Floor Statements

The following Senators are necessarily absent: the Senator from Tennessee (Mrs. Blackburn), the Senator from Texas (Mr. Cornyn), the Senator from Iowa (Ms. Ernst), the Senator from Kentucky (Mr. McConnell), the Senator from Kansas (Mr. Moran), and the Senator from North Carolina (Mr. Tillis).

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 President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.

Mr. President, I want to talk today about action, action Republicans are taking to lower the costs for American people.

Let's start with the cost of energy. We need to be able to build, to build things faster, better, cheaper, smarter. That is what we need in America today.

We need to do it for pipelines, for energy projects, and we need to do it all across the country. There are critical energy projects right now that have been spending years trapped in regulatory purgatory. They have been in the penalty box.

Lawsuits by environmental extremists keep these projects tied up even further than that. Republicans are committed to permitting reform, and the Presiding Officer has been one leading the charge. Senators Capito and Lee who chair the appropriate committees have spent months and months working on this critical topic.

Democrats here in the Senate, led by Senator Schumer, continue to block our efforts. Democrats are objecting to solutions that actually would work to lower the cost of energy, to keep more money in people's pockets. Democrats seem to embrace higher energy costs, and they have a long history of doing that.

It is one of the features of the Democrat Green New Deal, their agenda, to keep the energy, American energy, in the ground. Last week, Senate Democrats blocked a bill from Senator Jon Husted of Ohio, a bill called the Ratepayer Protection Act, again, designed to keep more money in people's pockets. It relates to energy.

Senator Husted's bill protects American workers; that is why it is called the Ratepayer Protection Act. Senator Husted's bill guarantees that large users of energy, of electricity such as data centers, that they would end up paying the full cost of their electricity use, not the consumers.

It also holds them responsible for upgrades to the grid, and we need upgrades to the grid. They are responsible

for what they need and what they are doing. Well, this will block costs going up for families so that people aren't forced to pay more; not just families but small businesses as well.

Now, Senator Husted's bill has actually been to the House of Representatives already. It passed the House of Representatives 417 to 3. That doesn't happen all that often. That is overwhelming support. And 206 Democrats actually voted for it. You would expect there would be similar numbers here. The American people support it. Democrats in the House support it. All the Republicans support it, but yet Democrats here in the Senate following Senator Schumer stand in the way of relief for folks at home.

We need to pass it. We need to pass Senator Husted's Ratepayer Protection Act. Republicans are going to continue to fight to get it done, in spite of the delays by the Democrats. Tomorrow we are going to vote on this again, on Senator Husted's bill.

So Democrats tomorrow will have a choice: They can join Republicans in helping to lower costs for American families, or they can explain to American families why their party continues to stand in the way of relief.

Republicans are never going to stop fighting to ensure Americans keep more of their hard-earned money. When Americans keep more of what they earn, the economy grows. And I have always said people at home with money in their pocket have a much better time figuring out how to spend it or save it or invest it than does the government.

Across the country, more people are working. Take-home pay is rising. These are good signs. The Wall Street Journal recently pointed out ``it is one of the best job markets in decades'' for young adults without college degrees.

That is where the country stands today. Last year, the American people faced the largest tax increase in America's history. Had Democrats gotten their way, there would have been an increase of taxes of $4 trillion. Democrats would have snatched hard-earned money away and right out of the pockets of our firefighters, police officers, nurses, and waiters.

Republicans stopped that largest tax increase in history. We got rid of the tax on tips. We got rid of the tax on overtime. We eliminated tax on Social Security. More money in people's pockets. And then on top of that, we expanded the child tax credit. It is now $2,200 per child. We delivered permanent relief--you know about this as do I, in my home State, from the dreaded death tax.

Millions--farmers, ranchers, small business owners--have benefited. We permanently raised the standard deduction; that helps people keep more of what they earn. As a result of the Working Families Tax Cuts law, 97 percent of Americans received a tax cut when they filed their tax return last year.

Refunds that they got this year were bigger than they were in the last years. People who benefited the most: people who earn less than $200,000 a year. Also, one of the unique aspects of the Republicans' tax cuts bill are called the Trump Accounts. They are brand new. They are tax-advantaged investment accounts. Every American child can have one. Every child born between 2025 and 2028 starts with $1,000 in this account coming directly from the U.S. Treasury.

