Floor Statements

Mr. President, I rise today to speak about something that unifies our country.

Here in the Senate, often, we talk about things we disagree on. We are going to talk today about something Americans agree on. The American people overwhelmingly want election security. They want our border to be secure. They want our elections to be secure. They want to feel that their government is acting with integrity and fairness and to have a representative government that protects its people.

I rise in support of the SAVE America Act. For many of us, this isn't a new fight. My good friend Senator Lee and I have been working to pass the SAVE America Act for years because

we know this isn't just about election security; it is about protecting the future of our Nation for all American families.

The SAVE America Act is very simple. First, you need an ID to vote. Second, you need proof of citizenship to register in our elections. These aren't controversial ideas. In fact, a vast majority of Americans, no matter their party affiliation, their race, their gender--you name it--support these ideas. Why wouldn't they? Americans want to know that our elections are both free and fair and that our democracy is safe. They believe in our country and that citizens can make good decisions. They want to know that their votes count and are not diluted by someone who is not a U.S. citizen.

Americans deserve that because this question cuts to the very core of who we are as a country. To survive, a republic needs its citizens to know and trust that their vote is secure, that their vote matters, and that they can trust the outcome. People have died for the sacred right to vote, and that sacred right should not be diluted by non-U.S. citizens.

And if Americans can't trust their elections or who is legally allowed to vote in them, then they can't trust that their elected officials actually represent them.

Yet, somehow, congressional Democrats, funded by George Soros and forever cowering to the radical left, are ignoring--they are ignoring-- the will of the American people. The minority leader tried to say this bill was a ``dagger at the heart of our democracy,'' even though the mayor of the largest city in the State he represents requires not one but two forms of ID just to shovel snow. I would say not passing this bill and allowing illegals to vote and the integrity of the election to be undermined is the real dagger.

That is why the SAVE America Act is crucial. The fact is, so much of what Democrats are saying about this bill simply--it is not true. Democrats are lying to all of us, and they know it. It is the same tired playbook they have tried time and time again.

So let's unpack their arguments. You are going to hear them say this is ``Jim Crow 2.0.'' Yep, that is right. We have once again reached the point where Democrats claim the thing that they don't like is racist.

It is wrong, it is insulting, and the Democrats know it. Everyone knows it, but they hope the American public won't notice. And here is why this is so wrong: What Democrats are really saying is that the 83 percent of Americans who support voter ID laws are all racist.

And let's remember, it was the Democrats who passed Jim Crow law, not Republicans.

Everyone who is paying attention can see what they are doing. Democrats are openly calling most of America racist, and the mainstream media acts like that is normal.

But the Democrat attacks on hard-working Americans aren't done. After they call us all racist, they double down and say: The SAVE America Act is an attack on married women.

There has been a lot of talk recently about what is fair to women in America. The Democrats have said that the SAVE America Act is bad for married women. Liberals have also claimed that biological women need to shut up and accept that biological men can compete against them, shatter their dreams--sometimes their bodies--and steal their championships. Democrats somehow say that is fair, but it is sure not fair to biological women.

And the most deranged members of the radical left have now convinced Democrats in Congress it is OK to tell little girls that God made them wrong and allow the mutilation of their bodies before these children can truly comprehend or consent to the consequences of hormone therapy or gender reassignment surgery.

Now, I am not a woman. I can confidently say that because, unlike the Democrats, I know what a woman is. And I am married to an amazing woman. We have raised two incredible, smart, and strong women who now have families of their own. They are independent and can make decisions for themselves. They don't need anyone to tell them how to run their lives. And I am lucky enough to have one little girl in my life who calls me grandpa. Even at 5, she is very comfortable telling me what to do.

While I am not a woman, I do have pieces of advice for the Democrats: One, stop telling Americans that women can't figure out how to register to vote because you want to keep illegals voting. Women are smarter than Democrats think they are, much smarter. And, two, stop destroying women's sports by telling Americans that women can physically compete with biological males.

Stop telling Americans that just because a little girl wears shorts instead of dresses and wants to hang out with the boys instead of the girls that it is OK to permanently disfigure her. It is disgusting, and every Democrat here knows it, but they are too cowardly to tell the truth to the radical lunatics running their party.

Thankfully, when we pass the SAVE America Act, we will end these dangerous attacks on women by Democrats for good.

Look around and acknowledge what the Democrats are doing. They are saying to women: Don't support the SAVE America Act. You will never figure out how to register to vote again.

Do you realize how insulting that is? Do you think I would ever look at my wife or my daughters and granddaughter and think they aren't smart enough or, in the case of my granddaughter, won't be smart enough to do what they need to do?

Now, I am not going to stand here and let Democrats in Washington claim that these amazing, strong, smart women cannot figure out how to register to vote. This is nothing but a made-up talking point from Democrats because they want to allow illegals to vote. It is real simple.

