Floor Statements

Mr. President, I rise today to recognize the 40th anniversary of the Wyoming Wild Sheep Foundation.

On June 7, 2024, the Wyoming Wild Sheep Foundation will celebrate its 40th anniversary. The celebration will be held in conjunction with its summer convention at the Little America Hotel and Conference Center in Cheyenne, WY. The foundation is dedicated to preserving Wyoming's bighorn sheep herds and their habitats, to conservation education, and to hunter's rights.

The 1960s saw a drastic decline in bighorn sheep populations and their habitats throughout the country. This prompted the formation of the Foundation for North American Wild Sheep in 1974. It is now known as the Wild Sheep Foundation. The foundation aimed to restore and manage sheep herds and their ranges.

In 1983, Dave Steger, Ron Ball, Alex Wolfer, John Suda, and Terry Reach established the Wyoming Wild Sheep Foundation. The Wyoming foundation sought the same goals as the national group, but solely within the borders of the State.

Wyoming's rugged mountains and western plains are home to 15 bighorn sheep herds. With over 5,900 wild sheep, Wyoming is a mecca for bighorn sheep.

The Wyoming Wild Sheep Foundation plays a critical role in maintaining the health and vitality of each herd and the habitat in which they thrive. Conservation efforts to preserve these herds includes bighorn sheep reintroduction, recreational trail closure, and prescribed burns.

The re-establishment of the Ferris-Seminoe herd near Rawlins proves to be one of the most successful transplant efforts for bighorn sheep in Wyoming. The low population prompted the Wyoming Wild Sheep Foundation, in partnership with the Wyoming Game

and Fish, to capture and transplant bighorn sheep from the Whiskey Mountain and Devil Canyon herds to augment and re-establish the Ferris- Seminoe herd. Those continued efforts help the herd thrive and reach population objectives set forth by the Wyoming Game and Fish.

Similar to the Ferris-Seminoe herd, the Sweetwater Rocks herd was completely decimated by 1907 and again in 1980. Recently, the foundation established the Sweetwater Rocks Initiative to reintroduce sheep into the region. The foundation is collaborating with the Wyoming Game and Fish and local ranchers to ``put wild sheep back on the mountain.''

The snowcapped peaks and rocky mountains in northwestern Wyoming are home to the Teton Range herd. The herd nearly died out in the 19th and 20th centuries due to over harvest, disease, habitat depletion, and disturbance of their migration routes. The foundation's mitigation efforts include working with the Wyoming Game and Fish and Grand Teton National Park to close recreation areas in important bighorn sheep habitats and to collar the sheep to track survival patterns.

The survival and growth of the herds, the vitality of the habitat, and the endless dedication of every member are a testimony to the importance of the Wyoming Wild Sheep Foundation.

The foundation partnered with the Wyoming Big Game License Coalition to establish five Governor's Bighorn Sheep hunting tags. This collaboration helps fund conservation projects for bighorn sheep and ensure hunting remains an integral part of Wyoming's heritage. Since the partnership began in 2003, bighorn sheep tags have raised over $5 million for conservation.

In 2015, one of Wyoming Wild Sheep Foundation's lifetime members Gary Butler approached the foundation to establish a permanent bighorn sheep conservation fund. The plan was to ensure long-term projects were sustainable into the future. Due to the popularity of this fund, it has already exceeded the original goals. As of 2022, the fund generated more than $400,000 and awarded 11 lifetime memberships to youth. Gary's dedication to bighorn sheep is a testament to the caliber of this organization and to each member's unwavering devotion to the long-term survival of Wyoming's wild sheep.

The Wyoming Wild Sheep Foundation is an incredible asset for conservation efforts in Wyoming. No project is too small. Each of the foundation's members bears a resolute commitment to the strength of the herd and the habitat, all while maintaining the values of hunting. The Wyoming Wild Sheep Foundation is led by:

Katie Cheesbrough, Executive Director

Dean DiJenno, Deputy Director

Zach McDermott, President

Scott Butler, Vice President

Bralli Clifford, Treasurer

Bruce Perryman, Secretary

John W. Harris, Board Director

Kurt Eisenach, Past President

Sam Lockwood, Board Director

Scott Smith, Board Director

Jimmy Owens, Board Director

Matt Hoobler, Board Director

Greg Pope, Board Director

It is an honor to rise in recognition of this significant milestone for the Wyoming Wild Sheep Foundation. The impact and opportunities the foundation has created for bighorn sheep, hunters, and youth leaves an astonishing mark on the outlook of bighorn sheep in Wyoming. Congratulations to the Wyoming Wild Sheep Foundation on their 40th anniversary.

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

Madam President, I come to the floor today to speak about the economy.

Joe Biden is clearly the President of high prices. People all across the country, all 50 States, are well aware that this is going to be Joe Biden's enduring legacy.

Prices spiked again in April. The statistics are out. Prices have been rising again and again and again. Price increases have been now above 3 percent for the last 37 months. This is the longest period in history of high prices since the late 1980s.