Trump Accounts follow a very American idea: When families are free to invest their own money, their children can build wealth for the future. Millions of children in families all across America are using these Trump Accounts. Parents, family members, churches, community groups, and even employers are contributing as well. I am seeing it in my home State.

Recently, Delta Airlines--the international company--Delta Airlines committed to invest $1,000 into Trump Accounts for each of their employees' children--every one of them. Other businesses are doing the same. They are following the example.

But yet every single Democrat in this House voted against these valuable accounts--every one of them--and that includes the two Senators from Georgia where Delta Airlines is headquartered.

Democrats refuse to even put children's financial interests first. As Republicans fight to put more money into people's pockets, we continue to crack down on waste and fraud and abuse and corruption. And people watching the news have seen it.

Last week, the Trump administration took another big step to root out fraud in our healthcare system. It identified three-quarters of a million names--not necessarily people but names--that were fraudulent, improper, and ineligible for ObamaCare.

Many of these names didn't even have a Social Security number associated with it. Many of the names were signed up without actually an individual knowing about it. It was insurance brokers gaming the system, and they earned a commission for each one of these new accounts. We are putting an end to this.

There is no verification of identity, no notice of whatever the people made--if they were people or not--no identification of identity, income, or immigration status. Red warning lights were flashing, signaling fraud and corruption.

And the crackdown on this fraud is helping taxpayers save $2.2 billion. That ensures that more money and services go to the people who actually have earned it, need it, and deserve it.

Democrats want to keep the money flowing out of the Federal Treasury. It is astonishing. I remember Joe Biden and the Democrats--they enabled this fraud. They seemed to welcome it. Enrollment doubled under ObamaCare on their watch without justification and often falsehoods.

It was juiced by generous bonus subsidies, by bonuses for people signing up, putting names on the roll, big checks that went directly from the taxpayers to the Federal Treasury, into the pockets of healthcare companies. Perverse incentives encouraged liberal Governors to spend money from Medicaid without any oversight. We have seen it all.

I mean, people were shocked when they saw what happened in Minnesota--money going to phony treatment centers. In California, it went to phantom hospice providers--made up but the money kept flowing. Republicans are committed to stopping this abuse and to making sure that criminals pay the price.

When it comes to the sort of things we have been talking about this morning--cutting energy costs, cutting taxes, fighting fraud and corruption--this is a core difference between commonsense Republicans and the craziness that has taken over the Democratic Party.

Republicans want every American to keep more of their hard-earned money, more of what they earn. Democrats seem to want more money going to the Federal Government so that they can turn around and spend it. That is why Democrats are determined to repeal the Working Family Tax Cut law--because it means a direct tax increase on every American.

They want to raise taxes on waitresses, on nurses working overtime, on firefighters, on police officers, and on our seniors. What do they want to use the money for? They have said it. A number of their candidates have said it around the country. They said so they can provide healthcare for illegal immigrants with taxpayers paying for it. That is the new Democratic Party.

They are radical, they are extreme, they are dangerous, they are scary, and yet they proudly march off saying that is their new mantra. Actually, they don't even call it a mantra. They call it a manifesto.

We know what they want to do, and it will be very detrimental to the country. You read through it: Shut down the military. Shut down the police. Defund this. Open the prisons. Put the dangerous criminals into our communities.

It is astonishing. They want to do that while Americans are struggling to pay their bills. Americans shouldn't be paying the bills for millions of illegal immigrants. Joe Biden let 10 million of them into the country. We shouldn't be paying the bills for these fraud centers that they are allowing in Minnesota and what we see happening in California. The American people shouldn't have to be forced to be paying for that.

Republicans are going to continue to fight to put more money in the pockets of the American people. The American people earned it, and they rightly deserve it.

I yield the floor.

I suggest the absence of a quorum.

The following Senator is necessarily absent: the Senator from Alaska (Mr. Sullivan).

The following Senators are necessarily absent: the Senator from Louisiana (Mr. Cassidy) and the Senator from Alaska (Mr. Sullivan).

The following Senators are necessarily absent: the Senator from Indiana (Mr. Banks), the Senator from Texas (Mr. Cornyn), and the Senator from Alaska (Mr. Sullivan).

