Floor Statements

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 President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions be discharged from further consideration and the Senate now proceed to S. Res. 238.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the resolution be agreed to; that the Tester amendment at the desk to the preamble be considered and agreed to; that the preamble, as amended, be agreed to; and that the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the consideration of S. Res. 351, submitted earlier today.

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

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the consideration of S. Res. 352, submitted earlier today.

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

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today, it stand adjourned until 10 a.m. on Wednesday, September 20; that following the prayer and pledge, the Journal of proceedings be approved to date, the morning hour be deemed expired, the time for the two leaders be reserved for their use later in the day, and morning business be closed; that upon the conclusion of morning business, the Senate resume consideration of H.R. 4366; that the cloture motion with respect to the motion to suspend rule XVI ripen at 12:15 p.m.; further, that the Senate recess from 5 p.m. until 6:15 p.m. to allow for the all-Senators briefing.

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

Mr. President, it is my privilege to honor a request from the former chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, Senator Sam Nunn.

I request unanimous consent that the following statement by former Senator Sam Nunn regarding the passing of Mr. Frank Sullivan, who was staff director of the Senate Armed Services Committee and the Senate Committee on Appropriations, be printed in the Record. I also ask unanimous consent that Mr. Sullivan's obituary be printed following Senator Nunn's statement.

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

Mr. President, I rise this morning to discuss the promotions of our military leaders.

During the past month, I had the opportunity, as many of my colleagues did, to visit our troops overseas and around the country. As always, I was moved by their selflessness and courage, and I was impressed by the knowledge and skill of our military leaders.

We ask much of our servicemembers and their families, and they deserve our gratitude and support. So although I was proud to spend time with our troops and their families this past month, I was appalled by the hardship and disrespect many of them are experiencing.

While Congress had a month of recess, hundreds of military officers were denied their promotions, hundreds of military families were played as political pawns, and our national security was undermined--all because one Senator disagrees with a legal healthcare policy.

For more than 6 months, the senior Senator from Alabama has blocked every senior military promotion--now totaling nearly 300 officers--in his bid to extort the Pentagon to overturn its reproductive healthcare policy.

The Senator claims that he is not harming military readiness, but he is dangerously wrong. The Secretary of Defense and every member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff have condemned his hold and described the damage he is inflicting on U.S. military leadership. Seven retired Secretaries of Defense--both Republican and Democratic--have condemned the Senator's actions and urged him to drop his hold.

Just yesterday, the Secretaries of the Army, Navy, and Air Force rebuked the Alabama Senator and the damage he is causing to our military readiness. As they wrote, the Senator ``has prevented the Defense Department from placing almost 300 of our most experienced and battle-tested leaders into critical posts around the world.''

Many of our most important officers are being blocked. Indeed, if you look at the photo behind me, you will see what visitors to the Pentagon encounter. Instead of a consistent group of leaders, there are notable absences. And eventually, if the Senator persists, this whole board will be full of blank spaces. We will have no effective military leadership. Three of these faces, as you noticed, are blank because of the Senator's hold. For the first time in history, the Army, Navy, and Marine Corps are without top leaders.

He is blocking the confirmation of Gen. Eric Smith, the next Commandant of the Marine Corps, and GEN Randy George, the next Chief of Staff of the U.S. Army. Next week we will hold confirmation hearings for ADM Lisa Franchetti--the first female officer to be the Chief of Naval Operations--and Gen. David Allvin, the next Chief of Staff of the Air Force. The Senator has indicated he will block both of these nominations.

At the end of September, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Milley, is legally required to retire. The Joint Chiefs consists of eight officers: the Chairman, the Vice Chairman, and the Service Chiefs of the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Space Force, and the Chief of the National Guard Bureau. If the Senator does not come to his senses before General Milley retires, fully half of the Joint Chiefs of Staff--our Nation's most vital military leaders--will be empty.

I am concerned that the Senator does not appreciate the gravity of this situation. These positions cannot simply be filled by other officers. They can only be temporarily covered by their Vice Chiefs, who must also continue to cover their own jobs, and at this level, those jobs are 24/7. Having two 24/7 jobs is quite demanding.

