Floor Statements

Mr. President, I rise today to honor the life of an agricultural icon, Pat O'Toole. I am here in a bipartisan way with both Senators from Wyoming and both Senators from Colorado to talk about this remarkable man, who is a true cowboy and a dear friend.

Pat passed away from complications following his stroke, on February 25. He was surrounded by his family, including his loving wife Sharon.

Pat and Sharon met when they were students together at Colorado State University. They have three wonderful children and six grandchildren. We are honored to be joined today in the Senate Gallery by Pat's wife Sharon, along with their daughter, Bridget, and their granddaughter, Siobhan.

Pat and Sharon own and operate Ladder Ranch. It is located outside Savery, WY, along the Little Snake River. The ranch straddles the State lines of Wyoming and Colorado, which is why all four Senators are here today on the floor to pay honor, tribute, and recognition to this remarkable man. It is a large-scale cattle and sheep operation. It has been in Sharon's family since 1881. That is 9 years before Wyoming became a State. We are talking about a long history.

Pat and Sharon liked to tell people--they did when they came to Washington, and Pat would when he testified here on Capitol Hill--that they raised ``cattle, sheep, horses, dogs, and children.'' They did it and do it very well.

I deeply admire Pat for his passionate work on conservation, on water, and on agriculture. I saw the difference that he made, that Pat personally made, by partnering with others regardless of whether they were Republicans or Democrats. Pat didn't care at all about party affiliations. He was famous for working with anyone, anywhere who was genuinely interested in making life better for our Western agriculture communities.

Pat also served Wyoming in the State legislature for 6 years--three full terms.

In 2005, Pat was elected president of the Family Farm Alliance. He brought this experience and expertise right here

to Congress. He testified many times before the committees in the U.S. House and Senate, and here is a point when he was testifying in a committee in which I was involved. Members in both Chambers quickly learned a valuable lesson. The lesson was this: Pat O'Toole was as reliable in a committee's witness seat as he was in a horse's saddle.

As ranking member of the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources and former chairman of the Environment and Public Works Committee, I had the privilege of calling on Pat to testify numerous times before the Senate in both committees.

Most recently, he testified at an Energy Committee hearing on extreme drought and on wildfires in the West. Pat's firsthand experience with active forest management as a tool to prevent wildfires provided the committee with a very much needed western perspective, as well as offering solutions.

Pat O'Toole leaves behind a legacy driven by his passion for conservation and his love of the land, especially in the Little Snake River Valley.

It was such a privilege to help induct Pat and Sharon both into the Wyoming Agriculture Hall of Fame in 2002, recognized statewide for their long history of service to the people in the State of Wyoming.

Pat truly represented the best of Wyoming and the best of western interests, and he did it with dedication and distinction. It was a great joy to know him and a great joy to work with him.

I would like now to yield the floor to my colleague from Wyoming, Senator Cynthia Lummis.

Madam President, I would like to take the opportunity to express my appreciation to Addison for her hard work as an intern in the Senate Republican conference. I recognize her efforts and contributions to my office, as well as to the State of Wyoming.

Addison is a native of Virginia. She is currently a junior at the Madeira School in McLean, VA. 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 Addison 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.

Mr. President, I just returned from the Middle East. We have 140 members of our Wyoming Air National Guard, and they are currently serving our Nation, and they are stationed in Djibouti. Wyoming is very proud of these brave men and women who are fighting for our freedom. Visiting them was a reminder of what makes America strong. It is also a reminder of the challenges we continue to face.

There is a confluence of crises all around the world, from El Paso, TX, to Jerusalem, Israel. These terrible crises did not emerge overnight. They are the direct result of the weakness of the current President of the United States.

President Biden has been weak in the defenses of our Nation. It is obvious to me. It is obvious to people around the country. It is obvious to people all around the world. Since he took office, he and the Democrats have taken a wrecking ball to so many different sources of our Nation's strength. They hollowed out America's military power in favor of wokeness. It has impacted and undermined recruitment. They sold out American economic strength. In favor of what? Well, Big Government at home and massive government spending. They traded away America's energy dominance. Why? Well, in favor of Green New Deal fantasies.

It does seem that Democrats apologize for American excellence at every turn. They have worked to make us more dependent upon our enemies.

President Biden's latest energy disaster--he would call it a move; I would call it a disaster--weakens our Nation even further. The administration announced in January that it would freeze permits for liquefied natural gas exports. I view this decision as astonishingly foolish.

