Floor Statements

Mr. President, now on another matter, tomorrow, Senate Republicans will create two more opportunities to hit the brakes on runaway regulation. Thanks to the efforts of the junior Senator for Wyoming and the junior Senator for Oklahoma, we will consider two more resolutions under the Congressional Review Act.

Senator Mullin's resolution targets a decision by the Fish and Wildlife Service to ``uplist''--``uplist''--a creature called the northern long-eared bat as an endangered species. This designation would have massive repercussions for landowners, businesses, and infrastructure projects across as many as 37 of our 50 States. More than 3,000 infrastructure and development projects are currently in limbo--3,000 infrastructure and development projects currently in limbo--waiting for the extra environmental consultations that the Endangered Species Act will require if this case of uplisting is allowed to stand.

And get this: The Biden administration itself admits that the recent declines in the population of this particular bat are due mostly to fungal disease, not human development.

I don't care how long this bat's ears are--it can't get veto power over 37 State economies. Senator Mullin's resolution will prevent this absurdity.

The second resolution, sponsored by Senator Lummis, targets the Biden administration's attempt to make a sweeping change to the very definition of the word ``habitat'' in Federal law. The last Republican administration adopted a clear and explicit legal definition which gave builders, landowners, and small businesses some certainty and peace of mind, but President Biden has let the far-left throw all of that into chaos. Now American families and businesses could be facing decreased property values and predatory legal challenges if they wind up on the wrong side of Democrats' moving the goalpost. Senator Lummis's resolution will reintroduce certainty and common sense.

I would urge every Senator to support both measures later this week.

Mr. President, 7 of the last 10 debt limit increases were attached to bipartisan government spending deals. All three of the debt limit increases from 2017 through 2020 were attached to bipartisan government spending deals.

So there is no reason why our country should be drifting toward crisis. The solution is clear; it has been clear for months. President Biden needs to negotiate on spending with Speaker McCarthy.

The Speaker has been at the table since February. House Republicans are the only people in town who have passed any bill that prevents default. President Biden has been MIA.

House and Senate Democrats have no plan, no proposal. They have no bill to raise the debt ceiling that could pass either in the House or the Senate, let alone both.

So the choice is President Biden's: Either he drives the country into default or he comes to the table.

Four years ago, in 2019, the roles were reversed. Republicans held the White House. Democrats held the White House. I was the majority leader. And my advice to the President then was the same as my advice to the President now: raise the debt limit by negotiating spending levels with the Speaker.

That administration listened. They sent Secretary Mnuchin to hammer out a debt deal with Speaker Pelosi. They struck a compromise. Spending levels were set, and the debt limit was raised.

That is what a responsible Senate majority leader would be telling the Biden White House today: Sit down with the Speaker and strike a deal.

Any compromise flushed out by the Republican House and the Democratic White House will pass the Senate easily. So President Biden's actions will either prevent default or guarantee default.

It is just that simple. It is up to the President.

Either President Biden causes an economic disaster of his own creation or he picks up the 2019 playbook and negotiates with Speaker McCarthy.

Everybody knows this is on President Biden. Rank-and-file House and Senate Democrats have publicly called on the White House to negotiate.

The Washington Post--the Washington Post--ran an entire editorial entitled, ``It's time for Biden to call McCarthy!''

Last week, an entire news story detailed how the White House is garnering no support from nonpartisan leaders or experts for their bizarre strategy of sleepwalking into disaster.

The people around President Biden, including the Senate Democratic leader, seem to think they can wish away the results of the midterm election. They want to pretend the American people didn't flip the House.

That is not how it works. In divided government, you negotiate. The President and the Speaker need to talk, just like in 2019. We need a bipartisan spending agreement, just like 7 of the previous 10 debt limit deals. I will be joining the White House meeting later today, and I will continue to support the Speaker.

I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. President, from the early days of the steam- powered locomotive to the modern era's high-speed rail, Kentucky's railroads have been at the heart of our Commonwealth's growth and development. Though railways are no longer our primary mode of transportation, they remain an essential ingredient of Kentucky's economic success, transporting the goods and resources that power our lives. The R.J. Corman Railroad Group, stationed out of central Kentucky, has been a driving force in propelling the rail industry forward. Today, I would like to recognize this organization's contributions to our Commonwealth on its 50th anniversary.