President Biden continues to repeat a falsehood--you could call it a lie--because he has said time and again that inflation was 9 percent when he came into office. This is pure confusion on his part. Even the liberal fact checkers--people at CNN, people at the Washington Post-- have said what President Biden is saying about inflation is flatout false; it is wrong.

In January of 2021, the day that the President--current President Biden--took the oath of office, the inflation rate in America was 1.4 percent. Today, prices are almost 20 percent higher than they were the day he took the oath of office. The burden of Bidenomics on the American public is crushing; it is compounding; and, of course, it is cumulative. It continues to add on every single day.

But Democrats in this Chamber and around the country deny this economic reality. Certainly, the Democrat in the

White House denies this economic reality. And President Biden proved that he was completely disconnected from the suffering American families. Earlier this month, he said Americans have ``the money to spend.'' I am not sure whom he is talking to, but that is not the case across America, and it is not the case of my home State of Wyoming.

Democrats are completely out of touch with the economy because they are out of touch with American voters, the citizens of this country. Rising prices have plagued Americans for the last 3 years. Everyday life costs more and more and more. Under Joe Biden, Americans are squeezed; they are stressed; and they are struggling to get by.

More than half of Americans will tell you that the economic conditions that they see day in and day out are poor--poor--for them personally. More than 80 percent of Americans say that high prices are their No. 1 concern. That is what Americans are suffering from today. President Biden's policies are not the cure for inflation in our economic anxieties. Joe Biden and the Democrats' policies are the cause of our economic struggles.

Joe Biden and the Democrats in this Chamber and in the House of Representatives at a time when Nancy Pelosi was Speaker approved more than $3 trillion--$3 trillion--in wasteful Washington spending. The President added more than $1 trillion additionally on stifling and punishing economic regulations.

He launched a war on American energy, hiked energy costs for families, gas prices went up, electricity prices went up. Because of failed Bidenomics, Americans are paying over $12,000 more a year--this year--than they did the year that he came into office just to buy the same things that they could buy the day he came into the White House. It is over $1,000 a month. That is what the American people are seeing today. A $100 cart of groceries in 2019, the cost now for that same cart of groceries--not very full--is $137. A gallon of gas in 2021 was $2.38. Today, in many of the battleground States--Nevada, Arizona, Pennsylvania--it is approaching $4 a gallon.

Now, of course, high prices aren't the only problem. Interest rates are at the highest level in 23 years. High interest rates are a bitter fruit of Bidenomics. People are suffering when they have to take out a loan. This is causing significant affordability crises all across the country and in all age groups.

Under these failed policies of the Biden administration, younger people--younger Americans--are being demoralized. They are delaying life's biggest moments. Homeownership is slipping clearly out of the reach of most young married couples and young people trying to start a family.

Young Americans are facing the costliest housing market ever. Borrowing costs have soared. When Biden took office, they were 2.7 percent. Today, they are over 7 percent. Home prices today are nearly six times higher than the average household income. That is a record ratio--six times higher than the average household income. Other costs--utility costs, insurance costs--all costs are climbing, and they are all caused by the amount of spending we have had under this administration.

Younger Americans are having trouble buying a car. The price of car loans has gone way up as well as the price of automobiles themselves.

Younger Americans are also forced to rely on credit cards more and more. They are developing mounting debt, which is going to continue to saddle them in their future. Young Americans will tell that you they are overextended and they are distressed and they are begging for relief. Today's high prices and high interest rates are going to create tomorrow's troubles.

Now, President Biden has failed to protect the American dream. We now have an entire generation of young Americans who can't afford to buy a home, can't afford to start a business, can't afford to begin a family, and certainly can't afford to begin to grow any savings that they may have.

Americans are absolutely fed up with big-spending, high-price Democrats. People are financially exhausted by Joe Biden's high prices. People are ready to move beyond Bidenomics and beyond Joe Biden.

It is time for a change. Senate Republicans are ready to put America back on track. We are fighting to lower costs. That is what we are hearing every weekend at home: Get down the prices of things that are up under Joe Biden; stop the wasteful Washington spending; and please unleash American energy. That is the solution to the problems facing America today. This is how we can help make life more affordable for all Americans.

I yield the floor.

Madam President, I rise today during Police Week to pay tribute to Sergeant Nevada Krinkee.

Here he is. He was a member of the police force in Sheridan, WY. He was a beloved officer in Sheridan. He was well-known for his selflessness. His colleagues will tell you he always put others first. His death in February of this year, in the line of duty, was absolutely tragic, and it shook our State.

Sergeant Krinkee was the first officer in Wyoming, since 1997--the first one this century--to die by homicide in

the line of duty. It is actually the first line-of-duty death in the history of the Sheridan Police Department. Sergeant Krinkee made the ultimate sacrifice for the community he loved and the community that he swore to protect. He was only 33 years old.

