Floor Statements

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of Calendar No. 356, S. 2563.

I ask unanimous consent that the committee-reported substitute amendment be considered and agreed to; that the bill, as amended, be considered read a third time and passed; and that the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate now proceed to the en bloc consideration of the following resolutions, which are at the desk: S. Res. 655 and S. Res. 656.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the resolutions be agreed to, the preambles be agreed to, and that the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table, all en bloc.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today, it stand adjourned until 3 p.m. on Monday, March 23; that following the prayer and pledge, the Journal of proceedings be approved to date, the morning hour be deemed expired, the time for the two leaders be reserved for their use later in the day, morning business be closed, and the Senate proceed to executive session and resume consideration of the Mullin nomination; further, that all time during recess, adjournment, morning business, and leader remarks count postcloture on the Mullin nomination; finally, that if any nominations are confirmed during Monday's session of the Senate, 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, if there is no further business to come before the Senate, I ask that it stand adjourned under the previous order.

The following Senators are necessasrily absent: the Senator from Utah (Mr. Curtis), the Senator from Montana (Mr. Daines), the Senator from Kentucky (Mr. Paul), and the Senator from Montana (Mr. Sheehy).

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

The following Senators are necessarily absent: the Senator from Utah (Mr. Curtis), the Senator from Montana (Mr. Daines), the Senator from Kentucky (Mr. Paul), and the Senator from Montana (Mr. Sheehy).

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 when the Senate completes its business today, it stand adjourned until 12 noon on Sunday, March 22; that following the prayer and pledge, the Journal of proceedings be approved to date, the morning hour be deemed expired, the time for the two leaders be reserved for their use later in the day, morning business be closed, and the Senate resume the House message with respect to S. 1383.

For the information of my colleagues, we expect a cloture vote on the Mullin nomination at 1 p.m. tomorrow.

Mr. President, if there is no further business to come before the Senate, I ask that it stand adjourned under the previous order following the remarks of Senators Lee, King, Kim, and Blumenthal.

I yield the floor.

Mr. President, the Senate will soon confirm Markwayne Mullin to be the new Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security.

It is critical at this time that we have a fully functioning and fully funded Department of Homeland Security. The American people need that to keep all of us safe. We are going to do very well having Senator Mullin's trustworthy leadership in place.

Today, the Department is not fully funded--it is not funded at all-- because of the Democrats. We just had the Democrat leader on the floor of the Senate saying he wants to vote against funding the Department of Homeland Security, and he says he plans to do it again today.

Right now, the Department of Homeland Security is shut down, people are

unpaid, and the Democrats are the ones that continue to proudly say that they are the ones defunding it. For 35 days, they have blocked every effort to reopen the Department of Homeland Security. It is time to vote to get it open again.

Americans need and deserve safety and security. The Democrats are preventing it. Americans all around the country are on high alert because they have seen multiple attacks by radical Islamic terrorists across the streets of this Nation. Americans have died, and blood is on their hands.

A terrorist forcefully rammed his truck loaded with explosives into a synagogue and a preschool in Michigan. There were staff there. There were teachers. There were 100 children inside. Had it not been for the quick-acting security guards, many of those inside would have been killed. We later learned that that terrorist's brother was a commander in the terrorist group Hezbollah.

Here in Virginia, at Old Dominion University, another terrorist shot and killed a decorated ROTC instructor.

In New York City, two terrorists threw homemade bombs into a crowd. The terrorist admitted to authorities later that they had hoped to hurt or kill more people than were killed by the bomber in the Boston Marathon.

In Texas, a terrorist shot into a crowded establishment. He was wearing a T-shirt that said ``Property of Allah.'' Three people were killed, and dozens were wounded.

It is not just the kinetic attacks; it is also cyber attacks. Iran this week launched a major cyber attack on a major medical device company in Michigan. Because of that attack, hospitals around the Nation had to temporarily pause transmitting vital-sign data from patients under treatment.

The attacks continue, and the Democrats continue to defund our Department of Homeland Security.

