Floor Statements

Mr. President, I rise today to honor Clara Hill of Missouri Middle School for her election as president of Missouri Middle School FBLA.

Future Business Leaders of America, FBLA, is a nationally recognized organization dedicated to preparing the next generation of students for careers in business, leadership, and service. By earning the trust and support of her peers in this competitive election, Clara Hill has demonstrated maturity and a strong commitment to excellence well beyond her years. Her achievement reflects not only her personal dedication and leadership ability, but also a bright future for the next generation of Missouri youth.

As a newly elected leader in the Missouri Middle School's FBLA chapter, Clara Hill will play a vital role in empowering her fellow classmates to grow as leaders and citizens. Her accomplishment serves as a powerful example of how determination, character, and vision can inspire others to succeed.

Clara Hill is truly a Champion of Missouri. Her ability to lead and strong determination were critical in winning her school's FBLA election. I commend Clara Hill for her service to Missouri and wish her all the best in her future endeavors with the Future Business Leaders of America.

Mr. President, I rise today to honor Corporal Paul Nichols of Hartsburg, MO, and to thank him for his years of service to our State and great Nation. Over his time in the U.S. Army during the closing months of World War II through his discharge just prior to the Korean war, Corporal Nichols, then serving with the 48th Field Artillery Battalion, demonstrated excellence in his work as an electrical lineman and inspector for communication lines across Korea. Through both his time in our Republic's armed forces and his time at home, he more than demonstrated his capability.

Corporal Paul Nichols is truly a member of the greatest generation and is an outstanding example of a Heartland Hero. I am truly grateful for his commitment to protecting our fellow Americans, am honored by his devotion, and know that my colleagues will join me in wishing him the best.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of the following bills en bloc: Calendar No. 77, S. 180; Calendar No. 79, S. 419; Calendar No. 80, S. 539; Calendar No. 82, S. 1316; Calendar No. 83, S. 1563; further, that the committee-reported substitute amendment to S. 1563 be agreed to, the committee-reported amendment to S. 1316 be agreed to, the committee-reported substitute amendment to S. 539 be withdrawn, and the Cornyn substitute amendment at the desk to S. 539 be agreed to; finally, that the bills, as amended, if amended, be considered read a third time and passed en bloc and that the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table, all en bloc.

I rise to request unanimous consent here on the bills that were just mentioned, to call up and pass this year's Police Week bills. These are bipartisan bills. These are common sense. Most importantly, particularly in light of recent events--and you can turn on the television right now and see what I am talking about--they would give this Chamber the chance to demonstrate its commitment to the men and women who wear the badge and to the laws they serve to protect.

This is not a time to mince words or blur lines; this is a time to speak clearly with full moral force.

In cities across the country, our law enforcement officers are beset from below and above. From below, on our streets, they face an emboldened criminal element and a resurgence of organized political violence. From above, in the halls of power, they face a political class which seems hell-bent on undermining and attacking them at every turn.

We have watched this unfold for years now. The press has smeared and defamed our police officers, seeking to incite hatred and violence against them. Fringe academic ideas about defunding police and shuttering prisons have moved from the classroom, to the courtroom, to the legislature, and then to codified laws. Riots. Lawsuits. Slashed budgets. Malicious lies blared through the largest megaphones in our country.

Time and time again, the system has sided with the criminal over the cop, the looter over the law. The result of this system could be seen in unprecedented waves of violence that ravaged our cities in the wake of the George Floyd riots in 2020. It can still be seen today on the streets of cities overtaken by antifa. These are not rhetorical or theoretical concerns; we watched it happen in real time.

It is not the product of social conditions or inequity or systematic this or that; it is the inevitable result of a civilization that has lost its moral nerve, a civilization that is too wracked by guilt to punish its criminals, to enforce its laws, or to confront its enemies-- even when those enemies are beating police officers and firebombing Federal buildings right before our eyes.

When a government loses the ability or the will to defend its own cities, its own institutions, its own people, then it ceases to be a government worthy of its name.

The path back to justice is simple. It requires laws like the ones we are going to consider here today.

It requires protecting the people who protect us, like the bill to equip first

responders with protective gear against fentanyl exposure, keeping them safe from the very poisons they are trying to fight.

It requires ensuring that our police officers are healthy in body and in spirit, like the bill to reauthorize critical mental health services for cops and their families. Every single year, more police officers die by suicide than die in the line of duty. This is profoundly a policy failure and one that is on us to fix.