I am tired of hearing Democrats use every excuse in the book to allow illegals to vote in our election.

Now, we all know the Democrats can't win on their radical ideas, so they have to try to weaponize our elections. That is wrong.

Americans who are perfectly capable of showing their ID to board an airplane, visit a doctor's office, and prove their citizenship deserve secure elections.

We are only here today because Democrats have created a system in this country that has totally failed the American people, and Americans want secure elections. We must make sure Americans can have the faith that their vote counts and that the election results reflect the will of the people. We must put simple standards in place that a majority of Americans approve of and that will help Americans trust that our elections are free and fair.

And why wouldn't Democrats want to make certain that elections in the United States of America are free and fair? We want that for every other country in the world. Why wouldn't we want it here?

The fact is, over the last decades, Democrats' priorities are totally out of whack with what Americans want. Under the Biden administration, Democrats purposefully opened our borders, and our country was flooded by illegal aliens, the same illegal aliens that Democrats are now putting above Americans as they do everything in their power to destroy this bill.

Then when Democrats saw how enraged the American people were about their wide-open borders and all of the crime they were allowing into this country, the left claimed we needed new laws to fix it. As we all know, in the case of our border security, that was a complete lie.

But for election security, we do need new laws because the ones we have aren't strong enough. And President Trump, on his own, can't secure elections.

President Trump secured our border, and now, Congress must secure our elections.

The facts are simple: Illegal aliens should not vote in American elections. We know it is happening, and we must do everything we can to stop it.

Democrats still say it is racism, but they say everything is racism when they don't like it. Is it racist that before I board a plane, I have to show my ID? Is it racist that in order to buy certain medicines, apply for a job or a bank account, check into a hotel, rent a car, purchase a lottery ticket, order a drink at a bar, or get into the DNC convention--or shovel snow for goodness' sake--that we, as Americans, have to show ID? Absolutely not, and anyone telling you otherwise is lying.

Now here is my simple question for Democrats: Why should voting in our elections, something that dictates the direction of our country and is essential to building trust in government, have a lower ID standard than buying a six-pack of beer or a lottery ticket? The answer is simple: It shouldn't.

When the minority leader isn't calling minorities and women too stupid to show ID and register to vote, he has claimed that we can't pass this bill because President Trump is trying to rig the elections.

He is lying, and he is telling on himself. The minority leader and the Democrats think that stopping illegal aliens from voting in American elections is rigging the system. Now that is a remarkable thing for them to admit, but when they tell you who they are, we have to listen.

What is clear to me is Democrats don't think they can win. They don't think they can win unless we allow people who are not legally allowed to vote to cast a ballot.

Clearly, the minority leader is more concerned about what passing the SAVE America Act would mean for his future as majority leader than he is about election security, faith in our democracy, or delivering for the American people.

Democrats, George Soros, and the radical left will try to convince you that their opposition to this bill is about fairness and integrity; it is about protecting American democracy. Don't listen to them.

It is not fair for illegals to vote in American elections. I don't get to vote in the French elections or the British elections or the Canadian elections.

It is not fair to let men compete in women's sports. It is not fair to allow the mutilation of children with gender reassignment surgery for minors.

The fact is that fairness, integrity, and our future are on the line. It is this bill that will protect them, and it is what Senator Lee and I and so many others are fighting for today as we once again call on this body to pass the SAVE America Act. I urge my colleagues to support it.

I yield the floor.

I rise today to fight for working families and businesses. Congress is DC's legislative body. It says so right there in the Constitution, article I, section 8, clause 17 reads:

[The Congress shall have Power . . . ] To exercise

exclusive Legislation in all Cases whatsoever, over such

District . . . as may . . . become the Seat of Government of

the United States.

This means we have a constitutional responsibility to fight for those living here in our Nation's Capital, just like any legislator should fight for the people living in their State. That is why I am bringing this resolution to the floor today.

The DC City Council has decided to deny the people of DC the benefits we passed in President Trump's Working Families Tax Cuts Act. That is absolutely absurd.

These tax cuts, like the no tax on tips, no tax on overtime, and the senior tax deduction are especially helpful to families struggling to get by and those starting out, trying to make a better life for themselves.

It helps the thousands of service workers here in DC, the law enforcement that protects us every day, and the grandparents who are watching their grandkids while their children are at work. It lets them keep more of their hard-earned money. But the DC Council has decided to benefit from these people instead of helping them. They have decided they deserve these people's money more than the people do. This isn't right. Not only does this hurt people by preventing them from keeping more of their hard-earned wages, but it also hurts the economy. And it will end up hurting the city as a whole.

