Floor Statements

Madam President, I rise today to thank Dr. Carter File for his many years of service to the State of Kansas and Hutchinson Community College, as well as honor him for all that he has accomplished during his career.

A dedicated educator committed to service, Carter began his journey at Cloud County Community College as a student and later graduated from Kansas State University, where he obtained a bachelor of arts degree in accounting. After a brief hiatus from education, Carter went back to school at the University of Baltimore, where he earned a master of business administration, later pairing that with a doctor of philosophy degree in educational studies from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

In 2005, shortly before he began his doctoral work, Carter began his service to the State of Kansas when he became the vice president of finance and operations of Hutchinson Community College. Although he was juggling school and work simultaneously, Carter hit the ground running, quickly building rapport with the board of trustees, faculty and staff, the local community, and the student body. Under his guidance, Hutchinson Community College expanded its services; renovated sports facilities for high school and collegiate use; revamped, with the help of local entrepreneurs, the Richard E. Smith Science Center, and dedicated the Bob and Lou Peel Allied Health Center, all of which greatly contribute to better serving the people of Central Kansas.

With these accomplishments in hand, it is unsurprising that the board of trustees at Hutchinson Community College decided to elevate Carter to the presidency of the school in 2014. Following this promotion, Carter continued to build on his prior successes. In

2015, he oversaw the construction of the Fire Science Training Center, which the college completed in conjunction with the Hutchinson Fire Department. A few years later, Carter orchestrated the opening of the HutchCC Cosmetology Program, expanding the diversity of programs the college offers its students. But perhaps Carter's crowning achievement is being able to coordinate the support of the city of Hutchinson, the voters of Hutchinson, and the college to garner the funds necessary to revitalize the Hutchinson Sports Arena, which has brought nationwide industry and acclaim to Hutchinson and throughout Central Kansas.

Carter will officially retire from Hutchinson Community College on August 31, 2024, after over 24 years of service in higher education. I now ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing the distinguished career of Dr. Carter File, as well as thank him for all his work on behalf of the State of Kansas and Hutchinson Community College.

Madam President, twice before, Republicans have come to this floor to attempt to pass by unanimous consent the House-passed stand-alone aid package to Israel that would provide our ally with $14 billion in military assistance for their fight to destroy the Hamas terrorists and send a loud message to Iran and its proxies.

I would like to yield the floor to the Senator from Florida.

Madam President, I would like to yield the floor to the senior Senator from Tennessee.

Madam President, I would like to yield some time to the senior Senator from Alabama.

Next, I would like to yield the floor to my good friend, a staunch supporter of the people of Israel, the senior Senator from Texas.

Madam President, I sure appreciate the Senator from Texas speaking up and the wise words he shared. It reminds me of an old saying, that a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush, that funding Israel today is worth two of these other issues that seemingly just never can come together as we try to solve this four-headed riddle.

As I said earlier, this is now my third time to the floor to try to pass with unanimous consent the House-passed, stand-alone aid package to Israel that would provide our ally with $14 billion in military assistance.

Now, my colleagues on the other side of the aisle stood on the Senate floor and debated with us and lectured us on why this bipartisan, House-passed legislation that maintains the exact spending levels requested by President Biden is somehow unreasonable. But I would like to share with you what I think is unreasonable. I think it is the Democrats' unwillingness to help our ally and separate this package to get it to the President's desk today. Unreasonable is my colleagues across the aisle using the crisis in Israel to secure more money for Ukraine. But what is unfathomable is what this body just admitted--that we are nowhere closer to getting this aid package passed than we were on October 7 when the war broke out.

In case nobody is paying attention, tomorrow will be 2 months to the day that Hamas brutally and savagely attacked the people of Israel.

I think we need to be honest with the American people. Negotiations aren't just stalled; they never started. Meaningful negotiations never started. We have a better chance of finding an ocean in Kansas than this $106 billion package seeing the light of day.

Today, every single Republican sent a unanimous message to the Democrat leadership and 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue: We will not be bullied into voting on massive spending packages that use Israel as leverage to fund Democrat priorities, and we will not vote for any legislation that secures foreign nations' borders but not our own.

So here we are once again offering an olive branch to separate this package out and address each of these issues one at a time. The House made this easy for us. They passed a bipartisan bill that would grant aid to Israel and allow us to break this logjam and focus on the more pressing matter to our national security: the border. The border. The border. The border.

Now, the Democrats showed their hands 2 weeks ago when they voted unanimously against our bipartisan, stand-alone Israel aid bill that would have fast-tracked this package straight to the President's desk before Thanksgiving. But, sadly, this city loves to make the perfect the enemy of the good.

The sensible thing for this body to do now is pass this bipartisan, stand-alone aid bill for Israel. This legislation passed the House over a month ago and could be delivered to President Biden's desk tonight. We should pass aid to Israel and then continue debating a potential broader package.

Now, I have never heard of an American asking for more IRS agents. And if you are concerned about the pay-fors we presented, as I said time and time again, show us another pay-for.

It is time to end the political talking points that we have heard on this floor.

And please don't insult our intelligence. Don't insult the intelligence of Americans with the fake border security that is in this bigger, broader package that will only accelerate asylum, leading to more people crossing our border illegally.

If you plan to object to this stand-alone bill's passage on the ground that military aid to Israel should include conditions, I want to note for the record that senior officials from the White House have said they are not pursuing such conditions.

So, indeed, let's come together. Let's all come to the table. We tried it your way, and it failed. This is a huge opportunity to secure a bipartisan win and get to work on the most immediate threat to our national security--our wide-open southern border.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of H.R. 6126, which was received from the House. I further ask that the bill be considered

read a third time and passed and that the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table.

Mr. President, what we have brought forward tonight is a House-passed, stand-alone package of aid for Israel. We didn't bring forward the entire security package, which already failed. We have tried that. It didn't work.

So many of my colleagues across the aisle, indeed, spoke eloquently in support of Ukraine as well as Israel. I think back to what my college track coach said.

He said:

Don't tell me. Show me.

So I am going to quote some words from the Democratic Party, and I want you to think about the words lining up with the actions. When people vote against the stand-alone aid for Israel, is that consistent with their own words?

This is Secretary Blinken on October 13:

No country can tolerate having a terrorist group come in,

slaughter its people in the most unconscionable ways and live

like that. What Israel is doing is not retaliation, it is

defending the lives of its people.

Next is Secretary Austin on October 20:

So, make no mistake: The United States will make sure that

Israel has what it needs to defend itself.

Next, President Biden on October 10:

So, in this moment, we must be crystal clear: We stand with

Israel.

He says it again.

We stand with Israel, and we will make sure Israel has what

it needs to take care of its citizens, defend itself, and

respond to this attack.

Again, President Biden on 20 October:

In Israel, we must make sure that they have what they need

to protect their people today and always.

Finally, the majority leader, the senior Senator from New York, on 15 November:

We will not rest until you get the assistance you need.

Folks, this is the opportunity. This is the time. This is the time to stand up for Israel, to make good on those pledges. I meticulously listened to my friends across the aisle and their arguments. What we are talking about today--what the bill is about today--is aid to Israel.

As I listened carefully to their objections, their objection with this particular bill was with the pay-fors, and I respect that. The second objection was that they wanted more humanitarian assistance to Hamas and the people of Gaza as well, and I respect that as well.

So bring us that bill--that stand-alone bill--that includes what you think is appropriate for a pay-for and what type of humanitarian assistance you want to make sure Hamas gets as well.

But the real argument--the real argument made tonight--was to use Israel as a tool, to use it as a lever to fund Ukraine. And, again, I listened carefully. I tried to count how many times my friends across the aisle said ``Ukraine'' or ``Putin,'' and I stopped when I got to over 50. Israel was mentioned less than 10 times. They talked

about their national security package--their supplemental package--and they really should call it the ``lovefest for Ukraine'' package.