It requires hunting down the predators who seek to prey upon our kids from the darkest recesses of the internet, like the bill to reauthorize and modernize the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. This bill funds and enhances our ability to catch and convict the very worst kinds of criminals--those who target and abuse children.

It requires building strong police departments with officers who know the neighborhoods and the people they protect, like our bill to send local recruits to police academies if they agree to serve in the precincts in their own communities.

It requires wisdom and experience, like the bill to give State and local agencies the ability to rehire retired officers in civilian law enforcement roles.

If you stand on the side of justice and our first responders, these votes should be simple and easy.

With that, I would ask to move forward.

Reserving the right to object, let's be clear about what this provision does from my friend from New Jersey. It is attempting to throw a lifeline to these sanctuary cities that are openly defying the law. In order to receive Federal grant dollars, you can't withhold information from Federal law enforcement. That is what they are doing. That is what it means to be a sanctuary city.

What you are saying is, we are not going to work with ICE or any other Federal Agencies because we want to protect illegal immigrants in our cities.

That is what is happening. That is deeply unpopular with the American people. And that is why the President is taking this action to try to get these cities to come along and be part of the program with the rest of the country to say: We are all going to work together to keep our communities safe.

This provision is a direct attempt to undermine the Trump administration's attempt to do that and their renewed enforcement of our immigration laws.

I know some people got used to the last 4 years, where 20 million people came here illegally and Federal law enforcement was handcuffed by the Biden administration to actually enforce our immigration laws-- so much so that the rhetoric that had been exhibited at that time now has carried over, and you see fire bombings, and you see attacks on ICE officials, attempts to dox them, to destroy their families and their reputations and their finances, because they have been led to believe by many with the loudest microphones that somehow everyone is entitled to be here for as long as they want, that Federal laws don't matter, that borders are arbitrary lines on a map and we are all global citizens.

The white papers from the sixties and the seventies found their way into the highest offices in government in the Biden administration. These Ivy League grads who wrote these white papers or read these white papers or were indoctrinated by these white papers were suddenly in charge. Well, there is a new sheriff in town who actually believes in law and order.

So I would hope that city leaders who defy our Federal laws shouldn't be entitled to Federal tax dollars. Federal grant dollars are not entitlements. They are not unconditional welfare for far-left activists. If you want Federal funds, you have to comply with Federal law.

Sanctuary cities are in open defiance of Federal law. They actively prohibit their officials from cooperating with

Federal immigration officers. They release violent offenders, suppress gang databases, and do everything in their power to prevent the men and women in law enforcement from enforcing our laws. That is what they are doing in sanctuary cities right now.

Every one of the Police Week bills that I have offered for unanimous consent--and my friend from New Jersey is indeed a cosponsor--are very, very bipartisan. I can't actually believe we are in a place where we are going to be holding up that kind of bipartisan legislation when you see the violence against law enforcement officers in our country every single day. This is a lifeline to them, the help they need not just to do their jobs but to be able to seek the services so they can be healthy, physically and mentally.

So let's be clear about what is happening. My friend has, you know, a few moments here to reconsider this. These are common sense. If there is anything from last November we can take away, it is that the American people voted for a return to common sense.

With that, I object.

Mr. President, today, I rise to recognize and congratulate Jazz St. Louis, a mainstay of the St. Louis music community. Since its founding 30 years ago, the organization has served as a cornerstone of Missouri culture, hosting over 200 jazz performances annually from both renowned and rising musicians. In no small part due to their team's diligent efforts, St. Louis has remained a key player in America's music heritage. Through its daily, unwavering work to renew enthusiasm in this uniquely American art form, Jazz St. Louis has not only kept the spirit and rich tradition of jazz alive but has continually provided inspiration and exceptional education to individuals passionate about jazz.

I appreciate Jazz St. Louis's committed work to honoring and carrying forward the creative tradition of the jazz style and wish their entire team the very best as they begin the Miles Davis Centennial celebration to commemorate the St. Louis region's very own jazz legend.

Mr. President, I rise to discuss the unprecedented obstruction by my Democrat colleagues, which brings us here today, in the activity we are going to see on the floor this week and next.

Article 1, section 2, clause 2 of the Constitution requires that every officer in the United States receive the advice and consent of the Senate. This is a very important function. At times, it can seem tedious, I suppose, on the floor when we are voting on some of these, but this is contemplated by our Founding Fathers to be a really important part of the process of getting good, qualified people in important positions in the executive branch.

