Floor Statements

Will the Senator yield for a question?

Well, Booker, you are a people of the book--people of the book.

It is very powerful--the book you believe in, the books you believe in, what you read. We heard everyone quote the Bible, philosophers, great thinkers, and leaders and you are one of them. It has been my privilege to sit here next to you on this desk for the last 6 years I have been here, the best seat in the Senate.

And take care of your mother who is my constituent--my constituent.

I have your precious mother in our hands.

Yes. Well--

And we appreciate what a good mother she was and how she raised you to be strong and to be smart and to be kind, and boy, oh, boy, did

she give you some damned stamina. I will just tell you that, sir. We are in awe.

But my question is, thank you, Mr. Booker. Thank you for what you are doing. Thank you for using your voice to stand up against the Trump administration's reckless and extreme policies. We have a lot to talk about here, so I am going to bring it back to Nevada because we have a lot of families in my State, and just like you, those letters are overwhelming and they bring me to tears. They stop me in the grocery store, in the airport, in the shopping mall, and in the gas station over and over again. People are worried. They are worried, and they want us to help. They are wondering about this.

People have talked to me about how high costs at the grocery store are squeezing their budgets. They are concerned that the Trump tariffs--well, what are they going to do? Prices ain't going down. They are going to make prices go up instead of going down. President Trump declared tomorrow is liberation day--liberation day. This is when he plans to impose the latest round of across-the-board tariffs for goods on several nations--tariffs that amount to a national sales tax on every single person who goes through a grocery store in Nevada and in New Jersey.

I see my esteemed colleague Senator Duckworth of Illinois.

In every State in this Nation, there will be tariffs that will amount to being a national sales tax.

Now, Nevada's economy relies heavily on tourism. I don't have to tell anyone that. These tariffs don't target tourism specifically, but make no mistake, they will have a profound impact on a city like Las Vegas-- the entertainment capital of the world--because when prices go up across the board, what happens? Families' budgets at the kitchen table--those kitchen table budgets are squeezed. It means the number of visitors coming to Las Vegas and the neighbors who fuel our economy go down. It means the price for every single person at every single hotel and for every single service we have goes up because of those tariffs. So it is going to have a devastating impact on Nevada--on our local economy, on our small businesses. Ninety-nine percent of businesses in Nevada are small businesses--small businesses. It is going to have a devastating impact on them and the good-paying jobs they support.

We see the impact. International travel is down in the United States--down. Now, that is a whole other discussion. Someone will be asking that question too. It is driving down our visitor numbers. It hurts our economy in Nevada. It hurts our economy all across this great Nation. In fact, looking for flights to Canada? They are already down by 70 percent compared to last year. Canada--our great neighbor, partner, and ally to the north--is down 70 percent.

The most troubling part is that a recent report estimates that up to 14,000 jobs--hospitality jobs--could be at risk due to decreased international travel as a result of these horrible, misguided tariffs.

I just want to tell you that I am looking at all of my colleagues, and I am looking at you, and you have given us the inspiration to stand here, to use our voice, to use our power to show that we are not without a say in this country. We are not without a say, and we cannot go quietly ever without that fight.

So, Senator Booker, I want to ask you what you think these tariffs are going to do not just to the place where your mom lives in Las Vegas but where families live all across this country and with every price at the market and every price at the gas station, the mall--wherever you go, wherever you go--and where people depend, like my Nevadans, on their livelihood for tourism.

So I will repeat what Senator Blumenthal said: Senator Booker, what can we do? That is the question we are asked: What can we do?

Our Juneteenth seder is coming up.

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

Mr. President, I rise today to speak out against the harmful actions taken by the Trump administration and Elon Musk.

What they are doing isn't about government efficiency. They are mass firing the men and women who help provide vital services that countless Nevadans rely on, from Medicaid to food assistance.

This is being felt in nearly every corner of our country. It is impacting our veterans who rely on the VA, our seniors who rely on Social Security and Medicare, our families who rely on Medicaid and CHIP for their children's healthcare, and so many others.

The actions taken by the Trump administration and Elon Musk, an unelected billionaire, are tearing at the fabric of American society. This is no way to run a country, and the people in my State are being hurt in the process.

So, today, I want to focus on a specific aspect of the Trump firings: how it is impacting veterans, not just veterans across the country but particularly those veterans in Nevada.

Just yesterday, it was reported that Elon Musk and his DOGE tech bros are planning to cut 80,000 employees from the Department of Veterans Affairs--80,000. This is in addition to the 1,000 VA employees they have already laid off, which included people who staffed the Veterans Crisis Hotline.

So maybe Mr. Musk and his team--his team of, as I said, teenybopper tech bros--they don't understand the magnitude of their actions. So let me explain to them what the VA does, what the VA means.

The Department of Veterans Affairs provides critical healthcare to the men and women who were willing to sacrifice their very lives for our Nation and for their families. It provides them with the benefits that they have earned and that they, frankly, deserve. It is quite literally the least that we can, as a nation, do for our veterans.

Firing those employees who work at the VA will hurt our veterans, plain and simple. It will hurt veterans not only because they rely on the VA staff but because many of those who work at the VA are themselves veterans. The VA is the largest employer of veterans in this Nation.

I have heard from so many Nevadans who are feeling the direct impact of these layoffs, and, today, I want to share a couple of stories with you.

Mark Wagstaff, a Marine Corps veteran--a proud Marine Corps veteran-- currently lives in Las Vegas. He served our country honorably for 10 years. Even after his service in our military, Mark wanted to still help others, and he transitioned into civilian public service. That is why he recently started working as a lead supply technician at the VA in Las Vegas.

He was proud of his work. He was dedicated to his mission, ensuring that all medical supplies were delivered to the veterans clinics throughout Southern Nevada.

And, Mark, so proud of his job, so happy to be there, did such a great job that he was promoted. When a position in administrative services in North Las Vegas opened up recently, he applied, and he got the job. He was so happy. He was doing meaningful work as a veteran for the veterans. It meant everything to him.

Sadly, this all changed after Donald Trump and Elon Musk started messing with the VA. On February 14, the Valentine's Day present that Mark received from Elon Musk and President Trump was an email informing him that he no longer had a job. Despite receiving an ``outstanding'' performance review, despite his recent promotion, Mark was being told he was let go due to ``poor performance.''

By firing him in that way, they also immediately locked him out of all of his work accounts. That means he can't access his termination paperwork. It means he might not even receive his last paycheck.

I want everybody to think about that. Here is a veteran who put his life on the line, proudly served our Nation, was willing to risk everything for all of us, and was fired in the most despicable of ways.

This is beyond shameful. Donald Trump and Elon Musk, who actually don't know a damn thing about service to our Nation, should be ashamed--should be ashamed--on Valentine's Day, no less.

But Mark is not the only one.

Lili Stevenson, a devoted wife of a disabled veteran, who lives in Las Vegas, was also impacted by these unjust layoffs at the VA. She worked at the Henderson Vet Center and recently received feedback in a performance review that indicated she was doing an outstanding job.

For her, this job was more than just a paycheck. She could be working anywhere else and making more money, but she felt a calling to serve her veteran community--our veteran community--a calling that, like Mark, she had answered with passion and commitment.

Despite this, again, on Valentine's Day, she received a termination notice, just like Mark. This firing also falsely claims ``poor performance,'' which does not line up with the facts as Lili knows them.

Lili and her husband--her veteran husband--rely on her income from her job at the VA as their source of income. But now, without a paycheck, she worries about her ability to continue to pay her bills and make ends meet.

Many veterans already face significant challenges in accessing the care and the services that they need. Long wait times for medical appointments, overwhelmed but dedicated staff, and a system already stretched thin have created barriers that delay essential care. But these layoffs--the Trump layoffs--will only worsen an already difficult situation.

