Floor Statements

Mr. President, since January, Democrats have refused to fund Immigration and Customs Enforcement; they have refused to fund U.S. Border Patrol. Month after month after month, Democrats have tried to defund law enforcement in America. When illegal immigrant criminals roam freely, our communities are less safe.

The Biden administration tried an open borders approach. From Fairfax County, VA, to San Francisco, CA, Democrats' sanctuary cities all across America continue this dangerous and deadly experiment. Consider the families of Laken Riley, Stephanie Minter, and Sheridan Gorman. These families are mourning the tragic loss of their loved ones, each murdered by an illegal immigrant criminal.

It is time for Congress to fully fund Immigration and Customs Enforcement. ICE and Border Patrol keep our communities safe. They protect our country at great risk to themselves personally. The work they do is important, it is urgent, and it is necessary. And the results are undeniable. For the last 12 months, absolutely zero illegal immigrants have been released into our communities through the Biden catch-and-release program.

Republicans are going to make sure that our Border Patrol is fully funded--all of it. This week, the Senate will vote on the SECURE America Act. The SECURE America Act will keep our Nation strong, and it will keep our communities safe. The SECURE America Act funds ICE and Border Patrol. It does it for 3 full years. It builds on the border security successes of the Laken Riley Act, the HALT Fentanyl Act, and the Working Families Tax Cut law. Most importantly, the SECURE America Act guarantees Democrats cannot defund American security during the administration of President Trump.

The SECURE America Act also improves training for Secret Service agents. This prepares agents to counter the evolving threats that we face. It safeguards major national events and every American who attends them. This weekend is the Indianapolis 500. The World Cup is coming up. The 2028 Olympic Games are right around the corner. Americans from coast to coast will be safer when the SECURE America Act becomes law.

Every single Democrat here in the Senate opposes the SECURE America Act. Senator Schumer vowed to fight it. He said he would use ``every tool in our arsenal.'' Why is he saying this? Because Democrats believe in open borders. They are the party of open borders. They are the party of ``defund the police.''

Democrats' outright opposition to protecting the American people contrasts sharply with their own personal demands, which is opposite of what they want for the American people. Democrats are demanding more personal security for themselves but not for the American people.

Following the murder of a State representative last year, Senator Schumer complained and said:

[W]e need more protection. We need more money.

Senator Chris Murphy of Connecticut warned that limited resources, he said, ``should not be the reason why an assassination of a member of Congress is successful.''

Do you know the amount of money that Democrats have demanded? One

billion dollars. One billion dollars to protect themselves, but they vote against protecting our communities. It is wrong. Democrats are much more supportive of protecting themselves and illegal immigrant criminals than they are of protecting the citizens of this great Nation.

The message from the Democrats is this: Our Nation's safety and security doesn't matter.

My message is this: The safety and security of our citizens and our communities should be the No. 1 priority of everyone serving in the U.S. Senate.

Republicans are going to stand up to protect American citizens. We will pass the SECURE America Act, and we will continue to keep American communities safe.

I yield the floor.

The following Senators are necessarily absent: the Senator from Texas (Mr. Cornyn), the Senator from North Dakota (Mr. Cramer), the Senator from North Carolina (Mr. Tillis), and the Senator from Alabama (Mr. Tuberville).

Further, if present and voting: the Senator from North Carolina (Mr. Tillis) would have voted ``yea''.

Mr. DURBIN: I announce that the Senator from Colorado (Mr. Bennet) is necessarily absent.

The following Senators are necessarily absent: the Senator from Tennessee (Mrs. Blackburn), the Senator from Texas (Mr. Cornyn), the Senator from North Dakota (Mr. Cramer), the Senator from Tennessee (Mr. Hagerty), the Senator from Mississippi (Mrs. Hyde- Smith), the Senator from Montana (Mr. Sheehy), the Senator from North Carolina (Mr. Tillis), the Senator from Alabama (Mr. Tuberville), and the Senator from Mississippi (Mr. Wicker).