Affordable, reliable energy is the foundation of a strong, affordable economy. America's energy revolution created many good-paying jobs all across the country and certainly in my home State of Wyoming. It made us as a nation energy independent--some would go so far as to say energy dominant--and it helped us build the world's largest LNG export industry. It also gave our European allies a secure energy source. This is at the time of Russia's incursion into Ukraine. This is one of the best examples of how American economic strength makes the world safer.

The Republicans want to make Europe less dependent on Russia for energy sources and more connected to the United States. That is not what I see happening with this administration. Both by word and action, Democrats and this President make America and our allies more dependent on our adversaries.

Attacking American energy dominance is a pattern in this administration. It started on day one. Remember, it was day one that, after the President gave a speech right out here at the Capitol Building about how he wanted to bring the Nation together, he went down and took an ax to the Keystone XL Pipeline, and he opened the floodgates at the same time to the crises we are having at our southern border.

The President restricted offshore oil drilling, and he has placed a moratorium on new coal permits on Federal lands--all of these things undermining American energy security. Now comes this blow where he is cutting American natural gas exports. He is denying Americans good jobs, lower prices, and empowering Russia and Iran.

Joe Biden has failed fundamentally what should be the goal of any President, which is to make America stronger, safer, more secure.

President Biden also has a long list of foreign policy failures. Nobody can forget the deadly and disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan. Taliban terrorists seized $7 billion in weapons. So many Americans were left behind. Thirteen brave soldiers lost their lives, including one from Wyoming, Rylee McCollum from Bondurant, WY. The fall of Kabul was a deadly disaster.

In January of 2022, the President made another damaging misstep. He suggested that a minor incursion by Russia into Ukraine would be met with minimal consequences. Weeks later, we saw Russian tanks head into Kyiv.

Then there is the chaos in the Middle East. In September 2023, the President's National Security Advisor, Jake Sullivan, made a bold pronouncement. He said:

The Middle East region is quieter today than it has been in

two decades.

Eight days later, Hamas attacked Israel. They killed more than 1,200 Israelis. They took hundreds more hostage, including American citizens. It was the deadliest day for the Jewish people since the Holocaust.

The conflicts in the Middle East are devastating, destructive, and destabilizing. They threaten America's interests and America's allies. Yet President Biden works hard to accommodate our enemies. He is a fair-weather friend to our great ally in the Middle East, Israel. We see that in his maximum-concessions policy towards Iran.

Early on, Biden pushed to rejoin Obama's Iran nuclear deal. He was negotiating to lift all sanctions imposed by President Trump.

The Biden administration's lack of sanction enforcement and use of sanction waivers simply funded the Iranian regime. Iran used this flood of cash to bankroll Hamas, Hezbollah, the Houthis, and other terrorists proxies. In turn, the terror proxies attacked America, attacked our allies, and the attacks have only increased since October 7. Iranian proxies have attacked American servicemembers in the Middle East at least 180 times in the past 4 months. Let me say this again--180 attacks on American servicemembers in the last 4 months. We have lost five American troops because of these attacks.

As the Commander in Chief, President Biden bears full responsibility for the continuity of crises that he has created.

It is no surprise that Americans overwhelmingly believe our country is heading in the wrong direction. America needs to change course. Republicans are the party of American strength. We believe in peace through strength, not dependence on our enemies. Americans deserve a President who is strong and a nation that is safe and a nation that is secure. That is our commitment.

So I will tell you, Mr. President, the day I came back from Djibouti, it was very distressing to see the report in the New York Times. They reported that America and this administration have failed to do what it said it would do in terms of Iran selling oil to China--failed. If it hadn't been for the New York Times reporting, the American people wouldn't know because the administration would never tell them that tanker after tanker has moved 59 million barrels of oil from Iran to China. Every one of those tankers ended up in China, and the cash, worth a minimum $2.8 billion, ended up back in Iran. That is the money Iran has been using to fund these 180 attacks on American servicemembers in the last 4 months.

We know where the money is coming from. Yet Democrats look the other way. The Secretary of Treasury, hapless as she is, came to Congress and testified--inaccurately, possibly misleadingly--that the administration is doing everything they can. Well, they are not. This administration is looking the other way as a hapless and diminished President Biden continues to be outplayed by Iran, and this is evident to the world.