In March, I attended his funeral in Sheridan, WY. It was so large they had to move it to the community college--the great auditorium there, the field house. What was moving was the outpouring of folks from all around the community, as well as the State, as well as the country. They were there to honor Sergeant Krinkee but were also there to support his wife Karla and their young daughter Bella. More than 1,800 people attended in the community of Sheridan, WY. They flooded in from across Wyoming and from across the country. Many of them who were there to mourn his death and honor his family had never actually met Sergeant Krinkee.

It was the largest single event in Sheridan, WY in 40 years. It was 40 years ago that Queen Elizabeth visited Wyoming and had a similarly sized turnout. Law enforcement officers traveled from every corner of our State. They came from tiny towns. They also came from big cities across the West. All came to pay their respects to the man and to their brother in uniform.

As police cars escorted the family to the memorial service, citizens of Sheridan, WY, lined the streets of the community--four deep--waving American flags. It was absolutely beautiful to behold.

One of the newspaper reporters asked a man from Wyoming, who drove over 100 miles to be there, why he came that far to attend the funeral. After all, this was somebody he had never met. He had never heard of Sergeant Krinkee before he had been killed.

He responded:

I stand for those who have stood for us, and I will until

the day I die.

Well, that says a lot about the people of Wyoming through and through.

One of the greatest blessings of our great Nation is the men and women of law enforcement. Police officers have one of the most dangerous and demanding jobs in our Nation, and they do it with confidence and with compassion.

Today, officers need to deal with dangerous criminals, and they often do it in the face of continuous criticism. It is alarming. Police officers across the country are coming under attack from criminals and the soft-on-crime politicians who coddle them. Sadly, more police officers have been killed or injured by gun violence in the line of duty in 2023 than ever before. Politicians who support criminals rather than police and demonize and defund the police hold responsibility. The police, as a result, have been demoralized and endangered.

We also see crime--violent crime--right now in America at a record high. Compared to 2019, murders are up 17 percent, and aggravated assaults are up 8 percent.

Let me be clear: Defunding the police has made our communities less safe. For police officers, it has turned the badges on their sleeves sometimes into targets on their backs.

Law enforcement officers love their communities. They love them enough to give their lives to protect those communities. These are incredible men and women. To me, each one is a hero, and we are grateful for each and every one of them.

They wear the badge. They protect our communities despite all the risks. To me, it is the definition of selflessness.

To the men and women of law enforcement, you are everyday heroes, and you are among us every day.

I yield the floor.

Madam President, I would like to take the opportunity to express my appreciation to Adrian for his hard work as an intern in the Energy and Natural Resources Committee. I recognize his efforts and contributions to my office, as well as to the State of Wyoming.

Adrian is a native of Virginia. He is currently a senior at Flint High School in Oakton, VA. He has demonstrated a strong work ethic, which has made him an invaluable asset to our office. The quality of his work is reflected in his great efforts over the last several months.

I want to thank Adrian for the dedication he has shown while working for me and my staff. It is a pleasure to have him as part of our team. I know he will have continued success with all of his future endeavors. I wish him all my best on his journey.

Mr. President, I would like to take the opportunity to express my appreciation to Sam for his hard work as an intern in the Energy and Natural Resources Committee. I recognize his efforts and contributions to my office, as well as to the State of Wyoming.

Sam is a native of Virginia. He is currently a sophomore at George Mason University. He has demonstrated a strong work ethic, which has made him an invaluable asset to our office. The quality of his work is reflected in his great efforts over the last several months.

I want to thank Sam for the dedication he has shown while working for me and my staff. It is a pleasure to have him as part of our team. I know he will have continued success with all of his future endeavors. I wish him all my best on his journey.

Mr. President, I would like to take the opportunity to express my appreciation to Alex for his hard work as an intern in the Energy and Natural Resources Committee. I recognize his efforts and contributions to my office, as well as to the State of Wyoming.

Alex is a native of Florida. He recently graduated from George Washington University with a master's degree in professional studies. He has demonstrated a strong work ethic, which has made him an invaluable asset to our office. The quality of his work is reflected in his great efforts over the last several months.

I want to thank Alex for the dedication he has shown while working for me and my staff. It is a pleasure to have him as part of our team. I know he will have continued success with all of his future endeavors. I wish him all my best on his journey.

Madam President, I would like to take the opportunity to express my appreciation to Julianne Beech for her hard work as an intern in my office in Cheyenne, WY. I recognize her efforts and contributions to my office, as well as to the State of Wyoming.

Julianne is a native of Cheyenne. She is a freshman at Laramie County Community College, where she studies political science and international studies, with a minor in international relations and comparative politics. She has demonstrated a strong work ethic, which has made her an invaluable asset to our office. The quality of her work is reflected in her great efforts over the last several months.

I want to thank Julianne for the dedication she has shown while working for me and my staff. It is a pleasure to have her as part of our team. I know she will have continued success with all of her future endeavors. I wish her all my best on her journey.

