Floor Statements

Mr. President, I rise today in strong support of the House amendment to S. 4367.

What my compadre over on EPW did not mention is the name of the bill. The name of the bill is the Thomas R. Carper Water Resources Development Act of 2024. And I urge my colleagues to vote in favor of this important legislation.

Just last week, the House approved this bill by an overwhelming margin of 399 to 18. This bipartisan legislation is supported by a diverse group of more than 200 stakeholders, which illustrates the positive impact that the legislation will have on communities across this country.

I just want to spend a few minutes kind of discussing the great work of my colleagues in Congress and the benefits that the American people will have by the provisions in this bill.

At the heart of the legislation is the Water Resources Development Act of 2024. The enactment of biennial water resources legislation over the last 10 years has been critical to addressing the Nation's water resources needs.

In August, the Senate passed its version of this legislation by unanimous consent. That bill was developed based on more than 1,000 requests submitted by our colleagues on both sides of the aisle. Following Senate passage, Chairman Carper and I worked with Chairman Sam Graves and Ranking Member Rick Larsen of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee to resolve the differences between the House and Senate-passed WRDA bill.

I am proud of the agreement that we were able to reach, and I want to thank my House colleagues for being such great partners. I would like to highlight some of the benefits of the WRDA 2024 bill.

It authorizes critical water resource studies and projects across the country. These studies and projects will support navigation along our waterways and at our ports. It will protect communities from flooding and improve our environment.

This bill avoids one-size-fits-all solutions and maintains important flexibilities so that the Corps of Engineers and non-Federal partners can continue to address the unique water resources challenges across our Nation.

It also contains directives to the Corps to develop comprehensive implementation plans for this bill and for our prior WRDAs. This will enable the Corps to focus its energy and resources on fully implementing WRDA and prior WRDA provisions in order to better reflect the intent of this body and this Congress and previous Congresses.

I also want to highlight some of the ways this bill will help directly benefit my State of West Virginia. Just over 8 years ago, in June 2016, West Virginia experienced flooding in historic rates, which led to tragic deaths and devastation. This bill provides support for future projects identified by the Corps' feasibility study for flood risk management in the Kanawha River basin.

The legislation also increases the ability of the Corps to carry out smaller projects for emergency streambank and shoreline protection, ecosystem restoration, and debris and obstruction removal, which are critical to many areas of my State.

The bill also directs the Corps to expedite feasibility studies for the Upper Guyandotte and Kanawha River basins as well as to expedite projects in Milton as well as the Bluestone Dam in Hinton.

This bill supports many drinking water and wastewater projects throughout our State.

WRDA contains similar wins for States all across this Nation.

I am also glad to see, as part of this package, the Economic Development Reauthorization Act of 2024. The Economic Development Administration is tasked with facilitating economic development and creating jobs in distressed communities across the country. While EDA programs receive annual appropriations from Congress, the authorization for these projects expired in 2008. The legislation reauthorizes EDA programs at fiscally responsible levels for fiscal years 2025 through 2029.

This legislation reasserts congressional direction over EDA's funding decision; it enhances our oversight at the Agency; it preserves locally driven economic development decisions; and it ensures that funding from EDA is accessible to distressed communities.

It also codifies and authorizes dedicated funding for EDA's Assistance to Coal Communities Program, which was one of my top priorities for this legislation. This program ensures that communities in my home State of West Virginia which were decimated by the downturn of the coal industry have the resources that we need to recover and grow.

The bill also includes consideration of coal communities when EDA assigns EDA representatives. The legislation

also reauthorizes the regional Commissions that were expiring or have expired, and it expands the types of activities that those Commissions can carry out in their communities and modernizes their administrative procedures.

The bill also includes a provision to increase transparency and reduce waste across our Federal real estate portfolio.

And finally, the bill contains a provision that unlocks a significant backlog of funding in the TIFIA Program and provides the funding States need to use for transportation projects. It also includes provisions to prevent the backlog from occurring in the future.

In closing, I would really like to take a minute to thank the staff and my chairman, Chairman Carper. But I also want to thank the staff at the various Federal Agencies that have helped with this legislation-- helped us formulate it--and also the House and Senate legislative counsel. And I would like to thank as well the staff at the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee as well.

I want to extend my appreciation to the EPW Subcommittee on Transportation and Infrastructure led by Chairman Mark Kelly and Ranking Member Kevin Cramer for their and their staff's dedication to this.

I also want to thank, again, my friend Chairman Carper. We have worked together--this is our, I think, second WRDA bill that we did together, and it is a fitting tribute to your decades of public service to have this piece of legislation named after you.

From Chairman Carper's staff, I would like to thank Courtney Taylor, John Kane, Linnea Saby, Nicole Comisky, Ryan Smith, Claire Shanklin, Jordan Smallwood, and Tara Kroft. I would like to thank my staff seated behind me, many of them: Adam Tomlinson, Murphie Barrett, Libby Callaway, Dan Linkowski, Katherine Scarlett, Rebecca Hattar, Dom Rupp, and Jack Cline.

I strongly encourage my colleagues to support the House amendment to S. 4367, the Thomas R. Carper Water Resources Development Act.

Tribute to Mitch McConnell

Mr. President, with the permission of the chairman--I told him that I wanted to mention one last thing before his remarks--I want to talk on a separate topic. I would like to pay tribute to my friend, the senior Senator from Kentucky, and our stalwart Republican leader, Mitch McConnell.

Leader McConnell leaves the leadership table at the end of this Congress as the longest serving Senate party leader in U.S. history.

Resilience, patience, and determination--these are the qualities we will remember the McConnell era by, an era that continues due to his foresight in ensuring conservative principles rule the day in the highest Court of the land.

If I had to distill the senior Senator from Kentucky's leadership style down to twin pillars, I would say they were focus and more focus. He says it is the most important word in the dictionary for a reason.

As a member of his broader leadership team from my early days in the Senate and now as a member of the core leadership team as the Senate Republican conference vice chairman, Leader McConnell has taught me many valuable lessons and values in his leadership.

One of the first lessons was that Kentuckians and West Virginians share more than a border; we also share a distinct sense of humor. Leader McConnell leads with a sharp wit. His regular jokes at the leadership table will be missed. For example, he used to call former Senator Richard Shelby ``Too Big to Fail.''

Leader McConnell leads with humility. He will be the first to remind you of his initial flop on the national stage when his idol, Ronald Reagan, called him Mitch O'Donnell.

Leader McConnell leads with consistency. He has never missed a blue shirt Thursday.

And he leads with a tough eye, for sure. He has taken countless slings and arrows for his party and this institution, and all the while, I think he thoroughly enjoyed it.

He reminds me of my dad in a way. They both have framed cartoons of some of their biggest critics in their office.

He leads with moral and philosophical clarity. During more than a few of his 18 years, I am sure he will agree being majority leader was perhaps the hardest job in the country. He often referred to his job as that of a gravekeeper: Everyone may be under him, but nobody is listening.

I thank him for the unity he maintained and the clarity of his leadership.

So after 18 years atop Senate Republican politics, he leaves an indelible mark. I believe that the senior Senator calls that the long game. And as we know, he is not leaving the Senate; he will just be leading in different ways. He will return to the Henry Clay desk, a fitting place for him to finish his life's work here in the Senate. There, he will be continuing to face our national challenges with the same steely, conservative resolve that we have so grown accustomed to.

Between the demanding roles of the Rules Committee and the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee, I am confident he will stay busy, and he has assured us that he will continue to thoroughly disappoint his critics.

So thank you, Leader McConnell, for your leadership and your service as the Nation's longest serving Senate party leader.

I thank the chairman of our committee, Chairman Carper, for letting me give this tribute to our departing Republican leader.

Madam President, I want to thank the Senator from Maine for her great words of serving so long with our friend and colleague Tom Carper.

First of all, I want to say to Tom, I appreciate the very kind words that he mentioned about me and us in our work together on the committee. As we have said, he has dedicated nearly his entire adult life to the service of our country in many different ways and to the home State of Delaware.

But don't let the ``Delaware'' next to his name fool you. All those good family values, all those good sturdy qualities of honesty and service, steadfastness were rooted in his birth in the great State of West Virginia. Anytime I tried to get anything over on him and say, ``Yeah, but I'm from West Virginia,'' he would always say, ``I am too.'' So he is always very proud of his West Virginia roots. He had a couple of family reunions there during our time of service together.

