Floor Statements

Mr. President, after three terms as Lyon County judge- executive, my good friend Wade White is stepping down from his position and has been nominated to serve on the Tennessee Valley Authority Board of Directors. His proven leadership in local government has caught the eye of Federal leaders, but I know his focus remains on Kentucky and helping his community access the inexpensive, reliable power TVA promises to provide to a wide swath of our Commonwealth. Today, I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring Wade for his public service and wishing him the best in the next step in his career.

Wade's heart has always been in serving his neighbors and home State. Even before his community elected him to serve as their top county official, he made a mark on Kentucky as a youth minister and insurance adjuster--in both roles, helping people as they went through tough times. Twelve years ago, he threw his hat in the ring and successfully pursued election as county judge-executive. He has lent his top-tier leadership and expertise to Lyon County ever since.

During his tenure, Wade's focus has been set squarely on some of the long-term challenges facing Lyon County. As one of the two Kentucky counties encompassing Land Between the Lakes, Lyon County and its leaders play an important role in advocating for prudent Federal land management policies. Wade and I have worked together closely to ensure Land Between the Lakes continues to offer economic and recreational opportunities for generations of Kentuckians to come.

Wade has also prioritized two pressing issues facing waterways in his region of Kentucky: improving Barkley Dam and addressing the ongoing Asian carp infestation. His work on these issues served as strong preparation for his nomination to the TVA Board, which plays a key role in managing Kentucky's waterways. The board also lacks representation from our State, despite serving 215,000 Kentucky households; Wade's unique perspective promises to bring balance to the organization and its priorities.

Though Wade is taking a step back from elected office, his career in public service is far from over. He will continue to steward Kentucky's development, just as he did during--and even before--his tenure as Lyon County judge-executive. On behalf of my Senate colleagues, I thank Wade for his hard work on behalf of Kentucky and look forward to his future service to our Nation.

Madam President, the whole country continues our vigil for the people of Florida, who are hunkered down through Hurricane Ian.

The storm's landfall yesterday brought surging seas and sustained winds over 150 miles an hour, and 2.5 million Florida families and businesses are reportedly without power. Evacuation orders have been in place for more than 2 million residents of the gulf coast.

The extent of the damage has barely even begun to come into focus. Fortunately, the coordinated State and local response, led by Governor DeSantis and supported by Federal Agencies, is ongoing.

Yesterday, our two colleagues from Florida led the State's entire congressional delegation in asking President Biden to issue a major disaster declaration and unlock further aid. I understand the President agreed this morning.

The Senate will stand ready to provide further assistance if needed. The government funding legislation before us will make sure the Disaster Relief Fund is refilled.

Most immediately, Floridians remain at the forefront of the nation's prayers.

The Economy

Madam President, now, on a completely different matter, families across America have felt the brunt of this all-Democratic government's failed energy policies. When gas prices were skyrocketing, the Biden administration insisted up and down they had no control over them. When the prices started to level off, the same politicians asked for a round of applause--funny how that works.

Here is what working families in Kentucky know: that a gallon of gas costs a full dollar more than when President Biden took office. American families and small businesses know their electricity bills skyrocketed this spring and this summer, and they know that heating costs on Democrats' watch this fall and winter may well be catastrophic.

Just like our overall 13.2 percent inflation since January 2021 is directly--directly--traceable to Democrats' reckless spending, a lot of our energy prices are traceable to Democrats' shortsighted policies. Democrats have spent 20 years saying we shouldn't explore for American energy, that our abundant fossil fuel resources should actually stay in the ground.

Just in the last 2 years, Democrats overwhelmingly voted two separate items to let the Biden EPA ban fracking. One analysis showed that the kind of fracking ban Democrats want will quadruple household energy bills.

Democrats supported President Biden's de facto bans on both offshore and onshore oil and gas leasing. They backed President Biden's decision to cancel the Keystone XL Pipeline. I guess it is better to import Middle Eastern crude than safely transport oil from Canada.

They voted for reckless tax hikes, including a natural gas tax that will directly drive up families' heating costs.

And this week marks the 6-month anniversary of when President Biden began his reckless draining of our Strategic Petroleum Reserve in a desperate attempt to buy up his poll numbers. President Biden has already released more than 200 million barrels from the Reserve into the international market, more than all the other Presidents in our history combined. A few days ago, he promised to release an additional 10 million barrels in November.

Our country established the Strategic Petroleum Reserve as a lifeline for national security crises. Until now, Presidents had only ever tapped it for armed conflicts or natural disasters. Now Democrats are emptying out our emergency reserves in a desperate attempt to save their political skins. Reckless and cynical does not even begin to cover it.

Now the Reserve sits at its lowest point since 1984. If our country were cut off from oil imports tomorrow, we would have less than 2 months' supply.

And, remember, 2 years ago, in the early COVID crisis, when markets were temporarily crashing and oil was selling for bargain-basement prices like we have never seen, Republicans tried to refill the Strategic Petroleum Reserve to the top when the prices were low. It would have been a win for economic stability, a win for national security, and a huge win for taxpayers. Oil actually was on a clearance sale, and we could have filled the Reserve right up to the top.

Oh, but Senate Democrats blocked it and bragged about blocking it. Leader Schumer boasted in writing that he had blocked a ``bailout for Big Oil''--a bailout for Big Oil, typical tired, old liberal rhetoric. But what our Democrat colleagues blocked was an unbelievably good deal for the American people. Now they are draining the Reserve they wouldn't let us refill, and when they do need to refill it, you had better believe taxpayers won't be paying March 2020 prices. I can tell you that.

Shortsighted, ineffective, and bad economics--that is Democrats' energy policy in microcosm. Working Americans pay the price every single day.

