Floor Statements

Madam President, I have come to the Senate floor time and again and said to my colleagues that disaster relief funding is absolutely urgently needed. Today, the future of government funding is imperiled right now in the House, and the future of disaster funding is still unknown in the Senate.

And let me be clear, there are families across America, in Vermont, and in communities impacted by natural disasters all across our country that need us to help, and they can't recover without us. FEMA's Disaster Relief Fund is running out of money, forcing FEMA to function on what is essentially reserve funding.

This is no fault of FEMA's. It is all a result of the catastrophic weather events that have been occurring rapidly, frequently, throughout our country and in Vermont.

This past year and a half has brought brutal floods in Vermont and terrible fires, hurricanes, and tornadoes across our country.

Louisiana right now is bracing for the worst as Hurricane Francine moves onshore, and our prayers in Vermont are with the people of Louisiana. We know their heartbreak and their pain right now.

These communities--and it is especially the case with rural communities--cannot weather these storms alone. Some of those that are hardest hit are being financially destroyed. It is a function of the effects of climate change, and those communities don't have the resources to dig out, make repairs, and rebuild in the resilient way required for the future.

They can't handle a 100-year flood, and many in Vermont have had two 100-year floods in a year, in some towns even three in 12 or 13 months.

It is very important that disaster aid be flexible. We can't expect our communities--and it is from Vermont to Mississippi to Hawaii--we can't expect that those who are ravaged by disaster to fight this fight alone. The entire country has been hammered by climate change and by these weather events.

We need, in addition to the supplemental funding for the Disaster Relief Fund for FEMA, we need flexible funding which is available through the Housing and Urban Development's Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery Program. The CDBGDR Program is a great example of how aid can be controlled by communities because there is so much more flexibility with that fund.

Our Senator Schatz of Hawaii, as chair of our Appropriations Subcommittee on Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, is leading the push for this funding, and I join him in that effort.

Also, the experience I have had visiting communities, visiting farms, visiting businesses, and visiting Vermont homeowners immediately following our State's flooding has given me, No. 1, enormous respect for Administrator Criswell. She was right there after the flood along with her wonderful FEMA staff doing everything they could to help communities.

But once the immediate event has come and gone and the repair and recovery has to start, it is going to take, oftentimes, a year or more for communities to repair bridges, for families to get an answer on whether they do or don't get a buyout, for farms to get what meager relief may be available. And what we have seen is that at that point, the centralization of decision-making authority and responsibility with various FEMA offices located around the country and the FEMA office in charge of Vermont that has to make these decisions about yes or no on moving forward on a bridge or a buyout--things that are really crucially important to Vermonters, to our local governments, to our homeowners--is in Puerto Rico.

And what I have seen is that the energy and the effort and the resources and the talent is at the local level. So if you are on the selectboard in Lyndonville, you have got the responsibility to your voters to get that bridge fixed. You actually know who the best contractors are. You know how to get it done. But the way it works right now, those decisions about moving forward on a recovery project are made in a distant location.

I have talked to many of my colleagues about a similar aftermath of the original event: The immediate aid is provided, but then when you are talking about a contract, you are talking about implementation, the reality is we have to have, in my view, much more local control, much more local responsibility, and much more local capacity with the resources that are available through FEMA. It means the decisions will be made sooner, the work will be done in a more cost-effective and efficient way.

I raise that because I am talking to colleagues who have had similar experiences, some in States that are Republican-led, some Democratic- led. It really doesn't matter. It is about trying to get that authority at the local level so that the local people--whether it is Mississippi or Vermont--have much more authority, responsibility, and capacity to carry out those very, very needed repairs.

So that will be something I will be inviting my colleagues to work with me on.

This last summer, I spent a good deal of time traveling to the flooded communities--and there are too many of them in Vermont--to see what has happened to our homes, our small businesses and farms, to roads and bridges that were washed out. And folks across Vermont--in places like Moretown and Plainfield and Barre and Barnet, St. Johnsbury, Peacham, Lyndonville, and Hardwick--are all reeling from what has happened. They are pulling together; they are coming back. Neighbors are helping neighbors, but it is not going to get done unless we provide the supplemental funding with the disaster relief fund that is essential to the well-being of Vermonters, as well as the well-being of folks who have suffered from these catastrophic weather events across the country.

Vermont will hang in, but we do need help. And we are ready, as we always have been, to help others.