Then, in 2021, we had the opportunity to have an EPW field hearing in his birthplace of Beckley, WV, and I will tell you, at that particular--not one relative of mine was there, but Tom had his relatives there to cheer him on. So I know it was a very special occasion for him, and it certainly was for me as well.

As the ranking member of the EPW Committee, serving alongside my chairman, Senator Carper, over the last 4 years, I have had the distinct pleasure to work in tandem with him on things he has mentioned, most especially infrastructure and energy and the environmental challenges our country faces. We don't always see eye to eye, but we have developed a relationship that is centered on trust and respect.

We do talk every Thursday afternoon, and I want to tell you that I told your successor that I think this is something we need to continue because we kept that valuable relationship going through times when we might not have agreed and couldn't get to the same place.

But I think it is essential that the relationship we created really did give us these bipartisan achievements: the surface transportation reauthorization legislation, the drinking water and wastewater infrastructure legislation. Those bills became the foundation of the bipartisan infrastructure law. Had they not been there, I am not sure we would have ended up as well as we did as a body. It is paying dividends in my State, in his State, in Senator Collins' State--all across the country.

Additionally, we led the charge by offering the ADVANCE Act, which is the Advanced Nuclear Act. That bill, which is now law, I think will maintain America's nuclear energy leadership by encouraging more innovation and investment right here in our States. It sets the stage for the proliferation of reliable and safe nuclear power.

We also just recently crafted our--I think it might be our second or third Water Resources Development Act. It is pending. Hopefully, we will get it across the floor here in the next day or two, and it is my hope that we will soon pass this. But I did name this bill, so everybody is going to listen to this. Get down here and vote for the Thomas R. Carper Water Resources Development Act. Hopefully, we will do it tomorrow.

But outside of Chairman Carper the legislator and the native West Virginian I have known, I have gotten to know the person as well. He is just a very kind man. He is always advising people.

We call them in our office--I don't know that I have ever told you this, but we call his sayings Carperisms. We have many Carperisms. I am skipping a few, but I am telling you the one that always, I think, embodies you, and that is to follow the Golden Rule and treat others as you would like to be treated. He has always shown respect to my staff, to our committee's witnesses, and to all of those who have worked together through the years.

He is also a very pragmatic leader, obviously being elected numerous times in Delaware in all different kinds of posts, guided by his mantra of--here is another Carperism--figuring out what works and doing more of it. It is

a pretty simple thing. And he is a self-proclaimed recovering Governor, but he is well-versed in the art of getting things done.

Above all, Chairman Carper is a true American. He served his country bravely overseas in wartime, and he has given the last 23 years of his life to the service of this Chamber. Chairman Carper has consistently dedicated himself to making our country as strong as it can be and delivering for the people he represents. His character, compassion, and, yes, dogged determination will certainly be missed in the U.S. Senate, but the impacts of his work will continue to make a difference for generations to come.

Chairman Carper--my friend Tom--it has been an honor to work with you, alongside you, and deliver for our country and for the people we both love so very, very much. So I wish you the best--you and Martha the best.

I will tell you what. That man loves his wife Martha.

The way he talks about you in such a venerated way is the way we should all be talking about our loved ones. I have a deep appreciation for that.

So I wish you all the best. Thanks for your years of service, your friendship, and thanks for giving me a little part of your heart over these last several years because it has really helped me, and it has helped us work together so well.

Thank you.

Madam President, today, I rise to really talk about a source of great concern for me and, I think, the American people, and that is the dangerous world that President Biden and his administration are leaving behind. We see a world engulfed in the flames of war in Europe and the Middle East and teetering on the brink in the South China Sea and the Taiwan Strait. Our adversaries are testing us as Americans--our resolve--in ways that we haven't seen in decades. That instability puts us, I believe--the American people--at risk.

We see that, I believe, President Biden has been a weak Commander in Chief who has sort of slept through this whole global order and led us into some chaos. Joe Biden may be temporarily tasked with steering the ship of state through these crises, but Joe Biden did not inherit this world; he has created it.

Joe Biden's foreign policy? Well, he really doesn't have one that is consistent that I can see, aside from some flip-flops, some half- measures, and weak conciliations in place of strong deterrence--strong deterrence; whereas, as we look at the incoming President, President- elect Donald Trump, we see someone who has led and will lead with strength, someone who defeated the ISIS caliphate, who paved the way to peace in the Middle East with the Abraham Accords, exerted a maximum- pressure campaign on Iran, and got tough on China. And he is still talking in the same voice that he had, 4 years now later.

President Biden's weakness has fueled violence and aggression the globe hasn't experienced in decades.

On January 20, President-elect Trump is set to take the oath of office and once again assume the mantle of Commander in Chief. The task ahead of him and for all of us is monumental. Joe Biden is leaving us a messy world here, and it is up to the incoming administration and this Congress to be able to clean it up.

Let's look at China. Over the last 4 years, China has aggressively expanded its military capabilities, including a massive increase in conventional and nuclear weapons. In 2020, the Defense Intelligence Agency assessed that China had about 200 nuclear weapons, which would reach about 400 by the year 2030. Those were the projections. Now, 4 years later, what do we see? The same Agency counts about 500 nuclear weapons in China and predicts that it will be more than 1,000 by 2030.

Chinese military spending has surged, with 2024 being the third year in a row where its military saw a growth of more than 7 percent. At the same time, President Biden's Department of Defense requested four consecutive military budgets that actually cut defense if you look at it in light of inflation. While China continues to build the biggest navy in the world, Biden's defense budget called for us to shrink our Navy from 296 ships in 2024 to 294 ships in 2030. China knows these investments have consequences. President Xi knows that our failure to invest weakens America's ability to protect and to project power abroad.

During its unprecedented buildup, China increased its assertiveness in the South China Sea and escalated its incursions into Taiwan's airspace. China's cyber capabilities are also emboldened. We see this regularly. Attacks like Volt Typhoon or Salt Typhoon reveal a brazen attempt, an intention to burrow deep into our critical infrastructure and threaten the American people. Yet the Biden administration has appeared more focused on seeking meetings and chasing down diplomacy with China.

China recognizes hard power, and rebuilding ours will be a day-one project for the Trump administration.

Let's pivot to the Middle East and our adversary Iran, which has also seized on the openings from President Biden's leadership. Under Joe Biden, Iran has been able to supercharge its support for terrorist proxy groups by increasing its lucrative oil exports without consequence. Under Biden's watch, Iran has used these billions of dollars to arm Hezbollah, to ship advanced weapons like ballistic missiles to the Houthis, who are attacking our American ships. And we see these attacks orchestrated across the region. Let me repeat: Iran- sponsored attacks on our own American forces. Our troops have faced hundreds of assaults on the ground and on the sea. Iran-backed aggression has killed U.S. servicemembers in Jordan and in the Red Sea. And let's not forget that there are still American hostages remaining held in Gaza, thanks to Iran's support of Hamas.

All this should be completely unacceptable.

What is more, Iran is closer to a nuclear weapon today than it was under President Trump. In 2020, Iran's so-called breakout time to produce enough fuel for a nuclear weapon was 3 months. Now it is under a week.

When Israel was thrust into war for its survival--not of its own choosing--Joe Biden publicly questioned Israel's actions. He delayed critical arms shipments and damaged one of our most vital alliances. President Biden should know that U.S. support for Israel is a valuable deterrent. This undermining of the U.S.-Israel relationship would never take place under President Trump. He understood that peace through strength and our alliance with Israel is unshakeable; it is not a conditional agreement.

Finally, as we stand here today, there is still a large-scale ground war in Europe perpetrated by Russia and Vladimir Putin. When Donald Trump assumes office, the war will be entering its third year, with an appalling toll in lives and suffering. More than 1 million Ukrainians and Russians have been either killed or wounded.

Most recently, Putin has ramped up arms production, used a new ballistic missile capability, and deployed--incredibly, in my view-- North Korean troops for his offensive maneuvers.

Donald Trump represents the off-ramp that the world needs, because looking to current American leadership, it is no wonder this conflict has escalated. This bloody war--especially with Iran and North Korea as Russian partners--is a stark reminder of what happens when America is perceived as weak.

President Biden's foreign policy missteps, such as lifting sanctions on the Nord Stream 2 Pipeline, emboldened Vladimir Putin. And his suggestion that a ``minor incursion'' into Ukraine would receive a muted response--well, that certainly did not deter this catastrophic invasion.

Then the Biden administration failed to push the whole of Europe to invest adequately in its own military and industrial capacity.