The story of this Kentucky railroad empire begins in 1973 with my good friend and Nicholasville native, Mr. Rick Corman. It was just after high school when Rick founded his first business venture, R.J. Corman Railroad Construction, and, like its founder, the company hailed from humble beginnings.

At 18 years old, Rick started out making track repairs for major railroads equipped with nothing more than a backhoe and a red dump truck. Thanks to his tireless work ethic and shrewd instincts, Rick grew his humble operation into what is now the R.J. Corman Railroad Group, a diversified portfolio of railroad companies. Rick would grow his business across 23 States, employ over 1,600 workers, and expand into a host of verticals that ranged from short-line railroad operations to emergency and natural disaster response.

Amid some of our country's most horrific floods, blizzards, and hurricanes, Rick's team was on the ground to assist in recovery and cleanup efforts. When Hurricane Katrina struck the central Gulf and devastated railroad infrastructure across the South, Rick mobilized his emergency response crew to repair railways in record time.

In his personal life, Rick and his company were avid donors to St. Joseph Hospital in Jessamine County, so much so that the hospital recognized Rick as its largest philanthropic donor. The hospital established the R.J. Corman Ambulatory Care Center in 2008, which continues to serve the community of Nicholasville to this day.

Tragically, the company lost its seemingly unstoppable founder 10 years ago to a hard-fought battle with multiple myeloma, a blood cancer. Rick was just 58. Despite his cancer diagnosis, Rick would continue to enjoy life, travel the world, and even run the Boston Marathon. To this day, his infectious laugh, warm demeanor, and irresistible spirit for life are deeply missed by his family and loved ones. In honor of Rick, the company and its employees contribute to the Richard J. Corman Multiple Myeloma Fund each year, which helps support research work at Harvard's Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.

Despite losing its torchbearer, the company and Rick's legacy prevailed. R.J. Corman continues to operate as one of the leading railroad service providers in the U.S., serving all seven major railroads in North America. Most recently, the company added a 19th railroad to its wide-spanning portfolio. R.J. Corman's iconic red train cars are an unmistakable fixture of central Kentucky, and the company's impact on our Commonwealth continues to extend beyond its railway business.

The company remains a worthy custodian of Rick's name and his legacy of generosity, compassion, and hard work. I am proud to honor this classic American success story and celebrate its many contributions to the Commonwealth of Kentucky. I ask my Senate colleagues to join me in recognizing R.J. Corman Railroad Group for 50 outstanding years.

Mr. President, in the teeth of the Great Depression, America built the tallest structure in the world, the Empire State Building. And we did it in 13\1/2\ months. Today, major infrastructure projects wait an average of 4\1/2\ years just for an environmental impact statement before they can break ground.

Beginning in the middle of the civil war, the transcontinental railroad took 5 years and 7 months to build from first rail to Golden Spike--in the middle of the civil war. Today, it can take roughly twice that long just to get the permit to open a mine.

The American people have heard a lot of talk from Washington about permitting reform. But our Nation's builders, refiners, miners, and job creators know what they need is a lot less Washington getting in the way. America is facing down strategic competition with major rivals like China that will shape the next centuries of world history. We are in a race for security, prosperity, and influence.

But even as Washington Democrats say they want to help America build things, make things, upgrade our infrastructure, and win that competition, they keep making it harder to do exactly that.

After the bipartisan infrastructure bill became law in 2021, the Biden administration had unelected bureaucrats at the Federal Highway Administration urging States--listen to this--not to spend infrastructure funding on commonsense things like expanding highway capacity and focus on equity and sustainability sideshows instead.

After the CHIPS Act passed in 2022, the administration's Commerce Department tried to rewrite parts of the law, after the fact, to maximize the benefits for Democrats' Big Labor allies. Secretary Raimondo marketed the bill as an urgent national security priority, securing supply chain for microchips. But the left wants to turn it into a Trojan horse for miscellaneous leftwing demands related to workplace H.R.

