Floor Statements

Madam President, America is in crisis. Today, the Federal debt sits at a staggering $27 trillion, and it has grown by more than $4 trillion in just the last year. Now, Congress is debating whether to spend another $1.9 trillion, raising our debt to nearly $30 trillion.

Less than 10 percent of this massive $1.9 trillion package actually goes directly to COVID relief, and just 1 percent is dedicated to vaccine-related programs. The rest is filled with wasteful liberal priorities.

Speaker Pelosi and Leader Schumer, bridges and tunnels have no business being included in a COVID relief bill. It is shameful. Only in Washington can people throw these numbers and ideas

around without a care for what it means for our future. It is dangerous, and it is time to get serious.

Congress has the responsibility to thoroughly review how every single tax dollar is spent by the Federal Government and make sure we are spending wisely. Sadly, this is rare behavior in Washington. Congress spends with reckless abandon and rarely considers how today's foolishness will impact our children and grandchildren, and we are seeing President Biden and Senate Democrats continue this dangerous behavior. For them, the Obama-era thinking of ``Never let a crisis go to waste'' is alive and well.

Estimates show that there is roughly $1 trillion in enacted but unspent COVID-19 stimulus funding. 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.

Here is what that means: The Senate has no idea how States are spending their allocated funds, and we don't know what the actual needs are. It would be completely irresponsible and an abdication of our duty as stewards of American tax dollars if the Senate continues to approve further spending without more information.

That is why my colleagues and I are introducing a resolution calling on President Biden to inform the Senate of how much unspent funds are left over from the previous COVID spending bills. We want to be very clear. This resolution only asks for information from the President that will help the Senate make an informed decision.

I am proud to be joined today by Senator Lankford and Senator Ernst to ask for transparency.

It is pretty simple. Ever since the pandemic started, I have wanted the Federal Government to step in and help those who are hurting and have lost their jobs. I will completely agree that we need to do more to help families and small businesses that continue to suffer from the impacts of the coronavirus pandemic. Relief is needed, but it has to be targeted. We have to consider our debt and do only what is necessary for those in need.

I grew up in public housing and watched my parents struggle to find work and make ends meet. I saw my dad's car get repossessed twice. I never want a family to go through what mine did growing up. But before another dollar is spent, especially dollars going to liberal initiatives that have nothing to do with COVID relief, there needs to be a full and clear accounting of all enacted but unspent funding. The decisions we make today have serious impacts on our children and grandchildren.

But before I continue, I yield to my colleagues from Iowa and Oklahoma and thank them for their effort.

I now yield to Senator Ernst.

Madam President, I thank Senator Lankford and Senator Ernst.

Passing this resolution will show the American people that Congress can be both responsive to the needs of American families and small businesses hurt by this pandemic while also remaining fully accountable for the proper stewardship of tax dollars.

This is about basic transparency and getting the facts. If this resolution passes and the administration shares the information I have been requesting, it will go a long way in helping Congress craft a targeted bill that directly addresses the real needs in our Nation today.

I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the consideration of S. Res. 88, submitted earlier today. I further ask that the resolution be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, and that the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table with no intervening action or debate.

Madam President, I am extremely disappointed in my colleague's decision to block this resolution. My colleagues and I wouldn't be doing this resolution if we were receiving the information that my colleague said we were receiving.

This has nothing to do with whether Senate Republicans want to provide relief. We want to provide relief. We want to do it in a targeted manner, and we want to make sure that we don't waste taxpayer dollars.

This objection just blocked the Senate from requesting basic information

that will help us do our basic jobs. Senate Democrats just objected to transparency. This means they are against giving us the facts, against ensuring accountability, and against getting targeted help to the right people. My colleague is choosing to prevent the Senate from receiving information that is pertinent to our ongoing negotiations.

Senate Republicans believe in relief of those hurt by COVID-19. We want to help our small businesses. We want to help those who have lost their jobs. We want to make sure families are able to survive this crisis and come out on the other side with their health and livelihood.

My colleague's objection shows that Senate Democrats are not actually interested in finding a bipartisan solution to our Nation's problems. Instead, they want to blindly spend money on provisions completely unrelated to COVID, as if there are no consequences to racking up more debt and spending beyond our means.

I am thinking about the kids who are just like me, growing up in public housing, with parents who are barely scraping by. We need to help those families. In order to do that, we need to better understand where the need is.

I am disappointed in my colleague's decision, and I hope he reconsiders.

