Floor Statements

Mr. President, during this impeachment trial, our country has re-lived the chilling and un-American assault on the foundations of our democracy. New video footage reinforced both the brutality of the rioters and also the heroism of members of law enforcement who--just barely--prevented further loss of life. The personal threat of that day, however, is not nearly as troubling as the threat to our democracy.

After listening to the arguments from the House Managers and former President Donald Trump's defense, I voted to convict the former President. As dangerous as Donald Trump's actions were over the course of the months, days, and hours leading up to the violent insurrection, my vote was less about holding Trump as an individual accountable than it was about protecting our country from similar threats in the future, at his hands or at the hands of others.

Impeachment is not designed to punish--it was included in our Constitution to protect the Republic from abuses of power and tyranny. I voted to protect the America that we know and love because January 6, 2021, will be our future if we tolerate what the impeachment trial showed was Trump's concerted campaign to prevent the peaceful transition of power.

Of all the things former President Trump did, it is actually what he did not do once he knew the Capitol was being attacked and his own Vice President, among others, was being threatened that was most troubling.

Should there be any doubt that Trump intended to disrupt the certification of votes and encourage the violence that desecrated the Capitol, his decision to allow it to continue for hours should dispel that uncertainty.

If he had not intended the violence when it began, his failure to exercise his power to secure the Capitol and protect those inside was itself a violation of his oath of office and merits conviction and disqualification from holding future office.

Before Trump's refusal to engage in the peaceful transfer of power, the public could gather outside the Capitol; families could play soccer on the weekends, and tourists could take photos of this temple of democracy. Before COVID, the public could even walk right in, after being properly screened. But throughout the impeachment trial, we came to work through fences and barbed wire. There was no open space for the public because we have lost the common understanding that the Capitol is place where we spar with words, not physical violence.

It is fitting that the trial concluded right before we mark the birthday of George Washington, who helped establish some of the bedrock principles of our democracy not simply through his service as our first President, but by voluntarily surrendering the office, peacefully.

Our union that Washington helped birth and that Lincoln managed to preserve is still fragile, and it cannot be taken for granted. We will need to continue the work of investigating what led to the grim events of January 6 as well as what happened on that day, and we will need to take steps to make clear that acts of tyranny will not be tolerated in our country.

We have considerable work ahead to bring our country together and strive for greater opportunity for all, both in the face of this pandemic and beyond. I am committed to continuing that work and showing the American people and the world that we are resilient, strong, and willing to renew our commitment to government of, for, and by the people.

Thank you.

Madam President, I am proud to recognize Elliot Perry of Bedford as January 2021's Granite Stater of the Month. Elliot, a fourth grader at Bedford Memorial Elementary School and an ambassador for the Children's Hospital at Dartmouth-Hitchcock--CHaD--has started a fundraising campaign to build two accessible playgrounds at CHaD locations in Lebanon and Manchester to help improve the experience of children who visit these facilities.

Elliot was born nearly 4 months early and given only an 18-percent chance to live. The medical professionals at CHaD worked hard to ensure that Elliot received the best care that they could provide and 121 days later, Elliot went home with his mom and dad.

Since then, Elliot has been one of CHaD's best ambassadors and has helped raise more than $100,000 for the organization that he and his parents credit with saving his life.

Last year, Elliot launched a new effort to support the patients at CHaD. The 121 Club that Elliot founded aims to raise $121,000 to build two sensory-neutral playgrounds that are compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act's Standards for Accessible Design at CHaD locations in Lebanon and Manchester. With the help of his friends and neighbors, Elliot has already raised a little more than $80,000 for his cause.

Elliot hopes that these new playgrounds will provide an outlet for any family who wishes to take a break during longer visits, as well as provide a safe space for children of all abilities to play and develop their motor skills.

Elliot embodies the best of New Hampshire. His drive to help others, along with his empathy and inclusivity, has made an enormous difference, especially for children facing particularly difficult challenges and their families. I wish Elliot the best as he continues fundraising to reach his goal, and I look forward to seeing what he accomplishes next.

Mr. President, I am proud to recognize the Sophomore Student Council at Gorham Middle & High School as December's Granite Staters of the Month. When a vendor accidentally sent extra chocolate as part of the Sophomore Student Council's fundraiser, the students launched a new effort. Instead of reselling the surplus chocolate to benefit their class, they decided to sell the extra chocolate to benefit their school's food pantry.