With that power comes responsibility, a duty. And the Democrats have completely abandoned that duty to provide the advice and consent; instead, moving forward with complete obstruction.

``Unprecedented,'' now that term gets thrown around a lot in this town. Every day somebody says something is unprecedented. It is not actually unprecedented. This really is unprecedented.

In the almost 250 years of our country, and, of course, a little bit sooner than that when we had the first Congress--a little bit later than that when we had our first Congress, we have never seen anything like this, like not even close. The minority leader would rather burn all the norms down than do it like we have done it before. Even though that process has sort of eroded to some degree in recent years, it was never anything like this.

For those of you watching at home or in the Gallery here today, and we are glad to have you, the Senate kind of operates in three calendars--let's put it in those terms--three operational modes.

One is the legislative calendar when we have bills that come up--the NDAA, the continuing resolution, appropriations bills, that kind of stuff.

Let's be clear. What the minority leader has already said he would do and what Democrats in this Chamber have already voted for is to completely eliminate the legislative filibuster. If they were in charge, if they were in the position the Republicans are in right now, they would blow it up; it is gone. DC is added as a State, maybe Puerto Rico, court packing--they voted on this stuff. I am not making this up. They campaign on this stuff. That is what the minority leader would like to have happen to the legislative calendar.

Let's talk about the impeachment calendar. Well, last year, we saw Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas impeached by the House of Representatives. The Articles of Impeachment are transferred over here. We are all sitting at our desks. For the first time in the history of this country, there wasn't a trial.

Now, trials look a little bit different. Sometimes they are in committee, and sometimes they are in front of the full Senate. But there is not a single instance in the history of this country where the person who was impeached who either was still alive or in that office hasn't had a trial. So they blew that up.

Now we are dealing with the Executive Calendar, which is essentially where all the personnel decisions are made. We approve Ambassadors, Cabinet Secretaries, judges, U.S. attorneys, marshals, all that stuff. There has been not a single instance, not one time has there been a unanimous consent granted in this Chamber--not once. That has never happened before.

We will talk about some of those details here as we move a little bit further along in this debate, but just to add a little meat onto the bones, in defiance of the vision of the Founders, the Democrat obstruction leaves President Trump on pace to have just 426 nominees confirmed by the end of the 119th Congress. That is if we are working at a pace which is unprecedented. I don't mind it. We can be here. I am not afraid of hard work. But if we are here as much as we have been here just to get to that number, which is lowest in history--less than half of what Joe Biden had at this point in time, 817; or even President Trump's first term, 715. So at the end of the first Congress, those are the numbers. So it is not even close. It is less than half of the total number.

By the end of his term, we are projecting that a mere 872 confirmations--so the full 4 years--would actually get through. That would be the first time in the history of the country that that number would fall below 1,000, compared to Joe Biden's 1,175 and President Trump's first term, which is about that same number, about 1,200, and President Obama's staggering number of almost 1,500. So it is not just slow; it is sabotage, echoing the darkest days of the most partisan feuds we had threatening our young Republic 200 years ago.

Democrats have required cloture 360 percent more in President Trump's first term--in this term's 200 days than in his first. So 137 nominees have been subjected to it--nearly double Biden's 71 and far beyond Obama's paltry 9.

In the past, over 50 percent of every President's nominees were confirmed via voice vote or unanimous consent--until this year, where President Trump has received 0.0--Blutarsky. That is unprecedented.

Under Obama, in his first 200 days, 292 nominees passed by voice vote alone. President Trump has just 135 confirmed, all via overcoming-- except Marco Rubio--overcoming filibusters. Every single one, save the first, has been filibustered.

To put that in perspective, Clarence Thomas--perhaps the most controversial Supreme Court judge as far as that vote went--got 52 votes. It wasn't even filibustered. All of these are being filibustered, including the general counsel to the Department of Transportation.

The average time from nomination to confirmation is a glacial pace of 94 days--nearly double President Trump's first term of 54, worse than Biden's 70, and a far cry from Reagan's efficient 25 days. We have shattered records with the most Senate session days in rollcall votes in modern history--126 days in the first 200; more than Biden's 121-- yet the backlog swells: 139 nominees on the Executive Calendar, 153 in committee, 786 not yet received.