Mr. President, in late July, Vermonters and Americans mourned the passing of Bob Newhart, a talented and award-winning actor who changed the history of comedy forever. His celebrated television show, ``Newhart'' aired on CBS from 1982 to 1990 and gave the United States a window into dreamy, rural Vermont's picturesque Green Mountain view. As Dick Loudon, Mr. Newhart brought laughter and Vermont Values into the living rooms of millions of Americans.

In ``Newhart,'' Dick and his wife escape New York City and buy the Stratford Inn, better known by the real-world residents of Middlebury, VT, as the Waybury Inn. The production crew saw the Waybury Inn while scouting locations and knew it was the perfect location. The inn still has props from the show on display, and the 214-year-old inn hosts travelers and diners to this day. Over the show's 184 episodes, Mr. Newhart and his cast centered their show around the fictional Stratford Inn, capturing the very real spirit and beauty of Vermont and the hard- working people that make it home.

Television and the arts play the important role in our lives and culture, bringing together friends and families, bridging cultural divides, and helping heal during times of difficulty. Mr. Newhart's Grammy and Emmy award winning performances and countless television shows and movies exemplify the power of comedy--and the essential role the arts play in our social fabric.

Mr. Newhart was an icon of comedy and Hollywood, but Vermonters will always remember his time as our favorite innkeeper.

Madam President, Vermonters are experiencing a lot of anguish now. This photograph depicts flooding that we had in Barre a year ago and is here with us again. A year to the day, we had a return of flooding. We had devastating flooding in 2023.

Parts of the Northeast Kingdom, 2 weeks later, would flood again. They were hit with 8 inches of rain--heavy rain--which caused more flash floods in the Northeast Kingdom. And today--today--6 more inches of rain is in the forecast.

I come to the Senate floor tonight, when Vermont is in crisis, and I am asking for my colleagues, on both sides of the aisle in the Senate and in the House of Representatives, for us to come together and approve the President's supplemental disaster funding request. It will help Vermonters rebuild from heavy rains, flash flooding, and mudslides that have brutally devastated our State. It will help other communities around the Nation that have had their own weather events that have done so much harm to their communities.

One year ago this month, the heavy rainfall required 214 swift boat water rescues--literally, some of our first responder folks showing up in boats to help people get out of their homes. Infrastructure was really hit hard, with 409 miles of rail, 64 State bridges, and 46 State roads closed. Madam President, 139 of our municipalities experienced flood-related damage. There was $553 million in public assistance need reported and $118 million for businesses on their damages. We also saw 18 drinking water and 33 wastewater systems damaged. Three wastewater systems were totally destroyed.

President Biden has revised his disaster supplemental request to account for Vermont's disaster last year. That will help us immensely, but Vermont absolutely needs the increased funding. The Department of Transportation Emergency Relief Program and the Housing and Urban Development Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery Program and the Federal Emergency Management Agency Disaster Relief Fund all need supplemental funding, as well as more funding for the Department of Transportation CDBG disaster recovery grants. Those are flexible and really help the communities. That is needed very, very much.

And today I joined with my colleagues from Vermont, Senator Sanders and Representative Balint, in urging congressional leadership and bipartisan Appropriations Committee leadership to advance a supplemental package quickly.

We need Federal dollars to help support our farms. Our businesses need help. Families need help. So many families, hard-working Vermonters, were hit by these floods; 18 shelters opened, and over 3,000 households were approved for FEMA housing assistance.

And this is really, really tough, Madam President. Vermont is on a long road to recovery. We are resilient, and we believe that brighter days are ahead. But for many families, this is the second time in 2 years. And how much can they really endure, especially when getting answers down the road from FEMA gets very complicated, very bureaucratic, and inflicts a lot of emotional pain that could be avoided if we could be quicker and faster.

I have promised Vermonters that I would bring their voices to the Senate with me and share their stories. In the past month, I have been to Montpelier, Hardwick, Barnet, St. Johnsbury, Peacham, and Lyndonville to visit with homeowners, businesses, farms, and communities impacted by the flooding.

Hardwick lost four bridges in flooding this month. Three of those bridges were wiped out last year--the second time in 2 years. And these are small communities where folks on the select board are also the emergency responders; they are also the health officer. And they are incredible, what they do. The Presiding Officer knows this from her own service as Senator and as Governor. It is amazing how resilient they are. But they can't do it alone. They need our help.