When I was Governor of Florida, I cut taxes over 100 times through tax cuts just like the ones in the Working Families Tax Cuts Act. As a result, we turned the Florida economy around. We added nearly 1.7 million private sector jobs. We paid down a third of the State's debt and actually invested a record amount back into communities and public services.

Instead of people leaving the State to find a job that allowed them to support their families and live their American dreams, families started coming to Florida to do just that. By cutting taxes and regulations and letting Americans keep more of their hard-earned money, we can turn this economy around just like we did in Florida. That is exactly what President Trump and Republicans are trying to do.

I meet with businesses and hard-working Floridians often. They talk about the impact no tax on tips and no tax on overtime are already having.

They talk about how they are able to plan for expansions and more hiring, creating more jobs that would support families and give back to their communities. This is the kind of growth and support that the DC Council has denied its citizens and small businesses. Biden's and Democrats' inflation-causing policies are still being felt, especially by those who are already struggling to make ends meet.

President Trump and Republicans are doing all we can to make things better, affordable, and lower costs for these American families. We do that by cutting taxes and regulations, not by denying people more of the money they have earned.

My resolution would reject this policy that would crush American families, workers, and businesses.

I urge my colleagues to do our constitutional duty to the people of DC and support this resolution.

I move to proceed to Calendar No. 315, H.J. Res. 142.

I ask for the yeas and nays.

Reserving the right to object.

Mr. President, I rise today to object to the motion made by my colleague from Massachusetts.

We don't need to nationalize our elections. My Republican colleagues and I have been fighting Democrats' attempts to nationalize our elections for years now.

The States have the ability to run elections. My State of Florida is actually a leader in election security and timeliness to the point that my last election was called within minutes of polls closing.

My colleagues are only bringing this to the floor as an excuse to score political points by attacking President Trump. President Trump and Republicans are working to deliver on our promises to the American people: securing our border, protecting communities and elections, and bringing down the cost of living despite Democrats fighting us on every turn. This is just another example of Democrat distraction, not serious policy, and for that reason I object.

If my colleague from western Massachusetts wants to defend democracy and protect elections, I offer him an alternative that I, and a majority of Americans, would support. There should be some commonsense, national standards in place to ensure Americans know their elections are free and fair and that their votes are not diluted. That includes requiring voter ID, something 83 percent of Americans support.

You need an ID to board an airplane, buy certain medicines, apply for jobs and bank accounts, check into hotels, rent a car, donate blood, and purchase a lottery ticket. Why should voting in our elections have a lower verification standard than purchasing a lottery ticket? Surely, we can also agree that requiring proof of citizenship makes sense. And if a State has a noncitizen on the voter rolls, they should be removed.

Now, the minority leader thinks that is racist to make people prove citizenship to vote. Just remember, every Member of this body and all of our friends in the House had to prove their citizenship to take office. Yes, even my colleague from Massachusetts had to prove he was an American citizen to take his seat in the U.S. Senate and represent the good people of his State.

So are the requirements for being elected to the U.S. Congress racist? I cannot imagine the Senator from Massachusetts believes that to be true. We are all here to represent U.S. citizens, and we should be certain that it is only U.S. citizens who are able to cast a vote for any of us to be here.

The SAVE America Act puts these commonsense ideas into place to make our elections more secure and fair. I invite my colleagues to support my UC and pass the SAVE America Act. Why wouldn't we want to make certain that elections in the United States of America are free and fair?

President Trump and the American people are all on board with the SAVE America Act. The House will pass it shortly. We can get this done today and deliver for the American people.

Passing the SAVE America Act is an essential step to our democracy, ensuring free and fair elections nationwide. We must get it done.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that upon receipt from the House, that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of the House message to accompany S. 1383; further, that the Senate concur in the House amendment, and that the motion to reconsider be made and laid upon the table.

While I am clearly disappointed, this is the most commonsense bill there is.

So none of us get to vote for the President of France. I would vote for Macron, but I don't get to. Nobody that is not a U.S. citizen should be voting in our elections.

And we have to use ID for everything: Board a plane, get a lottery ticket, go to a doctor, they ask you for your ID. This is common sense. We don't want

any fraud in our elections. All we say is just show your ID when you go vote, make sure you are a citizen to register, show your ID to vote.

So I am disappointed that my colleague doesn't support this. I can't understand why he wouldn't support some commonsense standard like this, but I am going to keep working, and we are going to get this passed.

Mr. President, I call up Lee amendment No. 4234 and ask that it be reported by number.

Mr. President, I would like to thank my colleague Senator Lee for working with me to stop Democrats' wasteful spending in this package and bring accountability for the American people.

Our Nation is nearly $39 trillion in debt, running $2 trillion deficits, and spending billions of dollars--up to 10 percent of our Federal spending--on fraud and abuse.