The loss of dedicated staff like Mark and Lili and so many others harms the ability of the VA to serve our veterans in a timely, effective, and, I would say, caring and compassionate manner. With these positions being eliminated, there will be fewer hands to process claims, handle scheduling, and make sure that our veterans are getting the care and attention that they deserve. This is going to lead to even longer wait times for veterans and further delays in access to care, resulting in potentially worse health outcomes for our veterans.

It is simply unconscionable that, after years of sacrifice and service, our veterans will suffer due to cuts being made by people like Elon Musk who were never elected by the American people.

So I urge this administration to take immediate action to halt and reverse these unnecessary and, frankly, unjust layoffs.

We must always stand up for our veterans. We must always stand up for the workers who serve them.

God bless our veterans. God bless our troops.

I yield the floor.

Mr. President, I rise today to speak on an issue that will affect millions of hard-working families, seniors, children, veterans, and any American who relies on essential services.

As we will soon see, Republicans are going to use the budget reconciliation process--a tool that was originally designed to help rein in wasteful spending and lower the national debt--to pass massive new tax cuts for billionaires and the ultrawealthy. To pay for these tax breaks, they are proposing devastating cuts to vital programs that people in my State of Nevada rely on, including Medicaid, SNAP, supplemental programs for women, infants and children.

Let me say that again. Congressional Republicans are going to cut critical government programs like Medicaid and SNAP in order to give the wealthiest Americans even more tax cuts. You got that right.

Their policies are, well, billionaires win and families lose. This isn't fiscal responsibility; it is moral negligence. This isn't just about economic policy; this is about the livelihoods of everyday Americans.

At a time when Nevadans are already grappling with economic hardship and the rising cost of living, these actions by my Republican colleagues are just plain wrong. They are just out of step. Instead of using this budget process to provide relief for hard-working families, Republicans are exploiting it to push through policies that benefit billionaires like Elon Musk while leaving millions of Americans--I will say everyday, hard-working families, regular people, everyday people-- leaving them all behind, leaving you in the lurch. Again, their motto seems to be ``billionaires win, families lose.''

Let's remember what Senate Democrats did with the budget process when we were in the majority. Anybody remember? Well, we gave Medicare the power to negotiate for lower prescription drug prices. We capped the cost of insulin at $35 a month. We helped hard-working Americans who are being crushed by high costs. We stood up to corporate interests on behalf of the middle class. Now my Republican colleagues are in the majority. What do they want to do? Well, again, billionaires win, families lose. They want to give additional billions in tax breaks to the wealthiest Americans while the rest of us are footing the damn bill.

The numbers tell the story. Extending these tax cuts would give the top 1 percent of earners--those making roughly $750,000 a year or more--a tax cut averaging more than $60,000 a year. I am going to put that in perspective for a moment. The tax cut that the top 1 percent would get is more than the total income of most families who rely on Medicare or SNAP or just most families in general. It is the top 1 percent.

The two programs Republicans are planning to cut, Medicare and SNAP, they are going to cut them in order to pay the tax cuts--trillions of dollars--for who? Elon Musk and their billionaire buddies. So you heard that right. These expanded tax cuts will cost the Federal Government $4.2 trillion.

You might be asking yourself, wait, so how are Republicans going to pay for all of this? In order to help offset some of that cost, they are going to decrease funding for Medicaid, SNAP, and other services that support people with disabilities and elderly individuals.

Medicaid alone provides health coverage to almost 80 million Americans, including children, seniors, and people with disabilities, like I said. And these cuts would directly harm some of the most vulnerable people in our society, making it harder and harder for them to get the kind of lifesaving care or just any care that they may need.

In my State of Nevada, more than 800,000 people rely on Medicaid for their healthcare--800,000. Any reduction in its funding would leave these individuals--some of them our friends, our neighbors; they go to church with us--a reduction in funding is going to leave these individuals without access to affordable healthcare or the ability to see a doctor.

Similarly, SNAP is a lifeline for millions of families seeking to feed their children--just feed their children. It feeds our seniors. It helps our working parents. It is estimated that more than 40 million people rely on SNAP just to put food on the table. Nearly one in six people in Nevada benefited from SNAP last year, the majority of whom are children. You have that right--one in six people benefited from SNAP in Nevada. The majority of them are children.

So we are talking about parents who rely on this program to make sure that their kids don't go to bed hungry or that they have breakfast before they go to school. They are feeding hungry kids. But Republicans are proposing cuts to SNAP that would affect millions of families, driving up food insecurity, placing an additional burden on those who can least afford it.

On top of these cuts, you have to consider the cuts that the Trump administration has already made, actions that are hurting veterans' services, healthcare, and good-paying jobs rebuilding our infrastructure.

The Trump administration has already made cuts to the staff of the Department of Veterans Affairs, including the people that staff the Veterans assistance hotline. These cuts are going to have a severe impact on our veterans. They served our country with honor. They deserve the best possible care when they return home. Cutting doctors and nurses and counselors and people who answer the help line--how is that helping those who protected us, who keep our homeland safe? We owe them that. Well, these cuts aren't showing that at all.

The administration has already targeted Medicare for staffing cuts that could undermine healthcare access for seniors across the country. Nearly one in five seniors depends on Medicare for their healthcare needs, and for many, it is their only source of care. Letting go of Medicare employees will impact seniors' ability to access this literal lifeline.

We have also seen attacks from the Trump administration on job- creating infrastructure projects like those authorized in the bipartisan infrastructure law, the Inflation Reduction Act. These projects--well, what I want to tell you is that they support good- paying, American jobs--good-paying jobs in construction and engineering and public works. They fix our roads and our bridges and our trains, our grid. It matters. They build the rail systems that help connect our communities. These are American jobs on American roads, on American rail, on American bridges. We should be keeping these jobs and investing in our infrastructure. These are the folks who help modernize our airports. I can tell you, in my State of Nevada, they support our travel and tourism jobs--a top industry for us.

These jobs modernizing our airports and our infrastructure help everyone across this country, every American--American jobs in America for Americans.

We should be investing in our infrastructure, but the cuts made by the Trump administration mean that projects all over the country are in limbo. Even delayed projects are going to cost jobs and make it harder to rebuild our Nation's infrastructure.

In Nevada, we know how important infrastructure investments are to keeping our economy moving and our communities safe. We are talking about jeopardizing projects to build new solar energy installations and even expanding access to high-speed internet. For us, that is nearly half a billion dollars' worth of Federal funding that has been allocated for Nevada to connect rural communities across our State to just reliable internet.

The loss of funding for projects like this one just doesn't stop at people accessing the internet; it will hurt people who are counting on the jobs a project would create, particularly in our rural communities.

The numbers here are staggering, and the impact is undeniable. We are talking about cuts that have the potential to impact millions of people--people who are working hard every day to make ends meet, to provide for their families, and to ensure they can live with dignity.

These existing cuts, coupled with the Republicans' proposed budget cuts, are just going to be devastating for American families, and the fact that these cuts are being made to give billionaires even more tax breaks--well, it is unconscionable.

The American people deserve better. They deserve a government that works for them, that works for our families, not for the ultrawealthy.

At the end of the day, Republicans have to decide who they are fighting for because right now, with this budget proposal, they are fighting for billionaires and the largest corporations that have already benefited from their 2017 tax cuts.

We cannot and we must not turn our backs on the American people. We cannot allow billionaires to get richer on the backs of everyday Americans. We cannot let the motto be for this administration ``billionaires win and families lose'' because families are the backbone of America--families are the backbone of America--and they deserve respect and attention, and we cannot allow the billionaires to break their backs.

So I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to come together and put the American people first--people over billionaires. Let's work together to strengthen our economy, protect our vital programs, and ensure that everyone, regardless of their wealth or status, has an equal opportunity to succeed.

I yield the floor.

Mr. President, today, we are here to discuss President Trump's nominee to lead the Department of Health and Human Services, Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.

If confirmed, Mr. Kennedy would be in charge of a Department with the power to, well, regulate the food we eat, the medicines we take, and the vaccinations we depend upon. He would oversee Agencies that provide healthcare to almost 170 million Americans, including hundreds of thousands of Nevadans who are on Medicare, Medicaid, and the Children's Health Insurance Program.