Further, if present and voting: the Senator from Tennessee (Mrs. Blackburn) would have voted ``YEA,'' the Senator from Tennessee (Mr. Hagerty) would have voted ``YEA,'' the Senator from Mississippi (Mrs. Hyde-Smith) would have voted ``YEA,'' the Senator from Montana (Mr. Sheehy) would have voted ``YEA,'' the Senator from North Carolina (Mr. Tillis) would have voted ``YEA,'' and the Senator from Mississippi (Mr. Wicker) voted ``YEA.''

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

Further, if the present and voting: the Senator from North Carolina (Mr. Tillis) would have voted ``Yea.''

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that notwithstanding rule XXII, the postcloture time with respect to Executive Calendar No. 737 be expired and the Senate vote on confirmation of the nomination at a time to be determined by the majority leader in consultation with the Democratic leader, tomorrow; further, if confirmed, the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table and the President be immediately notified of the Senate's action.

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

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record.

The following Senators are necessarily absent: the Senator from Texas (Mr. Cornyn), the Senator from North Dakota (Mr. Cramer), the Senator from Utah (Mr. Curtis), the Senator from Idaho (Mr. Risch), the Senator from North Carolina (Mr. Tillis), the Senator from Alabama (Mr. Tuberville), and the Senator from Indiana (Mr. Young).

Further, if present and voting: the Senator from Idaho (Mr. Risch) would have voted ``Yea,'' the Senator from North Carolina (Mr. Tillis) would have voted ``Yea,'' and the Senator from Indiana (Mr. Young) would have voted ``Yea.''

Mr. President, I come to the floor today to say that the people of Wyoming asked of Washington, DC, one simple thing, and that is: Let us do what we do best. Let us power the country, and let us feed the country. We have done it for generations, and we will continue to do it for generations to come.

The American people want affordable energy. They want energy that they can use, that is available to them, and that is reliable. Wyoming is America's energy breadbasket. We produce 12 times more energy than we consume.

Congress is currently discussing new mandates, mandates that would force more and more ethanol into our fuel tanks. The House voted on it just last night. I oppose a year-round E15 mandate. That is what is currently under debate. I oppose it because it hurts small refineries and all of the people around the country who work in these small refineries.

In Wyoming, we have several small refineries. They employ thousands of hard-working people. The refineries receive hardship exemptions for something called the renewable fuel standard mandate. Oh, it is a mandate. They depend on these exemptions to survive--``they'' being the refineries and the people who work for them. Small refineries already face higher costs under Federal renewable fuel rules.

Without additional relief, the new mandate will likely raise gas prices for consumers all across the country by up to 35 cents a gallon.

Small refineries have been ignored so far in the current E15 debate. It is time for their voices to be heard.

Affordable, available, reliable American energy never comes from a one-size-fits-all government mandate. It comes from regulatory certainty, from permitting reform, and it comes from people who are working hard every day, like our Wyoming energy workers.

My message is simple: Let Wyoming do what Wyoming does best.

Now, the same principle applies to our ranchers. Americans want U.S. beef on their tables. Wyoming ranchers produce the very best beef in the world. Wyoming beef is safe. It is the highest quality.

And, Mr. President, your home State of Montana is known for equal high quality and hard workers.

It is our State's No. 1 cash crop, and I am sure it is a high cash crop in Montana as well.

Wyoming ranchers care for the land. We support our communities. We are great stewards of the land. Ranching is part of Wyoming's rich history and rich heritage. It is also part of our bright future.

Our ranchers do not ask for special treatment. They simply want a fair marketplace. They should not have to compete unfairly against foreign beef. It is Washington's job to ensure that there is a fair playing field.

The Trump administration recently unveiled a voluntary label program that is called ``Product of the U.S.A.'' It means Americans can trust what they are buying.

Just this week, the administration rolled back the Biden administration's disastrous public lands rule. In Wyoming, nearly half of our land is owned by the Federal Government. The Federal Government is our largest landlord. Federal law has long recognized the value of land that has multiple uses. It is called multiple use. It is in the law. And one of the uses includes grazing.