I yield the floor.

Mr. President, I first want to thank my colleague from West Virginia and my colleague from Iowa for their focus on getting our kids back in school.

I agree with the three r's: respect the science, reopen our schools safely, and return our teachers and our children to our classrooms.

It has been almost a year since schools first shuttered due to COVID- 19. In many States across the Nation, unfortunately, schools remain closed. The consequences are devastating. Being forced to stay at home is taking a significant social and emotional toll, and it also directly impacts our children's future.

Continuing to subject kids to this unnecessary virtual-learning system is not backed by science or facts. I applaud my State of Florida for getting schools reopened quickly and safely.

The science is overwhelming and clear about reopening our Nation's schools. It is safe, and it is necessary for the well-being and the future of students. The CDC confirmed last month that in-person instruction does not pose an increased risk of community transmission. Schools can and should be open, and they can do so safely.

We need to be honest about why we are even having this conversation today. The only reason schools across the Nation remain closed is because my Democratic colleagues and the Biden administration are standing with teachers unions instead of standing up for our children.

For months, we have heard Democrats preach about following the science, but now Democrats don't want to acknowledge the scientific evidence that school reopenings are safe. They are blindly following the teachers unions because they are afraid of losing campaign contributions, and they are pushing a lie that schools can't reopen without more taxpayer money.

Here is the truth: The funding they claim is absolutely necessary for schools to reopen would not even be allocated for 2 or 3 years. According to the Congressional Budget Office, Biden's COVID spending bill would distribute only $6.4 billion to K-12 schools this year. The remaining $122 billion would be spent between the years 2022 and 2028.

Here is another fact: Congress has already provided $68 billion for K-12 schools, but so far States have spent just $4 billion of that money. Schools don't need more money to open safely. Yet the Biden administration keeps clinging to this lie and doing everything possible to keep schools closed.

Last week, Speaker Pelosi said:

We want as many kids to be back in school as possible. For

that to happen, it takes some money.

Also last week, Vice President Harris would not directly answer whether it is safe for teachers to go back to school if they are not vaccinated, despite clear CDC guidelines that it is not a prerequisite if other safety measures are in place.

And earlier this month, all 50 Senate Democrats voted against students safely returning to classrooms even after teachers have been vaccinated. We all agree that teachers should be able to receive vaccinations. I will work with any of my colleagues on a way to get vaccines to teachers more quickly.

We all agree that schools should have additional resources to ensure our students and teachers have safe, clean, and healthy classrooms, and we have allocated $68 billion to do just that right now. But keeping schools closed doesn't make sense. It is hurting our children and America's poorest families the most.

I grew up in a poor family that struggled to make ends meet, and education was life-changing for me, just as it is for families across our great country. Every student in this Nation deserves the option of in-person learning.

It is time for the Biden administration to acknowledge that the best place for children to learn is in the classroom, and it is time for my Democratic colleagues and the President to stop putting union bosses ahead of America's students and families.

Let's get our schools open now.

I yield the floor.

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

I ask for the yeas and nays.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the consideration of S. Res. 42, submitted earlier today.

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

Mr. President, I would like to thank my colleague Senator Rubio for joining me to introduce this resolution today honoring the 17 victims of the senseless attack at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School on February 14, 2018: Alyssa Alhadeff, Scott Beigel, Martin Duque Anguiano, Nicholas Dworet, Aaron Feis, Jaime Guttenberg, Chris Hixon, Luke Hoyer, Cara Loughran, Gina Montalto, Joaquin Oliver, Alaina Petty, Meadow Pollack, Helena Ramsay, Alex Schachter, Carmen Schentrup, Peter Wang.

I think of those innocent lives almost every day, lost too early in the tragic shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, FL.

These individuals were sons, daughters, parents, and partners. They were educators, athletes, musicians. Many of them just kids, with a life full of promise ahead of them.

My heart breaks knowing they will never get to pursue their dreams and that their families will always have a piece of their heart missing.

Since that horrible day, I have worked closely with many of the victims' families to ensure no child, educator, or family has to experience that again.

We passed the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Act while I was Governor of Florida to make sure our State does everything in its power to prevent further tragedies.

Now, as a U.S. Senator, I am fighting for improvements on the Federal level, including the Luke and Alex School Safety Act, named after Luke Hoyer and Alex Schachter, which builds on our work to keep schools safe.

