Floor Statements

Mr. President, to the younger generations who know September 11 only through history, we must preserve not only the memory of that day, but also the guiding example set by those who responded. The legacy of September 11 is one of courage over fear, service over self, and unity over division.

Today, we honor the individuals whose lives were cut short, the families who continue to bear their loss, and the first responders whose bravery became a lasting testament to the best of America. May we never forget their sacrifice. May we continue to support those who wear the uniform of the fire and emergency services. And may we strive each day to keep building a nation worthy of the courage they displayed on one of our country's darkest days.

Mr. President, we go through periods here in the U.S. Senate where there are frustrating issues that we deal with. There are hours of unknown as to what is going to happen. Are we going to be able to make something happen? Are we making a difference? And some days can be particularly discouraging.

We have a long way to go before this day is through, but to be here at the midpoint of this day and to be able to, as my colleague and friend from Delaware has stated, to be able to celebrate an accomplishment is a reminder that we do good here. And we don't do good on our own. It takes teamwork. It takes cooperation and collaboration. It takes advocacy. This is really what makes me just filled with a level of optimism and hope as we are talking about where we are at this moment for the ALS community.

The House passed the Accelerating Access to Critical Therapies for ALS Act. We call it ACT for ALS. They passed it a few weeks ago, and then the Senate was able to pass it in wrapup. Yes, that means it passed by unanimous consent here yesterday. We are now in the final step of reauthorizing a program that is making a real difference for people living with ALS.

I think it is so important to just take a step back and say ``What does that mean?'' because we have not found the cure, unfortunately, for ALS. This legislation is not about this magical treatment that has come to be. But what we were able to do working together now 5 years ago when we passed the ACT for ALS Act, we created this pathway for individuals. It is kind of a roadmap. We said: If you are not eligible to participate in clinical trials to access investigational treatments, there is another way here for you.

We provided some pretty important funding to NIH and to FDA to accelerate the research, to improve the data sharing, to help speed up the development of new therapies. But what really comes about with ACT for ALS is it gives people who are living with ALS the opportunity to try.

Just let me try something. It might not work, but let me try because right now, the diagnosis I am living with offers no hope.

So this is something that gives those living with ALS some hope. This is a program that works. So we passed it 5 years ago. What we have now done is a reauthorization that allows us to build on this progress that we have made to ensure that individuals that are living with ALS can continue to access these clinical trials and the programs that

continue to meet the needs of the patients and the researchers.

Senator Coons has mentioned the advocacy. Those caregivers, those who stand with and are wrapping their arms and their hearts around their loved ones who are dealing with ALS--this is about hope for them as much as those who are living with this dread disease.

My friend has acknowledged the names of those he calls friends.

Dan Tate--I was able to receive a text message on passage of the reauthorization here saying, you know, ``Go dudes'' or something like that. I don't know that I am a dude, but I loved the enthusiasm he had.

Brian Wallach has been an extraordinary partner over the years. You mentioned Sandra Abrevaya. Absolutely.

Then there is my personal advocate, my cousin Jenny Dwyer. It was through Jenny's husband Pat that our family learned of ALS, as Pat lived with ALS for 8 years; and as a family, we came to not only understand the disease and the awful progression, but it allowed us to understand some of what families go through who live with the almost daily heartbreak as you are watching your loved one progress through this diagnosis.

So to the advocates: Know that your work matters. Know that your stories matter. Know that you have made a difference.

So we are pleased to be able to be at this place where we can move to finally get this reauthorization into law. We have to work things through the two bodies here and get it signed in.

There is more that we have to do. We are working on some good things as the cochairs of the ALS Caucus--the Justice for ALS Veterans Act, which is a really good one, and the ALS Better Care Act. Again, these address some of the challenges that face individuals with ALS as well as their families when they are trying to access the care and access the benefits after a loved one has passed.

We know that for those that are living with ALS, every day matters, every day is precious, and we cannot afford to lose momentum when promising therapies are being studied. I am reminded if not weekly, maybe daily sometimes that people are waiting. People are waiting, and they are counting on us to show up for them.

So to all those in the ALS community: Thank you for your advocacy. Thank you for your heart and your passion and your persistence but also your willingness to open your hearts and to share your stories so that we can also become motivated and tenacious on your behalf.

I am very grateful for my friend from Delaware. It is hard, as I hear stories of your dear friend and as he goes through these stages of this disease. And know that even though I have not met Jack, he is in my heart as well, as well as the many, many whom we are advocating for.

With that, I thank again not only Senator Coons but all Members here in the Senate that have joined us in this effort to end ALS.

I yield the floor.

Madam President, I move to proceed to Calendar No. 320, H.R. 6500.