As Joe Biden bungles along, Russia, Iran, North Korea, and communist China continue on the march. We need a strong President to keep us strong and safe and secure.

I yield the floor.

Madam President, I rise today in celebration of Joe Arnold, head custodian at Hot Springs County School District No. 1 in Thermopolis, WY.

Joe's career as a custodian in Wyoming schools spans 60 years. To honor this outstanding achievement, students, teachers, and administrators will gather on February 21, 2024, to celebrate the renaming of the central administration building to the Joe Arnold Central Administration Building.

Joe was 21 years old in 1964 when he began as a custodian for Carbon County School District No. 1 in Rawlins, WY. After 22 years in Rawlins, Joe moved to Thermopolis, where he worked at Hamilton Dome Elementary School. When the elementary school closed, he transferred to the building that now bears his name. Joe's commitment to the school district and its students is unmatched. And his commitment to his community is unmistakable. It is not uncommon to see Joe shoveling snow before sunrise or escorting senior folks to the auditorium for events after school hours.

Joe often invests the money he earns as a custodian back into his community. He pays for countless lunches and school field trips for students who cannot afford them. He has even helped with expenses for higher education. Joe's selflessness and generosity are unrivaled. He is the first to place a bid on auction items at fundraising events, then generously donates them back to be auctioned off again. Joe's true passion lies in helping students. As a mentor, he is always there to listen to their problems and offer advice whenever they need it. Graduation announcements and school photos from former students cover the walls of his office. After six decades of maintaining clean and healthy schools, Joe Arnold has no intention of retiring. However, as he arrives at work each day, Joe now sees his name on the building he works tirelessly to maintain.

It is with great honor that I recognize the exemplary dedication of Joe Arnold. Hard work is the Wyoming way, and few work harder than Joe. My sincere congratulations to Joe Arnold as the Hot Springs County School District No. 1 Central Administration Building is renamed in his honor.

Madam President, I rise to oppose the confirmation of Joseph Goffman for Assistant Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency.

My opposition is not about a person. My opposition is about a poisonous idea. The idea of total government control. Mr. Goffman wants to control what Americans can drive, where Americans can work, and what Americans can buy. Mr. Goffman wants to do this by imposing political, punishing, and penalizing regulations. These regulations will cost Americans their future and their freedom.

From energy to the environment, Mr. Goffman's record is radical and extreme. Mr. Goffman is one of the main architects of the so-called Clean Power Plan. This was such an extreme overreach that it was struck down by the Supreme Court. Mr. Goffman is also a champion of Joe Biden's out-of-touch, electric vehicle mandates. Mr. Goffman is one of Joe Biden's top generals in Democrats' war on affordable, reliable, american-made energy. By the EPA's own estimates, the regulatory costs imposed by Mr. Goffman's department already exceed $500 billion. Mr. Goffman is determined to keep pushing Democrats' job-killing, radical, out-of-touch, environmental agenda.

The Supreme Court has repeatedly shot down the EPA for overreaching in its authority. Mr. Goffman doesn't care what the Court says. He wants to defy its rulings, including the landmark case West Virginia v. EPA. Mr. Goffman had the audacity to tell the New York Times, ``This case does not take anything off the menu.''

President Biden has chosen another unelected, unaccountable, heavy- handed, Washington bureaucrat who believes the rules don't apply to him. If confirmed by the Senate, Mr. Goffman will not moderate. He will not change. He will not stop.

If you want an EPA that is more aggressive, more out-of-touch, and controls more of your life, then vote for Mr. Goffman. But if you want to lower costs, unleash American energy, and protect American jobs, then vote no.

Energy-producing States such as Wyoming have been in Mr. Goffman's crosshairs for years. We should not allow him to have his fingers on the trigger.

The Senate must reject his nomination.

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

Sophia is a native of Virginia. She is currently a junior at the Madeira School in McLean, VA. 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 Sophia 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, we heard a lot about Russia here. We heard a lot about enabling and empowering Vladimir Putin, empowering him financially.

I am here today to offer and support legislation that will defund Vladimir Putin; that will take a billion dollars of U.S. money out of his pocket. I am here today and rise in support of H.R. 1042. It prohibits Russian uranium imports.

For years, Russia's state-owned nuclear monopoly has dumped artificially cheap uranium into our American market. And as a result of all of this, Russia and Putin have gained a commanding share of the whole world's nuclear fuel supply chain.

