Floor Statements

Mr. President, I come to the floor today to talk about our economy.

The President has been doing a lot of bragging these days about the economy. Last week, it was Virginia. Later this week, it is Philadelphia. He is in New York City today. He is going to be here on Capitol Hill, down the hall, in the House, next Tuesday night, for the State of the Union.

You know, the American people that I talk to--and looking at statistics and poll numbers from around the country--the American people just don't believe the President has anything to brag about, not when you look at the economy that is facing our Nation today. Two- thirds of people in polls out this weekend say that they disapprove of the way Joe Biden is handling the economy--disapprove, doing a bad job, the country heading in the wrong direction. And it is really a problem when 70 percent of the people think the country in which they live, the county they love, is heading in the wrong direction.

Why would they say it? Well, they took a look at their own personal situation, because the average American family has lost more than $10,000 to higher prices since Joe Biden took office just 2 years ago, and, now, what we are seeing across the country is more and more signs of the economy slowing down.

Last week, we found out that the economy had slowed down at the end of last year. Last year, the economy grew at only a rate of 2.1 percent for the entire year. The White House predicted that it would be 3.8 percent, so much below what the President and the White House had predicted. Actually, they missed it by almost half. And this is just the latest in a long list of disappointments that have affected the people all across the country over the last 2 years.

We found out Friday that consumer spending has dropped again. This week, working families are now getting another punch to the gut. Economists are predicting that the Federal Reserve is likely going to raise interest rates again in just 2 days. More rate hikes are going to make it even more expensive to borrow money. It is going to slow the economy down even further.

Over the last year, we have seen the largest rate hikes in 40 years. The average rate of new mortgages doubled since Joe Biden became President. Credit card interest are at an all-time high. Higher rates, harder to buy a home, harder to buy a house, harder to pay off credit card debt--it is no surprise that mortgage applications recently hit their lowest level in 25 years. They say they can't afford it at these rates.

This is very bitter medicine for the American people to take because they have been living through the worst inflation in 40 years. So why do we have the worst inflation in 40 years? Well, it is obvious. It is the massive spending done by the Democrats on a strictly party-line basis and the fact that the Democrats shut down American energy. You talk about a one-two punch--trying to kill the American energy industry and massive amounts of spending on top of it, inflation at a 40-year high, people suffering all around the country.

Now, economists are predicting another recession coming this year. What does that mean? Well, it means more pain for people, more punishment for families who are just trying to get by or trying to put food on the table, and food prices have skyrocketed again.

The American dream is moving further and further out of reach for many, many American families. According to the Gallup poll group, faith in the American dream recently hit an all-time low. How could that happen? Record numbers of people, surprisingly, believe that their children will have a lower standard of living than they have had. That is not the way my parents looked at me when I was growing up or your parents did, Mr. President, when you were growing up. The American dream was about a better next generation. Parents today don't see that for their kids because they see what they see going around their communities and this country.

Many young people are giving up on their hope to buy a home someday. Families trying to get ahead are having a harder time, and many are falling behind.

It didn't have to be this way. Oh, no, this is the result of the decisions that Joe Biden made and the inflation that Joe Biden and the Democrats have brought about this country.

Remember, when Joe Biden took office just 2 years ago, inflation in this country was virtually nonexistent. A typical 30-year mortgage went for less than 4 percent. The lockdowns from the pandemic were coming to an end. The economy was ready to take off. And then in March of 2021, with every Democrat voting for it and every Republican voting against it, Democrats printed $2 trillion and added it to the national debt.

Republicans warned the Democrats: Don't do it. Don't do this. Don't put the money. Don't spend the money. Don't add it to the debt.

We said it would cause inflation, and it wasn't just Republicans who were saying it. Democrats' own economic experts warned them: Don't spend the money. It is going to jazz up the economy to the point of more money in. Prices are going to go chasing it, and prices will go up.

Democrat advisers, like former President Obama's advisers--Larry Summers, Jason Furman, and Steve Rattner, to just to name a few-- Democrats in Washington, in this body, on this side of the floor, ignored the whole thing, refused to listen. Nancy Pelosi and the Democrats in the House said we don't want to hear it. They put their fingers in their ears.

A month after President Biden signed the bill, inflation climbed. We have been suffering the consequences ever since.

President Biden said: No, no, it is transitory. No, it is not inflation.

He had a hundred excuses. It was here, and it was here to stay, and the Democrats caused it.

To add problems on top of this, Democrats also raised taxes on nearly every tax bracket. Of course, this was a direct violation of the promises Joe Biden made to the American people. Democrats raised prices anyway.

Joe Biden went and gave an inaugural address where he talked like he was going to work together. It is not what happened.

He went to the White House and killed the Keystone XL Pipeline and went far, far to the left, raising taxes on American energy, raising taxes on natural gas. Natural gas powers about half the homes in the United States. Taxes on coal went up a billion dollars. That means everybody is paying higher prices.

It is strangling our economy. It is strangling our energy production. It is wrong for the Nation.

