Floor Statements

I thank my colleagues.

I will yield for a moment to my friend from Maryland and then I may say a word after that.

Reclaiming my time simply to say that I appreciate the cooperation of the Senator from Maryland, and I thank the Senate for giving unanimous consent to these two measures.

S. 4994, the Vicksburg National Military Park Modification Act, will modify--simply modify--the boundary of the Vicksburg National Park in my State of Mississippi. This transfer will convey a small parcel of Federal land to the State government and to the Friends of Vicksburg Military Park, an organization that will assist with restoration efforts at the park.

These efforts include a new, state-of-the-art, interactive center, which will guide tourists through the park and teach them the history and importance of Vicksburg, MS, during the Civil War. To execute these plans, the park will need to perform this land transfer.

The State will then be responsible for building and maintaining the connector road as well as the bridge to the new center, relieving the National Park Service from that burden.

So I am glad to see that our partners as well as Friends of Vicksburg are working together to establish a modern, interactive center that will tell the story of the siege and battle of Vicksburg for many generations to come.

I thank the Chair, I thank my colleague, and I thank the Senate for giving unanimous consent to these two measures.

I yield the floor.

Mr. President, I am tempted to simply say: Amen and amen to yield back, but I didn't want this moment to pass without rising, on behalf of my wife Gayle and me, to say how much we have appreciated the friendship of Ben and Myrna Cardin and the leadership that they have shown to us as we have represented the United States of America to citizens around the world and particularly to our friends in Europe.

Myrna has been a wonderful friend to Gayle. She is deserving of all of the accolades that she has received and will receive.

I have had an opportunity in this city several times in the last few weeks to make remarks on behalf of Ben Cardin. He suggested to me almost that he had heard enough and that I need not say anymore. But I do want to say how much I appreciate his leadership and the list of accomplishments

that he has listed and to say how grateful I will always be for Ben allowing me to be a part of the Magnitsky struggle and getting the Magnitsky Act passed and Global Magnitsky, which is renowned around the world as an effective tool against totalitarianism and corruption.

And so I would simply say that people in the audience may have happened by--I know a number of people here came for this particular purpose--but if you happened simply to be in the Gallery at this particular time, you have been--these people, Mr. President, have been subject to the testimony of a magnificent public servant. And if I serve decades more, which I do not feel that I will, if I live to be 100, I will not see a finer leader in terms of intellect, talent, in terms of savvy, in terms of accomplishment, in terms of leadership and statesmanship than I have known in the person of Ben Cardin, and I am grateful to have been his colleague and his friend.

I yield the floor.

Madam President, it is fitting that a daughter of Mississippi is presiding at this poignant moment for me and for my entire staff.

I come to the floor today with a forced smile and a bittersweet message, a bit of official news I have not been eager to report, and that news is that Michelle Barlow Richardson, who sits at my side at this very moment and who has stood by my side for a quarter century, my chief of staff, will soon depart Capitol Hill. This closes a 25-year chapter of service to my office, to the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives, to the State of Mississippi, and to the citizens of the United States.

Anyone who knows Michelle has found out very quickly that Michelle is a Mississippi State Bulldog. She graduated from Mississippi State University in 1997 and then moved up east to Washington, DC, to begin work at my office. And she got right to work, beginning where many staffers do, as a legislative correspondent and then as an executive assistant. She set my schedule. She began to guide proposals into law, which is what we do here. Michelle would go on to higher rungs up the ladder, but she never lost her appreciation for every role on the team. And many members of the team join us in this Chamber at this moment. To this day, no task is too small for Michelle. She has not hesitated to climb into the trenches again and again.

Michelle is fiercely loyal. Her relationship to Mississippi State University is a prime example of this trait. When the MSU community sings their school's anthem at an event, they all sing, ``Loyal friends we'll always be.'' Quite fitting. We even lost Michelle to Starkville briefly in 1999. At that point--only a couple of years out of college-- she was given the very important job of fundraising for a project that ended up generating over $4 million to endow a scholarship. That fund is helping students in Mississippi to this very day.