And while we can't bring back these lives lost that tragic day nearly 3 years ago, I will always work to honor those lost and do everything in my power to protect our students and educators and ensure they have a safe environment to learn and succeed.

Now, I yield the floor to my colleague Senator Rubio

Mr. President, I call up my amendment No. 872, and I ask that it be reported by number.

Mr. President, President Biden's proposed plan of open borders and amnesty isn't about practical reforms; it is a radical and dangerous subversion of law and order with no effort to secure the border. We can and must do better.

To proceed is reckless and unfair to the American people, kills American jobs, and prevents countless families from pursuing the opportunity to chase their American dream. American innovation and our unique culture are built on legal immigration.

I am from the great State of Florida. We love immigration in Florida, but it has to be legal. We have to give law enforcement and Border Patrol the resources they need to do their job, protect American families, and stem the tide of the rampant and unyielding illegal immigration we have seen for decades at the southern border.

This amendment ensures that all applicable U.S. Government agencies enforce all immigration laws and provides $20 billion for border security. I ask everyone to support this amendment.

I ask for the yeas and nays.

Mr. President, we are just weeks into a new administration, and all hopes and promise of bipartisanship have been rejected.

The Biden administration and my Democratic colleagues in the Senate lasted 10 days before they ditched any attempt at real compromise. Now, instead of working together to provide targeted relief to those who are hurting from the coronavirus pandemic, the Democrats are moving forward with a reconciliation process to pass a nearly $2 trillion spending bill.

Reconciliation is a process that was created to make quick changes related to budget and spending that were assumed to have gotten bipartisan support. It was never meant to be a tool to pass major legislation, but the Democrats know they can't pass their harmful policies through legislation, so they are looking for any tool they can find to ram them through the process

Senators Schumer and Sanders keep pushing forward, without Republican support, to get the changes they need no matter what--no matter that the spending package includes a number of liberal policies that have nothing to do with the coronavirus; no matter that the spending package has a bailout of wasteful liberal States for their decades of mismanagement even though the latest data show that States across the country are reporting positive income growth; no matter that the $2 trillion would throw our Nation even deeper into unsustainable debt, hurting American families.

We need to be very clear about this: America is in a debt crisis, and we need to start talking about it and taking decisive action to reverse course.

In 2020 alone, the Federal Government increased its debt by more than $4 trillion. To date, it sits at a massive--an unsustainable--$27 trillion. That is why, every time I am faced with a question of spending taxpayer dollars, I ask myself some simple yet important questions: What is the plan to pay for it? What is the return on investment for American families? Does the proposal include measures to prevent waste and fraud and ensure accountability?

Asking these questions isn't a novel idea. It is the same process I went through every day when I was the Governor of Florida, and it is what most Americans go through when making financial decisions at home or for their businesses. No family would needlessly spend money without a plan, and no business can afford to not get a return on its investment.

Spending without consequence isn't how things work in the real world, and it is not how things should work in government. Congress's decades of failure to think and act responsibly has led to enormous deficits-- insurmountable debt--and out-of-control spending, but instead of getting serious about this debt and its inevitable consequences, the Democrats are focused on more government, more spending, higher taxes, and no accountability. Biden's nominees are no different.

In 2018, Janet Yellen, Biden's new Treasury Secretary, was quoted as speaking about the unsustainable U.S. debt and said: ``If I had a magic wand, I would raise taxes.'' How is that good for an American family?

Mayor Pete Buttigieg, the new Transportation Secretary, said he is open to raising the gas tax on American families. How is that good for an American family?

Neera Tanden, tapped to run the Office of Management and Budget, has been a vocal supporter of the Green New Deal--a $93 trillion disaster that would devastate our economy and kill jobs. How is that good for an American family?

These are the people who are going to get our economy on track and provide opportunities for American families? I don't think so.

My concern about the future of our country cannot be understated. In August, Congress will have to deal with the expiration of the debt ceiling. This is a critically important issue, but, for years, Congress has ignored it. The debt ceiling has been suspended for more than 2 years, allowing the Federal Government to spend out of control and rack up insane debt on the Federal credit card, and we have to pay interest on this debt. Right now, interest rates are at historic lows--less than 1.5 percent--and we are still paying nearly $350 billion in interest on our debt each year. Think about it. We get no return on any of these dollars.

Here is a chart. Look at this.