Crime

Now, Madam President, on another matter, runaway inflation isn't the only crisis keeping American families up at night. The last 2 years have seen law and order deteriorate all across our country. Public safety has eroded, violent crimes like murders and carjackings are breaking records, and our southern border has turned into a turnstile.

We have seen the violence and chaos firsthand in Kentucky, especially in my hometown of Louisville, but we aren't alone. This is a nationwide phenomenon on Democrats' watch.

Philadelphia just saw their 1,000th carjacking this year. It is not even October yet. Carjackings in Philly have quadrupled just since 2019.

In Phoenix, AZ, the first half of this year saw homicides jump up more than 25 percent compared to 2021. One woman whose brother and cousin were both shot and killed a few weeks ago said:

It's like the community has [actually] become accustomed to

it.

In 2021, Denver recorded more murders than they had seen in a single year since 1981, and the pace was 23 percent higher still in the first half of 2022.

Nationwide, robberies and thefts in big cities shot up 20 percent in the first half of this year.

So it turns out that, when an entire political party builds its brand around undermining the police, going easy on repeat offenders, and putting criminals' interests ahead of innocent families', bad things happen.

Bad things also happen when the same political party decides to stand down on border security: over 2 million illegal immigrants apprehended by the CBP this fiscal year alone, not even counting all of the people who evaded capture; an avalanche--an avalanche--of illegal drugs coming into our land.

These are massive concerns among the American people--concerns that our Senate Democratic majority has intentionally spent all year doing nothing whatsoever to address.

Mr. President, the Kentucky Journalism Hall of Fame recently announced its 42nd class of inductees, adding eight new members to a list of distinguished journalists, including Pulitzer Prize winners and broadcasters who have become household names. John B. Gaines, the former publisher of the Bowling Green Daily News, was one of this year's posthumous additions. Today, I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring John's induction into the Hall of Fame and remembering the deep mark he left on Kentucky print journalism.

John and I met through his role on the Bowling Green Daily News editorial board, where he helped craft opinion pieces that shaped the political outlook of generations of Kentuckians. During my earliest runs for statewide office, I knew how important it was for me to meet with John and his team of writers. Luckily, John and I tended to agree on most issues and became fast friends.

John was a member of the Gaines family, one of Bowling Green's most prominent and, until this year, the owners of the Daily News for five generations. He understood the deep importance of his family to Bowling Green's civic life, leveraging his role at the Daily News to bring public attention to critical local issues and fostering homegrown journalistic talent as President of the Kentucky Press Association. He was also a fierce advocate for government transparency and helped open the halls of Kentucky government more widely to reporters and, by extension, to everyday Kentuckians.

To honor John Gaines' induction into the Journalism Hall of Fame, his son Pipes Gaines delivered remarks at a reception in Lexington, KY. Pipes remembered his father's ``love of facts'' and his pursuit of them ``without fear or favor.'' I remember John's love for facts, as well, and his earnest belief that unvarnished, unbiased coverage of political issues would always illuminate Kentucky's government better than slanted reporting.

I thank John and the entire Gaines family for their stewardship of one of the Commonwealth's finest newspapers and for their service to their Bowling Green readers. Even more than a decade after John's passing, his legacy continues to reverberate around the Commonwealth.

The Bowling Green Daily News paid tribute to John Gaines' induction into the Kentucky Journalism Hall of Fame in a recent article. I ask unanimous consent that the article be printed in the Record.

Mr. President, the Kentucky Broadcasters Association, the Commonwealth's premier representative for our State's public and commercial radio and television stations, recently announced their 2022 Hall of Fame inductees. My good friend Dave ``Buzz'' Baker, WKYT's sports anchor, is one of those honored this year and joined the ranks of some of Kentucky's finest broadcast journalists. Today, I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring Dave for his service to our State and congratulating him on achieving this high honor.

Dave came to Kentucky in 1978 to attend school at Georgetown College and, after joining WKYT after graduating, has since called the Bluegrass State home. He must have realized quickly that, for a career in sports journalism, few places offer such enthusiastic fans or such riveting rivalries. As a Lexington sports reporter, he reserved special focus for the University of Kentucky Wildcats, tracking UK athletics through their highs and lows over four decades of first-rate journalism.

During his time at WKYT, Dave has had the opportunity to report from five Final Four Championships and three National Championships, following UK all across the country to keep fans updated. In March 2008, he found himself on the sidelines of the SEC Men's Basketball Tournament when a tornado hit the Georgia Dome, certainly one of his more harrowing experiences on the job. His broadcasting extends beyond basketball, from UK football, to professional wrestling, including interviews with Randy Savage and Hulk Hogan. He has had quite the memorable career.

Today, as WKYT's sports anchor, he broadcasts to Lexington's sports- hungry audiences twice every weekday. He also hosts UK Sports Networks' ``Countdown to Tip-Off Show'' on the school's radio network and his own ``Sports Buzz'' podcast. In short, he is one of the most recognizable faces and voices of UK sports. His four-decade legacy at WKYT is so legendary that he earned a proclamation earlier this year from Lexington's mayor on his

40th anniversary with the station, naming that day Dave ``Buzz'' Baker Day in the city.

I also applaud Dave's work outside the television station. Using the trust and affection he has earned from his viewers, he has worked with Kentucky State government leaders to help promote safe, responsible behavior at the Commonwealth's high schools and colleges.

I thank Dave for his strong reporting on Kentucky athletics and join all of his viewers and listeners in congratulating him on his most recent honor from the Kentucky Broadcasters Association.