Madam President, I would like to take the opportunity to express my appreciation to Reese for his hard work as an intern in my Washington, DC, office. I recognize his efforts and contributions to my office, as well as to the State of Wyoming.

Reese is a native of Laramie. He attends The University of Wyoming, where he studies international studies and political science. He has demonstrated a strong work ethic, which has made him an invaluable asset to our office. The quality of his work is reflected in his great efforts over the last several months.

I want to thank Reese for the dedication he has shown while working for me and my staff. It is a pleasure to have him as part of our team. I know he will have continued success with all of his future endeavors. I wish him all my best on his journey.

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

Mr. President, I rise today to talk about a great win for the American people and for America's energy future. I want to start by saying something that I know Vladimir Putin is going hate to hear, and that is that Russia's choke hold on America's uranium supply is coming to an end. Putin's war machine has now lost one of its cash cows. America is finally starting to take back our nuclear energy security as well as our energy future.

Last week, this body unanimously passed legislation that I sponsored--bipartisan legislation--to ban the import of Russian uranium. It will soon become law. This victory is tremendous and transformative, and it is truly bipartisan.

I am very grateful for Senator Manchin, Senator Risch, Senator Lummis, Senator Heinrich, Senator Coons, and Senator Marshall for their critical work in helping get this bill into law. I also want to thank House Energy and Commerce Chairman Cathy McMorris Rodgers. Together, we all worked to make America safer as well as more prosperous.

I am especially pleased because my home State of Wyoming has world- class uranium resources.

For years, Russia has used its nuclear monopoly to flood the market with uranium. Russia's monopoly could do so only because it owned, ran, and manipulated the entire situation and had it done by the Russian Government. Putin tried to corner the global market. He used enriched uranium to enrich himself and to further his dangerous ambitions.

Russia has been undermining America's nuclear industry for decades. As a result, Putin now controls 50 percent of the world's enrichment capacity.

Today, he supplies 24 percent of America's enriched uranium. Putin's control is so vast that currently, today, the equivalent of 1 out of 20 homes in America is powered by uranium enriched by Russia. My legislation ensures that Americans will no longer count on Russia to turn on our lights.

Even worse, Putin uses the money from selling uranium to pay for his war efforts in Ukraine. For 2 years, America has unintentionally helped fund Russia's invasion of Ukraine. That is not how we stand up for democracy. America can't talk about stopping Vladimir Putin's march through Europe while also helping fund it.

When it comes to national security, actions matter more than words, and our allies want to see consistency. Banning the sale of Russian uranium in the United States shows Putin that the world is united against him.

With our legislation, Putin will lose $1 billion in revenue each and every year. By banning Russian uranium, we are striking a serious blow to Putin's war machine.

Perhaps what is most important about this legislation is what it does to boost America's energy. We are helping America become the global leader once again in nuclear energy.

I have spoken to leaders of many American nuclear utilities. What I hear constantly is that they are ready to transition away from Russian uranium. They point out that expanding our enrichment capacity here at home can be expensive. It takes time, it takes money, and it takes certainty. This legislation provides American uranium producers with the support they need. The bill also dedicates dollars for strategic investments to help jump-start America's nuclear supply chain.

Of course, we are not starting over from scratch. No, we are not. Wyoming is ready to power American reactors with Wyoming nuclear fuel. My home State of Wyoming is America's energy breadbasket. We are America's leading uranium producer. We have large uranium resources, and we will keep building upon them. We have Crook County, Campbell County, Converse County, and Sweetwater County. They are ground zero for making sure America has the uranium our Nation needs. Wyoming has the uranium to free America from dependence on Russia, and we are ready to deploy it.

I have great confidence in Wyoming's energy resources and, of course, in Wyoming's energy workers--remarkable individuals. Through their hard work, America will once again be a world leader in uranium production, conversion, and enrichment.

America's nuclear supply chain must begin with American-mined uranium and end with American-made fuel.

Russia's control of the world's nuclear fuel supply is coming to an end. It is good news for Wyoming, it is good news for America, and it is good news for the world.

I yield the floor.

I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Madam President, I rise today to recognize and honor the 50th anniversary of the Art Museum at the University of Wyoming--UW--in Laramie, WY. This important cultural icon will celebrate the occasion during its annual fundraising gala on May 18, 2024.

The University of Wyoming Art Museum prides itself on connecting people from all walks of life to experience the power of the arts and cultural heritage. It possesses over 11,000 art objects in its permanent collection. Regional, national, and international exhibits and local activities are designed to engage visitors in thoughtful dialogues regarding our collective humanity.

This well-esteemed museum had humble beginnings. In 1971, UW Art Department Chair James Boyle and Art History Professor James Forrest established the university's first museum dedicated to art. Both believed a university needed a tangible collection of all genres of art, media, and cultures in order to have a viable visual art program. Forrest became its first director.

