Floor Statements

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

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to waive the mandatory quorum call with respect to the cloture motion on Collins substitute amendment No. 6732.

Mr. President, just before I begin my remarks, I would associate myself with the remarks of my colleague from South Dakota pertaining to the Postal Service and their work in South Dakota. If there was a way to build an incredibly inefficient model, they have figured out how to do it. It needs to be fixed. I share his view, and we will work with him to insist and ensure that they make changes that improve the service that affects the constituents, the people that we represent and serve.

Republican Party Accomplishments

Mr. President, when this Congress began last year, we had a long to- do list. The American people had made their priorities clear. As I said from the start, this Republican majority was ready to deliver. Republicans were committed to strengthening our economic future, ending the Biden border crisis and making America safer and stronger in the years ahead.

That is exactly what we have been working on these last 19 months, and the American people are seeing the results of our efforts.

The clearest example came this April when 90 percent of Americans saw a tax cut which meant more of their hard-earned money stayed in their pockets instead of going to the IRS. That was thanks to the Working Families Tax Cuts. That was Republicans' top priority last year.

The American people had suffered for years through an inflation crisis caused by Democrats' reckless spending, and they were facing a massive tax hike, $2,500 for a typical family in my State if Congress had failed to act. But the Working Families Tax Cuts made sure that tax hike never came.

Republicans delivered permanent--permanent--tax relief that benefited 97 percent of taxpayers this past year. We implemented new tax cuts like no tax on tips or overtime, raised the child tax credit, gave seniors an additional $6,000 deduction, and provided America's small businesses and family farms and ranches with significant and permanent tax relief too.

And Republicans haven't just put more money in hard-working Americans pockets. We have been working to bring down costs, and one of the ways we are doing that is by lifting unnecessary and burdensome regulations that drive up the cost of things that Americans need.

We passed the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act, which cuts redtape and that has contributed to home ownership becoming more affordable for many Americans.

We did away with Biden-era regulations that would have driven up the cost of household appliances and energy. We got rid of electrical vehicle mandates that were going to force Americans into pricey electric cars that they didn't want, and we have taken concrete action to drive down costs at the pharmacy counter as well.

We passed a law to ensure that patients get the savings from any discounts or rebates from their purchases at the pharmacy counter and their healthcare plans. We removed incentives for pharmacy benefit managers to promote higher priced medications at the expense of seniors. And we approved access to more affordable generic drugs. These are policies that change the math of families' budgets: more money in their pockets, lower costs for the things that they need. And beyond that, we have also taken actions to strengthen our economy for the long term.

We have seen positive news about a boost in manufacturing in our country thanks, in part, to the Working Families Tax Cuts. Other provisions in that law make education pathways more affordable, strengthen our skilled workforce, and create opportunity for the future. The law also bolstered programs that America's farmers and ranchers depend on, and the Working Families Tax Cuts made a generational investment in rural healthcare providers in all 50 States, putting those providers on a more secure path forward so that Americans in rural areas can continue to have access to quality, affordable healthcare close to home.

I mentioned that ending the border crisis was another priority for the Senate majority, and we didn't waste any time getting to work on that either. The first bill we passed was the Laken Riley Act, requiring that illegal immigrants who are arrested for certain crimes aren't put back on the streets.

We also passed the HALT Fentanyl Act to ensure that law enforcement has the tools it needs to go after fentanyl and fentanyl analogs that have taken too many--too many--American lives.

And then there is the border itself. President Trump took swift action to secure the border early last year, and in the Working Families Tax Cuts, we provided the resources necessary to hire more agents, finish the border wall, and keep the border secure permanently.

Today, illegal border crossings have slowed to a trickle. It has been like that for just about the entire Trump administration, an incredible feat considering how bad things were under President Biden. And thanks to our efforts, the resources are in place to ensure the border stays secure for the long term.

Beyond the border, we have also been focused on strengthening our military. The Working Families Tax Cuts made a generational investment in our military readiness. We complemented those efforts in last year's annual Defense bill which, among other things, made significant reforms to the way the Pentagon does business to ensure that tax dollars are being spent to maximum efficiency and effectiveness for our men and women in uniform. And this year's National Defense Authorization Act builds on those efforts as well.

We have been busy. The Senate has taken close to 900 votes since last January. We have been in Washington a lot more than in previous years.