I am here today to oppose Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., as our next Secretary of Health and Human Services. Confirming him would have disastrous consequences for our public health, for our seniors who rely on Medicare, and for our families who get their healthcare through Medicaid.

Let's start out with his lack of qualifications. Mr. Kennedy has never worked in healthcare or the Federal Government. He is probably best known for his skepticism of vaccines and spreading dangerous conspiracies and outright lies. Mr. Kennedy's history of promoting anti-vaccine misinformation is well-documented and deeply troubling.

Vaccines have saved millions of lives throughout history, and they remain one of the most effective tools we have to protect public health. Yet Mr. Kennedy has spent years promoting debunked claims linking vaccines to autism, cancer, allergies, and autoimmune diseases. He has spread lies about vaccine safety, making people fearful and increasing rates of unvaccinated people, which put all of us--all of us--at risk.

He has previously stated that ``no vaccine is safe and effective.'' He said that the polio vaccine ``killed many, many, many, many, many, many, many more people than polio ever did.'' Mr. Kennedy has called the COVID vaccine the ``deadliest vaccine ever made.'' This rhetoric isn't just reckless; it is dangerous.

If Mr. Kennedy had been around during the first Trump administration, he would have undermined President Trump's Operation Warp Speed and efforts that helped us end the pandemic.

He doubled down during his confirmation hearing. Even though he was asked multiple times, Mr. Kennedy refused to acknowledge that vaccines don't cause autism.

He has also engaged in Holocaust distortion to push his dangerous views. While attending an autism conference, he was asked why the CDC wasn't acknowledging autism as an epidemic.

He said:

To me, this is like Nazi death camps, what happened to

these kids. . . . I can't tell you why somebody would do

something like that. I can't tell you why ordinary Germans

participated in the Holocaust.

Frankly, these aren't the words of someone you want to be in charge of America's public health. These are not the words of someone you want anywhere near the White House or anywhere near our healthcare, our safety.

He has even gone so far as to falsely suggest that certain antidepressants are behind the rise in school shootings and that certain chemicals in the water might be part of why more young people are identifying as transgender, neither of which is backed by any science. We can't allow someone who spreads this kind of vitriol and dangerous misinformation to lead the Department of Health and Human Services, but his problematic views are just the start.

During his confirmation hearing, Mr. Kennedy was also asked about his understanding of Medicare and Medicaid. He was just asked if he knew about it. Well, he struggled--struggled, mind you--to remember which program covered older and disabled Americans. He struggled to remember which program provided for low-income people. This is Medicare and Medicaid--not something that is so brand new. Even Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., should know what it is because Medicare and Medicaid are not mere government programs; they are a lifeline for millions of Americans, including our seniors, our parents, our grandparents, people with disabilities, families in need, including half of all children and around 40 percent of all babies born in this country. Why would we trust someone with the future of Medicare and Medicaid when he doesn't even understand the basics of the system he would oversee? This makes no sense.

We can't overlook the broader impact of Mr. Kennedy's and President Trump's proposals on medical research, safety, and innovation. We are already seeing devastating attempts to go after the National Institutes of Health, or the NIH--the very institution that has pioneered lifesaving research in areas like cancer, heart disease, and diabetes. This is not just any research; this is lifesaving research. We are talking about research and clinical trials in my home State, at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, and at the University of Nevada, Reno, to better understand Alzheimer's disease and improve care for patients. We are talking about advancing breast cancer therapy at the University of Nevada, Reno, and clinical trials on treating and preventing cancers at the Southern Nevada Cancer Research Center.

You know, I lost my mother to cancer, and I lost my brother to leukemia. I think it is shameful that this administration, enabled by RFK, Jr., would target research into these deadly diseases which have cost lives in my family. I don't want anyone to go through what I went through. I want other people's families--their parents, their siblings, their friends--to be able to live, and we know lives are saved every day because of investments in research and those clinical trials and what the NIH does. I want people to live because of the research. It matters.

Mr. Kennedy has also proposed radical changes to the Food and Drug Administration--the Agency in charge of the food we all eat and keeping it safe. Just like many of the other reforms proposed by Mr. Kennedy, his suggested changes to the FDA, while they are based largely on the conspiracy theories he peddles, include clearing out entire Departments, like the Food and Nutrition Center, which is responsible for preventing foodborne illnesses and ensuring that chemicals in food--the food we all eat, every single one of us all around this country, every day, from young to old and everywhere in between--that our food is safe. How does dismantling this keep any of us safe? How does it keep any of us healthy?

Mr. Kennedy has an overarching plan to gut the funding for the FDA, which will severely limit regulation and safe implementation of new drug trials and medications. This could lead to dangerous drugs flooding the market, putting countless lives at risk.

The role of the Health and Human Services Secretary is one of profound responsibility, and Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., has undermined the very foundations of our public health system. Mr. Kennedy's vision for the future of our healthcare system--well, it was to undermine Medicare and Medicaid. He wants to slash cancer research funding. He wants to push dangerous public health conspiracies. These are visions and these are things that I cannot support and that no one should support.

We all want a healthier future for America, one that both prevents diseases and where we can think about curing diseases, where we can do preventive medicine, curative medicine, where we can have that hope for folks whose mother gets lung cancer in the future, that she might live, or leukemia in the future, that their brother might live. Mine didn't, but I hope that they didn't die in vain because the research that goes on will help others, and I want us to be able to cure diseases for the ones we love.

So that is why I cannot in good conscience support Mr. Kennedy's nomination, and I urge my colleagues to do the same. The stakes couldn't be higher. Our very lives and the lives of our loved ones may just depend on it.

Mr. President, I yield 30 minutes of postcloture debate time to the senior Senator from Oregon.

Mr. President, every Member of this body is sworn to protect our national security and safety and the well-being of the American people. There is no more important responsibility for Congress to fulfill than this.

Senators take an oath to defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic. And when the American people go to sleep at night, they rest assured that our homeland will be kept safe.

As Senators, we play a key role in making sure that the men and women in charge of our Nation's security--well, that they are up to the task, that they are experienced, that they are qualified, that they are prepared. These are jobs with enormous responsibility. There is zero-- zero--room for failure here. When unqualified or inexperienced candidates make mistakes in these jobs, often the result is that innocent people get hurt and in some cases die.

That is why the Senate's confirmation process is just so important-- because the stakes are so high, because there is no room for error when it comes to those who are placed in national security roles.

I take this aspect of my job incredibly seriously. Our intelligence community is made up of courageous men and women who collect and analyze information on our threats from around the globe. They are an integral part of our Nation's defense.

The Director of National Intelligence oversees and compiles intelligence from domestic, from military, from foreign sources for the President, who then uses it to make life-or-death decisions. The Director is a direct line from our intelligence community to the President. That is why this position needs to be filled by an experienced and trustworthy candidate--key qualities that Tulsi Gabbard does not have.

At a time of rising global threats, having Tulsi Gabbard serving in this role would make America less safe. I want to say that again. It would make us less safe--full stop. Our allies are dumbfounded. And our adversaries? Well, in Moscow, Beijing, Tehran, and all over the world, they are laughing at us. They are laughing at the idea that the United States of America would weaken its national security by placing someone so deeply unqualified in such a critical role for our safety, for our security. Our adversaries? Well, they are overjoyed that they are going to have an ally leading the American intelligence community.

My concerns are not political. After all, Ms. Gabbard and I used to serve in Congress together, in the same caucus, when she represented a district from Hawaii as a Democrat. My concerns are that she not only lacks the qualifications needed but that she has also peddled talking points straight from the Kremlin.

Think about it. Tulsi Gabbard has never worked in intelligence before. As a Member of the House of Representatives, she didn't even serve on the House Select Committee on Intelligence. During her time in the House, Ms. Gabbard actually voted against--she voted against-- critical national security-related legislation, like increased funding for preventing terrorism in high-density, high-threat level urban areas like my city of Las Vegas. She voted against all of that security for Nevada.