The following Senators are necessarily absent: the Senator from Texas (Mr. Cornyn), the Senator from Utah (Mr. Lee), the Senator from Alaska (Mr. Sullivan), and the Senator from North Carolina (Mr. Tillis).

The following Senators are necessarily absent: the Senator from Utah (Mr. Lee), the Senator from Alaska (Mr. Sullivan), the Senator from North Carolina (Mr. Tillis), and the Senator from Alabama (Mr. Tuberville).

The following Sentor is necessarily absent: the Senator from Alaska (Mr. Sullivan).

The following Sentor is necessarily absent: the Senator from Alaska (Mr. Sullivan).

The following Senator is necessarily absent: the Senator from Alaska (Mr. Sullivan).

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

I move to table Senate amendment No. 6779.

I move to table Senate amendment No. 6777.

I ask unanimous consent to waive the mandatory quorum call with respect to the cloture motion on S. 4668.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that if the order with respect to H. Con Res. 89 is executed following the cloture vote on S. 4668, the Senate vote on adoption of H. Con. Res. 89 at 1:45 p.m. today.

I ask for the yeas and nays.

The following Senator is necessarily absent: the Senator from North Carolina (Mr. Tillis).

Madam President, I rise today to honor MG Gregory Porter and his 40 years of service to our country, State, and the Wyoming National Guard.

After graduating from the University of Wyoming, General Porter began his service in the Wyoming Army National Guard as an aerial observer in the 115th Field Artillery Brigade. At the start of Gov. Mark Gordon's administration, Greg was selected to lead the Wyoming National Guard as the Adjutant General.

Throughout his time as the Adjutant General, Greg has led the Wyoming Army and Air National Guard through many deployments overseas to the Middle East and Africa. Most notably, under his command, the Wyoming Army Guard 2-300th Field Artillery Regiment completed their first full battalion deployment for a field artillery mission in over 70 years. The 2-300th were also under the command and control of the 115th Field Artillery Brigade Headquarters, another first. I have had the honor to visit many of these Wyoming soldiers and airmen overseas on Thanksgiving.

Over the years, we worked shoulder-to-shoulder to secure eight C-130J Super Hercules aircraft for the 153rd Airlift Wing. This effort stands as a testament to the determination of the hard-working Wyoming servicemen and women who serve our State and Nation every day.

Through the State Partnership Program, General Porter deepened and broadened cooperation between Wyoming and Tunisia. These of military- to-military and civilian-to-civilian exchanges include education, agriculture, and tourism. The Wyoming National Guard has been in partnership with Tunisia for over 20 years and General Porter is leaving the relationship stronger than ever.

General Porter coordinated the successful Exercise Agile Chariot with the U.S. Air Force Special Operations Command and the Wyoming Department of Transportation, WYDOT. Landing a MC-130J with a payload of MH-60 Little Birds, A-10 Thunderbolts, and a MQ-9 Reaper drone on a Wyoming highway is a first. Agile Chariot proved that Wyoming can support multi-domain operations and exercises. This exercise was a preview of the daring rescue mission to recover the two F-15 aviators downed in the mountains of Iran.

From second lieutenant to the Adjutant General, Greg Porter's leadership and dedication have equipped our National Guard with operational prowess.

I want to thank General Porter for his unwavering commitment to the Wyoming National Guard and to our Nation.

Madam President, I rise today in celebration of the 50th anniversary of the University of Wyoming Family Medicine Residency Programs.

On Saturday, October 10, 2026, at the Wyoming Primary Care Symposium, the Wyoming medical community will gather to celebrate this significant milestone. The UW Family Medicine Residency Programs are tailored to Wyoming and our unique healthcare needs. With two separate residencies in Casper and Cheyenne, these graduate medical education programs ensure residents are well-prepared to treat patients with professionalism, skill, and compassion.

In the 1970s, the Wyoming Legislature, the University of Wyoming, and other stakeholders recognized the need for additional physicians. After exploring options to expand medical education in the State, in 1976, the Wyoming Legislature founded the UW Family Medicine Residency Programs. The programs, affiliated with the University of Wyoming's then College of Human Medicine, were intended to meet the needs of underserved communities and provide quality medical education for the next generation of Wyoming doctors.

