Floor Statements

Mr. President, I rise today to honor the McFarlan Veterans Memorial Park located in Flint, MI, in Genesee County. The stewards of this historic landmark, ``The Friends of McFarlan Park,'' incorporated in 2011 and forged a formal agreement with the city of Flint authorizing the organization to preserve and manage the park. Developing a master plan to renovate and update the facility, volunteers spent years fundraising, reaching their goal in 2022 allowing the park's renovation to begin. It is a privilege and honor to recognize the completion of this historic project and commemorate the formal rededication of the park on Thursday, July 13, 2023.

In 1875, the park was purchased for $3,700, becoming the first park owned by the city of Flint and named for lumber baron, farmer, and Flint mayor Alexander McFarlan who donated and oversaw the installation of a water fountain on the property. In 1951, the park was designated as Genesee County's official war memorial, erecting a historical stone marker with the following inscription, ``FOREVER HONORING ALL THE MEN

Madam President, the Lee amendment is an unnecessary roadblock to this bipartisan deal, and it would interfere with the delivery of essential government services in times of need.

If adopted, this amendment would prevent Agencies from exercising their discretion and acting quickly in times of need, such as during a national emergency or natural disaster. The government must be able to provide essential services to the public. And it is important to promote offsets and save taxpayer dollars. We understand that. But we must also ensure that the American people receive the services they need and protect our economy. That is why we must vote to quickly pass this bipartisan bill without amendment to avoid a catastrophic default.

I urge my colleagues to vote no on the Lee amendment.

Vote on Amendment No. 98

Madam President, I ask unanimous consent to complete my remarks prior to the scheduled vote.

Madam President, I rise in support of Colleen Shogan's nomination to be the Archivist of the United States.

The Archivist of the United States leads the National Archives and Records Administration, an important role that is responsible for maintaining and for preserving Presidential and Federal records.

In addition to preserving documents that tell the story of our Nation's history, the National Archives also provides access to critical records for the public to use, including providing veterans and servicemembers with military personnel records needed to access the benefits they have earned through their service.

As an accomplished political scientist who has held nonpartisan leadership roles throughout her career, Dr. Shogan is well qualified to lead the National Archives. She would also be the first woman to hold this job.

She is currently the Senior Vice President and Director of the David M. Rubenstein Center for White House History and the White House Historical Association and previously served as Deputy Director of the Congressional Research Service at the Library of Congress and Vice Chair of the Women's Suffrage Centennial Commission.

Throughout multiple Congresses and Presidential administrations of both parties, Dr. Shogan has demonstrated a strong commitment to serving the American people with nonpartisan integrity.

During the nomination process, Dr. Shogan showed a deep understanding of the Archives' critical role and that she is prepared to lead the Agency as it tackles challenges such as the veterans' records backlog and the digitization of records all across the Federal Government.

Her nomination is supported by numerous individuals and groups representing the National Archives stakeholders, including the American Political Science Association; the Council of State Archivists; the American Historical Association; and other national, nonpartisan, and nonpolitical organizations who have enthusiastically endorsed Dr. Shogan's nomination.

Madam President, I urge my colleagues to join me in confirming Dr. Shogan to this important role today.

Mr. President, I want to thank my colleague from Maryland for his support of the Fire Grants and Safety Act.

The amendment he is offering would authorize a new grant program at FEMA to fund fire station construction. And while I fully support increased Federal resources for this purpose, I must, unfortunately and reluctantly, vote no on this particular amendment.

This language has not been moved through committee, and FEMA has not had the opportunity to provide input to ensure that this bill achieves its intended goal.

But let me say again: I fully support this effort, fully support the Senator from Maryland, and agree with him totally that we need to have more resources to help our communities upgrade their fire stations. This is an urgent need.

I also agree we want to make sure that we are not raiding the current fund for this purpose, which is why the next amendment coming up, I will also be voting no. But I fully intend to work with the Senator from Maryland to move towards a markup on his stand-alone bill, on this very topic, which has been referred to the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, a committee in which I chair.