This funding was actually pursued by former Nevada Congressman Joe Heck, who is a Republican, and it is something I have continued working to secure here in the Senate. Yet Tulsi Gabbard voted against this bipartisan proposal to protect our cities from terrorism.

She was the only member of the House Armed Services Committee to vote against the National Defense Authorization Act every year during markup.

As concerning as her lack of experience and tendency to vote against our security are, Ms. Gabbard's history of cozying up to America's adversaries is far, far more troubling. Her actions and words suggest that she has been directly influenced by foreign propaganda, whether that comes from Russia, from Syria, or other brutal dictatorships.

This isn't just me saying this; it is the view of many of Ms. Gabbard's former staff members during her time

here on Capitol Hill. We have public reporting that states that ``[f]ormer advisers to Gabbard suggested that her views on Russia and its polarizing leader, Vladimir Putin, have been shaped . . . by her unorthodox media consumption habits. . . . Three former aides said Gabbard . . . regularly read and shared articles from the Russian news site RT--formerly known as Russia Today--which the U.S. intelligence community characterized in 2017 as `Kremlin's principal international propaganda outlet.' ''

Is this who Donald Trump wants to lead America's intelligence community? Is this who he wants in a prominent national security role-- someone who is so easily swayed by foreign propaganda?

It is clear that she has taken this propaganda and disinformation to heart. Just look at her justification of Russia's brutal invasion of Ukraine, for which she did not blame Vladimir Putin, who--let's be clear--is entirely responsible for the invasion. Instead, Ms. Gabbard has parroted Putin's talking points and placed blame on the United States and on NATO for Russia's vile assault upon the Ukrainian people.

We can also look at her attempts to give cover to Syria's former dictator, Bashar al-Assad, who used chemical weapons on his own people--killing kids, killing babies--killing babies in his own attempt to hold on to power. Ms. Gabbard even went to Syria to buddy up with Assad. She then came back to the United States to defend his killing of innocent men, women, and children--those babies he killed--to hang on to power. It is sickening, actually. It is a betrayal of our country's values.

Time and time again, Ms. Gabbard has rejected the findings and conclusions of our own intelligence officials and has instead chosen to, well, cozy up to dictators and our adversaries. She did so again in her defense of Edward Snowden, a man who committed treason against the United States of America by leaking highly classified information that jeopardized our national security, the safety of our troops, our men and women in uniform, who take an oath to serve and protect us every day. She jeopardized the clandestine intelligence operatives who are out there, working behind the scenes, again, to keep us safe and secure every day.

After committing these serious crimes against the United States, Mr. Snowden fled to Russia in his continued attempt to escape justice. Those weren't the actions of a whistleblower; they were the actions of a traitor to the United States of America--a traitor whom Tulsi Gabbard has repeatedly defended.

Because of these incidents and so many more, America's allies are rightfully concerned about what Tulsi Gabbard would do if confirmed to lead our intelligence community. In fact, there have been reports that if Ms. Gabbard is confirmed, our allies might stop sharing crucial information with us in order to protect themselves, to protect their own country, to protect the people they love.

So think about that. If our allies no longer share intelligence with us, think about the damage that does to our national security, to our safety, to our men and women in uniform, to our operatives around the world, and to each and every one of us here in the United States of America. It doesn't make us safer, I can tell you that. Our allies do not trust her, and neither should we.

I urge my colleagues to review Ms. Gabbard's recent hearing before the Select Committee on Intelligence. In response to almost every question, Tulsi Gabbard avoided providing any real answer, whether it came from a Democrat or a Republican. She simply dodged the questions over and over and over. That is not leadership. This is not an example of someone who is qualified, and this is not a candidate who will keep America safe.

I urge my Republican colleagues to join me in listening to common sense, in thinking about our men and women who serve, in thinking about folks around the globe, and in thinking about everyone here in America and to reject this clearly unqualified and dangerous nominee.

It doesn't have to be this way. Let's have President Trump nominate someone else we can agree is qualified for this critical and consequential role and who has our Nation's best interests in their heart. Tulsi Gabbard is not that person. The safety and well-being of our country depend on having a qualified nominee.

Again, I urge Republicans to join us--to reject Tulsi Gabbard--and to put someone up who has the heart and experience to do this important job.

I yield the floor.

Mr. President, Nevadans sent me to the Senate to stand up and fight for hard-working families throughout our State, and that is exactly why I am here today: to sound the alarm about Russell Vought's nomination to lead the Trump administration's Office of Management and Budget. They oversee virtually every Agency and the entire Federal budget.

Mr. Vought would be a disaster if he is put in this role again. Russell Vought is an extremist, will betray working families--betray your family--and there is simply no other way to put it. After all, he was the main architect behind the Project 2025 agenda. You might have heard of it, but for those who don't know, Project 2025 is Russell Vought's far-right playbook for

seizing full control of the Federal Government. I want to repeat that. He wrote the playbook to seize full control over the Federal Government--our government, your government.

It is filled with extreme ideas that would hurt families like yours, ideas like putting essential government programs like Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security on the chopping block. And he is going to give handouts to billionaires and big corporations on the backs of America's middle class--on your backs.

Seeing how much power this administration has already given to unelected--unelected--billionaire CEOs, it is not hard to imagine what is coming next. Don't just look at Mr. Vought's ideas; take a moment to look at his actions.

When he oversaw Trump's budgets during the first administration, Russell Vought spearheaded efforts to--well, he wanted to try to do this: cut Medicare by more than $500 billion, cut Medicaid by just over $750 billion, and cut Social Security by close to $80 billion. That is your Medicare, your Medicaid, your Social Security on the chopping block. Think about that.

These programs are a lifeline to so many Americans, and they can mean the difference between a person's financial well-being or their financial ruin. And these aren't abstract numbers. These folks are our neighbors; they are our family; they are our friends. That is who we are talking about here. These are not some numbers in a budget; they are people--people we love.

So you have to ask yourself this: How is this helping you? How is this helping the ones you love? How is this helping any of us? It is not. It is not. Instead of reforming and bolstering these programs to help real people--to help you--Mr. Vought wants to give more tax breaks to billionaires, the ultrawealthy, while telling working families, hard-working families, to figure things out for themselves. Families who get up every day and work hard, good community members, they want you to figure it out for yourself.

Under his plans, the richest people in this country would get hundreds of thousands of dollars a year in tax breaks, while regular working Americans would get next to nothing by comparison--next to nothing. And that is who Russell Vought is, and that is what he stands for.

Disturbingly, Mr. Vought has made it abundantly clear he does not care about violating our Federal law or the Constitution to see his terrible mission through. Russell Vought does not care about our Constitution or the law. Just look at the wave of threats to illegally fire career civil servants, many of whom are veterans, by the way-- people who just want to make a difference in other people's lives.

It is all outlined in Mr. Vought's Project 2025, which aims to put as much power as possible in the hands of President Trump and his unelected billionaire buddies. Russell Vought--well, he thinks the rules don't apply to him. In fact, he seems eager to abuse whatever power he gets. It is dangerous. It is undemocratic. It is un-American. It is not how we govern.

This isn't a plan for responsible leadership, Mr. President; it is a recipe for disaster, one that we are seeing play out in real time. Just look at the recent Federal funding freeze that Trump's administration put in place. It has caused chaos. It has caused confusion all across the country. It is reckless. It is cruel. It is illegal. These actions virtually froze all Federal grants and loans and have jeopardized key programs that many Nevadans depend on every single day--key programs for our families, our children, our seniors, our first responders, our veterans. The list goes on and on. All of them have been impacted by Donald Trump's Federal funding freeze, and hundreds of Nevadans have called my office to share how it could negatively impact their lives and the lives of those they care about most.

The decisions that OMB makes can determine whether a child in Las Vegas can get a hot breakfast at school or if a senior citizen in Reno will get meals delivered to their home because they are homebound. This Agency can decide on whether our first responders--those who run in when tragedy is happening, when we are running out, to protect us--our heroic firefighters and police, can get the equipment they need to save lives and keep themselves safe while doing that. OMB can decide whether our communities have access to clean, safe water.