You look at Joe Biden. He is smiling away like things are going well, completely out of touch with the families all across the country.

We are still producing a lot less oil today than we were before the pandemic, and gas prices have gone up about 40 cents already this year. They are predicted to go to over $4 a gallon by March because of the attack on American energy by this administration and this President.

Democrats have taken a sledgehammer to our economy on each and every side: higher taxes, higher spending, higher gas, less American energy. It is a Democrat policy in a nutshell. That is the Democrat economic policy: higher taxes, higher spending, higher debt, less American energy. It is a policy for failure, a policy for pain for American families.

I guess that is why, right now, today, in the United States Joe Biden is the least popular Democrat President in the last 60 years--the least popular. So instead of bragging, instead of going to New York and pounding his chest, as he did in Virginia and he is going to do in Pennsylvania--instead of bragging, he ought to be apologizing to the American people. He does owe the American people an apology for the damage and

the destruction that he has inflicted because of his radical leftwing policies.

His policies caused higher prices, caused higher interest rates, caused slower growth, caused much pain and much stress. So the American people are taking a look right now at the Biden economy, and they are not liking what they see. People want their money back. They want their future back. They want a future for their family.

So if Joe Biden won't apologize, which is what he should do when he comes to Congress next week for the State of the Union, then he should at least announce that he is going to change course, try to make things better, announce that he is going to stop this reckless spending that has brought us these problems, announce that he is finally going to unleash American energy so energy is affordable, available, and reliable.

That is what the American public is asking for and demanding. Working families in this country cannot afford any less.

I yield the floor.

I yield the floor.

I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Madam President, I come to the floor today to talk about the need for more American energy.

We are approaching the end of January. Winter storms have been covering the country from Colorado to Connecticut. We are seeing it everywhere: Temperatures drop. Energy prices go up. In a typical year, cold actually kills more Americans than extreme heat. This winter, millions of families are in danger of being left out in the cold because of the cost of energy. We know that more than 20 million households in America, right now, have fallen behind on their ability to pay their energy bills.

Record-high inflation has robbed the American people of more than $10,000 for each and every family since Joe Biden has become President. Just look at what people were paying for things before he came into office and what they are paying today. As a result, people are able to save less, and they are having to pay more. We know that about two out of three American households are living paycheck to paycheck. Personal savings in this country is now at a record low; household debt is at a record high. People are having to borrow more money and put things on the credit card at higher and higher interest rates.

At the same time, energy prices are dramatically higher than they were the day Joe Biden took office. The cost of heating oil is up by two-thirds. Natural gas is higher now than in a long time. Electricity is up by 20 cents on the dollar. As a result, there is actually the risk of people having their energy and their electricity shut off this winter. Some are doing it voluntarily because they don't want the big bill that is going to come.

It is hard to believe that it is happening here in the wealthiest country in the world. We have enough energy to keep every American warm this winter. Some of it, they won't let us get out of the ground, but we have it. So it is an absolute disgrace, with the energy resources we have in this country, that Americans are facing brownouts and blackouts from an energy standpoint because of the Biden administration's radical climate policies. Millions and millions of Americans are living with financial fear and with massive frustration at this administration for ignoring the needs of the people.

So what are the Democrats doing about it? Nothing. Joe Biden actually sold some of our emergency Strategic Petroleum Reserve to China. You wouldn't believe that; yet it happened. Our petroleum reserve is for America. It is for emergencies. It is for natural disasters. It is for war. It is not for China.

This week, I am introducing legislation to make sure this never happens again. The House has already passed this legislation. The vote was completely bipartisan, more than 100 Democrats voted for it in the House. There is no reason it shouldn't be bipartisan here in the Senate as well.

So I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to join me in this effort. The Strategic Petroleum Reserve is for us. It is not for our enemies.

Joe Biden has promised to use our tax dollars--I mean, it is astonishing. He went to the United Nations and said he was going to give $11 billion a year to the United Nations for climate reparations-- for energy we have used--giving away American dollars when Americans can't afford to pay for energy costs here at home. Why is he doing it? If you listen to his speech, it is because he wants to say he is sorry. That is what we have, a President who wants to apologize once again for America. He wants us to feel guilty about the fact that we have built the strongest economy in the world by

using oil, gas, coal--all of the energy resources that we have in this country.

The American people have nothing to apologize for. Joe Biden is wrong. We shouldn't apologize for being an energy superpower. We shouldn't apologize for using our energy resources. If he wants to apologize, he ought to be apologizing to the people of the United States for the policies he has put in place that have driven up costs and caused pain for families all across America. He should apologize for raising taxes on American energy. He should apologize for wasting tax dollars.

The Secretary of Energy--his Secretary of Energy--has given more than $200 million in loans to companies in China. The Secretary of the Treasury is going to China soon. She met with China's Vice Premier recently in Switzerland. According to the Treasury Department, she agreed to ``enhance cooperation [with China] on climate finance . . . as well as support for . . . developing countries in their clean energy transitions''--in other words, more American taxpayer dollars for other people in other countries.