For those of us who support military assistance for Ukraine, this administration has made it unnecessarily difficult for them to actually win this war. By slow-walking payments and stalling authorities--many of which they eventually agreed to, sometimes years later--the Biden administration failed to give full support to a sovereign nation who was unlawfully invaded.

Donald Trump understands that Nord Stream 2 was a threat, and he sanctioned it. Donald Trump understood and understands that sticks work as well as carrots to boost Europe's defense spending and munitions production. He used that leverage, and we saw their investments go up.

President Trump and his Cabinet will get to work on day one to push our NATO allies to meet their commitments and bring peace to the European continent where they live.

The bottom line is this: There is a mess, and there is a mess to be cleaned up by the incoming President. America may not be at war, but this instability certainly threatens our national peace and prosperity. I would go even further and say that it really weighs heavily on the American public.

To put it simply, failing to deter conflict makes it more likely that some of our young Americans, young West Virginians, will one day have to fight, and that again underscores the philosophy and the underpinnings that weakness can be very dangerous. My State of West Virginia is very proud that our West Virginians disproportionately, throughout our history, have answered the call to serve, but their service is not something that we take for granted.

I believe that President Trump and his team are ready to get back to the peace-through-strength philosophy. They will restore our deterrence--the deterrence that ensures we don't have to send our men and women into harm's way. Deterrence is much cheaper in many, many ways--many different ways--than war. The good news is, we don't have to wait long because January is coming, and that will be the time when we get to work.

Congress must take up the NDAA immediately--it has been floundering; the leader has refused to bring it up for at least 6 months--so that we can then put our critical national defense policies in place as this next administration takes office--something that we should have done, as I said, many months earlier.

As for the Executive, I am confident President-elect Trump has the record and resolve to clean up the mess, and I look forward to working with my colleagues and the President to secure our country's rightful, respected, and preeminent role on the world stage.

I yield the floor.

Mr. President, a few of us have some remarks to make about the honored Senator from West Virginia. When he is finished with his hugs, we will continue.

Mr. President, I want to say to my friend Joe Manchin, wonderful speech. It really had a lot of meaning for me as someone who knows you very well but also to all of us. You have touched everybody's life in this room and many people beyond.

So I just want to say a few words about my colleague and my friend and my fellow Senator from West Virginia, Senator Joe Manchin. In just a few short weeks, Senator Manchin--but we all call him ``Joe''--will be retiring from the Senate. But it is safe to say, and he has already guaranteed us, that it will not be the last time that we hear from him.

Before he leaves us, I would just like to take a moment to highlight, from my perspective, his impressive and successful career for the country but particularly for our State of West Virginia.

I would also like to acknowledge Joe's better half Gayle, up there, and his wonderful family. Gayle has endured all the hard work that comes with public service in her own right, and I would like to personally thank her and both of them as a great couple but also a wonderful and beautiful family that you have. I am so happy that they are here today.

It seems just like yesterday that Joe was knocking on my door at 1010 Wilkie Drive in Charleston, WV. He was there to measure the carpet in the house that my husband and I had just purchased as newlyweds. This was over 40 years ago. And he measured that carpet, and he told me after I recounted the story to him later, he could lay that carpet today if he needed to.

So fast forward. Today, Joe is serving in his 14th year as a U.S Senator, after serving our State in the House of Delegates, in the State senate, secretary of state, and as Governor. We went through a couple tragedies, really tough tragedies, when Joe was our Governor. And I can say, with maybe one exception--maybe my dad or they might be equal--I have never seen such a compassionate, empathetic, and effective Governor during really, really tough times.

So I am going to miss working side by side with him, but I know that the relationship we have built over these years will continue for years to come.

Joe has been the senior Senator from West Virginia for all of my 10 years of my tenure, and the reality is, I have got big shoes to fill here. And in case I forget that, Joe reminds me of that every single day. Sometimes we disagree. But when we disagree, we do it respectfully and on the merits. We might disagree; we don't become disagreeable. The next day, we get up and fight for the things we both believe in, and that is to focus our energy on improving the lives of our neighbors. That is how Joe sees his constituents: Everybody is Joe's neighbor.

And that is what makes him a relentless advocate for our State. We have the same goals--all of us do--in mind of helping our States and our constituents. And in some ways, Joe and I have served like a tag team for our State. Sometimes he shows up when I can't get there, and he fills in for me. I show up when he can't get there, and I will fill in for him. And then we can come from both--we can do the double press. We can come from the Republican side, the Democrat side, and now we got the Independent side on our side. So we can really press, I think, and what that does is really has West Virginia punching above our weight here in the U.S. Senate.

It could be backing West Virginia jobs and economic development, fighting for our coal miners, standing up for our veterans, or addressing the challenges that face our rural communities. Joe has always led with conviction and a very steady hand.

I don't have time to list all of the efforts and successes that we have been able to work on together, and he has done many of these before I got here and way before I even became a Senator: UMWA pension bill, you mentioned that; New River Gorge Park and Preserve, huge victory for us; economic development issues that Joe mentioned; bipartisan infrastructure law; Mountain Valley Pipeline; Appalachian Regional Clean Hydrogen Hub. It is interesting we have the same sort of recall of the things that we have been able to work on--Jessie's Law that Joe really pushed through in memory of a friend, a fellow State Senator whose daughter lost her life in an overdose, and so many, many more.

He has enlisted me to help steer him sometimes to get the West Virginia victories, and I am so proud of the accomplishments that we have had together. So thank you for that partnership, Joe. It has really been important to me.

Aside from his love of our home State, Joe possesses many other qualities worthy of a leader and a statesman. There is much to say about Joe Manchin. He is a dealmaker for sure--probably started as a salesman, yes--voice of reason, a defender, as he said, of Senate traditions, and as Politico said, ``The most powerful man in Washington.''

What do we think about that, Joe?

I assume Joe would just as well want to be remembered as a good and steady friend. There are people in West Virginia who say: If you want a friend, get a dog. I wasn't sure if I was actually going to say that in light of your successor, but I said it anyway. I assure you those folks have never met Joe Manchin.

Twenty years ago, I joined an all-male, all-Democrat West Virginia delegation here in Washington. I joked with Joe that I forced them to get out of the male restroom so we could have a delegation meeting, but Joe was always a warm and welcoming presence. He always picks up the phone if you need to chat; he is always ready for a joke, that is for sure; and he has been a shoulder to lean on during personal times.

When he was Governor, Joe and Gayle Manchin invited my whole family back to the Governor's mansion, where my parents had lived for 12 years, to show us around. It was a really special evening. It was a simple and kind gesture that meant a lot to our whole family, especially my mom and dad.

Years later, at my father's funeral, Joe delivered the eulogy and talked about his good friend, my dad, whom Joe always called ``Chief.''

Joe has always been there for every West Virginia family. I will note that sometimes Joe can be just a bit too present. When I am home in West Virginia, he is sometimes like a shadow. I won't even tell about the last time I saw you. He is sometimes like a shadow I can't shake. One night many Christmases ago, I was running out of the house with my husband Charlie, and we were late for somewhere we needed to go, but the doorbell rings. I open the door. It is a group of Christmas carolers. And lo and behold, there is Joe Manchin singing Christmas carols. I don't know. They must have needed a baritone. I don't know what happened. But he is always there, even when you don't know when you really need him.

And my colleagues can testify, he has more energy than anybody I have ever met. He is everywhere. He is always traveling. He has always got that leg going too. I have noticed that. And he is always going fast. He has a prodigious lead foot--one I have personally experienced myself riding on motorcycles and in cars with him while traversing the country roads of West Virginia.

There was the one time we were traveling home late at night together. We were just going into Beckley, and I turned to Joe, and I said: Have you ever been stopped for speeding?

He said: More times than you would want to know.

The reason I asked, because I saw the light in the rearview mirror. Here he comes. The guy leans in, takes one look. The trooper leans in, takes one look at Joe and says: Hey, Governor.

And then Joe leans over to me and says: Well, look who I have got over here.

And the trooper says: Just be careful going on up the turnpike. But before I leave, can I take a selfie with the two of you?

We haven't seen that.

I happened to believe every man or woman lucky enough to be elected to the Senate embodies the unique qualities of his or her State, and that is Joe in a nutshell, an honest, caring, hard-working individual, with a bit of West Virginia appetite for exciting and dangerous. That is because Joe's roots run deep in West Virginia. He is West Virginian through and through. Never does his gaze wander from what he sees as his moral obligation to improve the lives of West Virginians. Joe's love of the Mountain State is the engine that powered his pursuit of public office, and I am sure it will continue to power his efforts once he leaves.