I met with a Vermont farmer in Hardwick, somebody who started years ago what has become a very successful enterprise but also a farm-to- table, farm-to-farmstand business model in Vermont. He lost topsoil, and many of his crops were destroyed. A restaurant owner in Lyndonville had to make the tough decision to close instead of reopening. And Lyndonville was hit again in the middle of the night just 2 days ago.

Healthcare leaders in the area are also very worried about mental health and the stress on families. Every time they see a homeowner-- parents--where their homes have been wiped out, the overriding concern they have is for the well-being of their kids and the stability that they need to restore to their kids. And when that happens 2 years in a row, that is asking a lot.

In Peacham, I talked with two families whose homes were so damaged that there is no reasonable prospect that they will be repaired. They can only hope for the home to be bought out. But, again, that takes response that we are not getting, oftentimes, down the road with the bureaucracy, unfortunately, that we have to, I think, fix.

In Barnet, I met farmers who were trying to salvage what they could and

make the best of the remainder of the season.

And again, I am speaking to the Presiding Officer, who just knows this from our shared border. The folks on the Presiding Officer's side of the river and my side of the river have a lot in common, and we admire them; but we have got to do our part here in Congress to help them help themselves.

I have sat down with small business owners in Montpelier and across the State, and they are struggling with the high cost of recovery from last year's flooding. Many have been hit twice or three times over. Those spared by the flooding are feeling, nevertheless, the impacts of the lost revenue because business has declined in the area.

Madam President, the Federal funding is really, really critical for Vermont. It is not just Vermont. I know my colleague Senator Schatz from Hawaii, who is chair of the Appropriations Subcommittee, is working very hard because it is his community, it is Vermont, it is Houston, it is communities throughout the country that are being affected by these once-in-100-year weather events that are coming every year or every 2 years. It is really happening.

We can't recover without that Federal help. I just can't stress this enough. We need Congress to step up, and we need the help of all of us here because, while it is Vermont this time, it may be New Hampshire next time; it may be Texas next month. And I believe all of us have to help one another when an event occurs causing such harm to people we represent and it is through no fault of their own.

Now, it is disappointing to me, to say the least, that Congress is getting ready to go on a recess without having gotten this done. It is my hope that getting disaster funding will be a top priority when we come back in September--not just for Vermont but for all of the communities around the country that need Congress to act.

Vermont's communities and communities across the country are counting on us. I implore my colleagues, all of us: Let's do this, first order of business, when we return in September.

I yield the floor.

Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate consider the following nominations en bloc: Calendar Nos. 719 through 740, 742 through 763, and all nominations on the Secretary's desk in the Air Force, Army, Marine Corps, Navy, and the Space Force; that the nominations be confirmed en bloc; that the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table with no intervening action or debate; that no further motions be in order to any of the nominations; and that the President be immediately notified of the Senate's action and the Senate then resume legislative session.

Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of Calendar No. 312, S. 2781.

I further ask unanimous consent that the Heinrich-Risch amendment at the desk be considered and agreed to; the committee- reported substitute amendment, as amended, be agreed to; the bill, as amended, be considered read a third time and passed; and that the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table with no intervening action or debate.

Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of H. Con. Res. 120, which was received from the House and is at the desk.

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

Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate

proceed to the en bloc consideration of the following Senate resolutions: S. Res. 791, S. Res. 792, and S. Res. 793.

I ask unanimous consent that the resolutions be agreed to, the preambles be agreed to, and that the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table en bloc.

Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today, it stand adjourned until 11 a.m. on Thursday, August 1; that 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 Shea nomination, postcloture; further, that all time be considered expired at 11:30 a.m.; and that if the nomination is confirmed, the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table and the President be immediately notified of the Senate's action; further, that upon disposition of the Shea nomination, the Senate resume legislative session to resume consideration of the motion to proceed to Calendar No. 349, H.R. 7024; that the cloture motion with respect to the motion to proceed ripen at 1:45 p.m.

Madam President, if there is no further business to come before the Senate, I ask that it stand adjourned under the previous order.

Madam President, 13 years ago last week South Sudan became an independent country. I want to congratulate the people of South Sudan on this milestone. The United States has long supported the aspirations of the people of South Sudan in their struggle for independence and democratic governance. John Garang, the leader of the Sudan People's Liberation Army, would visit the Senate to build support for the fight for self-determination.