Again, the excuse for all of this is climate.

The Democrats in Washington are utterly obsessed with the green dreams of the coastal elites who run the Democratic Party, who call the tune. Again and again, the Democrats side with the climate elites over the common folks. I hear it in Wyoming. I hear it no matter where I travel in the country. The Democrats are offering working families nothing more than higher taxes and higher prices, and they continue to raise taxes.

The Democrats just threatened to ban natural gas stoves. Nearly half of the homes in America use natural gas. This is the administration--a nominee by the President. That is what he said. He didn't say it once. He said it repeatedly. The Democrats also just raised taxes on coal by more than $1 billion.

So what happens with all of these new taxes? They get handed down to working families in Wyoming and across America. What happens with higher taxes? It means higher prices and higher energy costs.

Janet Yellen is flying around the world and offering more of our tax dollars to these other countries. Last week, there was a large Democrat political rally held in Switzerland, at a place called Davos. The masters of the universe flew to Switzerland for the World Economic Forum.

From the television reports and the news reports, much of the conversation was about climate. The President's energy/climate czar, John Kerry, was there. He gave a speech. You talk about somebody with smug superiority; he just thinks he knows better than anybody else.

Here is what he said. This is from John Kerry:

It's extraordinary that we, a select group of human beings

. . . are able to talk about saving the planet.

Thank you, John Kerry. You are going to save us all. I can hardly wait.

He added:

If you say that to most people, they think you're just a

crazy, tree-hugging, lefty, liberal do-gooder . . . but

that's where we are.

Well, John Kerry, you are right. Most people--certainly, anybody in Wyoming--who would listen to you would say you are just a crazy, tree- hugging, lefty, liberal do-gooder. That is who we have got from the President of the United States doing his climate bidding in Switzerland. This is exactly what people think about John Kerry and the climate crisis and the positions of this administration.

As if one failed Presidential nominee and candidate weren't embarrassing enough, then we had a real Vice President who came to speak, a former Vice President named Al Gore. Anyone watching Al Gore speak would say that, basically, he descended into an unhinged rant. About what? Well, climate of course. That is all he ever rants about. The former Democrat Senator and Vice President said we are ``boiling the oceans.'' That is what we are doing, apparently, he said, if we don't obey his energy policies. Well, I am sure he and John Kerry have great times together. ``Boiling the oceans.'' He even said we are creating what he called ``rain bombs.''

He wants to save the planet as well, and I would say: What planet is he on? That is what we are seeing coming out of this administration as their voice on the world stage.

When it comes to energy, what are the Democrats offering? A fairytale, a fantasy, and a fraud. That is what we hear from the Democrats. The Democrats' green dreams are causing nightmares for working families, who have to pay for all of this. The only green thing about the Democrats' energy agenda is how much green it costs American families.

John Kerry said it himself. He said:

How do we get there?

And he said:

Money, money, money.

That is his answer--American money, American dollars--and he is going to save the planet.

Europe has already tried its own Green New Deal. It has been a disaster for the working people of those countries. We can't let that happen here. We just cannot.

The International Energy Agency projects a record high demand for oil later this year. This is at a time when Joe Biden is making us keep it in the ground. Wyoming is the energy breadbasket of the Nation. We have it. It is affordable. It is available. It is reliable. That is not good enough for Joe Biden. No. He wants to go to Iran, go to Venezuela, go to Saudi Arabia, with hat in hand, and beg them to produce more and send it here. It is interesting listening to the climate elites as they are fixated on renewable energy regardless of the costs and regardless of the consequences.

The Democrats need to stop this science fiction. It is long past time for America to unleash our energy and stop this foolishness coming from the administration that has us buying energy from our enemies instead of selling it to our friends. We have an abundance of American energy, and the Democrats want to keep it buried in the ground. For every American family who is struggling to make ends meet and is falling further behind because of the inflation caused by the Democrats' spending, it is time to unleash American energy right now.

Madam President, I come to the floor today to talk about the need for more American energy.

We are approaching the end of January. Winter storms have been covering the country from Colorado to Connecticut. We are seeing it everywhere: Temperatures drop. Energy prices go up. In a typical year, cold actually kills more Americans than extreme heat. This winter, millions of families are in danger of being left out in the cold because of the cost of energy. We know that more than 20 million households in America, right now, have fallen behind on their ability to pay their energy bills.

Record-high inflation has robbed the American people of more than $10,000 for each and every family since Joe Biden has become President. Just look at what people were paying for things before he came into office and what they are paying today. As a result, people are able to save less, and they are having to pay more. We know that about two out of three American households are living paycheck to paycheck. Personal savings in this country is now at a record low; household debt is at a record high. People are having to borrow more money and put things on the credit card at higher and higher interest rates.

At the same time, energy prices are dramatically higher than they were the day Joe Biden took office. The cost of heating oil is up by two-thirds. Natural gas is higher now than in a long time. Electricity is up by 20 cents on the dollar. As a result, there is actually the risk of people having their energy and their electricity shut off this winter. Some are doing it voluntarily because they don't want the big bill that is going to come.