This is the $345 billion we are going to spend in interest for 2020. Look at these programs: Medicare, 862; Medicaid; defense; Social Security. Look at the deficit we are running of $3.3 trillion. If this interest rate goes up--and we were already running a big deficit even before COVID, and we are going to have a deficit this year of over $1 trillion--what program does somebody anticipate cutting, and what taxes do people believe we ought to increase?

Of the $350 billion we are going to spend on interest, we will get no return. There is no family that gets any benefit out of this interest expense unless you are holding treasuries. It is insane, but it is not the scariest part. If interest rates increase to the 50-year average of 6.2 percent--that is the 50-year average--we will be obligated to pay $1 trillion more in interest every year. So look at this. If the interest rates go to the 50-year average, we are going to go from a little less than $350 billion to over $1 trillion in interest expense.

So if we have $1 trillion in interest expense, how are we going to fund all these programs when we are already running deficits? And that is if the debt stops growing.

Every additional dollar in debt we hold increases the dollars in interest we owe. It is an awful cycle that has disastrous consequences for American families.

That is why we cannot allow the debt ceiling to simply be suspended again.

We cannot allow a radical liberal agenda to destroy America's chance to ever get out of this hole.

As we recover from the pandemic, inflation will rise from its 2020 low of 1.4 percent to nearly 2.3 percent or more. That is a 60-percent increase in inflation.

But if Congress continues to recklessly spend and do nothing about our growing debt, inflation will increase higher. There is a direct link between the Federal Government's unsustainable spending and the rising cost of goods and services.

Here is what that means for American families: The price of everyday goods will rise; gas prices will rise; and rental housing costs will increase.

Increases in inflation hit America's hourly workers and fixed-income families the hardest. And these hits are exacerbated when liberal politicians, like Pete Buttigieg, get their way and raise the gas tax and other costs on families.

So while politicians in Washington keep spending money like it is a game, American families suffer. Radical spending and reckless proposals directly hurt families.

Every dollar we allocate is borrowed from taxpayers, and if Congress is irresponsible, it is the taxpayers that suffer.

Adding insult to injury, a rise in the debt will also either cause or be accompanied by a rise in interest rates. That is bad for everyone.

When interest rates increase, everything from car loans, to student loans, to mortgages become more expensive for the American people.

And the interest on our debt, which is already the fourth largest expenditure in the Federal budget, will become our largest expenditure. For every 1-percent increase in interest rate, we are going to spend another $2 trillion over 10 years. That is more taxpayer money getting no return. There is nothing. There are no services. There are no products. There is nothing for the American consumer.

For people on fixed incomes, their incomes are going to stay the same, while the prices of the items they buy will go up month after month. For hourly workers, wages will never go up fast enough to cover the ever-increasing cost of goods and services.

I know all of this sounds scary. That is because it is.

Politicians in Washington are afraid to tell you the truth, so here it is: If you want our country to survive and thrive and continue to be a beacon for freedom, prosperity, and hope around the world, we will need to make tough choices after this crisis is over. We will need to do way more with less. We will need to reassert the fundamental principle of conservatism that the private sector and individuals--not government--should be the driving forces behind our economic stability and success.

We have to stand up for these values, and when Democrats try to spend $2 trillion on their priorities that have no bipartisan support, we have to say no. We have to make sure that every dollar is spent strategically on things that actually help struggling families and businesses.

When Democrats want to raise taxes to pay for government's wastefulness, we have to say no.

Short-term solutions aren't going to work anymore. We are in a battle for the future of our Nation, and we cannot relent.

As I stated after Congress passed the CARES Act, once this crisis is over, we must make a plan to cut Federal spending by at least the amount we spent during this crisis. There is no other option.

In August, Congress will once again confront the expiration of the debt ceiling. It is time to take action. It is time to wake up.

We can fix this and put our Nation on a fiscally responsible path. We fix this by doing what I did in Florida. We need to focus on growing the economy, cutting taxes and burdensome regulations, and streamlining permitting. We fix this by helping every American get a good job. And we fix this by getting a return on every taxpayer dollar we spend.

I am going to keep talking about this issue and proposing solutions because this is one of the most severe and most ignored crises facing our Nation. It is not going away, and the harder the Democrats push their wasteful, harmful proposal, the harder I am going to push back. This problem is only getting worse.

As long as I am a Member of the U.S. Senate, I will fight to rein in the out-of-control spending that is putting our children and our grandchildren's future at risk.

I will be back on this floor again and again until something gets done.

I yield the floor.