Today, despite those efforts, South Sudan is a textbook case of a failed state where, despite rich oil deposits, millions of destitute people depend on international aid for their daily survival. Last week, the United States announced more than $57 million in additional humanitarian assistance to address urgent needs of hundreds of thousands of crisis-affected people in South Sudan.

In 2005, the year John Garang died, the United States, Norway, and the United Kingdom--known collectively as the Troika--supported Kenya and the other regional member states of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development to broker the Comprehensive Peace Agreement, or the CPA. The CPA ended what, at that time, was the longest armed conflict in Africa and gave the people of South Sudan an historic opportunity to vote in a referendum that culminated in their Declaration of Independence on July 9, 2011. Their hope, and the hope of the United States and our allies, was that South Sudan was finally beginning a new democratic chapter based on the rule of law--with security, competent and honest elected leaders, and new opportunities for equitable economic development and trade.

The return of political violence in South Sudan in December 2013 was shocking to both the people of South Sudan and the international community. The leaders of South Sudan took up arms to consolidate their grip on political and economic power. Motivated by greed and personal ambition, they sacrificed the hopes, aspirations, and welfare of the South Sudanese people who, in the years since, have lost everything-- including their hard-won self-rule. Today, their country is run by warlords who have driven the country into bankruptcy through grand corruption, impoverishing millions.

The democratic aspirations of the South Sudanese people, their ability to live a dignified life, and opportunities to educate their children, have all been stifled. The warlords have established a brutal authoritarian regime that has no respect for human rights or civil liberties, and no regard for democracy and the rule of law. The U.S. Department of State and human rights organizations report a pattern of repression against political dissidents, as well as widespread sexual violence against women and girls.

On July 3, 2024, South Sudan's Parliament passed repressive National Security legislation that gives a wide range of authorities to the National Security Service and its affiliated opaque institutions that have terrorized the people of South Sudan for years. The passage of this law reinforces the fact that the current government of South Sudan does not embrace human rights and democratic values. Such actions make it extremely difficult for the United States to find areas of common ground with South Sudan's leaders.

My predecessor Senator Patrick Leahy was outspoken about the calamity facing the people of South Sudan and the need for new leadership. As he said on January 6, 2022, and later that year on August 6, the government of President Kiir and Vice President Machar has shuttered both political and civic spaces, increasing the risk of political violence. It was not long ago, in August 2021, when peaceful protests organized by the People's Coalition for Civil Action--PCCA--were met with death threats, arbitrary arrests, trumped up treason charges, and forced exile.

One of the leaders of that organization Abraham Awolich was one of the ``Lost Boys'' who ended up in a refugee camp in Kenya at the age of 10. From there, he was resettled to my home State of Vermont, and he later graduated from the University of Vermont. In 2011, he returned to his homeland to help with rebuilding the country, but like other pro- democracy advocates, the government of South Sudan regarded him as a threat for standing up against tyranny and dictatorship, and he was forced out of the country. He returned to the University of Vermont, where he is working towards a Ph.D.

Neighboring governments and the international community, including the United States, have given the leaders of South Sudan multiple opportunities to put their country on a path toward peace and democracy, as called for in the CPA. These gestures have been met with intransigence and a total disregard for the will of the South Sudanese people. The August 2015 Agreement on the Resolution of Conflict in South Sudan was such an opportunity, but it was squandered when the leaders resorted to violence to resolve a political stalemate. The government claimed that the agreement was imposed on it, and President Kiir launched his own South Sudan National Dialogue, which he hoped would endorse his goal to remain in office indefinitely. The people of South Sudan, to the contrary, called on President Kiir and Vice President Machar to step down and blamed them for the instability, violence, and corruption plaguing the country.

As if to confirm the fear and verdict of their people, forces controlled by Kiir and Machar again resorted to deadly violence in July 2016. That round of violence resulted in many lives lost, the displacement of civilians, and the collapse of the 2015 agreement.

The African regional governments, with the support of the international community, gave President Kiir and Vice President Machar another opportunity to do right for their people by negotiating the Revitalized Agreement on the Resolution of Conflict in South Sudan, which was signed in 2018. That agreement was intended to last 36 months until an election. Nearly 80 months later, there has been no significant progress. Instead, President Kiir and his government have acted to frustrate peace, undermine democracy, and subvert the rule of law. Now, both leaders are contemplating another 24 months in office, something the people of South Sudan cannot afford.