It is hard to believe that it is happening here in the wealthiest country in the world. We have enough energy to keep every American warm this winter. Some of it, they won't let us get out of the ground, but we have it. So it is an absolute disgrace, with the energy resources we have in this country, that Americans are facing brownouts and blackouts from an energy standpoint because of the Biden administration's radical climate policies. Millions and millions of Americans are living with financial fear and with massive frustration at this administration for ignoring the needs of the people.

So what are the Democrats doing about it? Nothing. Joe Biden actually sold some of our emergency Strategic Petroleum Reserve to China. You wouldn't believe that; yet it happened. Our petroleum reserve is for America. It is for emergencies. It is for natural disasters. It is for war. It is not for China.

This week, I am introducing legislation to make sure this never happens again. The House has already passed this legislation. The vote was completely bipartisan, more than 100 Democrats voted for it in the House. There is no reason it shouldn't be bipartisan here in the Senate as well.

So I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to join me in this effort. The Strategic Petroleum Reserve is for us. It is not for our enemies.

Joe Biden has promised to use our tax dollars--I mean, it is astonishing. He went to the United Nations and said he was going to give $11 billion a year to the United Nations for climate reparations-- for energy we have used--giving away American dollars when Americans can't afford to pay for energy costs here at home. Why is he doing it? If you listen to his speech, it is because he wants to say he is sorry. That is what we have, a President who wants to apologize once again for America. He wants us to feel guilty about the fact that we have built the strongest economy in the world by

using oil, gas, coal--all of the energy resources that we have in this country.

The American people have nothing to apologize for. Joe Biden is wrong. We shouldn't apologize for being an energy superpower. We shouldn't apologize for using our energy resources. If he wants to apologize, he ought to be apologizing to the people of the United States for the policies he has put in place that have driven up costs and caused pain for families all across America. He should apologize for raising taxes on American energy. He should apologize for wasting tax dollars.

The Secretary of Energy--his Secretary of Energy--has given more than $200 million in loans to companies in China. The Secretary of the Treasury is going to China soon. She met with China's Vice Premier recently in Switzerland. According to the Treasury Department, she agreed to ``enhance cooperation [with China] on climate finance . . . as well as support for . . . developing countries in their clean energy transitions''--in other words, more American taxpayer dollars for other people in other countries.

Again, the excuse for all of this is climate.

The Democrats in Washington are utterly obsessed with the green dreams of the coastal elites who run the Democratic Party, who call the tune. Again and again, the Democrats side with the climate elites over the common folks. I hear it in Wyoming. I hear it no matter where I travel in the country. The Democrats are offering working families nothing more than higher taxes and higher prices, and they continue to raise taxes.

The Democrats just threatened to ban natural gas stoves. Nearly half of the homes in America use natural gas. This is the administration--a nominee by the President. That is what he said. He didn't say it once. He said it repeatedly. The Democrats also just raised taxes on coal by more than $1 billion.

So what happens with all of these new taxes? They get handed down to working families in Wyoming and across America. What happens with higher taxes? It means higher prices and higher energy costs.

Janet Yellen is flying around the world and offering more of our tax dollars to these other countries. Last week, there was a large Democrat political rally held in Switzerland, at a place called Davos. The masters of the universe flew to Switzerland for the World Economic Forum.

From the television reports and the news reports, much of the conversation was about climate. The President's energy/climate czar, John Kerry, was there. He gave a speech. You talk about somebody with smug superiority; he just thinks he knows better than anybody else.

Here is what he said. This is from John Kerry:

It's extraordinary that we, a select group of human beings

. . . are able to talk about saving the planet.

Thank you, John Kerry. You are going to save us all. I can hardly wait.

He added:

If you say that to most people, they think you're just a

crazy, tree-hugging, lefty, liberal do-gooder . . . but

that's where we are.

Well, John Kerry, you are right. Most people--certainly, anybody in Wyoming--who would listen to you would say you are just a crazy, tree- hugging, lefty, liberal do-gooder. That is who we have got from the President of the United States doing his climate bidding in Switzerland. This is exactly what people think about John Kerry and the climate crisis and the positions of this administration.

As if one failed Presidential nominee and candidate weren't embarrassing enough, then we had a real Vice President who came to speak, a former Vice President named Al Gore. Anyone watching Al Gore speak would say that, basically, he descended into an unhinged rant. About what? Well, climate of course. That is all he ever rants about. The former Democrat Senator and Vice President said we are ``boiling the oceans.'' That is what we are doing, apparently, he said, if we don't obey his energy policies. Well, I am sure he and John Kerry have great times together. ``Boiling the oceans.'' He even said we are creating what he called ``rain bombs.''

He wants to save the planet as well, and I would say: What planet is he on? That is what we are seeing coming out of this administration as their voice on the world stage.

When it comes to energy, what are the Democrats offering? A fairytale, a fantasy, and a fraud. That is what we hear from the Democrats. The Democrats' green dreams are causing nightmares for working families, who have to pay for all of this. The only green thing about the Democrats' energy agenda is how much green it costs American families.

