Floor Statements

I ask for the yeas and nays.

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

Mr. President, I have five requests for committees to meet during today's session of the Senate. They have the approval of the Majority and Minority Leaders.

Pursuant to rule XXVI, paragraph 5(a), of the Standing Rules of the Senate, the following committees are authorized to meet during today's session of the Senate:

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today, it stand adjourned until 12 noon on Friday, November 7; 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, and the Senate be in a period of morning business, with Senators permitted to speak therein for up to 10 minutes each.

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

Mr. President, 1 year ago today, the American people rejected high prices; they rejected open borders; they rejected the weakness of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris. One year ago today, the American people voted to get America back on track, and they did so by voting for a unified Republican government.

Republicans won a historic victory. President Trump won every single battleground State in America. He won the popular vote. He moved over close to 3,000 counties to the right. That is 89 percent of the counties in the United States. Senate Republicans won a 53-seat majority, and House Republicans maintained the majority as well.

Americans gave us a mandate to secure the border, to rebuild the economy, to unleash American energy, and to restore America's strength.

Here we are 1 year later, and America is back on track. The results are undeniable. For the first time in years, America's borders are secure. For the last 5 months, absolutely zero illegal immigrants have been released into our Nation. Gone are the days under Joe Biden when 10,000 illegal immigrants poured into our country each and every day. When Joe Biden was President, over 10 million illegal immigrants flooded into our Nation. Illegal immigrants were incentivized to come here with the promise of free healthcare, with the promise of free airplane tickets, with the promise of free hotel rooms and free food and free meals and free cell phones.

That era is over. President Trump is successfully removing illegal immigrant criminals from our Nation, taking them away from communities all across the country. Republicans in Congress are finishing the wall, hiring more border agents, and investing in Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The drug cartels are clearly on notice: The border is closed, and America is once again protecting our citizens.

Today, our communities are safer, and the economic turnaround has been equally dramatic. America's energy dominance is back. Gas prices have dropped to the lowest point in 4 years. AAA reports prices are expected to continue to fall and perhaps stay low over the busy Thanksgiving period that is upcoming. Inflation has cooled. Things are more affordable. Remember, under Joe Biden, prices soared by more than 21 percent. Under President Trump, private sector real wages are up over $1,100 a year. The economy grew 3.8 percent in the second quarter of this year. We are seeing strong economic growth, and more strong economic growth is expected. The Atlanta Federal Reserve predicts third-quarter growth could be 4 percent--even greater economic growth.

You might ask yourself, what is at the heart of this economic comeback? Well, let me tell you. The working family tax cuts, which passed the Senate, passed the House, and were signed into law by the President--that is at the heart of our economic comeback.

This is the most pro-worker, pro-family tax relief in years. In Wyoming alone, families could save $2,400 this year because of the tax cuts. Waiters, barbers, and bartenders keep $1,300 more by having to pay no tax on tips. In my home State and in the Presiding Officer's, nurses, firefighters, and police officers can keep $1,400 more by having to pay no tax on overtime. New parents get a $1,000 Trump account for every newborn child, to invest in their future, and parents get a bigger child tax credit: $2,200 more per child. Seniors are going to keep more as well. There is a new $6,000 deduction on Social Security income. Clearly, the Presiding Officer has heard it, and I have heard it at home as well: Farmers, ranchers, and small business owners are getting relief from the much-dreaded death tax. That is what it means to stand with working Americans.

Let's be clear. If the Democrats had had it their way, families would be

paying much more in taxes--a lot more. Every single Democrat voted for the largest tax increase in American history. Every single Democrat voted for a $4 trillion tax increase. Had Democrats succeeded, families, seniors, and small businesses would have been financially crushed.

Every Democrat voted for the government to take more of people's hard-earned money. Republicans said people should keep their hard- earned money. Republicans voted for Americans to keep what they earned. That is the difference between Republicans and Democrats.

One year ago, American voters rejected a weak America and also rejected a dangerous world. Today, we see the resurgence of American strength. We are defending our interests and deterring our enemies around the world. Military recruitment has surged to its highest level in 15 years. Morale is high. Deterrence is back.

President Trump successfully crippled Iran's nuclear program. He strengthened the success of the Abraham Accords. He secured the release of the hostages in Gaza. He ended wars around the world not once, not twice, but eight times. President Trump is the President of peace, and he is achieving this peace through American strength and leadership.

These are the policies that Americans want, need, and voted for when they elected President Trump President of the United States once again.

Regrettably, Senate Democrats still can't bring themselves to support the success. They voted against securing the border, against lowering taxes, against strengthening Medicaid, and against everything that helps working families.

Here in the Senate, for months, they delayed hundreds of routine and bipartisan nominees. It was an unprecedented blockade.