The Wall Street Journal noted this week that the cyber attack we just witnessed against the medical device company shows the reach of Iran's cyber capabilities.

The Department of Homeland Security was set up after the 9/11 attacks in 2001. They are there to prevent all of these kinds of attacks, and the Democrats have shut it all down. Because of the shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security by the Democrats, our Nation is vulnerable to terrorist attacks on multiple levels--physical, cyber.

Republicans stand ready to end this shutdown today. We want to end it today. We are going to vote today.

The minority leader was on the floor, and he said: Well, tomorrow, we are going to have a vote about trying to change committee assignments and move something over there and move it around, and we will just deal with one part of it.

The country needs to be protected. The American people need to know that they are safe in their communities.

The White House has outlined an entire list of bipartisan solutions to address the concerns that the Democrats have raised. They include expanding the use of body cameras for officers and making IDs for officers clearly visible. Democrats have rejected all of these good-faith offers. They rejected bipartisan solutions. Instead, they once again are trying to peel apart the Department of Homeland Security.

This is a comprehensive Department put together after a terrorist attacked us in our homeland, and it is to protect the people in this country. Piecemeal Democrat bills cannot hide the fact that Democrats caused this current shutdown. If they think they can avoid blame for this shutdown of American security, they are wrong. The people understand that the Democrats are standing between their own securities in their own homes and the terrorists who are out there.

I think Democrats ought to pay attention to President Obama's Secretary of Homeland Security. His name is Jeh Johnson. We have all worked with him. He had a warning just this past weekend for the Democrats. He said this:

If ever there were a time we needed to fund the Department

of Homeland Security, it's right now.

He went on to say:

[We] need all 22 components of Homeland Security

functioning all at once, side-by-side.

Not piecemeal, torn apart, which is what the Democrats are trying to do.

This is a statement of a Democrat. He ran the Department for President Barack Obama, and he is telling the Democrats on the floor: Fund all of it.

Senate Democrats have clearly lost their direction, and they have lost the argument. Even Democrats are saying they are wrong.

One of the components of the Department of Homeland Security is something called Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The American people are well aware of that.

Senator Schumer was on the floor making a comment about them a few moments ago. He said they are controversial.

Well, just a few years ago, Senator Schumer had something very different to say to NBC News. He said:

ICE does some functions that are very much needed.

Apparently, he doesn't think any of it is needed today. Now he wants to abolish ICE. He has said it. Democrats want to abolish ICE. They have said it. They want to defund law enforcement. You have seen the chants. You have seen the people: ``Defund the police.'' ``Defund ICE.'' They don't seem to care about the safety and the security of people in this country. They seem to want to stand more with illegal immigrant criminals than they do with American people. This is a radical position. It is now also the default policy of the Democrat Party.

So what are the necessary functions that Senator Schumer might have been talking about a few years ago when he said ``ICE does some functions that are very much needed''? Well, one of those is called Homeland Security Investigations. They are part of Immigration and Customs Enforcement--the part he wants defunded. He wants it all gone.

Mr. President, 7,100 special agents work for Homeland Security Investigations. They do vital work that keeps America and Americans safe. This week alone, these hard-working agents helped to seize over 170 pounds of methamphetamine in Utah. Additionally, they arrested a child trafficker in California who was trafficking not one but two children. They helped to investigate and arrest an illegal immigrant in Louisiana who was a member of the terrorist group MS-13. That is this week.

They want that entire Department gone. The American people need them. We need that level of security.

Senate Democrats are now defunding the American heroes who stop drug cartels, who stop terrorists, who rescue children from human traffickers.

The actions of the Democrats continue to make our Nation less safe. It is time for them to join us in protecting the Nation's security.

So we are going to vote again today. We are going to vote to fund the Department of Homeland Security, and we will fund it right away today, fully, immediately. The Democrats are going to have to say whether they are going to stand with us and the American people or they are once again going to stand against safety and security. They are the only ones standing in the way, and blood is on their hands. The American people will hold them accountable.