John Kerry said it himself. He said:

How do we get there?

And he said:

Money, money, money.

That is his answer--American money, American dollars--and he is going to save the planet.

Europe has already tried its own Green New Deal. It has been a disaster for the working people of those countries. We can't let that happen here. We just cannot.

The International Energy Agency projects a record high demand for oil later this year. This is at a time when Joe Biden is making us keep it in the ground. Wyoming is the energy breadbasket of the Nation. We have it. It is affordable. It is available. It is reliable. That is not good enough for Joe Biden. No. He wants to go to Iran, go to Venezuela, go to Saudi Arabia, with hat in hand, and beg them to produce more and send it here. It is interesting listening to the climate elites as they are fixated on renewable energy regardless of the costs and regardless of the consequences.

The Democrats need to stop this science fiction. It is long past time for America to unleash our energy and stop this foolishness coming from the administration that has us buying energy from our enemies instead of selling it to our friends. We have an abundance of American energy, and the Democrats want to keep it buried in the ground. For every American family who is struggling to make ends meet and is falling further behind because of the inflation caused by the Democrats' spending, it is time to unleash American energy right now.

Madam President, I would like to take the opportunity to express my appreciation to Devlin 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.

Devlin is a native of Oregon. He attends George Mason University, where he is pursuing a master's in international security. 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 Devlin 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 Katy 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.

Katy is a native of Florida. She is a graduate of the University of Alabama, where she studied political science. 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 Katy 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 Corey 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.

Corey is a native of Cheyenne. He attends the Josef Korbel School of International Studies at the University of Denver. 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 Corey 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 Christopher 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.

Christopher is a native of Rhode Island. He attends George Washington University, where he studies history 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 Christopher 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 Jasmine 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.

Jasmine is a native of Pennsylvania. She is a student at George Washington University, where she studies public health. 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 Jasmine 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 ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.

Mr. President, I come to the floor today to oppose the Kigali Amendment. That is the United Nations treaty that is under consideration in this body today.

Two years ago, this body, the U.S. Senate, passed a bipartisan bill. The goal of the bill was to reduce hydrofluorocarbons, or HFCs, and do it domestically. We passed it. It was signed into law.

Now, these HFCs are gases that are used in refrigerators, air- conditioners, fire extinguishers, and in insulation. They also contribute significantly to greenhouse gas emissions.

So I worked in a bipartisan way to build a coalition of Senators to pass the bill. Two years later, here we are; the law is now in effect in the United States. Parts of the law are still being implemented. Yet, now, today, we are being asked to sign on to treaty obligations at the United Nations that I believe are wholly unnecessary.

We have already passed bipartisan legislation to reduce HFC consumption, and it has already become the law of the land. Many of the benefits and the jobs that are being touted are U.S. innovations, and it is the result of our domestic legislation, not ratification of some U.N. treaty. We did it here. We did it right.

I say we don't need to get entangled now in another United Nations treaty. Our own law can be amended if we would like. It can be repealed. It can be replaced. Depending on the impact and cost, the United States can make changes quickly. It is much harder, if not impossible, to do it with an international treaty. In fact, when you take a look at the Kigali treaty and amendment, there is actually no way to withdraw from it if we ratify and join in.

When I take a look at this, it is especially bad because it doubles down on the practice of treating China--yes, China--as a developing country. And the key word here is ``developing.'' China is not a developing country, but this treaty says they are a developing country, and it makes a big difference in terms of the treaty and the way that China is treated internationally because it gives China special treatment.

And I will tell you, Mr. President, they don't deserve the kind of treatment that they would get with this. Under this treaty, China would get an extra 10 years--an extra decade--to produce HFCs. Well, this places us, the United States, at a competitive disadvantage to China for 10 additional years.

Interestingly and, I think, surprisingly to people when they hear this, the United States would also be expected to give more American taxpayer dollars to a U.N.--United Nations--multilateral fund that is set aside to help developing nations. The key word here again is ``developing.'' And they want to treat China like a developing country. So it would send more U.S. dollars to China because they have access to this U.N. multilateral fund.

Well, the United States is already the largest contributor to this fund. We have given over 1 billion of American taxpayer dollars to this United Nations so-called--it is a slush fund.

But what about China? Do they contribute? Oh, no, China has actually taken $1.4 billion out of the fund that we have contributed to because we are a developed nation and China is still, theoretically and legally, by this treaty, developing.

When you take a look at the debt that we have as a nation and you go and talk to any high school class or any junior high school class, as I have done in Wyoming--we did it in Wheatland, WY, with a bunch of really smart kids--they say: OK, when we have this debt, who are we borrowing the money from?

Do you know what they say? Oh, we are borrowing it from China.

So we borrow from China to give to the Multilateral Fund under this Montreal Protocol. And what happens then? The Fund gives it to China. The United States borrows from China. We give it to the United Nations. The United Nations gives it to China. So we are further in debt to China. This makes zero sense. Even to the high school kids it makes zero sense.

