Floor Statements

Madam President, 1 year ago, Americans lost a constitutional right for the first time in history, and they didn't just lose it--Republicans ripped it away.

Just 1 year now after the Dobbs decision, more than 22 million women have lost their right to an abortion, and no corner of our country has been spared from the fallout. Abortion providers in States where abortion is legal, like in my home State of Washington, are being overworked and just totally overwhelmed with patients who have had to wait weeks and travel hundreds of miles to get an abortion.

Then there is the wave of other appalling Republican attacks on abortion: proposals to charge grandmas and older sisters with human trafficking if they drive a minor out of State for an abortion, prosecute abortion providers--doctors--as criminals, ban emergency contraceptives like Plan B, and let's not forget the partisan lawsuit on mifepristone to rip safe medication abortion off the shelves in all 50 States.

You know, when you listen to patients about what this all means and when you hear the actual stories--the nightmares--that Republicans are putting women in this country through, they are heartbreaking: parents driving miles and miles because their child was raped, their child is pregnant, and abortion is banned in their State; doctors being forced to forgo providing lifesaving care because they fear Republican politicians will put them in jail for doing their jobs; women facing miscarriages, left bleeding, unable to get the care they need for days on end.

One woman learned that her fetus had no skull--had no chance of survival--and she still could not get abortion care in her State.

Another woman learned that she had an ectopic pregnancy--a serious, life-threatening condition. She was not able to get an abortion. Instead, when she was at death's door, she ended up having to get a hysterectomy. Why? Because Republican politicians decided that their views mattered more than her health and mattered more than her family.

Let's be clear. The vast, overwhelming majority of Americans stand with women and support the right to choose abortion. In every place abortion rights were on the ballot last November--every single place-- abortion rights won. Still, the Republicans are ignoring their own constituents and doubling down on their extreme anti-abortion politics.

Just now, when we tried to pass other basic protections--and I mean the most simple, most straightforward protections imaginable, protections that just say, yes, you can travel to another State for an abortion; that, yes, doctors can provide an abortion in States where it is legal without fear of being thrown into prison; that, yes, we will protect the right to birth control; that, yes, we will keep your online health and location data private so it cannot be used against you--the Republicans said: No, we are not going to let you do that.

One Senator on the floor earlier said that legislation that restricts a woman's right to travel is really about protecting minors from trafficking. Seriously? That is outrageous, and I was absolutely--and I mean absolutely--outraged to hear him say that. I hope that the American people understand what those laws mean.

What it means is that a grandmother who is taking her 17-year-old granddaughter--who was raped or who, maybe, just wants to make her own personal healthcare decision--to a State where abortion is legal could be jailed. States like Idaho have passed these laws that restrict travel. What they do is hold the young women captive in their own State and threaten anyone who might help them get the care they need with time in prison. Those kinds of laws and proposals in other States are an appalling attack on the rights of women and our most basic right as Americans to travel freely within our own country.

I absolutely refuse to let a Senator or anyone twist the reality of these truly heinous laws being passed to hold women captive and to force them to stay pregnant no matter what.

Now, Republicans have basically adopted two approaches to the healthcare crisis they have caused: one, to double down with increasingly extreme, dangerous proposals or, two, to stick their heads in the sand whether that means pretending this isn't a problem, pretending it is not really their fault, or hoping it will fade away.

But there is just no forgetting the unforgivable pain the Republicans' policies have caused.

There is no forgetting the fear of being pregnant when you don't want to be or the heartbreak of learning a pregnancy is not viable or the horror of learning it is life-threatening and knowing you have no control over your body.

There is no forgetting the panic of calculating how many thousands of miles you will have to travel to get care or how many days you will have to take off of work and wonder how you can possibly get the care you need and whether you will face legal action for doing so.

There is no forgetting being investigated for having a miscarriage or for driving your kid across State lines to get an abortion or hearing your doctor tell you they cannot act to save your life because they are afraid of going to jail.

People across this country are facing those realities every single day.

Women are heartbroken and terrified, but they are also mad. They are determined, and they are speaking out. They are not going to settle for a country where they don't have the fundamental freedom to decide what happens to their own bodies--where their daughters and granddaughters have fewer rights than they did just a few years ago--and neither am I.

We on the Democratic side are going to stand up and tell our stories. We are going to make our voices heard, and we are going to fight here, on this side, to restore the freedoms that Republicans took away.

I yield the floor.