Russia has driven America's nuclear fuel suppliers out of business-- completely out of business--and Russia has put Americans out of work. That is what I am bringing here today because we are sending, roughly, a billion dollars a year to Russia for uranium. We need to stop that. We need to block it.

We are now at a point where the United States cannot even fuel our own next generation of advanced nuclear reactors. If Congress doesn't step in, these advanced reactors will have no other choice than to be dependent on Russian uranium.

To make matters worse, we now know that Vladimir Putin is using Russia's nuclear monopoly--to use that money to fund this brutal invasion of Ukraine that we have just been discussing here on the Senate floor. Russia's nuclear monopoly has also helped Putin evade sanctions and provide equipment and materiels to Russia's military in Ukraine.

None of this should surprise us. That is who Vladimir Putin is. He has created--created--Russia's nuclear monopoly. We shouldn't be shocked that he has turned it into his piggy bank and his toolkit for his regime.

It is time the American people in this country stop funding Russia's nuclear monopoly. We can do this, and we could do it right here today, by ending Russian imports of uranium into the United States.

Ending Russian imports would provide certainty to America's nuclear fuel suppliers--those suppliers that Russia cannot undermine again. We cannot allow that to happen. It would also ensure that we are not financing and continuing to finance Putin's war in Ukraine.

On Monday, the House of Representatives passed H.R. 1042 with unanimous support. This bill would end imports of Russian uranium within 90 days and, therefore, end this billion dollars a year of American money going to fuel Russia's war machine.

H.R. 1042 is a companion to a bipartisan bill that I have introduced along with my bipartisan cosponsor, Senator Manchin, as well as Senator Risch--both of whom are on the floor right now.

The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee unanimously passed out our bill in May. It is a bill that we developed in collaboration with America's nuclear industry and the Department of Energy and other Agencies.

As I get ready to offer a unanimous consent request, I would yield to Senator Risch for a brief statement.

Thank you, Senators.

Madam President, as in legislative session, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of H.R. 1042, which was received from the House; further, that the bill be considered read a third time and passed and that the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table.

You do.

Mr. President, first, I want to congratulate my friend and colleague from Nebraska for his excellent remarks because I am seeing the same thing in Wyoming that he is seeing in Nebraska.

He is a former Governor of that State. He knows the people of the State. He goes home and visits with his constituents, his friends, his family, and they know the impact of Bidenomics and the expenses it has had on their lives and how much more money people are having to spend as a result of the really irresponsible actions of the Democrats and this administration.

I hear about it every weekend. When I was at a grocery store, a lady, last week, had a little plastic bag, and she said: This shouldn't cost $100 for this bag of groceries. And she is right.

Border Security

Mr. President, the other thing that I hear about at the grocery store, in addition to the issues that the Senator from Nebraska was talking about, is the issue of the border, and I come today to the floor to talk about America's broken southern border--what we need to do about it, what the concerns are, what I hear about every weekend-- because every time Americans turn on their TV, they see it. They see what is happening at the southern border--the flood, the waves of individuals coming across the border, not being stopped, not being checked, and then moved into the neighborhoods across America.

Well, last week, Senator Schumer put a national security bill on the floor. The problem is it lacked serious border security policy changes, things that we need in this Nation. Republicans voted against it because we know national security starts with border security. We are going to stand firm until serious changes are made.

Since last week, the scope, the scale, the seriousness of the Biden border crisis has accelerated. One week ago, an all-time record high of over 12,000 illegal immigrants crossed the southern border. To put that number into perspective, President Obama's Homeland Security Secretary, Jeh Johnson, said this in the past. He said a thousand encounters a day--a thousand encounters a day--would overwhelm the system. Well, it was 12,000 each day last week--some days 10,000, some days 11, some days 12--record numbers each and every day, 10 times the number that President Obama's Secretary of Homeland Security said would overwhelm the system, day after day after day.

So let's be clear about what is happening with Joe Biden and the White House and Democrats in the majority in the U.S. Senate. Well, the Democrats and Joe Biden have gambled with American's safety and security. The border--the southern border--is now a hotspot for terrorism and trafficking like we have never seen before in this country.

This body heard last week from the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Christopher Wray. He testified in front of the Judiciary Committee. Director Wray said this: ``Post October 7, you've seen a veritable rogues gallery''--rogues gallery--``of terrorist organizations calling for attacks against us''--the United States.