Joe may be leaving us, but I suspect his presence will continue to be felt in the many lasting relationships he has created over the years of his public service. I am even more certain that Joe will always be available for that phone call.

So congratulations, again, Joe. It has been a privilege to serve with you, and thank you for everything you have done for our State and our Nation. We are very appreciative.

I yield the floor.

(Applause, Senators rising.)

Madam President, a few weeks ago, the American people spoke loud and clear. They rejected the policies that we have been seeing through this current administration. But, today, I rise to talk about the vision my Republican colleagues and I have for this future and the many solutions that we are eager to get back to work on that I believe will help get this country back on track.

First things first, this newly formed Republican Senate majority is ready to close the previous chapter. It is a chapter I think that none of us really want to go through again. Soon, the Resolute Desk will change hands, and the Senate, under the guidance of my friend and colleague and soon-to-be majority leader John Thune, will get to work. And we have the full support of the incoming President, President-elect Trump.

The American public wants to see real action. Back home in my State of West Virginia, people have conveyed to me that they are ready for real representation--a government of, by, and for the people. Senate Republicans will deliver responsive and responsible solutions for the American people.

The task ahead is this: unshackling the American economy, securing the border, unleashing our American energy, reducing crime and lawlessness, and restoring American strength and deterrence on the world stage. These are the issues on which the voters placed their faith in us.

I also believe that central to this mandate for this new American leadership is the idea that people really did feel better and preferred their lives under the Presidency of President Trump. I know for sure I did.

So as the Senate fulfills its responsibility to pass legislation to get this country back on track, let's look no further than the previous Trump administration for the roadmap.

President Trump unleashed American energy production, rolling back burdensome permitting rules and redtape. Republicans slashed regulations that canceled pipelines. We erased barriers to our new ones. America sits on the greatest treasure trove of natural resources in the world, and a Republican-led energy policy will not squander that.

West Virginia knows the difference between good and bad energy policy all too well. We are an energy State. We have been blessed with a lot of natural resources, and we know that our economy and people's jobs and people's lives and people's families depend on us unleashing that energy. The jobs that President Trump saved--a lot of those jobs--were West Virginia energy jobs. So we can get back to a cheaper, more secure, and more reliable world by unleashing American energy once again.

The Republican solution is ``America First'' energy policies that can result in energy dominance and our own self-reliance--no more depending on fuels from dictators who hate America or no more reliance on green energy from Chinese Communist Party-backed supply chains.

It is going to take an ``all of the above'' approach, including opening up projects like our recently just opened Mountain Valley Pipeline so that we can deliver energy in markets, promoting carbon capture and sequestration to use our vast coal resources, nuclear energy, and renewables, as the market sees fit--and they are growing.

In a few months, I will be chairman of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee. I am really excited about this opportunity, and I cannot stress enough how important these items are to the agenda.

My Senate Republican colleagues and I are prepared to bring forward legislative solutions to help fuel American growth, and I hope our Democratic colleagues will join us in moving these solutions forward in the next Congress.

On the economy, residents from my State--and the entire country--are still reeling from the elevated costs on all things, from housing, energy, food, and almost every other everyday essential.

Personal finances are stretched so thin right now. For instance, in my State of West Virginia, West Virginians are spending, on average, an additional $930 a month, or more than $25,000 a year, due to inflation, since 2021. Actually, that is a total of $25,000 since 2021.

The plan to get the American economy back on track is a tried-and- true formula of energy dominance--repealing burdensome regulations--and lowering taxes. It is pretty simple. You should keep more of your own paycheck, and the government should stay out of the way.

I am looking forward to taking up legislation proposed by me and my other Senate colleagues toward these ends, including an extension and reauthorization of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act that we passed in 2017-- including some of the most pro-growth tax reform policies that we have seen--as well as other potential budget solutions.

Crime and the border go hand in hand. Under President Trump's first administration, both were managed. But now they are not. Look no further than the example of the addiction crisis, a direct product of lawlessness and the free rein of Mexican cartels.

Just a few days ago, last Friday, I convened State and community leaders in West Virginia for a summit focused on combating the addiction crisis. The correlation between wide-open borders and the raging drug crisis was mentioned repeatedly at this summit, especially during the presentation and discussion with our law enforcement panel.

Here is the fentanyl crisis by the numbers: CBP seized 27,000 pounds of

fentanyl in the fiscal year 2023. That is only a fraction of the real amount that crosses our border. Keep in mind that a minuscule amount of fentanyl can have a deadly effect.

Of the over 107,000 drug overdoses that occurred in the United States in 2023--I will repeat that number: 107,000; that is almost double the size of the capital city of Charleston in West Virginia, where I live-- almost 75,000 of those involved fentanyl.

This out-of-control drug trafficking must end. It is a lawless scourge that takes more West Virginians per capita than in any other State in the Union. In sheer numbers, the death toll and calamity eclipse any other modern drug epidemic.

We know what works because the rise in fentanyl overdose deaths stalled under President Trump. The bottom line, we have got to close the border and end the lawlessness.

Yet again, Republicans have the roadmap. We did it once, and we can do it again. A heightened sense and appreciation for law and order from the border to the inner cities, to everywhere back home will feature prominently in this next Republican administration.

President Trump presided over a relatively peaceful period of history unmatched in our national history. After crushing ISIS, the Trump-led world order went largely untested by the world's dictators and demagogues. The same cannot be said about the world today.

China manipulates the Biden administration every day, while burrowing deep into our critical infrastructure and growing its military. Iran and its terrorist proxies wage war against our ally Israel. And, of course, there is the ongoing war in Ukraine. This is the world under the Biden-Harris administration's watch.

In what seems like the most trying confluence of geopolitical struggles in a generation, America must lead through strength. Indecision and weakness have emboldened our adversaries.

Republicans can start the next Congress by restoring deterrence against Iran and reinstating Trump's maximum-pressure campaign. We should cut off Iran's funding sources so that they can't continue to support these attacks against our U.S. servicemembers.

Just last week, the Houthis fired at least eight drones, five ballistic missiles, and three anti-ship cruise missiles against our U.S. Navy ships. It was barely even news because this is now just a regular occurrence under this current administration.

This administration apparently has no clue that our troops are under constant attack on land and sea, since our current Vice President, in her campaign, said that she didn't think any U.S. forces were in combat.

America must protect our servicemembers and put Iran on notice that their weapons-dealing business is over.

More broadly, a unified Republican government will be prepared to restore our military strength, refocus our DOD on lethality, and restock our critical munitions.

I have detailed but a few of the ideas and solutions to this dangerous, costly, and disordered world that we are inheriting. It is a challenge fit for a strong government and even stronger leadership, and it is good that we have a change for who is in charge.

Until then, I suggest the best course of action this body can take is to work diligently on the outstanding priorities that we have in front of us. I am talking about the NDAA--the National Defense Authorization bill--the government funding bills, and the farm bill. That way, the next Congress can stand at full attention, ready to advance policies to make our country safer, stronger, and a more resilient place.

With that, I yield the floor.

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

I would ask that we proceed with the rollcall vote.

Madam President, as the Presiding Officer knows, today marks 23 years since the 9/11 terrorist attacks on our Nation.

Although we are now over two decades removed from one of the greatest tragedies in our Nation's history, the memories remain in our minds as if it had just happened yesterday. Those horrific events in New York City, Washington, DC, and Shanksville, PA, forever changed national security in the United States of America. It also changed many of our families, our fellow Americans' families. Our Nation banded together-- we supported one another, and we rebuilt and recovered--but we will never forget.

Many of us were here on that day. I was here in Washington, DC, in my office building on the House side. I certainly will never forget that awful and tragic day.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of Calendar No. 401, S. 4367, the Thomas R. Carper Water Resources Development Act of 2024.

I ask unanimous consent that the committee-reported substitute amendment be withdrawn; that the Carper-Capito substitute amendment at the desk be considered and agreed to; that the bill, as amended, be considered read a third time and passed; and that the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table with no intervening action or debate.

Mr. President, I would like to talk about the bill here for a few minutes with my friend and the chair of our committee for which this bill is named, Thomas R. Carper.

The enactment of biennial water resources legislation over the last 10 years has been critical to meeting the Nation's water and infrastructure needs.

I am so pleased that the Senate just took the next step to continue that strong tradition by passing the bipartisan Thomas R. Carper Water Resources Development Act of 2024. This bill was developed based on more than 1,000 requests submitted by our colleagues on both sides of the aisle.