Wyoming physicians John Corbett, MD; Charlie Huff, MD; David Driggers, MD; and Arnold Krause, MD, were instrumental in launching the residency programs. As the chair of the Wyoming State Health Care Coordinating Council, Dr. Corbett championed the cause of graduate medical education in the State. As the residency program got off the ground, he served as the acting dean of the UW College of Human Medicine. Dr. Huff advocated for a Wyoming-focused solution as the director of the Office of Rural and Community Health. Dr. Driggers went on to serve as the associate professor, acting program director, and associate dean of the residency program. Dr. Krause served as the Cheyenne residency program director, recruiting faculty and physicians as the site grew.

In crafting the family medicine residencies, Wyoming took a unique approach. The programs were 100 percent State-funded when they were established. The Casper program was established in 1976, received its provisional accreditation in 1977, and graduated its first residents in 1979. The Cheyenne program followed, earning provisional accreditation in 1979, accepting its first residents in 1980, and receiving full accreditation in 1982.

True to the goal of providing quality medical access to the State, the UW Family Medicine Residency in Casper is a 3-year program, with 8 recent medical school graduates accepted each year. Residents perform clinical rotations in a wide range of specialties, including orthopaedic surgery, behavioral medicine, pediatrics, emergency medicine, geriatrics and advanced family medicine. The program offers five specialty tracks, including a rural and underserved global health track, a hospitalist track, and an osteopathic-focused track. Physicians who are interested in exploring the complexities of aging may pursue the program's geriatric fellowship.

The UW Family Medicine Residency in Cheyenne accepts six residents each year. These residents rotate in general surgery, community medicine, and women's health. Over the 3-year program, their opportunities include working with local patients in pediatric, dermatology, and sports medicine disciplines. The Cheyenne faculty prioritize experiences with rural medicine and treatment of patients of all ages and backgrounds. Residents also serve the local community at Cheyenne Regional Medical Center. Many program graduates go on to practice in Cheyenne and across Wyoming.

Both the Cheyenne and Casper Residency Programs offer a supportive, wellness-focused environment offering future doctors a comprehensive training program tailored with rural and frontier communities in mind. Staying true to the original goal of increasing the physician pipeline in Wyoming, there are approximately 100 UW Family Medicine Residency Program graduates practicing in the State.

The leadership of the UW Family Medicine Residency Programs embodies the values of professionalism, education, service, and excellence. They equip residents to provide comprehensive care to all, including the underserved.

The Casper program is led by:

Program Director Brian Veauthier, MD

Associate Program Director Blaine Levy, DO

Designated Institutional Officer Beth Robitaille, MD

Director of Osteopathic Education Caroline Kirsch, DO

Geriatric Fellowship Director Tabitha Thrasher, DO

In Cheyenne, residents work closely with the leadership team of:

Program Director Evan Norby, DO

Associate Program Director Jody Cousins, MD

Associate Program Director James Eggert, MD

Residency Coordinator Pamela MacMillan

It is my honor to recognize the incredible University of Wyoming Family Medicine Residency Programs. I ask my colleagues to join me in celebrating their investment in the people of Wyoming.

Mr. President, when it comes to foreign policy, the Republican Party's philosophy will always be ``peace through strength.'' Yesterday, at the United Nations, President Trump made that very clear. He made it clear that America continues to lead with peace through strength.

The President of communist China, Xi Jinping, will hear the same message later this week, when he comes to Washington, DC.

Now, I just heard the minority leader of the U.S. Senate come to the floor and say something about the fact that he thought that President Trump was going to sell out our country to China.

Let me set the record straight. President Xi last visited the White House 11 years ago. Today, he is going to arrive to a very different America and a very different President.

A decade ago, Barack Obama was in the White House. The Obama policy with regard to China was appeasement. It was accommodation, and it was apologies. Obama's weakness gave China free rein--free rein to undermine our economy and our national security.

China spied on American businesses. They stole American technology. And China strengthened its grip on global supply chains.

As Democrat climate alarmists forced the closure of our coal-fired powerplants, China built new ones. They continue to build them today in the race for power and the competition over artificial intelligence.

From new technology to global supply chains, China's goal is to be the military, the economic, and the technological superpower of the world. China wants to push America aside. Their vision is not cooperation. It is not even competition. It is complete control.