These are extraordinary, challenging times, and the jobs of our Vice Chiefs are just as important and challenging as those of Chief of Staff or the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. The Senator is flirting with disaster to force these officers to fill two enormous jobs simultaneously.

Dozens of key commanders are also being held. The Senator is blocking the nomination of the commander of Cyber Command, who also serves as the Director of the National Security Agency. We all know how much cyber has become an integral and perhaps decisive part of our military strategy. And to leave that position blank is to leave ourselves vulnerable to the cyber operations of multiple adversaries and criminal gangs and to leave us in a void when it comes to improving and looking forward for years ahead with vision to what we must do to be not only competitive but to be dominant in the cyber space.

He is blocking the nomination of the next commander of the Navy's 7th Fleet, the largest of the Navy's forward-deployed fleets, which has responsibility for the Indo-Pacific. And, again, I hear so many times my colleagues from both sides of the aisle, but particularly from the other side, arguing about how we have to do more to protect Taiwan; we have to do more to resist Chinese incursions. One thing you don't want to do is have an ad hoc arrangement in command of this fleet, and that is exactly what we have.

He is blocking the nomination of the next commander of the Navy's 5th Fleet, responsible for our naval forces in the Indian Ocean, Persian Gulf, and Arabian Sea--critical, critical points.

And particularly, again, with my colleagues railing with good cause against the Iranians, if we do not have competent, consistent, confirmed leadership in that area of the world, then we are running the risk of giving an advantage to the Iranians and a disadvantage to the United States and its allies.

He is blocking the nomination of the next U.S. Military Representative to NATO, who is the senior uniformed representative to NATO, during a time when NATO continues to provide critical support to Ukraine in its war against Russia and as NATO itself is expanding to counter the threats posed by Russia.

When I traveled to Europe last month, I met with the leaders of the Security Assistance Group-Ukraine, or SAG-U, a newly established command dedicated to coordinating, tracking, and expediting security assistance to Ukraine. During my visit, I saw firsthand the tremendous job our forces are doing to train and equip the Ukrainians. However, I was disappointed to learn that the deputy commander of the SAG-U is being blocked from promotion by the Senator from Alabama. Not having a confirmed deputy for SAG-U during this highly complex and consequential situation is simply unacceptable. We are trying to assist the Ukrainians in defending their freedom but, more importantly, to send a signal throughout the entire world that autocracies will be defeated by democracies. And if that message is not successful, then you will see problems not just in Europe, which will become increasingly more dominated by Putin, but you will see it across the globe. In China, particularly, their lesson will be, if you just last long enough and let the divisions within the United States take hold, you will succeed.

Of the 852 general and flag officers in our military, we expect that 650 of them will need to pass through the Senate for promotion or reassignment by the end of this year. An additional 110 officers will be forced to perform two jobs simultaneously or will be assigned to a temporary position as a result of the Senator's holds. Thus, nearly 90 percent of our general and flag officers--our most senior military leaders--will be affected by the Senator from Alabama's holds.

He has achieved what America's enemies could only dream of: instability in the ranks of our military leadership.

The U.S. military is one of the finest meritocracies in the world. Our servicemembers swear an oath to the Constitution rather than a party or leader, and they can be confident that with hard work, skill, and character, they will be successful in their military careers.

Rising to the top of this meritocracy--to the rank of general or admiral--demands remarkable talent and leadership and a dedication to the military ethos of ``service above self.'' America's senior officers place faith in Congress to do its job to approve their promotions, based on merit, in a timely manner.

For the Senator from Alabama to deny these officers their hard-won, merit-based promotions for his own political gain is simply disgraceful.

After 6 months, it seems that neither reason nor any factor will sway him. Indeed, some of my colleagues, I believe, on the other side have offered him compromises and off-ramps, but he has rejected each one.

The Senate Armed Services Committee even considered legislation to repeal the Department's policy. That legislation was rejected by the committee. Right here on the floor, the Senator had the opportunity to vote on an amendment to the NDAA that would have repealed the policy. He rejected that choice. Instead, he continues to change his demands.

At this point, one has to wonder if the Senator actually wants to achieve his demands or if he just wants to stay in the spotlight. Indeed, as he recently admitted to a rightwing podcaster, ``I don't care if they promote anybody to be honest with you.''