The head of the FBI, the Federal Bureau of Investigations, said: ``I see blinking lights everywhere.''

Everywhere he is looking, he is seeing the threat. Are any of the Democrats in the Senate listening to him? Is there any concern from the Senators on the Judiciary Committee?

Well, Director Wray isn't the only person to warn us that the threat of terrorism aimed against Americans is increasing. The Homeland Security Secretary for President Obama mentioned it in the past, and, now, Homeland Security Secretary Mayorkas--the current one for President Biden--said: We are definitely in a heightened threat environment.

I agree with him.

President Biden would have us believe that the border, as he said, is ``safe [and] orderly and humane.'' I don't think he has been there in a long time to actually see what is going on, because that is not what I witnessed just a few weeks ago when I went down there with a group of Senators.

So what is the reality? Well, the reality is President Biden has created the deadliest, most dangerous, and most disastrous border crisis in our Nation's history. Democrats' definition of border security is very different from what I am hearing about at the grocery store in Wyoming, because the Democrats' definition of border security is to just make it easier for illegal entry into the country: Wave them all through. Come on in. Everything is fine.

Well, it is not. Illegal immigrants ought to be turned away. Democrats are waving them through in record numbers.

So why is this happening? Well, it is happening because the Biden administration is manipulating the law of the land. The administration is hiding behind such terms as ``asylum'' and ``parole,'' and they are using that to quickly process and move inland migrants from all around the world by the thousands.

The night I was at the border, I was with late-night midnight patrol. People from all around the world were coming in--three from Moldova. They had to go through lots of different countries before they got to come up through Central America. And, oh, by the way, they paid those cartels dearly--the criminal element trafficking humans to be deposited then at our border's edge.

Our laws are no longer used to determine who gets in and who stays. The illegal immigrants make that decision, and that is wrong. Simply, if they show up at the border, Joe Biden waves them all through. That is the policy of the Democrats in this body. They utter a few magic words and are released into the country.

Under President Obama--under President Obama--about 21,000 people a year requested asylum. They are fearing for their lives. They are feeling concerned. They are fearing what happens in their home country--21,000 in a year under President Obama.

So what has happened with Joe Biden now? The Border Patrol agents say that the number that was a full year from President Obama happens every 2 days, with Joe Biden and the Democrats from this body looking the other way: Things are fine; things are secure. Two days equal a full year from the Obama administration.

It is absolutely preposterous to argue that all of those people qualify for asylum. We know they don't. We know it. The American people know it. The President ought to know it. The Members of this body ought to know it.

Ten thousand illegal immigrants, day after day, will quickly add to over 10 million illegal immigrants into this country during 4 years of the Biden administration. President Biden is allowing it to happen, and Democrats in this body are encouraging him all the way. This administration has turned what was known to be a notice to appear into a license for illegal immigrants to disappear into the homeland.

Well, the payment for Biden's breakdown of law and order is now coming due. The blinking lights, as the head of the FBI said, are everywhere. If the Senate finally acted to secure the border, this Nation would be safer, and people would rest assured in my home State of Wyoming and, certainly, in big cities like New York and Chicago, where the mayor of New York said the illegal immigrants are overwhelming the system, destroying the city.

It is indisputable. So where can the Senate start? Here is an idea: Let's fix our broken parole and asylum system. Republicans want border enforcement, border security, real policy changes to keep our community safe.

The American people don't have that today. So it is no surprise that they are angry and they are afraid. This needs to change. Real border security is a top national security need. Republicans don't need another recordbreaking day to understand that this crisis requires swift, serious, and substantive action.

Republicans have solutions--solutions to make our communities and our country safer. The President and the Democrats in this body need to include these measures in any national security bill. Otherwise, there will not be a national security bill.

I yield the floor.

Mr. President, reserving the right to object, Americans have a constitutional right to own a firearm. Every day people across Wyoming responsibly use their Second Amendment rights to keep and to bear arms. Today is about defending those rights against those on the other side of the aisle who wish to take them away from us.

Democrats are demanding that the American people give up their liberty. The Democrat legislation takes away a right, and it does not provide Americans security. Democrats want Washington to ban rifles and pistols because of the way they look. To do this, they describe semiautomatic rifles as assault rifles. They aren't. Any farmer, rancher, or outdoorsman in Wyoming can tell you. These rifles work the same way as popular shotguns and other rifles used for hunting and for personal protection. Instead of facing these facts, Democrats stick to demonizing rifles and disrespecting gun owners.

