Floor Statements

Mr. President, this is a solemn occasion for me and for many people I know, and I rise this evening to recognize and honor the 67 lives we lost, 1 year ago tomorrow, on January 29, 2025.

On that night, Flight 5342 took off from Wichita, KS, and flew toward our Nation's Capital with 64 passengers on board. In Washington, DC, a Black Hawk helicopter with three Army soldiers would soon be in the air as well. Flight 5342 was just minutes away from a safe landing at Reagan National Airport when the plane and the Army helicopter collided over the Potomac River.

Shortly after 9 p.m., I received a call with the news that a flight from home--from Kansas--was involved in an accident in our Nation's Capital. I made my way to Reagan National Airport that night. The banks of the Potomac River were illuminated with lights from emergency responders who were searching the icy waters of a crash site.

At the airport, I was joined by local leaders and the newly sworn-in Secretary of Transportation, Sean Duffy. Our conversation that night was one of many that would then span the course of the following year, trying to understand how an accident like this could occur and how to prevent it from ever happening again.

At the airport, we learned the tragic news that there were no survivors. Of those who perished, seven were Kansans.

Kiah Duggins, a civil rights attorney and a Wichita native, was set to begin teaching at Howard University School of Law.

Lindsey Fields, a professor at Butler Community College and the president-elect of the National Association of Biology Teachers, was traveling to our Nation's Capital to advocate for the issues that mattered to her.

Bob and Lori Schrock, a prominent and very well-liked couple of farmers from Kiowa, KS, were on their way to visit their daughter in college in Pennsylvania.

Grace Maxwell, an engineering student from Wichita, was returning to college after attending her grandfather's funeral at home in Kansas.

Dustin Miller, an IT professional who grew up in El Dorado and was a lifelong Chiefs fan, told his mom he was going to try to make it back in time to watch his team play in the Super Bowl.

PJ Diaz of Wichita was described by his loved ones as a world traveler who had been to 49 States. He especially loved cruises and had an extra-long cruise planned for later that year.

Sadly, 28 members of the U.S. Figure Skating community also lost their lives--young athletes traveling back from the National Development Camp in Wichita, with their coaches and family members.

Maxim Naumov, a 24-year-old U.S. figure skater, lost both of his parents in the accident. In the wake of this tragedy, Maxim used his love of skating to overcome this immense loss and now heads to the 2026 Olympic Games, just weeks away, to achieve his lifelong dream that he shared with his parents. We will all be cheering him on.

A year later, the memory of this night--the deadliest aviation incident that America had witnessed in nearly 25 years--is as painful as it was when we first heard the news. The victims were husbands and wives, fathers and mothers, sons and daughters, friends and coworkers.

As we mourn the victims, we also remember the heroism, solidarity, and love displayed that night. Hundreds of first responders worked tirelessly through the night and into the coming days. Strangers offered comfort, and people checked in on their neighbors.

Since January 29, the families of the victims have tried to find meaning and purpose after the death of their loved ones and have worked to eliminate the likelihood of an accident like this ever happening again.

A family, in particular, that I would like to mention, Tim and Sheri Lilley, lost their son Sam. He was the copilot for Flight 5342, the plane.

Following the tragic accident, the Lilley family has used its voice to become an advocate for safer skies, in honor of their son Sam.

I am grateful for the advocacy of the families who are gathered here tonight in the Nation's Capital to remember their family members, to mourn the losses, to comfort each other. I am grateful for the families of the victims over the last year as they work to advocate for changes at the FAA--Federal Aviation Administration--and congressional legislation like the ROTOR Act.

Thanks to their support, the Senate advanced this critical legislation last year. This was an important step, but our progress has been stalled in the House.

The National Transportation Safety Board's hearing just yesterday further confirmed that this legislation could have made a difference on January 29 a year ago. We cannot afford to waste any more time. I urgently insist the House of Representatives quickly pass this legislation or amend it and pass it so we can find consensus.

I want to commend NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy and her team on their thorough investigation of the crash. Their report will guide Congress in the coming weeks in our efforts to ensure safety in the skies.

In addition to passing and implementing the ROTOR Act, Congress will soon hold a hearing--after the NTSB releases its final report in about 2 weeks--to review the findings and recommendations. We need to determine what, if any, congressional action is necessary to implement these recommendations and make certain the FAA and Army are making the recommended changes, provide funding for further modernization of our aviation system, advance new technologies at the FAA, and train and support air traffic controllers. We cannot--we should not--miss the moment to act and ensure lasting change.

I cannot imagine the pain each of the families of the victims has experienced every day since January 29. This week, their loss must be felt especially hard as they face the anniversary of the crash.