But luckily, in 2001, we got her back. As I reflect on the 23 years that have passed since then, I am filled with gratitude for Michelle. And I am beaming with pride over all the good work she has accomplished.

In Washington, DC--as you so poignantly know, Madam President--change is constant: a different Congress every 2 years, new leadership opportunities, Senators come and go, changing committee assignments. During these transitions, Michelle has been a steadfast presence, guiding my staff and me through numerous changes over the years.

A big change came in 2007, not long after Michelle had been promoted to be my chief of staff. Our office picked up and moved to this end of the Capitol when I was selected to fill the seat vacated by U.S. Senator Trent Lott. The success of that transition is due, in no small part, to Michelle's deep institutional knowledge, broad networks, and natural leadership skills.

The next year, to the extent permitted by the law and the rules, she helped lead my first statewide election campaign. She expanded a campaign and fundraising organization that she had developed in the First Congressional District, and she applied it to all of our great State of Mississippi.

Of course, when you get elected, you have to govern. And over here on the Senate side, Michelle once again rose to the challenge of a larger role in governing. She scaled up the size of ``Team Wicker'' from 18 people to 45 teammates across 5 offices.

Over the years, she also established a network of Senate chiefs of staff. In fact, it is known throughout Capitol Hill that Michelle Barlow Richardson has become the ``dean'' of the Senate chiefs of staff. That is what we are losing tomorrow when she moves to another capacity. Michelle has built a community where collaboration, information, and mutual support can flow.

Then, in 2016, we had another transition. I was elected to chair of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, and, as usual, Michelle was right there to help. Under her leadership, the office adjusted to new responsibilities and certainly new schedules.

A few years after that, I took up the gavel on the Senate Commerce Committee. Michelle helped build a team of policy experts who would craft smart legislation on the vast portfolio of the Commerce Committee--everything from the seabed to the stars.

President Ronald Reagan once said that ``personnel is policy.'' Well, Michelle and the personnel she has cultivated have gone on to produce substantive and savvy policy. She has been pivotal to work that has brought billions of dollars in new jobs and new investments to Mississippi. Through years of legislative efforts, Michelle has been making connections, educating stakeholders, and holding our strong legislative principles--and holding our feet to the fire. Through every negotiation and late night, she has been motivating our staff.

In scaling up the staff from the House team to the much larger Senate team, over the years, Michelle has led literally hundreds of able staff members.

Her leadership left an incredible legacy. Michelle was good at identifying talent. She has challenged staffers to accomplish goals they did not know they were capable of reaching. She has embraced the burden of making tough decisions. She has delivered tough but constructive feedback directly and concisely, without ever making it personal. And a massive cloud of witnesses can testify to her influence. Many former Wicker staffers are now serving in leadership roles around the country. I am the one privileged to give this floor speech, but I know many could give speeches--and perhaps will give speeches--of their own, telling the stories of Michelle's influence in their lives.

Those who know Michelle Barlow Richardson know her for her strong devotion and friendship. That is especially true for my wife Gayle and me. Michelle's title has been chief of staff, but she has been so much more. She has been by our side in public service and in private moments and moments of joy and moments of pain.

Words are inadequate, and these remarks, in particular, are inadequate. We will miss Michelle's enthusiasm for all things Mississippi. We will miss the presence she--and occasionally her children--have brought to the office. We will even miss the Mississippi State University maroon and cowbell. But loyal friends we will certainly always be. We will remain grateful for her friendship, and we wish her, this public servant and American patriot, the very best.

I yield the floor.

Madam President, on behalf of the people of Mississippi, I commend Sherwood R. ``Woody'' Bailey, Jr., who has worked tirelessly to develop the Mississippi Gulf Coast economy.

Woody earned an undergraduate degree at the University of Alabama and completed law school at the University of Mississippi. For a time, Woody worked at a Jackson law firm. In 1979, he departed to join his family's business, Bailey Lumber & Supply Co., where he served as president for many years.