Following the unanimous approval of the bill by the Environment and Public Works Committee, Chairman Carper and I endeavored to resolve a number of priorities from our colleagues.

The resolution of these priorities is reflected in the latest amendment in the nature of a substitute that was just approved by unanimous consent. I want to thank my colleagues who worked with us on this bill and supported our efforts to move the legislative process forward.

During the Environment and Public Works Committee's markup, I and a couple of my colleagues offered an amendment to name this bill after my friend Tom Carper.

The chairman and I worked together over the years to advance bills that improve all types of infrastructure. It is a fitting tribute to the decades of public service that this bill is named after him, and I would like to take a few moments to highlight some of the benefits of the legislation.

It authorizes critical water resources studies and projects across the country. These studies and projects will support navigation along our waterways and at our ports, protect communities from flooding, and improve our environment.

The bill avoids a one-size-fits-all solution and maintains important flexibilities, so that the corps and non-Federal partners can continue to address the unique water resources needs of all communities.

It also contains directives for the corps to develop comprehensive implementation plans for this bill and prior WRDAs. This will enable the corps to focus its energy and resources on fully implementing this WRDA and prior

WRDA provisions in order to better reflect the intent of Congress.

I also want to highlight some of the ways this bill will directly benefit my State of West Virginia. Almost 8 years ago, in June 2016, West Virginia experienced flooding at the highest levels, leading to tragic deaths and devastation. This bill provides support for future projects identified by the corps' feasibility study for flood risk management along the Kanawha River basin.

The legislation also increases the ability of the corps to carry out certain smaller projects for emergency streambank and shoreline protection, ecosystem restoration, and debris and obstruction removal, which are critical to many areas in my State.

The bill directs the corps to expedite feasibility studies for the Upper Guyandotte and Kanawha River basins, as well as to expedite projects in Milton and at the Bluestone Dam in Hinton.

This bill supports drinking and wastewater projects all across our State.

These are just some of the benefits from my home State, but the bill contains several similar wins for States all across the country.

I want to take a moment to thank both my staff and Chairman Carper's staff, as well as the staff at the corps and the Senate legislative counsel, for their work on this bill and their continued efforts as we move to conference.

I also want to recognize the leadership of the EPW Subcommittee on Transportation and Infrastructure, Chairman Mark Kelly and Ranking Member Kevin Cramer, for their and their staffs' dedication to this legislation.

Again, I would like to thank my colleagues for supporting this substitute amendment to the Thomas R. Carper--should I say that again?--Thomas R. Carper Water Resources Development Act of 2024.

I yield the floor.

Madam President, I rise today to address something that is not getting done on time, as it deserves to be done on this Senate floor; and that is the fiscal year 2025 National Defense Authorization Act.

I am very pleased to see my fellow Senator from the Great State of Mississippi, who is the ranking member on this committee, who has spent numerous hours--and days and weeks--working this bill but also educating Members and Senators as to how important this is.

The National Defense Authorization Act--or the NDAA, as we call it-- is an annual display of support for the national security of our country here in the U.S. Congress. In fact, we have passed the NDAA for 63 consecutive years.

This bipartisan legislation supports our troops, supports our national security, and strengthens the capabilities of the U.S. military.

In a time when we face some of the most dangerous security environments since World War II, the NDAA should be one of our top legislative priorities. But, unfortunately, Leader Schumer just doesn't seem to agree.

And with the support of my Democratic colleagues, Leader Schumer has spent much of the summer on messaging votes that are crafted with no true intention of making a law, nominations for Federal entities, which we are going to be doing all day today, and the confirmation of judges that have--some of them--no business serving on the bench. This is not what the American people sent us to do for our country.

The urgent need to pass the NDAA becomes obvious when you take into account what is currently happening in the world around us. First, our ally and friend Israel is under attack by Iran and its terrorist clients.

Last week, we welcomed President Binyamin Netanyahu for a joint address to Congress, and he detailed the stark reality that his country is facing. Just a few days ago--just a few days ago--we learned the devastating news that 12 children and teenagers were killed by a Hezbollah strike while innocently playing on a soccer field.

We know that Iran is the aggressor behind these attacks, and we know that they are doing all they can to grow their nuclear capabilities as well. Imagine the dangers of a nuclear-armed Iran and what that means for the stability in the Middle East.

The last 24 hours alone have shown the rapid pace at which the Middle East security environment is changing. Israel is showing that it has the will and the capability to fight back against their aggressors--and I stand strongly in support with this ally.

Second, there is a large-scale ground war going on in Europe for the first time since World War II. And we know Putin's territorial ambitions and aggressions extend far beyond Ukraine.

Third, we are witnessing an unprecedented military buildup by China, accompanied by aggressions against Taiwan, the Philippines, Japan, and other partners in the region.

This summer alone, China aggression in the South China Sea has threatened to spark a dangerous conflict with the Philippines--a country that has a mutual defense treaty with the United States.

And just 5 days ago--I feel like everything is week to week--5 days ago, two Chinese and two Russian nuclear-capable bombers were detected near the coast of Alaska, prompting U.S. fighter jets to intercept these aircraft.

This is the first time we have seen this type of joint strategic bombing training between China and Russia in their ``no limits'' partnership.

Throughout all of this, we are watching China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea reinforce one another in their aggression. They are supporting one another and sharing resources to achieve objectives directly opposed to the United States, our way of life, and our values. If that doesn't raise alarm bells, I just don't know what will.

On top of this, the National Defense Commission--charged with assessing our Nation's preparedness for future conflict--gave us a pretty stark warning this week, which was: The U.S. is facing the most challenging threats we've seen since 1945--and we aren't ready for it.

According to this report, the Biden National Defense Strategy simply doesn't prepare us to deter or prevail in a future conflict.

According to one headline, the Pentagon has insufficient forces inadequate to face China--and Russia. Here again, we cannot wait; we have to get serious about our national security.

As I mentioned, Senator Wicker understands this. That is why he has released a proposal to help us repair our anemic military so that we are not at our lowest number of aircraft, ships, and munitions when China is building to their highest.

It is clear that now is the time to invest in our military, our personnel, and our capabilities. We can do that and send a clear message to both our allies and our adversaries by passing a strong and robust NDAA.

American leadership on the world stage has long been defined by ``peace through strength,'' but in order to do that, we must invest in strength first. The NDAA authorizes programs that the Department of Defense needs to replenish and grow our military stockpiles and to invest in the innovation and modernization programs we might need for a future fight.

The NDAA will make critical upgrades to our nuclear, hypersonic, missile defense, and our space programs, and restore the arsenal of democracy by ensuring our country's ammo plants have the tools they need to modernize amid increasing demands for munitions. These are the facilities like the Allegany Ballistics Laboratory, which proudly operates in my home State of West Virginia.

It also invests directly in the men and women of our military by providing a 4.5-percent pay raise for servicemembers and increasing the monthly pay for our junior enlisted troops as well.

I have also worked to ensure provisions for my own State of West Virginia and how we can contribute to building our military and strengthening our national defense. It supports upgrades and operations at the Air National Guard facilities like the 130th Airlift Wing in Charleston, WV. It directs the U.S. Army to move forward on testing and fielding active protection systems on Army ground combat vehicles--to implement lessons learned from watching the failure of Russian tanks in Ukraine--and some of that testing is being done in West Virginia.

The bill supports the resilience of undersea cables used by the Department of Defense--to make certain that critical missions are not disrupted--and provisions that move our country away from the reliance on foreign sources for critical precursor chemicals used for the manufacture of U.S. weapons.

These are just a handful of the provisions included in the NDAA, but they speak to the importance of the legislation and the steps we need to take now to make sure that our military remains ready for any conflict that we may face in the future.

The crux of the issue is this: The House of Representatives passed their version of the NDAA on June 14. The Senate Armed Services Committee approved our version of the NDAA the day before that--that would be June 13--and we have heard absolutely nothing from the Democrat leader about when he will bring this vital leadership to the floor for debate and consideration.

So we are wasting the time of the American people on show votes and inconsequential nominees. Republicans are demanding action. We want to continue to point out the danger of sidelining our national security priorities. There is a desperate need for American leadership on the world stage, and a strong bipartisan National Defense Authorization Act helps us to get there. So I encourage my colleagues on the other side of the aisle to please recognize that.

With that, I yield the floor.

Madam President, earlier today, Members of Congress had the distinct honor of hearing from Binyamin Netanyahu, the Prime Minister of the State of Israel. He is a leader of one of our most steadfast allies in an unprecedented time of strife for his country.