Tonight, I want to remember those who perished--67 lives that ended way too soon. We resolve to honor their legacy, work to make our skies safer, and remember those we loved who lost their lives.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the names of the victims of Flight 5342 be printed in the Record.

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

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the consideration of S. Res. 591, which is at the desk.

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

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today, it stand adjourned until 10:30 a.m., Thursday, January 29; 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, morning business be closed, and the Senate resume the motion to proceed to Calendar No. 302, H.R. 7148.

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

Mr. President, today, I have the opportunity to rise here on the Senate floor and speak in support of the appropriations package that is currently before the U.S. Senate, which happens to include funding for Commerce, Justice, Science.

I chair the Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and I am pleased that this legislation provides significant and important resources to support our Nation's Federal, State, and local law enforcement in their shared mission to keep America safe.

The package that we will debate and discuss and vote on this week makes targeted investments in the Federal Agencies and Departments that conduct critical scientific research, bolster economic growth, promote U.S. energy independence, and strengthen our Nation's national security. These priorities are achieved while also making thoughtful reductions in spending to ensure that taxpayer dollars are being wisely spent.

Many rural and local law enforcement agencies continue to face resource and equipment gaps that limit their ability to respond effectively and keep their communities safe, and the fiscal year 2026 CJS appropriations bill addresses these needs by investing in crime- fighting technology and equipment for sheriff's offices and police departments in Kansas and across the country. The legislation also equips the Drug Enforcement Agency and the FBI with resources necessary to dismantle drug trafficking networks that have gained, unfortunately, a stronghold and a foothold in the United States and to combat the fentanyl crisis that continues to claim way too many American lives.

This bill contains funding for the national security and counterintelligence missions that counter foreign threats and protect U.S. interests. By investing in the Office of the United States Trade Representative, this bill strengthens its capacity to enforce trade agreements and expand markets so that American producers like my farmers back home in Kansas and manufacturers in my State can compete and sell their goods around the world.

Finally, this bill invests in our Nation's science Agencies--NASA, NOAA, and the National Science Foundation--to advance U.S. leadership in scientific discovery and space exploration. At NASA, it bolsters American leadership in human spaceflight, space science, and aeronautics at a very critical moment. This week, in fact, NASA is rolling out Artemis II, the next consequential step toward sending astronauts around the Moon for the first time in more than 50 years. That mission and future missions depend upon a strong U.S. aerospace industrial base made up of engineers, machinists, suppliers, and researchers. This bill makes certain that America remains on course to lead in space and does not cede ground to our competitors.

Through NSF, the bill prioritizes critical research and advanced manufacturing that bolster private sector innovation, strengthen university-industry partnerships, and train the next generation of scientists and engineers right here at home--investments that are essential to our long-term economic growth, to our national competitiveness, and to our national security.

At NOAA, this legislation bolsters critical weather monitoring services, increases resources for lifesaving functions of the National Weather Service, and makes certain that the National Weather Service offices are staffed 24/7 to provide reliable forecasts to help keep America safe.

As a senior appropriator, I have long advocated for Congress to return to regular order in the appropriations process: debating, amending, and passing 12 separate appropriations bills that fund the Federal Government. I continue to be an advocate for that. This package reflects that work, and I commend Chairwoman Collins, Vice Chairman Murray, and my colleagues on the Appropriations Committee for their efforts. I also thank my colleagues in the Senate more broadly who have been so willing to allow us to proceed to get to this point today.

I want to thank the CJS Subcommittee staff for their hard work, dedication, and long hours. A lot of work has gone on throughout the year but with especially challenging time constraints within the last few weeks. This package would not be possible without those staff members.

I thank my staff: Kevin Wheeler, Brian Daner, and Rachel Taylor. I also thank as well the minority staff: Jessica Berry, Blaise Sheridan, Lindsay Erickson, and T.J. Lowdermilk.

This legislation that is Commerce, Justice, Science Appropriations Subcommittee work product strikes a careful balance, funding critical resources while also protecting limited taxpayer dollars. The spending that we always worry about being too much is addressed in this legislation to make sure that we are on a different path than continued borrowing and spending.

I strongly urge my colleagues to support this package to provide these Agencies with the resources they need to keep our Nation safe, promote U.S. leadership, and make certain that America remains a leader in space.

This bill funds the Department of Commerce, the Department of Justice, and a number of science Agencies, such as NASA and NSF. It is important to the country that this bill occur. It is also important to the country that we avoid a shutdown at the end of the month, and the bills that we pass this week go a long way in making that shutdown much less likely.