I respect where they are coming from. I think it is how and how much and when do we give the people of Ukraine right now in a situation that has been a stalemate for a year--really, no progress made for a year.

Two hundred thousand people have died in that war and 500,000 casualties. There is no end in sight. This looks to me like a 7- or 10- year war. It looks like it is Vietnam all over again.

I remember the early days of Vietnam, when there were a few people saying: Slow down. Let's stop. There are too many people who are dying in this situation right now.

Let's have that debate. Let's pull Ukraine out, and let's have that debate.

I honestly believe, if we would have passed this Israel package a month ago and then worked on a Ukraine package starting then, we would have a Ukraine package done.

What I wish is that my friends across the aisle were as passionate, though, about the security of our own southern border as about the lines of another country--the property lines of another country, their boundaries.

I think I heard my friends across the aisle talk about the border maybe four or five times. The No. 1 national security threat--the most immediate national security threat to Americans--is our open southern border. Do we have to repeat the numbers? Ten million people have crossed the border illegally in the past 3 years, 1.7 million ``got- aways,'' 70,000 aliens of interest, hundreds of known terrorists.

All the lights are blinking red right now. All the lights are blinking red. That is what Director Wray said, yesterday, up here on the Hill, that on terrorist threats, all the lights are blinking red. And why wouldn't they, with these 1.7 million ``got-aways'' throughout the country doing who knows what?

If my friends across the aisle are serious about a national security supplemental package, it starts with meaningful security at the southern border--meaningful security, not a process that actually promotes more people crossing the border.

It has to include something that impacts asylum and parole. It has to literally secure the border, I think, even to begin this next debate. America needs to get its own house in order before we can help fix other people's houses.

I understand the needs across this world are many. And my compassion, my heart, whether it is for the people of Ukraine, the people of Israel--I share those same compassions, but we just can't keep throwing good money after bad money. We have to have people with accountability. We have to make sure that there is a goal--that there is a goal that we can win.

So, at the end of the day, the most prudent thing for this body to do would be to pass this standalone aid for Israel. Take it off the chess board. Let's get that one done. But, instead, my friends across the aisle want to use it as a political tool, a tool to leverage their funding for Ukraine. Let's have that discussion separately.

I think it is time that this body do what we say we want to do. Let's not rest until we get this assistance to Israel.

I yield the floor.

Madam President, I rise today to thank Dr. Carl Heilman for his many years of service to the free State of Kansas and Barton Community College, as well as honor him for all that he accomplished during his career.

Madam President, I rise today to recognize the Mid Kansas Cooperative and honor them for their reception of the esteemed Retailer of the Year Award, presented by the Agricultural Retailers Associations, ARA.

I am extremely proud that the Mid Kansas Cooperative, a pillar of prosperity in central Kansas since 1965, has received ARA's extremely prestigious award this year. Known locally as MKC, the co-op is headquartered in Moundridge and offers a complete line of products, programs, and services citizens throughout the State of Kansas. With more than 600 employees, 11,000 members, and 8,000 customers through a wholly-owned subsidiary, MKC specializes in grain, agronomy, energy, feed, and risk management. The farm communities that Mid Kansas Co-op serves have a long history of fostering innovations in grain production, and MKC continues that tradition by utilizing technology like drones and autonomous robots for precision agriculture management tactics.

White pickup trucks bearing the MKC logo dot the plains from planting to harvest, and their specialists aid Kansas producers in making agronomic decisions all year long. While many co-ops provide goods and services as a complement to agriculture producers, MKC goes above and beyond through a robust college internship program and investments back into the very communities that their branches inhabit through scholarships and sponsorships.

In combining the two facets of a productive workforce and expert knowledge, MKC maintains its position as an innovative steward of Kansas farmland, an exceptional provider of customer service, and a leader in local communities across a great portion of the State of Kansas. This commitment to excellence and innovation in the agricultural sector made MKC a more than worthy winner of the Retailer of the Year Award. They truly embody their motto of ``Shared growth. Shared success.''

I now ask my colleagues to join me in congratulating MKC president and CEO Brad Stedman, along with all other MKC member-owners and employees, for being named the Agricultural Retailers Association's 2023 Retailer of the Year.

Madam President, ``border, border, border''--I just had lunch with Speaker Mike Johnson. He is a great friend and a classmate. We came in together. That is what he said. He said he wishes he could get all of us a T-shirt that said ``border, border, border.''

In my office, this week, no matter what the question is, the answer is ``Secure the border.'' In fact, I think Speaker Johnson has been talking to some of the same people I have been talking to.

I had the great time of my life these past 7, 10 days back home in Kansas. I got to spend time with my grandchildren, teaching them how to hunt and fish and sled in a very welcome 10-inch snow. I got to see a lot of friends and family members and share what is going on in their lives and get caught up. But no matter where I went, the No. 1 worry people had was about the concern for the safety and security of their own family.

In Kansas--the heartland, the middle of the country, the middle State--people are concerned about their own safety and security, and why wouldn't they be?

Since Joe Biden was sworn into office, over 10 million immigrants have come into our border, and over 1.5 million ``got-aways'' have occurred--10 million people crossing our border illegally, 1.5 million ``got-aways.''

This crisis at our Nation's border is the No. 1 most immediate threat to our safety and security. This is a true, clear, and present danger to our Nation.

Just think about these numbers. Fentanyl is now the No. 1 killer of young adults in America. It kills a Kansan every day. Nearly 300 young Americans are dying every day from fentanyl poisoning, not to mention what is going on with human trafficking, the growth of the cartel, and the violence. As my dad the police officer taught me, the violence always follows the drug trafficking.

But it seems like these numbers are falling on deaf ears at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. Just look at September, October, and November. These look like they are all going to be record-setting months for the number of people crossing our border illegally in these months. But yet, for some unknown reason, the White House wants to take border security off the table in the supplemental bill.

Why? That is what people are asking me back home. Why? That is the question Americans want to know.

They point out the facts that we know well up here. Under this administration, we have seen 279 known terrorists try to cross our border, more than 24,000 Chinese nationals, not to mention some 80,000 aliens of interest from countries like Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, and Syria who have breached our border. This is indeed an invasion of our border, and every American is now paying for it.

As a matter of fact, it is now costing Americans nearly $500 billion a year--let me say that again, $500 billion a year--to house and take care of these illegal immigrants. Can you imagine how many Border Patrol officers, how much technology, how many drug dogs, and, yes, how much fence we could build for half a trillion dollars a year?

Again, that is what Americans are asking me back home.

It is time for this Chamber to step up to the plate and do what is right for the American people. For such a time as this, we need leadership. I am grateful, I am proud, and the American people are glad to hear that the leadership on this side of the aisle are saying we will deny cloture on this supplemental bill if there is not meaningful border security.

This concept of a supplemental bill without taking care of our national security, of sending over $100 billion to foreign lands without addressing our own national sovereignty, well, it actually reminds me of what Abraham Lincoln once said:

You can fool all the people some of the time and some of

the people all the time, but you cannot fool all the people

all the time.

Let my message today be clear. Let's bring on the hard work, late nights, and weekends. That is what Kansans do. We work hard. We have those values of a hard work ethic. I am certainly willing to do just that, to work hard to get to border security.

Look, on this side of the aisle, we are not going to waver. We are not going to quit. This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to secure our border and to get this right for once.

I urge every Republican to vote down cloture of this outrageous supplemental package unless we see true, meaningful border security included.

We have got solutions that this body can send to the President's desk today that wouldn't cost a dime. Changing

the asylum policy alone can result in as many as 75 percent less people entering our Nation illegally--75 percent. If we just turn off the siren of asylum, we can cut back on those crossing our borders some 75 percent. That would free up the Border Patrol officers to do the job that they were hired to do: catching the bad guys, stopping the fentanyl, stopping the human trafficking, rather than playing a nursemaid to nearly 10,000 illegal people every day.