Prime Minister Netanyahu's message to Congress today was a snapshot into the reality that his nation is facing and what they have experienced since the morning of October 7. He spoke to the urgency of bringing our hostages home and received a standing ovation for that; the courage and bravery of his Israeli forces and citizens and received a standing ovation for that; and his vision to bring peace, prosperity, and security to the Middle East--again, standing room only.

Israel is a country at war, and, as the only democracy in the Middle East and a friend of freedom, Israel deserves the unwavering support of these United States. That is why it is incredibly disheartening to see that many of our Democratic colleagues were absolutely absent from the address--especially the Vice President. Her absence unleashed a completely unnecessary discussion about who would join the Speaker to preside over the joint address. For a time, her seat behind the podium was just simply up for grabs.

I extend my thanks to my colleague from Maryland, the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, for welcoming Prime Minister Netanyahu on behalf of the Senate, and that was Senator Ben Cardin.

But unfortunately public debate over the Vice President's absence is not the message that we should be sending to the world.

It seems some of my colleagues on the other side of the aisle have forgotten that 291 days ago, on October 7, 2023, Israel was the victim of an unprovoked terrorist attack. The attacking force, Hamas, killed 1,200 innocent Israelis, committed unspeakable acts of sexual violence, and took men and women and children as hostages. They also took Holocaust survivors. They even took an infant under 1 year old. Prime Minister Netanyahu mentioned that infant earlier today. That poor child, that poor baby, has now spent more of his life in Hamas captivity than in freedom.

To this day, nearly 10 months later, hostages still remain in captivity, including American citizens, and they are being used as human shields at the same time. I was incredibly moved to see some of the hostages and their families represented in the House Chamber today.

Hamas has proven itself to be a violent terrorist organization that continues to hide underneath schools and hospitals, intentionally putting civilians in harm's way. They have publicly called for the attacks of October 7 to be repeated again and again and again.

The bottom line is this: Hamas has made it clear it has no interest in seriously negotiating a cease-fire, and they would rather engage in barbaric and, honestly, cowardly acts of terror, joining forces with terrorist organizations like Hezbollah and the Houthis, which continue their bombardment in bombarding Israel in every single direction. Just last week, Hezbollah fired 65 rockets into Israel. The Houthis conducted a deadly drone attack on Israel's soil as well as a ballistic missile that was thankfully intercepted by Israel's air defense. It is clear that Israel needs our support now more than ever.

It is important that we take this moment to reflect on the longstanding ties that bind our country to Israel. The United States was the very first country to recognize the State of Israel. They have been our most stable and longest partner and ally in the Middle East. They have stood beside us in our Nation when we faced unprovoked acts of terror on our own soil. They have joined with us to develop ties with their neighbors through the Abraham Accords. They have been an essential ally in our efforts to dismantle Iran's nuclear program. This is a level of historic partnership that cannot be forgotten. Yet far too many in our country are willing to abandon our relationship with Israel, starting with this administration.

Israel is in a fight for their survival against a terrorist organization that is not bound by laws. We know what it is like to be attacked in our country, but we don't know what it is like to be geographically surrounded by our worst enemies.

Standing with Israel should not be an issue that divides us but, rather, one that unites us in defense of our longtime ally and friend.

It is vital that the American public and my Democratic colleagues who missed the Prime Minister's speech today acknowledge the differences between Israel and Hamas. Israel is a bastion of freedom and democracy in the Middle East who is engaged in a war they did not start, by an organization whose only goal--only goal--is to destroy Israel. In keeping with their stated goal, Hamas has unleashed horrific, illegal, and unthinkable acts of violence on people simply because they are Jewish or Israeli.

Hamas and their allies have made commanding use of the information space to sway public opinion here in our country, in the United States, in an attempt to make it appear that Israel is the aggressor in this conflict. My Republican colleagues, including those joining me here in these speeches today, know that claim is far from the truth.

As the Prime Minister mentioned today, misinformation has long been used to target Israel and the Jewish people, and we have seen it lead to chaos on our college campuses and acts of aggression of anti- Semitism I never thought I would see. We have protesters waving Hamas, Houthis, and Hezbollah flags on streets right here in the United States, including today, surrounding the Capitol. At Union Station, they are burning the American flag.

After those protesters were publicly applauded and will be--the ones today will be publicly applauded by the Supreme Leader of Iran, we now know that Iran is working behind the scenes to fan the flames of these protests.

We need to be honest with ourselves about what each side of this conflict wants. The actions of Hamas are indefensible, and protesters conveniently forget that there was a cease-fire in place on the morning of October 7.

I would say to these protesters: If the Iranian Supreme Leader thinks that you are on the right side of history, that is a pretty clear sign that you are not.

The reality is this: Both Israelis and Americans want the fighting to end. For that to happen, both sides of the conflict need to agree to stop. That means Israel, but it also means Hamas. And right now, we are missing that signal from Hamas.

As the Prime Minister mentioned in his speech today, Hamas could end this right now. Hamas must surrender, and Hamas must return the hostages.

Now more than ever, our Nation must reject terrorism and stand with our ally Israel. While the White House has left our relationship in limbo, Republicans will not let it falter. We will continue to push for true American leadership on the world stage that keeps our promises to our friends in their time of need, that strikes fear in our adversaries and those who wish to do our allies harm, and that returns the moral clarity that is deeply needed in moments like this.

I yield the floor.

Madam President, I rise today to remind the American people that from the day he took office, President Biden and his administration have left much to be desired. As we look to the future, I think it is just imperative that we consider this administration's track record over the last 3\1/2\ years.

President Biden's record has made an enormous impact on Americans directly in their wallets--everybody feels it every day--as the people of our country continue to deal with the consequences with this reckless tax-and-spend agenda this administration has championed.

President Biden has long pledged to get a hold of inflation and actually passed the ironically misnamed Inflation Reduction Act that did exactly the opposite. That law, along with other spending sprees passed with only Democratic support, have stifled economic growth.

Though President Biden talks about the middle class, he has failed to actually deliver for them. Truly, as we know, and we have always heard in our lives: Actions speak louder than words. Instead, what we have been dealing with is a continuous impact of an economy that just isn't working. We have out-of-control prices at the grocery store and the gas pump; a housing market that has made homeownership impossible for many families; and for those locked out of the housing market, long-term rent inflation that continues to threaten renters and small businesses.

Just last week, we celebrated a great time in our Nation, our Nation's independence on the 4th of July. And what is normally a joyous time for Americans to come together, instead, became the most expensive Independence Day on record. This follows the most expensive Halloween and the most expensive Thanksgiving, leaving Americans little to celebrate. The cost of a cookout is up 5 percent over last year--5 percent. OK. But it is up 30 percent from 5 years ago. Additionally, gas prices this past weekend averaged $3.50 a gallon, a 27-percent increase from 2019.

Couple those statistics with the June jobs report that showed our country's unemployment rate at the highest it has been at in 2\1/2\ years; or that home prices are up a whopping 49 percent since 2020, far outpacing any wage increases anybody has seen; and the Joint Economic Committee's recent report that the average American family has lost $25,920 paying for the increased cost of living under President Biden and his policies.

It is clear to the American people that Bidenomics is not working and that President Biden's economic policies are failing. So this is something I hear frequently about from my constituents in West Virginia, that the savings they worked so hard for and that they have sacrificed to accumulate are dwindling in front of their eyes due to the skyrocketing costs of living under this administration.

There are policies to employ. There are policies that we can shrink and cut, regulations to cut, that would improve our economic standing. But, instead, Bidenomics--named by the President--has severely jeopardized the American dream for millions of people.

Additionally, we have seen immigration surge to the top of the mind for voters. And you always hear, immigration, it is only the States at the border, and why does everybody talk about it? It is a national issue. It impacts every single State.

The Biden administration has proven time and time again that they really have no genuine interest in controlling or closing our southern border or any desire in enforcing the immigration laws that we already have on the books.

President Biden has allowed over 10 million--10 million; that is 5 times the population of my State--10 million illegal border crossings throughout his tenure, all beginning with his decision to rescind the effective immigration policies of President Trump on day one of their administration.

The mass influx of unchecked immigration has led to widespread repercussions and endangered the lives of American citizens and of the migrants

themselves. It has also left the door wide open for individuals on the Terror Watchlist to enter our country, and they have actually been caught at the border--something that is nearly unthinkable in a time of heightened national security concerns, as we are in right now.