By the 1990s, he was already creating jobs in Gulfport, but Woody wanted to do even more for the city. He became the finance chairman for Mississippians for Jobs. The organization successfully advocated for legal gambling along the coast. Hurricane Katrina devastated the area in 2004, threatening thousands of jobs in the gaming industry. Woody persuaded legislators to allow casinos onshore, securing the livelihoods of many people. The same year, he began ``Smokin' on the Sound,'' a festival where attendees enjoyed powerboat races in Biloxi and drag boat races in Gulfport.

To most Mississippians, Woody's name is synonymous with ``Cruisin' the Coast,'' the annual car show he founded in 1996, a time when gulf coast tourism tended to taper off around Labor Day. Woody wanted to extend the season, and for the past 28 years, he has successfully done so. In 1996, 374 cars participated in the inaugural celebration of classic vehicles. This year, nearly 10,000 cruisers made the trip, including visitors from 44 U.S. States, as well as Canada, England, and New Zealand. The weeklong festival spans the 12 cities and 3 counties of the Mississippi coast and has grown to over $36 million in economic benefits for the state.

Because of Woody's work, Mississippi welcomes the Nation and world to ``America's Largest Block Party.'' His life and career are a testament to the impact one leader can make on our State. I join my fellow Mississippians in thanking Mr. Woody Bailey for keeping the gulf coast lively, festive, and prosperous.

Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the attached article entitled ``NATO at 75'' by Alan W. Dowd in the American Legion Magazine, be printed in the Congressional Record.

I ask for the yeas and nays.

Madam President, on behalf of the people of Mississippi, I commend the accomplishments and career of Jackie Reed.

Jackie is a veteran driver known for his lofty standards of care. The Collinsville, MS, resident has notched 3 million safe miles in his 34 years behind the wheel, and he has been increasingly recognized as a leader in the Nation's vital trucking industry. His lifelong commitment to excellence has made our highways safer and helped power the American economy.

For the past few years, Jackie has competed at the National Truck Driving & Step Van Championships. The event--known as the ``Super Bowl of Safety''--has consistently demonstrated his knowledge of safety requirements, his industry awareness, and his driving skills. In 2022, he secured the Mississippi Grand Champion award in the three-axle category. He

returned the next year, finishing second place in the State's two-axle group.

In 2024, Jackie topped all his previous achievements. He was named America's top truck driver, besting 421 other elite contestants from almost every State. Jackie earned the Bendix Grand Champion title, and he also won first place in the tank truck vehicle class.

Jackie says he has won big awards because he has paid ``attention to the small stuff.'' He scours the Facts for Drivers guidebook. He diligently inspects his truck. That level of detail pays off in trophies, and it also benefits Americans nationwide. Jackie's careful driving helps deliver goods to consumers, and it keeps his fellow drivers from accidents along the way.

Mississippi is lucky to have such an outstanding representative on the national stage. It is for his decades of distinction, his many achievements, and his continued quality that I commend Jackie Reed today.

Mr. President, I want to join my colleagues, both Democrat and Republican, in expressing regret that we don't have the important national security business of this Congress before the Senate right now. Clearly, it is important to do a nomination and a confirmation every few days. The election is approaching and, of course, there are some show votes. And I think probably my side of the aisle has engaged in that sort of thing in years past.

But it is such a shame that we face this axis of aggressors like we have never faced in 50 years. And every national security official, whether a retired four-star or someone who is no longer in service but giving us good advice, they come before us, and they say we have never had such a threat from China; from Russia, which is engaged in a shooting war right now having invaded the sovereign space of a next- door neighbor; from Iran, which is directing the three--at least the three--terrorist groups that are raining so much havoc on Israel; and then a very unstable leadership in North Korea. This axis of aggressors is signaling that they don't fear an invasion of Taiwan in three short years. They have said it publicly.

While all of that is going on, our leadership, the distinguished majority leader from New York, has not let us bring the appropriations bill to the floor; has not let us bring the authorization bill, which we must pass--we must pass both of these bills every year--the two essential bills that cannot go without being taken care of every fiscal year.