Now we are being asked to vote on handing over the keys to our Nation's budget to Russell Vought, the driving force behind the freeze, a man who has focused almost his entire career on slashing programs that real people--real people, you and everyone that you know--rely on--you and everyone you know and love rely on every single day.

I urge my colleagues who are considering a vote for this nomination to think about what working people in this country are going through at this moment.

I urge my colleagues to think about the moms and the dads who come home from a hard day at work. They have dinner with their family. They put their kids to bed, and then instead of relaxing in front of the TV, they sit at the kitchen table and they worry. And they are worried sick about how they are going to pay the bills, how they are going to keep a roof over their head, how they are going to keep putting food on the table.

They are going back and forth trying to figure out what essentials they can live without just to make ends meet. At the same time, the billionaires that Russell Vought is looking out for, they don't understand the struggle, I can bet you that.

I am going to say here, let's ask those billionaires last time they went grocery shopping and worried about the price of eggs or milk. I bet they don't have an answer for that. That is who Mr. Vought fights for. And these struggles that real families are going through, they are tough choices that far, far too many working families face every single day.

And these are the people who will be hurt most by Russell Vought's extreme--extreme--agenda. And we know that right now, these same families are feeling the squeeze of rising costs. It is everywhere--the grocery store to the gas pump. And with the added price spikes from President Trump's reckless tariff threats, it is going to get even harder to afford food, pay off an energy bill, or make rent. Let alone--let alone--buy a home.

And so it is no wonder people are so frustrated with the way things are; it shouldn't have to be this way.

We should be looking for opportunities to help make their lives better, to make things, well, a little easier. At a time when Americans are already paying an arm and a leg for essentials, when they desperately need the support of critical government programs that make such a meaningful difference, why on earth would we confirm someone who will just make their lives harder? Why on earth would we do this?

So make no mistake, if Russell Vought is allowed to head up the OMB, Vought will work to make sure the ultrawealthy get more, while struggling families get even less than they have now. This is who Russell Vought is, and this is what he will do--what he will do to you.

Nevadans are hurting, and they are looking to Congress for help. If Vought is given the power to shape our Federal budget, we risk seeing critical programs slashed, leaving our seniors, working people, families facing higher costs, fewer services, and with less financial security.

And this isn't just an ideological difference, it is a real threat to millions of people's well-being, to the very core of what is most important to them: their families. And the stakes couldn't be higher. And so I urge my colleagues in the Senate to reject this reckless nomination for the sake of all of our families.

I yield the floor.

Mr. President, earlier today, I stood before this Chamber to voice my concerns about Russell Vought, President Trump's nominee to lead the Office of Management and Budget.

Russell Vought is an extremist, and allowing him to hold this position, a position that oversees the entire Federal budget, would be nothing short of disaster.

As one of the authors of Project 2025, Mr. Vought has made his extreme policy agenda very clear, and one of the key pieces of the Project 2025 agenda is illegally dismantling USAID.

As we all know, the U.S. Agency for International Development, or USAID, has long been a cornerstone of America's foreign policy and national security. This Agency has long enjoyed bipartisan support and works tirelessly to promote peace, security, and development around the world, all for less than 1 percent of our budget. By preventing conflicts that could threaten the United States, responding to the spread of deadly pandemics, strengthening democracies, and improving economies so we have new trade partners, USAID plays a critical role in advancing America's interests abroad.

Through its programs, USAID has fostered strong partnerships with nations around the globe, and these partnerships have proven time and time again to be essential in maintaining our national security and, frankly, ensuring a safer, more prosperous world.

Unfortunately, President Trump's recent illegal attempt to eliminate USAID without the approval of Congress while simultaneously freezing almost all foreign assistance--well, to say it is deeply concerning is an understatement. These moves undermine key components of our Nation's foreign policy, and we can't afford to allow the reckless shuttering of USAID to take place. The consequences of such actions would be grave.

Our national security depends on our support of diplomacy, our support of defense, and our support of development around the world, and abandoning these priorities would have dangerous and long-term implications.

At this moment, when America needs to demonstrate strength on the global stage, we are opening the doors for our adversaries like Vladimir Putin, the Chinese Communist Party, and even violent extremists to step in and seize the opportunity to advance their own interests--well, at whose expense? At our expense. At your expense. And as Russia and China have shown time and time and again, they are ready and waiting to fill the vacuum left by strong American leadership.

So let me be clear. Donald Trump's attempt to eliminate USAID doesn't make us stronger, doesn't make us safer, doesn't put America first. In fact, it puts America last by forcing us to retreat from the world stage. It puts America last, and we simply can't allow this to happen.

That is why I am committed, alongside my colleagues, to stopping this reckless and illegal attempt to get rid of USAID. Our global leadership is not just a matter of pride; it is a matter of our own security. As we face the challenges of a changing world, it is more important than ever before that the United States remain at the forefront of international development and humanitarian assistance, and this isn't possible without USAID.

I can't say this strongly enough. We cannot afford to retreat into isolation. We cannot afford to let adversaries fill the void that we will leave behind. So we must fight to protect the work of USAID and make sure that U.S. influence remains strong, that the U.S. commitment to global peace and security endures, and that America's leadership continues to shine brightly on the world stage. Our Nation will be stronger and more secure by doing so.

I yield the floor.

For veterans and families, Rosen votes no.

Mr. President, it has now been more than 2 weeks since President Donald Trump took the oath of office, and there have been virtually no actions--virtually no actions--to lower costs at the grocery store.

On the campaign trail, Donald Trump made promises, over and over, that he would address rising costs. In fact, he said, ``On day one, we will end inflation and make America affordable again.'' On day one.

And he said, ``When I win, I will immediately bring prices down, starting on day one.''

Well, way past day one, it is now day 16 of his Presidency, and so far, the Trump administration has failed to meet the President's own goal and promise to hard-working families.

Just look what it costs to buy milk, bread, and eggs. When Nevadans are going to the grocery store, many are seeing empty shelves where the eggs are supposed to be. And the eggs people do find, well, they cost an arm and a leg.

So just look at this picture here from Reno, NV, a grocery store there, empty shelves, that is where the eggs would be. And meanwhile, the Trump administration is doing nothing to help fix this or stop corporations from jacking up the prices. Instead, President Trump has been cozying up to billionaire CEOs and taking actions that will hurt families and drive prices up and up. Trump's first actions were to push through a whirlwind of Executive orders, including to roll back actions to lower prescription drug prices.

So I want to repeat that. One of President Trump's first actions was to stop efforts to lower your prescription drug costs. And just this past weekend, President Trump announced reckless tariffs on Mexico and Canada. This is essentially a new tax on hard-working families for products from these two countries--our biggest trading partners, by the way.

While he has promised to delay his tax on Canadian and Mexican goods for a month, ultimately these tariffs will hurt our economy. Canada is Nevada's biggest export partner. They provide us with chicken, with grain, sugar, and livestock. And the impact of these tariffs, well, they don't just stop at the grocery store shelves; they will also increase what you pay at the fuel pump. They will increase the price of construction materials, making housing even more expensive.

And so I ask everyone in this Chamber, I ask everyone across the Nation: How does that help you? How does that help you? How does it help lower costs? How does it help provide financial relief for families? How does it make your paycheck go farther? How does it put more money in your pocket? It doesn't.

President Trump, he is now even saying that inflation is no longer his No. 1 issue. He has flipped on his promise to you. He has flipped on his promise to you. And the fact is as Americans work hard every day, Nevada families, the finest families in our Nation, they work hard every day, and many are struggling to get by because prices have skyrocketed over the last few years.

It is why I have been taking action to lower costs for families and reduce their financial burden to give folks some much-needed breathing room, to make their paycheck go even farther. I am working to lower housing costs by investing in our construction workers to increase our housing supply. I helped lead the charge, last year, against the proposed Kroger-Albertsons megamerger that would have let grocery stores jack up prices even higher than they already are.