I yield the floor.

The following Senators are necessarily absent: the Senator from Alabama (Mrs. Britt), the Senator from Montana (Mr. Daines), the Senator from Nebraska (Mrs. Fischer), the Senator from Kentucky (Mr. Paul), the Senator from Montana (Mr. Sheehy), the Senator from Alabama (Mr. Tuberville), and the Senator from Mississippi (Mr. Wicker).

Further, if present and voting: the Senator from Alabama (Mrs. Britt) would have voted ``yea'' and the Senator from Alabama (Mr. Tuberville) would have voted ``yea.''

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 rise today to pay tribute to Patrick Sheehan, my military and veterans liaison. Patrick is a native of Casper and graduated from Natrona County High School and the University of Wyoming. For over 4 years, Patrick has been an invaluable member of my team in Wyoming. Patrick is a veteran, having spent 12 years in the Air Force as a security forces defender. He served across the country and around the world with multiple Middle East deployments, including Iraq and Afghanistan. He later served as a member of the Wyoming Veterans Commission.

These experiences paved the way for his service to veterans across Wyoming. Patrick has an ability to connect with veterans and get them the help they need, while cutting through the bureaucratic redtape. In his time in my office, Patrick worked over 1,000 cases helping veterans and their families across and in every corner of Wyoming. As he moves on to his next journey, he leaves behind a legacy of unyielding advocacy for the Wyoming men and women who have answered the call to serve their country. I cannot thank Patrick enough for his hard work, dedication and his service to Wyoming and our Nation.

Mr. President, I rise today to recognize the 90th anniversary of the Wyrulec Company, a rural electric cooperative dedicated to serving electric power to southeastern Wyoming and western Nebraska.

On April 16, 2026, the Wyrulec Company will celebrate 90 years of service during its annual membership meeting, held at the Goshen County Fairgrounds in Torrington, WY. It is an opportunity for members to highlight Wyrulec's proven record of providing reliable, affordable power to Wyoming.

The Wyrulec Company has the distinction of being the first rural electric cooperative in the State of Wyoming. In 1936, after Congress passed the Rural Electrification Act, residents established the cooperative to bring electricity to rural areas long left without access to this essential service. They were confident the benefits of providing reliable rural electric services would transform daily life for members.

At the time, most farms and ranches operated without electricity, relying on labor-intensive methods for everyday tasks. But by December of 1937, electricity was flowing to Wyrulec's members, marking a historic turning point for rural Wyoming.

The advent of accessible electricity had a profound impact on the co- op's members. It fundamentally reshaped agricultural production for the area's farmers and ranchers. Wyrulec's formation also influenced regional economic development. Rural electrification connected Wyoming's isolated communities in a way never seen before.

Wyrulec began with just over 100 members. Today, it serves 2,463 members. The company is a Touchstone Energy cooperative that receives its power primarily from the Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association and the Basin Electric Power Cooperative. It services five counties in Wyoming and Nebraska with over 2,000 miles of transmission line.

Wyrulec goes above and beyond to provide top-notch customer service. Experienced linemen, foremen, and supervisors are on call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, working to ensure the lights stay on. These dedicated workers often leave their families to brave hazardous conditions to repair broken lines and restore energy.

Wyrulec's ongoing efforts to maintain and modernize its electric systems support agriculture, small businesses, schools, and essential services, strengthening the economic stability and resilience of rural Wyoming.

Wyrulec is deeply committed to giving back. Beyond delivering power, Wyrulec supports Wyoming through infrastructure development, local employment, and community support initiatives. It offers incredible opportunities for young people, including energy leadership camps and scholarships. The co-op's Operation Round Up program provides financial assistance to local causes. Wyrulec's cooperative model prioritizes the needs of its members while reinvesting resources in the communities it serves.