This obstruction is antithetical to our constitutional design. You can have problems with nominees. You can vote no. You can even filibuster some of them. But to filibuster all of them and not have a voice vote on any of them is a symptom of something else--Trump derangement syndrome. They can't get over the fact that President Trump actually won. They thought that by coming on this floor, as the minority leader did so often, and calling half the country MAGA extremists, trying to bankrupt him and his family and throw him in jail for the rest of his life--they thought that thing was over. But the American people sat in their own jury box, they watched all of this nonsense unfold for the last 4 years, and they rendered their own verdict, and it was for reform; it was for the very kinds of people President Trump is putting up for these positions.

So to subvert that democratic process, the sand has been thrown into the gears of our Republic in a way that we have never seen before. That is what we are here to fix. The Democrats have turned the cooling saucer of the Senate into a deep freezer.

But here is the good news: A great thaw is coming. The Republicans in this place are going to return the Senate back to what it was always meant to be able to do, which is to actually function and vote on confirmations. It is not that tall of an ask. But, again, blinded by TDS--and quite frankly, if you talk to some of my Democratic colleagues, like I have privately, they understand that this is a real problem. They know that this is wrong. But they can't be seen by their increasingly radical base doing anything that would be perceived as helping President Trump.

So here we are. The conditions have been set, the landscape has been made, and it is time for action. I would argue that this isn't actually even a new phenomenon; this has been a slow-moving disaster 25 years in the making.

After the 2000 elections, Democrats met at a private retreat to strategize how to maximally obstruct the Republicans--25 years ago. A couple of leftist Harvard professors concocted an idea: Filibuster the Executive Calendar.

The minority leader wasn't done there. Just yesterday, he blew up our entire system on voice voting in the Senate. When push came to shove, he would rather blow up all the norms of this place to hold on to the power that

is slipping away from him. He is going to have another test when it comes to a continuing resolution, but we are dealing with this right now.

The decisions of the minority leader over the course of the last 25 years has led us to this place. So if anybody uses the term ``gone nuclear,'' just understand we are having to deal with the nuclear option that has already been executed on the Senate Chamber, which is to say we are filibustering everything, and there is no unanimous consent on anything. That is the nuclear option, and we have to react to it.

One final note here. What we are really trying to do is restore the balance and using a profile that was submitted by a couple of our Democrat colleagues in the last year or two. In their words--and this is, by the way, voting en bloc--their words, not my words:

The slowdown of the confirmation process that we've seen in

the Senate on the last several administrations is preventing

key officials from taking up their positions.

The en bloc proposal being referred to is--``This commonsense reform will help improve efficiency and make sure we're able to fill positions that are vital to our national security, economic success, and more.''

When the Democrats proposed that solution very recently, 62 percent of Biden's nominees had already been confirmed by voice vote. Think about that. Two-thirds of his people were in place, and they were calling for the reform. Guess how many have been confirmed by voice vote now. Zero. Zero percent.

So we are going to take them up on their offer of reform. I appreciate the majority leader moving this forward to restore, again, the very important balance that our Founders knew was necessary for this Republic to survive. America demands no less.

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

Mr. President, 2\1/2\ years ago, I was sworn in as America's 2,000th Senator, a pretty unique honor for a kid that grew up in a working-class neighborhood in Bridgeton, MO. And as someone who appreciates history, the U.S. Senate has always been held out as the greatest deliberate body in the history of the world.

It is a very uniquely American institution. As our Founders envisioned what our system of government looked like, they wanted something that was very different than the House and something that you had equal representation as opposed to proportional representation, this system of checks and balances in a bicameral legislature, every State, no matter the size, having two Senators was thought of very differently and has proven over the course of our nearly 250 years to be a very important place to protect individual rights and a whole host of other issues that matter to the American people.

There has also been some people whose names are famous. You had Henry Clay, the great compromiser. You had, of course, Webster, Calhoun, and Clay as the great triumvirate. Missouri's first Senator Thomas Hart Benton was known as Old Bullion.

And I want to propose a new name, someone who serves currently in the U.S. Senate: the great arsonist, Chuck Schumer. Chuck Schumer has singlehandedly, more than any Senator in the history of our Republic, done more to diminish the importance and significance of this Chamber.

And I am going to walk through a few ways in which he has done that. To take a step back for the folks watching on C-SPAN, for the folks in the Gallery, for over 200 years--for over 200 years--the Executive Calendar, which is what we are dealing with today and what this whole debate is about--this Executive Calendar, there was no filibuster ever. It didn't happen. It didn't exist.

