Floor Statements

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 President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.

Mr. President, I rise today to talk about the benefits of renewable fuels. My State of Nebraska is a leader in renewable fuels. We have 24 ethanol plants, for example, to create 2.2 billion gallons of ethanol.

And that, according to the Renewable Fuels Association, has allowed us to avoid importing about 640 million barrels of foreign oil. Renewable fuels are great for consumers to help save you money at the pump. Last time I filled up with a 10-percent blend of ethanol, I saved 55 cents a gallon at my local grocery store.

My Congressman has told me that he fills up with E15 and was able to save $1 a gallon. It is also great for cleaning up the environment. It reduces carbon emissions and particulate emissions, NOX emissions. And then, of course, it is great for our farmers and ranchers.

Renewable fuels are part of an ``America First'' energy dominant strategy. They are great for our country. To that end, I would want to make May ``Renewable Fuels Month,'' as I did in Nebraska when I made that proclamation when I was Governor.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent the Senate proceed to the consideration of S. Res. 747, which was submitted earlier today.

I know of no further debate on the resolution.

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

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate stand in recess until 12 noon today.

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 President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.

I yield the floor.

Mr. President, I am proud to represent the great State of Nebraska. Agriculture is our No. 1 industry in Nebraska. I am also proud to represent our farmers and ranchers, who are the best in the world. Agriculture is the heart and soul of what we do in the State of Nebraska. We produce the finest products and the safest food. We feed and fuel our great Nation.

Now, it is no secret that our farmers and ranchers have had some challenges. We have seen low commodity prices and high input costs. We have also seen a drought in my State as well as wildfires that are the worst in our State's history--burning over 1 million acres. But our farmers and ranchers, they are tough and resilient. They find ways to come together and get through the tough times, and they contribute to their communities. Despite all of this, they continue to invest to make sure that we have a strong agricultural sector in Nebraska. This is also important for our country, as food security is national security.

Last week, the Senate passed my resolution to proclaim May as Beef Month throughout the entire country. Again, this is our leading industry in Nebraska: the beef industry. We are the leading State for exporting beef--$1.7 billion worth. We are a leader in every category of beef production. In fact, we have over 6 million head of cattle, and the 3 highest beef-producing counties in the country are in Nebraska. We are very proud of our beef industry, and, of course, it is the best tasting beef in the entire world--even if the Presiding Officer doesn't agree with that right now, being from Montana. So we are very, very proud of that.

May is also Renewable Fuels Month. Again, Nebraska is a leader in renewable fuels with 2.2 billion gallons. Not only is this important for creating jobs in our small towns and rural communities, but this is one of the ways that consumers can save money at the pump. The last time I filled up on E10--a 10-percent blend of ethanol--I saved 55 cents a gallon at my local Hy-Vee. It is also a great way to be able to help clean up the environment.

Of course, it is great for our farmers and ranchers. It is also great for our country. There are estimates that our renewable fuels industry that is so great for our corn farmers and soybean farmers also displaces about 640 million barrels of foreign oil. That means we are less dependent on foreign sources of energy. This is, again, a great way for consumers to save money but also for us to strengthen our energy independence--``America First'' energy independence. So our homegrown solution is biofuels.

At the summit last week, when President Trump was in Beijing, we heard good news with regard to potential initial purchases of American agricultural products. U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said there will be ``double-digit billions'' of U.S. agricultural products in 2026, 2027, and 2028--maybe $17 billion in each of those years. That is on top of the 25 million metric tons of soybeans that communist China had agreed to buy already, last year in October. That certainly is good news for our farmers.

What we need is to make sure that we hold communist China accountable for those purchases. We recall that in the first Trump administration, they signed the phase 1 trade deal with communist China, but as soon as President Trump was out of office, China reneged on that deal. We have seen them capriciously turn away the cargo ships of our corn. They have delisted our beef processors.

Communist China, at the end of the day, is a bad trading partner. We need to make sure we hold them accountable for the commitments they make, and I expect this administration will do just that. They have a track record of doing it.