I will say to you, Mr. President, to my colleagues, and to others that are paying attention, this has been bipartisan, absolutely. Senator Murray is correct. She is unhappy about this too. But I point the finger to the one person on the face of the Earth that can actually bring a bill to the floor, and that is the majority leader.

Senator Reed, the chairman of the Armed Services Committee, and I have been putting together a managers' package for this year's National Defense Authorization Act. It would have been much better had we brought the bill to the floor and had 100 amendments winnowed down and worked back and forth together as we should be doing; then have open votes so the people of the United States could see how Senators from Maine to Mississippi and from the west coast to the east stand on important issues affecting the U.S. military. We have not been able to do that. But we are working together, Senator Reed and I, on a plan.

And we worked on nearly 100 variations of the legislation that was passed months and months ago by the Armed Services Committee to resolve issues of local and State interests--issues involving how quickly we can get our industrial base going to meet the need that, frankly, we are not meeting at the present time; and to get ahead of the game so we can prevent war; so we can have enough strength to have the Reaganesque peace through strength that we enjoyed in the eighties and early nineties.

The appropriations bills are just as important--if not more important--than the authorization bills. They contain funding increases we need to prevent our Air Force from shrinking. We know that the Chinese Navy is expanding enormously and our Navy is shrinking, literally shrinking.

It is regrettable that here we are a week and half to go before we must break for the election, and the distinguished majority leader, Senator Schumer, has not brought any of this legislation before the full Senate, bills that have been ready since July.

Also, I want to commend my colleague from Maine, the distinguished ranking member of the Appropriations Committee, for accommodating the chairman of the Appropriations Committee. I had prepared today to come down here and support Senator Collins in an effort to have a unanimous consent request to bring the bill to the floor. I mean, what else are we doing? Look at us. In a matter of comity and to continue the great working relationship that these two senior Senators have had, Senator Collins refrained from that. So we are not asking for unanimous consent and requiring someone from the other side to come and object to that. We will continue to work.

But what is absolutely sure is that the fiscal year will begin in just a few days. And the appropriation for what we need to do at the Pentagon--what new things we need to do--will not be passed, and we will be stuck with last year's priorities. And as a result, at a time when we need to be putting more resources into national security and sending new direction based on the new facts and the new challenges that are out there--at that time, we will actually be wasting money of the taxpayers by having priorities still extended for another 3 months--hopefully, it is only 3 months--rather than putting the resources there that the experts tell us and that we have learned are necessary for the next fiscal year.

If my colleague from Maine would like to speak on my time, I will be glad to yield to her. If not, I am prepared to yield the floor and just regret so profoundly that our leadership has not allowed us to do the work that the taxpayers expect us to do.

Mr. President, I rise today to commend a great public servant, CAPT Eddie Crossman of the U.S. Navy, a friend, an outstanding sailor, and a dedicated patriot.

This year, after nearly three decades of service, Captain Crossman is retiring from the Navy. I know I speak on behalf of my colleagues, my staff, and a grateful nation when I say: Thank you for a job very well done.

Since he left the Naval Academy in Annapolis as a young ensign in 1996, Captain Crossman has set the standard for excellence and achievement. Today, on the other side of his Navy career, I want to give Captain Crossman a proper send-off by saying a few words about this remarkable public servant.

This summer, I traveled with Eddie on a congressional delegation trip. As usual, he was a top-notch Navy liaison with superb attention to detail and a winning, positive attitude. We could not have accomplished so much without him. I know my colleagues would be able to share similar stories--very many of my colleagues.

As a member of the Navy Senate Legislative Affairs team, Captain Crossman made sure no Senators' question went unanswered. He has left no delegation unsupported. The relationship between this body and the Navy is better because of his efforts.

This summer's visit to three of our strong allies capped a working relationship between Captain Crossman and me that began in 2009, when I was lucky enough to have him join my office as a defense legislative fellow. In that role, he conducted himself with distinction. He took his job seriously, completing thorough research and staff work, but he didn't take himself too seriously.