If I could, I just wanted to also take this opportunity to thank Trish and echo the majority leader's words. All of us are grateful for her tremendous service to each and every one of us.

As one of the few Senators who were here when she first started who are still here, I just want to tell you the Senate will not be the Senate without Trish. Her smile, her ability to work with us, her knowledge of the rules, being at our back, helping us understand the process, have really helped laws pass, changed lives, and made a difference for all of us.

Trish, we are going to miss you, and I just personally want to share my thanks with your family for sacrificing you for so many years to be with us, and I wish you all the best.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to speak as if in morning business.

Mr. President, I am thrilled to join people across Washington State and across the country in recognizing Pride Month.

Pride is an opportunity every year for people across our country and across the world to mark the progress we have made and the work left to do and celebrate the LGBTQ community. It is a joyful, beautiful thing, and it stands in stark contrast to the bigotry some voices on the far right have been fanning.

It is impossible to watch a Pride parade today without seeing just how far we have come as a nation; and, unfortunately, it is also impossible to follow the news without seeing a reminder of how far we still have to go and how hard a bigoted minority of people is fighting to pull us back.

Some far-right provocateurs have been twisting the most basic mundane gestures of inclusion into so-called controversies through blatant distortions and demonization. I mean, imagine calling for an investigation into a private company because they just sent their product to a trans person with a massive online audience.

Imagine being outraged because a company cares about having a diverse, equitable, inclusive workplace.

Imagine getting worked up because of rainbow logos or a Pride sale or an adorable little rainbow baby onesie.

I have a news flash for everyone who is trying to act like companies selling their products to every community they can is something new or some new nefarious conspiracy. Get this: Gay and trans people drink beverages; they eat food; they buy things. And for suddenly everyone to be outraged over some cute baby clothes? You know what? LGBTQ have families, too. They are parents and aunts and uncles and grandparents. Where have you been?

They are queer; they are here; and they have been for years. Get used to it. They are not going anywhere.

And let's be clear: These attacks on the LGBTQ community are not just ridiculous, they are dangerous, because we are not just talking about a handful of far-right voices complaining about companies. There is a truly insidious and ugly effort to demonize and ostracize and erase the LGBTQ community and our trans friends, neighbors, and loved ones in particular.

Far-right lawmakers across our Nation and across different levels of government are spewing some of the most hateful rhetoric, peddling some of the most bigoted conspiracies, and passing some of the most hateful LGBTQ laws I have seen in a long while.

Over the past few years, these far-right politicians have taken books with LGBTQ characters off the shelves. They have demonized drag performers with dangerous rhetoric. They have investigated parents for helping their kids get the care they need and blocked kids from that care. It is extreme, cynical, and hateful to a degree that is even hard to believe.

Far-right legislators are happy to ignore the First Amendment to ban books and keep kids away from their entirely made-up danger of drag shows; but they are nowhere to be found when it comes to a serious discussion of the Second Amendment and protecting kids from gun violence--an actual public health threat and the leading cause of death for children in the United States.

One Republican Presidential candidate is shamelessly and falsely suggesting that trans kids participating in youth sports might be to blame for the teen mental health crisis and insidiously ignoring the reality that the same kids they are using as a political punching bag face some of the highest rates of depression and suicide of anyone.

Another Republican Presidential candidate championed a bill that is silencing and erasing LGBTQ kids and parents and teachers from schools by banning discussion about gender identity and sexual orientation and banning books with the slightest acknowledgment that LGBTQ people even exist. One school district in Florida even banned a kids' book about a penguin--a penguin--with two dads. Seriously?

Then there is the wave of laws we are seeing that are meant to cut kids off from age-appropriate, gender-affirming healthcare that they rely on, like the law that passed in Idaho, right across the border from my State, that criminalizes doctors for providing kids with gender-affirming care that they need--care that is overwhelmingly recommended by medical experts as safe and even lifesaving--or the vile effort to falsely accuse loving parents whose kids are getting this care they need as child abuse.

I said it before. It truly feels like far-right Republican lawmakers are in a race to the bottom in pursuit of the most extreme, hateful agenda they can think of. And their attacks have been especially cruel to the trans community and to trans kids.

There are real consequences to this hateful rhetoric. We know the trans community is more likely to face suicide and homelessness and violence, and yet far-right lawmakers are using their megaphone and their positions of power to bully kids.

That is what it comes down to. They are attacking people--attacking kids--for being different, for being themselves.