Like most events this year, the Sophomore Student Council modified a fundraiser that they would typically hold in-person to be an online event. One of the participants in the fundraiser, the aunt of Sophomore Student Council Representative Emma LaPierre, bought three boxes of chocolate to benefit her niece's class. However, instead of receiving the expected three boxes of chocolate, she received three entire cases of chocolate. The vendor, World's Finest Chocolate, was alerted to the mistake, but due to safety concerns around the COVID-19 pandemic, said that they could not take the chocolate back. Emma, along with other members of the Sophomore Student Council, decided that rather than sell the extra chocolate to profit their class, they would use the additional funds to benefit their school's food and supply pantry. After selling the chocolate at a reduced rate, the students successfully raised $200 for the pantry, which provides weekend meals, snacks, and school supplies to any student in need. Following the students' efforts, a local paper published an article about the fundraiser, which inspired a couple in the community to send a $100 check to the school to benefit their food and supply pantry.

Emma and the other students in Gorham's Sophomore Student Council exemplify the way that small acts of kindness can make a big difference in a community. Their selfless decision to raise money on behalf of a community-wide resource, rather than keep the funds for their class, helped to spur other acts of kindness in their community from which the whole school and community benefited. I am honored to recognize their efforts and proud that their efforts reflect the Granite State's core value--the belief that individuals should step up when they see a problem--and that when they do, their actions have a ripple effect that strengthens the entire community. The Gorham Sophomore Student Council has done just that.

Mr. President, today I would like to recognize the retirement of Mr. Clyde Terry of Concord, NH.

Clyde started his career in 1982 as an administrative hearings officer, protecting the rights of individuals who experience disabilities in the State service systems.

He then worked as the director of policy and planning for the New Hampshire Developmental Disabilities Council. He was promoted to executive director where he assisted in the drafting of and advocated for State and Federal legislation on issues impacting the lives of people who experience disabilities and directed the 5-year State plan.

In 2010, he was named to the National Council on Disabilities by President Barack Obama and was appointed its chair in 2015. Clyde also served as the chair of the policy development and program evaluation committee, and in both roles, he used his vast knowledge and experience in New Hampshire to guide his work.

For more than 16 years, Clyde has led Granite State Independent Living, a nonprofit that provides training and support services for people experiencing disabilities. In this role, he aimed to break the historical link between disability and poverty, adding education and employment services to the organization's operations. Under his leadership, Granite State Independent Living grew from three offices to eight and increased staff to more than 850 full-time staff and personal care attendants. This growth has made the organization a statewide resource for seniors and those who experience disabilities, helping them have access to competitive integrated employment and to live safely, comfortably, and independently at home.

In addition, Clyde has been an incredible advocate for democracy and equality in our elections, leading a national coalition of disability organizations on election reform and election accessibility and coauthoring ``Voters Denied Equal Access at the Polls; A Status Report of the Accessibility of Polling Places in the United States.''

Clyde has helped people understand that all of our citizens deserve equality, opportunity, and community participation. More and more people are living lives of self-sufficiency and purpose because of his hard work and commitment, and I have been honored to work with Clyde on building a more inclusive New Hampshire and country.

I hope you will join me in honoring a dedicated Granite Stater, Clyde Terry.

Mr. President, I am proud to recognize the students of Gilford High School's introduction to engineering class as June 2019 Granite Staters of the Month. These students successfully applied their engineering knowledge to create personalized, easy-to-use mobility devices for three young students in their community who experience disabilities.

The idea for this project came from Troy Gallagher, who just graduated from Gilford High School and will attend Texas Tech in the fall. Last summer, Troy participated in an advanced studies program at St. Paul's School, where he took a 5-week engineering course that introduced him to the University of Delaware program GoBabyGo!, which works with communities around the world to modify ride-on cars for children with disabilities. The vehicles can be used in physical and occupational therapy sessions, in speech therapy as a means to increase a child's expressive and receptive language skills, and to help the children better socialize with their peers.

