Floor Statements

Mr. President, I rise today in recognition of National Lupus Awareness Month.

This is an important time to pause to reflect on what more we can do to solve the cruel mystery of this disease, while providing caring support to those across our Nation who suffer from its impact. Lupus affects around 1.5 million Americans and 100,000 Floridians, including men, women, and children of all ages. It is a chronic autoimmune disease that is difficult to diagnose, and there is no known cause or cure.

I want to recognize the hard-working Americans fighting to understand, educate, and find a cure for this disease, and I want to thank the Florida Chapter of the Lupus Foundation of America for their work to raise awareness, support research, and conduct education programs so every Floridian affected by lupus can have an improved quality of life.

I also want to thank the volunteers that generously give their time throughout the year to educate and help patients with lupus, including two outstanding Floridians: Anne Bright and Denise Brown.

Anne Bright, who suffers from lupus herself, is one of the founding members of the Florida chapter and has dedicated her life to growing the organization and providing help to so many Floridians struggling with lupus. Anne leads the Butterfly Bash committee, which has raised over half a million dollars over the past decade. As a spirited lupus advocate, she touches countless lives, providing hope, resources, and comfort to those affected by lupus.

Denise Brown lost her 18-year-old daughter, Brooke, to lupus in 2017. Brooke had been diagnosed with lupus at the age of 12, and her courageous battle with lupus inspired her dreams to become a nurse. Unfortunately, Brooke never got to pursue those dreams. Denise honors Brooke's memory every day by dedicating her life to raising awareness of lupus and its effect on people of all ages, especially children, and helping those going through the unimaginable stress and hardship of this disease.

This Lupus Awareness Month, I thank the brave and hard-working volunteers like Anne and Denise and the wonderful organizations in Florida and across the Nation working hard to improve the quality for those struggling with lupus and getting us closer to a cure.

Madam President, I rise today to commemorate the life and legacy of Dr. Malcolm Dorman.

I had the privilege of knowing Dr. Dorman for nearly four decades. He was a dear friend, whose kindness and compassion was felt by all around him. He loved his family and friends deeply

and would do anything for them. He was a man of great faith, served his synagogue faithfully, and steadfastly supported many Jewish causes. In 1995 he was awarded the Man of the Year Award by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and in 2006, he was awarded the Distinguished Guardian of Israel Award by Shimon Peres, former Prime Minister of the State of Israel and Nobel Peace Prize Winner.

Dr. Dorman was a spectacular surgeon who saved many lives and exuded compassion and love for his patients. For 25 years, he served as the chairman of the Department of Cardiovascular Surgery and cochairman of the Department of Cardiovascular Medicine at the Miami Heart Institute. He then moved to the JFK Medical Center in Atlantis, FL, where he was the medical director of cardiac surgery and established and directed the Valvular Heart Institute. Along with the countless patients he helped heal, Dr. Dorman invested in the growth of students as a member of the Florida Atlantic University Board of Trustees and FAU's Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine Advisory Board. He selflessly gave his time and effort to serve others and help them grow into all that they could be.

Ann and I are praying for all of Dr. Dorman's family, friends, and loved ones. He exemplified what it means to love and to serve and was a dependable friend I looked up to. We mourn this very heavy loss, but we are blessed to have known Dr. Dorman and to call him a friend.

Madam President, Americans are worried about inflation. New polling shows that 87 percent of Americans are concerned about the rising costs of household items, like diapers and gas and groceries. That is up from 77 percent just last month. They have good reason to feel that way. Right now, reports show that a third of American households making less than $50,000 in annual income are buying less because of increasing prices, and more than one-quarter of all households report that rising prices on goods are causing them to purchase less.

Just this month, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that, over the last 12 months, food prices have gone up, and gas prices have risen 23 percent. That means, since Biden was elected, gas prices have increased about 70 cents per gallon across the Nation. Year over year, consumer prices increased 2.6 percent in March. That is up from an annual 1.7 percent increase in February. This is all in addition to statements from some of America's largest corporations, like Procter & Gamble and Kimberly-Clark, which recently announced that they are increasing prices on a number of their products. That includes essential household goods, like toilet paper and diapers.