I thank the Presiding Officer for the opportunity to speak to you and my colleagues.

I yield the floor.

I suggest the absence of a quorum.

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

Mr. President, today, I rise to honor the passing of a 101-year-old Kansan, World War II veteran, and American hero, Horace ``Jim'' Sharp.

Mr. Sharp was born in Morris County, KS, and he spent his early years tending to the family farm--not an unusual thing in Kansas, certainly not in his generation.

At age 19, Jim surrendered his farm deferment, courageously volunteering to serve his nation in the U.S. Army during World War II.

Through his service, Jim fought in the Battle of the Bulge as part of Company B, 18th Infantry Regiment, 1st Infantry Division. It was during that battle that Jim earned three Battle Stars and a Bronze Star. Although injured by shrapnel during battle, Jim never received treatment, thus never receiving the Purple Heart.

Following Jim's combat service, he served as a guard during the Nuremberg trials.

Shortly after returning home to Kansas following the war's end, Jim would marry his wife Marilyn, with whom he would raise their three children and enjoy 69 years of marriage.

Following the passage of the GI Bill, Jim attended Kansas State University, where he graduated with a bachelor's degree in business administration. Jim then applied his degree by building a career in data processing, eventually retiring as the information systems manager for the Kansas Farm Bureau while also teaching information systems classes at Kansas State University and at Fort Riley.

Jim's life of service continued well after his time in the military. His dedication to his faith and his community showed itself in so many ways. Jim was an active member at his local Methodist church. His accolades also include being a founding member and the first president of the Northeast Kansas Battle of the Bulge Organization where he raised funds to support the preservation of the Manhattan, KS, Peace Memorial Auditorium and the K-State World War II Memorial.

Jim's World War II service is also featured at Fort Riley's 1st Infantry Division Museum, honoring his story and his service in the Nuremberg exhibit there.

Jim was an active member of the Kiwanis, his local VFW and American Legion, and many other local organizations focused on improving his community and aiding those in need.

Living to be 101 is remarkable in and of itself, but Jim used that long life that he was given to accomplish so much more. His life of courage, sacrifice, and compassion served as an inspiration to all who knew him, and he is dearly, dearly missed.

My prayers and concerns and care are with his children Janet, Doug, and Brian, his many grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and great- great-grandchildren--the entire Sharp family. It was my honor to see them as we celebrated Jim's 100 birthday at the American Legion in Manhattan, KS, now just about a year ago.

Jim was an authentic American hero. Sometimes, I think we look for heroes, and we can't seem to find them. You do not have to look past Jim Sharp. He was a hero to his Nation, to his community, to his family, and to his friends.

May Jim's legacy not be forgotten, his service honored. And we say to him in these days: Thank you for your service. We respect you, and we are grateful.

I yield the floor.

I suggest the absence of a quorum.

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

I yield the floor.

Mr. President, I have five requests for committees to meet during today's session of the Senate. They have the approval of the Majority and Minority Leaders.

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

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

Mr. President, my hometown is Plainville, KS. The population, according to Google just this morning, is 1,746. I rise this morning to recognize and pay tribute to my hometown newspaper, the Plainville Times.

Several months ago, the headline of the paper--the very top story was--``Newspaper for Sale.'' Last month, the Times published its final edition as a standalone newspaper and announced it will merge with a neighboring town's newspaper, the Stockton Sentinel, to continue news coverage for local residents. So I take sadness in the demise, the departure of my hometown paper. I take pleasure and pride in its continuation with the news being covered by the Times Sentinel.

For more than a century, the Plainville Times has served the surrounding communities by providing information, education, and timely reporting. The paper first began in 1800, though it changed its names several times over the years, and it became known as the Plainville Times in 1904.

Growing up in this small town in western Kansas, I saw firsthand how the newspaper supported the community and brought neighbors, friends, and even strangers together. Community journalism pulls us together. National journalism has the habit of tearing us apart.

Over the years, the Plainville Times has kept the community informed on important local issues like a new business coming to town, a city council meeting, or the score of a high school football game. Rural papers bring community residents together for special moments. It is where we see when we have a new birth. It is where we see when we lose a fellow citizen. It is where we celebrate with others about a 50th wedding anniversary. It is the joys of graduation and holiday celebrations. It is about ribbon cuttings. It is the pain of funeral services and natural disasters and really everything in between.

Community journalism is important to the future of communities across Kansas and the Nation. Today, community journalism faces growing challenges with a rapidly changing media environment, as well as workforce struggles and financial strains. Many rural newspapers have very limited staffs, and it is not uncommon for one person to fill the role of reporter, photographer, and editor.