And there are steps we in Congress can take and have been taking to tackle inflation.

I urge the President to take this issue seriously and tackle it head on, and I am willing to work with him and work with anyone else if it means lowering costs for hard-working families.

But we need to get going right now. So I urge my colleagues, Democrats and Republicans, to come together and prioritize solving kitchen-table issues, instead of pushing extreme wedge issues. It is what the American people need us to do for them. That is what the American people are counting on us to do for them. We need to get busy and do that.

I suggest the absence of a quorum.

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

Mr. President, my State of Nevada is unique. We are big in physical size, but relatively small in population. We are independent people, but have a strong allegiance to our Nation. After all, we are the Battle Born State, born during the Civil War. And while we don't like Washington telling us what to do, Nevadans depend on Federal resources to help our communities.

Now, it is simple. By coming together to form our Union and paying taxes, Nevadans deserve to receive our fair share of funding from the Federal Government. It is hard not to be affected by what goes on in Washington when more than 80 percent of your State--of our land--is owned by the Federal Government, more than any other State. Think about that. Eighty percent of Nevada is owned by the Federal Government. That is why I take my responsibility as representative of the people of Nevada incredibly seriously. It is why I rise today to speak on behalf of the reckless, cruel, and illegal action that President Trump took to freeze virtually all Federal grants and loans.

While this administration has now rescinded the memo from the Office of Management and Budget that announced the freeze, they have been clear that the funding freeze continues, adding to the chaos and confusion. Lack of clarity as to which programs will be affected and which ones would not be has been having devastating effects in States like my own and so many others. In fact, more than 30 percent of the Governor's budget for the next 2 years relies on Federal funding, which is why this issue is critical for our State.

Since President Trump's administration issued the guidance on Monday night, my office has received hundreds of calls and emails from Nevadans who are rightfully concerned just about what this would mean for them, for their families, for their jobs. We also received additional emails and calls from nonprofits, from service providers, from community stakeholders who depend on this funding and support Nevadans.

One of the messages my office received was from the Nevada Partnership for Homeless Youth. This partnership helps get young people, kids--kids--off the streets. And while many in this Chamber disagree about a lot of things, I think all of us agree that helping homeless kids is important work.

So I want to read part of their letter because I think it encapsulates what a lot of organizations that provide critical services--well, just what they have been feeling. They said this:

This decision will have an immediate and severe impact on

organizations like ours, as well as countless others in

Nevada and across the country.

Much of this funding has already been allocated and

committed through contracts, and the sudden halt creates

chaos and uncertainty for agencies that provide critical

services.

Many organizations in our community simply do not have the

financial reserves to

operate for more than a few months without these funds.

It is not just the Nevada Partnership for Homeless Youth that we heard from. My office also heard from Northern Nevada HOPES, a community health center based in Reno, NV. Northern Nevada HOPES provides affordable, high-quality healthcare services to people in our community, those who need it the most. In fact, 56 percent of their patients live at or below the Federal poverty level, and 10 percent experience homelessness.

This is what Northern Nevada HOPES told my office. I am going to quote again:

At Northern Nevada HOPES, this pause has significant

implications for the services we provide to over 17,000

patients . . . many of whom are children and families.

As we assess the situation, we have been forced to take

immediate actions, including implementing a hiring freeze and

preparing to limit care for patients who rely on our sliding

fee scale, including those who are uninsured or underinsured.

Think about that. Think about these children. Think about these families. President Trump's chaos and reckless actions have put the health of Nevada's families in jeopardy. That that means kids who need to go see a doctor, women who need to get a cancer screening--take a point off the script here. My mom passed away from cancer. No one should miss their cancer screenings.

It is impacting older people who need lifesaving medication, and all of them could be affected by this terrible, terrible action.

Many seniors also rely on other vital programs like Meals on Wheels to access the nutrition they need to live independently and with dignity. I have seen this critical work up close.

A few years ago, I joined an organization to deliver meals to seniors in Boulder City, NV. Seeing the joy on the faces of the seniors we visited is something I won't forget. They know the folks who come on their route to deliver to them. It is not just a meal for them, Meals on Wheels. It is a lifeline. They don't just provide nutritious foods for seniors who might be housebound, isolated, or living on a fixed income. These people become their friends, their lifeline.

For thousands of seniors in Nevada, this program is also their primary source of nutrition. In 1 year alone, Federal funding allowed Meals on Wheels to serve more than 2.5 million meals to seniors across Nevada.

In Nevada--I am sure in your State, too, Mr. President--we take care of our seniors. President Trump's proposed freeze on Federal funding threatens them all--threatens them all. Pausing the funding to this critical program means denying our seniors, our elderly, their access to something so essential, so comforting, a meal--a meal.

And the possibility of an interruption to this service, even temporarily, means seniors in Nevada and across the country lose the certainty of knowing where their next meal will come from and the comfort of the visit of the person who brings it to them and oftentimes sits with them, listens to them, and gives them that comfort care that is so important to all of us.

I just want everyone to think about that. Is this who we are, taking meals away from seniors--Meals on Wheels? I hope not.

Another essential service under threat of this Trump funding freeze is public safety, something everybody worries about. And this action will make our communities less safe and stop critically needed Federal funding from reaching law enforcement officers, firefighters, and other first responders who look out for our communities each and every day. These heroic men and women depend on the funding from Federal programs to do their jobs safely and to protect our communities effectively.

And here are just a few examples of how this freeze will impact them.

Nevada, unfortunately, is no stranger to the horrific impact of wildfires and fires in general. Whether it is raging wildfires or the standard fire emergencies that happen in communities, well, they happen every day across our State. And the men and the women who make up our fire departments, they rely in part on Federal grants to purchase that equipment needed to do their job safely and effectively--equipment like emergency vehicles they travel in, the protective suits they put on, the helmets they wear, the oxygen tanks they carry so they can breathe fresh air while they save someone's life, and the tools that they wield to stop those fires from destroying people's lives, homes, and livelihoods. Each and every part of this gear is critical for our firefighters and for their safety.

Our firefighters also rely on Federal funding in order to make sure they have the staffing levels they need. Firefighting, like much of the work of our first responders, goes 24/7, 365 days a year. You never know when the next emergency will happen; it just will. You must always be ready. You must always be prepared. You don't know when it is going to happen. But our firefighters, our first responders stand ready, at a moment's notice, to run in to save the rest of us.

Let me tell you, when there is a fire in our State, our firefighters aren't clocking in at 9 o'clock and clocking out at 5 o'clock. They keep working around the clock until the fire is out and the job is done, until everyone is safe and the emergency is passed. And when we don't have the proper staffing levels, when our communities don't have the numbers of firefighters they need, well, our State suffers, our community suffers, families suffer. The damage is real, like I said, not just lives--lives, livelihood, and communities. It is devastating.

Thankfully, there is Federal funding through the SAFER Program to address this issue, to increase and maintain a number of trained firefighters who are serving on the frontlines and are available to respond in our communities when an emergency happens.

The bad news--not just bad; the sad news, the cruel news--is that this kind of funding is the kind that President Trump's order could freeze. This doesn't make us safer. It doesn't save us money. It just puts us and our families and those we love and our communities in greater danger.

Like I said, it is not just firefighters who feel the effects of this freeze. Our law enforcement officers in Nevada could also be affected, and that is going to have a direct impact on public safety.

So make no mistake, like all 50 States, my State relies on funding from the Department of Justice's Office of Community Oriented Policing Services, also known as the COPS program. At a time when we are facing a national police shortage, this program allows Nevada to hire more officers who serve in our communities and take part in community policing efforts, building trust, engaging with Nevadans, combating crime.

Who would oppose that?

Well, due to the President's Federal freeze, this money could now be in jeopardy.