I said it last year on the Senate floor. I am here again because I still have to say it: We--we--all have a responsibility to stand up and make clear that this is not right. Trans people are our friends. They are our neighbors. They are our families. They deserve to be kids--just kids--to play sports and go to school and see a doctor and get healthcare. They should be able to get the same opportunities as any other kid to learn and grow and play and thrive, free from fear and discrimination. And parents deserve to be able to make their own parenting decisions with their medical providers to do what is best for their kids' health. They should not have to worry about what a right- wing politician thinks is best for their child, and they definitely should not live in fear that a State legislature is going to intervene in their parenting decisions and hurt their child.

We have got to push back against these attacks on trans kids every way we can--in the courts, with legislation, through Executive action, and by speaking out and speaking up--which is why I am here today, to tell everyone facing these hateful attacks: You are not alone. You have so many people in your community and in your corner.

I am proud to stand with these kids, their families, and the whole LGBTQ community. This Pride Month, we commit ourselves to making sure that these kids are not just safe in our country, not just welcome in our country, but allowed to be themselves here; allowed to be joyful and confident about who they are in every part of our country.

And in that spirit, I want to share some wisdom from Stella. She is a young trans activist in Washington State who spoke with me last year about the dangerous laws targeting trans communities.

I will quote her:

Opinions cannot stop us from existing. They cannot stop me

from living my dream to the fullest and following all of my

dreams . . . And opinions do not change who we are as

transgender and nonbinary people.

I certainly am proud to be a voice for young people like Stella here in the United States Senate. Stella, I hope you are having a great Pride Month.

My message today to everyone who has been encouraging or complicit in the attacks on the LGBTQ community is simple: First, leave kids and families alone. You are not their doctor. You are not their parents. You have no idea what they are going through, what they have gone through, or what is best for them. It is not your say, and it is not your business.

Second: Be kind. Be kind. You do not have to bully people because they are different. You do not have to champion hatred and fear or anger. You can make a different choice. It is really not that hard to listen, to learn, to respect, and accept people for who they are, to have compassion. And I promise it will make your world brighter, and your heart will be lighter.

Finally, if you do continue down this dangerous path--bullying kids, erasing LGBTQ people, and demonizing them with dangerous rhetoric, I will rise against you every step of the way, and I will do so with pride.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to legislative session and be in a period of morning business, with Senators permitted to speak therein for up to 10 minutes each.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the consideration of S. Res. 256, submitted earlier today.

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

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the consideration of S. Res. 257, which is at the desk.

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

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today, it stand adjourned, to convene for a pro forma session with no business being conducted on Friday, June 16, at 10 a.m.; and that when the Senate adjourns on Friday, it stand adjourned until 3 p.m. on Tuesday, June 20; that on Tuesday, following the prayer and pledge, the Journal of proceedings be approved to date, the morning hour be deemed expired, the time for the two leaders be reserved for their use later in the day, and morning business be closed; that following the conclusion of morning business, the Senate proceed to executive session to resume consideration of the Rikelman nomination, postcloture, and that all time be considered expired at 5:30 p.m.; and further, that the cloture motions filed during today's session ripen on Wednesday, June 21.

If there is no further business to come before the Senate, I ask that it stand adjourned under the previous order, following the remarks of Senator Schmitt.

Madam President, they say an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, and the COVID pandemic showed us just how painfully true that is when it comes to public health.

Our public health system is our frontline defense--not only against deadly diseases and pandemics; it also aids in addressing the opioid and fentanyl crisis, preventing chronic conditions like diabetes and heart disease, protecting our food and water supply, and a lot more.

But despite our public health system's central role in protecting our communities, keeping our families safe and healthy, and preventing major disruptions in our lives, our public health system was sorely underfunded before COVID struck, and it has been seriously overwhelmed ever since. We have--thank goodness--gotten a much better grasp on COVID, but who in their right mind would look at the last few years and think funding public health is probably something we can put on the back burner?

We have to do better. We have to apply the lessons we learned and start thinking ahead now so we are never caught unprepared again. We have to end this cycle of crisis and complacency when it comes to building and maintaining strong public health infrastructure because the simple fact of the matter is public health infrastructure saves lives, and the better funded and prepared our public health system is before a crisis, the more lives we will save during one.

And make no mistake, the question is not whether there will be a new threat; it is: When is the next crisis going to strike? Will we be ready next time?