In the same way that military officers are expected to hold each other to account, my Republican colleagues must challenge their colleague to do what they know is right. They must say publicly what they admit in private: His behavior is damaging to our national security.

Many Senate Republicans know what it means to serve in uniform. I have traveled to combat zones around the world with them, and I know they understand what our servicemembers need from Congress to achieve the missions we ask of them. It is now time for Republicans to do what is right and necessary and end this blockade.

Specifically, the Senator claims that the Pentagon's reproductive healthcare policy is illegal. He is wrong.

The Department of Justice examined the Pentagon's policy and found it to be entirely legal, consistent with 40 years of precedent through both Republican and Democratic administrations. No lawsuits have been filed against the Department because no lawyer seriously believes the policy is illegal.

Further, the Secretary of Defense and every uniformed, apolitical member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff have endorsed the policy as appropriate and necessary, particularly in regard to readiness. Every institution in this country that is responsible for overseeing the Pentagon has reviewed its policy, upheld its legality, and disproved arguments to the contrary.

Finally, and most disturbing, the Senator claims that he is not harming military families. He knows that isn't true. Hundreds of military families, children, and spouses cannot move to new duty stations, enroll in new schools, or seek new jobs. Hundreds of officers are facing genuine financial stress because they have had to relocate their families or unexpectedly maintain two residences.

The Armed Services Committee has heard from many of these families. Like most other American families, August is the month when many military families move, begin new schools, and join sports teams. Regrettably, because of the Senator's hold, we know of many military students who have been disenrolled from their current schools in anticipation of a move but now cannot be enrolled in new schools. We know of many children who have already missed out on the fall sports season. We know of families who paid out of pocket to move duty stations in hopes of reuniting with their servicemember whenever the Senator sees reason. We know families who are losing literally thousands of dollars a month because the officers are assuming the duties of higher positions without holding higher ranks.

Every single day the Senator continues his hold, military families suffer. He is punishing those who least deserve it. Their sacrifice and service to the Nation should be rewarded, not punished.

As the retired Secretaries of Defense wrote--and again, these are seven Secretaries of Defense from Republican and Democratic administrations--``We can think of few things as irresponsible and uncaring as harming the families of those who serve our Nation in uniform.''

The Senator from Alabama knows that he has lost his argument on the merits. He knows the policy he disagrees with is legal. He knows he has legislative tools available to try and change the policy, but he also knows he likely does not have the votes to prevail. And so he has targeted the men and women of the military itself and their families. He knows the damage he is causing to our military families and our national security. It appears he simply does not care.

The question for the Senate--really, for my colleagues on the other side of the aisle--is: How long will a single Senator be allowed to cause such damage to our military? When will my colleagues on the other side of the aisle speak out and act? Republicans must call out their colleague and end this shameful charade.

Mr. President, if this continues, most of these pictures will be blank. General Brown might remain as Chief of Staff of the Air Force, but he will not be Chairman. General Milley will depart. We can't tolerate this. Again, we all have to come together for the men and women who serve and their families.

I yield the floor.

I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. President, I rise in opposition to the amendment.

An across-the-board cut of 10 percent makes no distinction between those programs that are actually vital and necessary for the defense of the country and those programs that may be subject to reduction based on our evaluation of the program.

The Senator's amendment excludes defense health programs, military personnel accounts, and assistance to Ukraine, but that means the actual cuts on every other function will be much greater than 10 percent.

The other point that I think should be made--he has made a very rousing description, an accurate description of some of the issues facing us domestically, but we are now involved in an existential conflict, helping the Ukrainians to defend democracy. That costs money. We are in a situation where China has increased their military dramatically, and we must be prepared to react to such a change.

This world is more dangerous perhaps today than at any time, and to simply walk away from adequately funding our Defense Department would be, I think, an error.

Vote on Amendment No. 1030

I ask for the yeas and nays.

Mr. President?