This waste is fueled, in part, by billions upon billions of wasteful earmark spending by Democrats who treat taxpayers' cash like candy. We should be looking at each dollar to make sure it is spent wisely.

I did that as Governor of Florida, and I was able to balance our budget.

Let's start by looking at one earmark, $500,000 for new immigrant community empowerment in New York City. This is an organization that serves immigrants who are here illegally. Why should the American taxpayer foot the bill to support illegals in sanctuary cities when so many American citizens are struggling themselves?

We will never get inflation under control and interest rates down until we balance the Federal budget. I ask my colleagues to support my amendment to stop wasteful spending and wasteful earmarks.

Mr. President, I want to first thank my colleague from Florida, Senator Moody. I am proud to work together with her to protect Florida's shores, which is very, very, very important to Floridians.

As Floridians, we know that our beaches and coastal waters are vital to the State's economy, environment, tourism, and military community. I have worked for years, both as Florida's Governor and U.S. Senator, to keep oil drilling off our coast. We do not want oil drilling on our coast.

In 2018, I was proud to work with President Trump, during his first term, to extend the moratorium on oil drilling off Florida's coasts through 2032, and I have fought to codify this action since I got to the Senate.

Florida's shorelines are not only an iconic and pristine part of the State's environment; they also generate jobs in the area and support billions in tourism revenue.

Florida's beaches alone contribute more than $127 billion per year to the State's economy, just in tourism spending. People come from all over the world to enjoy our beaches. And 2.1 million jobs held by Floridians are tourism-related jobs.

Our coasts are also a critical national security point for military training with the Gulf Test Range. Anybody that has done testing, if you have served along the Panhandle, you know how important the military training is on the testing there for the Gulf Test Range. This range is an essential part of the Department of War's military training and is supported by several military communities along Florida's Panhandle.

It is the largest multidomain military training complex in the country, where our Armed Forces can conduct advanced military testing, training, and evaluation of air and weapons systems. There is no place in the world like being able to test and train off the coast of Florida.

The administration is right. We need to unleash America's energy, including American oil, but we can do that without sacrificing America's most important military training ground or hurting Florida's economy or shoreline.

I recently wrote a letter that was signed by the entire bipartisan Florida delegation--it is led by Senator Moody and me--urging President Trump to continue his commitment to keeping Florida's coast off the table for oil drilling and uphold his moratorium.

Along with Senator Moody, I will always fight to keep oil drilling off of Florida's coast to support our economy, our environment, and our Nation's military readiness.

I look forward to continuing to work closely with the President, Senator Moody, and all our colleagues on this important issue.

I yield back to my colleague from Florida, Senator Moody.

Mr. President, when I talk to families in the State of Florida and around the Nation, I often hear how they are struggling to make ends meet. The cost of healthcare is up. Owning a home has become nearly unattainable.

The former administration pushed the American dream further and further out of reach for so many families all across our great Nation.

I grew up in public housing, and my family didn't have much. I look across the country and see families just like mine growing up, doing everything they can to make ends meet. But I knew back then that I had the opportunity to do anything because the American dream was alive. As Governor and Senator, my goal has been to keep the American dream alive so every family can have the same opportunities I did.

That dream and those opportunities don't exist under socialism. When crazy radicals in New York City and across this country villainize capitalism and push socialism, they forget they have benefited from the very system they criticize.

Socialism has never worked. It is an old, barbaric, discredited idea that failed every time it has been tried. Look at Cuba and Venezuela and the many families that fled those brutal regimes to live in my State of Florida. It kills those opportunities.

We need to drive down costs. The answer isn't more government; it is less. We don't need more government decisions. We need fewer government decisions. We need to do what we did in Florida--cut taxes, reduce government regulations, and grow jobs.

The United States was built on individual freedoms and opportunities and the right of every individual to pursue the American dream, despite coming from nothing, just like I had the opportunity to do. That is what this great country stands for.

This resolution is a stark reminder for the far left: Socialism is a failure, and Americans will always reject it.

As if in legislative session, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of H. Con. Res. 58, which was received from the House; further, 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 actually was born in the great State of Illinois and lived in public housing there. I grew up in a family that could have benefited from things like Medicaid and the Food Stamp Program. We didn't have those. Those are great programs, and that is not socialism. Socialism is when we take from one group

and we just give to another with no real basis for it.

We want safety nets, but socialism is a failed ideology. Nothing in this resolution suggests that Medicare is socialism. Nothing says Social Security is socialism, because it is not. But it is a failed ideology and the antithesis of the American dream.

We have all been blessed. We grew up in a country that believes in capitalism. I invite any of my colleagues that believe socialism is good to visit Cuba or Venezuela. I don't see many people flocking there. I see them flocking out of there to my great State and other States.

If you want to come and talk about socialism, come to my State, especially in the city of Miami, where so many people had to flee because they had no country.