By one measure last year, the number of natural gas pipeline projects that were canceled dwarfed the number that were completed. On the Biden administration's watch, we are canceling more gas pipelines than we are building--in this administration, canceling more pipelines than we are building.

Last April, the Council on Environmental Quality issued a rule that would open new infrastructure projects--listen to this--to even more frivolous litigation from radical activists by redefining whole categories of potential and environmental effects.

Mr. President, this week, the Democratic leader announced he wants the Senate to pass even more legislation related to competition with China. But our Democratic colleagues gave the game away when they continually obstruct real honest-to-goodness commonsense reforms to our permitting process. We cannot and we will not outcompete China by rewarding radical activists' bad behavior. We will outcompete China if and when we decide we are going to help builders actually build.

Our colleagues Ranking Member Capito of the EPW Committee and Ranking Member Barrasso of the Energy Committee are the experts in this space. Consider the case our friend from West Virginia recalled just yesterday on the floor. The Mountain Valley Pipeline was designed to help heat 10 million homes across Appalachia, and it was supposed to be completed-- listen to this--5 years ago. Construction is more than 90 percent complete. But thanks to predatory legal challenges, the builders have now literally spent more time in court than on the job site, and a project that was supposed to cost $3.5 million now has a pricetag almost twice that size thanks to legal delays and legal fees.

It is actually mind-boggling to think that in the world's most advanced economy, we simply let our critical infrastructure crumble, our skilled workers stay home, and our brightest ideas languish until radical environmentalists run out of legal challenges and unelected Washington bureaucrats decide they are finally satisfied.

Thankfully--thankfully--our colleagues from West Virginia and Wyoming are teaming up to introduce two bills that deliver real--real-- permitting reform. The Capito and Barrasso bills are designed to create a streamlined fast track for energy and infrastructure projects, set enforceable limits on bureaucratic reviews and legal challenges, and give builders certainty that changing political winds won't hamstring their projects.

Unleashing American energy, harnessing American resources, and investing in the American workforce--these are the crucial priorities; and, led by Senators Capito and Barrasso, Senate Republicans are on the case.

I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.

Mr. President, months of inaction by President Biden have left our Nation drifting toward economic disaster. His own administration says our Nation is only weeks away from a debt crisis, but there has been a total absence of Presidential

leadership. President Biden has simply been MIA.

First, the President said he would not negotiate unless Speaker McCarthy and House Republicans passed their own bill. So they did. Our Republican colleagues in the House passed a responsible bill. It is the only legislation currently in existence that can pass even one Chamber of Congress, let alone both.

Let that sink in.

This is where we are. Senate Democrats and Leader Schumer can give all the angry speeches they want, but they have no bill. Leader Schumer has no plan that can earn 60 votes here in the Senate. He has no solution that can even pass his Chamber, let alone the House. Speaker McCarthy and House Republicans are the only people in Washington who have actually passed legislation to avoid default.

The Senate majority offers plenty of angry noises but zero plan. The only solution is Presidential leadership. President Biden has been sleepwalking toward this crisis.

It is time to wake up--time to wake up.

The President has two options. He can endorse the responsible bill the House Republicans have already passed and instruct Senate Republicans not to block it in this Chamber or he can finally sit down with Speaker McCarthy and reach an agreement. The Speaker of the House has been sitting at the grownup's table for months waiting for President Biden to act like a leader.

Whatever President Biden and Speaker McCarthy can both agree to will pass the Senate easily. Any bill that doesn't meet that description appears to have no chance.

So I am glad President Biden has begun backing down and finally advised the Speaker to begin negotiating. I accept his invitation to join the meeting myself, but I will continue to lend my support to the Speaker.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.

Mr. President, today, Democrats on the Judiciary Committee are holding a hearing that is ostensibly about Supreme Court ethics reform. Really, it is just another chapter in Washington Democrats' three-decade-long campaign to undermine the Federal Judiciary at any cost.