Madam President, I come to the floor today to congratulate my friend and former colleague in the Alaska State Legislature. This is an individual for whom I have great respect, Senator Lyman Hoffman.

Senator Hoffman is retiring after nearly four decades of service to Alaska. Few legislators leave behind legacies that are measured not only by their years of service but by the generations of lives they have improved. Senator Hoffman--the alltime longest serving member of the Alaska State Legislature--is one of those rare public servants.

Throughout his nearly 40 years in office, Lyman has dedicated himself to improving the lives of Alaskans, particularly those in our State's most remote and underserved communities. It has truly made a difference for them.

Everyone who has spent time in the capital city of Juneau knows exactly where the center of gravity has been. It has been with Lyman.

We have all come to appreciate and value his experience, his knowledge, and, really, the wisdom the man has. At first, you wouldn't expect it, as he comes across as kind of a quiet guy with a gruff, deep voice. It is true to

say he is a man of not too many words, but he is also a man who knows just exactly the right thing to say and the right time to say it.

There have been many a legislator who have found themselves in some pretty tense budget negotiations in the senate finance committee. Senator Hoffman holds the gavel there. And in those settings, he can unnerve the most senior lawmaker just by sitting very quietly through an entire committee meeting before offering just a few choice words.

When Lyman does speak, everybody listens because, again, he has this remarkable--almost uncanny--ability to cut through the politics and just focus on what really matters. And that is Lyman. You aren't going to win a staring contest with him, but he can steer an entire negotiation with just a few carefully chosen words.

As the longtime cochair of the senate finance committee, Senator Hoffman has become one of our State's most influential leaders. Through administrations and periods of economic uncertainty, he has earned bipartisan respect for his careful stewardship of public resources, deep institutional knowledge, and the ability to build practical consensus.

And perhaps the accomplishment for which Senator Hoffman will be best remembered is Alaska's Power Cost Equalization Endowment. He worked, actually alongside, my father Gov. Frank Murkowski, and Lyman secured the long-term future of a program that helps make electricity more affordable in rural Alaska. Out in these regions, costs can be astonishingly high and can take up to half of a household's budget. But, today, PCE is a major success. Its endowment exceeds over a billion dollars, and it continues to serve families and schools and health clinics and businesses across rural Alaska.

Lyman is a little bit predictable, and I say that because I could always--always--count on Lyman Hoffman to ask me the hard questions. And I would give my annual address to the legislature, and Lyman would be sitting in the back of the chamber there. He would raise his hand, and he would say ``What are you doing to make energy cheaper?'' or ``What are you doing to help rural Alaskans?''

And I always knew it was coming. I always knew it was coming because Lyman was consistent that way. He was practical and he was purposeful and his clear focus--``What are you doing to help rural Alaskans?'' ``What are you doing to help lower energy costs?''--that helped guide me here on my own in the Senate.

Because what Senator Hoffman understands is that energy policy is not just kilowatts and price per barrel; it is about whether families can afford to heat their homes, whether elders can stay warm in the wintertime, and whether communities have the opportunity to grow. And, again, this is where Lyman made his mark.

As a leading advocate for Alaska's statewide weatherization program, he helped secure more than $600 million to make homes more efficient for Alaskans. And, again, his work reflected a very simple belief: that every Alaskan, no matter where you live, deserves a safe, warm home.

From the days that we served in the State legislature to the present, Lyman Hoffman has represented not only his district--which covers Southwest Alaska and out in the Aleutians--but really he helped all rural Alaska with genuine distinction and giving them voice, giving them hope, and delivering real results.

And just as important as those results is the example Lyman has set as a public servant. He has demonstrated that lasting public policy is built through collaboration, rather than division. His influence extended far beyond the bills that he passed, shaping both the great State that he loves, the individuals who have served alongside him, and those that will follow him.

And as I speak to Senator Hoffman's impressive legacy, I also want to acknowledge that no public servant achieves these things alone. Behind every legislative session, every late-night budget negotiation, and every year devoted to serving Alaska, stood some key people--certainly his staff over the years, but always--always--Senator Hoffman's family. His wife Lillian was always there. His children Trina and Douglas--I know that the family made countless quiet, meaningful sacrifices to make all this work possible. So you too deserve to be recognized.

Alaska is stronger because Senator Lyman Hoffman chose to dedicate his life to others, and his work will continue to benefit our State for generations to come.

So congratulations, Lyman Hoffman--my friend Lyman. Thank you. At some point--at some point--the special legislative sessions will end, and you will be able to conclude this incredible chapter of service to our State. And when that day arrives and long into the future, Alaskans will remember you. We will celebrate you, and we will remain grateful for all that you have done.

I yield the floor.

And I thank the Senator from Wyoming for the opportunity to speak.