Mr. President, my good friend C.B. Embry has worn many hats during his long career in public life: as an elected official for more than 50 years in positions including mayor, county judge- executive, State representative, and State senator; as the proprietor of several businesses in and around Ohio County; as a journalist, published author, and teacher; as a volunteer, political organizer, church leader, and family man. C.B. recently submitted his resignation from the Kentucky State Senate, marking the end of his long career in government. Today, I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring C.B. and thanking him for his lifelong service to Kentucky.

C.B. found a passion for public service at a young age, entering journalism and teaching right after graduating from Western Kentucky University. His love for his home State and his hometown propelled him into elected office quickly, and, in 1970, he became the youngest ever mayor of Beaver Dam in Ohio County. His strong leadership and steadfast conservative credentials soon attracted national attention, and, in 1975, he was named the Outstanding Young Republican in the Nation by future President George H. W. Bush.

He and I entered into Republican politics at similar times, back when much of Kentucky was still blue. As young conservatives, we quickly bonded over our shared love of the Commonwealth and our similar work to help flip the State into the Republican column. Over the decades, our collaboration has only grown, and, because of the work of organizers like C.B., Kentuckians across our State have embraced conservative values.

Not long after C.B. entered the public eye, Ohio County residents recognized his expansive leadership potential, electing him county judge-executive in 1982. In 2002, he was elected to serve as State representative and, in 2014, became State senator. In all, he has been elected to public office a dozen times, proof of the trust and admiration he earned from his neighbors and constituents. He has also worked with various Kentucky Governors, Federal agencies, and statewide organizations to champion policies that improve Kentuckians' lives.

In his past 8 years in the State senate, C.B. earned recognition as a senior legislator and statesman. His work was expansive in scope, covering issues ranging from agriculture and energy policy to police safety and military affairs. Perhaps his proudest achievement was leading the passage of a so-called ``Right to Try'' bill that allows medical patients facing debilitating illnesses to try experimental treatments when all other options have been exhausted. State governments all around the country have mimicked his work and passed similar pieces of legislation.

More than anything, C.B. has always prioritized his family, celebrating his 60th anniversary with his wife Wanda this past August. As the father of three, grandfather of four, and great-grandfather of two, he has passed on his legacy of public service and integrity to a blossoming family. In business, church service, and government leadership, his priority has always been to give other Kentuckians the opportunity to build the same success he found in every aspect of his life and career.

When C.B. retired from the State senate, he was the oldest serving member of the body and received recognition from all his colleagues as one of Kentucky's premier senior statesmen. Congratulations and gratitude poured in from all over the Commonwealth, thanking C.B. for his decades of service to our State. I am proud to add my voice to that chorus of Kentuckians and give my deepest appreciation for his lifelong work on behalf of all citizens of the Commonwealth.

Mr. President, for more than 30 years, Chuck Mraz served communities in Eastern Kentucky as the ``Voice of the Eagles'' for Morehead State University athletics at Morehead State Public Radio. During his long career, from which he retired 4 years ago, he earned accolades from around the Commonwealth and region. This year, he received another distinction and was one of several broadcast journalists inducted into the Kentucky Broadcasters Association Hall of Fame. Today, I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring Chuck for his service and congratulating him on achieving this high honor.

Chuck knew he wanted to be a sportscaster from the beginning of his career, noting in an interview that sports had always been a part of his life since he could pick up a bat and a ball. When he joined Morehead State Public Radio in 1986, he relished the opportunity to give commentary during Morehead State games. Even as his role at the radio station expanded, he stayed on as the voice of Eagles athletics and continues to serve as the play-by-play voice of Morehead State football and men's basketball in his retirement.

I had the opportunity to join Chuck's program a number of times over the years, enjoying our conversations that ranged from the important policy issues facing Kentuckians to our shared passion for Kentucky sports. His dedication to his career required many early mornings and late nights, but he never wavered from his love for Morehead State sports, staying dedicated to his beloved Eagles throughout his career.

Chuck's most recent recognition from the Kentucky Broadcasters Association is just one more award in a long list of honors he has received from local, State, and regional press associations. That includes more than 40 Kentucky Associated Press awards, the Eastern Kentucky Leadership Conference Award for Media and Technology, and the Ohio Valley Conference Media Award. Upon his retirement, Chuck also earned tributes and accolades from around Kentucky and the country.

I thank Chuck for his long career with Morehead State and congratulate him on his well-deserved induction into the Kentucky Broadcasters Association Hall of Fame. To all Kentuckians and Morehead State fans, he will always be the ``Voice of the Eagles.''

Morehead State paid tribute to Chuck Mraz in a recent article. I ask unanimous consent that the article be printed in the Record.

Mr. President, first, this morning, the Senate and the entire country are watching the news and praying for the people of the great State of Florida, where a seemingly massive, massive hurricane is poised to make landfall soon. I understand the current forecast suggests that Hurricane Ian may be both extremely powerful and unusually slow-moving, a terrible combination for the citizens and communities in its path.

Our colleague the senior Senator from Florida reported this morning that State officials and the relevant Federal Agencies have been working well together and that, thus far, every request Florida has made of the Federal Government has been approved. The bipartisan government funding bill the Senate is on track to pass this week will ensure that the Federal Disaster Relief Fund is fully resourced at this critical moment.

We are all keeping the people of Florida at the forefront of our thoughts and will stand ready to help our colleagues from Florida, the Governor, and local officials however we can.

Continuing Resolution

Now, Mr. President, on a completely different matter, the path to keeping the government open and funded has been clear for weeks now. The solution was always going to be a clean, bipartisan continuing resolution, negotiated by Senators Shelby and Leahy, without any unrelated, partisan language jammed in. Our Democratic colleagues tried to complicate things by jamming in a phony, partisan figleaf on the subject of permitting reform.