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that following the disposition of amendments under the previous order, that it be in order to call up the following amendments to S. 2226: Schatz No. 1078; Scott No. 944; further, that with respect to the amendments listed above, the Senate vote on the amendments in the order listed, with no further amendments or motions in order, and with 60 affirmative votes required for adoption, and that there be 2 minutes, equally divided, prior to each vote.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the previous order be amended so that consideration of the Scott amendment No. 944 occur immediately, with all previous provisions remaining in effect.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the previous order be amended so that the consideration of the Kennedy amendment occur immediately preceding the Gillibrand amendment, with all previous provisions remaining in effect.

Mr. President, I ask for the yeas and nays.

Mr. President, I request the yeas and nays.

Mr. President, I believe it is in order now to call up the managers' package.

Mr. President, I ask for the yeas and nays.

Go ahead.

Mr. President, first, let me commend Senator Wicker, the ranking member, for his extraordinary cooperation, thoughtfulness, and insight throughout this entire process. As a result, this evening, we passed in an overwhelming vote a bipartisan piece of legislation that confronts the challenges we face today in a very, very difficult world.

The first thing we did was we took care of the troops. We have a 5.2- percent increase in pay--one of the largest in decades. We also took care of the troops by investing in the best possible platforms in technology in many dimensions--underwater submarines, in the air. We are recapitalizing our triad for nuclear deterrence. We are looking closely at space, what we can do there both to defend ourselves and prevent space from undermining our national security. All of these things were done on a collaborative basis. Hundreds of amendments were considered in both the committee and here on the floor. As a result, we have legislation that I think we are all very, very proud of.

I would also like to thank and commend Leader Schumer and Leader McConnell because they allowed us to conduct a very open process on the floor, to entertain amendments, to work closely so that we could have the conclusion we did this evening--- a strong, strong bipartisan vote.

I am confident that what we have done will provide the Department of Defense and our military men and women with the resources they need to meet and overcome the challenges of a dangerous world.

Like my colleague, I recognize that the work of others made our work much easier. Indeed, the work of our staffs made this bill possible. So let me thank first my staff director, Elizabeth King, and I also thank John Keast, the staff director to Senator Wicker, who has done an extraordinary job. Together, they are a formidable team and also consummate professionals.

As my colleague has done, let me recognize the staff members on my side of the aisle: Jody Bennett, who made a very strong contribution to this effort, Carolyn Chuhta, Jon Clark, Jenny Davis, Jonathan Epstein, Jorie Feldman, Kevin Gates, Creighton Greene,

Gary Leeling, Kirk McConnell, Maggie McNamara Cooper, Bill Monahan, Mike Noblet, John Quirk, Andy Scott, Cole Stevens, Isabelle Picciotti, Alison Warner, Leah Brewer, Megan Lustig, Joe Gallo, Brittany Amador, Griffin Cannon, Sofia Kamali, Chad Johnson, Jessica Lewis, Vannary Kong, Noah Sisk, Zachary Volpe, and once again my staff director, Elizabeth King, who deserves great credit for this.

Let me also thank the floor staff and the leadership staff who have been part of this process and who have been able to keep our floor open so we could conclude this bill.

This is an important, important step. Now I look forward to joining my colleague Senator Wicker and our colleagues in the committee to go to conference to work out a bill that we can support as vigorously on a bipartisan basis as we have this Senate legislation.

With that, I yield the floor.

Madam President, among the many challenges to improving educational outcomes for students and recruiting and retaining educators for our public schools is the condition of school facilities. A 2020 Government Accountability Office, GAO, report found that over half, 54 percent, of school districts nationwide need to update or replace multiple systems in their schools, such as heating, ventilation, air-conditioning, HVAC, or plumbing. These systems are especially critical to safeguarding public health, as we learned during the COVID-19 pandemic. Functioning and efficient HVAC systems and ventilation can help keep indoor air quality healthy and reduce the spread of infectious airborne viral particles.

Investing in school buildings will make them healthy and safe learning environments. It will also improve student learning, reduce carbon emissions, and create jobs. That is why I am proud to partner with Representative Bobby Scott, ranking member of the House Education and Workforce Committee, to introduce the Rebuild America's Schools Act--legislation that will invest $130 billion in fixing our schools. I would like to thank my Senate colleagues who are joining in this effort, including Senators Brown, Blumenthal, Booker, Casey, Cortez Masto, Duckworth, Durbin, Heinrich, Hirono, Klobuchar, Lujan, Markey, Merkley, Murphy, Shaheen, Smith, Stabenow, Van Hollen, and Whitehouse.