And also from a policy standpoint, we have to limit the President's abuse of his parole powers, which has enabled over 1.5 million immigrant parolees to enter our Nation under his watch.

Our insistence that these measures be included in the supplemental bill are not partisan. They are not hard-right distractions, as has been alleged. But it is an attempt to protect the lives and well-being of the Americans who elected us and their families and to ensure the sovereignty of this great Nation.

This is a national security issue, not an immigration issue. It is imperative. It is a must that any supplemental bill include provisions to address these border issues. Any package agreed upon by all or some of the Senate Republican conference must actually be effective at controlling our borders.

A measure that is advertised as stopping the torrent of illegal migration but does not in practice would be a devastating blow to the credibility of Republican Senators on this issue, over the long term, and unacceptable to the people we represent. This is why I urge every Republican in this body to vote no on cloture on any bill that does not, at a minimum, include policy changes that meaningfully address the flood of illegal immigration at our southern border.

I yield the floor.

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

Mr. President, I seek recognition.

Mr. President, time is of the essence. Yes, time is of the essence, and that is why I rise today, once again, in calling for the immediate passage of the House-led and passed bipartisan, standalone aid package for Israel that will provide our ally with $14 billion in military assistance for their ongoing war with the savage Hamas terrorists. This standalone bill does not use Israel as a lever to fund Ukraine funding or to make our border more porous to terrorists and criminals.

I want to start by sharing two stories--the stories of two gentlemen I met last week. I am going to start with Doran. Doran's brother was the mayor of a kibbutz located within a stone's throw from Gaza. As the mayor, he often welcomed Palestinians from Gaza. He shared meals with them and conversed with them. It was a peace-loving family. But on the morning of October 7, Doran's brother, the mayor, was brutally murdered by Hamas.

But that wasn't enough. Next, his brother's mother-in-law was murdered. Then, his son was murdered and, finally, a nephew. In a matter of a few hours, a woman lost her husband, her mother, her son, and her nephew.

The other story I want to share is of two brothers, Gal and Guy. Gal was the older brother. Guy was the younger brother. They went to the peace and love music festival, just about 3 miles away from the Gaza Strip. And, on the morning of October 7, Gal was watching over his brother Guy, and they heard gunshots, and they heard rockets going off, and they both decided to run for their cars. They were split up, and, while Gal made it home, Guy never did.

Later that same day, his family saw horrifying videos of his brother lying on the ground, handcuffed, and who remains a hostage to this day. And, of course, we have no idea if Guy is alive or not.

So I ask: Why is this important? Why is time of the essence?

Listen, Israel is a powder keg, and it is about ready to explode. For starters, since we were here last, Hamas leadership has declared its desire for a permanent state of war with Israel on all borders. There continues to be a barrage of missiles, rockets, and drone attacks on Israel that has worsened since the war broke out, with Hamas firing at Israel nearly 10,000 times.

Since October 7, 50 attacks have occurred on U.S. military installations. Some 52 American soldiers have been injured, not to mention that we lost 30-some Americans, killed on October 7 by these monsters called Hamas.

So why is time of the essence? Right now, there are still hundreds of innocent people, like Gal's brother Guy, being held captive, and, most likely, being tortured and raped by Hamas terrorists, including 10 Americans.

So I stand here today, again, calling on my Democratic colleagues to do the right thing, and today--yes, today--pass this aid for Israel in their time of need. It has been over 5 weeks since the Hamas army of terror launched its savage and brutal assault on our greatest ally in the Middle East. The House and its bipartisan solution have only been met with obstruction by my friends across the aisle in this Chamber, and

the American public wants to know why the White House and my friends here across the aisle insist upon leveraging this funding in order to fund their other priorities.

Is there really anybody across the aisle who objects to Israel receiving funding and to help stop this war against humanity?

This delay in providing this aid is not lost on Israel, raising questions about our commitment as an ally, and perhaps equally concerning is the message it sends to Hamas terrorists, emboldening them in their murderous endeavors. And our slow response reinforces the White House message that America has no redline, and they can continue to attack our military without significant recourse.

America is not a fair-weather friend. We must stand unequivocally with Israel, a country that has stood beside us as a staunch ally through thick and thin. We must pass this aid today.

Now, when I met with Doran--who lost, as you recall, four members of his family on October 7--he pledged with me to help get one clear message to the American people: Hamas does not use logic. We are not dealing with a civilized nation here. Their evil defies any type of logic. They don't make sense. These people are evil monsters who rape, torture, and kill their enemies.

And, by the way, every person in this room is one of their enemies. Anyone in America who does not believe in their religious ideas is their enemy, whom they have pledged to kill.

Hamas, Iran, and its proxies have all taken an oath to kill every American. Yet some of my colleagues across the aisle have attempted to delay the delivery of this critical military assistance, as they call for negotiations with these terrorists in a ceasefire.

I would ask each one of my friends across the aisle who is holding up this bipartisan funding to sit down with a victim of Hamas's savage attacks. Please invite any one of the 170 family members who are here on Capitol Hill today, who have family members currently being held as hostages--their friends and family members being used as a human shield by this evil terrorist group. I am asking you to sit down with them and listen to their stories of how Hamas terrorists tortured, maimed, and massacred the most Jewish people in a single day since the horror of horrors, the Nazi Holocaust.

I want to make sure it is clear today: Hamas evil defies any logic. There is no negotiating with them. There are no terms that they would seriously consider. All they understand are death, horror, and destruction.

Let's make this point perfectly clear. Our hesitation to provide bipartisan funding to our staunch ally Israel empowers Hamas and gives Iran and its proxies a green light to kill Americans.

I would like to urge everyone to take this measure and adopt it immediately. And, for now, I would like to yield to the gentleman from Ohio, my friend Senator Vance.

Mr. President, let me start by thanking my colleagues from the great State of Ohio and Missouri for standing beside the people of Israel unequivocally.

But before we turn the floor back to those who protest too much, those who protest against this stand-alone Israel funding, let's address some of the objections made by the Senate Democrats last week.

It is important that we focus on the urgency of aiding Israel without tying it to other complex, timekilling, unrelated conflicts.

In last week's debate here on the Senate floor on Israel's safety and security, Senate Democrats mentioned Ukraine 77 times, more than twice of what they mentioned Israel.

I ask Americans to listen to this debate and count for themselves how many times my friends across the aisle mention Ukraine but turn their back, almost like they are allergic, to using the word ``Israel.''

They took 45 minutes of their hour-long speeches to make their case for Ukraine funding. Look, I get it. I get it: You want to fund Ukraine. But let's have that debate another day.

What Americans understand about Ukraine is that Joe Biden has thrown $113 billion at the problem with minimal accountability. And in return, 200,000 people have died. Americans understand that the war in Ukraine is at a stalemate, and it is going to turn into a 7-, probably 10-year war. It is going to turn into a war of attrition. What is the plan, Americans want to know? How much more of their blood and treasure do we have to send overseas? Let's debate Ukraine funding another day.

Now, next, my friends across the aisle are going to use the pay-fors as an excuse. If that is the reason you won't support stand-alone funding for Israel, then give us a different pay-for. But, meanwhile, time is of the essence. Your caucus and our caucus are divided on funding for Ukraine. Your caucus and our caucus are divided on how to solve the open-border crisis.

And I don't hear any solutions offered from the Republican-controlled House, the people's House, that the first thing we don't hear from the White House and the Senate leadership is that it is dead on arrival, and vice versa. Anything that we are offering they say is dead on arrival.