Republicans strongly support real, substantive permitting reform. We are actually leading that charge. Senator Capito has an outstanding bill that would make significant changes to make it easier to build things in our country, create jobs in our country, and unleash domestic energy in our country.

The problem was that the Schumer-Manchin language was not actual permitting reform by any stretch. It was a phony figleaf. It was designed to create the illusion of progress while sapping the political will to tackle the issue in any meaningful way. The Democrats carefully tailored the bill to avoid making any--any--impactful changes to permitting laws. In fact, we had panicked State-level elected officials from around the country writing the Senate to explain how the Democrats' bill would actually make the existing problems even worse. Fortunately, the Senate saw through the political game, and the phony figleaf didn't have the votes.

So I am glad that our colleagues capitulated and abandoned their phony figleaf. I look forward to a bipartisan funding bill coming to the floor this week, and I hope our Democratic colleagues will push the liberal special interests aside and let actual, robust permitting reform become law someday soon.

Biden Administration

Mr. President, on another matter, 2 years ago, the American people elected a President who claimed he would govern as a uniting moderate. In underscoring that mandate, voters gave him unusually small coattails--the slimmest possible majority--in Congress.

The all-Democratic government inherited an economy that was, by every account, already primed and ready for economic recovery. Vaccines were already flooding the country. A major bipartisan stimulus had just passed, literally, days earlier. And remember, before the temporary COVID shot, years of Republican policies had our economic fundamentals humming along with low inflation, low unemployment, and robust growth, an outstanding trifecta for working families. To put it as plainly as possible, the Democrats had one job: Just don't mess things up.

But, alas, fast-forward to today.

Overall inflation is a staggering 13.2 percent since President Biden and his party came into power; consumer prices--through the roof; supply chain chaos left and right; the worst single year for both grocery inflation and electricity inflation since the fallout back in the Jimmy Carter era. The stock market has plummeted below where it was when President Biden took office, cutting the value of Americans' retirement savings just as the cost of living has soared. America's real wages--our citizens' buying power after inflation--is lower today than it was the moment President Biden put his hand on the Bible.

The Democrats asked for total control. They got total control, and they created a total disaster. The net effect of this far-left policy experiment has been the equivalent of all-out economic warfare against the American middle class. But alas, Democrats hardly seem to even much less care.

The same day the latest sky-high monthly inflation report came out, our colleagues literally headed down Pennsylvania Avenue to the White House for a folk music concert--folk music concert--celebrating additional hundreds of billions they had just dumped--dumped--into ``green'' energy subsidies.

Do you know who isn't partying? Working families in Wisconsin who are paying a ``Democratic Inflation Tax'' averaging $673 every single month just to tread water. In Georgia, that is $681 every month and in Colorado, $953 every month.

None of this had to happen. It didn't have to happen. Democrats were literally warned in advance that their plans for far-left reckless spending would send inflation through the roof and crush normal Americans.

So what did our colleagues do? One gigantic party-line spending bill in 2021, another huge, reckless taxing and spending spree just this past summer, and student loan socialism that has cashiers and carpenters eating the graduate school debt of doctors and lawyers. It adds up to nearly $3 trillion of party-line waste--$3 trillion of party-line waste. And it adds up to 13.2 percent inflation and counting.

So Democrats wanted one-party control of Washington; they got it. They promptly used that power to create a literal nightmare for American families.

Tribute to John Calipari

Mr. President, now one final matter, in my home State of Kentucky, college basketball ranks up there with horseracing as one of our signature pastimes. Our greatest players have become local heroes. Our greatest seasons have become local legends. So it is no surprise, then, that our basketball coaches are larger-than-life figures.

Plenty of notable ones have passed through the halls of our universities. But the University of Kentucky's John Calipari--Coach Cal to most of us--is already one for the history books.

Of course, there is his record with the program: 365 wins, 4 Final Four appearances, and a National Championship.

There is also his record of public service. During the past 13 years with UK, Coach Cal has leveraged his position in the public eye to transform the face of charitable giving in Kentucky. In recognition of his work, the organization Multiplying Good presented Coach Cal with their Jefferson Award for public service this year. Previous recipients of this prestigious award include Oprah Winfrey, Steve Jobs, Colin Powell. Coach Cal is the first men's college basketball coach to receive the honor.

Sometimes Coach Cal's efforts are local. Every Thanksgiving, he helps folks around Lexington enjoy the family meal they deserve. Every Christmas, he gathers presents for children in need. But sometimes, Coach Cal's efforts touch every corner of the Commonwealth. As Kentucky reeled from

multiple crises in the past few years, his assistance has proved invaluable.

During the pandemic, he helped Fayette County students access the resources they needed to continue their schooling from home.

When tornadoes hit Western Kentucky last winter, he rallied Kentuckians to raise money through a telethon. And when heavy rainfall and floods damaged communities in Eastern Kentucky this summer, he did the same, pulling our State together to help victims rebuild. In total--in total--Coach Cal's telethons have raised more than $12 million for charitable ventures in Kentucky and across the world.

So thank you. Thank you, Coach Cal, for your service to our State. And congratulations on receiving this distinguished award.

Mr. President, last night, our Democratic colleagues released a draft short-term government funding deal. Big parts of the draft are unobjectionable because they were negotiated across party lines. Both sides of the aisle want to prevent a government shutdown that no one wants. Both sides want to keep resources flowing to disaster-stricken communities. Both sides want to continue time- sensitive support for Ukraine.

