Floor Statements

Mr. President, I rise today to join my colleagues and share my deep concern and outrage regarding Senator Tuberville's decision to block the promotions of hundreds of servicemembers. I want to take a moment and share why I believe this action weakens our national security, hurts our servicemembers who are in harm's way, ignores the wishes of the American people, and betrays our country's bipartisan commitment to our servicemembers.

By blocking the promotions of hundreds of servicemembers, the Senator from Alabama is preventing our military from being properly staffed and led. This diminishes our military's effectiveness and combat-readiness.

Senator Tuberville has told us that he is doing this not because he has any concern with these officers' ability to command; instead, Senator Tuberville tells us he is blocking these promotions simply to advance a personal political agenda to take away reproductive freedom from female servicemembers.

It is not only outrageous but bitterly ironic that, while the Senator from Alabama trusts women in uniform to defend our country, while he trusts them to keep all of us safe, while he trusts them to risk their lives for our freedom, he does not trust them to make their own healthcare decisions.

Senator Tuberville's decision to block these promotions not only hurts female servicemembers, it makes America less safe.

What did Senator Tuberville even accomplish by what is truly a reckless stunt? Can my colleague from Alabama explain how blocking promotions for servicemembers strengthens our national security?

What kind of message do we send to our allies and our adversaries that America's combat readiness can be undermined because of one Senator's partisan stunt?

And can he tell us why the health, safety, and daily lives of servicemembers are less important than his own personal and political agenda?

Our brave men and women in uniform put their lives on the line in order to protect our freedoms. We could not freely assemble here in this Chamber without their dedication and sacrifice. There simply is no U.S. Senate without the service of our Armed Forces. Our servicemembers place their trust in us to ensure that they are properly supported, including by being sufficiently staffed and led.

Let me be very, very clear: Senator Tuberville's actions mark nothing less than an abdication and betrayal of that trust.

It is also clear that in pushing this personal partisan agenda, the Senator from Alabama is deeply out of step with the majority of Americans. He is not representing the American people. I know--as I think all of us do--that Americans, regardless of their views or political party, share a common love of country. We stand united in support of our servicemembers because our servicemembers do not risk their lives for

red States or blue; they fight for the freedom of all Americans, and they deserve the support of all Americans.

Bipartisan support for servicemembers has exemplified our country at our best. No issue, no matter how important, should stand in the way of ensuring that our military has the support and leadership that it needs to succeed.

I was reminded of this in April, when I was on a congressional delegation trip and visiting the Northern Command out in Colorado Springs. I met with one of the people who Senator Kelly talked about, Rear Admiral Cheever. He hosted the visit, and he coordinated it. I had a wonderful briefing from him and his leadership team about issues of cyber security, about our quantum readiness.

As you heard Senator Kelly say, Rear Admiral Cheever has been nominated to become a vice admiral and command the Naval Air Force of the U.S. Pacific Fleet--even more responsibility. He is ready to do it. The Senator from Alabama doesn't disagree that he is ready to do it. But as we left that day, he told me that his promotion was in limbo because of the hold that our colleague from Alabama has put on his promotion.

We need him in that position. He and his family and his fellow service men and women need him in that position and are waiting for the Senator from Alabama.

It is fitting that we are discussing this issue on July 26, for it was on July 26, 1947, that the National Security Act of 1947 was signed into law. This law established the Defense Department, an institution with officers whose promotions the Senator from Alabama is blocking today. This law was passed with overwhelming support from leaders of both parties.

In 1947, of course, the Senate was full of debates and even bitter disagreements on all sorts of issues, just as it is today. But Senators understood that while we can debate all day on any number of issues, we owed it to our servicemembers and the American people to stand united in our efforts to support our military and to keep Americans safe, secure, and free.

In the same manner, our military works together despite their own personal differences or political views. My father served in World War II and survived the Battle of the Bulge. He told me that the members of his unit came from all sorts of different backgrounds. They, no doubt, held many different views, but on the battlefield, those differences weren't important. What mattered was their common bond as Americans, their common love of country, and their common commitment to freedom.

What my father's generation did and what our servicemembers do every day is nothing less than extraordinary. Compared to their courage, the political and dangerous game that Senator Tuberville is playing seems very, very small.