The success of the Wyrulec Company can be credited to its experienced leadership. The organization's leadership includes:

Ryan Schilreff, General Manager

Dewey Hageman, Board President

Mark Knaub, Board Vice President

Kenda Knudsen, Board Treasurer

Ben Scott, Board Secretary

Kyle Kilty, Board Assistant Secretary

It is an honor to celebrate this significant milestone for the Wyrulec Company. Its legacy of serving rural Wyoming with reliability, innovation, and community focus has strengthened local economies and improved overall quality of life.

Wyrulec's resounding success stands as a testament to the strength of the cooperative model and the enduring spirit of innovation and collaboration in rural Wyoming.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today, it stand adjourned until 12 noon on Saturday, March 21; that following the prayer and pledge, the Journal of proceedings be approved to date, the morning hour be deemed expired, the time for the two leaders be reserved for their use later in the day, morning business be closed, and the Senate resume the House message with respect to S. 1383.

Mr. President, for the information of my colleagues, we expect two votes at approximately 1 p.m. tomorrow.

If there is no further business to come before the Senate, I ask that it stand adjourned under the previous order.

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

Mr. President, in today's Democratic Party, common sense is not very common.

Photo ID requirements are the definition of common sense. You need an ID to buy a beer. You need an ID to board a plane, to cash a check, as you do in so much of American life. Why would you not need one to cast a vote in an election?

The SAVE America Act simply says you need to be a citizen of the United States to register to vote and you need to show a photo ID in order to vote, plain and simple. This is in no way controversial unless, of course, you are a Senate Democrat because, this week, every Senate Democrat--every Democrat who is a Member of this body--has now been put on the record right in this very Chamber.

Republicans support photo ID. Every Democrat in this Chamber voted against it, and that includes Senator Schumer, the minority leader in the Senate. And apparently, Senator Schumer was for it before he is now against it--because, 30 years ago, then-Congressman Chuck Schumer of New York was a champion of photo ID. He stood on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives and he argued to the body that IDs are necessary and they were necessary to stop illegal immigrants from receiving welfare. He was for it before he was against it--because, today, the same Senator Schumer from New York has called photo IDs ``fringe.'' He did it right here at that podium on Monday afternoon.

Did he change his beliefs, or did his party change their demands?

The minority leader is not alone. There is actually a video--and it is worth watching--of President Barack Obama. He was voting in his reelection election in 2012. He was going to vote. Can you guess what the video shows? Well, let me tell you. The video shows President Barack Obama presenting his photo ID in order to vote. He was President of the United States. He was on the ballot. He was probably the best- known person in the entire world at the time, and even President Barack Obama had to prove who he was when he showed up to vote.

Democrats are completely two-faced on this because, just recently, one of our Democrat colleagues, a Senator from the State of Georgia, demanded voters show photo IDs if they wanted to attend one of his political rallies. So you need to show a photo ID to get into his rally, but you don't need to show a photo ID in order to vote--oh, no. Two-faced, double standard, not common sense, out of touch with the American people.

The mayor of New York City--and he is, of course, the face of today's Democratic Party--he is an avowed socialist; he admits it out loud. He told New Yorkers, if they wanted to help shovel snow in the city during the storm, you need to bring not one but two forms of ID to prove who you were.

If you need an ID to get welfare, to attend a Democrat campaign rally in Georgia, or to shovel snow in New York City, you should absolutely need to show a photo ID if you want to vote in an election in America. Photo ID is a norm in democracies all around the world. All but one country in Europe requires a government-issued photo ID in order to vote. And 36 States in America, including Wyoming, my home State, require voters to present an ID when arriving at the polls.

It can't be what Senator Schumer called fringe. It can't be fringe to adopt a common practice in America in 36 States and around the world. That is what Chuck Schumer and the Democrats think is fringe.

So why do Democrats continue to oppose the SAVE America Act? What is it that they are trying to protect?

Yesterday, I spoke on this floor about the mess in the State of Oregon. Oregon hands out driver's licenses to illegal immigrants--easy to get. In Oregon, a driver's license comes with automatic voter registration. You get a driver's license, you are of age, you are automatically registered to vote in the State of Oregon. As a result, from 2021 through 2024, hundreds of illegal immigrants were given driver's licenses and then automatically added onto Oregon's voter rolls.