Socialism is a proven path to tyranny, starvation, as my colleague brought up--so many things in the resolution--death. I am always going to fight for capitalism.

We weren't able to get this passed. I don't think it suggests that great programs like Social Security, Medicare, food stamps, Medicaid-- these things are not socialism. But when you are trying to destroy the dream of this country that you can start from nothing and be anything, we should all be in favor of supporting capitalism over socialism.

I yield the floor.

Mr. President, I want to, first off, thank my colleague from Wisconsin. You know, not only has he worked hard to try to do what all Republicans have been doing to open up this government; he has also worked his tail off to try to get people paid.

It is hard for me to believe that the Democrats don't want to pay people that are working. I mean, I don't care whether, you know, it is the military or the FAA or people that work here on the Senate floor, the people who work in our offices, Capitol Police, everybody should get paid. There is nobody that shouldn't get paid.

I want to thank my colleague for working his tail off for trying to make that happen, and I am really disappointed that my Democratic colleagues are not willing to do that.

Here is where we are. The government has been shut down for 39 days because of Democrats--not Republicans. Republicans voted to open up the government; Democrats voted to shut down the government. We voted time and time again. Republicans have voted to open the government, and Democrats have voted to shut down the government and not pay food stamps, our troops, our air traffic controllers, or Capitol Police, the people that take care of us.

I have also tried to pass my ``No Budget, No Pay'' bill. So if Democrats want to fund the government and pay our Federal workers and our troops--if you ask the average American do they think the same people that have said they don't get paid or they don't get their food stamps, do you think they are saying: Well, I want to make sure they get paid? Absolutely not.

And of course, when I brought that to the floor, Democrats blocked it.

So what are the Democrats telling our families? They don't care about you or your family. It is clear. They don't care if you can put food on the table, pay the rent, pay the mortgage, make sure your children get healthcare. They are saying they do not care.

They are heartless. They don't care about members of our military who are trying to provide for their families while protecting country; they don't care about moms who rely on SNAP to feed their kids this month; they don't care about the Capitol Police who are keeping them safe every single day; they don't care about the millions of Americans who planned to fly that are now losing money on canceled tickets, unsure of their safety in the skies, and have to scramble to see and spend or decide: Should I go home at Thanksgiving?

And think about this: Do you think when there are fewer flights, the price of air travel goes down or goes up? It goes up. They don't care about Federal workers, including their own staff who are visiting food banks to make ends meet or are surviving on peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and rice and beans.

They come to work every day because--all our staffers are coming to work every day even though they don't know when their next paycheck is going to happen. Not only are Democrats saying they don't care, they have also said that ``each day gets better for us'' and ``there's no reason to surrender.''

How does that make you feel when you have been relying on food stamps? How does it make you feel when you are worrying about paying the mortgage or the rent?

Millions of struggling Americans who don't know when they will be able to feed their families or know how they are going to pay the mortgage or pay rent--Capitol Police--and think about it. The Capitol Police, Democrats see them each and every day. When you walk around the Capitol, you see them. When you walk into the buildings, you see them. And they can look them in the eye and say they voted to make sure the Capitol Police didn't get paid. I mean, I can't imagine how they can do that. Democrats think that every day they refuse to fund the government and instead choose to use Americans as leverage to extend these expiring Biden COVID subsidies and send money directly to insurance companies.

And look at this, has it worked? Everybody should invest in these insurance companies. Look at the money. Look at the dramatic increase in stock prices. Guess what. As Senator Johnson just said, the money goes directly to the insurance companies, and there are millions of Americans that don't even know they are getting the insurance so they never used it--just pure 100 percent profit.

Do the Democrats suggest there is any fix on that? Absolutely not.

Democrats want you, as a taxpayer, to pay for abortion. They want you to pay for trans surgery. It makes no sense.

They don't want you to know that they shut down the government. They want to blame it on somebody else, but think about it. Fifty-two, fifty-three Republicans voted to open it, and all but 3 Democrats voted to close it, time and time again.

Now, as Senator Johnson said, Republicans want to address healthcare costs. President Trump said it this morning; that he wants to address the problems of ObamaCare.

What happened with ObamaCare is they said--let's think of the lies here: You didn't lose your doctor, biggest lie of the year; you are going to save $2,500 a family, it skyrocketed. Premiums are up. Copays are up. Deductibles are up.

You know, back when ObamaCare started, if you had a $3,000 deductible, that was a catastrophic plan. Now you can have a $10,000, $5,000, $14,000 deductible under ObamaCare. That is not a catastrophic plan?

Well, President Trump said this morning, he wants to address the problems of ObamaCare and stop sending massive checks to insurance companies and give the money directly to Americans.