Mr. President, there have been few other times in American history when the need for economic growth through strategic, responsible, pro-business policies has been as great as it is today. Nothing is more important to a family than a good-paying job. That is where the American dream begins.

Today, as our Nation fights to overcome the horrendous health and economic impacts of COVID-19, we must balance our approach. We have to protect American families and individuals who have been hurt by this crisis, support commonsense public health policies and an aggressive vaccine distribution effort, while also keeping businesses open, incentivizing future growth of businesses, large and small, and standing up to our economic adversaries, like Communist China, by reshoring our supply chain back home.

We also need to continue cutting regulations to make it easier for businesses to operate and for entrepreneurs to create jobs.

President Biden and his Cabinet have the important task of revitalizing our economy amid one of our Nation's worst economic crises. In my 8 years as Governor of Florida, we balanced our budget each year, cut $10 billion in taxes, paid off one-third of our State debt, and Florida companies added nearly 1.7 million jobs. But instead of looking to innovation and approving policies of States like Florida that will create jobs and help Americans and small businesses, the Biden administrations is already making promises to go in the opposite direction--promises that are being championed by his nominee for Treasury Secretary, Janet Yellen.

Let me be clear. I support targeted relief to help our small businesses and individuals who are hurting because of the coronavirus. With the start of a new administration, I was hoping to hear some fresh, new ideas on how to accomplish our shared goal of addressing this crisis. But that is not what we are hearing from the Biden administration. Their answer is the same as it always has been for Democrats: more government, more spending, higher taxes, no accountability.

Voters are befuddled by the claim that while families cannot borrow without limits or consequences, somehow the Federal Government can. It is irresponsible, and I won't stand for it. We have to get serious about how we are spending taxpayer dollars. We already have more than $27 trillion in Federal debt.

If interest rates return to their 50-year average, the interest on our Federal debt will make it impossible to fund our military, Medicare, and Social Security.

President Biden wants to spend more than $350 billion to bail out wasteful, liberal States for their decades of mismanagement, and his nominees, including Ms. Yellen, support this nonsense.

Andrew Cuomo has threatened the New York wealthy that if they don't help him get a Federal Government bailout, he will raise their taxes.

I was elected Governor of Florida when Cuomo was elected Governor of New York. While Governor of Florida, I lowered taxes each year. Cuomo raised

taxes. Since we were both elected, families and businesses have increasingly left New York for lower taxes, better schools, better roads, and warmer weather in Florida.

Asking taxpayers to bail out failed politicians in liberal States like New York and Illinois and save them from their own bad decisions isn't fair to the taxpayers in fiscally responsible States like Florida. After all, many Florida taxpayers left New York because of Cuomo's tax policy.

It makes no sense. Congress has already allocated more than $4.5 trillion to address this crisis. Think about it. We just passed a nearly $1 trillion relief package 4 weeks ago. This is all borrowed money. The Federal Government doesn't have savings for a rainy day, and we still don't know how much money is unspent from the previous coronavirus relief packages. How can we possibly justify spending more money right now? We don't even know what we might need to spend money on.

And for States like California, we know they don't need it. California's tax revenues for this fiscal year is running $9 billion, or 18 percent, above projections. Personal income tax revenue in October was $1 billion--15 percent higher than in the previous October, and sales taxes were up 9.2 percent. For the last 4 months, overall revenue in California has exceeded spring forecasts and even 2019 collections. But that hasn't kept Governor Newsom and his far left buddies in Congress from keeping their hands out for more money.

We cannot simply throw massive spending at this with no accountability to the current and future American taxpayer. It is shameful.

We have also heard the Biden administration and its nominees call for a new national minimum wage of $15 an hour. It is clear that these folks haven't talked to business owners. Small businesses in America are struggling like never before, especially in liberal States, where repeated lockdowns have exacerbated their work to stay open. And President Biden believes now is the time to slap another mandate on their back and drive even more Americans chasing the dream of this country out of business? I am not sure how you could possibly be more detached from reality.

According to the Congressional Budget Office, a federally mandated $15 minimum wage would cost as many as 3.7 million Americans their jobs.

Let me tell you, I know what it is like to be poor, to live in public housing, to not have enough money to afford healthcare for a family member. I watched my parents struggle for work. I don't want any family to go through what I went through.

