Floor Statements

Mr. President, the nominees I will discuss today were approved by the Armed Services Committee with bipartisan support. Republicans and Democrats agreed they are qualified and ready to serve. President Trump was elected in a landslide, and the American people expect and deserve our support in getting his agenda accomplished.

President Trump and his administration are working incredibly hard to bring back the U.S. policy of peace through strength and to ensure our military is a respected and lethal fighting force. This is not an easy task after President Biden's weakness allowed our enemies free rein while our military leadership was distracted with being woke.

President Trump needs his full team in place to deliver on his agenda to restore our Nation's military to focus on the warfighter.

To that end, I ask that we move to consider the following nominees: First, I will ask we consider Dale Marks to be an Assistant Secretary of Defense.

Mr. Marks is a former fighter pilot and combat-wounded veteran. After his distinguished military career, he continued service in a civilian capacity, where he rose through the ranks of Senior Executive Service. He is currently serving as Executive Director of the 96th Test Wing, Air Force Materiel Command at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida.

The position he is nominated for is essential to ensure our military installations remain strong, our energy policies support mission success, and our environmental strategies enhance, not hinder, operational readiness and support peace through strength.

I urge the Democrats to drop their misplaced stall tactics and allow for his immediate confirmation.

I ask unanimous consent the Senate proceed to executive session to consider the following nomination: Executive Calendar No. 109, Dale Marks, to be an Assistant Secretary of Defense; that the Senate vote on the nomination without intervening action or debate; that the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table; and that the President be immediately notified of the Senate's action and the Senate resume legislative session.

Mr. President, I am not sure I understand my colleague's objections. These are well-qualified nominees. They enjoy bipartisan support. There are several more nominees waiting. It is obvious, my colleagues across the aisle will do everything they can to undermine President Trump's agenda and delay these nominees.

Next, I would like to consider Keith Bass to be Assistant Secretary of Defense. Mr. Bass is a retired U.S. Navy commander. He is also a member of the American College of Healthcare Executives, the National Rehabilitation Association, the American Counseling Association, and the National Association of Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Counselors.

Prior to nomination, Mr. Bass served as the Medical Center Director for the West Texas VA Health Care System. The role Mr. Bass has been nominated to oversee is a Military Health System that has 9.6 million beneficiaries entitled to care. The military health system is currently undergoing many reforms to improve efficiency, increase readiness, and deliver better care. I urge my colleagues to allow for his immediate confirmation.

I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to executive session to consider the following nomination: Executive Calendar No. 70, Keith Bass, to be an Assistant Secretary of Defense; that the Senate vote on the nomination without intervening action or debate; that the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table; and that the President be immediately notified of the Senate's action and the Senate resume legislative session.

Mr. President, the President deserves his national security nominees today. Let me see if we will consider this one: Brandon Williams to be Under Secretary for Nuclear Security, Military Health System.

Mr. Williams is a nuclear submarine officer. During his service, he made six strategic deterrence patrols, was a nuclear weapons safety officer, nuclear weapons security officer, and nuclear weapons radiological control officer. He is pretty competent.

This role is responsible for the maintenance of a safe, secure, and reliable nuclear stockpile.

Confirmation is critical to President Trump's ``peace through strength and strategic deterrence'' agenda. Hopefully, my colleague will see the wisdom in allowing this confirmation--this individual who is clearly qualified to be confirmed today.

I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to executive session to consider the following nomination: Executive Calendar No. 107, Brandon Williams, to be Under Secretary for Nuclear Security; that the Senate vote on the nomination without intervening action or debate; that the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table; and that the President be immediately notified of the Senate's action and the Senate resume legislative session.

Mr. President, one final ask. I hope my colleagues can agree that we have at least one critical nominee today approved.

Let's consider Bradley Hansell to be Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence and Security.

Mr. Hansell is a former Green Beret, Senior Director on the National Security Council staff, and has previously received bipartisan support. He will be responsible to exercise the Secretary of Defense's authority, direction, and control over the DIA, NGA, NSA, NRO, and the Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency. His confirmation is critical to the President's ``peace through strength'' agenda.

I, once again, urge my colleague to allow for the nominee's immediate confirmation.