He said:

I am recommending to Senate Republicans that the Hundreds

of Billions of Dollars currently being sent to money sucking

Insurance Companies in order to save the bad Healthcare

provided by ObamaCare BE SENT DIRECTLY TO THE PEOPLE SO THAT

Mr. President, first thing I want to do is thank all the Senators that are speaking tonight.

I can't imagine voting not to pay somebody. In my State, here is what is happening. We have people that are not getting food. At church on Sunday, the pastor asked if we would actually bring in a whole bunch of food because they knew because of what the Democrats are doing, people would not get their food stamps. So all the food banks, they need way more food.

I was talking to a reporter today in Tampa. He said the line is unbelievable at one of the food banks he was at in Tampa today. When I think about these people that are not getting their food stamps, I think of my mom. My mom was a mom of five kids. We lived in public housing. I never met my dad. She had to go to markets and stores and ask for food. She never got food stamps, but she had to go ask for food.

Just think about what is going on around our country. There are people right now worried about if they are going to feed a 2-year-old little kid. Can you just imagine what that mom

is doing? I mean, I just can't imagine how anybody ever could vote to shut down the Food Stamp Program to not feed kids.

Let's think about all these people not getting paid. I will give you my experience. When I was 19 years old, I got married. I was E-2 in the Navy, and I was making 332 or 334 bucks a month. That same person today--my wife and I, she was making 75 bucks a week as a legal secretary. So those people, if something like that--I didn't have $25 in the bank. They wouldn't have said: Oh, it is OK not to pay the rent.

Any costs we had, no one would have said: Oh, don't worry. You don't have to pay it now.

That is what is going on with our military. They have mortgages. Their kids have school costs. Their kids want to play sports. They might have medical bills. And my Democratic colleagues are saying they don't care. I mean, did they ever live that life? Have they ever lived a life where they were worried, paycheck to paycheck, how they were going to pay for food, for the rent, for the mortgage? Do you think all the lenders are going to say: ``We know the government is shut down so you don't have to pay your mortgage''?

I just think--I don't know how you could not have a heart to open up government. We can have a policy disagreement every day, and we should. But to not make sure people get their food stamps, not make sure people are showing up today, as Senator Cruz said, trying to keep us safe in the skies or our military that is trying to keep our freedoms, and the Democrats don't care if they get paid or not--just think about it.

Since I got up here--this is my seventh year--I have had a bill that says No Budget, No Pay. The Democrats have blocked it, including yesterday, because they want to get paid, even though they are making the decision that other people don't get a paycheck. They are not willing to give up any of their pay because, as one of them said, he has a mortgage; why would he be expected to give up his pay? Well, they are doing it every day to all the Federal workers. I just can't imagine doing that.

I say to my Democratic colleagues: Open the government. Pay our workers. Make sure people get food, have food on the table. Don't ever, ever, ever in your wildest dreams do that to people in our country. It is wrong to do what you are doing.

Senator Schumer came out and said he had a proposal. It is a joke. It is a complete joke. I will tell you why. Let's think about what they want to do. For us to be able to make sure that we start paying people, they get food stamps, they want to make sure insurance companies continue to get rich. So their proposal doesn't do anything.

Right now, people don't lose their ObamaCare subsidies. It is people that make over 400 percent--that is over probably $128,000, $130,000 a year--get subsidies for their healthcare. You could be a millionaire, you get a subsidy. He wants to make sure millionaires get a subsidy for people possibly to get any food.

He knows Republicans are not going to continue to support a program that pays healthcare for illegals; that is wrong. It has taxpayers paying for abortion; that is wrong. It has taxpayers paying for trans surgery; that is wrong. Making sure--there is supposedly about 4 to 5 million people who don't even know they have these subsidies because it is going directly to an insurance company with no responsibility by a consumer. All you have to do to sign somebody up is know their name, their birth date, their address. Sign them up, and insurance companies get all the money. Why would we ever support something like that?

I want to thank my colleagues. I can't imagine. It is heartless to not make sure people have food. It is heartless to make sure people don't have money if they are working. If the Democrats vote against Senator Johnson's simple bill to pay people that are busting their butt to keep our freedoms, to keep us safe, do all these things--I don't know how you can go home and feel good about what you are doing.

I yield the floor.

Mr. President, reserving the right to object, this is an interesting conversation, but Democrats have had 37 days to stop the most important issue that this Senate should be focused on right now, and that is the shutdown, but they would rather spend their time playing politics and attacking the President instead of doing what is best for the American public.

Democrats have caused the longest government shutdown in our Nation's history for one reason: They hate our President. They hate him. They don't care that their actions are stopping our troops, Capitol Police, Federal law enforcement, and air traffic controllers from getting their paychecks. They don't care that they are causing chaos and delays at our airports or that 42 million people--42 million people--rely on SNAP benefits and can't put food on the table.