I haven't even mentioned--just briefly, I mentioned--the drug crisis that President Biden's border inaction has fueled, as mass amounts of fentanyl stream across our border, endangering the lives of residents in every State, every city, every county of this country.

The bottom line is that addressing the issues at the southern border is something that President Biden actually has the tools to do himself. If he was really serious, he would step in and bring an end to this humanitarian crisis that has developed under his guidance.

Even here, his inconsistent message and leadership is just baffling to me--saying he doesn't have the tools one minute and then attempting to enforce too little too late policy changes the next. He says he doesn't have the tools, and then he announces that he is going to do something using one of the tools he has had for 3\1/2\ years.

Perhaps, the most alarming area that President Biden has faltered is on the international stage where his indecision and ill-advised policies have signaled unreliability to our allies and weakness to those who would do us harm. We are living in a time when our Nation faces the most dangerous global threats that we have seen in decades. We have NATO here in town today. It is a big topic of discussion.

Yet President Biden has proven to be a President of weakness, wavering during some of the most tumultuous episodes of our Nation's history.

This display of weakness is best exemplified by President Biden's disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan. It continued with President Biden suggesting that a minor incursion into Ukraine might not provoke a U.S. or allied response. Next, Iran strung President Biden along on fruitless nuclear talks while the regime was building up their nuclear capabilities and their militias to attack our U.S. troops. And now, most recently, President Biden has thrown our commitments to Israel into question, conditioning aid for our ally during this existential moment.

There is no denying that President Biden's weakness has created a world where our adversaries are feeling emboldened and growing closer together, and that is something we cannot allow to happen--not now, not ever.

It is important to remind the American public that it just doesn't have to be this way. Americans shouldn't be forced to choose between paying rent, putting food on the table, and filling up the gas tank. They shouldn't have to turn on the TV and see the southern border in chaos and continually hear the alarm from our Nation's counterterrorism experts. And Americans shouldn't have to harbor such doubt about our international standing, which has long stood as a pillar of strength and freedom around the globe.

My Republican colleagues and I who are going to speak today are not here to just spectate or to throw stones. We have ideas. And this is why I, along with my Republican colleagues, continue to fight for solutions that reduce taxes and combat the crippling inflation that has become a defining feature of this administration; that put forward policies to bring order to our southern border like reinstating ``Remain in Mexico'' or ending catch-and-release; and to restore American strength on the international stage, reminding both our enemies and our allies of who the United States of America is and always will be.

While these 3\1/2\ years of failure of the Biden administration have damaged our Nation, it is certainly never too late to get right back on track. Senate Republicans remain united in our efforts to fight on behalf of the American people and deliver on the priorities that mean the most to them. There is no doubt that the people of our country deserve better.

And with that, I yield the floor.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the following Senators be allowed to speak prior to the scheduled rollcall vote: me for 5 minutes, Senator Peters for up to 5 minutes, and Leader Schumer for up to 2 minutes.

Mr. President, today, I rise to encourage and urge support for our bipartisan, bicameral legislation that provides a significant boost for the future of nuclear energy here in America. After a lot of hard work and negotiations, I am thrilled to be on the floor today as we are on the cusp of getting this bill across the finish line.

I see Senator Whitehouse here, my friend from Rhode Island. He was very integral in making this happen today, so I thank him.

In March of 2023, we introduced the Accelerating Deployment of Versatile, Advanced Nuclear for Clean Energy Act, or what we call the ADVANCE Act. We did so because Republicans and Democrats recognize that the development of new nuclear technologies is critical to America's energy security and our environment.

Today, nuclear power provides about 20 percent of our Nation's electricity. Importantly, it is emissions-free electricity that is 24/ 7, 365 days a year.

Not only is it necessary to continue developing and deploying more nuclear energy reactors from an energy and environmental standpoint, it is also vital to our national security, and it is good for the economy.

So it was important for us as lawmakers to prepare to meet the increased demand--it is predicted to be twice the demand--with policies that encourage investment and deployment of nuclear technologies right here on our shores. The ADVANCE Act does just that and preserves the United States as the destination for innovation and expansion, ensuring that we are what we should be, which is the global leader, for decades to come.

Here are just a few of the ways our bill benefits America's energy, economic, and environmental future:

The ADVANCE Act reduces regulatory costs for companies seeking to license advanced reactor technologies.

It requires the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to establish a regulatory roadmap to license new nuclear facilities on brownfield sites--something that would be very important to my State of West Virginia.

It directs the NRC to update its mission statement to reflect the beneficial uses of nuclear technology and establish a licensing structure to support an efficient, timely, and predictable regulatory review.

It establishes an initiative to more quickly license advanced nuclear fuels that are both safer and more economic.

It provides the NRC new tools to hire and retain highly qualified staff to enable the licensing of advanced reactors.

As I said, I am proud of the work we put into this legislation over the past few months and years. With the House having already passed it overwhelmingly, I am excited that we are on the verge of sending the ADVANCE Act to the President's desk.

I want to thank Chairman Carper, and I thank Senator Whitehouse, who are my--the three of us--cosponsors. I want to thank House Energy and Commerce Chair McMorris Rodgers and Ranking Member Pallone. I would like to thank House Energy, Climate, and Grid Security Subcommittee Chair Duncan and Ranking Member Diana DeGette and all of our cosponsors for their hard work and support.

I also want to sincerely thank the staff members who have put so much work into this to help us get to this point today. This has been a journey. From my team at EPW, I would like to thank Andy Zach, Will Dixon, and Maddie Blalock; from Chairman Carper's team, Matt Marzano and Courtney Taylor; and from Senator Whitehouse's team, Kara Allen.

With that, I strongly urge my colleagues to join me in supporting this bipartisan legislation.

With that, I yield the floor.

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

Mr. President, here we go again. I rise today in this Chamber as President Biden and his administration enter yet another summer of executive overreach as the administration adds layer after layer of bureaucracy that spells negative consequences for nearly every aspect of American life. Actually, I just had the homebuilders in my office today making this very point--the West Virginia Home Builders Association.

Throughout the President's time in the White House, we haven't really seen much consistency except when it comes to his desire to grow the influence of unelected government bureaucrats or to defy congressional intent or to impose unnecessary rules, regulations, and redtape. These things will forever define his administration, and as of June 7 of this year, the 946 final rules imposed by President Biden have cost the American taxpayer over $1.6 trillion.

So, for President Biden and his administration, I would recommend a brief refresher on the history of the United States and the intent that inspired the Framers of our Constitution.

Our Founding Fathers were quick to recognize that power and authority vested in one body would create devastating costs for the future of our Nation. That was the motivation behind establishing separated powers, of creating a system of checks and balances across three equal branches of government. However, President Biden's advocacy for the growth of the administrative state has put this separation into question. It kind of goes against article I of the Constitution, which states:

All legislative powers herein granted shall be vested in a

Congress of the United States.

Let's just take a few examples that we have seen recently of what I would consider to be outrageous overreach.

No. 1, first--something I have been very vocal about--is the EPA's Clean Power Plan 2.0, which will eliminate coal-powered generation completely, but it will also block new natural gas plants from coming online in the future. Don't ask me how we are going to power the Nation.

This rule from the EPA is meant to put coal and natural gas employees out of work and shutter those baseload power plants once and for all.

Next, we have the final rule from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services that imposes burdensome Federal staffing mandates on long-term care facilities.

This is something that could be incredibly harmful to rural States like mine. Now, safety is first in a long-term care facility, but unattainable employee requirements like this one would force many of our rural nursing homes to shut their doors, especially as rural health facilities are facing staffing challenges all across the country.

Then there is the Biden HHS rule that endangers the safety and well- being of unaccompanied migrant children.

Currently, migrant children who enter into the country illegally without an adult are detained and placed in the Unaccompanied Children Program. The HHS rule that I am referring to includes many harmful practices like optional sponsor-vetting. That is the refusal to consider a sponsor's criminal record. So we are going to put children into the care and sponsorship of people, and we are refusing to see if they have criminal records. Think about somebody who has a history of abuse or neglect or somebody who has a drug problem. We wouldn't know. And there are weak standards for post-release home studies to determine a child's status or safety once the child is in the custody of that sponsor.

There are many heartbreaking stories we see with the border crisis, but this exploitation of children is one of the most devastating. I would add we have seen article after article about child labor and child trafficking that is occurring, and the administration is changing a rule to make it less protective of those children.

Over at the Department of Commerce's Bureau of Industry and Security, they have an interim final rule that targets U.S. businesses that support America's use of their Second Amendment rights. Specifically, it restricts the ability of American firearm--ammunition--and related component manufacturers to obtain a license to export their products for sale.