Democrat's ban on assault weapons is an assault on lawful gun owners. There is a contradiction at the center of the gun control debate. Democrats want to enact new laws on law-abiding citizens. At the same time, they ignore the lawbreakers. Almost every single page of the bill that is in front of us today adds new restrictions and new burdens on people who follow the law. It tells what you can buy, what you can't buy. It bans more than 205 rifles, shotguns, and pistols by name.

Republicans reject these unjustified and unconstitutional restrictions. Democrat's bumper-sticker solution to ban guns is not about safety; it is about restricting lawful gun ownership. It is about trying to label responsible gun owners as criminals. Democrats are the party of defunding the police and disarming the American people.

None of this makes our streets safer. None of this slows the crimewave in America. None of this solves the mental health crisis in our country. The focus should be on mental health, on school safety, and stricter enforcement of current laws. We want Americans to be safe in their communities, their homes, and their schools.

The legislation that the majority leader is proposing that is before us today goes way beyond that. I oppose any policies that jeopardize the Second Amendment rights of the people of Wyoming and people across this country. The Second Amendment is freedom's essential safeguard. Without it, there can be no liberty, and there can be no security.

So, Mr. President, I object.

Madam President, I rise today to talk about America's wide-open southern border. I want to add my voice to that of the senior Senator from Kansas who just made eloquent remarks right here on the floor of the Senate about the disaster--the Democratic disaster--at the southern border.

As he pointed out--and as I will add my voice to his--it is a clear and present danger to our national security what is happening at the southern border. And national security starts with border security.

The senior Senator from Kansas and I were just meeting with other Republican Members of the Senate to review yesterday's numbers at the southern border--the number of illegal immigrants coming into this country--an all-time record high of over 12,000 illegal immigrants coming into this country from all over the world.

That is the crisis that people all across the country who tune in to their TV see is happening in our Nation and to our Nation.

So here we are on the floor of the Senate, and Senator Schumer, the majority leader, wants to vote on $100 billion in national security assistance--and he wants to do it today, and we are going to do it today.

That request lacks serious and significant changes that are needed to secure the southern border. Without serious and significant changes, this bill

will not pass. Mark my words, Republicans will vote against it.

Republicans and Democrats have very opposing views of what is needed at the border. Republicans want to stop the flow--and it is actually a flood--of illegal immigrants coming across the border. Democrats want to just wave them on through.

Republicans want border enforcement, border security, real policy changes to keep people out and to keep communities safe. We don't have that today in Democratic and Joe Biden's-run America from the standpoint of the White House and the Democrats in this body.

What do Democrats want to do? Oh, they want lots of money for sanctuary cities, big slush funds. Give it to the mayor of Chicago. Give to it the mayor of New York. And, of course, they want guaranteed benefits for illegal immigrants. That is what they are asking for. They are not going to get a Republican vote for that at all, not a single one.

Republicans know that border security must be a key element of any bill that we talk about on this floor that deals with national security.

For my colleagues on the other side of the aisle who may ask why, let me clarify.

Our southern border is now the most dangerous border crossing in the world--in the world. Under President Biden, our border has become a magnet for criminals, for drug dealers, for terror suspects.

The Department of Homeland Security and the FBI are warning all of us. Democrats may want to cover their ears and not want to hear any of these warnings, but we are being warned by the Department of Homeland Security and the FBI. And the FBI Director said it yesterday in the Senate: Cartels are smuggling fentanyl in from Mexico. It is killing hundreds of Americans every day.

The number coming on the Terrorist Watchlist continues to increase. I think it was the head of the FBI yesterday who said: Since October 7, all lights are flashing red for a terrorist attack in America.

Joe Biden's border policies are the deadliest, the most destructive, and the most disastrous in American history. The cost of this crisis is too large to bear for families, for communities, and even for law enforcement.

That is why Republicans are so focused when there was a bill on the floor--and we had a secure briefing yesterday on national security. That is why Republicans are so focused on border security.

Democrats have not put a single bill on the floor of the U.S. Senate this year that would stop the flood of illegal immigrants. Democrats seem to welcome this national security crisis at the southern border. It is wrong. It must change.