The evidence of inflation is right in front of us. Just look at these numbers that show the percentage change in average unit prices versus last year: groceries up 2.6 percent; household goods up 5.2 percent; baby care up 7 percent; general merchandise up 7.1 percent. Wages never go up this fast. So who does it hurt? It hurts the poorest and those on fixed incomes.

Businesses are also expecting price increases to continue.

According to data from FactSet, 47 S&P companies have mentioned inflation on their earnings calls for Q1 2021. That is more than during any other quarter in the last 10 years.

On its most recent earnings call, Procter & Gamble's chief financial officer, Andre Schulten, said:

The commodity cost challenges we face this year will,

obviously, be larger next fiscal year.

Who gets hurt the most when inflation rises? Not the rich. It is working families, especially those on low and fixed incomes.

I grew up poor and watched my parents struggle to put food on the table. I know just how much a slight rise in prices can hurt a family, because I saw it while I was growing up, and that is what is happening right now across our Nation.

We know that those in the Biden administration are worried about this. They know that rising costs caused by their massive spending are bad for Americans, but they won't say it. While they are reportedly worrying in private about the effects of their spending plans, they have had a different message in public.

On April 13, the New York Times reported that officials and aides at the White House and the Department of the Treasury have been holding private meetings for months to discuss inflation and have conducted indepth internal analyses for senior officials and President Biden.

The article goes on to read:

Mr. Biden's aides are sufficiently worried about the risk

of that spending fueling inflation that they shaped his

infrastructure proposal, which has yet to be taken up by

Congress, to funnel out $2.3 trillion over eight years, which

is slower than traditional stimulus.

Madam President, I ask unanimous consent to have printed in the Record this New York Times article, dated April 13, 2021

The content and conclusions of these meetings and working groups have not been disclosed or been made available to the public.

While privately worrying about the same issue I have been sounding the

alarm on for months, the Biden administration continues to mislead the American public and ignore the threat of inflation.

Over the last 2 months, I have asked the National Economic Council about its plans to fight inflation and protect American families.

I have written a Federal Reserve member, asked him what can be done to help families who are seeing skyrocketing gas prices and increasing mortgage rates.

I have called on President Biden and Federal Reserve Chair Powell to lay out their clear plan to address inflation and rising prices that threaten American families. I have yet to get a straightforward or acceptable response. I have yet to hear them acknowledge this very real threat or propose a solution to protect families.

So today Senator Braun and I are making a simple request that the Biden administration share with the Senate all of its notes, memos, and reports regarding their discussions and plans to mitigate and prevent growing inflation.

Inflation is a very real threat to the well-being of already struggling families, and the last thing American families need is to be misled by this administration.

Right now, Democrats in Washington are living in a fantasyland where debt doesn't matter, spending has no consequences, inflation is impossible.

But the reality is that inflation does have consequences, and it is the duty of everyone here, especially the President of the United States, to be open and transparent with the American people about what is happening with inflation.

There is no reason the Biden administration should be hiding this information. Americans deserve to know the consequences of massive government spending, and they deserve leadership that will show some fiscal responsibility when it comes to their taxpayer dollars.

I look forward to all my colleagues supporting this effort to increase transparency.

Madam President, as if in legislative session, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the consideration of S. Res. 185, submitted earlier today. I ask unanimous consent that the resolution be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, and the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table, with no intervening action or debate.

Madam President, the decision by my colleague to block this resolution is clearly disappointing.

Let's remember what this was about. This was about transparency. They just blocked the Senate from requesting basic information that is going to help all Americans.

And just look at these numbers again. Just in the last 4 months, grocery prices are up 2.6 percent; household care is up 5.2 percent; baby care is

up 7 percent; general merchandise up 7.1 percent. We are clearly seeing inflation.

Senate Democrats just objected to transparency. That means they are against getting the facts, against ensuring accountability, and against getting the American people the information they need to make smart decisions as prices keep rising.

Eighty-seven percent of Americans are worried about the rising costs of goods. Apparently, so is the White House. So don't the American people deserve the same information about what is happening with the economy?

Floridians deserve to know the truth about inflation and so do the people of Ohio. Why does my colleague want to keep them in the dark?