The fear of starvation is a reality for millions of people in South Sudan. The economy has collapsed, billions of dollars in oil revenue have been stolen and squandered, and there is a great sense of urgency to restore security and rebuild the economy. The country needs

a new system for transparently managing public finances to ensure that revenues from oil and other natural resources are protected and used to address the needs of the people.

I have recounted this tragic history to provide context for the peace talks currently underway in Nairobi, Kenya. The High-Level Mediation for South Sudan, or the Tumaini Initiative, is another olive branch extended to the leaders of South Sudan. It seeks to chart a way forward for their people who have suffered for so long due to the greed and repression of their own leaders. The United States, Norway, and the U.K. should actively support the Tumaini Initiative, provided the process is transparent and has clearly defined goals that will finally realize the promise of the CPA and independence.

The government of South Sudan must use this opportunity to take extraordinary measures to achieve lasting peace.

The people of South Sudan expressed their preferences clearly through the National Dialogue. They blame the crises in the country on their corrupt leaders who they have called on to step aside. They have called on the Troika countries to help bring about a democratic transition, including a leadership succession plan and timelines for elections in which Kiir and Machar do not participate. That is a necessary outcome of the Tumaini Initiative if it is to succeed.

The Tumaini Initiative should also ensure that a new security structure is established in South Sudan. The current military is corrupt, splintered, and unaccountable. A coherent plan with clear benchmarks will be needed to separate the warlords and other political actors from the military. The privatized units of the army will need to be combined and repurposed with a single national mission to defend the people and sovereignty of South Sudan and a mandate to stay out of politics.

South Sudan has a long history of impunity. Human rights violations, war crimes, and the theft of public resources are rarely if ever punished, and the country suffers from a culture of lawlessness. The police and judicial system must be thoroughly reformed. The prosecution of war crimes by an international tribunal should be considered.

The United States should support the call by the people of South Sudan for a new constitution that restructures power and state institutions. The Tumaini Initiative, with the support of the Troika countries, should support a broad-based political dialogue to produce a political consensus on a constitution that strengthens the country's democratic institutions, including an independent judiciary.

While the people of South Sudan need to choose their future leaders, the conditions for a free, fair, and transparent democratic election do not currently exist. It will first be necessary to achieve agreement on a new constitution and a new security structure, with clear timelines and benchmarks that prepare the country for democratic elections.

The Tumaini Initiative may be the last opportunity for the countries of the region, led by Kenya and with the support of the international community, to finally help end the South Sudanese people's nightmare. Their current leaders have betrayed them. Multiple previous attempts to persuade their leaders to fulfill their obligations under the CPA have failed. Millions of people are hungry and have lost hope for a better future. The Tumaini Initiative offers them that hope.

The United States has invested billions of dollars and years of diplomacy to support the South Sudanese people. There are emerging democratic voices in the country that can help propel South Sudan forward. We should now play an active role in helping to ensure that the Tumaini Initiative achieves what previous attempts did not--a sustainable path to peace, democracy, justice, and a brighter future for the people of South Sudan.

Madam President, in recent weeks, the attention of the American people has been on the rapidly evolving campaign for the Presidency issues. But while our national media and the focus have shifted, it is important that we do not lose sight of the crisis in Gaza, where innocent people have suffered one calamity after another.

Also in recent weeks, thousands of defenseless, homeless people sheltering in schools, including one located in an area reportedly designated by the Israeli military as a humanitarian safe zone, have been targeted by the Israeli military with missiles supplied by the United States. Regrettably, scores have been killed, and hundreds have been wounded.

What little is left of Gaza's demolished hospitals have no capacity to properly treat injuries. Children are particularly vulnerable in this conflict. Thousands of children have been killed. Thousands have sustained severe injuries that require surgery or advanced medical care, and many suffer from other life-threatening illnesses, like cancer, that are going completely untreated. In the past 9 months, only 19 of these children have been allowed to leave Gaza, and that is shocking.

Today, my colleagues and I sent a letter to the Ambassadors of Israel and Egypt calling on them to work together, with the full cooperation of the United States, so that these children can leave Gaza and get the medical care they desperately need, and I urge their governments to do that. Gaza's children have paid far too high a price in this war.

Negotiations for a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas have been on again and off again. Each time we hear of a possible breakthrough, one side or the other makes a new demand, and then weeks pass without further word of progress, and the suffering continues. I hope soon they will reach agreement on a cease-fire.

