Gary C. Peters

Mr. President, I rise today on behalf of myself, my fellow Senate cochairs--Senator Collins, Senator Klobuchar, Senator Murkowski--and the entire Congressional Fire Services Caucus to recognize the 25th anniversary of September 11, 2001.

On that tragic morning, nearly 3,000 innocent lives--including 343 members of the fire and emergency services--were taken in acts of terrorism that shook our country to its core. As cochairs of the Congressional Fire Services Caucus, we stand today, 25 years later, to remember every individual loss, every family forever changed by unimaginable tragedy, and every community that continues to carry the weight of that day.

As we reflect on the events of September 11, we pay special tribute to America's first responders. In a time of fear, confusion, and turmoil, members of the fire and emergency services rushed toward danger with unwavering resolve. They did not hesitate. They answered the call knowing the risks, guided by a profound commitment to protecting lives.

Mr. President, I will shortly ask for unanimous consent to pass the Federal Building Threat Notification Act, a bipartisan legislation that I introduced with Senators Lankford and Ernst to improve emergency communications in Federal buildings. This bill was voted unanimously out of committee yesterday.

The men and women who serve our country should be able to do their jobs in a safe and secure workplace, and members of the public who enter Federal buildings to receive essential services should be confident of that--if a violent threat occurs, that they will be quickly informed and told that they need to say safe.

Unfortunately, that is not what is always happening today. Last January, shots were fired directly outside the McNamara Federal Building in Detroit, in my home State of Michigan. Yet the Federal employees working inside the

building were not informed about the incident until hours after it happened. This is simply unacceptable.

When a firearm is discharged near a Federal building and chaos ensues, the people inside should not be left wondering what the heck is happening. They should not have to rely on social media, a phone call from a family member, or news reports to learn about a threat outside of their workplace. They should receive clear and timely information from the officials responsible for protecting that building in an emergency because, as you know, every minute matters. Employees and visitors need to know whether they should shelter in place, evacuate the building, avoid a particular entrance, or take other immediate steps to protect themselves and to protect the public.

The incident in Detroit exposed a serious gap in our Federal security procedures, and it occurred at a time when threats against government facilities are increasing. Over the last 5 years, there has been a sharp increase in terrorist attacks and plots against government targets, including bomb threats.

We have a responsibility to make sure everyone inside these buildings has the information they need during a crisis, and that is exactly what this bipartisan bill will do.

The Federal Building Threat Notification Act would require the Federal Protective Service and the Department of Homeland Security to develop and implement clear guidance for emergency communications within 1 year. That guidance would establish best practices and protocols for promptly notifying building tenants that violent threats are occurring inside or immediately surrounding a Federal building. That includes shootings and other firearm incidents, threats involving other types of weapons, and potential terrorist activity as well as suspicious devices.

Just as importantly, the guidance must provide employees and other building tenants with clear instructions about the appropriate safety measures they should take in response. This bill would also ensure that every building protected by the Federal Protective Service has a designated security official responsible for carrying out these procedures.

Finally, the Department of Homeland Security and Federal Protective Service would report back to Congress on the guidance they put into place.

These are straightforward, commonsense protections, and I am proud to have the support of my colleagues from across the aisle, Senator Lankford and Senator Ernst. We know these threats are real, we know there is a gap in our current system, and we know what needs to be done to address it.

This legislation is bipartisan because keeping Federal employees and the public safe should never be a partisan issue. We should not wait for another dangerous incident or a tragedy before taking action. So I urge my colleagues to support this commonsense bill, strengthen emergency communications in Federal buildings, and help ensure that employees and visitors receive timely information when their safety is at risk.

Mr. President, notwithstanding rule XXII, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of Calendar No. 545, S. 2542.

I ask unanimous consent that the committee-reported substitute amendment be agreed to; that the bill, as amended, be read a third time and passed; and that the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table.

Mr. President, today, I am honored to recognize an exceptional public servant and Michigander who is sitting right next to me here. His name is David Weinberg.

For nearly 18 years, David has served on my team, guiding our office through major challenges and always delivering results for the people in Michigan as well as all across our country.

David's Michigan roots run deep. His great-great-grandparents Max and Jenny Fisher left Eastern Europe in the 1890s and sought an opportunity in the United States of America. They eventually settled in Kalamazoo, where Max's work as a peddler went on to become a three-generation family business of buying scrap metal and fabricating steel. They also founded their synagogue in Kalamazoo, which remains there today.