With ratification of the Kigali Amendment to the U.N. treaty, more and more American taxpayer dollars will be going to communist China.

Now, this is happening despite the fact that everyone knows that China is not a developing country and shouldn't be labeled as a developing country or be treated as a developing country. China is the second largest economy in the world. China is our greatest economic and geopolitical rival.

The United States should not let China play by a special set of rules that is designed to give a helping hand to truly developing nations. China doesn't fit. But this is exactly what is outlined in the Kigali Amendment. And that is why I have filed at the desk an amendment to what is being discussed on the floor of the Senate today. My amendment says the United States will not ratify this treaty until China is defined, rightly, as a developed country--not a developing country but a developed country--because they truly are. No special treatment for China, period. Everyone should stand up for that in this body, each and every Member.

So Senators have some decisions to make: Are you going to vote to allow China to play by a whole different set of rules? Are we going to put America at a competitive disadvantage? Are we going to vote to continue to give American taxpayer dollars to China?

Now, Members and my colleagues and friends on the other side of the aisle say: Oh, it is not about China. This is about HFC, the chemicals involved. Again, we have already passed bipartisan legislation to reduce HFCs. The law is still going into effect. There is no excuse for any Senator to give China a handout at the expense of the American taxpayers and the American hard-working families--no excuse whatsoever.

We should not be outsourcing our environmental policy. I urge my colleagues to support my amendment and, once again, say no special treatment for China.

I yield the floor.

I suggest the absence of a quorum.

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

Madam President, I come to the floor today to talk about the Biden economic crisis that the American people are facing every day.

Last week, Democrats threw a big party at the White House; even Hollywood celebrities flew in to celebrate. If you take a look at what was going on, on the split-screen television all across the country, they saw Democrats celebrating and the stock market collapsing; people's savings, retirements evaporating; Democrats dancing.

It was the worst day on Wall Street since the pandemic, and by the time the party at the White House was over, $1.6 trillion was erased from the value of those who hold American stocks.

So why did this happen? The reason that this happened was because just hours earlier the world found out that inflation in America went up once again.

Prices people have to pay for things are up more than 13 percent since the day Joe Biden took office. Costs which economists predicted would go down last month, actually went up instead.

Well, the economists made a prediction, but the American people know what they are facing every day when they go to the grocery store, pay their rent, pay their energy bills, try to buy back-to-school supplies for their kids.

Inflation is now going up after the Democrats passed a reckless tax- and-spending bill. This is nothing to celebrate even though they were down at the White House celebrating. The American people aren't celebrating; they are suffering. They are suffering the worst inflation in over 40 years.

Prices have risen faster than wages for 17 consecutive months--17 months in a row, prices rising faster than wages. With each passing month, the American people can afford less and less. Now people have cut into their savings, borrowed money, just to get by.

Credit card debt is climbing. Reports across the Nation are more and more people are buying on layaway. People on fixed incomes cannot keep up; they are falling further behind. And it is no wonder then that many seniors are delaying their retirements.

Rising costs are hitting our troops. Right now, our troops are watching their paychecks disappear, melt away. According to a recent report, the Army is now recommending our troops sign up for food stamps.

The U.S. Army--can you imagine such a thing?--is recommending troops sign up for food stamps. After the deadly and disgraceful evacuation of Afghanistan, people knew Joe Biden had very little respect for our men and women in uniform. What we are seeing today is a national failure by Joe Biden and the Democrats. Our heroes in uniform should not have to rely on welfare in order for them to serve the Nation.

Our soldiers should not have to find themselves in a battle against Joe Biden's inflation.

Now, the U.S. Senate still hasn't passed a defense bill this year. We are waiting to go. Senator Schumer says, well, we will do that next month. It just shows that Democrats do not prioritize our national defense. It always goes to the bottom of the list--leave it for last. Democrats have other priorities like their James Taylor concert last week at the White House on the lawn.

Democrats have been too busy paying off the climate activists to pay our troops. The Senate ought to get to work on a defense bill immediately. We should ensure that our troops, whether they are serving at F.E. Warren Air Force Base in Wyoming, Luke Air Force Base in Arizona, or Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada, or Buckley Space Force Base in Colorado, that they get a raise so they won't further be hurt by Joe Biden's inflation.

Now, many Democrats seem oblivious to the pain and suffering that they have caused American families. When Joe Biden took office, inflation was essentially nonexistent. A gallon of gas was $2.39. In today's prices, it is almost $3.70 a gallon, higher in States like Nevada, Washington State, and others.

When Joe Biden took office, economists were predicting an economic boom. Now our economy continues to shrink, and just in a matter of months, Joe Biden took us from recovery to recession.

And recovery right now is nowhere in sight. Consumer confidence is worse today than it was during the lockdowns of 2020, hard to believe but true. This summer, we saw the lowest consumer confidence ever recorded in the history of polling for these sorts of things.

Families feel very stressed about the future, and prices continue to climb. Now, ultimately, this means that we are going to have layoffs at a time when people are running out of savings.