There were the absurd smear campaigns aimed at jurists like Robert Bork and Janice Rogers Brown. There were the uncorroborated accusations held back with last-minute surprises against the nominations of Justice Thomas and Justice Kavanaugh. There was the silly attempt at a boycott by Democrats on the committee who didn't want to engage with Justice Barrett.

Washington Democrats apparently find a textualist Court that upholds our written Constitution to be a mighty unappealing proposition. They made that clear for 30-plus years.

And in the last few years, the hostility has reached reckless new highs: a sitting Senator stirring up crowds from the steps of the Court, naming Justices who would pay the price; unhinged activists marching on Justices' family homes; publishing the locations of their children's schools; and fueling a frenzy that had one unstable person literally--literally--plotting to assassinate a member of the Court; and Attorney General Garland simply refusing to enforce clear Federal law and stop illegal mob protests at judges' homes.

Now we have the next raft of silly personal attacks. This time, the left and some of their media allies want the American people to gasp in horror--in horror--that one Supreme Court Justice vacations with his friends, that another one sold his house when he moved, and that Chief Justice Roberts' wife has a career outside the home.

The Democrats even tried to pressure Chief Justice Roberts to trade the Supreme Court for their kangaroo court and show up in person today to hear them grandstand, a totally inappropriate request, as the Chief's polite and fact-based reply made clear.

For goodness' sake, we now have Senate Democrats openly threatening to defund the Court's budget by the exact amount they need for security to protect the Justices and their families if the Justices don't reorganize internal affairs the way some Democrats want.

Every 5 minutes, the Democratic Party wants to give lectures about upholding our institutions and protecting democracy. But just as often, they find a way to undertake a reckless attack against the courts and the rule of law.

So look, I am proud of how our Nation's highest Court has weathered these latest baseless attempts to attack its authority. I believe in the integrity and honesty of all nine Justices--all nine of them. They should pay the partisan grandstanding no mind at all.

Mr. President, now on entirely different matter, there was a remarkable exchange yesterday when a Russian reporter tried to put false words in Speaker McCarthy's mouth about alleged Republican opposition to helping Ukraine defeat Russian aggression.

Well, the Speaker put him in his place and shut him down. He reminded everyone of his ongoing support of aid to Ukraine and of Republicans' commitment to help our friends win. Republicans are the party of American strength, at home and abroad. And that includes standing up to would-be tyrants who are invading sovereign countries, killing innocent people, and putting the core national interests of the United States at risk.

Equipping Ukraine to defend itself is a direct investment in America's own national security--our national security. As brave Ukrainians degrade the Russian military on the frontlines, a major threat to Western security and economic prosperity gets weaker.

In the meantime, our own defense capabilities are actually getting stronger. A large part of the security assistance appropriated for Ukraine actually funds the production of new cutting-edge capabilities for the U.S. military and supports good-paying jobs for skilled American workers right here at home.

Unfortunately, it is the administration whose policies have been slow and halting. Since the beginning of Russia's escalation, the Biden administration had lagged several steps behind the pace of relevance in delivering decisive aid to Ukraine. Every approval of new assistance has required agonizing deliberations and prodding from congressional Republicans and Democrats alike. This was the case with the Stinger and Javelin systems the Ukrainians needed to drive back Russian convoys and Polish fighter jets that stood waiting on the tarmac, with the HIMARS and Harpoons and PATRIOT systems they needed to put the invaders on the back foot and the Abrams tanks they needed to support a counteroffensive and now with the cluster munitions, longer range fires, and fourth-generation fighter jets our friends need to actually turn the tide. At every single mile marker--every one--the Biden administration has dithered--dithered--unnecessarily.

It is time for the President to get serious about victory and invest in American strength.

I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Madam President, over the weekend, our Nation lost an outstanding public servant, and I lost a dear friend of nearly 40 years.

Janet Gardner Mullins Grissom was a proud daughter of Louisville, a trailblazing government leader, and my very first Chief of Staff here in the Senate. She passed away at the age of 73.