I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to executive session to consider the following nomination: Executive Calendar No. 108, Bradley Hansell, to be Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence and Security; that the Senate vote on the nomination without intervening action or debate; that the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table; that the President be immediately notified of the Senate's action; and that the Senate resume legislative session.

At some point, this has got to change. We have Presidential elections every 4 years. Our President got elected. President Trump got elected, whether people like it or not. He deserves an opportunity to put his team together and act as the President and put his agenda in place.

This idea that both parties sit here and delay nominees and the ability to put teams together doesn't make any sense for the future of this country. This is not a time that there is no risk in the world, and so, at some point, we are going to all have to come together to start accelerating this. We have so many nominees. Whether it is a Republican or a Democrat President, we have got to allow these nominees to get through and get confirmed in a much more expedited manner. Otherwise,

none of our Presidents are ever going to get in a position that they can ever put a team together during their 4-year term.

Let's remember what we just did today. This is not the confirmation of the Secretary of Defense. These are the confirmations of very competent people. No one can question the competence of these four people. No one can. All right? These are competent people who have served our country and who do a great job. So what we are doing is we are saying: Because some people don't like our Secretary of Defense, we are not going to allow the President to put a team together of very competent people.

So what we are doing is, now we just have acting people whom none of us get to vote on and none of us get to question until they come to committee. None of this makes any sense. It is not helping us put together a team and holding people accountable.

Mr. President, I rise today to honor the life of Kevin Reilly who recently passed away. Kevin graduated from Palm Harbor University High School in Pinellas County and was a proud Florida Gator, where he served as student body president at the University of Florida. Kevin spent much of his professional life in service to the State of Florida where he had key roles in the Florida legislature, State agencies, Congress, and in my Gubernatorial administration. As my legislative affairs director when I was Governor, Kevin was a key part of our success and helped us pass critical legislation to make Florida the best State to live, work, and raise a family. He fought for our tourism industry, championed policies to grow Florida's economy and spearheaded efforts to ensure Florida remained a safe place for every family. Kevin was a caring son, brother, friend, and colleague. Today, we honor his life and the incredible impact he made on our State, Nation, and all those who knew him.

Mr. President, I rise to honor the life of U.S. Navy CAPT Allen Brady who passed away on April 24, 2025, at the age of 95. We remember Captain Brady for his bravery and his sacrifice to our Nation through his 30 years of Active Duty. Captain Brady entered the U.S. Naval Academy in June 1947 and was commissioned as an ensign in the U.S. Navy on June 1, 1951, first assigned as a signal officer aboard the aircraft carrier USS Palau (CVE-122) from July 1951 to May 1952, followed by flight school. Captain Brady proudly served our Nation in several assignments during the Cold War, Korean war, and Vietnam war. During the Vietnam war, Captain Brady served as an A-6A pilot and executive officer of VA-85 at NAS Oceana and deployed aboard the aircraft carrier USS Kitty Hawk (CVA-63) from September 1966 until he was forced to eject over North Vietnam and was taken as a prisoner of war on January 19, 1967. He remained a prisoner of war for 2,237 days from January 19, 1967, to March 4, 1973, when he was released during Operation Homecoming. Captain Brady received a Silver Star for his time as a prisoner of war in North Vietnam, where he was subjected him to extreme mental and physical cruelties in an attempt to obtain military information and false confessions, yet Captain Brady resisted. He showed incredible bravery and determination in that brought honor to his naval service, the U.S. Armed Forces, and the United States of America.

Captain Brady continued to serve his country until his retirement from the Navy on October 1, 1979. On behalf of all Floridians, our entire country, and my fellow Navy sailors, it is an honor to remember the life of CAPT Allen C. Brady, a true American hero.

Mr. President, I rise to recognize Maj. Colleen Randolph, U.S. Marine Corps, for her distinguished and exemplary service, on the occasion of her transfer from the U.S. Marine Corps Office of Legislative Affairs to the Nation's best service academy, the U.S. Naval Academy. I, and many other Members of the Senate, have had the privilege of working with Major Randolph over the past 3 years as a military escort for congressional travel, continuing the excellent relationship between the Marine Corps and the U.S. Senate.

In her role, Major Randolph enabled the successful execution of over 30 international congressional delegations. Major Randolph distinguished herself through exceptional service to her country and in direct support of every Member of the Senate.