But the Biden rule changed multiple use into no use. They described no use as one of the multiple uses. We don't think of it that way and never have. This was designed by the Biden administration to shut down Federal grazing across the West. It was an attack on the Wyoming way of life, and I aggressively fought back against Biden's punishing regulations right here in the Senate.

And I am glad to see the Trump administration overturn it. Our ranchers will now be able to expand their operations and produce more high-quality Wyoming beef.

Now I am going to continue to fight for policies that expand American beef production. It needs to be easier, not harder, for Wyoming ranchers to feed America. Let Wyoming do what Wyoming does best.

Mr. President, on a separate matter, this week is Police Week. We honor the brave officers all across the country who continue to serve and truly remember those who gave their lives in the line of duty.

Yesterday, I met with law enforcement officers from Wyoming here in the Capitol. There was a ranger from the Bureau of Land Management. She is from Buffalo, WY. There were also two police officers from Sheridan, WY, part of the same police department that lost Sergeant Nevada Krinkee, nearly 2 years ago. And they are in Washington, DC, this week to honor Sergeant Krinkee. It was an honor to thank these heroes for keeping our community safe.

Every year the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial adds names of fallen officers to its memorial wall. It does this for officers who died in the line of duty in the previous year. It also adds the names of fallen officers from earlier years who, through extensive research, were recently uncovered. It enlists their new names onto the memorial wall as well.

This comprehensive rollcall of heroes serves as a living memorial to all of the fallen officers in the history of our Nation. This year, the names of 363 new fallen officers were added. It is a high number.

One of the officers is someone who died in the past but research has disclosed should have been named, and that is Marshal Daniel Hansen of the Cokeville Police Department in Wyoming.

Cokeville is a small town along the western border of our State. Marshal Hansen wore the badge over a century ago. In a wild land, at the time, dotted by small frontier towns, the difference between civilization and lawlessness was a very thin blue line. On June 21, 1912, the wife of a local businessowner found a blackmail letter. It was signed by notorious outlaws. The note demanded $1,500, which was a fortune at that time. It also threatened to kill her and her family if police were warned.

Although any backup was dozens of miles away, Marshal Hansen rode out to investigate. As he did his job, he was shot dead. It is believed that the murder of the marshal had been targeted.

More than a century has passed since Marshal Hansen died in the line of duty. Yet his legacy of service, selflessness, and sacrifice lives on.

Today, Wyoming officers proudly protect and serve across our State. Officers work double shifts. They answer emergency calls. They stay late into the night. And they do all of this to keep their community safe.

And I am always going to support the men and women of law enforcement without apology.

Today, Republicans are putting money back into the pockets of law enforcement. Republicans passed the Working Families Tax Cuts law. That new law includes no taxes on overtime. For Wyoming officers, no taxes on overtime--it is not just extra; it is essential.

The average tax deduction for no taxes on overtime this year is more than $3,100.

Republicans are again delivering safer streets. The Working Families Tax Cut law invests in local law enforcement. It helps officers fight violent crime. This year, violent crime is falling across the board. Murders, robberies, rapes, aggravated assaults are all down compared to last year. Clearly, supporting law enforcement makes our communities safer.

By contrast, Democrats in Congress continue to want to defund the police. Democrats have left Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Border Patrol officers unfunded since January. Tellingly, the Democrat leader recently said on this floor that ICE and Border Patrol, he said, are two groups nobody respects. Radical Democrats continue to disrespect, to demonize, and to defund the men and women who keep us safe.

Republicans are going to ensure ICE and Border Patrol are fully funded, and we are going to continue to stand up for the men and women who keep all of our communities safe.

I yield the floor.

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

Mr. President, I come to the floor having just heard the Senator from Oregon is proposing a resolution, a War Powers Act today, heard him say this was about protecting the Constitution.

What they are doing--the Democrats are doing is not about protecting the Constitution; it is about obstructing the President of the United States. That is what is happening here today. That is exactly what Democrats are trying to do.