In the meantime, it is hard to imagine the depth of misery suffered by the Palestinian people. It is also hard to imagine the depth of misery suffered by the hostages trapped underground for 9 months, subject to constant psychological and physical abuse by their captors.

I have spoken many times about the war in Gaza. It was a war, in my view, poorly conceived, with vague goals that were nothing more than slogans--not unlike our own failed wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Prime Minister Netanyahu was warned not to repeat our mistakes, but instead of heeding that advice, he has pursued a scorched-earth strategy that has destroyed Gaza and killed tens of thousands of people who had absolutely nothing to do with the atrocities committed by Hamas on October 7. Two million destitute people are homeless, suffering from acute hunger, and facing the real possibility of death at any moment.

Mr. Netanyahu and--I use this word intentionally--his extremist Ministers have divided the Israeli people, divided the American people, and damaged Israel's standing on the global stage.

Mr. Netanyahu's war has been carried out with our war planes, our tanks, our guns, our bombs, missiles, and bullets. It has been carried out in a manner shockingly inconsistent with the principle of proportionality, a central element of international humanitarian law that is designed to protect the innocent--international law that Israel and the United States are both bound to respect.

The counterresponse that we hear is that because Hamas fighters hide in tunnels and use civilian houses and buildings to carry out their attacks, anything is a legitimate target--even, apparently, if it means killing 50 Palestinians and wounding 100 in order to kill 1 Hamas combatant.

Of course, Israel has the right to go after those involved in the October 7 attacks. I support that. Hamas mercilessly slaughtered 1,200 innocent Israelis, and the perpetrators of those atrocities must not escape punishment. But that does not give Israel the right to use weapons supplied by the United States to kill 30 times the number of innocent Palestinians as though their lives are worth nothing. That is wrong.

Meanwhile, in the West Bank, attacks against Palestinians by Israeli settlers--illegal Israeli settlers--have skyrocketed, and hundreds have been killed.

Last week, the International Court of Justice ruled that Israel's decades-long occupation of the West Bank violates international law and amounts to annexation. The court called on Israel to cease new settlement activities, which

is also the policy of the United States, and called on it to end the occupation.

As often happens, people's attention fades or shifts to other priorities close to home. That is understandable, but that is also why it is important to remember--to remember that the bombs keep falling, and an appalling number of civilians keep dying in Gaza in a war that has gone on far, far too long; to remember that this war, in which the United States is complicit by providing these arms, was orchestrated by a Prime Minister who has no strategy--no strategy--for peace between Israelis and Palestinians.

A Prime Minister who has no vision for the future, who has acted deliberately to undercut U.S. policy at every turn, and still, he is invited here to this Congress.

I will not be attending Prime Minister Netanyahu's address tomorrow. While I welcome a constructive discussion on how to end this conflict and achieve lasting peace and security for Israelis and Palestinians, I am not interested in participating in a political stunt.

We, the United States, have a moral responsibility to do everything we can to help end this war and prevent further loss of innocent lives, and that includes holding our allies and partners to the same standards that we expect of ourselves and the rest of the world.

I yield the floor.

Mr. President, reserving the right to object, the war in Gaza has been a humanitarian catastrophe, and tens of thousands of civilians have been killed and wounded. Thousands of children are not able to obtain medical care that they urgently need. Hundreds of thousands of people in northern Gaza have been told to relocate again and again and again. There is no safe place for these innocent people to go in Gaza. Also, 100 precious lives of hostages do remain in Hamas control. And I am very upset about the escalation of anti-Israel sentiment here in our own country.

But everyone is painfully aware that Hamas built its underground system of tunnels and military command beneath Gaza schools, hospitals, and other civilian structures. It is a very difficult dilemma, but the answer is not the entire destruction of Gaza.

And Secretary of Defense Austin said that ``there's a better way'' to prosecute the military campaign and to eliminate Hamas while protecting civilians. That is our military leader. And that is a sentiment that is shared by many U.S. military officers, both active and retired and, incidentally, many Israeli officers.

Israel has received, as my colleague from Texas knows--and as my colleague from Texas also knows--Israel has continued to receive massive amounts of U.S. weapons, ammunition, and other military aid. And the Congress passed an emergency supplemental, in addition to the fiscal year 2024 appropriations bill. And together, they provide, literally, billions of dollars--billions of dollars--in military aid for Israel. So the suggestion that Israel is lacking for U.S. weapons and ammunition is without any merit whatsoever.