Mr. President, I have four 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 come to the floor this evening to speak about legislation that I have recently introduced as chairman of the Indian Affairs Committee, alongside my friend Vice Chairman Schatz. The bill that we have introduced is the Native Children Commission Implementation Act.

Before I get started explaining our legislation, I want to recognize the Tribal leaders, the elders, the youth, the children, and the families who flew in last week for a congressional staff briefing to share their perspectives on the bill and the importance of it but also to help educate members and staff about the importance of the bill.

As events turned out, it was unfortunate that I was not here on that day due to my having a family emergency back home, but I was able to tune in virtually. It was 5:45 in the morning Alaska time, and I was able to beam in. I have to say I can't tell you how proud I was to see the Senate Indian Affairs hearing room. It was packed literally

wall to wall, which was a reminder to me of how this legislation has captured the attention of so many people who believe that Native children deserve every opportunity to thrive.

I was particularly grateful to the Tribal leaders, to Native youth, to advocates, and to commissioners who traveled from Alaska and across Indian Country all to be there. I really think that their presence, their stories, and their unwavering commitment have really brought this legislation to life.

I also want to acknowledge and thank my colleagues Senator Schatz and Senator Smith for joining the event and helping to mark this important milestone. Together, they made it clear that this was more than just the introduction of a bill; it was the continuation of a movement--a movement that has been built on years of partnership, of perseverance, and on hope.

I want to take a moment to specifically recognize Gloria O'Neill, who chaired the Alyce Spotted Bear and Walter Soboleff Commission on Native Children. Gloria and her fellow commissioners have devoted years to traveling throughout Indian Country. They have listened to Native families and have brought forward recommendations that are rooted in the voices of the communities themselves, and we owe them a great deal of gratitude for their work.

Earlier this year, I joined the Alaska Federation of Natives and Tribal leaders for a gathering to recognize their work behind this effort. We were upstairs in the Hart Building, up on the ninth floor--a big room filled with Native leaders really from across the country--and I was deeply, deeply honored to be gifted the Mandan name ``Ho Hsiihe,'' meaning ``strong voice.'' This was gifted to me by Bheri Rose Hallam, who is the granddaughter of Alyce Spotted Bear. I was very humbled--very humbled--to receive the name, and I carry it as a reminder of the responsibility that we all share to continue the work that Alyce Spotted Bear and so many Native leaders began on behalf of Native children and families. That responsibility really is at the heart of why this legislation matters so deeply to me.

Thousands of bills, we know, are introduced each Congress, and every bill matters to someone, but this one is particularly important to me.

As I look at the Presiding Officer in the chair, I am reminded of his comments at an Energy hearing this morning when he spoke with deep passion and love and care for those children whom he didn't know-- children who had cancer. All he wanted to do was to be able to help them with a playground--a place to be happy, a place to feel good about being a child. So I know--I know--that he can relate when we talk about the important work we do for our children.

The story of how the Native Children's Commission began didn't start here in Washington. It began in Tribal communities. It began with parents who wanted better opportunities for their children and with elders who were determined to preserve their languages and their cultures. It began with such a great story. It began with the young people who stood up in front of hundreds of grownups, hundreds of adults, in a convention in Fairbanks years ago, where they had the courage to tell the leaders what they were experiencing. They asked us--they asked us--to do something about it. That, to me, is really where it begins.

So more than anything, this bill is about children.

Across Indian Country, too many Native children experience challenges that no child should have to face. Some have watched their communities suffer from devastating storms or natural disasters. Some have lost loved ones to violence, to addiction, to suicide. Others have entered foster care. They have struggled to access healthcare or behavioral health services. Or perhaps they have carried the weight of the boarding schools era, which has caused historical trauma that continues to affect families today after subsequent generations.

Those experiences are very real, but they are also not the whole story. If there is one lesson that I learned from traveling across my State and meeting with Tribal communities across Indian Country, it is that resilience is every bit as real as hardship. Native communities possess extraordinary strengths, and their strengths include strong families, vibrant cultures, enduring languages, and generations of wisdom that is passed from elders to the children.

Time and time again, I have watched grandparents teach language to their grandchildren. I have seen parents work tirelessly to create opportunities for that next generation. I have seen elders reminding young people of exactly who they are and where they come from.

That sense of identity and culture is so, so powerful. It gives children confidence. It creates belonging. It fortifies our families. It reminds us that the future of Native children is built not only by overcoming hardship but by building--building--upon the remarkable strengths that have sustained Native communities for generations. That understanding has shaped every part of this legislation whose path began more than a decade ago.