Now, I think about growing up. I was blessed. I had a wonderful mom. But we lived in public housing. I didn't know my dad. She really struggled to put food on the table.

In my State of Florida and all across the country, we have people worried about putting food on the table right now. Little kids are worried about getting dinner tonight, and it is because the Democrats have decided to shut down our government.

So I represent the people of Florida and Americans across this country who are sick and tired of these political games. What we ought to be doing is feeding our families, paying the people who are working their tails off, and opening our government. Therefore, I object.

And I am shocked that my colleague doesn't want to worry about the 42 million people that are not getting SNAP benefits, the Capitol Police that are protecting us that aren't getting paid. These people have mortgages; they ought to get paid.

So, Mr. President, I rise today with my bipartisan and commonsense No Budget, No Pay Act. It is a simple proposal that says that if Members of Congress can't complete one of our basic jobs of funding the government, we shouldn't get paid. This shouldn't even be necessary. We should just do our jobs. But as we sit here, over a month into the Democrat shutdown, it is clear we need something to hold Congress accountable.

Every year, we are tasked with putting together a budget with the expectation that it is on time and it fits the needs of the American people.

The American people elected us to come together, look at what we are collecting in revenues, and put together and pass 12 appropriations bills and use those dollars effectively.

I was Governor of Florida. Every year, we passed a budget, we balanced a budget, and we did it on time. The last time Congress passed all 12 appropriations bills on time was--what is your guess? Three decades ago. Congress has failed, time and time again, to do its most basic job.

I came to fix this. I ran on a plan to make Washington work better for families, which included my No Budget, No Pay Act, and I have been fighting to get this passed since I got here in 2019 and have been met with resistance from many of my colleagues since I got up here.

But, unfortunately, Democrats have thrived in the dysfunction and have fought endlessly to keep the status quo. They pass massive spending bill after massive spending bill, which has caused massive inflation in this country. They raised taxes and expanded the government. We now have--how much debt do you think we have now? Thirty-eight trillion dollars. We are running a $2 trillion-a-year deficit.

Now they are using the same dysfunction to shut down our government. They are prioritizing a liberal wish list over the needs of the American people. And they are more than happy, it seems, to deprive Federal workers, TSA, FAA, and law enforcement of their paychecks, while Members of Congress still get their own paychecks.

Democrats are happy to stop 40 million people from getting their SNAP benefits. I just can't imagine little kids worrying about where their meal is going to come from tonight.

These Democrats voting to shut down the government are still getting paid. We should not get paid if we don't do our job.

This is the problem with Washington. Any working American will tell you: If you don't do your job, you don't get paid except here.

Members of Congress consistently fail one of our basic duties of funding the government on time and still get a paycheck even when others don't.

Senate Democrats have now voted against funding the government 14 times in the last 5 weeks. They have voted, time and time again, to continue the longest shutdown in our Nation's history and stop people from getting paid. But they are still getting paid. Democrats shouldn't be shutting down the government, risking others' paychecks without being in the same boat.

I ask every one of my colleagues to support passage of my No Budget, No Pay Act to tell every Member: Do your job. Fund the government or do what other people end up doing--forgo your taxpayer-funded salary.

I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs be discharged from further consideration of S. 88 and Senate proceed to its immediate consideration. I further ask 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.

I want to commend my colleague for deferring his paycheck. I think it is the right thing to do. If he is willing to defer his paycheck, why wouldn't he allow my bill to pass so all of us should defer our paychecks until the government gets open again?

The right thing to do is open the government and figure out how do we improve our healthcare system. Our healthcare system is out of control. The costs are out of control. ObamaCare has completely failed us.

Remember when ObamaCare was passed? President Obama said: You won't lose your doctor--the biggest lie of the year. Gosh, you are not going to lose your plan. You completely lost your plan. You are going to save $2,500 a family. No, your costs have skyrocketed. Copayments are up, deductibles are up, and premiums have skyrocketed.

What we have to do is we need to sit down in a bipartisan manner and say: How do we actually fix the cost of healthcare? You don't do it by shutting down the government and making sure our military doesn't get paid, TSA doesn't get paid, FAA doesn't get paid, Capitol Police don't get paid, all our Federal workers don't get paid, and we prevent 42 million people from getting food stamp benefits.

If we want to fix healthcare, which we should do in a bipartisan manner, we should sit down once we open the Federal Government.

So I am disappointed that my colleague--I commend him for deferring his paycheck. That is the right thing to do. But we should do that for every Member of Congress until we open our government.

Mr. President, reserving the right to object, today is day 28 of the Democrat shutdown--a shutdown caused by the Democrats' complete blind hatred--complete hatred--of Donald Trump. They are spending more time attacking President Trump than fighting for the American people, who are harmed by their shutdown.