David's grandfather Martin Kalb first came to Michigan after enlisting in the Army, which stationed him at Fort Custer. He took an additional intensive language training program at the University of Michigan before deploying to Europe during World War II, where he served as an interpreter and a military police officer.

Martin's education started a long line of Wolverines in David's family. His grandmother Marcia was the first in her family to go to college, graduating with a degree in political science. David's parents Neal and Susan, who are up in the Galleries here today, met at the University of Michigan in 1970. And just 35 years later, David graduated with a political science degree as well.

Before becoming one of the longest serving members of my team, David got his start on Capitol Hill by working for two titans in Michigan's congressional delegation. David interned for venerable Congressman John Dingell and then served as a law clerk for Senator Carl Levin in his role as chairman of the powerful Subcommittee on Investigations.

In the 18 years that David has worked for me, I have been able to watch him grow from a recent law school graduate and junior campaign staffer to one of the longest serving staff directors in the U.S. Senate. Over the years, David has helped shape some of the most consequential policies that I have been privileged to work on as a legislative assistant and as a legislative director in both my House and Senate offices and, most recently, as staff director of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee.

During my tenure in the House, David helped create--and later expand--the State Small Business Credit Initiative which helped small businesses grow and create jobs.

He worked hand in hand with Senator Debbie Stabenow's team and across the aisle to deliver $170 million to support the city of Flint during its water crisis.

(Mr. ARMSTRONG assumed the Chair.)

On the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, David has led an incredible team, supporting my work to make government more efficient and effective for the American people. With his help, I have been able to enact bipartisan bills into law that save taxpayer dollars, streamline Federal contracting, track and improve Federal Agency performance, modernize Federal cloud computing, and dozens more.

He and I share a mindset that Congress can't just focus on the problems right in front of us; that we also have to look ahead, look ahead to the challenges that we will be facing in the future.

David helped me steer the Cyber Incident Reporting for the Critical Infrastructure Act of 2022 across the finish line, passing what the Washington Post called ``the most significant cyber legislation in history.'' Once this rule is finalized, it will help keep our critical infrastructure safe from dangerous cyber attacks and ransomware attacks.

He has also helped me look ahead and prepare for emerging threats by working to pass bipartisan legislation that strengthens the cyber security for State and local governments, secures our Federal supply chains, and improves our disaster preparedness, gives us the tools to defend against drone threats, and protects Americans' most sensitive genetic data.

He has also been instrumental in helping author cutting-edge legislation to prepare our Nation for emerging technologies. In 2017, he played a critical role in my efforts to craft bipartisan legislation--along with Senator Thune--to help guide the safe deployment of self-driving cars.

Through that process, David and I both became equally steeped in artificial intelligence policy. And since then, he has helped me enact several bills to help drive the responsible adoption and use of AI by the Federal Government.

David also understands the vital role that congressional oversight plays in making our government accountable to the public. He played a vital role in bringing together our Republican partners for major investigations led by my committee, including the January 6 Capitol attack and the assassination attempt on President Donald Trump.

David has a keen--keen--understanding of exactly what it takes to be successful and be successful in moving bills or accomplish a goal in Congress. If there is a path of something getting in the way of being done, David will find it. Over the years, he has built incredibly strong relationships with fellow staffers on both sides of the aisle, which is how this place has to work. I watched him deftly handle markups on some of the most complicated legislation that this body considers.

Helping to keep both Democratic and Republican Senators together is absolutely important to advance critical bipartisan bills. He knows when a deal can be made to compromise on legislation without ever sacrificing core principles that drive my work on behalf of the people of Michigan. He is able to see around corners, identifying potential roadblocks and determining how to break through them in order to get things done.

David's ability to distill complex information to get to the heart of an issue and to find the right path forward have made him one of my most trusted

advisers over these many years. I could speak at length about David's work ethic and the many ways in which he has helped me serve the people of Michigan.

But I have also been proud to witness some of the key moments of his life outside of work, including his marriage to Meghan, and the joy with which he has thrown himself into being a dad to his two sons Jay and Elliott.

In fact, David just recently celebrated perhaps one of his most important and impressive accomplishments: He is now a championship winning Little League coach.

And after seeing David in action over the years, I can't help but think there is a lot of overlap--a lot of overlap--in the skills it takes to be an effective U.S. Senator and managing a dozen sixth and seventh graders.

I have been proud to see everything that David has accomplished over these past 8 years, and I cannot wait to see all that he will accomplish in his next role.

David, Colleen and I are so grateful for all of your hard work and leadership over the years. We wish you all the best of luck as you head into your next chapter of your career, but you will always--always--be part of Team Peters.