Now Democrats have set a new, shameful record. Today, they broke the record for the longest government shutdown in American history. Let me repeat that. Today, the Democrats have broken the record for the longest shutdown in American history.

During the 36 days of the Schumer shutdown, Democrats have voted against reopening the government 14 times. That is 14 votes against paying our troops, 14 votes against paying our Federal workers, 14 votes against paying our air traffic controllers, 14 times against Border Patrol agents, and 14 times against paying our TSA agents.

The Democratic Party has been hijacked by socialists, and now they are holding the American people hostage. Why? Well, it is because the Democrats have become radical and extreme. Gallup pollsters tell us that only one in three Democrats is proud to be an American. Can you imagine that. Only one in three registered Democrats is proud to be an American. That is half the number it was last year.

The party of J.F.K. is gone, and it is now the party of AOC. Democrats are now the party of socialism and censorship, of weakness and wokeness. They even brag about it, as we saw last night in New York.

Yesterday, in New York City, they elected as mayor a socialist who wants to defund the police, abolish prisons, and give illegal immigrants free healthcare. That is who the Democrats have chosen as the mayor of New York City. That is the Democrats' vision of America's future. It is a dangerous vision. It is a destructive vision.

One year ago, Americans chose a better path. They chose safety, prosperity, and common sense. As a result, today, America is moving in the right direction, and we are going to continue to fight to get America back on track.

I yield the floor.

The following Senator is necessarily absent: the Senator from Utah (Mr. Lee).

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

Mr. President, I have seven requests for committees to meet during today's session of the Senate. They have the approval of the Majority and Minority Leaders.

Pursuant to rule XXVI, paragraph 5(a), of the Standing Rules of the Senate, the following committees are authorized to meet during today's session of the Senate:

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the consideration of S. Res. 484, which is at the desk.

I ask unanimous consent that the resolution be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, and that the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table with no intervening action or debate.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the consideration of S. Res. 485, which is at the desk.

Mr. President, I know of no further debate.

I ask unanimous consent that the preamble be agreed to and that the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table with no intervening action or debate.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today, it stand adjourned until 10 a.m. on Thursday, October 6; 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, and the Senate be in a period of morning business, with Senators permitted to speak therein for up to 10 minutes each; further, if Senator Kaine makes a motion to discharge S.J. Res. 90, the Senate vote on the motion to discharge at 5 p.m.

Mr. President, 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, I ask unanimous consent to waive the mandatory quorum call with respect to the motion to proceed to Calendar No. 168, H.R. 5371.

Mr. President, this morning, Wyoming mourns the passing of Vice President Dick Cheney.

His career has few peers in American life. He was a high school football star in my hometown of Casper, WY, at Natrona County High School. He was White House Chief of Staff for President Ford. He represented Wyoming in Congress for 10 years, and he actually served as the Republican whip in the U.S. House of Representatives. He served as Secretary of Defense for our Nation and was Vice President of these great United States of America. His unflinching leadership shaped many of the biggest moments in domestic and U.S. foreign policy for decades.

Dick is going to be remembered as a towering figure who helped guide the course certainly in Wyoming, also in the United States, and, of course, around the world.

My prayers are with his wife Lynne, his daughters Liz and Mary, and with his grandchildren as they celebrate this incredible man.

Government Shutdown

Mr. President, on a separate matter, this weekend, 42 million struggling Americans lost access to food assistance. Many are suffering. Many are sacrificing.

This weekend, 1.8 million Federal workers missed a paycheck. Their bills are mounting.

This weekend, thousands of flights across the country were delayed, and today, air travel is less safe and less dependable.

These are the latest consequences of the Schumer shutdown of our Nation's government. These are real people, they are feeling real pain, and it didn't have to be this way.

Republicans and a few reasonable Democrats have voted 13 times now to reopen the government. We voted to prevent this suffering caused by the Schumer shutdown. Senator Schumer and the Democrats in the Senate voted 13 times against a clean, bipartisan continuing resolution to reopen the government. Democrats voted 13 times against paying our troops. Democrats voted 13 times against paying air traffic controllers. They voted 13 times against TSA agents and having them paid. They voted against paying the Border Patrol time and time again. They voted 13 times against funding food assistance for struggling families. They voted against funding Head Start for young children.

Today is day 35 of the Schumer shutdown. Democrats have now tied the record for the longest shutdown in American history. And for what? That is the question--for what? What have they gained? Have Democrats become more popular? No. They are the weakest they have been and at their lowest numbers in the past 20 years. Why? Because Americans are paying attention. Americans resent being used by Democrats as political pawns. They hate it.