This administration is telling the American people one thing but saying something else behind closed doors. That is wrong.

The American people deserve the truth. Inflation is real. It is happening. It is hurting American families. It is time President Biden does something about it, and I am extremely disappointed my colleague is actually today helping the President mislead the American people.

I yield the floor.

Mr. President, I rise in opposition to the nomination of Colin Kahl to serve as Undersecretary of Defense for Policy.

Our Nation needs leaders at the Department of Defense who are not driven by a partisan agenda and are committed to making sure our troops have all the resources and support they need to succeed. We need leaders who understand that our adversaries are regimes like those in Communist China and Iran and that our friends are countries like Israel and its partners in the Middle East. That is not Dr. Kahl. I have grave concerns about Dr. Kahl's lack of support for one of our great allies, Israel, weakness toward Communist China and desire to rejoin the disastrous Iran Deal.

The Undersecretary of Defense for Policy serves as the Defense Secretary's top national security adviser, a position that requires sound judgement and an even temperament. Dr. Kahl's history of partisan rhetoric makes him unfit for this position.

For all these reasons, I oppose Mr. Kahl's nomination and urge my colleagues to do the same.

Madam President, I do want to compliment my colleague. He comes from a beautiful State. While I would like all of the tourists to come to Florida, Alaska is a great State to take a vacation. I have had the opportunity to do that a few times, and it is a beautiful State.

I thank my colleagues Senator Sullivan and Senator Rubio for working on this bill that is so important to all of our States but, for sure, Florida and Alaska.

Many States rely on the success of our ports, our cruise lines, and our maritime industries. Throughout my time as the Governor of Florida, we proudly welcomed more than 100 million visitors every year and shattered annual tourism records each year. Every visitor to our State supports small businesses, fuels job growth, and boosts tax revenue, helping to create State and local investments in the environment, transportation, public safety, and education.

And it is not just Florida and Alaska. Tourism, including our all- important cruise industry, has huge impacts for States across our Nation and the thousands of jobs that rely on its success.

On the chart you can look at this.

So, first off, the cruise industry shutdown is just killing a lot of jobs--jobs all across this country. Before the COVID-19, we had 450,000 jobs--450,000 American jobs--and $55 billion in GDP every year in our economy.

Unfortunately, due to the suspension of cruises caused by the CDC inaction, more than 300,000 American jobs have been lost. So this is all across our country.

As we continue to work to recover from the coronavirus and get our economy back on track, I remain committed to doing everything I can to support our tourism industry in Florida, Alaska, and all across the country in a safe manner.

Unfortunately, while many sectors of the economy have been safely operating for months under CDC guidelines, Floridians and those across the Nation who rely on the cruise industry for work, continue to wait, wait, wait, wait for updated guidance from the CDC.

For months, I have heard from small business owners who have shared just all their stories about how important tourism is to them and, specifically, that the cruise industry is to their livelihood and how much the CDC's decision here has hurt them.

Let me give you an example. Omar Otero, founder and owner of VOK Protective Services, says:

As a business owner, I've been dependent on the cruise

industry for my livelihood for 20 years, and this pause has

been devastating. What many people don't see behind the

scenes is that cruising has a significant impact on many

small businesses, and employs hundreds of thousands of people

in America. Resuming cruising is critical to my business and

would allow me to work again and support my family.

Jeannette Pineiro, president of Cruiseport Destinations, says:

The uncertainty we've been living with the last year is

probably the most devastating mentally for a business owner.

I have former employees that are still unemployed. They want

to get back to work, and there has been nothing I could do.

The cruise industry needs to be treated on par with other

sectors of the travel industry, and this legislation would

provide a plan to safely resume cruise operations.

The CDC's refusal to properly address this shutdown is wrong. It is time to get the cruise lines open, and it is going to create jobs all across the country.

That is why I am proud to join my colleagues Senator Sullivan and Senator Rubio in introducing the CRUISE Act, which says we are not waiting on the CDC any longer.

In March, President Biden announced the effort to vaccinate all Americans--his plan to vaccinate all Americans by July 4.

