to save someone he did not know speak to his character. I am inspired by the confident use of his valuable training to help someone in need. I know Jack will continue to be a great example to the kids he coaches, and I hope he enjoys many Mizzou football games with his family and friends.

Madam President, I rise today to honor Bob Kendrick of Kansas City, MO, for his important leadership of the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum (NLBM) and tireless advocacy for the rich history of African-American baseball.

Bob Kendrick has always been involved in the community he finds himself in, using his natural talents to accomplish meaningful work. As a journalist for the Kansas City Star, Bob highlighted important stories around the region, including the impact of the NLBM. This work inspired him to accept various executive positions such, as the first director of marketing for the museum in 1998, vice president of marketing in 2009, and executive director of the National Sports Center for the Disabled in 2010.

His creative advertising has attracted thousands of people to visit the NLBM, orchestrating capital campaigns that have given the museum vitality and financial stability. Bob has also been responsible for creating several signature museum educational programs and events including the Hall of Game which annually honors former Major League Baseball greats who played the game in the spirit and style of the Negro Leagues. Bob's biggest passion is ensuring that the stories of talented and successful African-Americans are showcased and proudly displayed as an encouragement to everyone.

Bob Kendrick is truly a ``Champion of Missouri.'' Bob's efforts for his community have not gone unnoticed. He has been the recipient of various awards, such as Citizen of the Year by the Omicron Xi Chapter of the Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, one of the ``100 Most Influential African-Americans in Greater Kansas City,'' and has been inducted into the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame. I am honored by Bob's devotion to storytelling and wish him and the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum continued success.