I remember one day--Halloween--when the captain entered my office dressed in full costume, not in a Navy uniform. He had taken on the ``Schoolhouse Rock'' character Bill from Capitol Hill. He worked in that outfit all day alongside the rest of my staff, who were wearing the usual business attire. I can only attribute his costume to his zeal for the legislative process.

His work in my office clearly benefited the people of Mississippi and the United States, but I would be remiss if I did not mention how the people of Mississippi have supported Captain Crossman, particularly the shipbuilders of Mississippi.

The captain was at sea when COVID-19 hit the United States, extending his deployment to 206 days at sea--the longest consecutive deployment for a warship in U.S. Navy history. He completed that charge as commander of the USS San Jacinto. That vessel, the one that carried him on his lengthy deployment--historic deployment--was built on the Mississippi gulf coast. Earlier this year, it was my privilege to pay one final visit to some Mississippi shipyards with Captain Crossman.

I have traveled the country and the world with this fine young man-- in some sensitive places and stressful situations. I have come to know the measure of CAPT Eddie Crossman--his industry and talents, his energy and character. I know he will continue to excel in whatever he does next.

I have served with a lot of military liaison people. I seldom come to the floor to do as I am doing this afternoon. But on this occasion, for this fine Navy officer and this great American and great friend, I say: Fair winds and following seas.

I yield the floor.

I would be glad to yield to my friend.

Mr. President, reclaiming my time, the distinguished chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations

Committee has plenty to do to distract him from thinking of making remarks. I am delighted that he happened to be within the sound of my voice for this occasion.

And as Senator Cardin proceeds toward the last 5 months of his distinguished service, in both the House and Senate, I do think it speaks volumes that he has been so appreciative and benefited so much from the great patriotic work of Eddie Crossman.

I yield the floor.

Madam President, I simply rise to ask unanimous consent that Captain Edward Crossman be granted floor privileges until August 2, 2024.

Madam President, I want to congratulate and thank my colleague from West Virginia for her remarks and for her leadership to make America strong again so that we can have peace through strength.

The distinguished Senator mentioned a hearing that the Committee on

Armed Services had yesterday. Our witnesses were two distinguished experts in the field of national security. The Democrat who testified before us was none other than former Representative Jane Harman of California--a high-ranking committee chair when she was in the House of Representatives and a loyal Democrat, but she is someone who understands that we are not where we need to be under this administration when it comes to national defense. The other witness was Eric Edelman, a very distinguished diplomat and Ambassador.

Their message was absolutely as the Senator said: The United States is not ready to face and to face down and to deter this axis of aggression that threatens the United States as we have not been threatened since 1945. Those are not my words. Those are the words of this bipartisan Commission on a unanimous basis. We are more threatened as a nation than we have been since 1945, and we know what was happening during that decade.

Just over a year ago, in a late-night vote after a long, long day, 86 Senators stood together and passed the National Defense Authorization Act and advanced American security. As I say, we had spent a full day with debate. We had 24 rollcalls. We passed 121 amendments--the most ever adopted on the floor for such a bill--and we overwhelmingly passed the Senate's version of the 2024 National Defense Authorization Act. We did it in the light of day so that every American could see how their Senators stood on important issues. That was last year.

Over the past several days, we could have done the same thing with this year's National Defense Authorization Act. We could have followed the same procedure, but for whatever reason--and I will speculate on those reasons--the Senate majority leader has allowed politics to stand in the way of such progress of our national security obligations, preventing Americans from seeing in the light of day how their elected Senators feel on some very controversial issues of taking up this important legislation that we do every year in an open process.

The U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee has worked hard this year to develop our 2025 NDAA. It is a bill that reflects the overwhelming bipartisan consensus of the committee, and I am pleased to report--and Americans now know--that, in a bipartisan vote, the committee added a $25 billion budget top-line increase specifically designed to address the rising threats of this axis of aggressors: China, Russia, North Korea, Iran, and their proxies.

We are entering a long Presidential leadership transition period, and we need to present a strong front to that axis of aggressors that present, as the Commission unanimously said, the most dangerous threat we have had since 1945. The tyrants of these adversaries are watching our every move. They know we haven't taken up this bill in an open process. They are looking for every vulnerability. By passing the NDAA under regular order, we could have shown them that the U.S. Senate backs our servicemembers to the hilt and that we intend to repair the damage that has occurred to our national defense.