Major Randolph expertly handled congressional inquiries and requests for information from nearly every one of the 100 Senate offices, including my own. My team and I have traveled with Major Randolph on multiple international trips, most recently to the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, a region critical to our national security. She has proven to be an incredible asset, consistently demonstrated exceptional problem- solving capability both prior to and during execution of congressional travel, excellent communications skills, and a wealth of knowledge.

Major Randolph also exemplified the candor and knowledge that we have come to expect from the Marine Corps. She is responsive and understands the need to quickly provide accurate information to Members and their teams as we work to serve the American people. Major Randolph is dedicated to the Marine Corps, her country, and always puts the needs of our Nation ahead of herself.

Major Randolph's service in the Senate Liaison Office has left the Marine Corps well positioned to continue the Corps' contributions to the national security of our Nation. In every endeavor during her time with the Office of Legislative Affairs, Major Randolph proved to be an officer of the highest caliber. My colleagues and I bid a fond farewell to Maj. Colleen Randolph, her husband Matt; and we thank her parents Mike and Kathleen; twin sister Kaileigh; and brothers Kane and Cole for all the support they have given her as she serves her Nation. We wish Maj. Colleen Randolph continued success in her next assignment with the U.S. Naval Academy.

Mr. President, I rise today to recognize #EndJewHatred Day and to affirm my unwavering support for the Jewish community in Florida, across the United States, and around the world. For millennia, the Jewish people have preserved their religious, cultural, and ethnic identity in the face of persecution, enslavement, genocide, discrimination, and unimaginable adversity. Since the arrival of the first Jewish immigrants to America in 1654, Jewish Americans have made extraordinary contributions to every facet of American life-- strengthening our culture, economy, and society.

This alarming trend has inspired a growing grassroots civil rights movement, End Jew Hatred, dedicated to making antisemitism and Jew- hatred unacceptable in contemporary American society. This movement empowers Jews to live openly and proudly, celebrating their heritage without fear of discrimination or attack. On April 29, 2022, the first official #EndJewHatred Day was recognized, marking a national commitment to ending anti-Semitism and building a future free from hatred and bigotry.

Today, I join in that commitment. We must stand firmly against anti- Semitism in all its forms, affirm the inherent dignity of every individual, and ensure that the lessons of history are never forgotten. Therefore, I am proud to recognize April 29 as #EndJewHatred Day, and I call upon all Americans to condemn Jew-hatred, to speak out against anti-Semitism, and to work toward a future of respect, security, and freedom for the Jewish people.

Mr. President, I object.

I object.

Mr. President, I rise to congratulate Carlos and Janelle Beruff of Bradenton, FL, on their 15th wedding anniversary. Over the years, my wife Ann and I have had the privilege of becoming friends with Carlos and Janelle. Together, they have built a beautiful family and are the proud parents of two children. Carlos and Janelle are an example of what it means to be Floridians. Following success in business, they have contributed tremendously to their community. They know the challenges so

many people face, and they are always there to help. It is always wonderful to see them, and I congratulate them on their anniversary with best wishes for many more to come.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Special Committee on Aging, having adopted rules governing its procedures for the 119th Congress, have a copy of their rules printed in the Record, pursuant to rule XXVI, paragraph 2, of the Standing Rules of the Senate.

Reserving the right to object, I think all of us can agree with my colleague. We can agree it is very important the American people have readily available access to accurate and timely public health information. I don't think anyone disputes that, and no one should have to doubt the important work done by the Department of Health and Human Services to provide the American people with the information they need to remain healthy and safe.

But this resolution is unnecessary. The new administration just took office and issued a temporary pause until February 1 on all communications coming from its Agencies without approval. They have every right to do this.

To be frank, they have a lot of problems to solve from the prior administration.

I hope we can focus on confirming nominees quickly. The sooner his team gets in place, the sooner he can deliver on his promises to the American people. Therefore, I object.

Mr. President, first, I want to thank my colleague from North Carolina for his comments with regard to Canada, Greenland, Mexico, and the Panama Canal. We have to support the President. He is acting in the best interests of the American public.

On November 5, the American public overwhelmingly elected President Donald Trump with a very clear mandate. Democrats here in Washington don't have to like it, but it is not up to them. That is what the American people decided. Let's remember, we work for the American people. We don't work for the Democrats' special interests or radical ideologies. Democrats need to get over the fact that Donald Trump won to make government work for the American people.

