Floor Statements

Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of Calendar No. 506, H.R. 2617.

I ask unanimous consent that the committee-reported amendments be considered and agreed to; that the bill, as amended, be considered read a third time and passed; and that the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table.

I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on the Judiciary be discharged from further consideration of S. 4834 and the Senate proceed to its immediate consideration.

I ask unanimous consent that the bill be considered read a third time and passed and the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table.

Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation be discharged from further consideration and the Senate now proceed to S. Res 813.

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

Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on the Judiciary be discharged from further consideration and the Senate now proceed to S. Res. 814.

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.

Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on the Judiciary be discharged from further consideration and the Senate now proceed to S. Res. 826.

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.

Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of S. Res. 832, which was submitted earlier today.

I further ask 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.

Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the consideration of S. Res. 833, submitted earlier today.

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.

Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to S. Res. 834, which was submitted earlier today.

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

Finally, Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today, it adjourn until 1:45 p.m. on Wednesday, November 16, and that following the prayer and pledge, the morning hour be deemed expired, the Journal of proceedings be approved to date, the time for the two leaders be reserved for their use later in the day, and morning business be closed; that upon the conclusion of morning business, the Senate resume consideration of the motion to proceed to Calendar No. 449, H.R. 8404; further, that the Senate vote on the motion to invoke cloture on the motion to proceed to the bill at 3:15 p.m.

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

Mr. President, I am honored to recognize Steven Fiore of Atkinson as October's Granite Stater of the Month. This Halloween, 17-year-old Steven set up an elaborate haunted house to raise money for the Alzheimer's Association in honor of his late grandmother.

A Halloween enthusiast from a young age, Steven has collected various Halloween props, from fog machines to animated creatures, over the years. His grandmother, who he was close with, was one of the main contributors to the collection and would gift him props for Christmas.

After Steven's grandmother passed away from Alzheimer's in 2021, he decided to honor her memory by bringing his passion project to life. Utilizing his props and decorations, Steven set up a hair-raising haunted house for the weekends of October 21 and 28, with proceeds going to the Alzheimer's Association.

I especially admire Steven's creativity and drive in setting up a haunted house that has also brought together the Atkinson community and am glad that more guests will experience the thrills of the haunted house. By taking a difficult situation--experiencing the loss of his grandmother--and turning it into a positive force for helping others, by raising money for the Alzheimer's Association, Steven exemplifies the Granite State spirit, and I am proud to recognize his efforts.

Mr. President, I am honored to recognize Caroline Keane of Concord as September's Granite Stater of the Month. For the past 8 years, Caroline has organized the Ready to Learn Fair, where Concord School District students can receive free backpacks and other school supplies.

About 9 years ago, when Caroline was an education assistant for Rundlett Middle School's autism program, she came across a young student who was attempting to carry his books in a flimsy plastic bag, crying. He was upset because the plastic bag--his makeshift backpack-- had torn open.

She began raising money to purchase school supplies and reaching out to local businesses and organizations to donate materials or provide free services.

Over the past 8 years, the Ready to Learn Fair has expanded beyond just school supplies and has become an essential part of the school's community. At the fair, the New England School of Barbering provides free haircuts; and there is a long line for this every year. Caroline also works to bring representatives from the district's Free and Reduced Lunch Program to the fair so that families can sign up their kids. Last year, families could get their COVID-19 vaccines, and this year she is collecting winter supplies such as coats and hats for students in need. After the fair, Caroline stores any leftover supplies in a closet at the school, so that students can access the supplies throughout the year.

After seeing a need in her community, Caroline took action to make sure that students, regardless of their family's income, are prepared for school--helping students succeed and alleviating parents' stress. Even beyond this impact, Caroline's initiative brought her community together, from volunteers, to small business owners, to the school's maintenance team, to donors. Caroline's initiative represents the Granite State spirit of taking care of your neighbors and bringing people together for a common goal, and I commend her for her work.

Mr. President, I am honored to recognize Deborah Cross of Manchester as July's Granite Stater of the Month. After surviving stage 4 cancer, Deborah used her artistic talents to create photo journals to help other cancer patients process their emotions and find resilience.

After recovering from endometrial cancer in 2014 and living cancer- free for almost 4 years, Deborah received awful news from her doctor. Her cancer had come back. While Deborah was devastated by the news, she also found solace in a creative outlet that would also help others.

Deborah began creating booklets with strikingly edited photos of nature in New Hampshire, for example, images of seagulls and ocean sunsets around the New England coast. Below the photos are blank lines where cancer patients can journal. Deborah hopes that the photos can evoke deeper emotions that patients might be struggling with in a time of intense personal hardship. In addition, some of the proceeds from the sales go to the North of Boston Cancer Resource.

Deborah exemplifies the Granite State spirit of giving back to others and bringing people together even during challenging times. She took an immensely difficult experience--battling with stage 4 cancer--and found her way through it by creating art that would touch others. I commend her for her work and know that her story will inspire others to make a difference in their communities.

Mr. President, I am honored to recognize Evan Crotty of Wilton as August's Granite Stater of the Month. Twelve-year- old Evan is cleaning up every street in his town over the next year, and the money he is raising through the initiative will go to his middle school's music department.

When it came time for Evan to choose a bar mitzvah project, he knew he wanted to start a community cleanup because of his deep appreciation of nature. Last summer as a Boy Scout, Evan hiked 75 miles and learned about how to preserve nature, leaving no trace behind on trails. In addition, Evan had done many community cleanups before with his family, and he was excited to expand those efforts into a yearlong project.

Teaming up with a community cleanup expert, Evan launched his project, beginning the process of going street by street in Wilton and removing the plastic bags, cans, and trash that litter the area. Already a couple of weeks into the project, Evan has felt the support from neighbors passing by who have given him a supportive honk from their cars or thanked him for his work.

As part of the project, Evan is also fundraising online and donating the proceeds to his middle school's music department. After performing in Wilton-Lyndeborough Cooperative Middle High School's production of ``Matilda,'' Evan knew he wanted to support his theater department so that other students could have the positive experience that he had by participating in a show.

Evan hopes that when neighbors drive by and see him removing trash and other litter, they will be inspired to also care for the natural spaces around them. In addition, it is a testament to Evan's passionate spirit that he is also fundraising for the arts through his cleanup project. I am grateful to Evan for his work and for inspiring Granite Staters to each take steps to better their own communities. He represents the very best of our Granite State spirit, taking the initiative to make a difference.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to engage in a colloquy with Senator Wyden for clarification regarding a tax provision included in the bill currently before the Senate. Section 13704 of the bill, which concerns production credits for biofuels, defines ``transportation fuel'' that can qualify for the credit as a fuel that is suitable for use as a fuel in a highway vehicle or aircraft. The fuel must also be below a carbon emissions ceiling and meet a processing requirement.

Senator Wyden, as chair of the Finance Committee, is it his understanding that, although a fuel must be suitable for use as a fuel in a highway vehicle or aircraft to qualify for this biofuel production credit, it may still actually be used for any business purpose, including as transportation fuel, industrial fuel, or for residential or commercial heat?

I thank the chair for that clarification and for engaging in this colloquy.

Mr. President, I call up amendment No. 5469, and I ask that it be reported by number.

Mr. President, this is a commonsense, straightforward amendment to strike the surcharge on barrels of oil, and I urge my colleagues to vote yes.

Mr. President, I will note the inaccuracy of what was said on the floor about the substance of this.

Mr. President, pursuant to section 904 of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 and the waiver provisions of applicable budget resolutions, I move to waive all applicable sections of that Act and applicable budget resolutions for purposes of the pending amendment, and I ask for the yeas and nays.