Floor Statements

The following Senator is necessarily absent: the Senator from South Carolina (Mr. Graham).

Mr. President, I would like to take the opportunity to express my appreciation to Hadley for her hard work as an intern in my Washington, DC, office. I recognize her efforts and contributions to my office, as well as to the State of Wyoming.

Hadley is a native of Washington, DC. She is currently a junior at Madeira School in McLean, VA. She has demonstrated a strong work ethic, which has made her an invaluable asset to our office. The quality of her work is reflected in her great efforts over the last several months.

I want to thank Hadley 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 we proceed immediately to the vote.

Mr. President, I ask for the yeas and nays.

The following Senator is necessarily absent: the Senator from South Carolina (Mr. Graham).

The following Senator is necessarily absent: the Senator from South Carolina (Mr. Graham).

Mr. President, this week, I had an opportunity, as part of Veterans Appreciation Week, to speak with incredible Wyoming veterans from all across our State. I thanked them for their service and also took the opportunity to listen closely to their concerns.

On Tuesday, Senator Cynthia Lummis and I hosted a telephone townhall meeting with Veterans Affairs Secretary Doug Collins. Also, Col. Tim Sheppard, who is executive director of the Wyoming Veterans Commission, joined us on the call.

The call was very productive and informative. Wyoming veterans shared their experience directly with Secretary Collins. They shared with us what works with the VA and how improvements can still be made. We heard many ideas for improvement. Suggestions ranged from changes to online scheduling to more flexibility for out-of-State appointments.

Secretary Collins took this feedback seriously. He himself is a veteran. He knows that the VA is too bureaucratic. He is committed to fixing it. So I am proud to partner with him to deliver the care that our veterans deserve.

On Wednesday, here in Washington, I met with 16 Wyoming Vietnam veterans. They came to town to visit their

memorial. These 16 veteran heroes come from across the State: Guernsey, Thermopolis, Powell, Casper, Cheyenne, Mountain View, Douglas, Newcastle, and Green River. Their stories of service and sacrifice are moving.

This weekend in Wyoming, we will be holding ``Welcome Home'' events across the State in Afton, Riverton, Sheridan, and Wheatland. It is a welcome home many veterans from Vietnam never really received. It is sad to report but true. This weekend, we honor all of our Wyoming veterans.

Wyoming has one of the highest per-capita rates of veterans in America. The pride in those individuals runs deep.

It is an honor to represent them here in the Senate, and I am going to continue to listen to the concerns of our veterans and work to improve the care they need and continue to honor their sacrifices.

Electric Vehicle Mandate

Mr. President, on another matter, in 2024, in November, on election day, voters demanded more economic freedom and less government overreach. President Trump and Republicans in Congress heard them. The State of California did not.

California wants to export its radical and impractical electric vehicle mandate to all 50 States. California's mandates are a progressive power grab. They dictate what cars and what trucks Americans can buy and can drive. These mandates aren't limited to California; they are calculated to control the policy of the entire Nation.

Congress must now act to protect the rights of the American people to drive the gas-powered vehicles they want to drive. Last week, House Republicans--with 35 House Democrats joining all of the Republicans-- voted to defend that freedom and to defeat this California mandate, and it is now up to the Senate to finish the job.

California mandates spread far and wide. They affect 133 million Americans--nearly 40 percent of the population of this country. Here is why: Twelve States copy the California mandate to ban gas-powered cars by 2036. Ten States copy the California mandate to ban gas-powered trucks by 2036. These include large-population States, like New York.

Even the junior Senator from California admits that California's liberal mandates affect the entire country, and he says he is very proud of it. The American people think differently.

The Washington Post reported last month that ``Americans are losing interest in EVs.'' That is the quote. The Washington Post: ``Americans are losing interest in EVs.'' Interest in owning an EV has dropped 8 percent since 2023.

The message is clear: Americans don't want these EVs even when the government tries to bribe them--bribe them--into buying them and using them. People want to buy the car and truck that works best for them and where they live and the life they lead.

The average price of an electric vehicle is $62,000, which is $16,000 more than comparable gas-powered vehicles. The California mandates that the Democrats are pushing would raise prices even more. It would also limit options.

This isn't progress. This is a policy that punishes working families, punishes farmers, punishes truckers, punishes the people that live in rural areas.

Worse, EV batteries rely on China. Eighty percent of EV battery components come from China. Republicans here in the Senate are fighting to end America's dependence on China. The California mandate supported by the Democrats makes that dependence even more dangerous. It risks our safety, it risks our security, and it risks our strategic independence.