Presidents were able to come in; they were able to nominate folks. They were done by unanimous consent. Maybe there was some debate. But to put this in perspective, the folks nominated as judges for the Cabinet and other related posts--judges, for example, weren't even really subject to the filibuster.

Think about this, Clarence Thomas, perhaps one of the most controversial Supreme Court Justices--or that nomination was--got 52 votes. A filibuster wasn't instituted on Clarence Thomas--52 votes and he was confirmed. Any Senator could have moved forward with an effort to filibuster, requiring cloture, and then a vote requiring 60 votes.

So then, of course, you move into sort of the 20th century, Harry Reid and Chuck Schumer grew tired of that old institution of having to have 60 votes once that started to be employed. So they decided to change things around here, that you only needed 51 votes for anything other than a Supreme Court nominee. Lit the fuse. Lit the fuse.

Then, of course, now even for Supreme Court nominees, it is only 51. That happened in the 21st century. For the entirety of the 20th century, we didn't have this nonsense that we are doing here today.

I mean, even as we go back into the 1990s and into the 2000s, this Executive Calendar that we are dealing with was done by unanimous consent in voice votes. There are people literally being voted on today, I don't think the Ambassador of Uruguay has been voted on in 50 years; we just did that.

So Chuck Schumer rode shotgun with Harry Reid to upend the Executive Calendar as it relates to judicial nominees. Now, Chuck Schumer is doing that to all these other positions. We have never seen this in the history of our Republic. With over a thousand people that need to be Senate confirmed, the Democrats are requiring--they are filibustering and requiring cloture for every single one of them.

Because of those stall tactics, the 30-hour rule was changed to 2 hours, but this is all about delay. And why? Well, there is a couple reasons. One is the Democrats, at this point, are catering to a very, very radical and growing element of their party. And they are competing to be the greatest resister against President Trump. They can't believe he got back in. They can't believe it.

They tried to throw him in jail for the rest of his life. They invented this Russiagate nonsense in the first term. But the American people sat in that jury box, they weighed all the evidence, they saw all the shenanigans. And they said: Do you know what? We want our country back. We can't believe that you would weaponize the Justice Department against parents who showed up to school board meetings or Catholics or your chief political rival.

They rejected it. They rejected it because they want reform. So now President Trump is offering candidates who are reformed candidates for different positions, but they don't want to do it. And do you know what? Vote no or whatever, but this level of obstruction has never been seen before. It has never been seen before.

And don't even get me started on what Chuck Schumer would do to the legislative filibuster. He is already on record, his colleagues are on record, many of which I have talked to privately and can't believe they would actually do it, but if they are ever in the position that the Republicans are in right now, with a President in the White House, Democratic Senate, and a Democrat House, they will blow up the legislative filibuster.

They have all voted to do it--save Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema, who are no longer here.

No.

They won't do it. They won't yield at all. And by the way, I have had very--I won't mention who--conversations with my Democrat colleagues who pretend to care about this institution and who are on record for that, on record for voting to end the legislative filibuster.

Oh, it is just for one issue. It was just for the voting rights issue. Give me a break--because you know exactly what comes next, DC and Puerto Rico come into the Union, federalizing our elections, packing the Supreme Court, put a shot clock on the Republic on that day.

So here we are now, that is the legislative calendar. We are in the Executive Calendar. They already lit the fuse on judicial nominees. And now Chuck Schumer is lighting the fuse on this. And I have got news for you: A reckoning is coming, because we are going to get back--the Republicans in this Chamber are going to get back to where the Senate always was, where the Executive Calendar isn't being utilized like this.

And so whether it is, you know, because a rule change is coming, if I have anything to say about it--and by the way, in a few hours, we may be recessing, and President Trump is going to get his recess picks.

You have lit the fuse. And let me give you another example of what Chuck Schumer has done. Last year, for the first time in the history of the Republic, articles of impeachment were delivered over to this Chamber, all Senators were seated, all of us.

In every single instance that articles of impeachment have come over to this Chamber if the person was alive or still in office, there was a trial. It happens to be in the Constitution. That is part of our job. There are only three calendars, the legislative calendar, the Executive Calendar, and the impeachment calendar.

The fuse was lit yet again. For the first time in our country's history, Chuck Schumer made a motion to dismiss the articles without a trial, and the Democrats, with a simple majority vote, went along with it.