But I will reluctantly be voting no on this amendment.

Vote on Amendment No. 85

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to speak for 1 minute on the amendment.

Mr. President, I appreciate my colleague from Alaska's support and cosponsorship of the Fire

Grants and Safety Act before us, and I also appreciate and fully agree with this amendment to help smaller communities build new facilities.

But I urge my colleagues to oppose the amendment because of the unintended consequences it would have. The Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program historically receives applications for five times the amount of funding that is available. In 2020, there were $2 billion in requests for only $300 million available in funding. This program is massively oversubscribed, and that is why all of the major firefighting services in this country oppose this amendment. That includes the International Association of Fire Chiefs, the International Association of Fire Fighters, the National Volunteer Fire Council, and the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation. All are calling for clean passage of the Fire Grants and Safety Act without amendment.

I know my colleague shared the goal of the good Senator from Alaska. I do as well, but I urge my colleagues to oppose this amendment, join with our firefighters all around the country. Let's send a clean firefighting bill to the House.

Madam President, in just a few moments, each of our colleagues will have the opportunity to cast their vote for a bipartisan bill that provides essential Federal resources to fire departments all across our country.

The Fire Grants and Safety Act reauthorizes two vital grant programs administered by the Federal Emergency Management Agency that provide funds to help fire departments purchase safety equipment, address staffing needs, fund fire training and education programs, and provide cancer screenings to firefighters.

The legislation also reauthorizes the U.S. Fire Administration, which works to support fire and emergency medical services as they help safeguard our communities.

Federal grants enable many firefighters, especially those in smaller and rural communities, to invest in the vehicles, equipment, or training they need to do their job safely and effectively.

I have had the opportunity to visit several fire stations across Michigan to see firsthand how they use these vital grant programs to purchase extraction tools like the Jaws of Life and up-to-date breathing equipment to keep firefighters safe on the job. Without these programs, many fire departments would simply not have the resources to afford the equipment and tools they need to protect their communities.

Now the Senate will be able to show these heroes that we have their backs by voting to pass this commonsense, bipartisan legislation.

I want to thank my cosponsors and colleagues for their support, including Senators Collins, Carper, Murkowski, Coons, Moran, Boozman, Heinrich, Rounds, King, Sullivan, Tester, Sinema, and Kennedy.

By passing this critical bill, we can ensure our firefighters and first responders have what they need to continue safeguarding our communities from emergencies.

Mr. President, firefighters are on the front lines of safeguarding our communities, often providing emergency care and interacting with high-risk populations. Firefighters themselves may also be at risk of COVID-19 infections. Vaccines are the safest and most effective way to make sure an individual doesn't get severely ill or spread COVID-19 to others.

This amendment would interfere with State and local governments' ability to determine health policies for their own employees and how to best keep their communities safe. This amendment would also require FEMA to evaluate local and State government vaccination policies-- something well beyond the scope and responsibility to determine eligibility for grants.

I would urge my colleagues to oppose the amendment to ensure that local communities can continue counting on these resources that these programs provide.

Mr. President, this amendment is intended to make changes to an entirely unrelated program that is completely outside of the scope of this bill. The Emergency Food and Shelter Program is an important resource that provides aid to those who are at risk of experiencing hunger. And any changes certainly must be thoroughly considered. And I look forward to having an opportunity to work with a sponsor on this amendment in some other manner. However, the bill before us extends programs that firefighters are counting on to purchase lifesaving equipment or receive important cancer screenings. We should not jeopardize the enactment of this incredibly important bill by putting in completely unrelated matters.

I urge my colleagues to oppose the amendment.

Vote on Amendment No. 72, As Modified

Madam President, the funds this amendment targets have already been obligated to States to help communities continue recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, at the end of last year, the Senate unanimously passed legislation led by Senators Cornyn and Padilla that also allows States and localities to use these funds to respond to natural disasters and fund infrastructure and community development projects. Under this amendment, this funding would be redirected to the U.S. Fire Administration--an account that should be consistently funded through the annual appropriations process.