I mentioned the Alaska Federation of Natives convention. This was back in 2013. During one of the sessions--again, this is the largest gathering of Native people in our State--a group of young leaders-- kids, kids--from the village of Tanana stood up before Tribal leaders, community members, and elected officials. They stood on stage, and they spoke with an honesty and a bravery about what they were seeing in their community. They spoke of violence. They spoke of substance abuse and suicide. But what struck me most was not the hardship that they described; it was the hope they carried with them. Their message was so simple. It was so clear. It was ``Listen to us.'' The children were saying ``Listen to us, and then do something,'' and I have not ever forgotten those words.

Last summer, I heard from Natasha Singh. She is a leader from the Tanana region, and she shared that the chiefs there continue to meet with young people every year.

They ask: What progress have we made? What challenges remain? What more needs to be done? What more do we need to do to listen to you?

And that kind of accountability is really remarkable because it reminds us that leadership is not measured by the promises that we make but whether or not we are willing to answer for them.

It also reminded me that if Tribal leaders are willing to answer to their children, then Congress should be willing to do the same. So those young people challenged us more than a decade ago, and this new legislation is part of our answer. That conversation that we had in 2013 ultimately led to bipartisan legislation with my friend and former Senator Heidi Heitkamp, and we established the Alyce Spotted Bear and Walter Soboleff Commission on Native Children.

And the commission had a very straightforward but very important mission, and that was travel throughout Indian country, listen to Native children, listen to the families, to the Tribal leaders, to the service providers, the experts, and then come back and tell us here in Congress what is needed to improve outcomes for Native youth. That is exactly what they did.

Over several years, the commissioners visited communities across the country, and they heard some pretty tough stories. They heard some heartbreaking stories, but they also witnessed extraordinary examples of resilience, of innovation, and Tribal leadership. They saw communities creating culturally grounded solutions that were then strengthening families and improving health, supporting children, and really restoring hope.

And their work culminated in a report that they called ``The Way Forward.'' But that report was never meant to be the end of the conversation; it was only the end of the beginning.

And when the commissioners presented their recommendations to our Committee on Indian Affairs, they urged us; they said: Please, don't let this work become another report that just sits on the shelf and gathers dust. The families who shared their stories deserved more than that; they deserved action.

And so that is when we got to work. Over the last couple of years, we have worked closely with Tribal leaders, Native organizations, youth advocates, Federal Agencies, and Members of Congress on both sides of the aisle. We released draft legislation. We held hearings and roundtables. We invited the

criticism. We made changes. We refined provisions, added new ideas, and we remained focused on one goal, and that was honoring what Native communities told us they needed.

This bill is stronger because it was built with Native communities, not for them. The Native Children's Commission Implementation Act reflects a simple idea, and that is: If we want to improve outcomes for Native children, we cannot look at just one issue at a time.

And we know when we are talking about kids, you can't talk about life in separate categories. A child does not experience life in neat, clean, separate categories. Health is connected to education. Education is connected to housing. Behavioral health is connected to family stability. Parents cannot succeed if they can't find childcare. Children can't reach their full potential if they are hungry, if they are dealing with untreated trauma or disconnected from language or culture or identity. So our policies should recognize that reality.

And we do that within this legislation. It strengthens access to healthcare and behavioral health services. It supports Native education and language revitalization. It improves juvenile justice, public safety, housing, nutrition, workforce development, and research. And, more importantly, it recognized that Tribal communities are best positioned to lead these efforts because they know their children and their families, and they know them better than anyone else.

During a hearing earlier this year on a draft legislation, Joan Johnson of the Fort Belknap Indian Community shared a story of a young woman who entered the Tribe's Tiwahe wellness program, and the Tiwahe Initiative is a pilot program at BIA that assists Tribes in providing holistic services that promote everything from child safety to family stability and Tribal self-determination.

And Fort Belknap testified that their wellness program has removed the stigma of intervention by meeting families in their homes and helping them access care.

To understand the need to make this initiative permanent, Joan shared the story of a young woman who had struggled with addiction and homelessness. And the young mother shared, she said:

Tiwahe gave me the nudge I needed. They guided me to become

closer to my Creator and helped me learn who I am.

And, today, that young woman is sober. She is raising her children. And she is helping build a brighter future for her family.

And that transformation doesn't happen because Washington has all the answers. It happened because a Tribal community invested in one of its own. And we have learned from that, and we are seeking to codify Tiwahe as one important section in our legislation.

Councilwoman Johnson also described children who came into the Tiwahe program knowing they were Native, but not knowing their language, not knowing their traditions, or even their own family stories. And elders helped connect those young people with their identity. They learned their Native names. They participated in ceremony.

And many of those same young people eventually became mentors for the children who followed them. So healing became leadership; one generation began lifting the next.