Folks, we are no closer today on figuring out Ukraine funding or how to solve the open-border crisis than we were a month ago, two months ago, six months ago. We are months apart, I think we are infinitely apart, from solving these problems.

Meanwhile, Hamas and Iran grow more emboldened and World War III inches closer. I don't hear anyone saying, from either side of the aisle, don't fund Israel. So why don't we fund Israel today? Don't tell me why we should fund Ukraine. Don't tell me you don't like the pay- for. Stand up today and tell me why we shouldn't fund Israel today. Tell me why we shouldn't use Israel as a leverage for your other priorities.

Tell me why we shouldn't send a message to Hamas and Iran. And the message that we are going to send them is that we will not tolerate this barbarism, these atrocities, these crimes against humanity.

Time is of the essence. The House has passed a stand-alone bill to fund Israel. The Senate should do the same.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of H.R. 6126, which is received from the House. I further ask the bill be considered read a third time and passed, and that the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table.

Mr. President, I call for regular order.

Mr. President, thank you to my colleagues for their comments today and for their arguments. Many were good arguments. Some of the facts, the American people disagree with. Some of the conclusions, the American people disagree with.

What I heard today was once again from my colleagues spending 80 percent of their time focusing on Ukraine funding; but I didn't hear one person say why we shouldn't go ahead and fund Israel today, why we shouldn't send a bill to the President's desk today.

Look, we have debated Ukraine at lengths. Put a bill on the floor. Let's

vote on Ukraine funding. My friends across the aisle have said that Ukraine is winning this war, and many of the same reasons they give us to continue to support Ukraine are the same words I heard in grade school as to why we should support the cause in Vietnam. They are the same arguments.

If Ukraine is winning, then why have Poland, Slovakia, and Hungary abandoned Ukraine? Why is the frontline not moving?

Some of my friends brought up aid. Look, if you want aid to the hospitals in Gaza, if you want aid to Gaza itself, then tell Iran to stand down. Tell Hamas to release the hostages. I don't hear anyone talking about that. Tell Hamas to surrender. Let's send a message from the Senate that we unequivocally stand beside Israel.

And I will close with this: One of my friends across the aisle talked about President Reagan. What I will remember about President Reagan and, before him, Eisenhower is that they stressed peace through strength. But this White House is giving us war through weakness.

Time is of the essence. We need to get Israel the funding. Thank you.

Mr. President, I move to proceed to Calendar No. 241, making emergency supplemental appropriations to respond to the attacks in Israel.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent for the quorum call to be vitiated.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the quorum call be vitiated.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the quorum call be vitiated.

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

Mr. President, what if it was your family in these body bags? What if your wife, your daughter, or your mom were raped, tortured, and killed? What if videos of your baby or your grandchild being massacred were posted all over social media? What if a month had passed and there has been no meaningful action from your ally, the most powerful nation in the world?

I stand here today to right this wrong. Today, we will show the world that, once again, America will be there to do justice, to stand up for humanity, and ensure Hamas does not become more powerful.

As I stand in this Chamber, we have the opportunity to send a real message to Iran and its terrorist proxies that we will stop their hatred and evil from spreading.

This morning, I rise in support of the bipartisan, House-passed, standalone legislation to provide aid to the people of Israel, our strongest ally in the Middle East, during their ongoing war with Hamas. It is hard to believe that today marks a month--a month--since the October 7 savage attacks by the Hamas army of terror on the people of Israel.

Hamas unleashed an attack that was worse than animals, killing thousands of Israelis and 36 American citizens. And, right now, there are as many as 240 people taken hostage by these savages that only know one language: death and destruction.

Right now, there are families of hostages here at the U.S. Capitol begging for their loved ones to be no longer tortured, for their loved ones to reach safety from the grips of this evil army of terror.

Time is of the essence. And it is imperative that the Senate not delay delivering this crucial aid to Israel another day. A timely military aid package with a unified voice from Congress showing support for Israel will not only add to Israel's stability, it will slow down and hopefully stop the evil plots of Hamas, Iran, and its proxies.

Our bill provides military assistance and resources to Israel at the exact spending levels the Biden administration has requested. And I want to emphasize: These are the exact spending levels President Biden put forth that he agrees Israel needs in this time of war.

You can imagine my surprise--and the surprise of many--to hear that our Commander in Chief, admitting to a significant security crisis in the Middle East, has threatened to veto this aid package.

Now, think about this. Our President is threatening to veto the aid he requested from Congress. With this veto, he would snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. And why? ``Why?'' many, many people are asking. Just because it isn't being leveraged for a $105 billion boondoggle package with another blank check to another unending war in Ukraine.

Today, we plan on calling the President's bluff and delivering this critical standalone measure in a bipartisan victory for the White House. We must fast-track this much needed assistance to one of our staunchest allies: the people of Israel.

If this military aid and our strong message of support is not delivered soon, Israel will find itself fighting a war on three fronts. We know that Iran has those capabilities; that through their proxy forces, they have the ability to send long-range missiles to Israel from Lebanon and Yemen.

Helping our ally who is fighting a war from all angles against Hamas shouldn't require a prolonged battle here in Congress. This is a no- brainer and should have been done yesterday--or the week before.

The support for this package to Israel is bipartisan and bicameral. Again, our legislation honors the spending levels outlined by the Biden administration for Israel and keeps aid to Israel separate from the other conflicts.

What I want to make perfectly clear to every American is that our standalone package is an opportunity to secure a huge, bipartisan win for all of humankind and get aid to Israel quickly. The legislation we brought to the floor today ensures that funding for Israel is not coupled with a billion dollars of additional moneys in aid to Ukraine, Taiwan, or for a mass amnesty program at the border.

By passing this standalone spending bill today, the Senate will expedite the arrival of the assistance to Israel after the House and our newly elected Speaker, Mike Johnson, passed with bipartisan support.

Now, many of us have concerns about the Ukraine conflict. But until the White House answers the 12 questions posed by the House, including the need for an inspector general and a clear-cut peace strategy, many of us will continue to block sending billions more in dollars to what looks like a stalemate that has already, tragically, cost over 200,000 lives.

Here in the home front, what is even more disheartening for the American people is this White House embrace of open-border policies that has allowed almost 10 million--that is right, we are approaching 10 million illegal crossings of our border, making every State a border State and every American less safe.

And it is a poke in the eye to every Member of Congress who has been to

the border and advocated for border security. This President sends us a $105 billion bill, gaslighting the American people with a small fraction of this money going to Israel, and funds to make our border even more porous--more open--with an asylum-assist program on steroids.

This is a slap in the face and disrespectful for the families who have lost a loved one to the fentanyl crisis, for the communities who are overwhelmed by our open borders, and for every American who feels less and less safe in their own homes every day. This package the White House has given us is the only unserious package in town, jammed with very serious topics, and each of these issues should be debated fully, completely, and individually.

But today, on this Senate floor, we have the opportunity to make a difference for the people of Israel and all mankind. The legislation we brought to the floor would provide $14 billion to Israel, including $3.5 billion for foreign military financing and $200 million in diplomatic funding to help protect the U.S. Embassy and personnel.

This bill would provide funding for the Iron Dome and Iron Beam defense systems. It will allow the United States to stockpile more weapons in Israel and provide more funding to protect U.S. Embassies.

Importantly, this bill strips all aid to Gaza, which we know is frequently commandeered by Hamas.

All this will make Israel safer and help stop this war. And, yes, Israel has the right to defend itself and to defend its people.

Our legislation is a real opportunity to find common ground and unite here to help our allies. It passed with 226 bipartisan votes in the House. Let's stop playing politics and pass this stand-alone bill for Israel right now. The House moved quickly to deliver this legislation to us here in the Senate. We should do the same and get it to the President's desk today.