As Nevada and the rest of the Nation continue to deal with the deadly impact of the fentanyl crisis, this freeze could rob us of critical tools to combat this dangerous and deadly drug. Over the last few years, fentanyl has fueled a crisis in Nevada. Families across our State have seen loved ones face addiction and overdose. Hundreds of Nevadans are losing their lives each and every year from fentanyl.

This isn't a red State problem or a blue State problem. It is a national problem, and it is a crisis in Nevada. The State's opioid response programs, which do depend on Federal grant funding, are critical to reducing harm and preventing overdoses in our communities.

I have spoken with law enforcement officers in Nevada. I have spoken with parents and family members and friends who lost loved ones to fentanyl. It is clear that we need to be doing more to tackle this issue. And this freeze--this cruel freeze--does nothing to help; it is quite the contrary. If this funding were impacted, again, it would hurt our communities. It would hurt our families, our friends, our neighbors, those we love.

As long as we are talking about programs that are vital to community safety and well-being, we can't forget about the potential impact on our veterans. In Nevada, our veterans have always been top priority. I can tell you, I am so worried about how this funding freeze would jeopardize programs that support veterans' transition back to civilian life, provide them critical services, preserving the legacy of those who served, and so much more.

Take for example, if you will, a program called the Homeless Veterans' Reintegration Program, which provided $17 million to Nevada to help homeless women veterans and veterans with children find secure and stable housing and employment. The Homeless Veterans' Reintegration Program is helping women veterans. For many of these veterans, this program provides them with the resources that they need to rebuild their lives.

These men and women signed on the dotted line, and they fought to protect our freedom. And the very least we can do is make sure they have the resources and support when they return home.

There is also the Veterans Legacy Grant Program, which provided more than $2 million to Nevada to help preserve the history of our men and women in uniform so that we can honor their service and show them how grateful and thankful we are to them and to their families.

A pause in funding for something as critical as the Veterans Legacy Grants Program would threaten a key resource for educating future generations about the legacy and sacrifice of our veterans. The history of our veterans matters, and a pause in this money would be a slap in the face to those who literally, like I said, put their lives on the line to protect all of us--you, me, all of us--every single day.

The Trump administration has said that their pause won't impact programs for the VA, that all of the Agencies' programs pass their so- called review. But the administration also said it was rescinding the memo that started the pause. Then, not an hour later, they sowed confusion and uncertainty by saying the funding freeze is back on. So what is it? How can we believe them? It is one thing until it is not. It is another thing until it is not. It is chaos. Why would we trust them now with critical funding for our veterans? Why would we risk that?

I can keep going on and on about all of the ways that President Trump's freeze would hurt my State of Nevada. I could talk about how this freeze led to a disruption on the Medicaid website, which was down for hours, affecting Nevadans who rely on this critical program to literally stay alive in many cases, and this is precisely--precisely-- the problem. The chaos and the disruption that this reckless action has caused is just unnecessary, and it is harmful. It is helping no one.

So I want to ask everyone at home--I want to ask you at home--to think about this: How is any of this actually helping you? Is it helping you at the grocery store? Is it helping you at the gas pump? Is it helping you get an affordable home?

It is not.

That is why I call on President Trump to fully and permanently rescind this harmful Executive order to freeze Federal funds now. Nevada families are watching. Nevada families are waiting to see if President Trump thinks that they really matter.

I yield the floor.

I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Madam President, on October 7, 2023, Hamas terrorists shocked the human conscience when they carried out an attack on Israel

that killed innocent men, women, and children and took hundreds of hostages, including Americans.

I still remember waking up that day to horrific reports coming out of Israel--the heart-wrenching stories of people brutalized, of women raped, the mass murder of more than 1,200 people, and the abduction of so many men and women and babies and the elderly.

These hostages, they are more than just names; they are more than just statistics. They are mothers. They are fathers. They are sons. They are daughters. They are friends. They are community.

Since that horrific day more than a year ago, Hamas has kept them captive, enduring inhumane conditions that no one--I repeat no one-- should be subjected to. And in doing so, Hamas has inflicted an unimaginable amount of pain and suffering on the families of the hostages as well; families who have been living a nightmare--a nightmare. They don't know the fate of their loved ones, and they are tormented by every video that Hamas releases.

For others, it meant the heartbreak of knowing their loved one was murdered by Hamas, but their body has remained captive. Families have been unable to properly bury and grieve their loved one.

In the days, weeks, and months since that terrible day, I met with many of the hostage families repeatedly, both in Israel and the United States. Their resilience and their strength--I don't know how they do it. They wake up every day and they stand tall and they are resilient and they are strong and they speak out in the face of such pain and suffering. It is remarkable and unimaginable that they have to do this all at the same time.

Each time I met with these families, I made it clear, I will continue to do everything I can to make sure that they are reunited with their loved ones.

That is why the agreement between Israel and Hamas--which has paused the conflict and commits to bringing the remaining hostages home--is welcome relief. The deal is also helping to save civilian lives in Israel and Gaza by putting a stop to the fighting. It is ramping up the delivery of much needed humanitarian aid into Gaza.

So let's be clear: This agreement was possible because of the steadfast and unwavering support of the United States for Israel. And it was brought about because of the advocacy of the hostage families, together with bipartisan diplomatic leadership.

Now I am going to take a moment and speak directly to all of the families who have been waiting for nearly 500 days--waiting for news, waiting for a phone call, waiting for a moment that they could embrace their loved ones once again.

Your pain, your perseverance, your strength in the face of heartbreak and tragedy and your tireless effort pushing forward for a deal, pushing forward for progress--you got us to this point. You did. You have made the difference.

Though nothing can undo the devastation in the past 15 months, I can only hope that this agreement can begin to provide some form of relief.

I know that we are all relieved to see three hostages finally freed over the weekend and reunited with their families. Romi, Emily, and Doron are finally home--finally home. The images of embraces with their mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers filled our hearts; it fuels our resolve.

We know that our work is not yet over, so I want to be clear: The United States will not rest until every single hostage is returned home. Now more than ever, we must continue being vigilant to make sure this agreement is fully carried out. The road ahead undoubtedly will be difficult, but with our continued, unconditional support of Israel and commitment to regional stability, this deal can bring some much needed peace of mind to the people of Israel, to the hostages, to their families, and to the region as a whole.

We pray for the families who are still waiting the returns of their loved ones, and we hope to bring peace through strength.

I yield the floor.

Madam President, I thank Senator Whitehouse.

As it is my first time addressing you from the Senate floor since I began my second term, I would like to start by saying how grateful I am that Nevadans have put their trust in me to serve another 6 years in the U.S. Senate. People in my State know that above all else, I am a Nevadan first before any political party or ideology, and my track record is clear. I will always support policies that work for everyone.

As Members of Congress, we have the opportunity to make a real and meaningful difference in people's lives, and that starts by working to make the American dream more affordable for hard-working people.

Heading into the new administration, I am deeply concerned about President Trump's plan to cut taxes for the ultrawealthy and billionaires on the backs of workers, senior citizens, and middle-class families. When the Trump tax cuts were first passed in 2017, they overwhelmingly benefited the wealthiest individuals and the largest corporations, while increasing our national debt and leaving the middle-class and working families--well, they just left them with much less to show for it.

Senate Democrats--we will fight. We will fight to stop this from happening again. As we negotiate the upcoming comprehensive tax reform package, we must focus on making sure it provides meaningful tax relief for hard-working families--for you, for all of us. While the Trump administration and Senate Republicans look out for billionaires and corporations, Senate Democrats are working for you.

For one, we should be working to restart or expand several key tax credits that help support American families, like expanding the child tax credit, which will increase the amount of hard-earned money families get to keep in their pockets. We also need to use this opportunity to address the high cost of housing, which is impacting families in Nevada and across the country. We must expand the low- income housing tax credit so that we can help build more housing and increase supply, and that ultimately lowers costs for you, for everyone.