But, unfortunately, our Democratic colleagues decided to put in extraneous partisan language--in fact, a poison pill. This extraneous poison pill is not related to keeping the government open. It was not negotiated across the aisle. In fact, both the Democratic chairman of the Appropriations Committee, Senator Leahy, and the Republican vice chairman, Senator Shelby, have stated publicly that this poison pill should not be in the underlying bill. The poison pill is a phony attempt to address the important topic of permitting reform.

It is much too difficult to build things in America and unleash American energy. Liberal regulations and redtape are a huge--huge--part of the problem. That is why Republicans are

the leaders on this issue. That is why my colleague Senator Capito has introduced a strong, robust package that would actually move the ball forward.

What our Democratic colleagues have produced is a phony figleaf that would actually set back the cause of real permitting reform. This is an issue where it should be very easy to improve upon the status quo, but, amazingly, our Democratic colleagues have managed to write language that would actually--listen to this--make things even worse.

Senator Manchin's bill goes out of its way to avoid actually amending the National Environmental Policy Act or any other environmental law. It layers new bureaucracy on top of existing bureaucracy. Its new requirements and deadlines are paper tigers with no enforcement.

The few parts of this legislation that would actually change the status quo would take things from bad to worse. For example, yesterday, a long list of State attorneys general wrote the Senate a panicked letter explaining that Senator Manchin's language would ``eviscerate states' ability to chart their own land-use and energy policies.''

``Eviscerate states' ability to chart their own land-use and energy policies.''

Among other problems, they explain how this legislation creates a backdoor to sneak through an electricity grid takeover much like the Obama administration's unconstitutional so-called ``Clean Power Plan.''

These State-level officials are also sounding the alarm about higher costs for their citizens. They write the Manchin proposal could impose ``potentially back-breaking costs on residents who may see no true energy benefit whatsoever.''

Democrats' policies already have electricity costs skyrocketing at the fastest rate in more than 40 years. The last thing that struggling families need are more Democratic policies that raise utility bills even higher still.

This phony figleaf is ``permitting reform'' in name only. It was written to drain the political will for actual reform without creating any meaningful change that liberal special interests might actually dislike.

If tepid Democratic support for this phony figleaf is all that our colleague from West Virginia got in return for approving yet another taxing-and-spending spree during an inflation crisis, it is hard to imagine a worse bargain for a Senator or for the country.

So, if the Senate votes today on proceeding to a bill that has this partisan poison pill jammed into it, I will be voting no, and I would urge all my colleagues to vote no as well.

This all-Democratic government has a smooth and obvious path on government funding. The path is obvious. Drop the extraneous, partisan language and let the bipartisan CR move forward.

Electoral Count Act

Now, Mr. President, on an entirely different matter, this afternoon, those of us on the Rules Committee will mark up a bipartisan package of updates through the Electoral Count Act of 1887. I strongly support the modest changes that our colleagues in the working group have fleshed out after literally months of detailed discussions. I will proudly support the legislation, provided that nothing more than technical changes are made to its current form.

I particularly want to thank Senator Collins and Senators Capito, Murkowski, Portman, Romney, Sasse, Tillis, and Young for their intense work with Democratic colleagues to get this right.

Congress's process for counting the Presidential electors' votes was written 135 years ago. The chaos that came to a head on January 6 of last year certainly underscored the need for an update, so did Januaries 2001, 2005, and 2017; in each of which, Democrats tried to challenge the lawful election of a Republican President. Obviously, in every case, our system of government won out. The Electoral Count Act ultimately produced the right conclusion: certainty, finality, and the transfer of power to the winning candidate. But it is clear the country needs a more predictable path to that outcome.

This bipartisan bill does not rashly replace current law with something untested. It keeps what has worked well and modestly updates what has not.

The bill's sponsors debated every provision and found bipartisan consensus. Bad ideas were left on the cutting room floor. The resulting product--this bill, as introduced--is the only chance to get an outcome and to actually make law.

Here is what the legislation does.

It raises the threshold for objecting to the electoral count-- preserving options if something incredibly unlikely were to happen but ensuring claims with hardly any support can't paralyze the process. It makes the already plain fact of the 12th Amendment even clearer: that the Vice President has never had, and will never have, discretionary powers over the counting.

It protects States' primacy in appointing their electors but ensures they publicize rules actually before the election. It rejects unwise challenges like creating new causes of action that would leave every election up to the courts and create uncertainty. It makes modest technical updates to other pertinent laws such as the Presidential Transitions Act.

And Senator Collins' bill does all of those modest but important things without capitulating to our Democratic colleagues' obsession with a sweeping Federal takeover of all of our election law.

So I look forward to supporting the legislation as introduced in committee.

I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. President, after 29 years as Warren County judge- executive, Mike Buchanon is retiring at the end of his current term this January, leaving behind an impressive legacy of public service. He has overseen explosive growth in his county over the past three decades, developed Bowling Green into a center for art and recreation, and left an enduring mark on the residents, businesses, and new initiatives he championed. Today, I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring Judge Buchanon on his well-deserved retirement and thanking him for his contributions to Kentucky.

I have been proud to call Judge Buchanon both a close colleague and a personal friend during his three-decade tenure on the job, working with him to promote job growth, workforce training, and development in South Central Kentucky. As a former judge-executive, I know both the difficulties and rewards of his position intimately. Judge Buchanon shares the passion I felt for my constituents during my time as Jefferson County judge-executive. After all, they are not just your voters; they are also your neighbors, family, and friends. Every achievement on the job brings real, tangible change to the community you call your home.

Judge Buchanon built his reputation for diligent leadership in the face of intense crises. From almost the moment he started the job, a major snowstorm battered Warren County, forcing Judge Buchanon to declare an emergency and call in the National Guard. Toward the end of his career, he faced similar disasters, first with the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and then with last winter's devastating tornado outbreak. In each of these emergencies, he worked long days and nights to ensure the security and safety of his constituents, deftly handling communication with my office and other Federal authorities to ensure Warren County received the assistance it required.