We cannot afford to treat public health like a one-and-done issue, which is why I am here today reintroducing my bill to provide $4.5 billion in dedicated annual funding to support core public health capabilities at every level so we can protect our public health system from complacency and hostage-taking and drastic cuts.

The Public Health Infrastructure Saves Lives Act would make much- needed investments at the CDC, and, crucially, it would establish a grant program to support health departments all across our country. This funding would meet a wide variety of needs in communities across America. Health departments could use it to make sure they do robust contact tracing and stop outbreaks in their tracks, have adequate lab capacity to address public health threats, and have a surge workforce available in an emergency to save lives.

This funding would empower our public health departments to make sure lifesaving information reaches everyone: people who don't speak English, people with disabilities, or people who don't have access to the internet. It would help officials conduct public awareness campaigns and fight misinformation and get really basic but essential information out, like when and where to find a vaccine clinic.

Public health departments could also use this funding as they update their IT and data systems to help them more quickly identify threats before they become full-blown outbreaks. And it would help us collect more consistent, comprehensive demographic data so we can see and address gaps in our responses and get the resources where they are needed the most.

It would also help our departments hire and train and retain the people they need. That is really important. A recent survey actually showed that nearly half of all our State and local public health workers left their jobs between 2017 and 2020, citing harassment or retirement. Post COVID, public health workers are more burnt out than ever and in dire need of reinforcements. This funding will help provide that and a lot more.

And, critically, this would be dedicated annual funding. That would do so much to help take the possibility of cuts and chaos off the table and put us on track to build the kind of world-class public health system that our communities deserve, the kind our families need to keep them safe.

And here is the thing: Every dollar that we invest now saves us much more in the long run. When we tackle public health threats now--staving off major outbreaks, major disruption--we save in a really big way down the line. We should all know by now we can't take public health for granted. We have seen real momentum and support for this from communities who understand all too well we need a strong public health system at every level.

It is time for Congress to show we get it too. It is time for us to invest in prevention, invest in public health in a serious way, because when we say that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, we are talking about stopping the next global pandemic and the next global economic crisis in its tracks, which will save lives and livelihoods.

So let's not make public health funding partisan. I urge my Republican colleagues to support this legislation. If you are skeptical, talk to me. A nominal investment in public health is a major payoff in terms of economic security and keeping our families safe and healthy. It seems like a pretty good deal to me.

I hope we can all work together and pass the Public Health Infrastructure Saves Lives Act.

Madam President, they say an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, and the COVID pandemic showed us just how painfully true that is when it comes to public health.

Our public health system is our frontline defense--not only against deadly diseases and pandemics; it also aids in addressing the opioid and fentanyl crisis, preventing chronic conditions like diabetes and heart disease, protecting our food and water supply, and a lot more.

But despite our public health system's central role in protecting our communities, keeping our families safe and healthy, and preventing major disruptions in our lives, our public health system was sorely underfunded before COVID struck, and it has been seriously overwhelmed ever since. We have--thank goodness--gotten a much better grasp on COVID, but who in their right mind would look at the last few years and think funding public health is probably something we can put on the back burner?

We have to do better. We have to apply the lessons we learned and start thinking ahead now so we are never caught unprepared again. We have to end this cycle of crisis and complacency when it comes to building and maintaining strong public health infrastructure because the simple fact of the matter is public health infrastructure saves lives, and the better funded and prepared our public health system is before a crisis, the more lives we will save during one.

And make no mistake, the question is not whether there will be a new threat; it is: When is the next crisis going to strike? Will we be ready next time?

We cannot afford to treat public health like a one-and-done issue, which is why I am here today reintroducing my bill to provide $4.5 billion in dedicated annual funding to support core public health capabilities at every level so we can protect our public health system from complacency and hostage-taking and drastic cuts.

The Public Health Infrastructure Saves Lives Act would make much- needed investments at the CDC, and, crucially, it would establish a grant program to support health departments all across our country. This funding would meet a wide variety of needs in communities across America. Health departments could use it to make sure they do robust contact tracing and stop outbreaks in their tracks, have adequate lab capacity to address public health threats, and have a surge workforce available in an emergency to save lives.

This funding would empower our public health departments to make sure lifesaving information reaches everyone: people who don't speak English, people with disabilities, or people who don't have access to the internet. It would help officials conduct public awareness campaigns and fight misinformation and get really basic but essential information out, like when and where to find a vaccine clinic.