We have also done a lot of things that haven't been done in a number of years. As I said, we made generational investments in border security, military readiness, and in rural healthcare. We approved the most significant tax relief bill in decades. We confirmed 21 Cabinet nominees faster than the last three incoming administrations. And we passed the first crypto bill ever. We approved a rescissions package that cut billions in Federal spending for the first time in literally three decades.

Our work continues. Earlier this afternoon, we passed the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act, giving the President critical tools to bring peace to Ukraine. We also approved another slate of 74 Trump administration nominees, bringing our total to 590. And I expect to move forward on additional items very soon.

We have been working our way through our to-do list and delivering real wins for the American people. And the work goes on.

I yield the floor.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that notwithstanding rule XXII, the Senate vote on the cloture motion with respect to the motion to proceed to S. 4668 at a time to be determined by the majority leader, in consultation with the Democratic leader, no earlier than September 15 and no later than September 23.

Mr. President, I also ask unanimous consent that all pending amendments and motions be withdrawn and the only amendments remaining in order be the following to be offered by the sponsor or their designee and with 2 minutes of debate, equally divided, prior to each vote: Collins No. 6732; Collins No. 6750; and Budd No. 6747; further, upon the use or yielding back of that time, the Senate vote in relation to the Budd amendment, if offered; and upon disposition of the amendment, the Collins amendment No. 6732, as amended, if amended, be agreed to; that the bill, as amended, be read a third time and the Senate vote on passage of the bill, as amended, with 60 affirmative votes required for passage; finally, if passed, the Collins amendment to the title, No. 6750, be agreed to and the title, as amended, be agreed to and the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table with no intervening action or debate; further, that following disposition of H.R. 6500, the cloture motion with respect to the Blanche nomination ripen and, if cloture is invoked, all time be expired and the Senate vote on confirmation of the nomination and, 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 and the Senate resume legislative session; provided, that it then be in order for the

Senator from Ohio Mr. Husted or his designee to move to proceed to S. 5271 and present a motion to invoke cloture on the motion to proceed and the motion ripen immediately and the Senate vote on the motion to invoke cloture without intervening action or debate; provided, that if the cloture motion is agreed to, the motion to proceed be agreed to and that there be up to 2 hours of debate on the bill, with no amendments or motions in order, and that upon the use or yielding back of that time, the bill be read a third time and the Senate vote on the bill with a 60-affirmative vote threshold required for passage; further, if cloture on the motion to proceed is not agreed to, it then be in order for the majority leader to make a motion for the Senate to adjourn pursuant to this order and if the Senate has agreed to a motion to adjourn pursuant to this order, when the Senate completes its business on Saturday, August 8, following the recognition of the majority leader to dispense with wrapup items, the Senate convene for pro forma sessions only, with no business conducted, on the following dates and times: August 10 at 10 a.m., August 13 at 8 a.m., August 17 at 1:30 p.m., August 20 at 11:30 a.m., August 24 at 12:30 p.m., August 27 at 8 a.m., August 31 at 11:30 a.m., September 1 at 12:30 p.m., September 4 at 10 a.m., September 8 at 1:15 p.m., and September 10 at 3 p.m.

Mr. President, I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Madam President, I ask unanimous consent to waive the mandatory quorum calls with respect to the Blanche nomination and the cloture motion on the motions to proceed to S. 5271.

Madam President, I move to proceed to Calendar No. 547, S. 5271.

Madam President, I move to adjourn pursuant to the previous order.

Madam President, I move to proceed to executive session to consider Calendar No. 902.

Madam President, I send a cloture motion to the desk.

Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate resume legislative session.

Madam President, I move to proceed to Calendar No. 423,

Madam President, I send a cloture motion to the desk.

Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that notwithstanding rule XXII, at a time to be determined by the majority leader in concurrence with the Democratic leader, no later than Friday, October 2, H. Con Res. 89 be discharged from the Committee on Foreign Relations and the Senate proceed to its consideration; further, there be 6 hours of debate only, with time divided between the leaders or their designees on the concurrent resolution and that following the use or yielding back of that time, the Senate vote on adoption of the concurrent resolution.

Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that all Members of the Republican conference be authorized to sign duly enrolled bills or joint resolutions from August 7 through September 14.

Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that notwithstanding the upcoming adjournment of the Senate, the President of the Senate, the President pro tempore, and the majority and minority leaders be authorized to make appointments to Commissions, Committees, Boards, Conferences, or Interparliamentary Conferences authorized by law, by concurrent action of the two Houses, or by order of the Senate.

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.