The conflict between Israelis and Palestinians will not be solved with more bombs, particularly when the Netanyahu government has yet to articulate achievable goals or a credible plan for what comes next after the war ends--something that many Israeli citizens are pointing out and objecting to the manner in which Prime Minister Netanyahu is conducting this war.

In the meantime, starvation is escalating for women and children-- innocent people in Gaza--who had nothing to do with what happened on October 7. And, incidentally, as the Senator from Texas knows, every single one of us in the Senate is absolutely horrified by what Hamas did on that day, October 7. And as my good friend from Texas said, that was the worst mass murder of innocent Jewish people since the Holocaust--horrifying.

I think it is fair to say that everybody in this body wants the war to end. They want a secure, peaceful Israel, and we want a secure, peaceful Palestinian State. But the suggestion that the U.S. Government is not providing significant aid to Israel, which I have objected to but this Congress has supported by a very large margin, is flatout wrong.

So for these reasons, I object.

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

Mr. President, 1 year ago this very week, rain started to fall in Vermont, and, for days on end, it did not stop. The rain turned into catastrophic flooding. We had our entire usual rainfall in just days.

The damage was immense. We experienced landslides. Vermonters were stranded and had to be rescued. Three people, tragically, died. Homes, farms, and businesses were damaged and destroyed. The infrastructure and services that we take for granted and depend on--the wastewater plants, our dams, our bridges, and even our capital city's post office--were damaged by the flood. Some have not yet been repaired-- many, in fact.

The statistics from Vermont are astounding. There were 214 swift water rescues--swift water rescues: people who couldn't get out of their home except by being rescued by folks on boats--and 70 evacuations. Eighteen drinking water and 33 wastewater systems were damaged. Three wastewater systems were damaged beyond repair.

Mr. President, 139 of our municipalities experienced flood damage, 64 State bridges and 46 State roads were closed, and over 6,000 tons of debris were removed by the State of Vermont. There were 6,146 FEMA Individual Assistance registrations.

It was an all-hands-on-deck moment in Vermont, just as it is in other communities where they face a major disaster, and people showed up: neighbors and volunteers, first responders, police officers, medical professionals and emergency workers, the National Guard. Local news reporters, by the way, did an incredible job keeping Vermonters informed. From every level of government and every political leaning, folks worked together for a common goal: to help.

A moment of appreciation to my colleagues, including the President, who may be listening: Nine States helped Vermont by sending personnel or resources. Thank you to the Governors and Senators in New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Virginia, North Carolina, Tennessee, Michigan, Florida, and Colorado--States that supported us and colleagues who supported us. It is very reassuring, I just want to say to all of my colleagues, Republican and Democrat, to hear your expressions of good will on behalf of Vermonters when we suffered that catastrophic loss.

Since the flood, I have revisited many of the communities that were hit hard last July. In every community, I have seen strength and resilience, and it gives me confidence that we will come back stronger than before. Our Vermont values--and I think they are American values; I know they are rural values--have shown the country what is possible in the times of great adversity. Our perseverance has remained long after the floodwaters have receded.

But, Mr. President, this takes a toll on folks. If it is your farm, if it is your home, if it is your business, if it is a town where you are on the select board and it is your bridge, that is tough. And it goes on.

I have come to the Senate floor many times to talk about how critical the resources are that the appropriations process has provided. But we need flexible funding dollars to actually finish the job and get past the redtape that is holding things up.

The President's revised disaster supplemental request is absolutely critical--not just for Vermont, by the way, but for many communities that have suffered catastrophic weather-related events around the country.

It would bolster the community development block grants for the disaster recovery program. That gives communities the flexibility necessary to recover, and Vermont does need substantial disaster relief money to help lower and moderate-income communities fill in the gaps of insurance and State assistance.

As I go to places in Vermont--beautiful places, really damaged, like Ludlow, Londonderry, Barre, Johnson, Hardwick, and our own capital, Montpelier--with this iconic photograph that was across the United States after our weather event--I keep hearing from the hard-working Vermonters and local leaders who would directly benefit from the disaster relief program. It could help them move out of potential flood zones or away from waterways.

And, by the way, we have to start making some of these decisions because these once-in-100-year events are once every 10 years or even more often.

It could help elevate a bridge. It could help them strengthen and repair their wastewater treatment facilities. These things really, really matter. It matters whether you are in a red State or a blue State.