Today, I am pleased to be joined by one of my colleagues from the great State of Ohio, Senator Vance, in leading this effort in the Senate and pushing for its passage today so we don't delay this critical funding for our greatest ally in the Middle East, Israel, and stop the spread of terror.

I yield to the gentleman from Ohio.

As if in legislative session, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of H.R. 6126, which was received from the House. I further ask that the bill be considered read a third time and passed and that the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table.

Mr. President, this has certainly been one of the most substantive debates we have had up here--very meaningful and very important to myself--because it exposes what our priorities are as Senators to everybody across the Nation.

Today, I heard lots of arguments on why we should combine funding. People essentially want to leverage support for Israel for their own priorities. Again, there were lots of arguments on why we should combine the funding, but I didn't hear one meaningful argument that describes why we should not fund Israel singularly. Why shouldn't we just do it by itself? There is near unanimous agreement up here. This is a great opportunity to say, indeed, this is the time to support Israel. No one is abandoning Ukraine today. We are not abandoning Taiwan today.

But it is interesting to me that no one talked about the concern of the corruption in Ukraine, talked about their federal government nationalizing communications companies, the fact that Poland and Hungary and other countries are leaving them and saying that they don't support the war anymore.

No one is talking about peace. No one is talking about the 200,000 people who have already died in Ukraine. Are those bodies--are those people not important as well? Why isn't America leading a peace agreement?

Time is of the essence. Time is of the essence. But, as we can tell today, we can debate each and every one of these topics until the Sun sets here, until the Sun rises in Israel, but there is not unanimous-- not near unanimous support for Ukraine without some certain questions being answered. Lots of questions need to be answered. Is there a plan?

Look at the schedules this week. Why are we talking about some type of supplemental bill on the floor? Why don't we have it on the floor yet? If we were serious up here, if my leaders across the aisle and at the White House were serious, they would have had something on the floor last week. This is the administration that takes a week to decide to send an aircraft carrier when our allies are in need. The schedule this week is embarrassing, what we are spending time on up here.

I want to go back to priorities. I think so often all these causes are important, and we all agree that we need to address each and every one of them, but if I listen to my friends across the aisle, they would describe Ukraine as the priority.

I don't think anyone back home can really take the President's supplemental bill as serious when he actually makes the border more open. Ten million people have crossed the border illegally under his watch, and what he throws into this supplemental package is actually going to increase the number of people crossing the border illegally. The priority should be to fix a broken immigration system and to secure the border; that at the end of the day, there are less people crossing the border illegally, not more; that we need a policy that turns off this magnet of asking people to come here.

At the end of the day, what it looks like to me is my friends across the aisle want to take this opportunity of support for Israel and leverage it to pass their votes for their own agenda--an agenda of an open border, endless funding for an endless war in Ukraine.

Every day I wake up, I pray that I would do justice, that I would love mercy, and I would like to think that would be true of every Member of the Senate.

The argument today is not about the IRS. It is not about what is happening in the House. It is about what we are saying. It is about what we are doing and our willingness to stand up and fight in this case for the people of Israel. But this is a battle that goes way beyond just a battle between the people of Israel and the Hamas army of terror; this is a battle for the future of humankind.

We have encountered 179 known terrorists on the watch list, 60,000 aliens of interest have crossed our border, and the numbers go on. Just this week, they caught a terrorist who was released at the border, caught in New York as well.

This is about doing what is fair, what is right, and what is just. We may disagree on Ukraine. We may disagree on what we should do in Taiwan. We definitely disagree on what we should do at the border. And I will admit to you, I could be wrong on Ukraine. It will take history 50 or 100 or 200 years to find out who was right or wrong on Ukraine. But I am telling you this. You can take this to the bank: I am right on securing the border, and I am right on supporting Israel.

Mr. President, I yield the floor.

Mr. President, it is always a great honor to come to this hallowed floor to fight for our youth, our Nation's greatest treasure.

I would ask the White House to leave our kids alone. They are the ones that have picked this fight. It is the White House that won't leave our kids alone.

I rise in support of S.J. Res. 42, which would strike down a policy memorandum regarding the Federal school lunch program that the USDA issued that has been weaponized against our youth. That is right. This administration is using school lunches to attack our youth, to implement their transgender policies.

Let me begin by stating as a physician, as an OB/GYN, I devoted my entire life to the health and well-being of moms and children. From a mother's first visit to our office to the baby's birth and during the childhood, nutrition is a key to the healthy development and growth of every infant, toddler, and school-age child. During my time as a doctor and now on Capitol Hill, there is nothing I stress more to moms than the importance of nutrition.

With that being said, I would like to make it abundantly clear as I address this Chamber, there is no greater champion for children's health and nutrition than me. That is why, as you can imagine, I am deeply troubled by the way my friends across the aisle have described the intent of this resolution today. I am actually shocked by just how wrong and, frankly, deceitful they are with their tactics and messaging on this CRA.

Let me be clear, the only player in this policy fight that wants to and has actually suspended access to the school lunch program is the Biden administration. After 3 years, I thought I had seen it all when it came to what this current administration is willing to do in order to force its radical transgender agenda on the American people. Unfortunately, we have underestimated how committed they are to forcing this harmful ideology on all of us.

Today, I am bringing this resolution to the floor to expose the lengths the Biden administration is willing to go to appease the far- left factions of their party. I learned a long time ago with this White House: Don't listen to what they say; watch what they do. Take note; observe their actions.

Listen to this: A memorandum issued by the USDA last May shows they have extended fighting the cultural war in a way that leaves school lunches for children hanging in the balance. Right now, as I stand here in this Chamber, the Biden administration is threatening food assistance for low-income kids unless the schools they attend carry out their transgender agenda, putting children's access to lunch at risk.

This resolution of disapproval we are considering today aims to overturn this horrific policy memorandum for the USDA which would deny low-income kids access to the Federal school lunch program if their school does not adhere to the Biden administration's mandate. This includes, but is not limited to, requiring biological boys to be given access to girls' bathrooms and locker rooms or allowing biological boys to compete in girls' sports.

We have heard all these stories of young women denied opportunities to win a championship or gain a scholarship because a biological boy was allowed to compete in their events. Listen, this is flat-out wrong. As someone who was a middle school student when title IX was enacted and I saw firsthand the value of that law to allow young girls to participate in school sports--many of whom went on to receive athletic scholarships--to see this action by the White House is heartbreaking.

The USDA memorandum would force Christian schools to abandon their religious beliefs. Listen, this is not hyperbole or political rhetoric. The Biden administration has already weaponized the school lunch program and suspended access to the school lunch program specifically in two schools, requiring both to file lawsuits over losing Federal food assistance.

In California, the USDA has actually taken away school lunch funding from kids because a Christian school refused to violate their closely held religious beliefs and their hiring policies because this school wanted to draw the workforce from a pool of individuals who share their values and live out their religious convictions. Children, including LGBTQ families, had their Federal funding for their lunches taken away. This is fact.

What is ironic here is there was an original case in Florida where USDA granted an exemption for religious schools and forced the Federal statute that includes a robust religious exception. But this year, a second lawsuit has been filed because the USDA wasn't abiding by the standard the statute set. If the USDA is not going to follow its own exemption and ignore Federal law, then we must act--and we must act today.

More than 20 Republican attorneys general agree with me and are suing the USDA over the policy memorandum. If this USDA policy continues, schools risk losing Federal funds for free and reduced lunches.

In total, more than 29 million students nationwide receive free or reduced lunch programs, something I am proud to support.

We must protect these children's food security, their privacy, and their safety at all costs. The USDA has no authority to force this on our children or the schools they attend; to adhere to woke mandate such as requiring boys to be given access to girls' bathrooms and locker rooms or allowing boys to compete against girls in girls' sports. The USDA has no authority to tell Christian schools they have to violate their religious beliefs.