I ran for office because I wanted to help struggling families like the one I grew up in to have the chance to live the American dream. So when I hear folks like Ms. Yellen say that job loss from a minimum-wage mandate is ``very minimal, if anything,'' it really leaves me at a loss. Watching 3.7 million Americans lose their jobs will not be minimal.

Adding insult to injury, we have heard great praise for the implementation of a carbon tax. Let's remember, this was part of the Green New Deal, which would be a disaster if passed. According to estimates from the Heritage Foundation, a carbon emissions tax would cost the country 1.4 million jobs while decreasing our GDP by $3.9 trillion and reducing income for a family of four by $40,000, with disproportionate costs falling on low-income families. Again, how can this be seen as the logical step when so many in our Nation are simply trying to recover and rebuild from the devastation of the COVID-19 pandemic?

If the administration has its way, Americans should prepare for higher taxes, less income, less opportunity, and more government mandates.

Ms. Yellen seems to think the solution to America's economic woes is more government, more taxes, more regulation, not more individual opportunity. That is wrong and will only send us further into debt and our families further into despair.

Based on what I have heard, I am concerned and, frankly, disturbed by what is being offered as the future of America's economic policy. When I ran for the Senate, I did so to fix Washington's broken way of doing things. We have to address Washington's unconscionable need to waste tax dollars on things that don't actually help or even hurt American families, especially working families and those on fixed incomes. I will never give up this fight.

In 2018, Ms. Yellen was quoted speaking about the unsustainable U.S. debt and said: ``If I had a magic wand, I would raise taxes.'' We know that is not the real answer to solving our debt issue. It is simply the lazy, liberal approach.

It is time to get value out of every dollar we spend and make hard choices that actually help families and ensure a strong economic future for our Nation.

I cannot support the nomination of a candidate who proudly promotes Joe Biden's policies to mortgage our kids' and grandkids' futures with irresponsible and shortsighted tax spending.

I yield the floor.

I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. President, I proudly support the confirmation of Judge T. Kent Wetherell II to the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida today. He earned his undergraduate and juris doctor degrees from the Florida State University and has committed himself to public service for the past 20 years. He has served as deputy solicitor general in the Office of the Florida Attorney General; an administrative law judge in Florida's division of administrative hearings; and, for the past decade, as an appellate judge on Florida's First District Court of Appeal. Judge Wetherell will continue to serve our State and Nation well, and I am proud to support his confirmation to the Federal bench.

Mr. President, as is now obvious to everyone, ObamaCare made healthcare even more expensive. Premiums are up. Copays are up. Deductibles are way up. ObamaCare has been a disaster, and even the Democrats are admitting it.

Let's all remember, ObamaCare was sold and based on a bunch of lies. You didn't get to keep your doctor, your health plan, and your premiums didn't go down.

The Democrats want Medicare for All, which will absolutely ruin the Medicare system and throw 150 million people off of the employer- sponsored health insurance they like. That would be a disaster. There is something we can do and must do right now to help American families: We must lower prescription drug costs.

This is very personal to me. I grew up in a family without healthcare. My mom struggled to find care for my brother who had a serious disease. Eventually she found a charity hospital 4 hours away for his treatment. I remember asking my mom how much lower drug costs would have to be for her to consider changing pharmacies. Without missing a beat, she said: a dollar.

This story is not uncommon. All over my State I hear the same thing: Drug prices are rising, and we are having trouble affording the lifesaving medication we need.

I recently met Sabine Rivera, a 12-year-old from Naples, FL, who was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes more than 2 years ago. She is 12 years old, and she is already worried about how she will

afford the rising cost of insulin--something no 12-year-old should ever have to stress about.

Patients want to shop for better coverage and lower costs, but too often they can't or don't know how. At the same time, pharmaceutical companies are charging low prices for prescription drugs in Canada, Europe, and Japan but charging American consumers significantly more. Why? Because for too long politicians have done nothing.

American consumers are subsidizing the cost of prescription drugs in Europe and Canada and all over the world. Why should we be doing that? That certainly is not putting America first, and that is not putting American families first. That is why I am working with President Trump and Republicans and Democrats in Congress to fix this problem.

I recently introduced the America First Drug Pricing Plan with Senator Josh Hawley to take real steps to lower costs for patients and put the consumers back in charge of their healthcare decisions. Part one of my bill focuses on transparency.

First, pharmacies must inform patients what it will cost to purchase drugs out of pocket instead of using their insurance and copays. If patients choose to pay out of pocket, which is sometimes cheaper, the total cost would be applied to their deductible.