Those who dedicate their lives to this profession, in so many instances in newspapers across Kansas, I find the person that is just doing the job because nobody else would do it. Despite these challenges, that newspaper, including the Plainville Times, leaves lasting marks on the rural towns they cover.

As a kid growing up in Plainville, then representing my hometown as a Member of Congress, and now as a U.S. Senator, I had the opportunity to know and speak with, get acquainted with the Times editors during my lifetime, including Harlan Lill, who was the editor when I was a kid; Carol Van Dyke, who then replaced him; and the current editor Candace Rachel, whom I grew up with in my hometown. She is a longtime native of Plainville, and Candace is deeply committed to our community and has devoted her life to providing news and information to Kansans.

Whether I am attending a Lions Club meeting or visiting the local high school, Candace is always there with her pen and pad and a camera slung over her shoulder. She is one of those editors who does it all. Candace is always there at everything. She loves supporting local sports, the athletes, their parents, their families. She loves to celebrate the victories and bemoan the losses. She always can be spotted on the sidelines of a local football field, the basketball courts, and at baseball games. I appreciate her. I appreciate her love for our community, and I appreciate the way she treats every citizen of my hometown--with the greatest of respect.

I want to thank the Times' publisher, Frank Mercer of Main Street Media, as well as its staff, Bret Greenwood and Tonia Goertz, for their commitment to local journalism.

Over the years, the Plainville Times has been dedicated to pursuing the truth in informing local communities and providing a critical service to rural America. The paper has gained a reputation for informative, fair reporting,

and it has earned recognition from the Kansas Press Association for its work.

With the merging of the Plainville Times with the Stockton Sentinel-- Stockton, incidentally, being our cross-county rival--the unified paper will continue to cover Plainville and Rooks County. That is the good news.

I want to congratulate the owners of the Stockton Sentinel, Bart Hamilton and Susan Hamilton Schneider. I am grateful for their investment in local journalism and their support for Stockton, for Plainville, for Palco, for Damar and Zurich, for Codell--for the communities that make up our small county.

I look forward to staying informed on local news. I receive the Plainville Times every week. When I get home, it is in the stack of newspapers that I have yet to read. It is the very first one. My wife would say my first comment is: Oh, the Plainville Times is here.

I look forward every week to seeing what is going on in my hometown, and I appreciate the publication that has provided me and so many others with that information. The Plainville Times and now the Stockton Sentinel Times will be important to every resident who lives in the area.

I again thank those who made this newspaper what it is, and I congratulate and wish the best for those who will make what this newspaper will become.

I yield the floor.

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

Mr. President, first, before I make the remarks I would like to make, let me commend my colleague from Oklahoma Mr. Lankford for his comments. I have said this to my colleagues, Republican and Democrat, and

I would join in this call for getting things done.

A message that I have tried to make clear is that many of us, most of us, perhaps all of us are away from home, away from family. We come to Washington, DC. And in much of my life, I felt guilty about being gone from things at home. That sense of regret about being absent to family, to kids, to wife, is somewhat compensated for in the service that comes from this, serving in the U.S. Senate, from public service. But unless we actually accomplish things, it is hard to justify the sadness that comes, the challenges that come, the absence of fulfilling responsibilities that occur in our lives if we are here without accomplishments.

As Senator Lankford made so clear, it doesn't always have to be the biggest things or the things that are thought of to be the biggest; it could be things that are in many ways, in people's minds, the modest or small things. But I can't imagine that anybody in the U.S. Senate or Congress or public service or in jobs that are demanding would do so if they didn't think there was a goal accomplished at the end of their time.

We all ought to take to heart what the Senator from Oklahoma said about getting things done. It can help us justify being away from those we love so frequently and doing something that actually matters to America and the world.

We don't--certainly we shouldn't--come here for purposes of the name on the door or a nice desk in a big office or for the camaraderie or to be able to call yourself a U.S. Senator. Those things are absolutely meaningless. But if we can find the common denominator between Republicans and Democrats, between individuals from different States and different parts of the country; if we can find the common denominator between people who have different ideas and political philosophies, the U.S. Senate should be a place that is designed to pull people together, to bring us together so that those accomplishments occur.

I commend my colleague from Oklahoma as a Senator who has accomplishments and works hard to make sure that we all are working together so we all can have accomplishments. I express my gratitude to and respect for the Senator.

Mr. President, Senator Cruz, the Senator from Texas, and Senator Cantwell, the Senator from Washington State, thank you very much for the opportunity to join with you today and throughout a long process since January 29, earlier this year.