I will wrap up it up with this. We must stop this policy dead in its tracks to protect access to school lunches for students across this country and send a clear message to this administration: Stop weaponizing the Federal Government.

Let me state again: The only player in this policy fight aiming to take away access to the school lunch program is the Biden administration. This CRA would not allow for discrimination against kids in the lunch line. That is protected by Federal law. It is in the statute.

With that, I encourage my colleagues to support its passage.

I would like to yield the remainder of my time to the Senator from the great State of Texas, Senator Cruz.

I ask unanimous consent for 30 more seconds for one brief point.

The only player in this policy fight that wants to take away lunches from schoolchildren is the Biden administration. Since they are unaware this is already happening, here are the two court cases where schools have had to sue in order to feed children at their schools. The first one

is Grant Park Christian Academy v. Fried; the second, the Church of Compassion v. Johnson. The USDA was party to those.

I urge a ``yes'' vote.

I yield back.

Vote on S.J. Res. 42

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

Madam President, let my message to Israel be clear: America stands with you and your right to defend yourself from this unspeakable evil perpetrated by Hamas.

From my earliest memories, my mom, my Sunday school teachers told me that we support Israel. And as you go through your faith journey, as you go through your education, you learn why your mom and your Sunday school teachers said: We support Israel. I looked no further than my own bedroom wall to see Moses's Ten Commandments there that my mom had put for my brother and myself to look at every day when we awoke in the morning.

We learned later that Moses was indeed the greatest lawgiver; that this

Nation was founded on Judeo-Christian values. It is what defines the United States of America in so many ways. And to our faith partners in Israel, we are grateful for that heritage and culture that they passed on to us.

But what I have learned as a Member of Congress, I need to pass on to every person in America--how important Israel is as an ally. In so many ways, they are the eyes and ears for America in a very, very troubled land. No doubt, their efforts have prevented the deaths of tens of thousands of Americans by thwarting terrorist attacks from our enemies. We are so blessed to share military technology that is saving American lives as well. Indeed, Israel has been one of our greatest, most staunch allies.

Today, we need to face the truth. We need to tell the truth. Hamas is a terrorist organization, and it only knows one language: death and destruction. Hamas's sole purpose is to radicalize its people, serve as a breeding ground for terrorism, and entirely eradicate Israel and other freedom-loving people like Americans.

The actions of Hamas over this last week serve as an illustration of their principles. Look, Hamas has no interest in dialogue, only in destruction. Hamas does not want peace, they want punishment. Hamas wants war, not coexistence. Hamas is a terrorist army with a track record of unspeakable brutality and a commitment to wiping out not just Israel but America as well. This terrorist organization knows only one language: death and destruction.

But the head of the snake is Iran. That is part of the truth that needs to be told. Iran is the head of the snake and Hamas is just a puppet fulfilling the prophecy of its leader. Hamas fighters and other terrorist groups are inspired, encouraged, and empowered by Iran to continue committing more brutal, more savage, and more devastating terrorist attacks around the globe.

Look, I think there is no doubt in my mind that Iran planned, they funded, they armed, and they authorized the brutal murders of babies, burning women alive in the streets, and killing 30 Americans. This blood--the blood of American citizens--is on the hands of Iran and Hamas. As we go forward over these next weeks, these next months, we need to realize that all the blood being shed belongs on the hands of Iran.

I would ask the White House to strongly condemn Iran's actions and disavow their terrorist regime. We need to stop empowering Iran. We need to stop encouraging them to develop nuclear weapons and making it possible to do that. We need to turn off their spigots. Right now, Iran is selling $1 billion of oil every week to pay for wars like this.

Under this administration, Iran's reserves have gone from $6 billion to $60 billion. We have to stop turning our heads to the sanctions. We need to double down on our sanctions. We need to stop the funding from Iran, this head of the snake.

Lastly, we need to make sure that all the other puppets of Iran know that if they engage further in war with Israel, as my dad would say, there will be hell to pay. This seems complicated to many people, but I think that is why it is so important that the United States outline exactly what our priorities are as we undertake these next several weeks.

No. 1, first and foremost, should be a focus on getting American citizens back home safely and to free American hostages. Every day that we wait, every day that goes by, American hostages are being terrorized. They are being tortured by Hamas. It goes without saying that we need to cut the head off the snake, which is Iran.

As I really ponder what is ahead of us here in the near future, I think about what one of my boyhood heroes said, Dwight David Eisenhower, 34th President of the United States. This is what President Eisenhower said:

I hate war as only a soldier who has lived it can, only as

one who has seen its brutality, its futility, and its

stupidity.

I, too, hate war. This is not going to be pretty for the next several weeks and, I am afraid, months even.

We need to be clear about what Israel is up against. Their opponents, they are worse than animals. They are using women and babies as human shields and harboring hundreds of hostages.

I support Israel, and I understand and encourage their need to fight fire with fire when it comes to decimating this threat. The existence of Hamas is a clear and present danger to the United States, to Israel, and the entire free world. There is no safe Israel; there is no safe world; there is no safe America as long as Hamas lives in the Gaza Strip.

Again, I just pledge my support to the people of Israel.

I yield the floor.

Mr. President, today, I rise in support of the passage of S.J. Res. 9, providing for congressional disapproval of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's rule regarding the lesser prairie-chicken under the Congressional Review Act over the objections of President Biden.

This week, the White House continued their war on American agriculture with its latest veto on our bipartisan lesser prairie- chicken resolution, S.J. Res. 9.

The White House has shown time and time again how truly out of touch they are with grassroots farmers and ranchers and their commitment to the environment.

Recently, the White House made the bold claim that the prairie- chicken population serves as an indicator for healthy grasslands and prairies.

To start with, I want to personally invite the U.S. Fish and Wildlife folks to the great plains of Kansas to see firsthand the many conservation efforts of our local landowners. The comment from the White House suggests that the prairies of Kansas are unhealthy, that our ranchers are the problem and not the solution. It seems obvious that once again the Agencies know little to nothing about the blood, sweat, and tears and the pride our landowners pour into their land to make sure it is cleaner, safer, and healthier for future generations.

Furthermore, the White House suggests our efforts in Congress to delist the bird ``create uncertainty for landowners and industries who have been working for years to forge the durable, locally-led conservation strategies.''

Mr. President, all of the industries impacted by this listing, who are supporters of our resolution, would strongly disagree with your statement.

However, the White House is right on one thing--it is right on the count. For over 20 years, Federal, State, and private landowners have voluntarily collaborated with the Fish and Wildlife Service to conserve the lesser prairie-chicken and its habitat. These partnerships have already resulted in conservation agreements covering roughly 15 million acres of potential habitat for the species. In fact, these efforts have been so successful that the lesser prairie-chicken species is now considered stable in Kansas.

On the other hand--make no mistake about it--this veto creates uncertainty. I have to ask the White House: What message does listing the bird now, after all the good conservation work, send to those of us who have successfully labored to improve the lands handed to us from previous generations? I will tell you the message it sends: that the hammer will still fall regardless of these successful efforts, and the government will step in and regulate our industry out of existence despite successful conservation efforts.

The Federal Government thinks it knows best when it comes to conservation. I rise to say that this assumption is wrong. Despite billions of dollars spent in the name of the Endangered Species Act, the law continues to fail at its underlying mission of recovering and delisting species. Less than 2 percent of all listed species have been removed from ESA protection since 1973.

It is clear the ESA is merely another tool weaponized by this administration to attack those of us in rural America. This is unsurprising coming from a White House that vetoed the bipartisan resolution striking down the waters of the U.S. rule.

Through a combination of public and private efforts, the lesser prairie-chicken is now better protected than at any previous time. A listing as ``threatened'' or ``endangered'' will not provide any additional conservation benefits above what already exist.

While the numbers of the lesser prairie-chicken tend to follow rainfall, numbers range-wide have been growing since the Obama administration attempted to list the bird in 2014.