Public health departments could also use this funding as they update their IT and data systems to help them more quickly identify threats before they become full-blown outbreaks. And it would help us collect more consistent, comprehensive demographic data so we can see and address gaps in our responses and get the resources where they are needed the most.

It would also help our departments hire and train and retain the people they need. That is really important. A recent survey actually showed that nearly half of all our State and local public health workers left their jobs between 2017 and 2020, citing harassment or retirement. Post COVID, public health workers are more burnt out than ever and in dire need of reinforcements. This funding will help provide that and a lot more.

And, critically, this would be dedicated annual funding. That would do so much to help take the possibility of cuts and chaos off the table and put us on track to build the kind of world-class public health system that our communities deserve, the kind our families need to keep them safe.

And here is the thing: Every dollar that we invest now saves us much more in the long run. When we tackle public health threats now--staving off major outbreaks, major disruption--we save in a really big way down the line. We should all know by now we can't take public health for granted. We have seen real momentum and support for this from communities who understand all too well we need a strong public health system at every level.

It is time for Congress to show we get it too. It is time for us to invest in prevention, invest in public health in a serious way, because when we say that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, we are talking about stopping the next global pandemic and the next global economic crisis in its tracks, which will save lives and livelihoods.

So let's not make public health funding partisan. I urge my Republican colleagues to support this legislation. If you are skeptical, talk to me. A nominal investment in public health is a major payoff in terms of economic security and keeping our families safe and healthy. It seems like a pretty good deal to me.

I hope we can all work together and pass the Public Health Infrastructure Saves Lives Act.

Mr. President, I come to the floor to urge all of my colleagues to vote against this Republican bill that would undo President Biden's student debt relief plan and rip away relief borrowers across the country are counting on.

It is hard to overstate how badly the student debt crisis has strained our borrowers and our families nationwide, and this crisis has been a drag on our whole country and our economy. It is holding people back from starting families or starting a business or buying a home-- or, in many cases, just making ends meet.

The student debt relief President Biden announced last fall is life- changing for so many borrowers. Under his plan, tens of millions of people who are struggling with student debt will finally see their balances go down, and millions will have their debt wiped out entirely.

Before Republican interests sued to deny borrowers this life-changing relief, putting the President's plan on pause, over 26 million people across all 50 States had already applied for or were automatically eligible for that relief.

And let's be clear. This relief is targeted to reach those who need it the most. Ninety percent of the relief will go to borrowers earning less than $75,000 a year. That is such a big deal.

I have heard from so many people across my State who were so grateful and relieved to have a glimmer of hope finally, to see a light at the end of the tunnel, and now Republicans want to snuff it out. They are trying to deny relief to borrowers in court and now here in Congress too. That is what we are voting on today.

To the hard-working people in America who are counting on the student debt relief, listen up. Republicans are willing to do anything and everything to prevent you from living a life without crushing debt.

And let's be clear. This Republican bill wouldn't only rip away relief borrowers who qualify under the President's plan are counting on. This CRA that we are going to vote on could impact the pause on loan payments and cause major problems for borrowers who have received relief through the Public Service Loan Forgiveness and income-driven repayment programs.

That means these Republican efforts could create the perfect storm for more than 260,000 public service workers who have already earned that relief. Borrowers who thought they were done paying their loans may have to pay more interest or additional payments. Think about that.

You know who we are talking about: nurses and teachers and firefighters and medical researchers. Seriously, these are the people who keep America going. The cold, hard reality is that if Republicans get their way and pass this into law, people across the country would have relief that they have counted on snatched away from them, plans they have made upended, less money in their pockets, and monthly payments not just abruptly restarted but maybe even abruptly jacked up hundreds of dollars. That is what Republicans are voting for. It is chaos and hardship for borrowers and families across this country.

Mr. President, I can't speak for everyone, but I came here to make people's lives better. I didn't come here to punish them for this broken student loan system that they got stuck with. I cannot overstate how arcane and complicated and how broken our current student loan system is, and millions of Americans find themselves unfairly bogged down with massive debt, so often through no fault of their own.

Myself and all six brothers and sisters of mine got through college

thanks to Federal loans and aid programs. I know how much of a difference the President's plan for debt relief will make for people. I know President Biden did the right thing here for borrowers and for our economy. This is not a handout. It is a hand up that will benefit everyone.

So I urge my colleagues today to vote against this resolution that would needlessly hurt millions of hard-working Americans, and let's work together then to fix this broken student loan system in this country.