Firefighters deserve steady, dedicated funding for their programs. Redistributing this funding could weaken our Nation's ability to continue responding to and recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic and would pull funds from a program that is supporting our communities, families, and small businesses in important ways.

Firefighters and the communities they protect are counting on us to reauthorize these programs to help them get the safety equipment and the training they need in order to do their job. We should not have to choose between supporting our Nation's recovery and investing in our communities and helping our Nation's firefighters.

I would urge my colleagues to oppose this amendment.

Mr. President, 5 years ago, I stood in this Chamber and condemned the Saudi military campaign in Yemen. Today, I rise once again to condemn the egregious violence that continues to haunt the Yemeni people.

Last weekend marked the 8-year anniversary of the start of the conflict--8 years of families being torn apart by war; 8 years of children going without access to food, healthcare, and quality education; 8 years of destruction that has caused one of the greatest humanitarian crises since World War II.

The Republic of Yemen has been torn apart by multiple armed conflicts, and, as a result, the Yemeni people have been caught in between an internal power struggle as well as a regional proxy conflict. Saudi Arabia has taken advantage of Yemen's domestic strife and led a military campaign that has only heightened the conflict and caused further destruction.

The previous conflicts, along with the current war, have collectively eroded central governance in Yemen and left more than 24 million of Yemen's 31 million citizens in dire need of assistance and protection.

I am proud that Michigan is home to the largest Yemeni population outside of Yemen. The diaspora community is vibrant and has endured harms that no community should have to.

The circumstances under which many have immigrated to the United States is truly devastating. It is estimated that there are roughly 4.5 million displaced Yemenis as a result of this conflict, with a majority of those displaced still in Yemen. Those that remain continue to face food and housing insecurity, with over half of the total population requiring humanitarian assistance.

We have failed the Yemeni people with our longstanding military support for the Saudi Arabian military coalition in Yemen, and I applaud--I applaud--President Biden's decision to end all U.S. support for offensive operations in Yemen. We must continue to build on this measure and ensure that the United States is in no way--in no way-- involved in the continuation of this war.

The failure of warring parties to come to an agreement to extend the U.N.-backed truce demonstrates that this conflict is, unfortunately, far from over. The United States must continue to leverage all diplomatic tools available to assist in the peace process.

As we enter into the ninth year of this conflict, I encourage all of my colleagues to reflect on the lives lost, the children who never got to grow up, and the communities that will never be the same. The Yemeni people have remained resilient in the face of extreme adversity, and it is our responsibility to ensure that we continue to be strong partners in providing aid and securing peace.

I yield the floor.

Mr. President, fire departments across the country rely on critical Federal resources that keep firefighters and emergency responders safe. These heroes need our support as they continue protecting our communities. That is why I urge my colleagues to support the Fire Grants and Safety Act.

This bipartisan bill reauthorizes two vital grant programs administered by the Federal Emergency Management Agency and also reauthorizes the U.S. Fire Administration.

Fire departments depend on these programs to address staffing needs, replace outdated equipment, fund fire training and education programs, and invest in health screenings for firefighters in the line of duty.

It is clear that, without these grant programs, many fire departments, especially those in smaller or more rural communities, would simply not be able to invest in their vehicles, equipment, or training that they need to protect their communities.

I urge all of my colleagues to vote to move forward with this important, bipartisan legislation that will help ensure that our firefighters and first responders have what they need.

Mr. President, a little over a decade ago, Michigan lawmakers convened a session in the dark of the night. They put padlocks on the doors of the State Capitol so that they wouldn't have to listen to the protesters who had gathered outside.

They had come to Lansing to pass ``right to work,'' a policy that weakened the power of unions all across Michigan. But today--today--my colleagues in the State legislature passed legislation in the State senate to repeal that law, and it now moves to the house next week.

They are stepping up. They are stepping up because they understand that we are living through a crucial moment. The richest Americans are only getting richer, while many working people are left behind, unable to reap the benefits of the wealth that they helped to create.