Instead, Majority Leader Schumer has allowed the bill to collect dust. The $25 billion top-line increase was a bipartisan choice, and I am grateful to Members on both sides of the aisle for supporting that in the committee, but the majority leader has somehow been afraid that the vote, although passed in a bipartisan measure, would reflect badly on the Biden-Harris administration. The political partisanship has caused him to prevent a full debate on the NDAA. Basically, there are a number of sensitive, leftist issues that the leader wants to prevent some of his vulnerable Members from having to vote on, pure and simple.

We shouldn't let political calculations dictate our national security decisions. Our enemies are working together, and we are not prepared to defend against them. Don't ask the Senator from Mississippi; ask the bipartisan Commission.

Our enemies are helping each other sow chaos around the world in Israel, Ukraine, the Indo-Pacific, Venezuela, where an election was stolen just a few days ago. A snapshot of events from the past week gives us a glimpse of this trend.

On Wednesday of last week, Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu spoke before Congress. In my opinion, his remarks were among the most stirring and profound speeches ever delivered to a joint session of Congress. In clear and factual language, Prime Minister Netanyahu testified to the threat from Iran and its proxies. Iran is backing Hamas and Hezbollah--two terrorist organizations who seek nothing short of the elimination of the Jewish State and Israel. Iran has armed the Houthis--another terrorist group who barrage our Navy sailors in the Red Sea.

On the same day as the Prime Minister's address, Russia and China performed their first-ever joint military flight exercise--the first ever in history with Russia and China together--and they did it directly approaching Alaskan airspace, American airspace.

The following day, U.S. prosecutors brought charges against a North Korean operative with cyber attacks on American hospitals and military assets. This is dangerous.

Over the weekend, Hezbollah continued assaulting Israel from the north. The terrorist group launched a horrific rocket attack, killing 12 Israeli children on a soccer field--on a soccer field.

These incidents are not isolated. Each aggressor receives growing support and encouragement from the others, and they follow up on the atrocious October 7 terrorist attack that killed so many Israeli and American civilians--babies, women, children, husbands, and wives--last year.

Yesterday, the Senate Armed Services Committee heard testimony from the National Defense Strategy, as the distinguished Senator from West Virginia said, and I would again emphasize that they didn't mince words. They agree with the recommendation of my white paper--that the United States needs to get back to Ronald Reagan's peace through strength and spend up to 5 percent of our gross domestic product on our security. We need to develop the kind of strength that keeps the axis of aggressors from growing stronger. We need to develop the kind of strength that keeps the axis aggressors from doing anything foolish that would plunge the world into a war.

Leader Schumer should appreciate the stakes and urgency of this moment, and they need to act now to send a strong message now and to do it with the Sun shining on it in the light of day. He should have brought the bipartisan NDAA to the floor instead of covering up for the Biden-Harris administration, instead of shielding vulnerable Democrats from issues like the leftwing social policy that is being forced on our military, and instead of preventing the Department of Defense's resources to be used to secure the border and take on the cartels.

There is no time to waste. While the Democratic leader avoids tough votes, our adversaries launch more missiles. When our leaders place politics above strong defense policy, when America shows weakness, more towns elsewhere fall into the hands of evil regimes.

In this moment of heightened global instability, we have missed a chance to project the kind of American strength that promotes peace, and because of the leader's actions, we will not be able to take this bill up in the light of day. It will be written in secret by a handful of people in a closed room, and that will be the final version.

I regret this. I am sorry that the leader has missed a great opportunity to send a strong signal to our enemies in the light of day and to let the American people know how their elected Senators stand on these important issues.

I yield the floor.

Mr. President, I encourage all Americans to read the newly published Spring 2024 edition of Public Service Review. The Review is the quarterly publication of the John C. Stennis Center for Public Service, an exemplary organization, which I am honored to support as a member of its Board of Trustees. In the Public Service Review, readers can explore work from students, faculty, and leadership of Brandeis University's Educational Network for Active Civic Transformation (ENACT) Program. That initiative shares the Stennis Center's mission: encouraging students to pursue careers in public service.