I believe Janet was a 29-year-old single mom when she and her young daughter Shannon arrived here in the Nation's Capital, determined to start a new chapter. To give you a sense of Janet's spirit, here is what she would later say about her first job interview:

I told them I could take dictation, which I couldn't, but I

figured I could learn.

Janet had smarts. She had tenacity. And she had a communication style that one might delicately call direct. Our hometown newspaper would later report that she had ``a salty tongue.'' Well, that was putting it mildly. She was a riot. She was a force of nature. And those qualities fueled a meteoric rise.

By the time I met Janet at some parent-teacher function at both of our daughters' school back in 1983, she had already ascended to the top rank of Senate staffers and actually left Washington to go back home to Louisville.

As you can imagine, I had to cajole Janet into heading up my long- shot first Senate campaign. I understand Shannon only permitted her mom to take the job and the potential return to Washington that winning might entail because Janet had assured her there was virtually no chance we would pull it off. Surprisingly, we did pull it off. We packed our boxes for Washington. I believe Shannon at least got a new puppy for a consolation prize.

Janet's veteran know-how helped me hit the ground running and make an impact from the start. She could ask for sensitive meetings, explain detailed policy issues, and curse a blue streak at some unruly reporter--and that she would all do before lunchtime. You couldn't imagine a better friend to have in your corner.

I believe she was the first woman to serve two different Senators as chief of staff. After my office, Janet's next stop was the political operation of then-Vice President Bush. That is where she met James A. Baker after he left President Reagan's Cabinet to oversee the Bush campaign in 1988. Apparently, while the other campaign staff greeted the famous newcomer with the awe and deference one might expect, Janet marched down the hallway barefoot and said: ``Hey, Jim, nice to meet you.'' Everyone else recoiled, but Jim Baker laughed. When he became Bush 41's Secretary of State, Janet went with him and served as Assistant Secretary for Legislative Affairs. When Baker became White House Chief of Staff, Janet went with him and became an assistant to the President. And when Janet left government for the private sector, she kept on blazing trails. She spent a decade helping steer the Ford Motor Company as a senior officer.

So Janet Mullins Grissom built a prototypical Washington, DC, powerhouse resume by being a thoroughly untypical Washington person. Brilliant and accomplished, yes, but tough as nails and a little rough around the edges in the best ways.

That same spine of steel helped Janet hold a serious illness at bay for a number of years. Up to just a few days ago, she was still in the fray, still tweeting up a storm on politics and media criticism, relishing the good fight right to the end.

Janet lived to see her most lasting legacy come full circle. Her older grandson, Harry, has a startup business. Her younger grandson, Sam, has gone into political communications himself. He even spent a couple of years in my office as an outstanding speechwriter and press aide. I know Janet was thrilled to see the boys thriving.

Elaine and I send our deepest condolences to Janet's husband Tom, her beloved daughter Shannon, and her grandchildren, Harry and Sam, and all the family members, friends, and colleagues mourning this tremendous loss.

I suggest the absence of a quorum.

The following Senator is necessarily absent: the Senator from Utah (Mr. Lee).

The following Senators are necessarily absent: the Senator from Indiana (Mr. Braun), the Senator from Utah (Mr. Lee), and the Senator from Kansas (Mr. Moran).

Mr. President, in the last several years, Democrats have given many dramatic speeches about our country's norms and institutions, about the rule of law and the health of democracy. But the sad irony has been this: The same political left that shouted so loudly about norms, institutions, and the rule of law has kept trying to steamroll these principles themselves.

Look at recent events at the State capitol buildings in Tennessee and Montana--angry liberal activists in shoving matches with law enforcement, shouting down proceedings. I myself am on the record as a firm critic of rioters and disrupting legislatures, across the board, no matter who is doing it. Why can't the left be as consistent?

And look at their side's growing hostility to the very independence of our judicial branch. A few weeks ago, when one Federal judge issued a ruling with policy outcomes that Democrats didn't like, they started suggesting that politicians should just openly disobey--just openly disobey--the judge's rulings.