The small museum was housed in the lower level of the fine arts building. Its two exhibition spaces occupied what are now dance studios in the Buchanan Center for the Performing Arts. During this time, the museum focused on building its collections and conducting outreach around the State.

In 1988, Director Charles Guerin recognized the need for a larger space to display UW's collections. He applied for--and received--a $400,000 Challenge Grant from the National Endowment for the Arts, NEA. This grant was the largest ever awarded by the NEA at that time. A robust capital fundraising campaign followed. Supporters, donors, and artists raised an astonishing $7.5 million for the first phase of the new art museum facility.

The University of Wyoming broke ground on the project in October 1990. The 137,000-square-foot building took 3 years and cost $19 million to complete. On September 10, 1993, then Wyoming Governor Mike Sullivan and UW president Terry Roark cut the ribbon to officially open the Centennial Complex. Today, it houses the art museum and the American Heritage Center.

Internationally acclaimed architect Antoine Predock designed the iconic Laramie landmark. His inspiration for the cone-shaped building was an ``archival mountain,'' mirroring neighboring Medicine Bow Peak to the west and Pilot Knob to the east. The galleries of the art museum represent the rendezvous sites of the pre-settled West, where people gathered to trade, socialize, and exchange ideas.

For 50 years, the UW Art Museum has placed art at the center of education. Its ``Museum as Classroom'' concept features innovative educational and public programs for all ages. The Ann Simpson Artmobile and the Touring Exhibition Service were created in 1982. These remarkable outreach programs share quality artwork with Wyoming communities that often have limited access to original art. The dedicated staff also create on-site programs for K-12 students, teenagers, and adults. These community-based activities enhance and expand our understanding of art, culture, and personal creativity.

Private contributions--through donations, endowments, and fundraising campaigns--account for over 60 percent of the museum's operating budget. It also receives Federal grants and funding from the State of Wyoming. This generosity allows the museum to continue its important mission of sharing the transformative power of art through exhibiting, preserving, and interpreting visual culture from around the world.

The success of the UW Art Museum comes from the dedication and hard work of its staff and many volunteers. Lead by director and chief curator Nicole Crawford, the museum employs 10 full-time staff:

Nicole Crawford, Director and Chief Curator

Debra Littlesun, Assistant Director

Michelle Sunset, Curator

Emily Conner, Master Teacher (pre-K through 12 program)

Sarita Talusani Keller, Artmobile Educator

Will Bowling, Education & Public Programs Manager

Molly Marcusse, Collections Manager

Sterling ``Stoney'' Smith, Chief Preparator

Anthony Teneralli, Collections Preparator

Jon Cabera, Marketing Coordinator

The museum's national advisory board provides guidance and direction to ensure its longevity. My late wife Bobbi served on the board with great commitment for many years. Current board members are:

President Lisa McElwee

Vice President Melissa Lyon

Secretary/Treasurer Susan Miller

Past President Sue Sommers

Student Representative Cierra Roberts

Yancy Bonner

Brenda Bland

Anne Brande

Nicole Choi

Alyson Hagy

Jody Levin

Kelly Milam

Katy Rinne

Nancy Schiffer

Sue Simpson-Gallagher

Jay Schneiders

Fred Von Ahrens

Kathryn Boswell, Emeritus Member

Mary Horton, Emeritus Member

Felicia Resor, Emeritus Member

On May 18, 2024, patrons and supporters of the UW Art Museum will gather for the annual UW Art Museum Gala: ``A Hat Ball.'' This year's gala mirrors the museum's special 50th anniversary exhibition, ``The New West: University of Wyoming Art Museum at Fifty.'' Open from July 2023 to May 2024, the exhibit explores the role of the museum and its place in the American West.

It is an honor to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the University of Wyoming's Art Museum. This wonderful place, which is Wyoming's only academic art museum, offers free general admission to more than 20,000 visitors annually. It is a great place to visit, explore, and engage with the art on display. I send my best wishes to the UW Art Museum for a prosperous future.

Madam President, it is good to be here with my friend and colleague who just addressed the body on this legislation. I remember he said: Who is going to be on the other side of the position that he has taken? Well, I am the face of the person who is on the other side.

I am here with students from Wyoming, 4-H kids, who understand from an agricultural standpoint what kind of vehicles families in Wyoming want and need and the freedom to choose the kind of vehicles that they drive, the practicality of what they can afford and of what they know will work for them. They are from Sheridan and they are from Gillette, WY, and they are here because they support the freedom to choose what kind of vehicles people want to drive in America. It is not just Wyoming; it is all across the country.

I want to thank the Senator from Idaho who wrote this legislation, because he is the driving force behind this very important bill, which I am here to support.

This legislation that we are talking about today would prohibit any government money from going to fund Joe Biden's obscene attacks against American cars and American trucks. Every day, people in Wyoming rely on their cars and their trucks to get to work, to get to school, and to do the daily work of our economy: agriculture, ranching, farming. There are great distances that people travel in Wyoming, and they need reliability. They need vehicles that they can trust, that they can count on. This bill today is about defending their freedom, and it is against those who want to take away that freedom.