In addition, we need to look at diversifying our export markets. That is why I am introducing the MARKET Act. The MARKET Act would instruct the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Trade Representative to look at ways we can mitigate our dependence on communist China and to look for new markets. Last year, in the Working Families Tax Cut, we put in an additional $285 million--doubling the amount of money for trade promotion--to be able to find new markets for our farmers and ranchers.

My MARKET Act would require the USDA and the USTR to work together to look for new markets and to come back with a report to Congress on how we can further expand those and mitigate the risks of being dependent upon our adversaries like communist China. Do we need to do something with regard to legislative action or regulatory action? This will help make sure that we continue to be able to expand the trade that is so important for our agricultural States, like Nebraska.

About a third of everything we grow in Nebraska gets exported overseas. We are the fifth largest ag exporter in the country. These markets overseas are important to our strong economy in Nebraska. My MARKET Act will help make sure we continue to look for opportunities to be able to grow that.

I am proud of our farmers and ranchers. They do a great job of feeding our great Nation. And I am proud to be able to continue to support them here in Washington, DC.

Mr. President, I am proud to represent the great State of Nebraska. Agriculture is our No. 1 industry in Nebraska. I am also proud to represent our farmers and ranchers, who are the best in the world. Agriculture is the heart and soul of what we do in the State of Nebraska. We produce the finest products and the safest food. We feed and fuel our great Nation.

Now, it is no secret that our farmers and ranchers have had some challenges. We have seen low commodity prices and high input costs. We have also seen a drought in my State as well as wildfires that are the worst in our State's history--burning over 1 million acres. But our farmers and ranchers, they are tough and resilient. They find ways to come together and get through the tough times, and they contribute to their communities. Despite all of this, they continue to invest to make sure that we have a strong agricultural sector in Nebraska. This is also important for our country, as food security is national security.

Last week, the Senate passed my resolution to proclaim May as Beef Month throughout the entire country. Again, this is our leading industry in Nebraska: the beef industry. We are the leading State for exporting beef--$1.7 billion worth. We are a leader in every category of beef production. In fact, we have over 6 million head of cattle, and the 3 highest beef-producing counties in the country are in Nebraska. We are very proud of our beef industry, and, of course, it is the best tasting beef in the entire world--even if the Presiding Officer doesn't agree with that right now, being from Montana. So we are very, very proud of that.

May is also Renewable Fuels Month. Again, Nebraska is a leader in renewable fuels with 2.2 billion gallons. Not only is this important for creating jobs in our small towns and rural communities, but this is one of the ways that consumers can save money at the pump. The last time I filled up on E10--a 10-percent blend of ethanol--I saved 55 cents a gallon at my local Hy-Vee. It is also a great way to be able to help clean up the environment.

Of course, it is great for our farmers and ranchers. It is also great for our country. There are estimates that our renewable fuels industry that is so great for our corn farmers and soybean farmers also displaces about 640 million barrels of foreign oil. That means we are less dependent on foreign sources of energy. This is, again, a great way for consumers to save money but also for us to strengthen our energy independence--``America First'' energy independence. So our homegrown solution is biofuels.

At the summit last week, when President Trump was in Beijing, we heard good news with regard to potential initial purchases of American agricultural products. U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer said there will be ``double-digit billions'' of U.S. agricultural products in 2026, 2027, and 2028--maybe $17 billion in each of those years. That is on top of the 25 million metric tons of soybeans that communist China had agreed to buy already, last year in October. That certainly is good news for our farmers.

What we need is to make sure that we hold communist China accountable for those purchases. We recall that in the first Trump administration, they signed the phase 1 trade deal with communist China, but as soon as President Trump was out of office, China reneged on that deal. We have seen them capriciously turn away the cargo ships of our corn. They have delisted our beef processors.

Communist China, at the end of the day, is a bad trading partner. We need to make sure we hold them accountable for the commitments they make, and I expect this administration will do just that. They have a track record of doing it.

In addition, we need to look at diversifying our export markets. That is why I am introducing the MARKET Act. The MARKET Act would instruct the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Trade Representative to look at ways we can mitigate our dependence on communist China and to look for new markets. Last year, in the Working Families Tax Cut, we put in an additional $285 million--doubling the amount of money for trade promotion--to be able to find new markets for our farmers and ranchers.