No Senator, no matter their party, has the right to put their personal and political agenda ahead of our national security and our servicemembers' freedom and safety. I urge my Republican colleagues to join me in opposing Senator Tuberville's efforts to undermine our bipartisan commitment to our servicemembers and our national security because, ultimately, this kind of reckless, partisan game does not reflect who we are as Americans.

On distant battlefields and in faraway places, thousands of miles from their homes, our brave men and women in uniform risk their lives and confront great dangers so that all of us--including my colleague from Alabama--can be safe, secure, and free. While my colleague stands in the way of promotions, our servicemembers stand in the way of our greatest foes.

We can't ever repay the debt that we owe those who served, but we owe them nothing less than our full support, and that starts with ending this reckless stunt, uniting as Americans, and advancing these overdue promotions.

I yield the floor.

Ms. HASSAN. Mr. President, today it is my privilege to recognize the 400th anniversary of the city of Portsmouth, NH. For four centuries, Portsmouth has endured as one our country's oldest and most vital cities, continuing to serve as a pillar for New Hampshire's economy and culture--and for our country's national security.

From its founding in 1623, Portsmouth has served as one of New England's most important trade ports, helping develop and sustain the region's economy and, at one time, even served as New Hampshire's capital. Portsmouth first started as Strawbery Banke, an early settlement that evolved into a maritime hub and led Portsmouth to become the iconic city that it is today. In the 400 years since 1623, Portsmouth continues to be a wonderful place to live--and it is a premier destination for trade and tourism, boasting some of the finest breweries and seafood in the country. Portsmouth is in part why New Hampshire attracts millions of tourists each year.

Portsmouth has also been instrumental in building and maintaining the U.S. Navy, through the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, as well as providing a key installation for the U.S. Air Force with the Pease Air Force Base, which is now home to the finest Air National Guard in the country. In New Hampshire, our motto is ``Live Free or Die,'' and Granite Staters in Portsmouth have embodied that spirit since our country's beginning. The Portsmouth Naval Shipyard built and launched John Paul Jones and the USS Ranger in the American Revolutionary War-- one of the founding vessels of the U.S. Navy--and was a one-time home to the famed USS Constitution. The shipbuilders and dockworkers in Portsmouth have built and maintained vessels that served in conflicts from the Revolutionary War through today, including playing a decisive role in building our submarine fleet in World War II. Across distant seas and faraway tides, ships built in Portsmouth--powered by everything from winds to atoms--have helped ensure that Granite Staters and all Americans can continue to live free.

The people of Portsmouth also know that inclusiveness is a virtue and a key to our State and our country's strength. As we mark the 400th anniversary of the city of Portsmouth, we also recognize that the Wabanaki people have long called this region their home, thousands of years before the establishment of Portsmouth. Over the

years, a diverse group of people and communities have all made Portsmouth's culture richer and more vibrant. I am grateful for those who are shining a light on all parts of Portsmouth's history, especially the Black Heritage Trail of New Hampshire. The organization has helped make more Granite Staters aware of the long and rich history of New Hampshire's Black community, including in Portsmouth, and deepened our appreciation of the diversity that has made Portsmouth-- and New Hampshire--stronger year after year.

While much of Portsmouth has changed over the last four centuries, it still never fails to capture the hearts and imaginations of those who visit. Anyone who has visited Portsmouth even once knows that it is not an easy place to forget. Everyone who has walked Portsmouth's streets, toured the Strawbery Banke Museum to explore our history, taken in a live performance in Prescott Park or the Music Hall, tasted our fresh seafood, or even simply looked out at the Piscataqua River and breathed in the salty ocean air, knows that Portsmouth is a special place.

Portsmouth has endured for four centuries because, across generations, people have believed in the city's promise, worked hard to keep the community strong, and remained dedicated to the notion that Portsmouth's best days are always ahead.

On behalf of Congress and all Granite Staters, I offer my congratulations to the city of Portsmouth on this incredible milestone, and encourage people from across our country to visit this great American city.

Mr. President, I am honored to recognize Lt. Stephen Holmes of Candia as July's Granite Stater of the Month. Stephen, a Marine Corps veteran and a firefighter, is working to destigmatize mental health among first responders by visiting New Hampshire fire departments and sharing his own experience dealing with

Mrs. HASSAN. Mr. President, I am honored to recognize Andrew Morin of Nashua as June's Granite Stater of the Month. Andrew cofounded the ReGenerative Roots Association, which runs community farms, farm- to-school programs, and a food hub to help Nashua families thrive.