I think, too often, we lose, also, the voices of the victims, those who have been hit directly. Too often we forget, in the aftermath of the initial recovery, where things go back to normal except for the people who have been really hit hard. I will give a few examples.

Marie, a Vermonter, said to me, every time it rains for several days or it comes down hard, she watches the river behind her house and prays that it doesn't come up over the bank like it did last July.

Doug said:

Our shop and home were impacted by the flood and we had to

shut down. We are still in the process of repairing our

business with the hope of opening during this summer.

And the summer is here.

The impact of the flood has been traumatic on both our

lives and our community.

John, another Vermonter, said:

Our entire property was flooded, and we lost everything in

the cellar. We are retired on a fixed income, so these were

huge losses. The future worries us, we have been flooded

three times and probably will be again.

Amy said:

I appreciate the assistance from FEMA--

And I appreciate the assistance from FEMA. They were there on the job right after the flood, but the pain endures for those people directly affected.

but it is nowhere near adequate. My employer was also

affected hugely because our offices and warehouse flooded,

and many of the farmers we work with were flooded.

By the way, those crops were just coming in. It was July. So a lot of these vegetable farmers were wiped out in Royalton, VT, as our friend knows.

We had to spend huge amounts of money to repair our space,

and we lost sales because of [the loss of the crops].

So folks are still hurt, and they still need help. So, yes, we respond in the immediate aftermath of the storm, but to get the response done, we have to get people and farms and businesses back on their feet.

I talk about these Vermonters, but I want to stress to my colleagues that your State could be next. It is something we all know. Just look at the recent tragedies in Texas, Minnesota, and elsewhere.

And, of course, last year's flood was hardly isolated. We are expecting more rain this week. The remnants of Hurricane Beryl could cause flooding again tonight. Again, our brave emergency crews are out there doing everything they can.

Emergency supplemental funding will help our State and many other States, and there is no question about that. And I am working with colleagues to pass legislation that does provide that supplemental funding that is flexible and vitally needed.

After the flood, I introduced new legislation that will help rural communities in Vermont and across America hit by floods and other natural disasters.

For instance, the Rural Recovery Act streamlines and provides technical assistance. We have towns like Weston that got totally smashed. They have this beautiful Weston playhouse that people come from States all around Vermont to see great performances. It totally flooded. That town has a population of less than 600 people, so they don't have somebody on staff who knows how to deal with the various Federal programs and regulations and

so on. Our legislation would help provide technical assistance in rural communities so that they have the capacity to get what you are entitled to will be available.

Another bill is the WEATHER Act, which helps farmers--and I am talking about small farmers with vegetable crops. It would help them by having a practical crop insurance program. The crop insurance programs we have are really important and I support. They tend to be for big commodity operations. If you are a vegetable farmer in Vermont and your potato crop, your onion crop, your tomato crop got wiped out, it is incredibly complicated to try to make a claim, and it doesn't work. And you can only try to get damages for the ``wholesale'' value, even when many of these farmers who are the lifeblood of many of our communities sell their product at retail at local farmers' markets. We have to have a program that works for them, because whether it is in Georgia or it is in Vermont or any State, those local farmers--farm-to-table, farm- to-school--they really, really matter. We have to give them a shot at getting back on their feet when a weather event takes them down.

The BUFFER Act will help Vermont farmers take full advantage of flooding and erosion prevention programs.

I will continue in Vermont partnering with our Governor, Governor Scott, who has been on this case from day one, and my Vermont colleagues in the congressional delegation, Senator Sanders--the senior Senator from Vermont--and Congresswoman Balint, as well as the Biden administration and our local leaders to help Vermont recover from the flood more resiliently, prepare for the future, and recognizing the reality that these huge weather events are here to stay.

I want to thank the people of Vermont who have, as they have always done, found a way to come together and just deal with the reality of what they face.

I yield the floor.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to executive session to consider the following nomination: Danny Lam Hoan Nguyen, to be Associate Justice of the Superior Court of the District of Columbia; that the Senate vote on the nomination, Calendar No. 508, without intervening action or debate; that the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table; that the President be immediately notified of the Senate's action; and the Senate resume legislative session.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the en bloc consideration of the following Senate resolutions: S. Res. 760, S. Res. 761, S. Res. 762.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the resolutions be agreed to, the preambles be agreed to, and that the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table en bloc.