Labor unions are the best tool that we have to buck that trend. They expand and empower the middle class. They allow workers to negotiate for better wages and safer workplaces and the right to retire with dignity. But union membership is at an alltime low. Many employers intimidate workers who attempt to organize and retaliate against those who are able to come together. It is one reason that the gap between rich and poor continues to grow.

In order to keep building an economy that works for everyone, we need to take a lesson from my home State of Michigan. We need to breathe new life into American unions, and we need to pass the PRO Act. This legislation will empower workers to exercise their right to organize. It will hold employers accountable for violating workers' rights. It will secure free, fair, and safe union elections, and it will preempt right-to-work laws across the country. Simply put, the PRO Act will make it easier for working people everywhere to join a union.

As a Michigander, the right to organize is a pillar of my State. Modern unions were born in Flint, MI, when autoworkers banded together in the winter of 1936 for better pay and working conditions. Their 44- day strike started a movement that formed the backbone of the American middle class.

But this is also very personal to me. My dad was a teacher and a member of the MEA. My father-in-law is a proud member of UAW Local 5960 as a retiree. My mother, a nurse's aide, worked tirelessly with the SEIU to organize her workplace. And when management tried to sway her to not support the union with a raise, she refused. She would not quit. She would not stop her fight until everyone got a better deal and everyone got a raise. And after the employees voted to unionize, they made her a union steward. She taught me the value of standing up and fighting for your rights, no matter what is in your way.

We have seen what is possible when we choose to stand up for working people. We enacted the bipartisan infrastructure deal, which will create good-paying union jobs all across our country and penalize companies that break the labor law. Just over 2 years ago, we passed the Butch Lewis Act and secured pensions for millions of American workers.

These victories have helped people all across our country, and we can build on that work by passing the PRO Act. It is a comprehensive, commonsense piece of legislation that we have to get across the finish line. The namesake of this bill is former AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka, a legend in the labor movement and a tireless advocate for working people.

Just before he died, he addressed a group of Alabama coal miners who were in the throes of a strike, and he told them: We are not going to give up. We are not going to give in. We will prevail. One day longer, one day stronger.

His words ring as true today as they did that night in Brookwood, AL. We are not giving in or giving up, and together we will prevail. I am proud to stand in solidarity with labor unions all across Michigan, as well as all across this country, as a cosponsor of the PRO Act, and I will continue to do everything in my power to see that it gets passed.

Mr. President, I yield the floor.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that notwithstanding rule XXII, the Senate consider the following nomination: Calendar No. 67, Michael Ratney, to be Ambassador to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia; that the Senate vote on the nomination, without intervening action or debate; that the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon table and the President be immediately notified of the Senate's action.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to legislative session and be in a period of morning business, with Senators permitted to speak therein for up to 10 minutes each.

Madam President, I have one request for committee to meet during today's session of the Senate. It has the approval of the Majority and Minority Leaders.

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

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today, it stand adjourned until 10 a.m. on Wednesday, March 15; that following the prayer and pledge, the morning hour be deemed expired, the Journal of proceedings be approved to date, the time for the two leaders be reserved for their use later in the day and morning business be closed; that following the conclusion of morning business, the Senate proceed to executive session and resume consideration of the Nieman nomination, postcloture; further, that all postcloture time be considered expired at 11:30 a.m. and the Senate vote on confirmation of the nomination; that following the cloture vote on the Garcetti nomination, the Senate recess until 2:15 p.m. to allow for the weekly caucus meetings; and further, that if cloture has been invoked on the Garcetti nomination, all postcloture time be considered expired at 2:15 p.m. and the Senate vote on confirmation of the nomination; and that if cloture is invoked on the Chaudhary nomination, all postcloture time be considered expired at 5:15 p.m.; and finally, that if any nominations are confirmed during Wednesday's session, the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table and the President be immediately notified of the Senate's action.

Mr. President, if there is no further business to come before the Senate, I ask that it stand adjourned under the previous order.