I don't ever want to be lectured by any Senator on that side of the aisle about how much they care about the institution of the Senate. All three calendars would be lit ablaze, set on fire by the great arsonist and his merry men.

So what are we going to do about it? This is the charge to my Republican colleagues today. The charge is: We are not going to let you do this to the Senate. We are not going to let you destroy this place. We are going to get back to a place it has always been.

And one more example. I heard Chuck Schumer on the floor earlier today lauding the passage of appropriations bills. In my first 2 years in this place, we spent exactly 0.0 minutes on appropriations bills, a Blutarsky, nothing.

Leader Thune has made it a priority to open this place up, to have amendments. In fact, when I carried the rescissions package, I wasn't seeking to box anybody out. Offer your amendments. Let's have free and open debate.

We didn't see that when Chuck Schumer was in charge--not once.

So lit the fuse on judicial nominees. Lit the fuse on the Executive Calendar. Lit the fuse on the legislative filibuster. Lit the fuse on regular order. He will go down in the annals of history as someone with total disregard for this Chamber, the work we are charged to do when we are elected.

But I think Republicans have a chance to course correct today, and I hope we do it to get back to a place that can actually function.

I yield the floor.

Mr. President, a little over a year ago, the unthinkable happened: A former President of the United States was shot on American soil. A patriotic father was killed in cold blood, and two others were left critically injured. This all happened at a peaceful campaign rally in the heart of Pennsylvania.

For the first time in 40 years, a new generation of Americans now carries

the memory of a President under fire. President Trump came within a millisecond and a millimeter of losing his life that day.

Our Nation has a painful history with political violence and has mourned Presidents and watched great leaders cut down in their prime. Political violence is never the answer. We resolve our disputes in this country through elections and through free speech.

So today, I am calling for this unanimous consent of a resolution to unequivocally condemn political violence of any kind and honor the victims of these terrible acts.

One year ago at Butler, we lost a great American, Corey Comperatore, a man who, in the blink of an eye, instinctively shielded his family from gunfire, sacrificing his life in an extraordinary act of courage. We also honor David Dutch and James Copenhaver, who survived critical injuries in the same brutal attack.

These men that day came in peace to participate in the civic life of our Republic, never imagining that they would leave either losing their life or fighting for their lives.

All acts of political violence must be met with swift condemnation from all elected officials, Republican or Democrat.

This resolution further honors other law enforcement officers, first responders, medical personnel, and Secret Service agents who answered the call of duty when it mattered the most. They ran towards danger when America was under attack. These brave men and women served their fellow Americans regardless of their party affiliation or race, sex, or nationality.

It shouldn't be difficult to find bipartisan support to stand against political violence. The assassination attempt of former-President and now-President Trump is not a partisan matter. Standing against violence should never be partisan.

So today, we are saying something very simple but important--that we unequivocally stand against political violence in all forms. I urge my colleagues to stand with me today and pass this resolution.

Mr. President, as if in legislative session and notwithstanding rule XXII, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the consideration of S. Res. 363, which is at the desk.

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

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to waive the mandatory quorum call with respect to the Lucas nomination.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the previously scheduled vote occur immediately.

Madam President, I rise today to commend the lifesaving service and unwavering dedication of Officer Richard DuChaine of Kansas City, MO.

While on duty for the Kansas City Police Department, Officer DuChaine swiftly responded to a critical emergency call on Highway 71. Rushing to the scene, Officer DuChaine quickly assessed the situation alongside Detective Jacob Shroyer and helped diagnosed the urgent need for CPR, actions that played a key role in preserving a woman's life until advanced medical support could arrive.

This was not the first time Officer DuChaine's decisiveness saved an American life. Two years earlier, he received a distress call regarding a 1-month-old infant. Without hesitation, he sprinted from his patrol car, bursting through the door and taking the small child into his arms. His quick and effective actions resuscitated the infant and saved her life. He celebrated the girl's second birthday with her grateful parents, a testament to Officer DuChaine's service and impact in his community.

Officer Richard DuChaine is truly a Champion of Missouri. His actions embody dedication to the protection of the public. His consistent commitment and ability to save lives has left an indelible mark on the Kansas City community, and I wish him the best in his career.

Madam President, I rise today to honor Captain Ray Elder of Kansas City, MO, for his dedication to recognizing and honoring all fallen KCPD firefighters on the city's firefighter memorial.