As of this week, all adults will be eligible for COVID-19 vaccines. Our Nation has made enormous progress in fighting COVID-19. Yet the CDC has continued to act like we are still in March 2020. Meanwhile, as my colleague from Alaska said, there is cruising all over the rest of the world.

My colleagues and I are simply asking the CDC to provide a timeline of when the cruise industry can begin to reopen, like so many other sectors, and the CRUISE Act ensures they can do that in a safe manner.

The CDC is treating the cruise sector unfairly, while other industries are open for business. There is no reason why America's cruise industry and the thousands of jobs that rely on its success should continue to suffer.

Cruises can and should resume, and we are going to do everything we can to bring back cruising safely.

I yield to my colleague from Alaska.

Madam President, well, I am clearly disappointed that my colleague from Washington would object to this commonsense proposal.

The cruise industry impacts thousands of jobs, not just in Florida and not just in Alaska but in the State of Washington. Everybody here I know wants to make sure that we can start cruising again in a safe manner.

Let's remember what my colleague was talking about. She was talking about what was going on in March and April in 2020. But today, hotels are open, airlines are flying, beaches are open, restaurants are open, tourism sites are open, and amusement parks are open. They are all open, but for whatever reason, the CDC has made the decision to not allow cruising to happen, and they have singled out this industry and cannot tell any of us why they singled this out.

All we are asking is for the CDC to provide a timeline of when the cruise industry can begin to reopen. The cruise industry wants to do it safely. It is a lot of American jobs, including--I think it is--23,000 jobs and a billion dollars in economic impact in the State of Washington.

So I know everybody says they want to get this done, but the only way this is going to happen is if we make sure that we force the CDC to finally make a decision and allow the cruise industry to get open again in a safe manner.

Mr. President, I rise today to honor the 60th anniversary of the Bay of Pigs operation.

Today, we commemorate the 60th anniversary of the Bay of Pigs operation and pay tribute to the brave and courageous members of Brigada de Asalto 2506, Assault Brigade 2506. On April 17, 1961, a group of Cuban patriots landed at the Bay of Pigs to overthrow Fidel Castro's communist dictatorship. We remember the sacrifice made by these brave individuals, and their memory lives on in the fight that continues today.

There is no doubt that where we see instability, chaos, and violence in

Latin America, we also see the fingerprints of the Castro regime. The Cuban people have suffered decades of oppression under Castro's regime. So many courageous individuals have dedicated their lives to the freedom of Cuba, and their commitment and sacrifice have kept the hope of liberty alive.

It is time to show Castro that his era of influence in Latin America is over. The United States must always support those fighting for freedom and democracy, and I will never stop fighting to bring a new day of freedom to Cuba and all of Latin America.

Madam President, the United States is a beacon of democracy in the world, and our Nation was founded on free and fair elections, but if the American people don't have confidence in our elections, we don't have a sustainable democracy.

What we saw this past election was confusion and chaos caused by inconsistent standards and last-minute changes to established election laws by State officials and activist judges. Yet it is not just the chaos from this past election that troubles Americans across the country. For more than a decade, growing numbers of Americans have become less confident that their votes were accurately cast and counted. If we want to continue as a thriving democracy, we have to reverse this trend and take action so Americans trust in free and fair elections. There is no other option.

That is why I have joined my colleagues in introducing the Save Democracy Act to restore faith in our Federal elections and guarantee that voters decide the outcomes of elections, not the courts, and that is why I am here today to ask my colleagues to join me in passing one specific section of the Save Democracy Act--the Promoting Election Integrity by Proving Voter Identity Act--to require voter ID.

It is pretty simple. If you want to vote in person, you will need to bring your current and valid ID. If you want to vote by mail, you will need to provide a copy of your ID. Like I said, it is pretty simple and straightforward. We want 100 percent participation in our elections and zero percent fraud. We want it to be easy to vote and hard to cheat. Voter ID helps us to meet that goal.

Of course, the Democrats will do anything to fight against these commonsense reforms. It is absurd. You have to have ID to drive a car, board a plane, open a bank account, and pick up a prescription. Do they object to that? Of course not. These are much needed, commonsense reforms to our election systems.