No one in this body wants to see this bird go extinct. No oil producer, rancher, farmer, wind energy producer--none of us wants the demise of the prairie-chicken. That is why voluntary partnerships have worked. A listing now will only push oil and gas developments to countries that have long track records of violating human rights or extract these important energy sources in a manner which is more harmful to the environment than American producers.

Whether it is gas, diesel, wind, or solar energy, a listing now will only increase the cost of energy for Kansans. A listing now will federalize millions of acres of ranchland, increasing the regulatory burden for our farmers and ranchers, ultimately increasing the cost of food. I ask you, for what purpose? An attempt to protect a species by an Agency which has only successfully recovered 2 percent of species it has listed.

I know and believe in the local communities that have and will continue to do what is best for the land, which is what will be best for the lesser prairie-chicken.

This administration continues to ignore the impact that overregulation

has on American industries. This administration's costs of rules and regulations already outpace the last two administrations combined. From January 21, 2021, through August 4 of this year, final rules from the current administration imposed roughly $400 billion in total costs, with more than 232 million hours of annual paperwork.

In summary, our resolution is one of the many important steps the Senate GOP has taken to unburden the economy from the bureaucratic harassment being employed by the Biden administration.

I again urge you to join me in applauding rather than punishing good, voluntary conservation efforts and support the joint resolution for congressional disapproval of the lesser prairie-chicken listing over the objections of the President.

I yield the floor.

I ask for the yeas and nays.

Thank you so much for sharing this moment with us. You know, one of my mentors here on the Hill has a saying that some Senators come here to make a point and others come to make a difference. The first time Senator Sanders and I sat down together, he said: Roger, do you want to make a difference?

We have worked so hard on this issue together, developing rapport, confidence in each other, in our staff--they have all done an incredible job--as we try to get through this riddle from healthcare challenges throughout this great Nation.

I think as both of us travel back to our home States of Vermont and Kansas, what we found is that not everybody has meaningful, affordable access to primary care. So we went out and tried to find the best actors, what is the best outcome, who is making a dent? And I think we both discovered that our community health centers were doing a great job. They had taken many pilot programs, and they were improving them.

I am not sure what Senator Sanders would talk about some of his, but what I saw was this meeting patients where they are a concept, integrating all the different elements of primary care--not just your blood pressure, not just your Accu-Chek, but also your mental health. Dental needs, as well, are just a few more things we are seeing being integrated into the community health centers--nutrition coaching, something that has seldom been done in clinics before. So I think we saw these community health centers as doing a great job. And we asked each other: How can we improve upon that?

And Senator Sanders and I agreed on this lofty goal that we could get more Americans into these clinics, and that was a great solution for primary care. So for the past 3 months, we have had a very thoughtful approach to this problem. And even before then, our committees had multiple hearings with different folks as they tried to address the problem as well. And then we had multiple Zooms and meetings with folks back home: How do we solve this primary care problem and, again, this mental health epidemic slapping us in the face every time we go back?

And, certainly, I think most of our committee would agree that the community health centers are a great solution, but they need to be bolstered and need to continue that mission across this great Nation.

So I am proud of the work that we have done on the community health centers in this legislation--again, thoughtful legislation. And our goal is to make sure it doesn't cost American taxpayers any more.

Again, Senator Sanders and I both said many times this country is spending plenty of money on healthcare, but maybe we need to refocus a little bit more of it to primary care. That is what we have done with this legislation, again, with a thoughtful approach. And our goal, again, is to make sure it is all paid for and it doesn't cost the American taxpayer any more.

I think the other big issue that we found in common with folks back home is a nursing shortage and a primary care doctor shortage. If there is one thing that this bill would do, it would turn around the nursing crisis in a matter of just 3 years.

My own wife is a community college graduate nurse. Ninety percent of the nurses in our hospitals in Kansas, especially the rural hospitals, are 2-year community college graduates. So what we have done with this legislation is bolster more money for nursing programs. And the other program, like Senator Sanders said, the other challenge, is colleges cannot afford the faculty, the nursing faculty. So we have some money to help bolster that program up as well.

We have young men and women standing in line for incredible jobs in healthcare, but we don't have the faculty to bring them in. So we help with scholarships. We help with the faculty. That alone will change the dynamics across America if we have more nurses who are just the glue to this healthcare

system. And then the next challenge of the attack here is just a shortage of primary care doctors in so many ways as well.

So the legislation addresses that. It is great steps forward. I have been very proud, again, to work with Senator Sanders and his team, finding common ground. And I think we made incredible strides.

Senator Sanders and I have talked many times about our community health centers. I might just ask him about the successes that you are seeing in your community health centers and what your vision going forward looks like.

Senator Sanders and I discussed this vision of what primary care looks like in the future, making sure we are meeting patients where they are.

Some of our community health centers back home are bringing in the food bank; they are bringing in the WIC Programs, social services, basic mammography. We lose track of the patients when we have to say: Come back in a month for your mammogram. Instead, it is a great thing to say: Let's get it done today.

One of the biggest underserved areas of medicine is dental. I know that one of Senator Sanders' visions, specifically, in this legislation is to address the dental crisis. As an obstetrician myself, the only known cause of preterm labor is poor dental health, caries, cavities, whatever you want to call it. There are lots of links to having cavities and poor gum health to having heart attacks as well. It is a way underrecognized challenge for primary care.

I can't tell you how many times I have been called at 10 at night or 2 in the morning on a Saturday with one of my OB patients who is obviously very pregnant, but she has a cavity, and now, it turned into an abscess. I can't get her into a dentist. I call all my buddies. It is Saturday, 10 p.m., and all my buddies, the dentists, are gone.

Share your vision on dental and how this bill impacts that.

I want to turn this discussion to what our vision is for these primary care community health centers.

I think we all realize we have an obesity epidemic in this country, too, and a type 2 diabetic epidemic in this country that we need to address on the front end.

I am so happy to see some of my community health centers coming in and doing nutrition classes. They are doing cooking classes. I think so many folks of our current generation maybe learned how to do some cooking, but fast foods were a little bit too easy. It is that out-of- the-box thinking you get with different programs. I call it coaching. We need to be coaching folks up and teaching them but also give them the opportunities. So whether we are on the Ag Committee and working on food programs, we try to bring all these pieces together in the program as well.

I know Senator Sanders is also certainly committed to helping us address this. He has been a leader on this issue, trying to take care of folks with diabetes as well.

I might close with a couple of thoughts. Again, we came in with the lofty expectations that we could make a difference in primary care for people across the Nation. I think our bill accomplishes just that.

Again, I can't thank the staff enough for their support through this. Senator Sanders and I spent most of the August recess--and our staff spent every moment of every hour of every day on this August recess-- working on this legislation. I think it is a good product. I think there is always opportunity for improvement. We are welcome to those ideas.

I appreciate the Senator using traditional Hyde protections at the appropriate places, so we maintained that, which is important to many folks, including to myself. I think we addressed primary care issues. I think we have a plan to increase the nursing workforce. Again, in 3 years' time, we can turn that problem around and long-term address some of the primary care issues. Addressing dental, as well, I think will be a huge improvement.

At the end of the day, you cannot overestimate how much money this will save in programs like Medicare and Medicaid and the health insurance back home and help drive the cost of healthcare down for people. I am glad

to see us try to emphasize maybe some better ways to spend the American taxpayer moneys.

But most importantly to me, the physician, is just this is the right thing to do. This is absolutely the right thing to do. It is a chance to improve the health of Americans. I am just proud to stand here beside Senator Sanders and introduce this legislation. Thank you.

Mr. President, I rise today to honor and celebrate the career and legacy of Mr. David Smith.