My MARKET Act would require the USDA and the USTR to work together to look for new markets and to come back with a report to Congress on how we can further expand those and mitigate the risks of being dependent upon our adversaries like communist China. Do we need to do something with regard to legislative action or regulatory action? This will help make sure that we continue to be able to expand the trade that is so important for our agricultural States, like Nebraska.

About a third of everything we grow in Nebraska gets exported overseas. We are the fifth largest ag exporter in the country. These markets overseas are important to our strong economy in Nebraska. My MARKET Act will help make sure we continue to look for opportunities to be able to grow that.

I am proud of our farmers and ranchers. They do a great job of feeding our great Nation. And I am proud to be able to continue to support them here in Washington, DC.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on the Judiciary be discharged and the Senate now proceed to the consideration of S. Res. 627.

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

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent the Senate proceed to the consideration of S. Res. 673, which is at the desk.

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

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship be discharged from further consideration of H.R. 2066 and the Senate proceed to its immediate consideration.

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

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today, it stand in recess until 10 a.m. on Thursday, April 16; that following the prayer and pledge, the Journal of proceedings be approved to date, the time for the two leaders be reserved for their use later in the day, and the Senate resume consideration of H.J. Res. 140, and that at 11 a.m., all time be expired on the joint resolution, it be read a third time, and the Senate vote on passage; and that following disposition, the Senate proceed to executive session and resume consideration of Calendar No. 671, Andrew Davis, and notwithstanding rule XXII, the Senate vote on the motion to invoke cloture at 1:45 p.m.; further, that if cloture is invoked, all time be expired and the Senate vote on confirmation at a time to be determined by the majority leader in consultation with the Democratic leader no earlier than Monday, April 20.

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

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to speak for up to 5 minutes prior to the scheduled rollcall vote.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to waive the mandatory quorum call with respect to the St. John nomination.

Mr. President, my home State of Nebraska is currently experiencing a natural disaster of unprecedented proportions for our State. We are experiencing the largest wildfires since Nebraska became a State. It started last week. We have a number of fires burning across the State that have burned up to 750,000 acres of Nebraska. That is over 1 percent, approaching 2 percent of the total land area of my State.

We have had one fatality. Rose Mary White, a grandmother of 12, died at her ranch near Arthur, NE. We have also had hundreds, if not thousands, of people impacted by these fires.

I ask all Nebraskans and all Americans to pray for the victims of these terrible fires.

I had the opportunity, with Governor Pillen and Congressman Smith, to tour the areas that were burning on Saturday.

Thank you to all of the firefighters, our volunteer firefighters who are first responders on the scene, who worked tirelessly to be able to control this fire.

By the time we arrived on Saturday, they had had little sleep over the past several days and were exhausted. At 6 o'clock that night, a Federal firefighter team came in to provide relief, and I thank those firefighters as well.

Thank you to our Nebraska National Guardsmen. We have two Black Hawk helicopters with Bambi baskets that are on site helping to control the fire by dumping water on it from the air. I thank Iowa as well because they have also loaned us two helicopters to be able to help out. The Governor was calling the fire departments of Omaha and Lincoln and Columbus, seeking to get additional firefighter help to be able to relieve the volunteers that are working so hard around the clock.

Nebraska is a great place. We have great community spirit. We saw it on full display as people pitched in to be able to help combat these fires. But we have a lot of work to be able to do.

The Morrill fire has burned over 572,000 acres and is only 18 percent contained. The Cottonwood fire has burned over 131,000 acres, and it is only 40 percent contained. The Road 203 fire has burned 35,000 acres, and it is 36 percent contained. And the Anderson Bridge fire has burned 17,000 acres and is only 60 percent contained.

I know that Nebraskans will continue to work hard to preserve life and property and take care of their neighbors during this time. We are no stranger to disasters. Nebraskans always pitch in to be able to help.

I do want to say to my fellow Nebraskans that if you get the evacuation order, be prepared because this fire has moved fast. We got some relief from the winds on Sunday, but they kicked up again on Monday. Those winds can drive that fire very, very fast. So be prepared to evacuate. Please don't stay. If you stay too long, you are putting yourself and the firefighters at risk who are trying to put out this fire and protect you. And when it is safe, please make sure you are documenting the damage that you have incurred.