Troy thought this would be an excellent engineering project to bring to Gilford High School, as did his introduction to engineering teacher, Dan Caron. After petitioning the parent teacher association, PTA, to provide the class money to buy the necessary parts and selecting the students that would receive these vehicles, the students in Gilford High School's, introduction to engineering class got to work.

The GoBabyGo! project was the students' final engineering assignment, and to successfully build these mobility devices, the students used everything that they had learned about the engineering design process.

First, the students visited with the three children, preschoolers George and Morgan, and first-grader Chloe, to take their measurements and determine how to best modify the Power Wheels to fit the specific needs of the children. For instance, the students noted that Chloe's left hand was weaker than her right, so they knew that they would need to move the button that accelerates the vehicle to the left side of the steering wheel, which allows her to accelerate with her weaker hand while steering with her dominant hand.

The students also modified the headrest using pool noodles and refitted the hard plastic seats with softer materials with a design from the popular children's show, ``Paw Patrol.'' Since some of the children have difficulty using their legs, the students rewired the pedal functions to the steering wheel, so that the children could easily start and stop the device with their hands.

After the vehicles were completed, Mr. Caron's class visited the elementary school to present the children with their new mobility devices. The Gilford Police and Fire Department helped by bringing the two vehicles over to the school, which was fitting since the mobility devices were designed to look like a police car and a fire truck. One of the students even customized the vehicles with Gilford Elementary School license plates in the front and New Hampshire plates in the back with the students' names and made Gilford Fire and Police logos for the front grills of the trucks.

The students presented the devices to two of the children in front of almost the entire elementary school. Troy gave a presentation about the project to the school in the hopes of inspiring more elementary school students to get interested in the STEAM fields of science, technology, engineering, art, and mathematics.

I congratulate these students for their ingenuity, hard work, and compassion. I thank them for demonstrating that, by being inclusive, we unleash the talent and energy of our friends and peers, strengthen our communities, and bring joy and dignity to those who have been marginalized.

Mr. President, I rise today to join my colleagues who have come to the floor this week to call for action to prevent gun violence.

On Tuesday we marked the 4-year anniversary of the horrific shooting at the Mother Emanuel Church in Charleston, where a White supremacist killed nine people during Bible study.

Last week was the 3-year anniversary of the massacre at Pulse nightclub in

Orlando, when an act of terror and hatred took the lives of 49 people in the LGBTQ community.

After each of these tragedies, we say ``never again'' and ``enough is enough.'' But after each mass shooting, Congress fails to take action. The discussion fades into the background until another tragedy occurs, then this same cycle is repeated.

It is unacceptable that Congress has still yet to take meaningful action to address this epidemic. The victims who have been lost, their families, and those who have experienced life-changing injuries and trauma deserve action--as do all of our communities, because nearly every aspect of American life has been afflicted by gun violence.

Nowhere is the impact of gun violence and the way it has changed our lives more clear than in our Nation's schools. Just this year, a friend of mine's son started kindergarten. Shortly after the school year started, he and his other kindergarten peers had to participate in a drill--what to do if there is an active shooter or danger in your school.

At about the same time that my friend received information from the school that her son would be participating in a lockdown of sorts--a lockdown for 5-year-olds--she read an article by a teacher who had participated with her young students in such an active shooter drill. When the teacher got the kids still and turned off the lights in the room so they could practice staying safe, she noticed the little lights in the soles of their sneakers. You know those little light-up shoes that children have? The teacher wrote that she realized that if those children came to school with those shoes on a day when there was a shooter, even with the lights down, they would be targets. Well, needless to say, my friend's son no longer has light-up sneakers.

It is time to finally meet words with action. It is time to finally take steps to keep the American people safe. It is time to finally pass commonsense gun laws.

A good start to address this public safety issue would be to improve our background check system. According to the Department of Justice, since 1994 background checks have stopped over 3 million dangerous individuals from obtaining guns, including people with violent criminal records, domestic abusers, and those with mental health issues.

But we know that there continue to be loopholes in that system. Research indicates that millions of guns are sold each year to individuals without background checks. We need to extend background checks to all gun sales and ensure that people who are legally barred from owning guns cannot easily access them.

I have joined with Senator Murphy, who has been a passionate, dedicated leader on this issue, on legislation to do just that. Earlier this year, the House of Representatives passed bipartisan gun safety legislation aimed at improving our background check system. There is real momentum and urgency on this issue. Strengthening background checks is a measure that the American people overwhelmingly support.