Second, insurance companies should, and must, inform patients of the total cost of their prescription drugs 60 days prior to open enrollment. This allows patients to be consumers and shop around for the best deal.

Finally, my bill would simply require that drug companies cannot charge American consumers more for prescription drugs than the lowest price they charge consumers in other industrialized nations.

I have found that provision to be controversial in Washington. Do you know where it is not controversial? Everywhere else. In Tampa and Orlando, Miami and Panama City, all over Florida, this just makes sense. I don't spend a lot of time outside of Florida, but I would wager and say that across the country my bill would make a lot of sense too.

Why would we as American consumers, who make up 40 percent of the market for prescription drugs, pay two to six times more for drugs than consumers in Europe or Canada or Japan? That needs to change. My bill takes real steps to change this, and I believe it should have bipartisan support.

I also led seven of my colleagues in a letter to pharmaceutical companies asking them to work with us on solutions to lower the cost of prescription drugs. We are still waiting to hear back.

American consumers are facing a crisis of rising drug costs, and we can't wait any longer. I will not and cannot accept the status quo of rising drug costs. We need to get something done this year, and I am fighting every day to make sure we do.

I yield the floor.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the first vote in the series be 10 minutes in length.

I ask for the yeas and nays.

Mr. President, Judge Allen Winsor has honorably served the State of Florida for several years, and I proudly support his confirmation as a district judge for the Northern District of Florida today. He has demonstrated a keen legal acumen and adherence to the rule of law, both in his prior capacity as the solicitor general in the Office of the Florida Attorney General and in his present role as an appellate judge on Florida's First District Court of Appeal. His service on the appellate bench in Florida has consistently reflected his respect for the separation of powers and devotion to the proper function of the judiciary in our democratic system. As Governor of Florida, I had the distinct honor to appoint him to the First District Court of Appeal in 2016, and I am proud to support his confirmation to the Federal bench, where he will continue to serve our State and Nation well.

Mr. President, on June 12, 2016, our State was attacked. Forty-nine innocent and beautiful lives were senselessly lost, and the lives of countless families and loved ones were forever changed.

The attack--an attack on America, our State, the city of Orlando, our Hispanic and gay communities--was a terrorist attack. This act of terrorism was an attempt to rip at the seams of our society, to divide us, to instill fear in our hearts. But Floridians are strong. Floridians are selfless. Floridians are fighters.

The days I spent in Orlando following the shooting will always be with me. I talked to many parents who lost their children. I went to funerals and wakes, and I sat in hospitals. It was one of the hardest things I have ever done as Governor and as a parent.

Through our State's most challenging times, we also saw incredible bravery and heroism. We saw it in the brave members of law enforcement who selflessly ran into danger to help those in need; we saw it in the doctors and nurses who tirelessly worked to save lives; and we saw in the community that came together after this horrific tragedy to repair and rebuild.

Three years removed from this unimaginable loss, our State is changed forever. Every year on this day, the State of Florida stands united with heavy hearts to honor the victims.

I vow to never forget that evil exists in this world, and we must always stand up against those who wish to harm us. And we vow to always remember the beautiful lives taken far too soon.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the consideration of S. Res. 246, submitted earlier today.

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

I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Madam President, Judge Rodney Smith has an impressive record of honorably serving the State of Florida, and I am proud to support his confirmation as a district judge for the Southern District of Florida. After receiving a bachelor's degree from Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University and a law degree from Michigan State University, Judge Smith worked as a personal injury attorney. He then pursued a career in public service as a senior assistant city attorney for the city of Miami Beach, before his appointment to the Miami-Dade County Court in 2008. In my role as Governor of Florida, I had the honor of appointing Judge Smith to the Eleventh Judicial Circuit Court in 2012. Judge Smith will continue to serve our State and Nation well on the Federal bench.

nomination of thomas p. barber

Madam President, I am honored to support Judge Thomas Barber to serve as a district judge in the Middle District of Florida. Judge Barber graduated from the University of Florida in 1985 and received a law degree from the University of Pennsylvania Law School in 1992. Since then, Judge Barber has served as an Assistant State Attorney, an assistant Statewide prosecutor, and a circuit judge for the Thirteenth Judicial Circuit of Florida. Our citizens deserves judges like Judge Barber that are committed to enforcing our law, not legislating from the bench. With his long and distinguished history of public service, I have no doubt Judge Barber will serve Americans honorably as a Federal judge.