The impact on the economy is dramatic. The Congressional Budget Office has looked into this and reports that the Schumer shutdown could cost our economy as much as $14 billion.

Even Democrats' supporters in the unions are pleading with the Democrats to open their minds and open the government. The president of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association supports a clean continuing resolution. He said it. He said this Friday. He said this-- Democrats--``It is incredibly unfair to expect hard-working, patriotic American air traffic controllers and their families to bear the full burden'' of this shutdown that the Democrats have caused.

The president of the Teamsters Union has repeatedly urged Democrats to reopen the government. He said just on Thursday:

Put the politics aside, get to the table, negotiate a deal,

pass a clean CR right now.

That is what the American people say. That is what the polls are showing.

There is no reason to shut down the government. The government should be open, and we should be negotiating these things. The government shouldn't be shut for any of these reasons.

The head of the American Federation of Government Employees said:

Both political parties have made their point.

He went on to say:

It's time to pass a clean continuing resolution and end

this shutdown today.

That is what I have been trying to do, but 13 times, the Democrats said: Nope. The government is staying shut down.

This union president went on to say:

No half measures, and no gamesmanship.

It is time for the Democrats to stop playing games.

The president of the Southwest Airlines Pilots Association likewise said:

The biggest way to ensure the safety, security and

reliability of our national air traffic control system is to

pass a clean continuing resolution.

Democrats are going to have a chance again this morning.

Major airlines agree. United, Southwest, Delta, American--all of them support immediate passage of a clean, bipartisan continuing resolution.

American Airlines was blunt:

A prolonged shutdown will lead to more delays and

cancellations--and the American people, especially during the

. . . holiday season, deserve better.

I agree. The American people deserve better than what the Democrats have been doing for the last 30-some days, with the longest shutdown now in the history of the country.

These are Democrats' allies who are saying these things--supporters, contributors. They are saying enough is enough. These are the people who have supported the Democrats for decades, and the Democrats continue to ignore all of them.

Federal workers want to reopen the government. Democrats tell them: Nope. No. No. No.

We know better than you do, they say.

As a result, the pain continues. We are seeing it today all across the country.

Each day, the Democrats grow more radical, more reckless, and more extreme in what they are doing by keeping the government shut down while people are suffering, struggling, concerned about their own futures, concerned about their lives. People resent the way they are being treated by the Democrats who continue to shut down the government.

The Democrats have said it. You have heard them. Senator Schumer said it boldly and proudly. He said to the press--the first lines out of his mouth in an interview with Punchbowl News was ``Every day gets better for us.'' That is Chuck Schumer. ``Every day gets better for us,'' he said. I don't know who the ``us'' is. It is not the people I talk to in grocery stores in Wyoming or the people I ran into on the plane flying back here. It is not those folks.

The House Democrat whip freely admitted--she said:

Of course there will be families that are going to suffer.

I guess by ``suffer'' she means ``don't have food to feed the kids.'' That is what she said.

Of course there will be families that are going to suffer .

. . but it is one of the few leverage times we have.

The Democrat whip in the House is saying people suffering because kids can't eat is leverage for the Democrat party. This is heartless. It is mean. That is what the Democrat party has become.

Senator Chris Coons of Delaware told a national television audience a week ago--he said:

Frankly, this is our . . . moment of leverage.

He referred to the shutdown as an ``unpleasant tool.'' The tool is the

shutdown itself. It is the pain, the uncertainty, the missed paychecks, the mounting bills, the grounded flights, the chaos in American lives, and they call that an unpleasant tool that they continue to use, and the American people are suffering as a result.

Knowing all of that, we had Senator Ruben Gallego of Arizona--who is, of course, testing the waters for a Presidential run; been all around the country; does not hide this from anybody--he declared proudly--he said:

I'd just go back and shut it down again.

Just think about that. This is a tool that the Democrats are using, causing pain to the American people, and one of their potential candidates for President wants to do it all again. This is just wrong.

Democrats have to be seeing the hardship. They have to be hearing the people's voices and the people in pain. But still, one of their standard bearers to lead the country says: We are going to do it again.

This is a choice by the Democrats. They call the pain the American people are suffering ``leverage.''

Look, enough is enough. The American people deserve better. Republicans stand ready to open the government today. We are going to have that vote. We support a clean, bipartisan continuing resolution to reopen the government, to pay our troops, to pay our Federal workers, and to restore vital services. That is what we ought to be doing, and on this, the Republicans will not budge.

The American people have suffered long enough. The Democrats have caused too much suffering. It is time for the Democrats to reopen the government.

I yield the floor.

The following Senator is necessarily absent: the Senator from North Carolina (Mr. Tillis).

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

The following Senator is necessarily absent: the Senator from North Carolina (Mr. Tillis).