People are astonished when they hear this. Oregon is still scrambling to try to clean up the mess. When Americans hear stories like this, they lose faith in our elections and in our system. The real voter suppression threat is not photo ID, but it is Americans losing trust in our elections. That is what we need to be concerned about. They lose trust when they learn that illegal immigrants are on the voter rolls, are being allowed to vote.

Photo IDs restore the trust that our system needs. It reduces fraud, and it sends a simple message. It sends the message that your vote matters and that elections are decided by your fellow citizens, not by illegal immigrants.

Democrats protect their own campaign rallies with ID requirements, yet

they encourage voting without IDs. Why do our elections deserve any less scrutiny than Democrats' own campaign events? Not a single Democrat will come to this floor and explain that to the American people. Tell us why. That is what I would say to the Democrats: Come to the floor, and tell us why you need a photo ID to get into your events but you don't need one to vote.

Every American should support elections that are fair, secure, and transparent. The SAVE America Act makes photo ID the law of the land, and it is the best way to ensure that our elections reflect the will of the American people. It is, by every measure, common sense, and that is exactly why every Democrat in this Chamber voted against it.

Department of Homeland Security

Mr. President, now, on a separate matter, today, the Department of Homeland Security remains closed. It has been shut down by the Democrats for over a month. The Democrats shut it down. Now they want to peel it apart, and they refuse to reopen it.

Remember, the Department of Homeland Security was put into place after the terrorist attacks 9/11 of 2001. It was established as a comprehensive program to protect our Nation's security. The Democrats want to peel it apart.

As they are playing their political games, people are suffering. We are seeing long security lines at airports, thousands and thousands of TSA employees missing paychecks, and at the same time, there have been multiple terrorist attacks on American soil.

Here is what one Democrat Member told Axios this week. He said:

[W]e're making people hurt.

Oh, I bet he is real proud of that. That is the Democrat answer:

[W]e're making people hurt.

Apparently, this is what the Democrats want to pitch their voters on:

[W]e're making people hurt.

It is much worse. The Democrats have blood on their hands. Today, Democrats have blood on their hands. Democrats continue to prioritize illegal immigrant criminals over American citizens. It has been going on a long time, and it continues today. That is why they are holding hostage the Department of Homeland Security.

I want every American to know why this is happening because, for more than a month, Republicans have tried to negotiate with Democrats, all aimed at reopening the Department of Homeland Security so we could have a secure America. But in spite of good-faith efforts by the White House--and they have outlined and laid out a long offer--the Democrats continue to say: No. Stay closed.

The offer addresses mutual concerns and areas of cooperation. It includes IDs on the officers and body cameras. At the same time, the proposal protects the ability of law enforcement officers to uphold our immigration laws.

Remember the laws that Biden ignored and had 10 million illegal immigrants flooded into our country over the 4 years that the Democrats were in charge here and Biden was in the White House and the criminals that came with them?

That is what the Democrats want to protect. Those are the people that the Democrats are focused on: the illegal immigrant criminals rather than the safety and security of the American people.

We come up with reasonable offers, and the Democrats have responded first with silence, then with spin. But not once have they come up with solutions. This is a basic betrayal and a blatant betrayal of the responsibility that all elected officials have to protect the American people.

The Democrats are way off base.

Let me tell you what this means. In Georgia, the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center, which trains Federal law enforcement officers in over 100 different Agencies, it is shut down right now. In Nevada, a field office for the Homeland Security Investigations unit that combats fentanyl and other drugs, it is unfunded. In Washington State, major upgrades for the Coast Guard at the Seattle Polar Security Cutter home port, they are on delay.

None of this makes America stronger. None of this makes America safer. It makes America weaker.

It is time to fully fund the Department of Homeland Security. The American people know that it is the Democrats who are the ones standing in the way of their own personal safety. It is time for Democrats to get on board and fund the Department of Homeland Security.

I yield the floor.

Recognition of the Minority Leader