Just look at what is happening in Georgia. Two recent news articles show that President Biden and the Democrats spread lies to pressure companies to boycott Georgia over commonsense voting laws even though the Washington Post gave President Biden four Pinocchios for his lies about the Georgia law.

I ask unanimous consent to have printed in the Record the two articles I have with me today which outline how much the Democrats have been grossly misleading the public

It just goes to show you how out of touch the Democrats really are.

All my Republican colleagues and I want to see is more Americans vote, and I am thankful Senators Barrasso and Cramer are joining me in this effort today. We want a vibrant democracy in which citizens are engaged and participating in government at every level.

Sadly, the Democrats are refusing to work with us to protect our voting systems. Instead, the Democrats want to make it easier to cheat and harder to stop election fraud. That is why the Democrats are pushing H.R. 1, which would perpetuate distrust in our elections, impose anti-democratic mandates, and further erode our country's institutions. H.R. 1 is the most radical piece of voting legislation this Nation has ever seen at a time when restoring confidence in elections has never been more important.

H.R. 1 removes the most basic safeguards against election fraud. The Democrat solution to election security is the same as their solution to all problems: a completely inept, big-government approach that fails at every level.

Before continuing, I would like to yield to my colleague from Wyoming and thank him for his leadership on this effort.

Madam President, we can and must pass commonsense reforms to restore confidence in our elections.

The easiest thing we can do right now is require voter ID. Americans agree this is a necessary step.

If we are serious about working together to move our country forward, restore public trust, and protect the democracy our Nation cherishes, we need to pass my bill today, and I look forward to all my colleagues joining me to protect our democracy.

Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of S. 1130, introduced earlier today. I ask unanimous consent that the bill be considered read a third time and passed and that the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table.

Madam President, my goal is 100 percent participation and zero percent fraud. It is not voter suppression or racist to prove your identity for in-person voting. It is not voter suppression or racist to prove your identity for mail-in voting. It is not voter suppression or racist to require ballot boxes to be monitored. It is not voter suppression or racist to make sure your vote is in on time.

My colleague wants to call any attempt to fight fraud in our elections voter suppression. My colleague wants to call any attempt to fight fraud in elections racist. That is just not accurate.

Voter ID should not be controversial. You need an ID to get on a plane, open a bank account, drive a car--even an ID to get into the White House. But we shouldn't have an ID to vote for the President? It just doesn't make sense.

Americans believe in voter ID. It is a logical step to make our elections more secure, and it is a simple change we can pass today.

I yield the floor.

Mr. President, it must be nice to be the Speaker of the House. Speaker Pelosi gets to push around our new majority leader and my Democratic colleagues, and they get nothing in return.

This bill is a bailout for Speaker Pelosi and gives California's healthcare system the ability to claim up to 175 percent of uncompensated care costs in their DSH Program while all the other States can only claim up to 100 percent of costs.

How is that fair to Florida?

How can the majority leader and my new colleagues from Georgia, Colorado, New Mexico, and Arizona justify a vote that is unfair to their States? Well, welcome to Pelosi's U.S. Senate.

Seriously, how can anyone in this body, except, perhaps, my two colleagues from California, possibly justify voting against this amendment?

This is a very simple concept. All 50 States should be treated equally. One State should not be given special treatment over the others. This is a bailout for Speaker Pelosi, period.

I want to be very clear. I oppose any cuts to Medicare benefits. So what I am offering protects Medicare benefits, and the only change it makes to this bill is to strip out this ridiculous Pelosi bailout.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that I have another 30 seconds.

What I am offering protects Medicare benefits, and the only change it makes to this bill is to strip out this ridiculous Pelosi bailout.

A vote for my amendment is a vote to ensure that all 50 States play by the same rules. It is to preserve the current law.

A vote against my amendment is a vote to say that your State plays by the rules, but Pelosi gets her own set of rules.

I yield the floor.

Mr. President, I ask for the yeas and nays.

Mr. President, I rise in opposition to the nomination of Wally Adeyemo for Deputy Secretary of the Treasury,

The U.S. Treasury Department plays a significant part in enforcing American foreign policy through economic sanctions. We know that sanctions work and that the strong application of these measures against adversaries, including Communist China, Iran, North Korea, Cuba, Venezuela, and Nicaragua, are essential to holding the brutal dictators and their enablers who hold power in these nations accountable.