We are thrilled to publish writing and interviews by undergraduate students. In the pages of this issue, readers will find work from Julian Ober of the University of Maine, Vishni Samaraweera of Georgetown University, and Tomas Cruz Villalvazo of the University of Utah. They were joined by a number of Brandeis students, including Elaina Pevide, Ravi Simon, Dalia Moran, and Arianna Jackson, who all submitted thoughtful pieces.

The Assistant Director of ENACT, David J. Weinstein, also contributed, as did Lynne Chandler Garcia of the U.S. Air Force Academy. This edition also features interviews with State Representative Ambureen Rana of Maine and State Senator Becca Rausch of Massachusetts.

These students and leaders showcase the incredible work of the ENACT program, and they encourage those who serve in communities nationwide. It is our hope that they will also inspire others to lives of service. On behalf of my fellow Board members, U.S. Senator Chris Coons, Mr. Tom Daffron, U.S. Representatives Trent Kelly and Terri Sewell, and Mike Sommers, I urge all audiences to visit www.stennis.gov to read the Spring 2024 issue of Public Service Review.

Mr. President, on behalf of the people of Mississippi, I honor the exceptional public service of Dr. Aubrey K. Lucas, whose lifelong commitment to education has significantly benefited the people of Mississippi.

Dr. Lucas is an expert in education, beginning with the three degrees he earned studying the subject: bachelor's and master's degrees from the University of Southern Mississippi and a Ph.D. from Florida State University. After completing his studies, he began his lengthy career serving Mississippi universities.

From 1971 to 1975, Dr. Lucas served as the fourth president of Delta State University in Cleveland, MS. He improved the school's reputation and led efforts to get the institution reaccredited for teacher education. On his watch, Delta State College became Delta State University.

The next year, Dr. Lucas was installed as the sixth president of the University of Southern Mississippi, USM. The university flourished under his care. He served as president for 21 years, overseeing the creation of the Center of International Education and the Polymer Science Institute. He did it all with style, always recognizable on campus for his trademark bowtie. In true Dr. Lucas fashion, he answered the call to serve as interim president of USM on two separate occasions after he had retired.

Over the years, countless Mississippians and students have benefited from Dr. Lucas's dedicated work. Governor Haley Barbour recognized Dr. Lucas with the Mississippi Medal of Service. More recently, the Mississippi Pinnacle Awards bestowed on him the Lifetime Achievement- Humanitarian Award, in honor of his lifetime of public service.

Dr. Lucas remains active in many civic and charitable organizations. He serves as chair of the Mississippi Arts Commission and of the board of directors of the Hattiesburg Area Community Foundation. It is for his achievements, legacy, and continued service that I praise Dr. Aubrey K. Lucas today in the Congressional Record.

Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the following Senators be permitted to speak, for up to 5 minutes each, prior to the scheduled rollcall vote: Senators Wicker, Barrasso, and Ricketts.

Madam President, we stand here today having had the opportunity in a joint session of Congress to hear one of the most powerful and profound and significant addresses that has ever been made to a joint session of Congress.

We have a few people listening in right now. I notice we have a number of our pages on the floor. I am glad that our young people--our rising seniors in high school who work for us--were able to be there and to be here in Washington, in this Capitol, and see and listen to this magnificent speech today by Binyamin Netanyahu, the Prime Minister of the State of Israel--our steadfast ally, the only democracy in that section of the world. And, I will say, I doubt if we will very often see remarks that were as powerful and as important.

Israel has been our steadfast ally for over seven decades. It was a Democratic President, Harry Truman, postwar, who put his administration behind the recognition of the Jewish State in Palestine as Israel, and we became one of the earliest countries to recognize Israel. That has stood for over seven decades.

The recognition by the United States, on a bipartisan basis, has recognized an important fact: that the Jewish people are certainly not colonialists in the Holy Land. The place where Israel exists now is the place where Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and Esau were born and lived in the era of 5,000 years ago.