Public schools play a vital role in every community across the Nation--educating the next generation, serving as polling places for our elections, hosting community meetings and cultural events, and so much more. When there is a natural disaster or an emergency, people often gather at their public schools for shelter, information, and resources. They are essential facilities and should be treated as essential infrastructure.

Safe, healthy, modern, well-equipped schools are essential for advancing student achievement and ensuring that the next generation is prepared to meet the economic, social, environmental, and global challenges our Nation faces. Yet too many of the over 50 million students and 6 million staff who learn and work in our public schools spend their days in facilities that fail to make the grade. In fact, the American Society of Civil Engineers gave public school buildings across the country an overall grade of D+ in its latest report card. The 2021 State of our Schools Report identified an $85 billion annual shortfall in school facilities investment.

States and local communities cannot bridge this gap alone, especially when many struggle to simply keep teachers and staff on the payroll. We know that budget shortfalls hit low-income and minority communities the hardest. The GAO noted that capital construction expenditures, on average, were about $300 less per student in high-poverty districts compared to low-poverty districts. With inflation, interest rates, and extreme weather events on the rise, the gap between what is needed to maintain safe and modern schools and what communities can afford will only grow. Addressing this need with robust Federal investment is not only the right thing to do for our students; it will also give a needed boost to our economy, putting people to work in family--sustaining jobs. According to an analysis by the Economic Policy Institute, every $1 billion spent on construction generates 17,785 jobs.

The Rebuild America's Schools Act will create a Federal-State partnership for school infrastructure. It will provide, over 5 years, a total of $130 billion in direct grants and school construction bonds to help fill the annual gap in school facility capital needs, while creating nearly 2 million jobs.

Specifically, the Rebuild America's Schools Act will provide $100 billion in formula funds to States for local competitive grants for school repair, renovation, and construction. States will focus assistance on communities with the greatest financial need, encourage green construction practices, and expand access to high-speed broadband to ensure that all students have access to digital learning. Our legislation would also provide $30 billion for qualified school infrastructure bonds, QSIBs, $10 billion each year from FY 2023 through FY 2025, and restore the qualified zone academy bonds, QZABs, that were eliminated in the Republican Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. The legislation also eases the matching requirements and expands the authority and eligible purposes of QZABs to allow local education agencies to construct, rehabilitate, retrofit, or repair school facilities. The Rebuild America's Schools

Act also supports American workers by ensuring that projects use American-made iron, steel, and manufactured products and meet labor standards.

I would like to thank the broad coalition of educators, community organizations, unions, civil rights advocates, and employers that have provided feedback and support for this legislation, including the 21st Century Schools Fund, A4LE: the Association for Learning Environments, AASA: The School Superintendents Association, American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, American Federation of Teachers, American Industrial Hygiene Association, American Institute of Architects, BASIC Coalition, Council of the Great City Schools, Heart of America, International Unions of Bricklayers and Allied Craft Workers, National Association of Energy Service Companies, National Association of Federally Impacted Schools, National Council on School Facilities, National Education Association, Rebuild America's Schools Coalition, Safe Traces, Teach Plus, and the U.S. Green Building Council.

We have no time to waste in fixing our deteriorating school infrastructure. In the words of a student activist in Providence, Rhode Island: ``Students cannot learn in a crumbling building, a school that isn't fit to uplift our minds.'' We need to listen to our students, strengthen our communities, and improve our school buildings. I urge all of our colleagues to support the Rebuild America's Schools Act and press for its passage.

Madam President, among the many challenges to improving educational outcomes for students and recruiting and retaining educators for our public schools is the condition of school facilities. A 2020 Government Accountability Office, GAO, report found that over half, 54 percent, of school districts nationwide need to update or replace multiple systems in their schools, such as heating, ventilation, air-conditioning, HVAC, or plumbing. These systems are especially critical to safeguarding public health, as we learned during the COVID-19 pandemic. Functioning and efficient HVAC systems and ventilation can help keep indoor air quality healthy and reduce the spread of infectious airborne viral particles.