Going back to 1973, there have been a total of 17 War Powers Act votes in Congress. That is when the War Powers became law--1973. There have been 17 votes in 53 years, and 14 of the 17 votes were from Democrats aimed specifically at President Trump--53 years; 17; 14 of 17 by the Democrats actively going after President Trump.

Democrats--here they are saying they are protecting the Constitution. They introduce absolutely zero War Powers Resolutions under President Obama, and that was despite his strikes in Libya. Democrats introduced absolutely zero War Powers Resolutions under President Biden despite his actions in Syria. So we have Libya, Syria, and they say nothing.

This is the eighth vote on Iran this very Congress. We have also had War Powers Resolutions and votes regarding Cuba and Venezuela.

Well, let's talk about Iran. For nearly 50 years, Iran has waged war against our Nation. Iran is the world's largest, leading sponsor of terrorism. They regularly chant ``Death to America.'' Iran has murdered thousands of Americans, tens of thousands of Iranians, and has tried to build nuclear weapons.

For decades, American Presidents have pledged that Iran would not get a nuclear weapon. Only President Trump had the courage and the strength to keep his word. Earlier this year, President Trump responded with military precision. Now we are deploying economic pressure as well and diplomatic pressure.

Under President Trump, America continues to restore peace through strength around the world. Today, Iran is losing $500 million a day in revenue. They are going to lose that much today, yesterday, and they will again tomorrow.

That is the impact of what the President is doing to Iran right now. Iran's cash cow of oil exports has collapsed.

By contrast, America is pumping out record amounts of oil and natural gas.

Iran's economy is on life support. Its leadership has been eliminated.

Thirteen days ago, President Trump sent a letter to Congress about the conflict in Iran. The President made it very clear--clear that the major fighting is halted; clear that the American cease-fire has held for more than a month, and our Naval blockade is working.

This week, President Trump is meeting with China overseas. Democrats right here in the Senate want to pull the rug out from under him.

Let's be clear: President Trump has complied with the law. Enforcing a blockade is not the same as active hostilities under the War Powers Act. That is the established and binding precedent that governs the U.S. Senate.

Democrats don't seem to care. Senator Tim Kaine of Virginia said in January that their goal--the Democrat goal, he said, is to ``flood the Senate calendar.'' So they want to run out the clock on the Republican majority.

The Senate has now rejected each and every one of these Democrat delays. We need to reject this one as well. We should reject it because it is partisan. We should reject it because it is written by Democrats to weaken our Commander in Chief. And we should reject it because it encourages Iran to doubt the resolve of our Nation.

Iran is going to be watching this vote today. China will be watching this vote. America must continue to show strength and resolve.

I yield the floor.

I suggest the absence of a quorum.

The following Senator is necessarily absent: the Senator from Nebraska (Mr. Ricketts).

The following Senator is necessarily absent: the Senator from Nebraska Mr. Ricketts.

Further, if present and voting: the Senator from Nebraska Mr. Ricketts would have voted ``yea.''

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the mandatory quorum call with respect to Executive Calendar No. 727 be waived.

Mr. President, I come to the floor today because all around the country, people understand it takes far too long to build something in America. It has to do with permitting.

Americans want to build. We are ready to build. People are ready to finance it. The problem is, to build something in America today, it is costly, it is complex, and there is a cumbersome permitting process. In America, amazingly, you need to get permission from the government to build just about anything.

Now, I represent Wyoming. It is an energy State. It is America's energy breadbasket. We have world-class coal. We have abundant supplies of oil and natural gas. We have the richest uranium deposits in the world. And all of these affordable, available, and reliable forms of American energy are ready to power our country, not just now but for generations to come.

We have world-class energy workers in Wyoming, as you do in your home State of Oklahoma, and we do all across the country. These people are ready to do the job. The Federal permitting process is standing in their way.

The Federal permitting process is fundamentally broken. Permitting has become burdened by bureaucracy and weaponized by litigation, and we have a system that will not let us get to work. American energy, mining, roads, bridges, and buildings--all of them are caught in the crosshairs of a culture of saying no.