Communist China is the biggest threat our Nation faces. Communist China is committing a genocide against the Uyghurs, stripping Hong Kongers of their basic rights, and continues to threaten to take Taiwan by force. I am concerned that Mr. Adeyemo does not understand the risk Communist China poses to our national and economic security and to our allies. Communist China is not a strategic competitor; they are an adversary and must be treated as such. Any U.S. official who thinks that Communist China can play a positive role in the world is mistaken.

I am also concerned that Mr. Adeyemo will not be strong when standing up to Castro's Communist regime in Cuba. I cannot support anyone who will back a return to the failed Obama-Biden appeasement policies, which did nothing to help the Cuban people and allowed Havana to extend its reach and expand its control, giving power to other ruthless dictatorships in Latin America.

Currently, our Nation is on track to reach $30 trillion in debt. We have to get serious about Federal spending and the impacts it will have on our children and grandchildren. President Biden's massive spending policies are already causing the cost of living in America to rise. I cannot support candidates who think the solution to America's economic woes is more government, more taxes and more regulation, not more individual opportunity. That is wrong and will only send us further into debt and our families further into despair. We need to focus on growing the economy and growing jobs in order to preserve the American dream.

For all these reasons, I oppose Mr. Adeyemo's nomination and urge my colleagues to do the same.

Madam President, I rise today to discuss another issue in the Democrats' massive COVID spending bill that we need to fix.

My Democratic colleagues want to keep spending into oblivion, taking our national debt to $30 trillion. This would be bad enough on its own, but tucked into the bloated spending package were new tax hikes on self-employed individuals.

President Biden and the Democrats didn't talk about it, and they certainly aren't talking about it as they travel the Nation to brag about their bad bill.

Democrats are quietly raising taxes, hoping the American people don't notice. The $1.9 trillion so-called American Rescue Plan Act, of which less than 10 percent went to actually help fight COVID and 1 percent to vaccines, had several tax increases and burdensome reporting requirements, including one that significantly impacts the gig workers--those who have been severely impacted by the coronavirus pandemic.

Starting in 2022, this bill requires many contractors with gig economy companies like Uber, DoorDash, Airbnb, and Lyft to file 1099 forms when they previously would not have. The new requirement dramatically lowers the annual 1099 reporting threshold from $20,000 and 200 transactions to just $600 and eliminates the transaction minimum.

In late February, before the Democrats rushed their spending bill through Congress on a purely partisan basis, a coalition of groups wrote to Speaker Pelosi and Leader Schumer, asking that this onerous new provision, which has nothing to do with addressing the coronavirus crisis, be removed or at least reconsidered. The letter was signed by groups such as the Small Business and Entrepreneurship Council, the National Asian American Chamber of Commerce, National Association for the Self-Employed, United States Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, and the National Association of Women Business Owners.

After receiving such a letter, one would think that Democrats would want to reconsider. Raising taxes and reporting requirements in the midst of a pandemic? This is never good policy, but I can't think of any worse timing. Of course, Democrats kept the provision buried deep within the bill, hoping the American public wouldn't notice.

The Democrats' new reporting requirements are effectively a tax hike and will ultimately hurt low- and middle-income contractors, the self- employed, and freelancers, many of whom have been devastated by the pandemic,

while Federal and State Governments will collect billions more in income tax revenue.

My Democratic colleagues want the American public to believe this is about catching tax cheats. And, to be clear, any attempt to evade taxes and defraud the public by not following the law should be condemned, and Congress should appropriately address it. However, a massive new reporting requirement of gig workers, many just trying to make ends meet in the midst of this pandemic, is not about catching tax fraud. It is about punishing the self-employed and raising revenues for the Democrats' massive spending plans.

It wasn't that long ago that President Biden promised that he wouldn't raise taxes on anyone making under $400,000. Obviously, that was not true. But this isn't the first time Democrats have tried to quietly increase taxes and saddle the self-employed with new requirements like this. They did it with ObamaCare when they required businesses to send 1099 forms for all purchases of goods and services over $600 annually. They quickly learned how unpopular and harmful this provision was, and they quickly repealed it. The Obama administration even praised the repeal as a ``big win'' for the self-employed. I guess some never learn.