A poll last week showed that people across the country are cutting back on spending on just about everything just to keep up, just to avoid falling further and further behind. Some are cutting back on groceries. Some are growing their own, trying to grow their own food instead of going to the grocery store.

At the same time, the Federal Reserve is getting ready to raise interest rates again, maybe as soon as today.

This year, we have already seen the largest rate hikes in 40 years. Rates are going higher and higher and higher as the Democrat-caused inflation wildfire continues to burn.

There is no end in sight and no relief for the pain being caused to American families. Mortgage rates have almost doubled this year. They are the highest they have been since the great recession, and they are going to go even higher.

At the same time, mortgage applications have dropped significantly. More and more people are giving up on the American dream of even owning their own home. To make matters worse, it doesn't look like interest rates are coming down any time soon.

You know, it is very easy to cause inflation, very difficult to get rid of. Last March, Joe Biden caused inflation with the stroke of a pen on a bill that every Democrat in this body voted for, and working families all across the country have suffered ever since.

Interest rate hikes are designed to slow down the economy. And yet we have an economy that is already shrinking, and they want to slow it down some more. It shrank for the first 6 months of this year. That has always been the definition of a recession. The administration is even trying to redefine recession while we are in the middle of one because they don't want to own it, but they do.

The pain and suffering that people are being subjected to has no end in sight, and the policies of this President and the policies of the Democrats who have all voted for it--every one of them--have brought us inflation and recession.

The wealthy elites that run the Democratic Party are doing just fine. It is the hard-working men and women all across the country who are suffering. Republicans are committed to help lower prices for working men and women all around America.

Certainly, in my State of Wyoming, it is a major concern, major discussion. It is what I hear about. What I heard about Friday at our Victoria's football game and the tailgate party is what things cost, trying to just stay ahead, trying to keep ahead, trying to fall less far behind.

We are committed to getting the economy back on track. It is time for the Democrats to get their priorities straight. We need to pass a defense bill to take care of our troops. We need to stop the reckless spending and the tax hikes.

These are the policies that have caused the cost of everyday items to continue to go up. The Democrats need to stop strangling American energy. That is what is driving up the price, not just at the pump but electric bills, home heating, natural gas, all of the things that the American people need and want, energy that is affordable, available, and reliable.

The American people deserve much better than what we have been getting from the Democrats, and the Democrats--let me point out--are in full control of the House, the Senate, and the White House.

It is their policies and their positions that brought us 40-year high inflation, food going up faster and faster, 13 percent inflation since the day Joe Biden and the Democrats took over. It is time for a change.

I yield the floor.

Mr. President, I rise today to recognize the 50th anniversary of Special Olympics Wyoming, an organization that has made a profound difference in the lives of many Wyoming citizens.

In October, Special Olympics Wyoming will celebrate its 50th anniversary held in conjunction with its annual State Fall Tournament in Casper.

Special Olympics was founded in 1962 by Eunice Kennedy Shriver. It began in Maryland as a summer camp for youth with intellectual disabilities. Rosemary Kennedy, Eunice's sister, had an intellectual disability and was the inspiration for Eunice. By 1968, Special Olympics had become a worldwide sensation. Over 1,000 participants competed in the first International Special Olympics Games in Chicago.

Special Olympics Wyoming was established 10 years later in 1972 by Helen and Lloyd Wampler. Their first event was the Wyoming Summer Games at Natrona County High School, where 215 athletes competed in track and field or swimming.

Special Olympics Wyoming offers year-round athletic and sports training for youth and adults who have an intellectual disability. They provide ``opportunities to develop physical fitness skills, express courage, experience joy and participate in the sharing of talents, skills and friendship with their families, friends, other Special Olympics athletes and the community.''

As the Wyoming athletes strive to meet their athletic goals, their participation and success within the program accentuates why Special Olympics Wyoming was started. Today, there are roughly 1,600 active athletes throughout Wyoming who participate in 16 different sports.

Special Olympics Wyoming hosts five annual statewide events that promote healthy competition, refine athletic skills, and build friendships statewide. These events include the State Winter Games, State Summer Games, Summer Sports Classic, Equestrian Show, and the State Fall Tournament.

Former Special Olympics Wyoming CEO, Priscilla Dowse, is an exceptional example of this type of dedication. During her 44-year involvement in the program, Dowse more than tripled the number of athletes, expanded the unified partners from 70 to 525, and increased fundraising efforts from $15,000 to $186,000 with the partnership from Wyoming law enforcement.

Her commitment to Special Olympics Wyoming led her to travel internationally and incorporate different training and leadership programs in an effort to improve Special Olympics Wyoming. Dowse described Special Olympics Wyoming as `` . . . a place that individuals with intellectual disabilities had a place to shine, to be successful, to have fun and laugh. And I was mesmerized,''

Since Dowse's retirement, the organization has continued to grow under the leadership of Jen Haines. As Dowse said ``if you put a team together, there's almost nothing they can't do.'' Jen's unwavering commitment will be a strong asset as the organization continues to thrive.