We heard similar stories from Alaska where the Association of Village Council Presidents redesigned the way that families receive services. So instead of forcing parents in crisis--maybe it is addiction, maybe it is homelessness. But it is hard when you have so many disconnected programs. And so through this initiative, they brought education, employment, childcare, family services all together in one place. And so when you have got a family that is just facing so many big, big, heavy burdens, that kind of coordination can make all of the difference.

And these stories, again, remind us that the best ideas rarely begin in Washington.

And while I am proud to get to this point, which is our bill introduction, it is also a reminder that our work is just beginning. This legislation represents more than a decade of listening, learning, and working alongside Tribal leaders, Native organizations, families, and young people. And it reflects the belief that lasting change happens when we listen first and legislate second.

While this is an important step, what matters is that we keep moving forward because every recommendation in the report which was translated into this bill began with a conversation in a Tribal community.

And I am going to keep coming back to those young people from Tanana, because they said--it was more than a decade ago. They asked us to listen. And I hope--I hope--today they can see that we are listening. We are acting. The Native Children's Commission Implementation Act is not about creating yet one more Federal program or one more report that is going to sit on a shelf somewhere. It is about strengthening what is already working in Native communities. It is about trusting Tribal governments, investing in Native families, and ensuring--ensuring--that every Native child--whether Alaska Native, American Indian, Native Hawaiian--has the opportunity to grow up healthy, to grow up safe, connected to their culture, and confident in who they are. And that is a goal that should unite all of us.

So, today, I invite my colleagues--Republicans and Democrats alike-- to join Senator Schatz and me as cosponsors of the Native Children's Commission Implementation Act. Let's show that when Tribal communities speak, Congress listens. Let's turn their recommendations of ``The Way Forward'' report into meaningful action, and let's work together to build a future where every Alaska Native, American Indian, and Native Hawaiian child has the opportunity to not only overcome challenges, but to become those leaders of the next generation.

So I look forward to working with you and the rest of our colleagues to do just that.

With that, I yield the floor.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that privileges of the floor be granted to my second-session summer interns Leif Anderson, Bronwyn Brune, Lina Hischer, Victoria Bielefeld, Lydia Wies, Tessa Davis, Ole John Schuldt, Mary Cope, Preston Carter, and Soren Getti for the months of July and August of 2026.

Mr. President, I appreciate being here on the floor with my colleague from Oregon and working on this very important Ocean Observatories Initiative.

As he has outlined, understanding what is happening in our oceans is so key; it so critical. It is not just about how it impacts the fish and the habitat within our oceans; it is about the impact that our oceans have on the planet, recognizing that when you see warming waters, that has impact on the weather, on the jet stream, understanding all of that--understanding from the purposes of what it means from an industry perspective.

In my State and in the State of Oregon--also a State that has strong fisheries--it is important to understand the science so that we are making sound fisheries management decisions--sound for the fisheries and the resource itself, sound for the economies in those coastal communities that rely on them. So good science is really, really important.

As Senator Merkley has mentioned, we have an extraordinary system in place with this Ocean Observatories Initiative--a network of 900 deep- sea instruments that are providing real-time data to help us monitor the ocean conditions, predict extreme weather, and protect the coastal communities and maritime industries.

These are all over our oceans. As the Senator from Oregon has noted, the Coastal Endurance Array is in the Pacific Northwest. There is an array that is in the Gulf of Alaska, the Global Station Papa Array. This is 600 nautical miles off the coast, more than 2\1/2\ miles beneath the surface of the water. So these are down deep. These are gathering information that is hard to get. These are systems that are not only in the Pacific, but we have the array that is situated between Greenland and Iceland. I was just out in that region, and people were talking about the significance of the data that comes from this.

So, again, we have an extraordinary system that has been put in place, and then you have an announcement that caught everyone by surprise when the National Science Foundation said: We are going to begin dismantling one of our most complex ocean-monitoring systems.

This is all happening at a time when everybody is talking about El Nino and what that is going to bring in terms of the potential for extreme weather events. This is not the time to be turning off one of our most valuable scientific assets.

So this is an investment that has been made. It represents actually decades of investment. It makes the data publicly available so that every American--whether you are a fisherman, a university researcher, our U.S. Coast Guard who is performing rescue operations--they can all safely operate.

So Congress has made really clear that we intend to maintain this cost-effective system by ensuring that we have funding for the program in our annual appropriations bill. As appropriators, that is our job. And enough Senators and Congressmen have agreed that it was a prudent use of taxpayer dollars to do just that.

Normally, we would reiterate our intent through the appropriations process by funding the system and including language prohibiting funds from being used for the dismantling, but we just felt that time was of the essence. As the Senator from Oregon has noted, when they are dismantling--they have already begun as of yesterday--expedient measures are necessary.

Mr. President, I would ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of S. 4822, which was introduced earlier today.