Aside from the fact that it is unlawful, the interim rule will have a negative impact again on these American manufacturers, their suppliers, and the jobs that they support.

Additionally at the EPA, we saw the coal combustion residuals final rule, also known as coal ash, that imposes retroactive and costly regulations on coal ash management at inactive coal-fired powerplants.

This highlights, yet again, another anti-energy rule from the Biden administration that would throw our power grid into even more uncertainty. The volume of these efforts truly goes to show the broken rulemaking process of this administration. It underscores the President's bureaucratic blunders and his administration's ineffective style of governing.

While each rule may seem unrelated to one another, they strike a common cord. President Biden's administrative state is out of control. They would rather impose harmful regulations--remember, I said 900 of them--that would restrict America's rights and make life more difficult for our families than work with this Congress on pragmatic solutions, and they further escalate the hidden tax generated by these regulations--a tax that often receives too little attention.

The growth of the administrative state has distorted the way that policy and policymaking and lawmaking works right here in Washington, DC. This shifts away from letting Congress legislate; it openly defies the basis on which our country was built; and it takes the power away from the people. When you take the power away from the Representatives, you are taking power away from the people. Remember, the Constitution starts with ``We the People.'' It does not start with ``We the Administration'' or ``Me the President.''

I encourage President Biden and my colleagues in Congress to recognize that.

So, if we look at the summer bucket list, you will see--I talked about all of these--eliminate coal power, check; block new natural gas plants, check; add burdensome Federal staffing mandates on long-term care facilities, check; restrict Second Amendment rights, check.

The President's summer bucket list has been fulfilled already, and we don't even have summer officially here yet.

So while President Biden and his bloated bureaucracy attempt to put major restrictions on American energy, decimate the healthcare workforce for our seniors, tax and spend their way to higher prices, cast our southern border into chaos, and put restrictions on Americans' constitutional rights, Senate Republicans will continue to fight and hold the administration accountable and return authority to the American people on the issues that impact them every single day. That is why we were sent here. That is what we were sent to do.

I yield the floor.

Madam President, last week, on May 14, our friend and ally Israel celebrated its 76th Independence Day.

As we all know, Israel was founded in the wake of the Holocaust to give the Jewish people a homeland that would allow them to return to their ancestral land that they had been forcibly removed from.

I am proud--very proud--that the United States was the first country to recognize Israel; and since then, we have been steadfast allies that support one another through times both prosperous and challenging.

However, this year's Israeli Independence Day came during a time of great turmoil, as Israel battles terrorist forces that have ruthlessly waged war against them since October 7.

We join them as they mourn the loss of over 1,200 Israelis killed in that initial attack and pray for the safe return of the hostages still kept in captivity by Hamas.

In an alarming development, this longstanding U.S.-Israel relationship is now becoming unnecessarily strained by President Biden's quest to appease those in his party who do not support the State of Israel, a bastion of democracy and freedom in the Middle East.

The October 7 attack marks the most horrific attack Israel has suffered since its founding and the deadliest day for the Jewish people since the Holocaust. So how did we get to this point?

The common refrain for those opposed to Israel now has been to call for cease-fire now. We have seen it all across our college campuses. And we saw President Biden clap along to these demands, again, as he delivered a commencement address just this past weekend.

And what is even more mind-boggling is that those who are protesting, who are they demanding a cease-fire from? I haven't heard a single campus protest group call for Hamas to lay down its arms or call for Hamas to release the hostages.

Why? Why? Because they want Israel to stop fighting, because they want Israel to stop defending itself, and because they want Israel to lose. We cannot forget the fact that a cease-fire was in place on October 7, and that cease-fire was broken by Hamas as they deliberately attacked innocent civilians in the most brutal and barbaric ways.

So let's not forget that some of these communities, the border towns in Israel that were attacked by Hamas, were some of the most ardent supporters in Israel for the Palestinian people.

They were some of the biggest advocates for peace. Yet despite the reality, here in the United States, our colleges have become embroiled in controversy over this and play host to anti-Israel and anti-Semitic protests that ultimately stopped Jewish students from attending class and even led a rabbi at Columbia University to recommend Jewish students return home for their own safety.

These protesters demand that Israel drop their weapons, yet refuse to acknowledge that Hamas is the instigator of the war. But we now know what Hamas' entire plan was: to minimize any chance of peace in the region, to attack Israel's most peace-promoting citizens in the most brutal of fashions, especially, and most dangerously and horrifyingly, toward Israeli women.

To undermine the incredible progress that had been made possible through President Trump's Abraham Accords, to stop an emerging normalization deal with Saudi Arabia, and to conduct an attack on Israel so horrific that Israel had no other choice but to respond.

In what world would we ever expect a country to be attacked in such a brutal fashion and not fight to defend itself? It is important to note that the chaos and instability benefits one bad actor above all else, and that is the Iranian regime.

Without Iran's help, both financially and militarily, Hamas would not have been able to execute their terrorist attacks on the Israelis. Iran has further supported Hamas's efforts by launching over 300 projectiles at Israel on April 13. And lest we forget, it was an Iranian-made drone that killed three American soldiers in Jordan on January 29.

We must recognize that the deep ties between Hamas and Iran and their common goal of destroying Israel and bringing harm to the United States and our citizens. Calls for a cease-fire only embolden Hamas and their stated aim to repeat the October 7 attacks a second, third, and fourth time. Israel must defend itself, and they must root out the evil that is Hamas.

So earlier this week, we learned that the International Criminal Court would seek arrest warrants for leaders of Hamas and Israel for war crimes.

It is simply shocking to me that the ICC would seek to establish a delusional level of equivalency between the actions of Israel and the actions of Hamas. I have seen the footage of the attacks on Israeli and American citizens that occurred on October 7, and it is clear that Hamas is the real criminal involved in this conflict.

Hamas continues to show no regard for its own people, spending billions of dollars on over 300 miles of tunnel system, but yet they are refusing to allow their Palestinian citizens to shelter there; and they continue to use hospitals, schools, places of worship for military purposes, knowingly placing citizens in harm's way.

While Israel was founded on the principle of promoting development for the benefit of all of its inhabitants, Hamas's only mission is to destroy Israel. The differences between their founding principles, their leadership, and their actions could not be any more different. And it is abhorrent that the ICC would attempt to argue otherwise.

In these times of instability, you would hope that the President of the United States would display strength. Instead, President Biden has decided to play politics by placing a hold on security assistance that this Congress most recently approved.

This is just the latest foreign policy blunder from an administration plagued by weakness on the international stage. Shortly after this policy of withholding weapons was announced, Hamas steps away from the negotiations on the safe return of the hostages.

It seems like a pretty big coincidence to me. Hamas is still holding American hostages captive; although, I wonder how many of these hostages are still alive, as we discovered--I think it was last week, four bodies were discovered.

And President Biden should be doing everything within his power to bring home those American hostages. Instead, he is publicly withholding weapons from our ally and giving their adversary cover.

When President Biden took office, he pledged ironclad support for Israel, but now he is publicly backing down from that promise.

He is projecting to our allies and our adversaries that the U.S. promises' can be subject to political pressure.

To further underscore the administration's lack of responsibility, my EPW committee came across something very disturbing this week in our ongoing oversight of President Biden's so-called Inflation Reduction Act. You might wonder what EPW or the IRA have to do with Israel in their battle against terrorists. But we discovered that the Climate Justice Alliance, a group that received $50 million from the Biden administration in December, openly denies Israel's right to exist and actively supports the horrific actions of Hamas. They even promote graphics that glorify the bulldozers used by Hamas on October 7.

It is despicable that the EPA is sending millions of dollars through the IRA to a group that perpetrates hatred and violence under the guise of fighting climate change and this administration would allow U.S. taxpayers' dollars to fund these anti-Semitic activities.

There is no doubt that the last 7 months have been an incredibly difficult time for the people of Israel and Jewish Americans here at home. Never,

never in my life, never would I have ever expected to hear and see the anti-Semitic discourse that I see being conducted on our own land, our own American shores, and the violence and intimidation towards the Jewish community.

Together we must condemn the rise of anti-Semitism and make clear that this hatred has no home in our country and in our world.

My Republican colleagues and I will continue to display our unwavering support for Israel and push for the assistance that they need to ensure their survival and victory in this fight, as allies do have needs, particularly in this time of need.

So with that, I yield the floor to my friend from North Dakota, Senator Hoeven.