When not dealing with crisis situations, Judge Buchanon dedicated his time to helping Warren County grow. That growth came from a multitude of directions: the addition of tens of thousands of new residents during his tenure, the arrival of major new businesses, and the cultivation of one of Kentucky's finest art scenes and public recreation systems, to name just a few. He fostered this development by maintaining a consistent pro-job, pro-business mentality, persistently pitching Warren County to private sector investors as a premier location for expansion opportunities.

His tenure has left a physical mark on the surface of Bowling Green. From the Kentucky Transpark industrial park, which is now home to 2 dozen companies employing some 3,000 people, to Bowling Green's downtown revitalization, anchored by the Southern Kentucky Performing Arts Center, to the county's large and growing public park system, his touch is apparent all across Warren County. Judge Buchanon is a builder, understanding long ago that, for Bowling Green to achieve the success it has found today, its leaders needed to invest in projects that would be attractive to the residents of the future.

Judge Buchanon has achieved success in part because of his dogged efforts, but also in part because his long tenure enabled him to plan and actualize projects over an extended timeframe. That would not have been possible were it not for the support he has seen among voters, time and time again, since his first election three decades ago. He has cultivated a close relationship with his constituents, earning their trust and votes seven consecutive times, a rare feat for elected officials. No doubt, they are sad to see their foremost champion depart after so many years of success, even as he plans to stay closely involved in Warren County government.

But Judge Buchanon has undeniably earned his retirement. His wife Ellen, two sons, Michael and Roy, grandchildren, and great- grandchildren have stood by his side during his long public service career, offering support and understanding when he had to work long nights on behalf of his community. Now, he looks forward to having ``time to go to my grandkids' ball games and travel some with my family.'' He certainly deserves the respite.

I would like to extend my sincere thanks to Judge Buchanon for his decades of service to his constituents and the entire Commonwealth of Kentucky. Warren County's future is bright because of his dedicated work. I ask my colleagues to join me in congratulating Judge Buchanon on his retirement and wishing him the best as he moves on to the next chapter of his life.

Mr. President, in his 8 years as Carter County judge- executive, Mike Malone has battled Mother Nature, invited new development to his community, and tried to bring neighbors on all sides of the political aisle together around their shared values. It hasn't always been easy, but with dogged determination, Judge Malone has left Carter County a safer, more beautiful, more united

place than he found it. Judge Malone is retiring at the end of his current term this January, and I ask my colleagues to join me in honoring this first-rate public servant for his contributions to Kentucky.

Judge Malone didn't start off his career in government. Rather, he spent four decades in the private sector, building his businesses in Carter County. He developed a keen understanding of the role of public officials and the ways they could either help--or harm--business growth. Realizing he could put that knowledge to work on behalf of his family, neighbors, and friends, he threw his hat into the ring and filed to run for judge-executive. As he says, ``The rest is history.''

Promoting businesses and jobs was always at the top of Judge Malone's to-do list from his first days in office. But he was also forced to deal with some of the more unexpected duties of his role. Those started early on when, during Judge Malone's first year in office, ice storms and flooding crippled Carter County's infrastructure. Just 2 years ago, a winter storm hit the county again. Judge Malone worked around the clock to reconnect his constituents to accessible roadways and the power grid. He led an effort that removed thousands of cubic yards of debris and helped repair millions of dollars in damage to public utilities.

Following this most recent storm, I visited Judge Malone in Carter County to discuss his community's recovery and help direct Federal aid to the region. As a former judge-executive, I know the importance of Judge Malone's work, from the financial assistance he helped residents access, to the moral support he offered storm victims. I was impressed by his leadership and his ability to unite community members from all sides of the political spectrum around the common cause of helping their neighbors. As he says, ``it's not Democrat or Republican. It's `what's the problem and how do we fix it?' ''

Judge Malone has stood by his constituents' side in good times and bad, twice earning their trust and votes in his election to be judge- executive. At the end of this term, though, he is taking a step back from the political arena, opting to spend more time with his family and enjoy his hobbies after decades of hard work. I thank Judge Malone for his service to Carter County and the Commonwealth and wish him the best in the next stage of his life.

Mr. President, the Daily Independent paid tribute to Judge Malone's career in a recent article. I ask unanimous consent the article be printed in the Record.

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

Madam President, first this morning, I was deeply saddened to learn we lost a dedicated and long-serving member of the Senate family this week.

Officer William Thomas of the United States Capitol Police passed away after a battle with cancer. He was only 38 years young.

Officer Thomas joined the force nearly 14 years ago. He quickly became a familiar face to many of the Senators and staff serving on this side of the Capitol. By all accounts, his dedication, his professionalism, and his service in the Senate Division and most recently in the Communications Division were a credit to the entire Department and to our institution.

The loss of Officer Thomas leaves a hole in the close-knit community of brave men and women who keep us safe here at the Capitol.

The entire Senate joins Officer Thomas's brother Vincent, as well as his brothers and sisters here in uniform, in mourning this tragic loss.

Inflation

Madam President, now on an entirely different matter, the painful story of Washington Democrats' runaway inflation is playing out in hard-working communities all across our country. We learned last week that food inflation is now at its highest level since 1979.

For folks in the Phoenix metro area, where inflation already outpaces the national average, that has meant a 3-percent inflation tax on food in just the last 2 months. According to one Arizona shopper:

It's all almost $300. I used to get the same groceries like

around $150 before.