As someone who grew up in a working-class family, I know what it is like to work multiple jobs and rely on tips to make ends meet. That is why we need to make sure we put money back in the pockets of hard- working Nevadans, which is why any package--any package--should include the bipartisan plan to eliminate income tax on tips for service and hospitality workers. By ending income tax on tips and adding guardrails to prevent the ultrawealthy and CEOs from exploiting loopholes, we can make sure that Nevadans keep more of their hard-earned money.

We also need to provide a broad-based tax cut for working families and the middle class and make sure that families making less than $400,000 a year don't see a tax hike.

Instead of lowering already low tax rates for corporations, we should be providing much needed tax relief for our businesses, like restoring research and development expensing.

Our country's strength has always come from the middle class--our teachers, our first responders, our small business owners, our factory workers--families who get up every morning, every day, and they send their kids off to school and then go out and work hard to make our Nation run. They deserve--they deserve--tax policies that work for them, not tax cuts that leave them behind while the wealthiest of us, the wealthiest of billionaires, the big corporations, reap the tax rewards.

So let's be clear, though. If President-elect Trump and Senate Republicans don't work with Democrats, Republican tax proposals--well, they won't help you. They won't help your family. Republican tax policies are only going to help billionaires.

We need to build an economy that works for everyone, for you, not just those at the top. So to all the families feeling the stress, know you are not alone. It is time for us to put your priorities first, to lower costs, and to expand opportunity. I see you--all of you--and I am ready and willing to fight for you and for all those you care about.

Madam President, I rise today to urge my colleagues to confirm a bipartisan group of four nominees--two Republicans and two Democrats--to serve on the United States Postal Service Board of Governors.

The Board of Governors is an independent, bipartisan body that provides leadership, strategic vision, and oversight of the U.S. Postal Service.

Confirming these four nominees--Val Demings, Gordon Hartogensis, Bill Zollars, and Anton Hajjar--will give the board a full complement of nine Senate-confirmed governors.

The bipartisan board is most effective when fully staffed with individuals who bring a diverse range of perspective and experiences and all who understand the critical mission of the Postal Service.

These individuals each have strong leadership and management experience, and they have demonstrated their commitment to the Postal Service as workers and its customers.

As we know all too well in my State of Nevada, the Postal Service has been considering operational changes that will have severe impacts on service to communities not just in Nevada but across this Nation.

I was proud to lead the charge against Postmaster DeJoy's misguided effort to send Nevadans' letter mail out of State to be processed. But without sufficient oversight from a full Board of Governors, the Postmaster General will be able to pursue his agenda for the whole country unchecked.

I want to repeat that. Without a full Board of Governors, the Postmaster

General will be able to pursue his agenda for the whole country without oversight.

So it is more important than ever that we have a Board of Governors that is committed to ensuring reliable, timely mail delivery and that it will provide the necessary oversight of Postal Service leadership. That is why I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to confirm these four highly qualified nominees to the Postal Board of Governors.

Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that, as in executive session, the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs be discharged from further consideration of PN2289 and that the Senate proceed to the consideration of this nomination and Calendar Nos. 836, 837, and 840; that the Senate vote on the nominations in the order listed; that if confirmed, the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table without intervening action or debate; that no further motions be in order to the nominations; that any related statements be printed in the Record; and that the President be immediately notified of the Senate's action.

Madam President, may I just say to the Senator from Kentucky that these nominees are bipartisan--two Democrat and two Republican. I believe it is far past the time that we allow our Postal Board of Governors to be filled.

I yield the floor.

Madam President, I rise today to talk about a subject you know a lot about, as we share serving the great State of Nevada. I am here to talk about public land management in Nevada and the challenges that my State--our State--is facing as our communities continue to grow.

Some in this Chamber may be unaware, but my State of Nevada is unique. We have the highest percentage of land owned by the Federal Government. Eighty-five percent of our State is made up of Federal land. Let me repeat that: 85 percent. This means Nevada has to rely on Federal legislation to do things like making land available to provide more affordable housing, more schools, more parks, more churches, more fire stations, and police departments in every single county in Nevada.

Think about that. We need to pass bills here in Congress, in Washington, and have the President sign them into law to do local things that most other States can just have their local governments do.

That is why in Washoe County, the second largest county in the State, those types of everyday actions--well, they just haven't been taken in years, and we are starting to feel it.

Over the last few decades, Nevada has brought in new industries and created good-paying jobs in and around Washoe County. From Reno to Sparks, we are creating jobs in technology, critical minerals, battery recycling, and so much more. This is leading to an economic and population boom that, frankly, is helping our residents prosper. But it is also placing a great strain on things like the supply of housing.

But, again, because 85 percent of Nevada is made up of public lands, Washoe County relies on resource management plans to grow our community. Well, I am sad to say this, but the current plans on the books--and you know this too well, Madam President--they are more than 20 years old. So even as the population of the county has grown more than twice the rate of the overall U.S. population in the last decade, we are using current plans over 20 years old. As our State grows and more people move in, it is critical that we take steps to manage responsible growth and development of our local communities so we protect our beautiful public lands and we support our Tribes and economic development, alike.

Without new Federal legislation, Washoe County is stuck. They are just stuck. It can't grow, it can't accommodate its increasing population, and it can't protect the spaces where people recreate or come to visit in our beautiful State.

For the last few years, I have been working closely with a diverse range of local stakeholders, from conservation and outdoor recreation groups to local governments and Tribal leadership, to draft a proposal that has the best balance. We released a working draft, and we took public input from Nevadans, and we developed my Truckee Meadows Public Lands Management Act, or, as we know it, the Washoe County lands bill.

I am going to tell you a little bit about the bill.

My bill is balanced. It is thoughtful. It has a thoughtful approach that I worked on for more than 4 years to do a few things. We have to allow for new economic development opportunities. We have to make more land available for affordable housing; this is on the top of everyone's list. We want to protect nearly 1 million acres of land for recreation in our gorgeous State. We want to convey parcels to local entities for public purposes, like schools and water treatment facilities. And we want to place some of our land into trust for three different Tribes in northern Nevada.

This bill has broad, local support from Republicans and Democrats, alike, in Nevada. I introduced the final version of this bill nearly 1 year ago. It has gone through a committee hearing. It has been marked up, and it has been passed out of committee. My team and I spent years discussing this legislation with relevant committees, and for months-- literally, for months--we have been working to include this bill in a public lands package.

We have consistently reached out to Senators and staffs on both sides of the aisle to get the bill passed--a bill very specific to Nevada, for the benefit of Nevadans. And we have an open door for any recommended changes to get

this critical legislation across the finish line. And yet we still haven't been able to get a vote here in the Senate.

One thing I want to tell you for sure is I am not going to allow typical Washington gridlock like we have seen here to block this bill that my constituents--our constituents--are relying on for more affordable housing, stronger communities, and for protected lands.

So, today, I am taking matters into my own hands. I stand here, today, asking for my colleagues' cooperation to support the State of Nevada, to support our ability to grow and build our communities, and protect and preserve the beauty in our great State, and support the passage of my Washoe County lands bill by unanimous consent.

Notwithstanding rule XXII, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of Calendar No. 604, S. 3593; that the committee-reported substitute amendment be agreed to; that the bill, as amended, be considered read a third time and passed; and that the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table.

Madam President, I look forward to continuing to work with the Senator from Wyoming on approving this bill. But for me, today, it is beyond disappointing that Washington's business-as-usual approach is once again getting in the way of my bill passing.

The legislation would not cost any additional taxpayer money, and it would not directly impact any State other than Nevada. And it would allow Washoe County to be able to serve its business community, Tribal communities, and the people who live there. All it is going to do is protect our outdoor spaces, support local Tribal communities, and expand economic development opportunities, including the much needed affordable housing, desperately needed by so many.

Today's outcome is frustrating. I want to assure the people of Nevada that my colleagues and I will continue to work on this issue. It is not settled, and the fight to get Nevada lands for us to be able to use in smart ways is not over. I will reintroduce this legislation next Congress, and I will continue fighting until my Washoe County lands bill is passed and Nevadans are better able to responsibly build in and protect our State.

I yield the floor.