To say that the Jewish people are colonialists in Israel is the Big Lie. The Big Lie is something that our enemies have used down through the years. You say something so unbelievable and so unimaginable; if you say it long enough, people will start to believe it.

The Jewish people are no colonialists in the Holy Land. The Holy Land is their ancestral home, and they deserve--the world's Jewish people deserve--a Jewish State so they can avoid the centuries of discrimination and anti-Semitism that they have endured over time.

The Jewish people, as I say--the Israeli people--which includes, of course, people who are not Jewish by heritage, have had the only democracy in the area for the longest time. And they have been surrounded by people who want nothing less than the destruction of Israel, and they don't make any bones about it.

Support in this Congress--support in the United States--for Israel has for these seven decades always been bipartisan. And it breaks my heart--and I think it should come as a shock to all Americans--that bipartisan support seems to be fracturing on the other side of the aisle among my Democratic colleagues.

It is a shame that the Vice President of this country--the Vice President of the United States, Kamala Harris--declined to fulfill her duties to preside over the session. She found an excuse in another State to be at a meeting that could easily have been rescheduled. It is a shame that our Vice President--that the future nominee of her party for President of the United States--would make that statement that she was unwilling to preside over a joint meeting addressed by the Prime Minister of Israel.

The President pro tempore of the U.S. Senate refused to attend. Many Members of this body on the Democratic side of the aisle and many Members of the Democratic Party in the House of Representatives boycotted this speech by our steadfast ally of 70 years or more.

I noticed, when the Prime Minister of Israel came down through the center aisle there in the House of Representatives, shaking hands on both sides, and he rounded the corner, and the majority leader of this body, the senior Senator from New York, Senator Schumer, declined to extend his hand to the Prime Minister of this, our steadfast ally.

We also need to remember, as my colleagues have stated already, that in the region where Israel is the only democratic government, in the Middle East, exists the Islamic Republic of Iran. They are a sworn enemy of Israel, and they are a sworn enemy of the United States of America. ``Death to America'' is what they say. And they want to start with ``Death to America'' by pronouncing ``Death to Israel.''

More than that, they have proxies--at least three proxies--that we have been talking about recently: the Houthis in Yemen, Hezbollah to the north of Israel, and Hamas, the terrorist group that perpetrated the October slaughter on people near Gaza.

Hamas has one reason to exist--one stated, admitted reason and one reason only: the complete destruction of Israel. And they demonstrated their ruthlessness on October 7: rapes, beheadings, babies being burned, unspeakable acts of violence. And Prime Minister Netanyahu was correct to point out that people protesting outside this building on behalf of Hamas should be ashamed of themselves in protesting on behalf of a group that was so violent.

Hamas uses civilians as human shields. That is a violation of international law. By contrast--contrary to what people have been told in the press--Israel is doing the best job that any combatant has ever done in protecting civilians while trying to root out terrorist groups.

I am calling on people on both sides of the aisle, in conclusion, to return to our bipartisan support of the right of a people to exist somewhere and to have one place on the face of the Earth where they know they can be safe in their own beliefs, in their own population, and, for the first time in centuries and millennia, to be safe and have their own homeland.

So I congratulate the Prime Minister of Israel. I congratulate the Members of Congress who received him well. And I invite my colleagues on the other side of the aisle to remember the importance of bipartisan support for Israel.

Madam President, reserving the right to object, I would simply observe that this resolution is, in fact, not a sense of the Senate, and it is wrong to suggest that a majority of Senators in any way agree with this resolution.

It is also a simple fact that the dictator, the war criminal Vladimir Putin thinks he can wait out the clock. This resolution would close the door to continued support for Ukraine. Taking bilateral agreements off the table would simply bind American's hands.

Victory against the dictator Putin must be our position. Ukraine can't win without the support of its friends. Putin knows this, and, surely, my friend the senior Senator from Utah also knows this.

We should not pass this resolution because it would hand Putin a rhetorical victory and we should not permit that.

I yield the floor.