Unfortunately, Republican leadership in the Senate is more focused on putting the priorities of the gun lobby ahead of the will of the American people. It is outrageous that some in this body suggest that there is simply nothing that we can do to stop the gun violence that has plagued our country. The refusal to even bring up gun safety legislation for consideration is unconscionable. That must change.

I come from a State with a long tradition of responsible gun ownership. People across New Hampshire own guns for hunting, sports, and protection. I respect the tradition, and I am committed to upholding it, but I know that the people in New Hampshire don't want dangerous weapons in the wrong hands. They are also deeply frustrated that Congress has refused to address the heartbreaking acts of violence that have become far too common in our country. Granite Staters, particularly our young people, are speaking out to voice these frustrations.

Last year, I was proud to march with students in Nashua who organized their own March For Our Lives rally, and students across our State have engaged in everything from writing to public officials to staging school walkouts. They are demanding that we take action, and Congress needs to listen to them.

I am going to keep pushing to pass commonsense gun safety laws, and it is long past time that the Senate finally take this issue up for debate.

I yield the floor.

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

Mr. President, I am proud to recognize Elizabeth Guillotte

of Hill, NH, and Richard ``Ricky'' Mazur of Franklin, NH, as the May 2019 Granite Staters of the Month for their dedication to helping their classmates whose financial and/or family circumstances render them unable to afford basic necessities like clothing and toiletries.

When the Franklin High School FIRST robotics team sat down to discuss how they could give back to their community, Elizabeth and Richard had an idea: They could revamp the makeshift thrift shop at their school. Now, students at Franklin High School who are in need of anything from clothing, to toothbrushes, to cereal, can get all these items anonymously and for free at the new and improved ``Karma Korner.''

Elizabeth and Richard were inspired to act after they noticed that some of their classmates were walking the halls in the same clothing that they wore the day before and learned that some classmates were eating their only meal of the day in the school cafeteria.

With the support of their FIRST Robotics teammates, the two students moved an already existing makeshift thrift shop to a wheelchair- accessible room with better lighting and brightly colored walls. They added food to the inventory of items available for students and started a program that allows students to bring home a backpack stuffed with pantry items so that they do not go hungry over the weekend.

Ensuring anonymity and, as a result, reducing stigma was important to Elizabeth and Richard. If a student wants to check out an item, all they need to do is record what they are taking on a clipboard, so that the students working the pantry know what needs to be replenished.

Many businesses in the surrounding communities have also lent their support in the form of gift cards or donated items. By collaborating with local businesses and charities, Karma Korner recently received washers and dryers for student use, which were bought and installed at no expense to the school.

In establishing Karma Korner, Elizabeth and Richard have recognized and elevated the dignity of their friends, peers, and classmates, and they have reminded us of our shared humanity and shared promise. I join the rest of the Franklin High School community in thanking Richard and Elizabeth for their efforts to help make their school a more supportive and welcoming place and congratulate them for being honored as May 2019's Granite Staters of the Month.

Mr. President, today I would like to recognize the retirement of Mr. Larry Gammon of Bedford, NH, after 47 years of service to Easterseals.

Larry started his career with Easterseals New Hampshire in 1971, serving as the facilities director and helping out with everything from teaching to driving the bus.

In 1985, Larry was named president and CEO of Easterseals New Hampshire, Vermont, and Maine and, for the past 33 years, has overseen the programs and services offered to individuals who experience disabilities in these states.

Under Larry's leadership, Easterseals has grown to offer 13 core programs, including child development centers, a family resource center, child and family services, early supports and services, autism services, residential and educational services, special transit, camps and recreation, community-based services, workforce development, military and veterans services, senior services, substance misuse treatments, and oral health services. The organization serves more than 32,000 clients annually with a staff of 1,800.

Larry has also done incredible work lending his expertise and extraordinary kindness and energy as an active member of the Queen City Rotary Club, the mayor's task force on human services, the NH State Rehabilitation Advisory Council, Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center Assembly of Overseers, and YMCA task force on accessibility.

Whether on one of the boards that he serves or in his professional life, Larry has made a real difference in the lives of so many and his work has strengthened our families, communities, and State, and he has done so with humility and humor.