What President Biden and the Democrats are trying to do is to force Americans to switch to electric vehicles--vehicles that many people don't want, can't afford, and that aren't practical for them in their daily lives. The actions by the Democrats and the EPA aren't driven by facts. They are driven by that party's blind faith in their climate religion, a faith that says we need to prioritize--as the President has told the EPA--climate over energy for our country that is affordable, available, or reliable.

How is that way out? How do people feel about that? Which do you want? Do you want energy that is affordable, available, and reliable? Well then, you are going to be for this piece of legislation that we are talking about today.

But for the climate alarmists who continue to come to this floor and harp about the issues, let me point out to them the inconvenient truth. The inconvenient truth is that the American people do not want to buy EVs, and they actually are voting with their feet. They aren't buying electric vehicles. They simply aren't interested in that car or the truck that they know is too expensive, too unreliable, and, for them, too inconvenient. That is what it is about.

The public has absolute legitimate concerns about the lack of charging stations around the country and the time it takes to recharge.

But EV batteries, they lose their charge in the cold of winter. Well, we have longer winters in Wyoming. We also have longer roads to drive to get from work or school to home. EVs certainly do not inspire confidence. They don't inspire confidence for those of us who live and drive in States like Wyoming or the West, with our cold winters and our long distances.

So the President of the United States wants to force the people of Wyoming and across the country to buy EVs anyway. He doesn't care about this. He is from a small State, Delaware. I don't think he has any clear understanding of the vastness of the Rocky Mountain West. I have heard him in a number of his comments, and it is clear that he doesn't understand the people who live in the Rocky Mountain West.

But Joe Biden does understand that he has had and placed a heavy hand on the EPA so that they can tell us what to buy, what to drive. I am against all of these sorts of obligations and mandates.

The EPA wants to dictate that 7 of 10 vehicles, new cars, sold need to be electric. By comparison, EVs make up less than 1 in 10 cars being sold today--and what has happened now, late Friday afternoon on Good Friday, right before Easter, new mandates on trucks as well that clearly aren't practical, expensive mandates, unaffordable. They talk about the benefits. The benefits are highly exaggerated.

This self-righteous Biden administration imposes punishing, political, and penalizing fines on the carmakers who don't comply with their mandates. This isn't right.

This Biden car ban, it is bad for consumers; it is bad for the economy; and it is bad for American jobs.

Look, if this regulation goes into full effect, the impacts are going to be devastating. Republicans reject all of these unjustified, unnecessary restrictions.

Democrats are the party of regulating every room in your home, and now they want to move to the garage after banning gas stoves and natural

gas. They want to control our lives. It is coercive.

To me, what they are doing is a crusade against consumer choice, convenience, and affordability. The focus in Washington should be on lowering prices, producing more American energy, focusing on energy that is available, affordable, and reliable.

The people of Wyoming, across the West, we are America's energy, powerhouse, bread basket for American energy. We do it with the kind of respect for the environment that one would expect and want and demand, and we do it that way.

We understand what Americans want. The Senator from Idaho's legislation is what we need to do to put Americans not in the back seat but in the front seat. That is why we are here today talking about this.

It is so interesting, when the EPA, with their truck mandate, they talked about how much carbon they would avoid putting in the atmosphere over the next 30 years. Now, I think their numbers are exaggerated. But the amount that they are talking about saving from putting into the atmosphere in 30 years is what China and India combined put, added, in the atmosphere every single year.

So the Democrats say: OK, China and India, OK, drill 30 holes in the bottom of the boat. And the U.S. in that time, we are going to patch one of them up. Aren't we great. Well, we are not, and it is wrong to take away the choice of the American people from what they want, what they can afford, and what is practical in their lives.

I think it is just time to put a stop to Democrats' mandate madness.

I yield the floor.

Madam President, first, I would like to congratulate and commend the comments by the previous speaker, the Senator from Alabama, who makes important points that are important for the history as well as the future of this country.

I rise today, as he did, to speak about the impeachment of the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, Secretary Mayorkas. I bring with me today to the floor ``The Federalist Papers'' written by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay and refer to Federalist 65.

As I stand here and look at the pages in here and pages in the book and the

pages in the front of the Senate Chamber, I would recommend to them that they read ``The Federalist Papers.'' I recommend the same to my intern who is here on the floor today, Eve Hawkins, and to the students in the Galleries. There is a lot to learn about the country and a lot to learn about our history, our heritage, and the reason we have the Nation we have today.

Federalist 65 talks about impeachment. This is about the abuse and violation of public trust. Hamilton goes on to say that impeachment is an important power to remedy ``injuries done immediately to the society itself.'' This is the case we are here to talk about today and why I bring the book along.