The Biden administration used its final days in office to grant California permission to export its EV mandate across the country. They did this just 1 month before President Trump took office. They had already lost the election. They already knew the American people rejected what they stood for. Yet they still tried to push this onto the American people, and are trying to push it today.

This is midnight meddling. Senate Republicans are ready to use the Congressional Review Act to stop it. We will protect Americans' rights--the rights to purchase a gas-powered vehicle. That is what we are fighting for, and we have every right to do so.

California's mandates have already taken root in a dozen States. They affect 40 percent of all the new light-duty vehicle registrations and a quarter of the new heavy-duty vehicle registrations nationwide. They clearly affect the kinds of vehicles which will be manufactured and sold in America. These California mandates affect the cost and the availability of gas-powered cars and trucks all across the country, even in the States that do not adopt the mandates.

To my Democrat colleagues who will tolerate California controlling what Americans can drive: Do you think the American people really support what you are trying to shove down their throats? No, they don't.

No wonder the Democrats lost the election.

Are the Democrats willing to strip consumers and small businesses of their right to choose the vehicles that work for their needs and for their budgets? Do Democrats want to continue to protect the failures and the fallacies of the Green New Deal? Or for once, will the Democrats join Republicans who are trying to protect working families?

It is no surprise, then, that Republicans have become the party supporting and protecting the rights of working families. People have rejected the Democrats.

The Senate also needs to reject the cheerleading by these climate extremists for more regulations by unelected bureaucrats, but that is what the Democrats are here supporting. The Senate should use the Congressional Review Act to reject this Joe Biden midnight madness. By doing so, we would be protecting consumer choice, protecting affordability, and protecting congressional authority.

It is time to put Americans, Mr. President, back in the driver's seat.

I yield the floor.

The following Senators are necessarily absent: the Senator from Wyoming (Ms. Lummis), the Senator from Idaho (Mr. Risch), and the Senator from Mississippi (Mr. Wicker).

The following Senators are necessarily absent: the Senator from Indiana (Mr. Banks), the Senator from Iowa (Ms. Ernst), and the Senator from Mississippi (Mr. Wicker).

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

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

The following Senator is necessarily absent: The Senator from Arkansas (Mr. Cotton).

Mr. President, I understand that there is a bill at the desk from Senator Merkley, and I ask for its first reading.

Mr. President, I now ask for a second reading, and in order to place the bill on the calendar under the provisions of rule XIV, I object to my own request.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today, it stand adjourned until 10 a.m. on Thursday, May 8; 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 Calendar No. 24, S.J. Res. 7, and at 11:15 a.m., the joint resolution be read a third time, and the Senate vote on passage of the joint resolution; further, that following disposition of the joint resolution, the Senate resume consideration of Calendar No. 65, H.J. Res. 60, the joint resolution be read a third time, and the Senate vote on passage of the joint resolution; finally, that upon disposition of Calendar No. 65, H.J. Res. 60, the Senate resume consideration of the motion to proceed to Calendar No. 66, S. 1582, the GENIUS Act, and at 1:45 p.m., the Senate vote on cloture on the motion to proceed.

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 that during my speech, I have the opportunity to display some of my father's remembrances from World War II.

Mr. President, I rise today to honor Military Appreciation Month. It is a time to renew our commitment--our Nation's commitment, our individual commitment--to those who defend our Nation. They defend our freedom. They have done it in the past, they are doing it today, and they will continue to do it into the future. Most importantly, it is a time to say thank you.

In Wyoming, our pride in the military runs very deep. This Saturday in Wyoming, there will be welcome home ceremonies. They will actually be in a number of communities throughout the State. This originally began as a welcome home to Vietnam veterans, who were never given the proper welcome home when they came home from the war. This weekend, all Wyoming veterans will be honored and welcomed home.

Tens of thousands of servicemembers, veterans, and military families live in Wyoming. Our airmen at F.E. Warren Air Force Base maintain our Nation's nuclear deterrent. Our Wyoming National Guard--they are ready to serve, and they are ready to serve at a moment's notice.

All of them embody America's spirit. It is a privilege to represent each and every one of them here in the U.S. Senate.

Let me take you back a moment to the changing world happening in 1945--May 8, 1945. It was Victory in Europe Day--VE Day. On that day, the world celebrated the triumph of liberty over tyranny. That triumph of liberty was paid for by the blood and the bravery of 16 million Americans who served, and one of those was my father.

I have his dog tags with me. I carry them whenever I travel overseas, whenever I visit our veterans, and whenever I visit our men and women in uniform. I did it earlier this year in Jordan and in Syria. I did it at Thanksgiving in the Middle East. I did it last spring in Djibouti where we had members of our Air National Guard serving there.