When Andrew was about 5 years old, his father gave him his first tomato seed to plant in their backyard. What started as an ingenious way to encourage Andrew to eat his vegetables turned into Andrew developing a lifelong passion for agriculture and local food systems.

About 10 years ago, Andrew and a group of high school friends, who were also lifelong Nashua residents, became interested in tackling local food security and sustainability. Using their connections in the community, they founded the ReGenerative Roots Association with a 4,000-square-foot garden plot, a couple of volunteers, and some high school interns. Today, the nonprofit is on its seventh growing season, with three community farm sites that are on pace to grow 15,000 pounds of food this year. The land is open to use by refugees and new farmers, and all who farm on the land donate 10 percent of their produce to the Nashua Children's Home or Nashua Soup Kitchen.

In addition to community farms, ReGenerative Roots also has robust farm-to-school programs that teach students about the importance of local food systems and healthy eating through hands-on experiences in school gardens. Its newest program, the Food Hub, sells produce from local New England vendors and also has a food pantry to help people and families who can't afford the food that they need.

Andrew Morin has made an incredible difference in the Nashua area, providing healthy fruits and vegetables to families and creating a sense of community and economic empowerment for newly arrived refugees. I commend him for his determination in tackling the challenging issue of food insecurity and healthy nutrition and for his generosity in giving back to the community. Andrew's work exemplifies the Granite State spirit, and I look forward to seeing how ReGenerative Roots continues to touch the lives of even more Granite Staters in the years to come.

Mr. President, today it is my pleasure to recognize the 100th anniversary of Laconia, New Hampshire's Motorcycle Week. Over the last century, riders from New Hampshire and across the country have gathered in Laconia--the heart of New Hampshire's beautiful Lakes Region--to gather with friends, celebrate their shared passion for motorcycles, and ride together.

Many consider Laconia's Bike Week to be the oldest national motorcycle rally in the country. For decades, it was the largest motorcycle rally in the United States, and it still draws more than 300,000 people a year, which helps support the economy of the Lakes Region and the rest of New Hampshire as Bike Week participants patronize our small businesses. Laconia Bike Week is a well-known and beloved tradition for countless Granite Staters and bikers near and far. For many, just the name Bike Week evokes fond memories of Laconia rallies from past years, from cruising New Hampshire's highways and scenic byways, to spending time with friends, old and new.

Bike Week, of course, does not happen without effort; it takes time and dedication from the event organizers, who each summer come together to make this week possible. Nor is it by chance that this event takes place in New Hampshire; Bike Week is a part of the very fabric of the Granite State. Bike Week shows off our State's natural beauty; a ride through Laconia, with an open road ahead and a breeze from Lake Winnipesaukee blowing by, reminds us of why Granite Staters are always proud to call New Hampshire home. For bikers and nonbikers alike, the roar and thunder of engines, the thrill of zooming down a highway, the dazzling tricks and stunts performed at rallies--summon up our State's spirit.

One of the many pieces that makes Bike Week special is that riders have also regularly used the event as a means to raise awareness and support for critical issues facing New Hampshire and our country. In 1957, riders raised money to help fund polio research and support families who were grappling with that disease. This year also marks the 35th anniversary of the Meredith POW/MIA Awareness Vigil and the 30th anniversary of the Freedom Ride to honor American POW/MIA servicemembers, spearheaded by the Northeast POW/MIA Network. Over the past few years, more than 2,000 motorcyclists have joined the Freedom Ride to commemorate the sacrifice of POW/MIA servicemembers and raise awareness for the missing servicemembers who have not been found. The Freedom Ride reminds servicemembers, their families, and all Americans that POW/MIA servicemembers--both those who have returned and those who remain missing--will never be forgotten.

These acts of recognition and service have helped make Bike Week into a New Hampshire and American institution. For 100 years in Laconia, Americans from all backgrounds and walks of life have come together-- united by their shared enthusiasm and their deep love for our beautiful country--and worked to make our community and our country a better place. One does not have to be a biker to appreciate that this spirit of enthusiasm, service, and love of country embodies New Hampshire--and America--at our best.