Across the border in Nevada, the Las Vegas Review Journal reported recently how local coffee shops are caught between eating higher costs for supplies and chasing their customers away with higher prices. The owner of one shop says that as everything from coffee beans to cups gets more expensive, they have had to raise prices by about 10 percent:

We've done our best not to pass this on to our customers,

because we do understand that we are all in the same boat

together.

The Colorado Sun spoke with one new resident of Westminster who said he had moved to town to ``lower the impact of an 18-percent rent increase.'' He has cut back on cable, driving, and buying meat at the grocery store.

In Washington State, the Seattle Times is reporting that 4 in 10 area renters are now spending more than 30 percent of their paychecks on rent. When one resident learned her rent would be increasing by nearly 10 percent, she said:

I just wanted to cry. I'm barely making it. I'm just a

senior citizen.

In Georgia, the Augusta Press reports that local small businesses are still facing a rocky road. According to the owner of one power-washing business in Evans: ``Materials are getting more expensive,'' and potential clients are ``more hesitant to get any work done right now.''

And further north, with winter cold fast approaching, one resident of Manchester, NH, told the local news that heating oil subsidies were appreciated, but ``I feel like it's a Band-Aid after they've stabbed you.''

So these are the real-world consequences--real-world consequences--of Washington Democrats' inflation. Every corner of every State is writing its own painful story. But the ones I just mentioned have something unfortunate in common. Every resident of Arizona, Washington, Nevada, New Hampshire, Colorado, and Georgia is represented by two Senators each who cast the deciding vote to set this inflation in motion. If just one single Senator--just one--from Georgia, Arizona, Colorado, New Hampshire, or Washington had refused to give their vote to President Biden's reckless spending, the working families and small business owners of these States would not be dealing with this much inflation, period. But every one of those States' Senators cast tie-breaking votes to bring on the worst inflation in four decades, and now every American is paying the price.

DISCLOSE Act

Madam President, now on one final matter, Democrats' reckless policies have stuck the American people with an inflation crisis, a border crisis, a violent crime crisis, and an energy crisis.

Today, this Democrat Senate majority is spending time on legislation that tackles none of these things. They aren't addressing any of the problems that keep moms and dads up at night. They aren't tackling any of the issues that are leaving small business owners unable to pay their bills or unsafe in inner-city locations, or both. They aren't spending 10 seconds of the Senate's time exploring the disconnect between Vice President Harris who says ``we have a secure border'' and the illegal immigrant who told a reporter last week:

Everybody believes the border is open . . . we see it on

the news that everybody comes in illegally, so we do the

same.

So, the Democrats don't want to spend time on the people's business today. They would rather spend time on their business--something we have seen time and time again over the last 2 years.

Today's liberal pet priority is a piece of legislation designed to give unelected Federal bureaucrats vastly more power over private citizens' First Amendment rights and political activism and to strip privacy away from Americans who speak out about politics in their private lives.

More power for Washington, DC, censors; less privacy for private citizens; and throw some ice on the First Amendment. That is what our colleagues across the aisle have made their top priority for the day.

So I have to state, it is a novel response to flagging poll numbers and public outcry. Instead of trying to clean up the border mess, the crime mess, or the inflation mess, my Democratic colleagues decided it would be easier just to erode the American people's right to complain about it in the first place.

The legislation I am speaking about itself is an insult to the First Amendment, and the notion that it gets Senate floor time today above everything else is truly an insult to the working people of this country.

So I would urge my colleagues on both sides to stand with the Constitution, stand with our citizens who deserve better, and vote no.

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

Mr. President, on Sunday's edition of ``60 Minutes,'' President Biden made a bizarre attempt to deny the American people's pain from Democrats' runaway inflation. After the latest nationwide data reported that consumer prices are rising at 8.3 percent year-on- year, the President suggested the country should

be celebrating that they weren't rising even faster.

Working Americans aren't buying that insulting spin. Middle-class families aren't rejoicing that their daily life costs 8.3 percent more than it did a year ago and--listen to this--13.2 percent more than when President Biden took office.

In Parma, OH, one local grocer is working hard to keep her prices competitive but admits that ``[w]e have been getting hit with all of our suppliers with chicken, ground meat, everything.''

And in Fairfield County, the head of one organization that helps feed folks experiencing economic hardship put it this way:

I think things are going to get a whole lot darker and more

bleak before they get a lot better. We're desperately worried

about food.

Across the border in West Virginia, in Fayette County, persistent high prices have one retired grandmother worried about how the rest of her family is making ends meet.

She said:

I'm already stressed and stressed and trying to figure out

how [my daughter is] going to pay to keep the lights on, get

groceries, get school clothes on her kid's back.

In Perryopolis, PA, one shopper told a reporter that besides cutting back at the grocery store, she had taken on a second job of working nights at a warehouse to help feed her family of four.

This is what she had to say:

Clothing, gas, just about everything has gone up, and food

is a large part of it.

Meanwhile, the head of a small manufacturer in Big Bend, WI, reports that amid price spikes and backed-up supply chains, ``trying to source products has been very difficult.''

In each of these States' cases--West Virginia, Ohio, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania--one Senator tried to spare working families from all of this preventable pain. Each of those States has one Republican Senator who warned about inflation, who voted against inflation, and who voted for amendments that would have reduced inflation.

But, unfortunately, each one of those States also has a Democratic Senator who decided to vote in partisan lockstep to plow ahead with the trillions of dollars in reckless, inflationary spending. One Senator each from West Virginia, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin cast the tie-breaking votes to bring this pain down on their citizens' heads. Now, sadly, they are all paying the price.