The charges against Secretary Mayorkas are serious, are substantive. The facts in support of them are compelling. They deserve careful consideration by this body. Secretary Mayorkas must be held accountable. His duty as Secretary is to protect the homeland. That is not what has happened. Instead, he refuses to secure the border.

The House charges that Secretary Mayorkas has ``willfully and systematically refused,'' they say, ``to enforce border security laws.'' Secretary Mayorkas wants to open our borders so the entire world, from Beijing to Belize, can come in. He has turned a secure border into a welcome center.

Remember, in September of 2021, the Secretary issued a shocking priorities memorandum. Our country has been shaken as a result of that memorandum, and it has not been forgotten. The memo severely limited who ICE was allowed to arrest--that is Immigration and Customs Enforcement. He also revived the catch-and-release program and abused parole laws. In fact, the Secretary bragged on MSNBC that he had-- Secretary Mayorkas--``rescinded so many Trump immigration policies, it would take so much time to list them.'' For people who prefer a secure border for our Nation and care about our Nation's security, this is an admission of willingness to ignore the law of the land. It also provided an open invitation for illegal immigrants or, as the Biden administration calls them, ``newcomers.''

After 3 years of open borders, the number of illegal crossings is up to at least 9.2 million people into this country illegally.

Crimes are up. Drug overdose deaths across America are up. What about the number of deportations of criminal illegal immigrants? Well, they are not being sent back. Deportations are down. Arrests are down. Illegal immigrants are not being detained. Murderers, rapists, other criminals--they are not being deported. That is a decision that is coming out of this administration and the Secretary of Homeland Security. Americans like Laken Riley and Ruby Garcia--they have been brutally murdered. America is less safe.

Secretary Mayorkas claims--he has come to the Senate and claimed; he has come to the House and claimed--that the border is secure. People laugh knowing how untrue it is. It is a lie to the Senate, a lie to the House. It is such a serious matter, though; it is hard to laugh.

Meanwhile, our country is losing control of our borders to the cartels and to the criminals. Every fairminded person knows that these are serious charges, and the Senate must hold a full and fair trial. It is our constitutional duty. The House has done its job. Yet Senate Democrats--each and every one of them--are refusing to do theirs.

It seems, this week, that the Democratic leader is scheming-- scheming--to bury these charges against Mayorkas without a full and fair trial. The Constitution demands there be one. The Senate majority leader's actions would turn the Senate from the world's greatest deliberative body into the world's quickest dismissal body.

The Senate majority leader is not here on the floor today. He seems to be afraid of allowing the case against the lawless actions of the Secretary of Homeland Security to even be presented to the American people. His plan to bypass the trial breaks the rules, breaks the standards, and breaks the traditions of this body.

Let us set the record straight: The Senate has always done its constitutional duty. We know the history. The House has sent impeachment articles to the Senate 21 times in the history of this country, and the Senate has never dismissed those articles without the official first resigning. Seventeen of those cases went to trial right here in the Senate and ended in decisions of either guilty or not guilty. Three of the cases were dismissed during the trial. The reason why is that the official resigned or they were expelled before a verdict was reached. One of them never went to trial because the official resigned before the trial began.

The Democratic leader doesn't seem to care about any of this, not at all. He wants to ignore the charges against Mayorkas without a trial at all. This would be disastrous for the Senate and for our Nation.

So, within the next week, the Senate Democrats must make a choice: Will they provide the transparency that the American people demand, the accountability that American citizens deserve? Or will the Democrats-- each and every one of them--vote to bury these serious charges before the Senate is allowed to hear a single piece of evidence?

The Senate Democrats have now established a history of coddling criminals, people who have come to this country illegally. All 100 Senators have a solemn responsibility to work to keep our Nation safe and secure. Without a full and fair trial, there will be no accountability.

Republicans want the Senate to do what it has always done--allow the House to present its case, allow the Senate to hold a full trial, and let the American people hear the truth. Holding a full and fair trial is a matter of transparency and accountability. Avoiding a trial would be an act of partisanship at the expense of public trust.

I yield the floor.

Mr. President, I come to the floor today to speak about the President's most recent attacks upon the freedoms of the American people. This week, the Biden administration, the Environmental Protection Agency, announced that it is going to put stringent new limits on gas-powered cars.

In effect, this delusional new regulation is attempting to kill the sale of gas-powered cars in America and, in doing so, try to force every American to buy an electric car.

President Biden seems to want to regulate every room in the house of the American people. He started in the kitchen with our stoves, continued throughout the house, and now he is headed to the garage. This is a coercive crusade, and it is a crusade against consumer choice. It is a crusade against convenience and also against affordability.

Last year, less than 1 in 10 of the vehicles sold in this country were electric vehicles. Under this new rule, Biden is demanding that the EVs make up two-thirds of all new car sales by the year 2032. Apparently, the administration thinks it is smarter than everyone else. They want to pick what you can drive and punish people who choose to drive something different. Why? Well, it is all in the name of the smug superiority of the coastal elites who think they ought to be running the country.