I ask unanimous consent that the bill be considered read a third time.

I know of no further debate on the bill.

I ask unanimous consent that the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table.

Mr. President, I want to thank my colleague from Oregon. This was fast-moving. He and I were able to join together with letters. We were able to gather additional colleagues who weighed in on this. And then to be able to move with the consent of the rest of this body this evening to advance rapidly this measure I think speaks to the importance of the initiative itself.

But I also want to acknowledge the strong support from Senator Merkley in this initiative as we work to ensure that we have good, sound science and the investments that we have made to allow for that to continue. I just wanted to publicly thank him.

I yield the floor.

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. 776 and S. Res. 777.

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 10 a.m. on Thursday, June 18; 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 consideration of the House message to accompany H.R. 6644.

For the information of colleagues, there will be a cloture vote in relation to the Scott of South Carolina substitute amendment to H.R. 6644 at 11 a.m.; and at 1:45 p.m., we expect to vote on confirmation of the Holding nomination.

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

Madam President, like so many of us here in the Senate and really across the country, I think we have all been watching the news this weekend to see whether or not we would have an announcement from the Trump administration on a possible agreement to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and ensure that Iran never develops a nuclear weapon, among other objectives. I think the news this morning was promising, and we are all waiting to see what the contours of that agreement will be.

We can debate the way the administration started this war, but I certainly stand here today genuinely wishing the administration all the best in ending this on favorable terms. It would clearly be good for the region and it would be good for the world if the Iranian regime stops funding terror and permanently abandons its nuclear ambitious. I think we can all agree to that.

Yes, while there appears to be a final agreement, we haven't seen it yet. We want to have a good deal from the U.S. perspective. We are going to learn more this week. As we do that, I hope that things will begin to reopen and that we will be able to stave off what has been rapidly approaching in our energy markets, and that is what I want to speak to more directly today.

We know the basics here. All across the country, people and businesses are just paying a lot more for fuel. We have seen the prices go down a little bit today--that is good news--but the fact of the matter is, we have all felt the impact from rising prices.

The price of oil went up substantially during the war, and so did the price of gasoline, the price of diesel, of kerosene, of avgas, and other fuels as well. That is taking a toll. It is simply more expensive to drive, and it is more expensive to fly and to buy groceries. According to one estimate, the average American household has paid nearly $400 more for fuel since the start of the conflict.

As tough as that all is--and it has been. It has been very hard for many families. But it has also been somewhat tempered. For the past couple months, we have been emptying ships with fuel that had already transited the Strait of Hormuz. Some regional flows have been rerouted to bypasses. That has been good in terms of getting product out there. Some producers--

particularly here in the United States--have clearly stepped up their production, and we have seen how that has been able to soften things. China has reduced its imports, and refiners have adjusted their runs. So there has been a lot that has been going on in really trying to work to soften this impact. We have also tapped into commercial stocks and our emergency reserves through the Strategic Petroleum Reserve.

We have benefited from some sound policies that this country has put in place. It was not too many years ago that I was very proud to be able to lead the effort to lift the ban on crude oil exports, which, as we have seen, has greatly stabilized the markets here.

So far, we have avoided the energy crisis that many thought inevitable after so much global supply went offline, but I don't think we are out of the woods yet. Global oil inventories are now dangerously low, and many in the industry are sounding the alarm, and they are telling us things like: We are running out of runway here; that we have depleted our buffers and our shock absorbers; that inventories have declined to levels not seen for 40-plus years. And once no cushion is left, it is just really hard--it is hard to keep those prices down when you don't have the absorber here. I hope we are going to be able to avoid that, absolutely, because the consequences could be catastrophic in some places.

As a Senator from Alaska, I am keenly aware that even if most of the country is able to avoid the worst, there are some who won't be able to escape it. In fact, some are already living through it, and they are living in my home State right now in communities like Ambler and Galena and Mountain Village. What they are seeing is the impact of these rising prices that unfortunately are high now, but it is really hard for them to see relief in sight.

Even if the Strait of Hormuz fully opens this week, even if regional production and shipping come back much faster than projected, these Alaskans in these communities and around my State will continue to face the repercussions of this war and will for months to come. It is them that I want to draw attention to because, quite honestly, they need some help. They need and deserve help from every level of government-- starting in Alaska and primarily from the State of Alaska but extending to some reasonable actions we can take here.

Let me explain. How is the war in Iran impacting towns and villages more than 6,000 miles away in Alaska so much more so than in other places? Because I am hearing from all my colleagues that everyone is feeling the impact in their communities. So why am I standing here today to say that our situation is just a little bit harder, a little bit more challenging now, and why will those impacts continue even after the war is over?