That flight--Flight 5342--originated in Wichita, KS, and, as we know, on January 29, it collided with an Army Black Hawk helicopter, and it changed the way we look at air safety every moment since then.

I appreciate the leadership of my two colleagues on the full committee, as well as Senator Duckworth, my colleague on the Subcommittee on Aviation, to make certain that we take all the steps necessary and to make certain for the families who remind us today, and almost every day since January 29, about the importance of making the skies of the United States safe for those who fly today and in the future.

There are numerous--numerous--circumstances that led to this horrific incident, and NTSB's critical investigation into this collision is continuing. While NTSB's final recommendations have not yet been released, the Chair of the NTSB, Jennifer Homendy, took the unprecedented step of publicly stating that the National Defense Authorization Act does not adequately address the safety concerns surrounding the mixed airspace at DCA.

And while the NDAA is critical to bolstering our defense capabilities, I have major concerns with the portion of the bill that is being fixed by the efforts today, here on the Senate floor, with this unanimous consent request.

After numerous conversations with my colleagues Senator Cruz and Senator Cantwell, we secured an agreement from the Senate leadership-- and I thank that Senate leadership, Senator Thune--for an amended version of the ROTOR Act that would be quickly brought to the Senate floor for consideration to reinstate and advance critical standards of safety for commercial and military aviation.

We are doing that right now.

The ROTOR Act closes the loopholes that have been described by my colleagues and strengthens ADS-B requirements for commercial and military aircraft, among many other things.

It requires safety reviews of DCA, and it requires better coordination between the FAA and DOD. I commend the FAA Administrator for his commitment, and particularly Secretary Duffy, for their combined commitment to air safety.

In fact, when we conclude this effort here on the Senate floor, our committee is in session. Our subcommittee is in session with Administrator Bedford, the FAA Administrator, to review what other steps are being taken across the country for safe airspace at every airport.

We are bringing technology to bear that has only been talked about in the past and is now being accomplished. Our aviation system is fragile, and over the last year, Congress has passed significant legislation investing in that airspace to increase the safety and to make sure that all who fly can be and are safe and feel safe.

Now is not the time to take any steps backward, and that is what we were worried and concerned about that the NDAA provision does.

While Congress works to ensure in law the safety of our airspace, our DOT and FAA leaders are committed to abide by current safety standards, maintaining that safety at the DCA airspace.

As both have said, more work can be done, but it is a pretty good day to be taking the steps we are taking and knowing that more is to come in honor of those who perished, on January 29, from Kansas, across the country, and around the world.

I yield back to the chairman of the committee.

Mr. President, congratulations, again, to my colleagues. Thank you to the U.S. Senate and its leadership for seeing that a version of the ROTOR Act was passed by unanimous consent.

Mr. President, I rise further today in support of the nomination Jared Issacman to lead the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. That is the vote that is now ensuing, just a few minutes later than scheduled.

Last week, for a second time, the Commerce Committee favorably reported Mr. Isaacman's nomination with bipartisan support.

Now, as NASA takes on some of the most significant tests in its nearly 70-year history, including the beating of China and other adversaries back to the Moon and positioning America for historic deep- space exploration, the Agency needs a permanent, Senate-confirmed leader.

As chairman of the Commerce Subcommittee on Space and the chairman of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, and Science, I serve in both roles, as an authorizer of legislation and the appropriator for NASA.

I have worked with my colleagues and with previous administrations to provide the Agency with clear direction and the resources needed to achieve NASA's noble goals.

I trust that if he is confirmed, Mr. Isaacman will be a reliable partner in continuing that legacy.

Over the course of his nomination, I have had several opportunities to speak at length with Mr. Isaacman about his qualifications for this role, his assessment of NASA's current circumstances, and his vision to lead the Agency into the future. I am confident that he will provide the leadership that NASA needs to sustain and advance America's leadership in space.

NASA's mission is not solely the domain of space. Just a couple of weeks ago, at Mr. Isaacman's confirmation, I had the chance to discuss with him the critical importance to many Kansans, including those in agriculture, of NASA's Earth Science Division for supporting Kansas agriculture producers. I was pleased that Mr. Isaacman shares my view that NASA must remain steadfast in its commitment to science.

I want to thank Secretary of Transportation Sean Duffy for his leadership of the Agency as Acting Administrator over the past several months.

Confirming, now, Mr. Isaacman as the next permanent Administrator for NASA will equip our space Agency for success. I will be voting yes on Mr. Isaacman's nomination, and I urge my colleagues to do the same.

I yield the floor.

Mr. President, I know of no further debate on the nomination.

I ask for the yeas and nays.