Now, this is the crux of the new Biden car ban. Driven by this blind faith in the climate religion regardless of the cost to our country in terms of energy being affordable, available, or reliable. The costs are real, and they

are expensive. The benefits are theoretical, unproven, exaggerated, and certainly burdensome. President Biden is pushing ahead anyway.

To Democrats, what kind of cars Americans drive isn't a practical question; it is one based on theology. Their war against gas-powered cars amounts to what I believe is foolishness at best and leftwing lunacy at worst. Americans reject and continue to reject this unwelcomed intrusion into our lives. They reject it for good reason. They know that this Biden car ban will drive their lives into the ditch.

Certainly, that is the case for the people of my home State in Wyoming. It is bad for the families in my home State. It is bad for the workers in my home State. It is bad for American national security. Farmers and ranchers count on their vehicles. It can be a matter of life and death. People know not to run out of fuel, not to run out of gas. They know what it is like in the winters. They know to always be fully prepared and fully loaded with gas before they head out on the roads in Wyoming.

They want their vehicles to be reliable and affordable. We have, in Wyoming, cold winters, vast distances. Electric cars are not meant to benefit and survive in either. President Biden's push to force Wyoming drivers to buy expensive vehicles they don't want, don't need, and most families can't afford is ridiculous and an abuse of power.

Electric cars are a reasonable choice for some people. They aren't a reasonable choice for everyone, and that is why these new administrative rules are so unreasonable. Electric cars should never be Americans' only option. And no one should be forced to buy a vehicle at a time they can least afford it.

Because of what we have seen with Bidenomics, that time when people can least afford things is turning out to be right now. People are suffering from the costliest regulatory agenda in history and also for increasingly higher interest rates for auto loans. Trying to force families to buy expensive new vehicles they don't want and can't afford is completely out of touch.

It has also become clear that Joe Biden's car ban is going to lead to a steep loss of jobs in the auto industry, particularly union jobs. We heard loud and clear from the unions about it. As the CEO of Ford Motor Company, Jim Farley, said last year, electric vehicles will require 40 percent less labor to make than the typical traditional gas-powered vehicle. According to one estimate, the transition to EV production will kill about 117,000 auto jobs in the United States. Another estimate puts that number much, much higher.

It is already hitting home for some automakers and autoworkers. The owner of Chrysler laid off 1,200 employees at his Jeep plant in Illinois. Ford cut 3,000 white-collar jobs last year. The reason for the layoffs, both companies say, is the EV transition. By pushing ahead with this Green New Deal fantasy, Joe Biden is pushing hundreds of thousands of union workers off the assembly line and into the unemployment line.

Plus, the Biden car ban puts activist demands ahead of America's national security. I mean, that is what is happening. President Biden is rejecting what is needed by American workers to try to appeal to a group of voters influenced by a TikTok climate influencer who visited the White House, met with John Podesta, and is now trying to drive the administration's energy policy.

When we take a look at the electric batteries that are used to power these vehicles, where are they coming from? Well, 80 percent of the world's electric batteries right now are coming from communist China. Communist China controls 60 percent of the critical minerals that are used to make these batteries. When Joe Biden and the Democrats try to force-feed electric vehicles to Americans, it is a recipe for more dependence on the dictators and the despots, including the Chinese Communist Party.

We need to change course. We want to stop Biden's mandate madness. We are working to put American drivers, not Washington bureaucrats, back in the driver's seat for when people make decisions in this country. Americans should be able to make their own decisions about what type of vehicle works best for them and be able to buy it.

I yield the floor.

Mr. President, every year on this floor, a Senator reads George Washington's Farewell Address. This year, Senator Cardin, who is retiring from this body, was given the honor of reading the address. It is so that we in the Senate remember the lessons from George Washington.

So let's reflect on what is in George Washington's Farewell Address, and it is this quote:

Foreign influence is one of the most baneful foes of

republican government.

Well, the majority leader of the U.S. Senate certainly knows that because 4 years ago, he quoted these very same words. Yet he ignored them totally today in this body, when it comes to our ally Israel.

Hours ago, the senior Senator from New York crossed the line by calling for a new government in Israel. Let's be clear: Israel is a democracy. It makes its own choice about who they want to lead them. It doesn't need to have a Senator from New York's interference.

The Senator also made the outrageous statement that the Prime Minister of Israel--in the words of the Senator from New York--is an ``obstacle to peace.''

This is exactly backward. It is the terrorists, the rapists, the murderers of Hamas who are the obstacles to peace.

Let us be clear: Demonizing our friends is not going to protect them from the brutality of Hamas. It only works to alienate our allies and puts our common goals of peace further out of reach.

Israel deserves an ally that the people of Israel can trust, most especially when they are battling terrorism.

The Senators on both sides of the aisle in this body have affirmed that Israel has every right to defend itself. We must also respect Israel's right as a democracy to choose its own destiny.