On behalf of Congress and all Granite Staters, I offer my congratulations to the event organizers for 100 years of Laconia Motorcycle Week. I have no doubt that Granite Staters and Americans across the country can look forward to it for generations to come.

I ask for the yeas and nays.

Madam President, I am honored to recognize Robert and Linda Burlock of Berlin as April's Granite Staters of the Month. For half a century, the couple has shown tremendous dedication to their community by continually welcoming new families and residents moving into the East Side of Berlin.

Throughout the time that Robert--``Bobby''--and Linda have lived on Grafton Street in Berlin, every time newcomers have arrived, they have made it their personal mission to welcome them. They are the unofficial ambassadors for the neighborhood. One time, when Bobby saw from across the street two newcomers struggling to move their furniture, he sprung up to help. He originally had taken days off of work to relax and lay back, but instead, he spent the next few days helping the newcomers settle in. Another time, when a neighbor's father passed away, Bobby helped her clean out her father's garage, a task that would have been daunting if done alone. When heavy snow covered Grafton Street, Bobby would send over a buddy with a snow plow to his neighbors' yards, and when their front yards were overgrown with grass, he would offer to mow their lawns. Linda worked in lockstep with her husband to welcome the newcomers, always inviting them over for drinks and quickly forging strong friendships. For every new neighbor, she would always make a dish to send over as a welcome gesture.

Beyond any single act of assistance, Bobby and Linda have developed a sense of community in Berlin that is truly special. When their longtime neighbor and good friend passed away a few years ago, a newcomer moved in from New Jersey. Although he kept to himself at first, Bobby and Linda were determined to get to know him, and soon enough they were good friends. Bobby says that he now sees his new neighbor as another son.

Bobby and Linda's generosity leaves a lasting impact on the people that they assist, showing neighbors, new and old, that everybody counts. And they set an example for all Granite Staters by showing that each and every one of us can make a difference in our own community. I hope that all Granite Staters are inspired by Bobby and Linda's story and follow their example of extending kindness to strangers, since our communities are only as strong as their individual members. Bobby and Linda are a shining example of the Granite State spirit of kindness and generosity, and I am glad to honor the neighborhood spirit that they have created on the East Side of Berlin.

Madam President, today it is my esteemed pleasure to honor MAJ Sara Miller for her outstanding military service and her exemplary work in my office for the people of New Hampshire. Sara is truly a servant leader who excelled in her year in my office and then for a year and a half as an Army liaison with the Office of the Chief Legislative Liaison. A dedicated mother, wife, and soldier, Sara is leaving her current assignment and--with her husband Daniel, who is also an Army major--heading to Fort Carson, CO, for their next duty assignment. As a dual military family, the Millers know service and sacrifice better than most.

MAJ Sara Miller was born in Lancaster, PA, and moved to Marietta, GA, in 1997. A natural athlete, Sara was recruited out of high school where she earned a scholarship to play soccer at Newberry College in Newberry, SC. After graduating in 2010, her Army career began when she was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army's Adjutant General's Corps.

Over the past 13 years, Sara's primary responsibilities have been ensuring that units under her purview met all personnel readiness requirements to accomplish a variety of critical missions. Her duty assignments included

Fort Bragg, NC, and Fort Carson, CO, before she began her time here in Congress. Sara has served in a variety of Adjutant General's Corps positions at the battalion, brigade, and division level. She also served as commander for Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 4th Psychological Operations Group (Airborne), at Fort Bragg.

During her deployments overseas, Sara has consistently shown courage, dedication, and leadership. She served during four deployments to the Middle East, including tours to Qatar in 2012, 2013, and 2015, where she helped support Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Inherent Resolve. Her last deployment was to Afghanistan in 2019 as part of the 4th Infantry Division Headquarters, where she was second in charge of personnel for U.S.

Mr. President, I rise today to commemorate National Infertility Awareness Week, which since 1989 has honored the people, doctors, researchers, and others for their work in destigmatizing infertility and raising awareness of the challenges many people face when trying to start a family.