So we can't have a discussion about Alaskan communities without putting it in context of the whole. Alaska is big. We all know Alaska is big--one-fifth the size of the United States of America. If you stretched Alaska over the lower 48 States, we would stretch from Florida all the way to these Aleutian Islands, all the way out to California, practically from the Canadian border going south. It is big, and in the midst of all this big geography, we have some 200 isolated communities around the State--20 percent of our total population--that are not connected by a road system.

So all these that you are seeing here, all around the outline and the perimeter of the State, all the way up to the North Slope--all that-- not connected by road, right? And down here in the section of the State where I grew up, this is all island, so nobody is connected by a road there. So you have the panhandle and the Aleutians and all of your coastline here that is not connected by road.

And so they are supplied by way of boats and planes to bring in the goods, to bring in food, the medical supplies, their mail, and their fuel, the fuel that they rely on. So many of these particularly small coastal communities, they are diesel-powered generation. So they rely on diesel to be able to keep their lights on. And sometimes they are offset by a little bit of wind, maybe a little bit of solar, but for the most part many of those communities are diesel-powered, so they rely on this as their fuel supply.

So how do you get your fuel? It is not like you can just call up the fuel barge any time of year--because once you get around here, you run into ice-choked waters all the way up to the top, rivers frozen over. And so in order to deliver the fuel, you have to wait until the ice has moved out, the ice has moved out of the area, melted.

And so this is the time of year. It is hotter than dickens here in Washington, DC, but back home the ice has really just left a matter of weeks ago to allow for these fuel barges to get up into this region to start resupplying these communities. So effectively what happens is, for most of these coastal communities and our river communities--the Kuskokwim coming up here and the Yukon coming up here is going all the way into Canada. For many of those communities, they get their fuel by the barges that come in here. They lighter on and take them up into smaller barges all the way up to rivers. So it may be July before they get the fuel, but it has really just started now, in June, where you see the first fuel delivered.

The second delivery is going to come typically in September before freezeup. And sometimes, in many of the river communities, it is just fuel delivery once a year because the water in the rivers may be low enough that you are not able to make it up all the way.

So it is expensive, right, if you have to haul all this. And I don't have my other map, but, you know, the State of Alaska is sitting right up here. We have to go through Canada. We have to go through the Gulf of Alaska, around through the Aleutians, to get all the way up. Transportation costs are high. So fuel was expensive even in these communities before the war.

So if you think $4 a gallon in Denver is bad, try $9 a gallon in Dillingham. Four dollars a gallon is bad in New Hampshire, but up here in Nuiqsut, it is about $14 a gallon. And these are prices that I had my interns check just last week. So these are the current prices. These are the current prices before we have had the spring barges coming in.

So think about what is happening in these communities. And in the hubs, like down here in Bethel or here in Nome or up in Kotzebue, the fuel barges--the spring barges--are arriving. And so the fuel prices that I just mentioned--$9 a gallon in Dillingham or $14 in Nuiqsut-- those prices are going to go up. We are looking at estimates of perhaps 50 percent or more. So this is sticker shock.

It is tough enough to see the increase with those spring barge prices coming on, but then, keep in mind, this is not just a blip. This is not just a temporary increase. These prices are going to last for months because that is the only way they can buy their fuel. They buy it in bulk. So these shipments have to last them either for the rest of the summer, through September; or, again, for some, it has to last them through the end of the year.

So what happens is they are locked into the fuel prices that they have paid in just the past month, 6 weeks, 2 months. They had to lock in at these high prices.

So the hubs are facing strains, but costs are going to be even higher for the communities that are upriver or inland from them. And not every situation is going to be the same, but you are probably going to have to add another couple of dollars per gallon for most of those folks that are inland. In the King Salmon area, right around down in here, you have got a small road that connects you to Naknek. I will be going there in a couple weeks. You can get groceries at the AC store, but it is a 15-mile drive each way and fuel is running about $9.11 per gallon. So you think about it; you don't just run off to the stores to go get some milk. It is not a cheap commute.

In Hooper Bay--here--where fuel costs almost $10 a gallon, residents are now paying $550 to fill up their fuel tanks. That is going to translate to more than $1,000 a month this winter. And, again, even if the oil prices continue to fall, as we have seen just from the news this weekend--again, that is good, but my fear is that these communities that we are seeing and I am talking about are not going to be able to benefit from it because, again, they had to buy when the prices were high, and they are locked in now. So time just didn't work in their favor.

It takes about 3 months from the time of refinery order to deliver in upriver villages. So they couldn't just sit back and say: Well, we are just going to wait and see how this all plays out and hope for lower prices--because, if they do that, they risk not getting any fuel at all as we get closer to winter, the sea ice returning, and you are locked out. Then the only solution is flying fuel in 50-gallon barrels at a time. That is expensive.