What I am proposing is very simple. It is what the Democrats supported in 2011 when they repealed this bad tax increase in ObamaCare.

Today, I want to remove this new reporting requirement and simply reinstate the previous law back into U.S. code.

Increasing reporting requirements on our gig workers will create new and unexpected challenges for independent, self-employed workers and entrepreneurs, who are already facing an incredible burden created by the coronavirus.

Increasing costs and regulations on already struggling Americans is wrong, and I hope all of my colleagues will join me today and repeal this bad policy.

Madam President, as if in legislative session, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of S. 948, introduced earlier today. 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.

Madam President, that sounded good, but this is clearly a tax increase. It is a massive tax increase, and it is a massive new reporting requirement on already struggling Americans. Our focus ought to be on helping support American workers, especially these gig economy workers who have been hurt so badly.

I am disappointed my colleague wants to increase costs and regulations on American families. What is strange is that my colleague from Oregon voted to repeal this bad provision when Democrats added it to ObamaCare. So what is crazy is, why is he OK today with raising taxes on the American people now? This is all part of the Democrats' tax-and-spend agenda, and it is just the beginning.

Let's remember, with the last spending bill the Democrats passed, we will have $30 trillion of debt. As Governor of Florida, I worked so that we cut taxes 100 times, and we paid off a third of our State debt.

We have to think that way here. How can we grow this economy and reduce the costs for Americans, not increase the costs to Americans? These bad types of policies will ruin our economy and a shot at the American dream, which we all believe in.

I am going to fight every day to get the government out of the way and make sure that doesn't happen.

I yield the floor.

I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Madam President, I rise in opposition to the nomination of William Burns to be Director of the Central Intelligence Agency.

Communist China is the biggest threat our Nation faces. General Secretary Xi will stop at nothing in his quest for world domination and has made clear that he seeks to push the United States out of the Indo- Pacific and weaken and intimidate his neighbors, including our allies. Communist China continues to threaten to take Taiwan by force.

Communist China is committing a genocide against the Uoghurs and stripping Hong kongers of their basic rights. China sees the United States as its global adversary and is taking the steps necessary to ``win'' the great power conflict of the 21st century. China is taking every opportunity it can around the world to gain influence and exert control.

I am concerned that some past statements and actions by Ambassador Burns indicate an inaccurate view of Communist China and the danger it poses to our Nation and to Americans. Any U.S. official who thinks that China can play a positive role in the world, particularly among developing states or as a contributor to peace and stability, is mistaken. Ambassador Burns has not shown that he understands the threat that Communist China represents.

I am also troubled that Ambassador Burns' view of Castro's Communist regime in Cuba is equally flawed. I cannot support anyone who backed the failed Obama-Biden appeasement policies, which did nothing to help the Cuban people and allowed Havana to extend its reach and expand its control, giving power to other ruthless dictatorships in Latin America.

My opposition to Ambassador Burns' nomination is grounded in our fundamentally different views. Ambassador Burns has not demonstrated that he understands the threats we face around the world and the causes of those threats. We need leaders who will be strong and stand up for American interests in the face of dangerous regimes like Cuba and China, regimes that are committed to harm the United States and our allies.

For all these reasons, Mr. President, I oppose Ambassador Burns' nomination and urge my colleagues to do the same.

Madam President, I am proud to join my colleagues in celebration of Sunshine Week and promote the importance of government openness and transparency. Transparency isn't something you see too much up here in Washington. Being accountable to the American people should be a basic function of government.

In Florida, we have sunshine laws to promote openness and build our citizens' trust in government. When I came to Washington, I made it my mission to bring the success and transparency we had in Florida to the Federal Government and make this dysfunctional place work for the American people.

Unfortunately, my Democratic colleagues have blocked nearly every single one of my efforts for transparency and requests for information to help Congress make the best decisions for American families.

Last month, I wrote to President Biden's Acting Director for the Office of Management and Budget requesting any documents related to enacted but currently unspent COVID-19 stimulus funding. The response? None. Total silence.