Working families in West Virginia are paying Washington Democrats' inflation tax to the tune of an extra $563 a month. Ohioans are paying $661 more. In Pennsylvania, inflation is squeezing folks for an extra $605; and in Wisconsin, it is $673. Families in these States are paying a painful price for the deciding vote that their Democratic Senators chose to cast.

Now, Mr. President, on a related matter, Democrats' runaway inflation includes skyrocketing costs to keep the lights on and to heat or cool homes.

We are also witnessing the dangerous vulnerabilities that Democrats in places like California have built into their electrical grids. California Democrats have spent years putting ``green'' lifestyle preferences ahead of the basic needs of working families. The result is a grid that is both more expensive and less reliable. We have seen the same California Democrats, who have spent years pushing their citizens to buy expensive electric cars, now begging the public not to plug them in.

Even as California teeters on the brink of an energy crisis of European proportions, Washington Democrats are pushing the rest of the country in that very same risky direction. They made their signature priority for this year spending even more of the people's money to take us even farther in the wrong direction even faster.

Last month, our Democratic colleagues rammed through a gigantic party-line bill that raises taxes on reliable domestic American energy in order to subsidize wealthy people buying electric cars or fancy, new appliances. Every Democratic Senator cast the deciding vote for that reckless spending spree.

That includes the senior Senator from West Virginia, who claims he only did so because the Democratic leader promised him that Democrats would line up behind permitting reform to make it easier to build things and complete projects in our country. But now, very predictably, this backroom deal is crumbling before our eyes. Almost 60 days after our colleague from West Virginia gave up his vote for this vague promise, it still appears the far left and House Democrats want no part of his backroom deal they didn't sign on to.

As for the Republican side, our colleague Senator Capito has put forward a real, actual, substantive permitting reform bill that would make the commonsense changes our country needs. Senator Capito's substantive bill stands in stark contrast to what every indication thus far suggests will be weak, reform-in-name-only legislation from her home State colleague.

As luck would have it, Senator Capito's real plan is also closer to passing the Senate than Senator Manchin's reform-in-name-only plan. Senator Manchin recently told reporters that his version may need 20 Republican votes to become law, but Senator Capito's plan only needs Senator Manchin and nine other Democrats to get on board. We are talking about real, substantive reform that is already closer to becoming law. But so far, our Democratic colleague from West Virginia has refused to back his colleague's commonsense proposal. He has shown little appetite to actually get something accomplished.

So talk is cheap. If our colleagues across the aisle want real permitting reform, Senator Capito's fantastic bill only needs Senator Manchin plus nine more Democrats to clear this Chamber. Otherwise, it would appear the senior Senator from West Virginia traded his vote on a massive liberal boondoggle in exchange for nothing.

Mr. President, our overwhelmed Customs and Border Protection personnel have already encountered more than 2 million illegal immigrants and counting just this fiscal year.

This is a larger group of people than the entire populations of 14 States, and this record-shattering 2 million apprehensions only counts the subset of people who were actually caught. Experts estimate hundreds of thousands more people on top of that number who simply got away.

The latest reports say that CBP encountered more than 200,000 people just in the month of August alone, and more than 20 percent of those people were not first-time border crossers but rather repeat offenders who had already previously been expelled or deported; tens of thousands of individuals who had already been thrown out, flooding back in every single month.

Orderly, legal immigration is part of what makes America strong; anarchy and open borders make us weak.

There is nothing compassionate or humane about the border crisis that Democrats' mixed signals and failed policies have unleashed.

It is not fair to American citizens; it is not fair to law enforcement; and it is not fair to the people who have been encouraged to undertake desperate and dangerous journeys by years of Democrats signaling to the world that there are no real consequences for breaking our laws and cutting in line.

Vice President Harris says ``the border is secure.'' The American people know better, and they are furious. Illegal immigrants know better as well.

For years, Washington Democrats have attacked Republicans for calling for basic border security and law enforcement. The Democratic Party line throughout the last 5 years has been that enforcing existing immigration law would be cruel and securing our borders would be xenophobic, but over the last few days, some liberals seem to have changed their tune.

Out of desperation, a few Governors along our southern border are now giving some Democrat-run States and cities just a tiny, tiny taste of what border communities have been enduring, literally, for years.

According to the Washington Post, the total number of individuals whom Texas and Arizona have helped relocate to New York, Washington, and other places in recent months is roughly on the order of the number of illegal immigrants who arrive at our southern border in a single day--1 day.

All those cities combined have had months to accept, between them, approximately 1 day's share of our Nation's illegal immigration.

But the Democratic mayor of New York City is now declaring that his government's resources are ``at a breaking point''--at a breaking point.

According to the Post, these border States have sent to New York City less than 1 day's worth of illegal crossers, spread out over more than a month, and the self-proclaimed sanctuary city apparently cannot take it.

The Governor of Florida helped a tiny number of illegal immigrants, about four dozen, secure transportation to the wealthy liberal destination of Martha's Vineyard, filled with millionaires' mansions, which appointed itself a so-called sanctuary destination back in 2017.

Apparently, this sanctuary destination tolerated, fed, and housed the newcomers for less than 48 hours before having the National Guard promptly put them on a ferry and remove them to a military base instead.

Democrats, liberal activists, and the media are, predictably, melting down. There are absurd accusations flying around that it is somehow evil or illegal for Republican officials to help illegal immigrants move within our country. That would be breaking news because, of course, the Biden administration has been flying and busing illegal immigrants around the country on a regular basis.

According to one report from early 2021, the Biden administration was already filling Greyhound buses with people turning up at our border and driving them to various destinations from the South to the Midwest to the Northeast. Ah, but it was never to Martha's Vineyard.

So these well-to-do blue enclaves are finally witnessing the smallest fraction of the challenges that open borders have enforced on working- class communities all across our country.