I also have his prayer book called ``My Military Missal.'' These were given out in World War II in the Battle of the Bulge. They used them, and the back was a rosary, the beads printed in there as if in braille, with a crucifix. And this rosary has been well-worn, used by his thumb because he was walking and had it in his pocket on patrol.

He signed up 3 days after Pearl Harbor, my father did. He fought through

the war, through the bitter cold of the Battle of the Bulge, didn't come home until the war was over. My dad called the men who were with him in uniform at the time ``ordinary men with extraordinary courage.'' Their lessons endure today. Weakness provokes, but strength deters.

Here we are 80 years later, and we face a dangerous world. Our enemies are aggressive, menacing, and powerful. Very few of those men who fought in World War II are alive today--very few. We celebrated the Battle of the Bulge and had ceremonies with those few in Bastogne this past December. They are gone. There is a next generation today and a generation after that. And under the bold leadership of President Trump, our military is rising to meet the challenge that we are facing today. And we are today restoring peace through strength.

In 100 days, President Trump and Secretary of Defense Hegseth have made our military stronger and, of course, more respected around the world. Recruiting is soaring. The last month was the best month in almost 40 years.

I was in Mills, WY, for a pancake breakfast for the Lions Club on Saturday morning. I met two young men who were helping to volunteer serving pancakes. One is going to go to the Naval Academy and one to West Point. The next generation: Ready to serve, ready to defend, ready to protect.

So what we are seeing today is maintaining military strength at a time where investment is needed, and that is what this Congress is debating--because the ``greatest generation'' built the arsenal of democracy and we carry that on by modernizing our military.

Under unified Republican government, America is embracing the new technology, such as artificial intelligence, to outpace our adversaries. We are rebuilding our industrial base. We are expanding shipbuilding so our Navy remains the world's finest. And, boy, what a reputation the Navy SEALS have, and the Presiding Officer's long and distinguished history of service to our Nation--now in the Senate but prior to that in the military and your wife, as well.

We are improving the quality of life of servicemembers and their families because a supported military is a strong military. We are creating an Iron Dome for America so our Nation is safe from danger. In all, we are investing more than $150 billion in peace through strength. These efforts, backed by bold leadership, equip our military to deal with life in a dangerous and menacing world.

Military strength is not enough. VE Day reminds us that defending freedom also demands moral clarity. That means championing the values of liberty and justice, the values that Americans have always stood for.

The minutemen of Lexington and Concord stood for them, the paratroopers of Normandy stood for them. Wyoming's troops serving around the world today continue to stand for them.

I visit with Wyoming troops every year overseas at Thanksgiving. I go wherever they are. It started in 2007, my first year in the Senate, when I visited troops in Iraq, outside of Baghdad, Andar province.

I try to visit every deployment of our National Guard. I just got back from visiting the troops in the Middle East in March. I go for the purpose of thanking them for their service and bringing a little piece of Wyoming today to wherever they are in the world. And when you go visit with them you ask: Do you have everything you need? Is there any way we can be helpful? But they want to talk about home. They want to talk about how the hunting was, how the weather is, how the football team has done. They want to talk about their families, which community they were from, and then their mission to make sure that the folks at home are protected so they can return to Wyoming and be with them once again.

Those currently deployed overseas are eight time zones away. You know, you want to make sure they have everything they need, and they do in terms of what they are getting in terms of supplies; they just miss a little bit of home in Wyoming.

We are blessed to have these soldiers. We are blessed to have soldiers from all of our States serving like this. People from all different backgrounds come to serve, and today I just want to be here to remember our history and think about the sacrifices that so many continue to make.

We honor them by doing what we need to do here to make sure that they are equipped to fight the modern threats that they face. We honor them by uniting as a nation to support them. We honor them by making sure that they have veterans healthcare available to them in their communities. I talked to Veterans Affairs Secretary Doug Collins about making sure that the veterans have what they need, and he as a veteran is committed to that.

Today we celebrate Military Appreciation Month, so let's thank our heroes who fought for our liberty. Thank them who served today; thank their families; thank them who have sacrificed as the Presiding Officer and his family have done. That is a commitment. Because of their courage, America remains safe; it remains free. And with bold leadership like we have today, it will stay that way.

I yield the floor.

The following Senators are necessarily absent: the Senator from Texas (Mr. Cruz), the Senator from Alaska (Ms. Murkowski), the Senator from Idaho (Mr. Risch), and the Senator from Indiana (Mr. Young).

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