President Trump has put together a great team with the needed qualifications to deliver on that clear mandate. His nominees are fully qualified, and we have the votes to get them confirmed.

Think about this: When Barack Obama got elected in 2009, he had seven nominees confirmed on the first day--seven. How many do we have? One. By day three, President Obama had 12. Today is the fourth day of President Trump's term, and because of the Democrats' obstruction, we have only two of President Trump's Cabinet nominees confirmed. That is wrong.

In 2021, Joe Biden's Defense nominee Lloyd Austin was confirmed 2 days after Biden took office, but here we are on January 23, 2025. It has been 4 days, and President Trump's nominee to lead the Department of Defense has been reported out of committee but still has not gotten a vote.

Now that President Trump has been sworn in, it is time for Democrats to put country before politics and to quit their obstructionist and stall tactics and allow votes to confirm every single Donald Trump nominee.

It is time to get to work for the American people. This starts with voting to confirm Pete Hegseth as Secretary of Defense today--not tomorrow, not the next day; today. This Senate should not go home for the weekend until we vote on his confirmation.

As a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee and as a Navy veteran, I have seen clearly that we need a leader in the Pentagon who puts America's national interests above all else.

I have seen how the Biden-Harris administration pushed the Department of Defense to prioritize wokeness over being the most lethal military force in the world. They prioritized diversity quotas and bureaucracy over recruiting strong individuals who are ready to serve and protect our Nation. The Biden administration put our national security and the safety of our troops at risk, and we need someone who understands the mission and is ready to deliver.

The status quo in Washington, DC, has gone unchallenged for too long. The Pentagon, which failed seven consecutive annual financial audits, is the best example of a government that is completely unaccountable to the American taxpayer.

Pete Hegseth is a decorated combat veteran who understands the mission and what is needed to advance President Trump's agenda and reform the Department of Defense to make America's military the world's most lethal fighting force. That is what every American expects. He understands the sacrifice our military members and their families make because he has been to war. He has led his fellow service men and women into combat, and he knows individuals who have lost their lives or have been gravely injured in defending our Nation.

Pete knows how to hold people accountable, how to make sure we promote based on meritocracy, and how to get rid of the broken, woke policies implemented by the Biden administration.

After his Active-Duty service, Pete continued to stand by his fellow servicemembers here at home by leading the Concerned Veterans of America and by demonstrating a commitment to our Nation's fighters rather than to the status quo.

Although leftwing media has fixated on an anonymous whisper campaign in an attempt to discredit and dismiss his achievements during his time at the CVA, those who worked closely with him tell a different story, a positive story.

The policy priorities he championed were ultimately adopted by Congress and the Trump administration and will benefit veterans for generations to come.

The Department of Defense is one of the Federal Government's largest bureaucracies. That requires a leader who understands how to rely on a team, push for accountability, and bring needed reform.

Under President Trump and Pete's strong leadership, the U.S. military will once again become the world's most lethal fighting force that our enemies fear and our allies respect, and I will do everything I can to support their mission.

Americans elected Trump as a mandate for change, and he is building a team to deliver. Pete is the fighter we need and the right person to get the Department of Defense back on track.

We live in a very dangerous world and cannot risk the safety of this Nation any further by not having President Trump's national security nominees in office today.

I would like to encourage my Democratic colleagues to get over their loss--I am sure it is hard--and let these nominees come to the floor for a vote. They can vote however they want, but allow us to vote on these nominees.

I yield the floor.

Mr. President, I rise today to honor the life of Taylor Elizabeth Long Fishel who passed away on December 23, 2024, at the young age of 31. Taylor was born in Tallahassee, FL, where she graduated from Leon High School and Florida State University. Taylor was a caring friend, wife, and mother who is survived by her husband Howell and their sons Lewis and James. Taylor is also survived by her parents and other family members. Today we acknowledge the wonderful impact she made on all those who knew her.