The Biden administration hides behind terms, terms such as ``asylum'' and ``parole.'' And they use those to release millions and millions of people onto our streets, into our communities, into our neighborhoods. And they are bringing with them drugs and crime. And they are killing Americans. The Biden administration wants to turn the other way.

Every single American feels the harmful impacts of these policies. Here is what is happening thousands of times each and every day on our southern border--and yesterday it was 12,000, the highest in the history of the country, coming in across the southern border. And they are coming from all over the world.

The night I was there on border patrol about 3 or 4 weeks ago, who did we see? People from all around the world, including a group from Moldova. Do you know how many countries they had to go through before they could get to Mexico to come to the United States and pay the cartels to bring them in? That is what we are seeing every day at the southern border.

Democrats don't go down there. Oh, no, they are not interested in actually seeing firsthand what is happening on the Rio Grande River at night and during the day. Not interested.

Border Patrol agents say, Democrats never show up. Not one time.

So individuals enter the U.S. illegally. And they immediately turn themselves into Border Patrol. These are the ones who aren't trying to get away. There is over a million of those too. And what they do when they give themselves up, they claim they are in danger at home.

And then what happens? Well, they are released into the streets of the United States. OK. Oh, you may be in danger. Oh, you got the magic words. OK. Here you go. Come right on in. Ten thousand times a day. Twelve thousand times yesterday. And Joe Biden allows it to happen. And the Democrats encourage him.

Some Democrats have finally started to admit Biden's policies are actually harming our country. So President Obama's Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson told fellow Democrats that the manipulation of our asylum laws--because that is what Biden is doing, it is a manipulation of our asylum laws--is one of the root causes of illegal immigration.

At one time, Jeh Johnson said a thousand a day would be overwhelming. Well, it was 12,000 yesterday. Why aren't the Democrats waking up?

Senator Schumer, who sits at that desk right there, stands at that podium, and will later today--his hometown mayor--hometown mayor--New York City, Eric Adams said: The flood of illegal immigrants is destroying New York City. Destruction of New York City, and Democrats stand by.

Now, they do want to give a lot of money there, but they sure don't want to enforce the law at the border.

Chicago is another one of these cities that--Democrats are fearful of having next summer's Democratic National Convention in Chicago. I wonder how many Members of this body are actually going to go, because Democrats across the country are afraid of doing it because Chicago is being overrun right now with illegal immigrants--overrun and overwhelmed.

We want to make our country safer, and Republicans do. I am not so sure about Democrats at this point from the way they are behaving with regard to the border. We want to make our country safer. We need to pass serious border security policy changes. Republicans know that we must end the incentives that are fueling the Biden border crisis.

And more money to these sanctuary cities and more government benefits to illegal immigrants is not solving the problem. It is inviting more illegal immigrants to come.

This is a deadly serious situation. I am not so sure the Democrats who were at the secure briefing yesterday all understood that. I am not sure the Senate majority leader understands that.

Real border security is a top national security need. Republicans have solutions to make our communities and our countries safer. These measures must be included in any national security bill, anything that goes to the President's desk, because without them, there will not be a national security bill.

The Republicans are ready to vote against what Chuck Schumer is bringing to the floor because it fails to defend our borders and to keep our Nation secure.

I yield the floor.

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

Henrik is a native of New Jersey. He attends George Washington University, where he studies international affairs as well as law and society. 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 Henrik 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 Vienna for her hard work as an intern in the Senate Republican Conference. I recognize her efforts and contributions to my office, as well as to the State of Wyoming.

Vienna is a native of Connecticut. She recently graduated from Yale University with an undergraduate degree in religious studies and political science, as well as a masters in religion and literature. 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 Vienna 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 Eden for her hard work as an intern in the Senate Republican Conference. I recognize her efforts and contributions to my office, as well as to the State of Wyoming.

Eden is a native of New Jersey. She attends Cornell University, where she studies communications, as well as law and society. 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 Eden 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 Handen 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.

Handen is a native of Utah. He is currently a senior at Utah Valley University, where he is studying 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 Handen 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 the best on his journey.

Mr. President, I rise today to talk about the failures of Bidenomics and to talk about the devastating impact Bidenomics has had on American families.

Certainly, people in Wyoming are worried about the high cost of groceries. I hear it every time I am at the grocery store. People wince every time they fill up the gas tank. People have turned to either raiding their savings accounts or taking on increasing debt just to stay up to the current cost of living.