Creating life and starting and nurturing a family are, of course, foundational experiences that bring challenges, rewards, and great joy. For millions of people, however, infertility is a barrier to having children, affecting approximately one in five Americans. Thanks to the extraordinary efforts of doctors, scientists, and researchers though, our country has made great strides in helping better understand infertility and provide treatments and support for people who are struggling to start a family. Tens of thousands of children were born last year alone thanks to IVF. And organizations like Resolve: The National Infertility Association have been instrumental in supporting people who struggle with infertility, as well as raising awareness about this critical issue. Unfortunately, many couples still face financial and other barriers to using this procedure, and I urge my colleagues to consider ways that we can make it easier and more affordable for people to start a family in this way.

If we believe that everyone in our country counts and should be free to reach their full potential, then we need to do more to ensure that more Americans are able and free to start a family, so they too can partake in one of life's most rewarding journeys.

I ask for the yeas and nays.

Madam President, I am honored to recognize Alex Ray and Lisa Mure of Holderness and Susan Mathison and Steve Rand of Plymouth as March's Granite Staters of the Month. The group of friends started a nonprofit, Common Man for Ukraine, that has raised more than $2.6 million for Ukrainian children impacted by Putin's unconscionable invasion of Ukraine.

Following the onset of the war, the group wanted to figure out how they could help the Ukrainian people. Through their membership with the Plymouth Rotary Club, Alex and Steve connected with Rotarian leaders in Poland, which was already seeing an influx of Ukrainian refugees fleeing the conflict. And then Alex, Susan, Steve, and Lisa jumped into action. Within just 2 weeks, the four friends were on the ground in Poland and Ukraine meeting with Ukrainian and Polish Rotary Club leaders about the needs of local displaced person camps, orphanages, and safehouses for displaced children.

When the group returned to New Hampshire, they began to raise funds, with the first donation being $500 from the Plymouth Rotary Club. Since then, they have raised more than $2.6 million to purchase 750 tons of food for their partners in Poland. The NH Fisher Cats AA baseball team also hosted a benefit game to raise funds.

The group has not let up in their efforts over the past year. They have visited Poland and Ukraine three more times to evaluate the changing needs on the ground in coordination with their Rotarian partners. In addition to packing warehouses with essential goods, they also delivered those relief supplies themselves to safehouses and orphanages for children impacted by the war. This past Christmas, they brought personal solar lanterns, food, generators, and presents to 21 Ukrainian orphanages, so that the children could experience literal and symbolic light throughout the various power outages. When the Granite Staters arrived with the supplies, the children excitedly came outside in the cold to greet them, and they were able to share Christmas greetings and carols despite the language barrier. The four volunteers bravely returned to Ukraine on the war's February anniversary to deliver supplies to 14 additional orphanages and safehouses.

The work that Alex, Susan, Steve, and Lisa have done with their nonprofit organization is an incredible testament to the impact that Granite Staters can have, even across the world, when they are helping others. They refused to stand by during a devastating war and the subsequent refugee crisis, instead boldly finding a way to directly help Ukrainian children. Alex, Susan, Steve, and Lisa embody the Granite State spirit of taking on a challenge directly in order to make a real difference, and I know that they will continue to make New Hampshire proud through their work in Poland and Ukraine.

Well, Mr. President, thank you to my colleague Senator Booker for that kind introduction and as important, if not more, for his great comments about the importance of the Affordable Care Act to our constituents, to our communities, to our State, to our country, to the cause of human dignity.

I rise today to join my colleagues in commemorating the passage of the Affordable Care Act 13 years ago. I am so grateful to be here not only with Senator Booker but Senator Wyden and Senator Casey and grateful for their advocacy and their efforts to really help people understand the difference that this law has made for the people of our country.

I want to take a moment to discuss the difference that this law has made for the people in New Hampshire. I also want to build on what Senator Booker just talked about by talking about the growing bipartisan support for Medicaid expansion and how that shows just how much we can accomplish when we put politics aside and we work together. It also shows the urgent need that we have for remaining States to follow New Hampshire's bipartisan example and adopt Medicaid expansion.

The Affordable Care Act, and Medicaid expansion in particular, has done more to improve the health of the people of our country than any law passed in the last 50 years. This law was based on a simple proposition that when everyone has access to quality, affordable care, our country is stronger and our people are more free.

Our people are more free because, as the adage goes, when you have your health, you have everything.