Those suggestions are toxic and, frankly, anti-American. It was wrong when President Andrew Jackson tried to ignore the Court way back in the 1830s, it was dead wrong when Governor Faubus defied the Court on civil rights in the 1950s, and it is wrong also when today's Democratic Party brings all of that back.

The attacks on the judiciary don't stop there. In 2020, our colleague the Democratic leader stood on the very steps of the Supreme Court and threatened Justices by name--by name--with a ``whirlwind'' of retaliation if they failed to rule the way he wanted.

Then, after top Democrats encouraged mob outrage over a leaked draft opinion, President Biden's Attorney General failed to enforce clear Federal law and put a stop--a stop--to illegal protests that sought to intimidate the Justices at their private family homes.

Recently, a number of Senate Democrats have gone so far as to propose defunding security needs for the Justices and their families if Chief Justice Roberts doesn't reorganize internal matters the way Democrats would prefer. So after fanning the flames of violence against an equal branch of government, Democrats now want to defund the Justices' ability to protect themselves and their families if certain Senators don't get their way.

They are trying to turn impartial judges into partisan hostages. This is really beyond irresponsible.

And then, of course, there are the desperate and never-ending attempts to smear and defame Justices appointed by Republican Presidents, going back years and decades. Over the last few weeks, two Justices have been particularly subjected to a carousel of character assassination. I am sure it will be another Justice's turn again before too long. This is simply how the far left treats the rule of law.

Let me just repeat that I have total confidence in Justice Gorsuch, Justice Thomas, and all seven of their distinguished colleagues, no matter who appointed them--no matter who appointed them. Just yesterday, all nine Justices explained in a statement their joint approach to maintaining their high ethical standards. Unlike the activists and elected Democrats trying to

tear them down, the Justices have proven their sobriety and judicial temperament over their long and distinguished careers.

Mr. President, for over 2 years, the Biden administration has failed to attend to some of the most basic governing duties. Stable prices, secure borders, and safe streets are three of the most fundamental responsibilities that any government owes its people.

But Washington Democrats neglected the basics for their pet priorities. They spent trillions of dollars on government goodies that nobody asked for, triggered the worst inflation in 40 years, and turned a blind eye to the border crisis and a crime wave, all occurring on their watch.

They caused the damage on party-line votes, without any input from the Republican side. In response, the American people flipped the House and chose a closely divided Senate. The voters dialed up the checks and the balances. The people went to the ballot box and demanded the Democrats start negotiating and compromising.

But the President is refusing to engage. Even as his own advisers say the debt ceiling is approaching fast, the White House is totally MIA. His position has been no negotiation, no reforms.

It is such an absurd position that even fellow Democrats are not buying it. The senior Senator from West Virginia, a Democrat, has publicly called on the President to sit down with Speaker McCarthy and negotiate.

Listen to the House Democrats: ``Get to work and get it done for the sake of the country,'' says one. ``They've got to do it soon,'' says another.

Just a few years ago, the Democratic leader said debt limit talks were an ``opportunity for bipartisanship.''

And what about President Biden himself? Here is what then-Vice President Biden said about the debt ceiling back in 2011. ``Some of them are still unwilling to budge . . . taking an absolute position: my way or no way. . . . That's not governing,'' said the Vice President in 2011.

My goodness, that is harsh criticism for the 2023 version of President Biden from the 2011 version of Vice President Biden.

The Democrats' reckless policies have already dealt far too much damage to our country. This administration's inflation has hammered working families' budgets. Their anti-energy policies have raised gas prices and utility bills. Their attempt to reinvent cash welfare without work requirements hurt small businesses by worsening labor shortages and hurt families by promoting dependence.

So the working people of this country have already paid a heavy enough price for Democrats' failures. We should not even come within a mile of flirting with a Democratic debt default on top of all the rest.

It is time for President Biden to stop the partisan stubbornness, join Speaker McCarthy at the grownups' table, and get talking.

I suggest the absence of a quorum.

The following Senators are necessarily absent: the Senator from Wyoming (Mr. Barrasso), the Senator from Tennessee (Mrs. Blackburn), the Senator from Tennessee (Mr. Hagerty), and the Senator from Idaho (Mr. Risch).