The American people want safety, prosperity, and freedom. That is what we want at home in America. America can't be free if we are dependent upon China for our medicine, for our materials, and for our minerals. We need to do more. America can't continue to lead the free world if we allow China to steal our best ideas and our newest technologies. We must stand firm.

America needs to stand strong. We must say to China: Never again.

We also must say it to ourselves: Never again will we allow ourselves to be in this position.

President Trump is very clear-eyed. He sees the stakes. He knows the threats. He also understands that American strength is more important today than ever before.

That is why the President is acting decisively to protect American interests. Fair trade, historic tax cuts, aggressive deregulation--they have all made us stronger and more prosperous.

Innovative American companies still give us a great strategic edge. Republican tax cuts are putting more money into people's pockets. A secure border means less fentanyl coming through China, through Mexico and the southern border into the United States.

Investment is coming to American manufacturing in record amounts, trillions of dollars. America is producing more energy than ever before. We are also mining more critical minerals. These minerals are critical for our homes, our factories, and our national defense.

Under President Trump, America is hitting China's ambitions north, south, east, and west. What he has done is hold China accountable. That wasn't done in the previous administration, and President Trump is doing it without apology.

Just yesterday--just yesterday--President Trump signed a historic agreement, and it is regarding Greenland. The agreement prevents our adversaries--including communist China--from building military bases in Greenland or making critical investments there. This was a historic agreement.

The Trump administration has also hindered China by blocking their access to cheap oil. No longer can China buy oil at steep discounts from dictatorships in Venezuela or Iran.

Additionally, we voted, here in the Senate, on our late colleague Lindsey Graham's efforts on China and oil. The President has now signed into legislation the Lindsey Graham bill, putting new penalties on China for importing oil and energy from Russia or from Iran.

The penalties are stiff. The penalties are severe. As the largest buyer of Russian energy, China now faces these tough new penalties.

The United States is systematically blocking the vast ambitions of the so-called axis of aggression--China, Russia, and Iran.

This is the definition of peace through strength. Weakness invites attacks; strength deters them. And Republicans are going to continue to show unmatched strength in defense of our American economy and our Americans' safety.

President Trump is going to do the same this week, when he meets with President Xi.

And so I say to my colleague from New York, the minority leader: That is the straight record. That is setting the record straight about what things were like in the Democrat administration, and what things are like with President Trump in the White House.

I yield the floor.

I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. President, reserving the right to object.

College sports are one of the last great institutions in America that still bring people together.

Today, all across our country, fans see the institution falling apart. Rosters are being rebuilt every year through an unrestricted transfer market. Schools are locked in an arms race of ever-increasing NIL spending. Coaches spend as much time recruiting their own players as they are preparing for opponents. Eligibility rules are no longer determined by clear standards but by lawsuits, by court orders, and by last-minute injunctions. It is why the Senate has now overwhelmingly voted three times to advance the bill called the Protect College Sports Act.

We will finish that bill this week and send it to the House and then, hopefully, on to the President for his signature.

Senator Paul has identified one of the critical problems. The antitrust laws applied to the collegiate sports system are currently the reason why sports are governed by court order rather than by fair, enforceable rules for all.

The Protect College Sports Act provides the NCAA with the ability to govern, but any antitrust protection is narrow, and it comes with guardrails.

My understanding is that Senator Cruz and Senator Cantwell are discussing a package of possible amendment votes, and this is one of them. Let's give them the opportunity to work through the process and see if we can get votes on Senator Paul's amendment as well as other amendments. And as they work on it, let's give them a little bit more time for that reason.

And for that reason, Mr. President, I object.

The following Senators are necessarily absent: the Senator from Montana (Mr. Daines), the Senator from Iowa (Ms. Ernst), and the Senator from North Carolina (Mr. Tillis).

Further, if present and voting: the Senator from Iowa (Ms. Ernst) would have voted ``yea.''

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that notwithstanding rule XXII, if cloture is invoked on Executive Calendar No. 828, all postcloture time be expired and the Senate vote on confirmation of the nomination at a time to be determined by the majority leader, in consultation with the Democrat leader, no later than Friday, September 25; further, that the mandatory quorum call with respect to the cloture motion on the substitute amendment No. 6776 be waived; and if cloture is invoked, that all time during recess, adjournment, morning business, and leader remarks count postcloture on the amendment.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to waive the mandatory quorum call with respect to the Colmenero nomination.