The USDA Farm Service Agency has Disaster Assistance Programs. After you are safe and you have had a chance to document your damage, you can go to them to see what sort of programs are out there. The Nebraska Cattlemen, nebraskacattlemen.org, has the ability for people to donate to be able to help out those impacted by this fire, so do the Red Cross and Salvation Army.

In talking with our ag director Sherry Vinton, over 30,000 cattle may be displaced because of this fire. And certainly, there will be cattle losses because of it. We just don't know the magnitude yet. It has been very dry this winter in Nebraska, and this fire has burned out of control. But we have many brave Nebraskans--volunteers, firefighters, the National Guard--who are working to be able to get this fire under control.

As a Federal delegation, we will continue to support the local efforts and the State's efforts to control this fire and to help those impacted recover. And again, I ask for the prayers of Nebraskans and all Americans to be able to help us out in this terrible tragedy.

With that, Mr. President, I yield the floor.

Mr. President, it has now been 26 days since Homeland Security has been funded and 51 days since the Democrats have announced their intention not to fund the Department of Homeland Security.

The Democrats want the Department of Homeland Security to be closed. How do I know they want it to be closed? Well, it is because the Democrats are refusing even to talk to Republicans about what sort of deal we may be able to do to get the funding for the Department of Homeland Security.

Just this past weekend, my freshman colleague from Alabama who sits on the Appropriations Committee and has the subcommittee that oversees the Department of Homeland Security offered the ranking Democrat on Appropriations a meeting, a meeting with our Republican leader, a meeting with the Appropriations chair--the esteemed Senator from Maine--and the White House. And the ranking Democrat refused to even meet, much less negotiate.

Republicans want the Department of Homeland Security opened. Democrats want to keep it shut down. Democrats are playing politics with our national security and the safety of Americans and people in my home State of Nebraska.

The Department of Homeland Security is funded to pay, for example, our Coast Guard. In recent days, our Coast Guard in the Gulf of America just intercepted a shipment of marijuana and cocaine worth about $1.3 million. That is what the Coast Guard does, keeps us safe from illegal drugs coming into our country, and yet they go unpaid.

In fact, a Nebraskan called in to my office. His son and daughter-in- law in the Coast Guard are deployed right now in Bahrain. They are risking their lives for us, they are risking their lives to keep us safe, and the Democrats won't pay them.

Or let's take your TSA agents that handle the security for a billion travelers in the United States every year. They, too, are working without pay because the Democrats will not fund the Department of Homeland Security. TSA agents process about 2\1/2\ million people every day going through our airports to keep us safe, and the Democrats won't pay them.

I stood here not long ago, sadly, talking about our air traffic controllers. I read letters from them and how the government shutdown that Chuck Schumer led the Democrats on just a short while ago put pressure on their families. Many of those air traffic controllers were veterans.

The minority leader led the Democrats on the longest shutdown in American history. Does nobody remember that, what it did to the families? And yet the Democrats are doing the same thing again now on the Department of Homeland Security.

The Agency that is assigned to keep us safe from the standpoint of cyber security--the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Agency--has furloughed 1,200 of their 2,000 people. Only 800 people are working right now, putting us at risk.

We have a conflict in the Middle East right now with Iran, the largest state sponsor of terrorism in the world, that country that regularly chants ``Death to America.'' We know that Iran has plotted assassinations of our President, other officials, and dissidents here on our very soil. And yet the Democrats are not willing to fund the Agency that is meant to help keep us safe. Again, they are playing politics with our national security and our safety.

There is common ground we can come to, to be able to get the Department of Homeland Security open. But if the Democrats refuse to even meet with Republicans to discuss this, the only conclusion I can draw is that they don't want the Department of Homeland Security open. And so they put all of us at risk, including my fellow Nebraskans.

Democrats must come to the table to meet. We must reopen the Department of Homeland Security. We must pay our heros in the Coast Guard, TSA, Secret Service, CISA, all these people who are working right now to keep us safe are keeping us safe during this conflict in the Middle East with the largest state sponsor of terrorism.

The least the Democrats can do is agree to meet with leadership and have a conversation.

This must end. Democrats must talk.

I yield the floor.