The mission of Special Olympics Wyoming would not be possible without the resolute dedication of their staff members, coaches, volunteers and mentors contributing their time and expertise to the athletes. Current Staff and Board Members are:

Jennifer Haines--CEO & President

Tara Short--Vice President of Development

Bobby Casey--Vice President of Programs

Laura Kelly--Director of Program Services

Cathy Bisiar--Direct of Law Enforcement Torch Run

Christine Rodriguez--Office Administrator

Erin Gamroth--Marketing & Communications Coordinator

Molly Blomstrom--Office Assistant

Jessica Purdum--Director of Unified Champion Schools

Karen Beddoes--Area I Director

Chrissy Bowns--Area II Director

Marsha Dial--Area III Director

Carrie Pilcher--Area IV Director

Board of Directors

Chair: Ron Casalenda, Douglas Police Department (retired)

Vice-Chair: Carolyn Griffith, the City of Casper (retired)

Treasurer: KieLee Ellsworth, Porter, Muirhead, Cornia & Howard

Secretary: Tiffany Vermillion

Bill Rogers, Jonah Bank

Kerry Namken, Platte Valley Bank

Lisa Foutz, Fremont County School District #1

Phil Grabrick, Gillette WY

Taryn Blackett, Natrona County SD # 1

Jen Haines, President & CEO (ex-officio)

Tess Robinson, Casper Senior Center--Athlete Representative

It is an honor for me to rise in recognition of this significant milestone for Special Olympics Wyoming. The impact and opportunities Special Olympics Wyoming has created for people living with intellectual disabilities is incredible. Bobbi joins me in extending our congratulations to Special Olympics Wyoming on their 50th anniversary.

Madam President, I rise today to honor the life of Margaret ``Megan'' Michael Debranski Kelhart. Megan passed away on August 19, 2022, after a heroic battle with cancer.

Megan spent her career as a dedicated public servant. Megan most recently worked as head of congressional and legislative affairs for the Bureau of Reclamation. Prior to that, she worked for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the U.S. Senate. In these roles, she worked with nearly every congressional office.

Megan was born on December 2, 1975, in Norfolk, VA. In 1994, Megan graduated from Lakeland High School where she excelled as a student and was a standout tennis player on a State champion tennis team. She was also a cheerleader, school band member, and prom queen. Megan later studied political science at Virginia Tech, where she was an active member of the Alpha Chi Omega sorority and later received her master of science degree in natural resources.

In 2001, Megan met her husband Matthew, while playing in the Senate summer softball league. The couple married in October of 2003. Together, they enjoyed college football and travelling the world together. In 2009, Megan and her husband welcomed their son, Matteson Michael Donnan Kelhart.

Megan is survived by her husband Matthew and their son Matteson of Alexandria, VA; father Dr. Michael Debranski and mother Margaret Debranski of Suffolk, VA; grandmother Margaret Beamon of Suffolk, VA; father-in-law and his wife Joseph and Lily Kelhart of Bethlehem, PA; and mother-in-law and her husband Terri and Joseph Costa of Perkasie, PA; and many other loved ones.

I ask our colleagues to join us in honoring the life of Margaret ``Megan'' Michael Debranski Kelhart.

Well, Madam President, I come to the floor today to join my colleague and friend from Texas in support of this very important piece of legislation.

What happened in Uvalde was a tragedy. It was horrendous. I commend the citizens of that community for their strength in a time of heartache.

Every Member of this body agrees that we need to find the best way to protect children who go to school. Whether in Washington, DC, or Wheatland, WY, we need to find a way to protect those students.

That is why Senator Cruz and I have introduced the Safe Kids, Safe Schools, Safe Communities Act of 2022. Our bill provides the kind of safety and the kind of security that our children, our schools, and our communities desperately need. And we do this while always protecting the constitutional rights of law-abiding Americans.

Now, as a doctor who served in our State legislature in Wyoming and now in this body, I have seen the devastating impact of mental health challenges, and Senator Cruz talked specifically about those, and that is why we addressed them in this bill. I have seen how much those challenges contribute and what we have seen in these terrible acts. Our bill would make a difference--make a difference by providing mental health professionals with the resources they need to identify and to address these behavioral health needs of our students.

Our bill would hire 15,000 more mental health professionals at middle schools and high schools.

It also significantly increases the physical safety of our schools. Our bill would double the number of police officers in our schools. It would help schools buy more security equipment and metal detectors, door locks, and alarms.

Our bill also would do all of these things at no cost to the taxpayer. It wouldn't add to inflation. People might ask, how? Well, it is because our bill would redirect money that has already been allocated in the Democrats' spending bills. Our bill would work, and it wouldn't cost taxpayers a dime.

School is back in session now all across the country, and now is the time to take the real action that we need to keep our kids and our schools safe. No child should live in fear of going to school. No parent should live in fear of sending their child to school. And no law-abiding gun owner should be denied his or her constitutional rights.

So I want to thank my friend and colleague from Texas for introducing this vital piece of legislation.