This month, as we considered the Democrats' wasteful and partisan $1.9 trillion COVID spending package, I introduced a resolution calling on President Biden to inform the Senate and the American people of how much unspent funds are left over from the previous COVID spending bills, but Democrats blocked it.

When my colleague Senator Johnson called for their massive, 600-page bill to be read on the floor so the American people could know exactly what was in the bill, Democrats complained and called it a waste of time.

Let me be clear. Being transparent, open, and accountable to the American people is actually never a waste of time; it is our job. That is why I have been working on several measures to bring sunshine transparency to Washington, including my bill to make sure Members of Congress work for the American people and actually read bills before casting their votes and my STOP COVID-19 Act to set vaccine distribution reporting and transparency standards for States and create a program for cities and counties to increase funding, testing, contact tracing, and transparency efforts in order to reduce the spread of

Madam President, the first thing I would like to do is correct what my colleague from Pennsylvania said with regard to preexisting conditions.

I was here last year. I brought to the floor a bill that would say it didn't matter what the Supreme Court did; we would make sure that we could keep preexisting conditions if the Supreme Court declared that the Affordable Care Act was not constitutional. The Democrats blocked it.

I have been up here 2 years, and I have never seen once my Republican colleagues want to reduce spending for Medicaid.

What I do think is unfair is, in my State of Florida, what money we receive from the Federal Government is significantly less per person than what a State like New York has. So I would like changes to the Medicaid Program. I would like it to be a fair program in which States like Florida will get treated just as well as States like New York.

Madam President, it is hard to imagine that my colleague just rose in opposition to this good bill.

Let's be clear. By objecting to this bill, Democrats are standing in full support of spending $2 billion to send $1,400 checks to inmates. Democrats want to spend $2 billion in taxpayer money to send checks to people in prison, convicted of committing serious crimes and victimizing their fellow Americans.

That means Democrats are saying that they want American taxpayers to be on the hook for $1,400 checks to some of the most heinous criminals we have ever seen--people like Dylann Roof and the Parkland shooter.

How can anyone justify sending checks to these people? Let's remember, inmates don't pay income taxes. They have all their needs, food and medical expenses included, paid for by taxpayers. They don't do anything to stimulate our economy.

I do hope my colleague will reconsider his objection and stand with me in putting accountability to American taxpayers over this insane policy that does nothing but throw $2 billion we don't have out the window.

Thank you, Madam President.

I yield the floor.

I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. President, I call up my amendment No. 1395, and ask that it be reported by number.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent for 2 minutes of debate, equally divided.

Mr. President, there is no reason this bill should include funding for Amtrak's Northeast Corridor, a woefully mismanaged public railway system that benefits very few Americans.

My amendment redirects this wasteful spending to strengthen many of the core missions of our military. For the U.S. Coast Guard, that includes search and rescue, drug and migrant interdiction, cargo and personnel transport, and maritime stewardship. American taxpayer dollars are better spent to support this mission and improve the defense and security of this Nation than to prop up wasteful and mismanaged transportation systems in New Jersey, New York, and Massachusetts.

My amendment directs nearly $1 billion to the Coast Guard's Super Hercules program to continue their procurement of HC-130Js, a top-of- class long range surveillance aircraft which will strengthen our national defense and border security. I urge my colleagues to join me in support of this amendment.

I ask for the yeas and nays.

Mr. President, I have a motion to commit at the desk, and I ask that it be reported.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that there be 2 minutes of debate equally divided.

Mr. President, as we can tell, this week, Washington is completely dysfunctional, and the unwillingness to work together has caused multiple government shutdowns. If Members of Congress cannot work together to pass a budget, they should not be getting paid. It is pretty simple. If we can't do our jobs, we shouldn't get taxpayer-funded salaries.

My no budget, no pay amendment simply requires Congress to meet appropriations bills deadlines or forgo their own salaries until the job is done. This is a simple concept. There is no reason that Members of Congress should be held to a different standard than American families and businesses across the Nation. Accountability shouldn't be controversial. I hope my colleagues will join me in this motion.

Mr. President, I ask for the yeas and nays.