Energy projects have been especially delayed by the bureaucrats and the trial lawyers. These are individuals who have never built a thing. Yet they believe they deserve veto power over those who do.

Meanwhile, energy demand in America is rising dramatically. The new energy demand across America is adding up like adding an entire new California to the grid. Those are the needs. Every permitting delay costs our economy and our Nation. Delays mean higher utility bills. Delays mean paychecks are lost, money doesn't get earned. Delays mean fewer investments in our communities. This is all unacceptable.

We need to produce more American energy, and we need to produce more in order to lower costs. The best way to spur the government to issue permits is to impose strict deadlines and to stop these endless lawsuits. It seems that builders need a clear yes or no. And once approved, they need certainty that their permits will endure. That has been a real problem.

There is a law called NEPA. It stands for the National Environmental Policy Act. It is the biggest obstacle. NEPA essentially halts any and all development in its tracks. NEPA was enacted in 1970, and it required costly and sprawling environmental reviews.

America was built by men and women of daring. Now they face delays.

Our forefathers laid steel across mountains, they poured concrete into canyons, and they built towering skyscrapers that still inspire the world. Americans forged our Nation's future with speed and with purpose.

We built the Empire State Building in a little over a year. We built the Hoover Dam in just 5 years. We built the 2000-mile Transcontinental Railroad in just 6 years. That was a long time ago. You could get things done.

Today, a single environmental review with NEPA can take 4 years or longer just to get the review done. That means you can't start construction without spending at least 4 years in the penalty box.

It is embarrassing that it takes so long to approve everyday projects today, much longer than it took to build the wonders of the modern world.

Right now, $1.5 trillion in critical infrastructure is trapped. It is trapped in the desks of unelected, unaccountable, heavyhanded bureaucrats. The money can't move, and Americans pay for every year a project sits on those desks.

To make matters worse, NEPA is also the most litigated of all Federal environmental laws. If you want to do something, you are going to get sued. On average, over 100 lawsuits related to NEPA are filed every year. Malicious lawsuits filed by radical environmental activists lead to higher costs, more delays, no progress. Too many prefer legal molasses to affordable oil and gas.

Just last year, the Supreme Court voted unanimously to limit the scope of NEPA in terms of all these environmental reviews, which have grown dramatically. Justice Kavanaugh wrote in the majority opinion that NEPA has become ``a blunt and haphazard tool employed by project opponents . . . to try to stop or at least slow down new infrastructure or construction projects.''

The Supreme Court's unanimous opinion is right. NEPA was once called the ``environmental Magna Carta.'' Today, it is a regulatory Berlin Wall.

Since day one, President Trump has prioritized rolling back burdensome regulations. The President has accelerated the permitting process--rightly so. Americans are already seeing the results. We are producing a record amount of energy. But we can do more, and we must do more, and we must do it quickly.

Now is the time for Congress to act. I am soon going to introduce legislation to break the bottlenecks in Federal permitting. This is the No. 1 way to boost American energy and mineral dominance, and to lower prices, lower costs, and lower what has to come out of people's pockets.

My legislation will encourage access to oil and gas resources on Federal lands and offshore. It will also enact commonsense judicial reforms to NEPA.

The Senate has a good start on the permitting process. Senator Manchin and I introduced the Energy Permitting Reform Act of 2024. We did that when we were at the Energy Committee together. This was bipartisan legislation designed to fix the Nation's permitting process and the rules. It was carefully negotiated over the course of an entire year, and it earned strong bipartisan support. It passed our Energy and Natural Resources Committee 15 to 4.

Today, Senator Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia and Senator Mike Lee of Utah are taking the lead to advance commonsense permitting reform using this model as a background. Senator Capito chairs the Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works. Senator Lee chairs the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. They are the key committees for permitting reform. Senator Capito and Senator Lee are doing exemplary work. It is time for all Senators to find common ground on permitting.

Americans still know how to build. We build the best in the world, and we want to build. We are a nation of builders, and we are not a nation of waiters.

That is where we are. We need to get this done, and it is time for America's permitting process to get out of the way.

I yield the floor.

I suggest the absence of a quorum.