We do not fully appreciate these words until we or someone we love falls ill. Facing health challenges is never easy, but it is easy to forget how much more daunting they used to be before the Affordable Care Act.

Thanks to the Affordable Care Act, millions of Americans now have the freedom and peace of mind of knowing that they will not be denied access to affordable healthcare, even if they lose their job or have a preexisting condition. For too long, many Americans had to pay painfully high premiums or were even denied coverage altogether just because they had a preexisting

condition. These conditions range from diseases like cancer and diabetes to pregnancy or asthma. Often, people with these conditions are the very people who need care the most.

No matter your political party, all of us should be united in celebrating that the days of denying someone coverage on account of a preexisting condition have ended.

Granite Staters know the difference that the Affordable Care Act has made. As Governor, I led the effort to get Medicaid expansion done, signing it into law in March of 2014. Only a handful of months later, the plan was implemented, thanks to extraordinary work by the employees of our State's Department of Health and Human Services.

Medicaid expansion has made an incredible difference for tens of thousands of Granite Staters. Medicaid expansion has made our people healthier and our workforce stronger. Since 2014, the uninsured rate in New Hampshire fell by over 40 percent. More than 200,000 Granite Staters have participated in expanded Medicaid.

All of us in this Chamber have entered public service with the hope that we will help our communities and our country. Make no mistake, behind these statistics, and similar statistics for other States, are countless stories of people whose lives were transformed or even saved by the law.

For many, it made their families more financially secure. For others, it allowed them to address longstanding health challenges that prevented them from participating in the workforce.

I want to share one of these stories. The Affordable Care Act has made a great difference for people struggling with addiction and substance misuse. Some may not know this, but in many States, Medicaid expansion marked the first time that substance misuse treatment was covered by Medicaid. This is particularly important for a State like New Hampshire, which has been hit hard by the substance misuse crisis.

Whenever I talk about expanding Medicaid, one of the first people I think of is a woman I met in Manchester named Ashley. For nearly a decade, Ashley struggled with heroin addiction. At one point, she was arrested, and eventually her then-husband overdosed, but that was not the end of Ashley's story.

In 2016, she became one of the tens of thousands of Granite Staters who have received substance misuse or mental health treatment covered by New Hampshire's Medicaid expansion. She went into recovery, found work, and has rebuilt her life. Ashley now works for a recovery community organization, helping others get the help and support that they need. None of this would have been possible without Ashley's strength and perseverance or if we failed to expand Medicaid.

Ashley's story is a reminder of why Medicaid expansion matters for so many Americans. It has helped countless people get the care that they need to be healthy, have a job, and participate in their communities.

The benefits of expanded Medicaid for people like Ashley is, in part, why Medicaid expansion has gained bipartisan support over the last decade. Even when partisan politicians have been slow to act, voters from both parties have come together and pushed Medicaid expansion forward.

Just last November, voters in South Dakota voted to expand Medicaid. They were the latest in a long line of Republican-led States whose voters went to the polls and passed Medicaid expansion, including Nebraska, Oklahoma, Idaho, and Utah. These ballot initiatives only passed because voters from both parties stood together, and we can learn from their example.

This growing bipartisan consensus is an example of our capacity to solve problems when we work together. This has certainly been true in my own State.

It was not that long ago that Medicaid expansion was at the center of our most polarizing, partisan debates. I know because I was in the middle of them as Governor. The debates were long, and the negotiations tough, with a divided State legislature. But, ultimately, we adopted bipartisan Medicaid expansion in New Hampshire. By listening to each other and finding ways to work together, we were able to put people's health ahead of politics and get it done.

Just recently, the New Hampshire Republican-controlled State Senate voted unanimously to support reauthorizing the expanded Medicaid Program. What was once a political lightning rod is now an essential part of our public healthcare system.

It has also strengthened both our economy and our workforce. Workers are more secure in seeking new and better jobs, knowing that if they have to switch insurance plans, they will not be denied coverage on account of a preexisting condition.

And people who couldn't get healthcare for a medical condition and, in turn, couldn't work because of their condition, can now get health insurance, get the treatment that they need, and join the workforce.

In short, this law has become a fundamental part of our State's promise to do right by Granite Staters.