I hope you will join me in honoring a dedicated Granite Stater, Larry Gammon.

Mr. President, as Mother's Day approaches, I rise to join my Democratic colleagues in sharing our constituents' stories about the importance of protecting women's access to healthcare.

No matter where they live and no matter their economic status, women in our country deserve access to comprehensive preventive care and family planning services that will enable them to stay healthy and to thrive. We know centers like Planned Parenthood have made a huge difference in the lives of the women they serve. My office recently heard from a woman named Ashley from Hooksett, who said:

I am safe, healthy, and educated thanks to Planned

Parenthood.

She continues speaking about Planned Parenthood:

When I was fifteen, they were there to help me understand

the changes that my body was going through and provide me

with the information I needed to keep myself healthy and

protected.

Throughout the rest of my teenage years, I have trusted

Planned Parenthood to provide me with all of my routine

healthcare procedures.

Ashley continues:

In more desperate times, they were there to explain my

options and support my decisions with anonymity and

compassion.

Ashley goes on to say:

I am deeply concerned about the Title 10 gag rule and the

implications it may have on my getting the care I need.

I'm thankful for elected officials who are fighting back

and speaking out for me and the thousands of people like me

who deserve access to quality, affordable care, no matter

their income or zip code.

Ashley's story is one of thousands that speak to the importance of title X-supported health centers, including Planned Parenthood, which are a major source of preventive care and reproductive health services, including cancer screenings, birth control, HIV and STI tests, and counseling services.

In New Hampshire, title X-funded centers deliver care to nearly 18,000 Granite Staters annually, and title X-supported Planned Parenthood centers serve 60 percent of those 18,000 Granite Staters. This is why the Trump administration's actions to discriminate against providers and to cut investments in family planning clinics are so dangerous, and it is why we have to keep fighting for women like Ashley, who are rightfully concerned about this constant barrage of attacks on healthcare.

I am going to continue standing with my Democratic colleagues on behalf of women's constitutionally protected rights and against the Trump administration's partisan attacks on women's access to healthcare.

Mr. President, when his son was deployed to Iraq in 2003, Thaddeus Luszey, Jr., and his wife Deborah of Hudson, NH, began sending him care packages. Now, more than 10 years later, that simple act has turned into a nonprofit organization called Operation Care for Troops. Operation Care for Troops has sent nearly 110,000 packages to deployed servicemembers, providing them a friendly reminder from home that they are not forgotten. For his dedication to supporting the brave servicemembers who sacrifice so much so that the rest of us may live in freedom and security, I am proud to recognize Thaddeus as the April 2019 Granite Stater of the Month.

Thaddeus comes from a military family; his mother, father, and son are all veterans. When his son was deployed in Iraq, Thaddeus sat down with a friend over lunch who was also sending care packages overseas to deployed servicemembers, and an idea was born: They would work together to reach even more servicemembers. What started as friends, family, and neighbors in garages putting together care packages has transformed into a full-fledged organization with hundreds of volunteers. Operation Care for Troops sends over a thousand packages four times a year, including 3,000 stockings to troops over the holidays. Operation Care for Troops also makes sure that servicemembers know that the people of New Hampshire have them in their thoughts. Each package contains three or four cards from schoolchildren and community members, ensuring that no one goes without mail.

The organization does this all with the support of hundreds of community volunteers and businesses who help supply and fill the packages, a true embodiment of New Hampshire's all-hands-on-deck spirit.

For these efforts, I am proud to recognize Thaddeus Luszey, Jr., as the April 2019 Granite Stater of the Month.

Mr. President, today I would like to recognize the impressive work of two Granite Staters, CSM (Retired) Michael Rice and Kathy Rice.

Throughout his service in the New Hampshire National Guard, Mike and his wife Kathy worked to ensure that servicemembers and their families were well supported. Mike and Kathy were strong advocates for the men and women of the New Hampshire National Guard, championing training and support for the well-being of the soldiers and airmen and women. Their knowledge of the military and the systems available to assist troops and their families was an invaluable resource many relied on.