Mr. President, I yield the floor.

I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. President, first of all, let me acknowledge the final comments from the Senator from Oklahoma.

Thank you for making us all pause and remember that important time and important lessons that we all need to have learned from here. Thank you very much.

Debt Ceiling

Mr. President, like so many of my colleagues, I spent last week back home hearing from folks in my State. Everywhere I went, I heard from people about how the investments that we make here in Congress actually matter in their daily lives; how the funding that we provide from here helps students at Lake Washington Institute of Technology in Kirkland pursue their dreams and get a higher education and find a good-paying job. It helps entrepreneurs in Tacoma start a business and grow it from the ground up. It helps pregnant moms who rely on the Rainier Valley Midwives Center to get the care they need to have a healthy pregnancy.

I saw how our Federal investments make cutting-edge biomedical research possible at the Allen Institute in Seattle, leading to breakthroughs that save lives and give people more time with their loved ones.

Again and again, I heard about the resources that we send back home pay off in a truly meaningful way. And it is true: The investments we make in our country are critical. They are critical in helping our families succeed; keeping our communities safe; and keeping our Nation strong, secure, and competitive.

We aren't simply spending; we are investing. We are investing in fighting deadly fentanyl and upgrading our crumbling infrastructure. We are investing in keeping America on the cutting edge of clean energy and scientific innovation. We are investing in rebuilding American manufacturing and bringing industries of the future back home here to our shores.

I could go on and on.

But the point is, the funding decisions we make right here in this Chamber are not just numbers on a page. They are investments in people, in families, in our communities, and, ultimately, in our country's future. And they are also crucial to keeping our country secure and on the cutting edge as competitors like the Chinese Government work hard to outpace us.

As we all know, our adversaries are not restricting their investments in their futures. They are not. And they are not teetering on the verge of calamitous default for the sake of partisan politics. And, yet, instead of listening to people back home, instead of listening to the flashing red warning signs from our competitors, House Republicans have been insisting on draconian cuts and harmful changes to the programs that are a lifeline for struggling families and the lifeblood of our global leadership.

House Republicans' push to slash this funding for key Federal programs is alarming, and the way they have tried to make their cuts is downright reckless. We have to be clear about what they have done here. Instead of working through the budget and appropriations process--as we do every year to craft our Nation's budget and determine how we spend money--House Republicans just decided they would threaten to tank our economy and force the United States into default to extract partisan concessions. They have absolutely not been shy about it.

We heard from House Republican leaders and even the leader of the Republican Party talk openly about taking our economy and the American people ``hostage.'' That is damning--House Republicans admitting to using the full faith and credit of the United States of America as a political weapon.

Needless to say, that is not how this should work. Negotiating is not one side saying: Give me everything I want or else. Negotiating is coming to the table saying: Here are my concerns; here are my principles; here is what I am hearing from families in my State; where can we find common ground? That is what people elected us to do. That is what they sent us here to do.

Frankly, that is what I think many of us here want to do. I have heard from so many of my colleagues about their desire to return to regular order, and I have been working with Senator Collins to do that on the Appropriations Committee. But let's get one thing straight-- hostage-taking is not regular order. It is just not. That is not the way we should arrive at the top lines for our spending bills. And it is time we put an end to this dangerous brinksmanship at the next possible opportunity by scrapping this debt ceiling and taking the threat of default off the table once and for all. No other country handles its credit like this.

Hostage-taking is no way to have a conversation about our Nation's fiscal future.

And let's be clear. For House Republicans, this never was truly about the debt anyway. Republicans added trillions to the debt under President Trump through tax giveaways for billionaires and giant corporations, but they refuse to even talk about asking billionaires to pay at least as much in taxes as a firefighter or a nurse. They won't talk about closing giant loopholes for Big Oil or Big Pharma. They definitely won't talk about capping tax giveaways to the wealthy. Instead, House Republicans want to give handouts to the rich and massive corporations. They want to make life harder for struggling families by cutting the programs they rely on and make competing globally harder for our Nation by capping our ability to invest in our future. They agreed to raise the debt ceiling three times under President Trump without batting an eye, but their tune changes when a Democrat is in the White House.

President Biden and congressional Democrats have been clear from the outset that default is not an option and should never have been a threat because it would be catastrophic to our Nation's economy, to the financial security of our families, and to the stability of the global economy. So I applaud President Biden for his laser focus on taking default off the table.