New Hampshire's bipartisan Medicaid expansion as well as the bipartisan efforts in other States are an important reminder of what we can accomplish when we work together. When we take the politics out of an issue, when we care more about whether an idea is good rather than whether it is red or blue, we can accomplish tremendous things. We can make our country a better place because, ultimately, the Affordable Care Act was nothing less than a step forward for the cause of human dignity and freedom.

To be sure, there is much more work we need to do to improve the quality and affordability of healthcare, and I welcome my colleagues to join me in bipartisan efforts to do just that.

Having listened to my colleague Senator Casey just a few minutes ago, I want to note my agreement with him that cutting Medicaid or repealing the Affordable Care Act are not measures that will meet that goal.

I also urge Governors and legislators in the remaining States that have not expanded Medicaid to follow the bipartisan example that New Hampshire and other States have set. Look at the difference it has made in my State and in States across the country. This is an effort that has the support of majorities in both parties and should unite all Americans.

Thank you to everyone in this body and in legislatures across the country who made the Affordable Care Act and Medicaid expansion a reality. I sincerely hope that we bring the same bipartisan commitment that Medicaid expansion enjoys now to tackle future challenges, because today is a reminder that, when we leave partisan debates in the past and find ways to work together, we can build a country that is stronger and more free.

With that, Mr. President, I am very proud and grateful to yield the floor to my colleague Senator Wyden, who has been such an extraordinary leader in improving and expanding access to healthcare and dignity for all Americans. Thank you.

I yield the floor.

I ask for the yeas and nays.

I ask for the yeas and nays.

Madam President, I rise today to join Senator Baldwin and Senator Blumenthal and all of my colleagues who are speaking in support of the Women's Health Protection Act. And I want to thank Senator Whitehouse for his eloquence just now in describing the real life and death consequences of the Dobbs decision.

I want to thank advocates from Planned Parenthood, NARAL, and other organizations who have been tirelessly pushing for this legislation and standing up and speaking out for reproductive freedom. The grave threat to the health and freedom of women all across our country makes clear that it is more important than ever for Senators, regardless of political parties, to come together and support this critical legislation. Nothing less than the freedom of American women and the future of our democracy itself depends on us doing so.

For more than two centuries, each successive generation of Americans has enjoyed more freedoms than the last. By extending the promise of our democracy to all Americans, our country has only become stronger. But the Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade brought that story of progress to an abrupt halt, taking away a fundamental freedom from millions of women--a freedom that most have known for their entire lives.

Now, when women across the country raised the alarm following the Supreme Court's decision, there were those who suggested that we were overreacting. They suggested that life for most women would continue as it did before. Well, it has become very, very clear that those who espoused that view were wrong.

Since the Supreme Court's decision, legislatures across the country have passed abortion bans into law. Just last week, Wyoming's Legislature passed a new law which will ban abortion in all trimesters, in nearly all cases, and would threaten doctors who perform abortions with jail time. Other States have imposed even harsher criminal penalties. This has had a chilling effect on women's healthcare providers and countless women can no longer access reproductive care that they need.

Partisan politicians who believe women are incapable of making their own critical healthcare decisions have made clear that their ultimate goal is to ban abortion in all 50 States. In statehouses and here in Washington, these partisan politicians have demonstrated that they are not only committed to dismantling women's healthcare but that they do not believe that women have the capacity or conscience to make their own personal decisions.

Like many of you, in the last 10 months, I have heard from women at rallies, in letters, and in quiet conversations who are fearful of these attacks on reproductive freedom. The question before this Senate is whether or not we believe that we have an obligation to listen to their voices, whether or not our government should be accountable to the people, including women. What is at stake is the principle that American women are free and equal citizens in our democracy and that they should be able to chart their own futures. That is why I urge my colleagues from both sides of the aisle to join me in supporting the Women's Health Protection Act, which would once again protect a woman's fundamental freedom in every part of the country.

We can't stand idly by as women across America have become second- class citizens. We should stand united in the belief that our daughters deserve the same freedoms as everyone else.

If we want to ensure that our country remains a place where the promise of our democracy belongs to all, where our daughters are free to make their own choices and reach their fullest potential, where we remain a government

by, of, and for the people, then we must listen to American women and support the Women's Health Protection Act.

I yield the floor.