Following Mike's retirement in 2006, Mike and Kathy have continued their service through countless volunteer endeavors, particularly in helping veterans find employment. They worked as part of the employer support to the Guard and Reserve and as transition assistance advisers, dedicating their time and ensuring that our veterans have the resources they need to succeed. They have also earned State and national recognition for their work, including receiving the Association of the United States Army's Mary G. Roebling Award for Distinguished Service.

Mike and Kathy attend every deployment and redeployment ceremony and work tirelessly to provide baked goods, information for troops and their families, and help to ensure that veterans receive the services they have earned.

I thank Mike and Kathy for their service to veterans, military families, and our country. Their selfless hard work honors those Granite Staters who fought for the cause of freedom and for the protection of our democracy and has truly made a difference in the lives of so many.

I hope you will join me in honoring dedicated Granite Staters Mike and Kathy Rice.

Mr. President, today I would like to recognize Mr. John Barthelmes of Hopkinton, NH, and celebrate his well-deserved retirement after years of service to New Hampshire and America.

In 1976, John began his career in public service as a State trooper in New Hampshire's North Country, where he fell in love with his wonderful wife, Jadean. He then rose through the ranks to become colonel of New Hampshire State Police, a position he held from 1996 to 1999. After retiring from the State police, John served as the director of the New England High-Intensity Drug Trafficking Area agency, until 2007 when Governor Lynch appointed him to serve as commissioner of the department of safety. I am proud and honored that, as Governor, I had the opportunity to reappoint this exceptional public servant to lead our department of safety.

As commissioner, John has focused on maintaining New Hampshire's status as one of the safest States in the Nation and on improving services for our citizens. Under his leadership, the department has effectively managed severe weather events and other emergencies. He also oversaw the merger of the State police and highway patrol and the overhaul of the State police officer recruitment process.

Additionally, under John's leadership, the department has dramatically reduced wait times at the Division of Motor Vehicles, given citizens the option to renew their drivers' licenses online, and undertaken a number of other improvements.

Underscoring his commitment to helping the people of New Hampshire, John is an outspoken advocate for treatment options for behavioral health and has served on the board of Riverbend Community Mental Health. John also serves on the New Hampshire Advisory Council on Emergency Preparedness and Security and the Governor's Commission on Alcohol and Drug Abuse Prevention, Treatment, and Recovery.

But as impressive as John Barthelmes' service, effectiveness, and achievements are, it is his insight, even-keeled demeanor, and extraordinary kindness that distinguishes him the most. A man of impeccable character and deep understanding of the human condition, John Barthelmes broadened the outlook of everyone he worked with and gave hope to all he served.

Ensuring the safety of our people and communities is the most important role of government. Doing it with the skill, professionalism, and wisdom that John Barthelmes exhibited throughout his career is extraordinary.

I thank John for his dedication to keeping our people and communities safe, and I thank John's family for their willingness to share him with the people of New Hampshire.

I hope you will join me in honoring a dedicated Granite Stater, John Barthelmes.

Mr. President, I rise today to join my colleague from Illinois, Senator Durbin, to discuss the work we are doing to protect students and taxpayers from predatory higher education practices. I want to thank Senator Durbin for his incredible and steadfast leadership on this issue.

All hard-working students deserve the opportunity to receive a quality education that will prepare them to compete in this 21st- century economy. Education is the cornerstone of expanding opportunity, and it is vital that we ensure that more students have access to quality, affordable higher education that will help them thrive.

Unfortunately, too often, hard-working students, including our veterans and servicemembers, are taken advantage of by predatory for- profit colleges. We have seen this issue time and again.

Years ago, we witnessed the collapse of Corinthian Colleges, Inc., and ITT Tech. Recently, we saw the collapses of Education Corporation of America, Vatterott College, and Dream Center Education Holdings. Students attended these institutions with the hope of furthering their education and building better lives for themselves and their families.

In reality, though, these companies were raking in billions of taxpayer funds that enriched their executives and investors, all while their students were receiving subpar degrees at high costs even though they were often recruited with the promise of a good-paying job after graduation. This has left tens of thousands of student borrowers with huge amounts of debt that they will never be able to repay, credits or degrees of little value, and few job prospects.

Unscrupulous actions by for-profit colleges have also widely impacted our country's veterans who bravely fought in defense of our freedoms and then, in turn, were taken advantage of by predatory, corrupt schools.