I yield the floor.

The following Senator is necessarily absent: the Senator from Louisiana (Mr. Cassidy).

The following Senators are necessarily absent: the Senator from Louisiana (Mr. Cassidy), the Senator from North Carolina (Mr. Tillis), and the Senator from Alabama (Mr. Tuberville).

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

Mr. President, I come to the floor today on a day that we celebrate the Constitution, the U.S. Constitution. It is interesting. I met with a 12-year-old visitor to the Capitol here today. His name is George Barozzini. He said, ``You know today is Constitution Day.''

Well, he is absolutely right, and it is delightful to know that a 12- year-old would know that. We have the pages here. They are well aware of that because this is the anniversary of the day, 237 years ago, when 39 noble patriots, representing 12 of the Thirteen Original Colonies, signed the Constitution.

In four short, handwritten pages, the structure of our government was laid out. The Constitution was a work of courageous men, men who fought and bled and sacrificed for the sake of the United States, the sake of our freedom, the sake of our liberty. Their daring produced a document that is truly unique in human history.

Now, I have my own copy of the Constitution right here. It begins with three simple words: ``We the People.'' To the delegates of the Constitutional Convention, America was not a fuzzy idea; it was one people and one land, united for one purpose. And the purpose, of course, was to secure the blessings and liberty to ourselves and our posterity.

In Federalist No. 2, John Jay, one of the authors of the Federalist Papers, he cataloged what unites us as a nation. It is our shared heritage, our shared language, and our shared belief in the same God. It is our shared principles of government, our common culture, one nation's shared sacrifice in the Revolutionary War. On this basis, our Constitution has endured for more than two centuries. It remains the fountain of American glory, American greatness, and American self- government.

Today, President Trump and Republicans are fighting to uphold the Constitution and unite the American people. We are confirming judges who follow the Constitution, judges who apply the law, who don't try to legislate from the bench. We are restoring power to the people and the States. We are removing power from unelected bureaucrats in Washington, DC. Under President Trump and Republicans, the Constitution is respected once again.

By contrast, the left doesn't really value the Constitution, let alone will they be celebrating it today. That is why the American people have never been more worried or more alarmed by the direction of today's Democrat Party. It is true. Democrats have launched a full frontal assault on the core principles of America. They are ignoring our laws, they are violating our sacred values, and they seem to be trying to destroy our way of life.

Democrats have now come out with an extreme manifesto. Their manifesto dismantles the Constitution.

It diminishes our American spirit. It betrays Americans' trust. The lead three articles of the Constitution compose our system of government, three branches of government, and Democrats today are attacking all three of those branches simultaneously.

Additionally, a number of their nominees are attacking the Bill of Rights. They are after the whole thing. The Democrat nominee in Michigan wants to take away our guns, our Second Amendment rights.

The Democrat manifesto calls for abolishing the U.S. Senate--get rid of the whole thing. Well, the Constitution guarantees equal representation of the States in the Senate regardless of the population of the State, and that includes my home State of Wyoming and your home State of Montana.

Senator Booker, the Democrat from New Jersey, said recently in an interview that this article I pillar of the Constitution--he described it as ``problematic.'' Apparently, we are problematic.

No, Senator Booker. What is truly problematic is that thousands of illegal immigrants were registered to vote in your State of New Jersey. That is problematic.

Additionally, the Democrat manifesto calls for getting rid of the Presidency as we know it. Under the Democrat manifesto, Congress would elect the President--and that is a Congress without a Senate.

Additionally, the Democrat manifesto calls for abolishing the Supreme Court--a Supreme Court as appointed by the President and confirmed by this body, the Senate.

What the Democrats are proposing is radical, it is extreme, it is dangerous, it is scary, and they are standing by it.

The simple truth is people who want to tear up our Constitution cannot be trusted to build up our country. They can't be trusted to keep our Nation safe. They can't be trusted to keep our Nation secure.

Republicans are going to continue to defend America's history, our American values, and our American greatness.

I yield the floor.

I suggest the absence of a quorum.

The following Senator is necessarily absent: the Senator from Kansas (Mr. Moran).