So it is hard right now. And we seek to avoid the worst of the worst, but for some communities this has just been a really hard time. These are small communities. Some don't have the working capital to pay 50 percent more for their fuel. Again, so some are actually waiting and risking bad outcomes this winter because, again, they just might not be in a position to be able to buy their fuel.

Rural Alaska has faced an affordability crisis for some time. So when it suddenly intensifies like this, I don't even know--I don't even know what we would call it. But I can tell you this much. If you live in one of these rural towns and villages, you are wondering: How am I going to make it? How am I going to make it? Because this is the time of year where you need to be able to put--you need to fuel up your skiff to go upriver to go fishing so you can feed your family--because what you can get in the store was expensive before and is now more expensive. You need to be able to go out hunting for caribou, and so you need to be able to fill up your four-wheeler.

But, again, these are challenges that we have faced. And it is not only about food security. You are trying to figure out where else can I cut back because we have got to have the fuel in order to make it through the winter. None of these places are easy places to live--and particularly in the winter.

I got a letter just today--in fact, just a couple of hours ago--from one of the leaders from the AVCP region, and she starts off by saying ``It is not too often that I am scared, but today I am.'' And she speaks to the challenge of higher fuel costs, the concerns that they have with regards to accessing salmon and just being able to provide for their families. And I talk a lot about the rural communities because their situation is just so challenged right now, but it is not just in rural Alaska that we are seeing the concerns. Every Alaskan is feeling it. In Fairbanks, in the interior, where I went to high school, the local utility has, just last month, announced a new fuel surcharge for customers. It is averaging almost $50--$45.74 a month. Again, that is an add-on to already high utility bills.

These are the issues that emerge when your home State's ability to responsibly produce its resources has been choked off for decades, resulting in a pipeline system that is one-quarter full, less instate refinery capacity that you would otherwise have, and less space in the budget to build out new energy systems.

So my final point today is these folks, these Alaskans, are going to need some help. As I said, most of that should come from the State of Alaska because, in fairness, our budget has benefited from the war. Our State's treasury has been helped because of the higher prices of oil. And I do commend our State legislature. They have already passed legislation to provide a $200 energy rebate to each Alaskan. They have doubled the cap on a bulk fuel revolving loan program. They appropriated more funding to it. They have made an allocation to school districts to purchase fuel. And they have brought back some community assistance programs. So I am pleased with some of the direction that they have taken. We are waiting for the Governor to sign those measures. But I think there is a possibility that our State legislature could do more in a future special session.

Here at the Federal level, I think we will have an opportunity to complement their actions, to help those hurt most dramatically, most immediately, by higher fuel costs. We can do things within some of the existing programs that we have. We can provide full funding and emergency contingency funding for the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program, LIHEAP. We can also appropriate funding for USDA's High Energy Cost Grants Program. The Denali Commission in Alaska administers this. We can look at a new mechanism to provide temporary assistance to those who are grappling with perhaps some of the heaviest of burdens.

And we can help, and I want to underscore that. So as this Chamber considers an Iran supplemental to replenish missiles, interceptors, radars, drones, and the infrastructure that we have lost, I would hope that some of these options might be on the table because, for some of our fellow Americans--especially those in rural Alaska--the impacts of this war won't end when a peace agreement is signed; it is going to continue long after, making life even more challenging.

So I share this with colleagues in an effort to explain some of what we face in a place that many feel is far away and very remote. But I would also suggest that we all have rural places in our States. We all have those communities that are challenged right now. So how we are there for them as they face these matters within their own families, to be there for them, is why we are here.

I yield the floor.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on the Judiciary be discharged from further consideration and the Senate now proceed to S. Res. 751.

Mr. President, 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 so appreciate this very important resolution advancing today.

I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today, it stand adjourned until 9:30 a.m. on Thursday, June 4; 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 consideration of Calendar No. 417, S. 2; further, that following leader remarks, Senators Merkley and Graham will be recognized for up to 5 minutes each, and upon use or yielding back of that time, all debate time on Calendar No. 417, S. 2 be expired.

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 my Democratic colleagues.

Mr. President, I have four 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:

committee on agriculture, nutrition, and forestry

The Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Tuesday, June 2, 2026, at 10 a.m., to conduct a hearing.

committee on commerce, science, and transportation

The Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Tuesday, June 2, 2026, at 10 a.m., to conduct a subcommittee hearing.

committee on foreign relations

The Committee on Foreign Relations is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Tuesday, June 2, 2026, at 10 a.m., to conduct a hearing.

select committee on intelligence

The Select Committee on Intelligence is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Tuesday, June 2, 2026, at 3 p.m., to conduct an open nomination hearing.