Investing in school buildings will make them healthy and safe learning environments. It will also improve student learning, reduce carbon emissions, and create jobs. That is why I am proud to partner with Representative Bobby Scott, ranking member of the House Education and Workforce Committee, to introduce the Rebuild America's Schools Act--legislation that will invest $130 billion in fixing our schools. I would like to thank my Senate colleagues who are joining in this effort, including Senators Brown, Blumenthal, Booker, Casey, Cortez Masto, Duckworth, Durbin, Heinrich, Hirono, Klobuchar, Lujan, Markey, Merkley, Murphy, Shaheen, Smith, Stabenow, Van Hollen, and Whitehouse.

Public schools play a vital role in every community across the Nation--educating the next generation, serving as polling places for our elections, hosting community meetings and cultural events, and so much more. When there is a natural disaster or an emergency, people often gather at their public schools for shelter, information, and resources. They are essential facilities and should be treated as essential infrastructure.

Safe, healthy, modern, well-equipped schools are essential for advancing student achievement and ensuring that the next generation is prepared to meet the economic, social, environmental, and global challenges our Nation faces. Yet too many of the over 50 million students and 6 million staff who learn and work in our public schools spend their days in facilities that fail to make the grade. In fact, the American Society of Civil Engineers gave public school buildings across the country an overall grade of D+ in its latest report card. The 2021 State of our Schools Report identified an $85 billion annual shortfall in school facilities investment.

States and local communities cannot bridge this gap alone, especially when many struggle to simply keep teachers and staff on the payroll. We know that budget shortfalls hit low-income and minority communities the hardest. The GAO noted that capital construction expenditures, on average, were about $300 less per student in high-poverty districts compared to low-poverty districts. With inflation, interest rates, and extreme weather events on the rise, the gap between what is needed to maintain safe and modern schools and what communities can afford will only grow. Addressing this need with robust Federal investment is not only the right thing to do for our students; it will also give a needed boost to our economy, putting people to work in family--sustaining jobs. According to an analysis by the Economic Policy Institute, every $1 billion spent on construction generates 17,785 jobs.

The Rebuild America's Schools Act will create a Federal-State partnership for school infrastructure. It will provide, over 5 years, a total of $130 billion in direct grants and school construction bonds to help fill the annual gap in school facility capital needs, while creating nearly 2 million jobs.

Specifically, the Rebuild America's Schools Act will provide $100 billion in formula funds to States for local competitive grants for school repair, renovation, and construction. States will focus assistance on communities with the greatest financial need, encourage green construction practices, and expand access to high-speed broadband to ensure that all students have access to digital learning. Our legislation would also provide $30 billion for qualified school infrastructure bonds, QSIBs, $10 billion each year from FY 2023 through FY 2025, and restore the qualified zone academy bonds, QZABs, that were eliminated in the Republican Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. The legislation also eases the matching requirements and expands the authority and eligible purposes of QZABs to allow local education agencies to construct, rehabilitate, retrofit, or repair school facilities. The Rebuild America's Schools

Act also supports American workers by ensuring that projects use American-made iron, steel, and manufactured products and meet labor standards.

I would like to thank the broad coalition of educators, community organizations, unions, civil rights advocates, and employers that have provided feedback and support for this legislation, including the 21st Century Schools Fund, A4LE: the Association for Learning Environments, AASA: The School Superintendents Association, American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, American Federation of Teachers, American Industrial Hygiene Association, American Institute of Architects, BASIC Coalition, Council of the Great City Schools, Heart of America, International Unions of Bricklayers and Allied Craft Workers, National Association of Energy Service Companies, National Association of Federally Impacted Schools, National Council on School Facilities, National Education Association, Rebuild America's Schools Coalition, Safe Traces, Teach Plus, and the U.S. Green Building Council.

We have no time to waste in fixing our deteriorating school infrastructure. In the words of a student activist in Providence, Rhode Island: ``Students cannot learn in a crumbling building, a school that isn't fit to uplift our minds.'' We need to listen to our students, strengthen our communities, and improve our school buildings. I urge all of our colleagues to support the Rebuild America's Schools Act and press for its passage.

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