While I know the President has pushed hard to hold the line on recent progress and protect vulnerable people who need support and reject the House Republicans' most extreme demands, we have to be clear-eyed and honest about how this bill fails to meet our current moment--especially how it will limit our ability now to make the investments we need to strengthen our economy and invest in America's future.

I will vote for this legislation because default is not an option, but I do so with deep concern and with a determination to prevent us from ever being in this situation again and lessen the damage of these cuts at every possible opportunity. That can include working with the administration and my colleagues to consider a supplemental, but that conversation has to consider more than just defense and Ukraine because there are other really important priorities, like border security, disaster relief, and other nondefense items, that we should not let be shortchanged.

This is absolutely not a bill I would have written, and the fact that the choice here is between a bill that cuts resources for American families or trashing the Nation's credit and causing a global economic meltdown is an indictment of House Republicans, who decided taking our Nation's credit hostage was an acceptable thing to do.

Understand that the programs being cut make a real difference in people's lives. I know that firsthand. I am someone who grew up knowing what it meant to get by on a tight, tight budget. I had a big family-- six brothers and sisters. My dad was a World War II veteran. He ran a mom-and-pop store on Main Street, selling everyday goods in Bothell, WA. We never had a lot, but we always got by, and a lot of times, that was because our government had our backs.

When my dad got sick and was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, my mom had to figure out how to support seven kids and find a job that would make that possible. A Federal workforce training program helped her get a job as a bookkeeper to keep my family afloat. Me and my siblings--all seven of us--got through college thanks to Federal assistance because our government invested in Pell grants and other programs. My family and I had to rely on food stamps for a brief time. We didn't go hungry because of Federal investments in nutrition.

So I will say it again. The funding decisions we make right here in this Chamber are not just numbers on a page; the policy we write and sign into law has a direct consequence on people's lives, and every Member of Congress needs to recognize that.

So rest assured I remain very focused on keeping our appropriations process moving forward here in the Senate, marking up our spending bills in a timely, bipartisan way. I want to make it clear right here on the Senate floor that I will be doing absolutely everything I can to protect the investments that help those families get by and ensure that this great country lives up to its promise, from childcare, to housing, to lifesaving research, and more. As chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, I will be a voice for working families in my home State and all across the country.

I yield the floor.

Mr. President, I rise in opposition to the Senator's amendment, which would lead to more reckless brinkmanship, more arbitrary cuts by permanently rescinding 1 percent of discretionary appropriations every 30 days during a debt limit crisis. This makes no sense. Rewarding brinkmanship by slashing funding that our families and our communities and our troops depend on is an absolutely dangerous way to govern.

Members on both sides of the aisle come to the floor to air legitimate grievances about this process and the outcome and this debt limit deal. Nobody likes the position we are in today--nobody. Passing this amendment would prove we have learned nothing.

We do not need to create new opportunities for hostage-taking and cuts that would seriously undermine our economy, our families, our future, and our global leadership. We just need to do our job. Right now, we have to pass this bill to avoid a catastrophic default.

I will be voting no. I urge my colleagues to do the same.

Madam President, I rise in opposition to the Senator's amendment.

Our defense spending is critical, but so are our investments to combat fentanyl; rebuild American manufacturing, especially for things like chips; improve access to childcare, early learning, and a lot more. We cannot shortchange our investments in families and our country's future, and the underlying bill will already force painful cuts.

This amendment would make it so the consequences of failing to pass our appropriations bills falls heavily on our nondefense programs, and that will hurt our families across the country. Let me be clear. We will not let that happen.

None of us want to end up in a situation where we have a CR in the first place. That is exactly why I am committed to making sure that we write the strongest 12 funding bills possible and get them passed in a timely way.

This amendment will set us back even further and target the programs that are a lifeline for working people in this country.

I urge my colleagues to vote no.

Vote on Amendment No. 106

Mr. President, I come to the floor this afternoon to urge all of my colleagues to join me in voting to confirm Joshua Jacobs to serve as Under Secretary for Benefits at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

Mr. Jacobs is an exceptionally qualified pick to fill this role, who will work day in and day out to make sure our Nation lives up to its obligation to take care of its veterans. I should know because that is exactly what he did when he worked in my office.