Our current system has done little to stop these bad actors. Students and taxpayers have been exploited in astounding ways and to an outrageous degree. We need to do more to address and to stop these predatory practices. That is why I was pleased and honored to join with Senator Durbin last week to introduce the Preventing Risky Operations from Threatening the Education and Career Trajectories of Students Act of 2019, otherwise known as the PROTECT Students Act.

This legislation would implement a number of commonsense protections to hold predatory institutions, including for-profit schools, accountable when they engage in unfair, deceptive, and other fraudulent practices.

To start, the PROTECT Students Act would safeguard our veterans and servicemembers from predatory practices. It would close a loophole in existing law that allows colleges to count GI benefits as non-Federal dollars toward a required 10 percent of their revenues that must be from a non-Federal source. This has led some predatory for-profit schools to deliberately and aggressively recruit veterans and even provide false information to them regarding their programs, including the expected level of student debt and what kinds of jobs would be available to the students once they graduate. By closing that loophole through the PROTECT Act, we can eliminate the incentive for these schools to prey on veterans and prevent veterans from going into significant debt for a credential or degree of little practical or economic value.

Next, this legislation would add a new review process for for-profit institutions that seek to convert to nonprofit or public status-- something they have been doing as a strategy to escape key accountability requirements.

Our bill would also take steps to ensure that career education programs actually prepare students for good-paying jobs because if students invest thousands of dollars in their education, they should be able to find a job that will help them pay back their loans.

The PROTECT Students Act would also codify the 2014 gainful employment regulation that helps prevent students from enrolling in low-quality programs that charge more than what a student can reasonably pay back after they graduate. This provision requires improvement by schools whose students are found to have too much debt compared to their earnings, and it cuts off Federal financial aid for those schools that don't improve. The measure also has the obvious benefit of preventing Federal taxpayer dollars from being wasted on worthless programs.

The PROTECT Students Act would help student borrowers who have been cheated or defrauded by predatory institutions, including for-profit colleges, by improving the process for borrowers to have their loans forgiven if the school they attend engages in fraud.

This legislation would increase consumer protections by banning the practice of mandatory arbitration, which has limited students' ability to seek legal action if they have been defrauded.

These are just some of the vital steps the PROTECT Students Act would take. This bill would be a strong step forward for both students-- including veterans and servicemembers--and taxpayers.

We are at a time when the Department of Education, led by Secretary Betsy DeVos, is doing everything in its power to undermine protections for students on these issues. Secretary DeVos has done a disservice to students by hiring into the Department officials who have close ties with companies that have defrauded students. They then, unsurprisingly, have supported her mission of rolling back student protections in favor of predatory companies. Secretary DeVos has worked to gut key consumer protections and weakened relief for students who were victims of fraud. This is unacceptable. By supporting the PROTECT Students Act, Members of the Senate can send a message to Secretary DeVos that we will not stand for these actions.

I want to take a moment to thank my friend and colleague, Senator Durbin, for his consistent leadership on this issue. For years, Senator Durbin has been sounding the alarm about the dangers of for-profit colleges, introducing legislation, and taking to the Senate floor and bringing much needed attention to this matter. It is time that more of our colleagues listen to his calls to stop these predatory institutions from taking advantage of students all across the country.

Senator Durbin, thank you again for leading on this issue. I am thrilled that we have been able to work together to introduce the PROTECT Students Act, and I look forward to working with you to pass this legislation as part of the reauthorization of the Higher Education Act.

Thank you.

I yield the floor to my colleague from Illinois.

Thank you, Mr. President.

It is good to hear from my colleague from Texas. I am here to talk about two different issues, but I did just want to say that I have had the pleasure and honor of visiting Senator Cornyn's wonderful State. In fact, I was at the border last spring. It is a beautiful State that is full of hard-working and welcoming people. Certainly, our men and women on the frontlines at the border are working incredibly hard and have a lot of excellent ideas about how to secure the border.

I do just want to make one point, which is simply that in addressing a humanitarian crisis at the border, we shouldn't create another one by separating families at the border. To be clear, there is nothing in our law that requires families to be separated at the border. We simply should not be harming children as we deal with this issue.

I would welcome Senator Cornyn to our Homeland Security Committee, where we have discussed the various options that would keep us from hurting children in our care.