Captain Ray Elder served with the Kansas City Fire Department for 35

years, including 16 years as a captain. Once Ray retired, he became the official historian for the Kansas City Fire Historical Society. His 23 books on the department's history start with the first volunteer bucket brigades in 1858. His core mission is to register the deaths of all firefighters who died in the line of duty and ensure they are honored on the city's State memorial to fallen firefighters. Once Ray discovers a forgotten firefighter, their name is laser-cut into the tall metal panels at the Firefighters Fountain and Memorial in Penn Valley Park. Currently, 119 firefighters' names are honored, with Captain Ray Elder being responsible for over a dozen of them. Because of his hard work and dedication to the city's forgotten servicemembers, Ray has been awarded the Lifetime Contribution Award.

Captain Ray Elder is truly a Champion of Missouri. His dedication to honoring fallen firefighters reflects his unwavering sense of duty and commitment to his community. I commend Captain Elder for his service to his fellow Missourians and wish him all the best in his noble mission.

Madam President, I rise today to honor Mrs. Kack Haslag of Jefferson City, MO, for her service to the State of Missouri.

When I was first elected to the Missouri State Senate in 2008, knew I needed to surround myself with talented and organized staff who would help me serve the people of Missouri. Kack Haslag's impressive record made her a clear choice. Kack diligently served as an attentive public servant. As I reviewed a host of legislation, Kack was able to keep my office focused, and together, we authored tax cuts, advocated for those with special needs, and fought to end taxation by citation.

Kack provided invaluable guidance with such a kind and caring disposition to me, my wife, and my children, and we still think of her fondly as a member of our family. She served as a capable liaison for my office and allowed me to focus on being a lawmaker. Her deep knowledge of the State legislature was of tremendous help to me, and I greatly relied on her advice. She contributed so much to my early success as a legislator, and the knowledge she imparted to me continues to serve me well as I represent Missouri in the U.S. Senate.

Kack is truly a Champion of Missouri. I am indebted to Kack for the time and attention she dedicated to our success during the early years of my service to the great State of Missouri. I wish her all the best in her retirement and hope she enjoys well-deserved time with her family.

Madam President, I rise today to honor Jim Meyer, manager of the Grain Valley Community Center, for his timely and heroic act of service to save the life of a community member.

On the morning of April 7, 2025, a senior citizen collapsed and became unresponsive while using the fitness center. Fellow patrons immediately alerted the staff, and Jim Meyer, the center's manager, sprang into action. Without hesitation, he retrieved the Automated External Defibrillator, AED, and administered it to the man, delivering a shock that restored his heartbeat. This swift and decisive intervention was crucial in saving the man's life and was made possible by the frequent emergency training, including AED instruction, that the center's staff undergo. Thanks to Jim's timely response, paramedics arrived shortly after and transported the man to the hospital, where he made a full recovery. In this crisis, Meyer remained calm and focused, prioritizing the well-being of a community member over all else. Jim's heroic actions not only saved a life but also reinforced the sense of safety and community within the Grain Valley Community Center.

Jim Meyer is truly a Champion of Missouri. His decisive leadership and quick thinking kept a man alive and ensured safety in the community. I commend Jim for his service to his fellow Missourians and wish him all the best with the Grain Valley Community Center.

Madam President, I rise today to honor Corporal Kyle Seabaugh of the Missouri State Highway Patrol Special Victims Unit for his outstanding investigative work and leadership that saved four young children from extreme, ongoing sexual abuse.

Corporal Seabaugh was assigned to be the lead investigator in a child pornography distribution case in March of 2021. He began by organizing a team of experienced investigators to conduct two searches that helped him dig deeper and locate incriminating evidence of child sex abuse hidden in the suspect's cell phone. This led to the arrest and charging of the suspect as well as another perpetrator with multiple counts of sex trafficking, statutory sodomy, and rape. None of this would have been possible without Corporal Seabaugh's tireless efforts that spanned over 3 years. During this time, he built a strong case and collaborated with many individuals, including officers from the Clinton and Henry County Police Departments, as well as a forensic pediatrician and an FBI expert who helped to accurately identify the child victims. All this ensured that four children would not have to endure any continued abuse. The first suspect has already received 23 life sentences, and the other is currently awaiting trial.

Kyle Seabaugh is truly a Champion of Missouri. His leadership and strong determination were critical in bringing these criminals to justice and an end to their horrific crimes. I commend Corporal Seabaugh for his service to his fellow Missourians and wish him all the best in his future efforts with the highway patrol special victim's unit.