Joshua came to work every day focused on Washington State veterans and their families and helped to prepare the VA for an influx of veterans, to expand clinics and facilities, and to ensure veterans had the services they needed to transition to civilian life, especially when it comes to employment. That track record is why I was thrilled to have him return to work for me as deputy staff director on the Veterans Affairs Committee later, when I became chair, and why I was so excited to join my colleagues on the committee earlier this year to advance this nomination in a bipartisan way.

When I was chair, Mr. Jacobs helped lead the efforts to get veterans more mental health services, expand and support services for women veterans, and ensure veterans had a seamless transition from the DOD to the VA, where too often our servicemembers and veterans faced too much redtape and the VA faced too little accountability.

Given his drive back then, it is no surprise to me that the work he has done since shows his deep commitment to serving those who served our Nation and why he is such a strong fit and trusted choice for this role.

When Mr. Jacobs was a Senior Advisor to the Office of the VA Secretary under President Obama, he was awarded the Secretary's Meritorious Service Award. When President Biden was elected, he was chosen to serve on the incoming administration's VA transition team. After Mr. Jacobs returned to the Department as a Senior Advisor in 2021, he improved its decision-making process by establishing and leading the new Evidence-based Policy Council and developing a new interagency policy development process to coordinate and implement more than 50 interagency policy efforts.

As a Senior Advisor for Policy who carried out the responsibilities of the Under Secretary for Benefits, Mr. Jacobs has taken on the enormous task of coordinating a team of 25,000 people and 56 regional offices, processing centers, and headquarters as they worked to manage over $100 billion in benefits and to make good on our promise to millions of veterans and their families.

He knows full well how important a smoothly functioning VA is to the Americans who are relying on the benefits our Nation promised them. I have no doubt he will go to work every day determined to make sure our Nation lives up to those promises.

I know Mr. Jacobs, who is a Washington State native and graduate of the University of Washington, will do great work for America's veterans as Under Secretary for benefits.

I am proud to support his nomination. I look forward to working with him once he is confirmed.

I yield the floor.

Mr. President, I rise today to honor and congratulate Mrs. Jeanne Kohl-Welles on her retirement following 30 years of work in elected office. Jeanne retires from Washington's King County Council, where she has served as vice chair of the council and chair of the committee of the whole and been an extraordinary asset to our State and the greater Seattle-King County region for the last 30 years.

Under Jeanne's leadership, King County Council was able to address countless issues facing King County and its communities. From supporting our communities through the COVID pandemic by leveraging the 13 budgets she passed as budget chair, to leading the creation of the King County Regional Homeless Authority, Jeanne has been dauntless in facing down tough challenges, tackling complex problems head on to make meaningful progress for King County and its communities.

Jeanne's devotion to King County and the State of Washington as a whole started long before her tenure on the county council. Jeanne spent over two decades in the Washington State Legislature, first in the house and then in the senate. For many of her 20 years in the Washington State Senate, Jeanne chaired the senate higher education and labor and commerce committees and led legislative efforts to legalize medical marijuana and same-sex marriage, tackle income and gender inequality, and address human trafficking and child sexual abuse. Before that, she was an early advocate for addressing hate crimes and homelessness in Seattle.

A constant theme in Jeanne's work has been her tireless dedication to truly representing her constituents. Jeanne has organized many Women's History Month panels; expanded access to ballot drop boxes; implemented crucial investments in youth education; and worked with constituents countless times to introduce legislation that matters to them, like when she worked with middle-schoolers on legislation to regulate puppy- mills. Jeanne has shown a truly exceptional ability to champion what is important to those she represents. Whether it was pushing for the construction of the current stadium for our Seattle Seahawks, sponsoring legislation to make transit safe and available to all, or securing funding for the preservation of Washington State history--from Pike Place Market to the National Historic Landmark vessel S.S. Virginia--time and again, Jeanne has fought for the rights, needs, and histories of Washington State and King County communities.

Being a woman in politics isn't always easy; when I first got to the Senate, there wasn't even a women's bathroom off the Senate floor. Every day, we are having to fight for our most basic rights, even as we advocate for all of our constituents. But every day, women like Jeanne are setting an example for young girls that with hard work, they can follow their dreams and make a real difference. Jeanne's retirement won't be a quiet one; she has plans to not only spend more time with her a family and travel, but also to pursue other passions.

It has been a great privilege to work with Jeanne, a true trailblazer, over the last three decades. And it is my honor to thank her for her lifetime of dedicated service to people in King County, the State of Washington, and the entire country. I wish her the very best during her well-earned retirement.