In the realm of visionary leadership in the independent grocery industry, few names shine as brightly as David Smith's. David has had a long and successful career in the food industry, beginning as an independent store owner and then rising the ranks to work in various assignments at the wholesale level in leadership positions, and serving as an officer on the National Grocers Association board of directors executive committee.

David's ascent to the helm of Associated Wholesale Grocers marked a pivotal moment in the company's strategic direction. Guided by an unwavering commitment to excellence, he steered AWG to new horizons of growth and prosperity. His strategic acumen and forward-thinking approach not only expanded the company's reach but also fostered an environment of collaboration and empowerment.

A true luminary, David's leadership extended beyond the boardroom. His emphasis on cultivating strong partnerships transformed suppliers into allies, fostering a sense of unity within the industry. David's ability to foresee trends and adapt to evolving market dynamics was nothing short of remarkable.

David's legacy extends far beyond business success. His philanthropic endeavors exemplify his compassionate heart and commitment to giving back to the community. His leadership in charitable initiatives served as a beacon of hope, illuminating the path toward positive change and societal betterment.

As we reflect on his remarkable journey, we pay homage to a servant leader who redefined mentorship, innovation, and corporate responsibility. His legacy serves as a testament to the transformative power of visionary thinking and unwavering determination. In commemorating David Smith, we pay tribute to his shining example of what is possible when passion, purpose, and leadership converge.

I now ask my colleagues to join me in honoring the legacy and career of Mr. David Smith, as well as congratulate him on his upcoming retirement.

Madam President, I am proud to stand in the gap. I am proud to stand in this foxhole with my friends and my colleagues and with the Democratic whip from Illinois, Senator Durbin, and my friend Senator Welch from Vermont.

The Democratic whip is right. The Senate has to choose. Who are we going to listen to? Are we going to listen to Wall Street, or are we going to listen to the folks back home?

Across Kansas, everyone is feeling the impacts of inflation. Family budgets are being stretched to the absolute limit, with little room for error. So you can imagine the shock in Kansans' eyes when I tell them, this year, they will spend over $1,000 in hidden credit

card swipe fees--which is really a tax. These swipe fees are really just another additional tax--in this case, a 2- to 4-percent tax paid to Wall Street--on top of every purchase you make.

These fees are baked into nearly every purchase you make, whether it is your morning coffee--that Starbucks cup of coffee that you are paying $7, $8 for, you are going to send 2 percent more, 3 percent, 4 percent more to Wall Street. When you stop and fill up your gas tank-- again, $50, $100 of gas--you are going to spend 2 or 3 percent, sending that to Wall Street. On school supplies, shopping, groceries, every time you swipe your card--every time--the Visa and Mastercard duopoly and Wall Street megabanks line their pockets.

Madam President, I rise today with a clear message to Wall Street: Enough is enough.

And before you feel sorry for these multibillion-dollar industries, I want to remind everyone that on top of the nearly $100 billion in fees Americans pay to Wall Street, these banks charge an average of 25 percent interest to consumers. The average consumer in America carries a balance of over $1,000 every month--25 percent interest. Back home, we would call that highway robbery.

At a time when Kansans are facing the highest inflation prices in 40 years, small businesses are fighting to keep their losses and their costs low while Wall Street plots their next payday, announcing, as the whip said, that they are doubling down and hiking up their fees on merchants and consumers yet again this fall.

Now, I, for one, am not going to stand for the massive wealthy corporations price-gouging small businesses at every turn. In fact, as I speak, swipe fees here in America are a staggering seven times higher than those in the European Union. Americans are paying seven times more for this swipe fee than the folks in the European Union are.

Now, that is not a trivial difference. That is a canyon-size gap. Why should our small businesses and, by extension, our consumers bear such a disproportionate burden to our friends in the EU? Are payments seven times more secure in America than in the rest of the world? Of course not. Is the Visa-Mastercard duopoly providing American consumers seven times the value and customer service they provide their EU customers? Of course not.

It is simple: They are exploiting our weakness. Due to this lack of competition in the payment processing industry, Visa and Mastercard are grabbing every penny they can from small businesses and consumers until this gets fixed.

When I was first sworn in, my friend and mentor, the late, great Senator Bob Dole, gave me the best advice I could ever get. He said: Listen to Kansans. When you have a concern, when you don't know what to do, go back home and listen to Kansans.

And I am sure my colleagues are hearing the same voices that I am hearing back home.

In August, I went to visit a little grocery store in Conway Springs. It was called Hired Man's Grocery & Grill. Hired Man's Grocery & Grill is run by a wonderful couple, Jenny and Clint; and their employees, for the most part, are high school students. They are the only grocery store in town. That is why they opened it. They were indeed in a desert--a food desert. They are the only ones in the community with fresh produce and butchered cuts of meat as well. Their products are crucial to the success of the town, and without their help, this community would have no grocery store.

When I visited them, they shared with me their challenges: Inflation is raising prices for their business, and swipe fees are eating away at their profits. In fact, they are paying more in swipe fees than they do for utilities or employee healthcare--more in swipe fees than utilities or their employee healthcare.

Now, back in Kansas, we have a saying: Pigs get fat; hogs get slaughtered.

Visa and Mastercard have gotten hoggish on the backs of hard-working Americans.

I understand my colleagues from the great State of Illinois and Vermont and I have bull's-eyes on our backs, and those who support this legislation are being attacked by misleading ads. But I guess that just simply means we are over the target.

But when we have legislation that will benefit every single person in Vermont, Illinois, Kansas, and every American who uses a credit card, I am moving full speed ahead.

Now, just a couple of weeks ago, Visa announced they plan to raise their swipe fees on merchants again. The problem is these megabanks have no guardrails. They can play fast and loose with your money because no one can stop them. Sadly, the credit card industry has been enriched by the COVID-19 pandemic that pushed us further into a cashless society.

Inflation is impacting every corner of our country, putting the American dream further out of reach for millions, but not Visa. Listen to what the Visa CEO said. He even admitted that inflation has a ``positive'' impact for them. Inflation? Visa and Mastercard welcome the inflation. Why? Because these swipe fees are inflation multipliers, and Wall Street is the benefactor.

I want to go back and talk about that little grocery store in rural Kansas. Jenny and Clint and other small businesses across the State have little to no wiggle room in their budgets, but the big banks press on, tightening the grip on similar mom-and-pop businesses across America.

Wall Street doesn't care about my friends in Conway Springs, that they would lose their town's only grocery store, forcing everyone to drive 40 miles each way to get some milk, to get some food for their families.

And while these financial titans may have their hands around the necks of merchants, I can promise you that leaders like Senator Durbin, Senator Welch, and myself are going to keep fighting for justice and doing the right thing. We will fight for our Main Street small businesses and choose hard-working Americans over Wall Street every single time.

Look, the credit card market is broken, but we have a solution to fix it. The Credit Card Competition Act will level the playing field for merchants by injecting competition into the credit card payment industry--not a price cap but more competition--with the bank that issues the card picking the alternative interchange.

And, oh, by the way, financial institutions with a value of less than $100 billion are excluded from this legislation.

Our legislation forces Visa and Mastercard to come to the table and compete with other companies in the industry, and, in doing so, we will drive down the costs for merchants and consumers.

Let me be clear. Competition is always a good thing for consumers. Our Credit Card Competition Act will lower the cost of doing business for Jenny and Clint in their store in Conway Springs, and, in turn, it is going to lower those bills for American consumers in the checkout lane.

My message of hope to the merchants across the country is that help is on the way. We hope to be voting on our Credit Card Competition Act soon, and when that time comes, we hope other leaders in this Senate body will be willing to stand up to Wall Street and fight for hard- working families. I hope all our colleagues will listen, not only to the folks back home but also to the thousands of your small businesses who are pleading for relief. And, please, choose those voices over Wall Street.

I yield the floor.