President Biden has a message for all of these people who are wincing as they fill up, who are worried about the cost of groceries, and who are raiding their savings accounts. Joe Biden's message to them is just this. He says: Don't believe your lying eyes. That is what he believes.

Tomorrow, the President will be in Colorado, and he is going to say some things that the American people just will not believe.

He will say inflation is getting better. He will say Bidenomics is working. He will say that anyone who believes anything other than that is just a victim of misinformation. Well, that is not what the families of America are feeling. Americans know that they are subjected day in and day out to incredibly high prices, and they know that Joe Biden is the President of high prices.

Before Thanksgiving, we got new inflation data, and prices went up again. Prices are now over 17 percent higher today than they were the day Joe Biden took office. In real terms, families are paying over $900 each and every month more now for their cost of living than they were for the same things the day Joe Biden came into office. Americans are feeling it everywhere but specifically in the cost of gas, the cost of groceries, and the cost of everyday goods.

As prices continue to go up, people are falling further and further behind when it comes to trying to pay their bills.

Let's look at personal savings accounts. Do people have more money or less in their bank accounts now than they did before? Well, the answer is clearly they have less. Bidenomics is forcing three out of every five Americans to live paycheck to paycheck.

Let's look at personal debt. Credit card debt now exceeds $1 trillion. This is a record high in the history of the United States.

Let's look at interest rates. Americans are maxing out their credit cards just to get by, and they are having to do it at higher interest rates just to pay their bills, so their debt number continues to go up.

Under Bidenomics, Americans barely have enough money to pay their bills, let alone save for the future.

President Biden equates Bidenomics with the American dream. So what do people think about the American dream? Well, for most families right now, that American dream is further and further out of reach than it has ever been before.

According to a recent poll by NBC News, only one in five Americans today feels confident that their children's lives will be better than their lives were. That is an alltime low, and this is talking about the future and the loss of hope for a better future.

President of the United States Joe Biden is disturbingly out of touch. According to NBC News, President Biden is baffled--baffled--that the American people are unhappy with the state of the economy. It is not baffling; it is the definition of ``Bidenomics.'' Americans are unhappy with the economy because they don't like paying 20 percent more for food, $1 more for a gallon of gas, or 8 percent mortgage rates. So why is the President of the United States so disconnected from the feelings of everyday Americans?

Well, hard-working Americans deserve better leadership than what they have gotten out of this White House for the last 3 years. On issue after issue after issue, President Biden's actions have made matters worse. He has continued and increased wasteful Washington spending. The Democrats are as guilty as he is. He keeps attacking our affordable, available, reliable American energy, and my home State of Wyoming is America's energy breadbasket. He has pursued the costliest regulatory burden in American history. The regulations coming out of this administration are penalizing and punishing and are costing the American people a lot.

Let there be no confusion that the policies of Joe Biden and the Democrats are why families have suffered the worst inflation in 40 years. Democrats have done nothing to correct course or steer the economy in the right direction. Instead of working to cure inflation, Senate Democrats tell Americans to endure it. They are pushing policies that increase spending and choke off American energy--policies that keep driving prices and costs higher.

Two weeks ago, President Biden met with the Chinese President, Xi. It was their first face-to-face meeting this year, 2023. Tensions with China continue to rise. Yet President Biden seems more eager to appease President Xi than to address China's serious threat to America's economy and safety. None of this lowers the cost of living. None of this makes our country stronger.

Republicans have solutions to get the country back on track. Our solutions will lower the cost of living, will increase wages, will reduce Washington redtape, will unleash American energy, and will end our Nation's dependence on China.

In this Congress alone, Republicans have put forward legislative solutions--workable, meaningful solutions--to restore a strong economy. We have introduced bills to reverse these political mandates and eliminate these punishing regulations. We have introduced bills to end America's dependence on China, reduce dependence for manufacturing, reduce dependence for medicines, and to promote our own manufacturing. We have introduced bills to increase America's production of oil, gas, coal, and critical minerals. That would immediately lower the cost of energy and groceries for families all across America.

Under Joe Biden and the Democrats, America is heading in the wrong direction, and by overwhelming numbers, the American people will tell you that.

Republicans have solutions to make a difference--to lower prices, to unleash American energy, to secure the southern border, and, in time, to get America back on track. The time to act is now.

I yield the floor.