Democrats have voted for weeks to deprive our men and women in the military of getting their paychecks. They are stopping Capitol Police, Federal law enforcement, air traffic controllers, and essential Federal employees from getting paid.

In just a few days, 42 million people receiving SNAP benefits may not get the benefits they rely on because the Democrats will not support the continuing resolution that most of us don't like.

It is the Biden funding.

Further, my Democrat colleagues are willing to do anything they can to attack President Trump instead of voting to reopen the government and stop this recklessness.

The American people are sick of the political games at their expense, and so am I; therefore, I object.

If my Democrat colleagues want to make sure people are not being harmed by losing SNAP benefits or going without paychecks while they show up to work day after day, then they would vote to reopen government. Unfortunately, they have elected to not do that.

So I hope my Democrat colleagues will come to their senses and vote this week to reopen the government.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that, notwithstanding rule XXII, all postcloture time be expired and the Senate vote on the confirmation of the LaCour nomination at a time to be determined by the majority leader, in consultation with the Democratic leader, no earlier than Wednesday, October 29; further, that if confirmed, the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table and the President be immediately notified of the Senate's action.

I ask the Chair to execute the order of October 7 with respect to S.J. Res. 81.

Mr. President, I rise today to talk about my Sunshine Protection Act--a bipartisan, bicameral bill that returns power to each State and its citizens and that will end the twice-yearly time change and make daylight saving time the national, year-round standard.

I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of the Sunshine Protection Act, which is at the desk; further, 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.

First, I want to recognize the Senator from Rhode Island to speak about the bill.

I would like to recognize my cosponsor from Alabama, Senator Tuberville.

I want to thank Senators Whitehouse and Tuberville for their support.

Our Sunshine Protection Act is a bipartisan, bicameral bill that will allow States to end the twice-yearly time change and make daylight saving time the national, year-round standard.

In 2018, when I was Governor of Florida, I signed legislation that would allow the State of Florida to stop the practice of changing the clocks. I have been working to get this passed since I have been in the Senate so the people of Florida, not the Federal Government, can make this choice for the families of Florida.

Nearly two dozen other States have joined Florida in choosing to lock the clock, pending the Federal approval that will come by passing the Sunshine Protection Act, while still allowing other States to opt out if they wish.

This bill is about States' rights. It allows the people of each State to choose what best fits their needs and the needs of their families. In Florida, that is permanent daylight saving time. I hear from Floridians on this constantly. I am sure many of you have heard from your constituents as well. The American people are sick and tired of changing their clocks twice a year. It is confusing, unnecessary, and completely outdated.

It is an understatement to say that our Nation has changed since the United States began changing the clocks over a century ago.

For example, American households have electricity now. We also have self-driving cars, computers, and cell phones. Now, changing the clocks twice a year proves more of an annoyance to families than a benefit to them. The American people love having an extra hour of sunlight, especially in my State of Florida. That means more time to enjoy the outdoors and activities with families.

Studies also show the potential for reduced cardiac issues, stroke, seasonal depression, reduced robberies, and benefits to the agricultural and general economies with an extra hour of sunlight.

With President Trump committed to finally ``lock the clock,'' we can finally get this done for the American people. This bill is completely about individual States having the right to make their own decisions. I ask my colleagues to support the passage of the Sunshine Protection Act to make a commonsense change that will simply benefit the lives of Americans and allow people of each State to choose what is best for themselves and their families.

I yield to my colleague from Arkansas.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent for 2 minutes for each side.

Mr. President, I call up amendment No. 3535 and ask that it be reported by number.

I ask that each side have 2 minutes to discuss it.

Mr. President, I rise today to offer my amendment, Scott No. 3535, to bring accountability and transparency to every American, including our brave service men and women.

For too long, our Nation's central bank, under the leadership of Jay Powell, has failed to do its basic duty of providing stability for American families.

Jay Powell's Federal Reserve has not only mismanaged the Federal's monetary policy but is overseeing regulatory and bank failures, reports of corruption, unethical practices among its own members, and a flagrant disregard for the best interest of American families.

This is all being completely overlooked by their inspector general because he is handpicked by the Fed Chairman, reports to the Fed Chairman. He gets paid by the Fed Chairman. He sets his salary. It is a clear conflict of interest.

We need accountability at the Fed to rebuild the public's trust, and that means bringing in an independent, Senate-confirmed inspector general at the Federal Reserve.

I urge all my colleagues to support this bipartisan effort to establish an independent inspector general at the Federal Reserve so we can bring true accountability to the Fed and ensure the central bank is working in America's best interest.

I yield to my colleague Senator Warren.

Mr. President, had Kaine amendment No. 3337 to Calendar No. 115, S. 2296, FY2026 National Defense Authorization Act, NDAA, been a recorded rollcall vote, I would have voted no.