Madam President, I rise to honor the career of Columbia County Commissioner Ronald W. Williams. First appointed by then Gov. Bob Graham in 1981, Mr. Williams is the first Black Columbia County commissioner and the longest serving county commissioner in the history of the State of Florida. He has also served as the Columbia County chairman for a total of 11 years. Mr. Williams was born in Columbia County and graduated from Richardson High School in 1962. As a true lifelong Floridan, Commissioner Williams represents the best of what Florida has to offer. I want to congratulate him on his dedication to public service and thank him for everything he has done for the people of Columbia County.

Madam President, it is my distinct opportunity to talk about my good friend Senator Mike Braun from Indiana.

Senator Braun and I came up here at the exact same time. He was 99th in seniority and I was 100th in seniority 6 years ago. We both have very similar backgrounds. Both of us had built businesses. Both of us have very similar backgrounds in how we got started. Neither of us started with any money. We got to build successful businesses. We had to figure out how to control our costs because, you know, you are not going to succeed if you don't figure out how to control your costs. He had a very similar experience as I did on how you control healthcare costs: You make your employees consumers of healthcare. You make them be the ones that make the decision on how they are going to spend healthcare dollars.

He also is very focused on the problems of Federal debt, the problems of Federal spending. From the time he got up here, he was a champion of fiscal sanity.

With our wives, we had the opportunity to travel to Israel--I think our first summer here; I think it was our first summer--and spend a week there just learning everything we could about Israel. Senator Braun has a wonderful family, a wonderful wife--also an entrepreneur like he is. So I am going to miss him a lot.

He talked about the fact that we were so naive when we first came up here. They were supposed to have lunch from 12:30 to 2 o'clock, and the business guys would show up on time, and there were only two of us there. The food wasn't out. So we were told that it doesn't really-- they say it starts on time, but it never did.

We both saw the difficulty in trying to get things accomplished here and the difficulty in trying to control spending here. But his voice has been very important on the fight for fiscal sanity here, and his voice has been very important on the ability to try to figure out how we get our healthcare costs in line so people can afford it--not just government affording it but individuals can afford it.

So I am going to miss him. We both have--we had the worst times together. I think he had the 3 to 6 and I had the 6 to whenever we finished on Thursday. Every Thursday, we were here. So he was very--he was smart. He put it together so that at least every Thursday, one of us could go home a little bit earlier, which was smart.

He did talk to Dan Sullivan, who does a great job with--if you haven't had the opportunity to listen to Dan's Alaskan of the Week, talking about an Alaskan, he does a great job with that. He got him to move it up so we could get out of here earlier.

He is just a great person. We served on the Aging Committee together and the Budget Committee. He is just a wonderful person to serve with.

He is going to love being Governor. I had the opportunity to be Governor from 2011 to 2019. It is a great job. If you care about families, if you want to help people get a job, if you want to help people get a better education, if you want to keep people safe, that is exactly what you get to do.

I think Senator Braun is going to be the best Governor in the country soon. He is going to make sure that Indiana is a State where people can get a great-paying job, their kids get a great education, and people feel safe. It is still a little cold for me. Florida is a little bit warmer than Indiana.

I just want to say I am very appreciative of Mike's friendship. I am very appreciative of his hard work. I appreciate his tenacity.

I can tell you that they are always going to live within their means because Mike will not waste a dime. Indiana will have probably the best budget in the country, and all their debt, if they have any, will be paid off quickly.

I just wanted to say to Mike, thank you for your friendship. I look forward to working with you, and I am going to miss you up here.

I yield the floor.

Mr. President, I rise to honor the life of Martin Copeland Griswold, who died on November 30, 2024, at the age of 92. Martin Copeland was a sixth generation Florida farmer, starting his career as a member of the Future Farmers of America with 80 acres of land and working his way to serve as FFA State president in 1951-52. He was the chief executive officer of Griswold Farms, producing food, fiber, and timber on a 4,800-acre family farm, and at the time of his death, Copeland was still farming. Copeland also served on the Northwest Florida Water Management District governing board for 8 years. As an influential and dedicated Florida farmer making a significant impact in northwest Florida, and across the State, Copeland was inducted into the Florida Agriculture Hall of Fame. Martin Copeland Griswold of Chumuckla, FL, is survived by his wife of 72 years Winona; his children Marty (Diane), Von (Lisa), Vicki (Jeff) Miller, Paul (Alesia); 12 grandchildren; 17 great-grandchildren; and three great- great-grandchildren.