Floor Statements

Madam President, as this body continues to discuss the need for a national security supplemental, I rise today to discuss the important elements that need to be included in this supplemental and to, once again, emphasize the growing demands for increased border security in our country.

For a nation as powerful and as impactful as ours, there are obligations that we inherently have to meet, both to ourselves and our allies. At the center of these obligations rests defending our homeland. This security is imperative to the sovereignty of our Nation, with our other obligation being to support our allies abroad as they face hostilities. We must realize that these two priorities are deeply woven together. We cannot achieve national security as a whole without securing our own borders. In fact, President Biden's own national defense strategy reflects this very sentiment, citing protection of the homeland as the No. 1 defense priority.

It is essential that border security remains one of our four pillars that need to be included in any national security supplemental that is approved by this Congress. In order to properly secure and defend our allies, we must properly secure and defend our own Nation at the same time.

As I have said on the floor many times, Madam President, with you presiding--I have said many times that there is no doubt that we currently live in a time of heightened national security concern. Not only is this concern felt around the globe but in almost every State and community in our own country because of this crisis at the border.

Because of this crisis at the border, we see chaos. We see it on our news channels every evening. We see the monthly records of illegal crossings--as a matter of fact, I think several days ago, the highest daily number. We see how those who are truly seeking asylum are being disadvantaged by the cartels and smugglers who are playing the system.

It is obvious that the policies which have led to this crisis need to be addressed, and they need to be changed and reformed.

I often talk about American leadership and our historic ability to respond with strength in times of crisis. Well, this is a time of crisis, and our porous southern border is something we desperately need to act upon.

It is not lost on me or on my Republican colleagues, the urgency to address the four central national security emergencies of our time. Ukraine is facing an unjust and unprovoked ground war perpetrated by Russia. Our ally and friend Israel is under attack by terrorists who are holding women and children hostage. The recounting that we have heard of the sexual violence against the women in Israel on October 7 is appalling. Our allies in the Indo-Pacific face heightened concern as rival nations increase their aggression. Right here in the United States, we are facing the worst border crisis in our Nation's history.

These four areas are directly tied together. Ukraine's ability to defend itself and stave off Russian aggression relates directly to the security of Taiwan and the increased posture of China. The terrorist attacks perpetrated on Israel have led to attacks on our own U.S. military bases and ships, as well as the alarming rise--alarming rise-- of anti-Semitism that we are seeing in our own country.

Nations directly opposed to the United States--they are opposed to our values, our way of life--are building an uneasy level of camaraderie between one another. You can guarantee that these nations are watching our self-created security crisis at our border and waiting to see when we will finally wake up and react. Our country must take notice of this.

The supplemental text before us does not make any policy changes but instead just throws more money--more money--at a broken system. That is not a solution. It doesn't address the actual policies that are fueling this situation.

The changes in border policy that my party seeks are not ``partisan and extreme measures,'' as the Democrat leader would lead you to assume, but, rather, they are substantive solutions that address the national security threats that we are now facing.

We encountered a sixfold increase of individuals on our Terror Watchlist just in the past year coming to the southern border. Half of the illegal encounters now on our border are not from Mexico or the Northern Triangle of Central America. Drugs that are made on the other side of the world are smuggled into our country daily, with the goal of sowing destruction and sorrow. Unfortunately, that is having success. We do not know who or what is entering our borders, and that cannot be a risk we are willing to take.

The truth of the matter is, this doesn't need to be a partisan issue, and I know we have colleagues on both sides of the aisle who are trying to work through this. We are not just talking about funding but, rather, changes that ensure that those who enter our country are coming through legal channels and that they are properly vetted. It sounds pretty simple to me--both things that we should all agree are necessary aspects of a working immigration system. But, instead, this administration, the Biden administration, has incentivized abuses of our asylum laws that have led to the greatest border crisis in our Nation's history. It is an open border. It is catch-and-release. This, in turn, has put our national security at risk.

This is not an issue that the Republicans have brought up in the eleventh hour of a negotiation but, rather, something that we have continued to highlight the entire time President Biden has been in the White House.

Members of Congress cannot continue to ignore the deep ties between the sovereignty of the United States and the sovereignty of our allies abroad. The supplemental we have been discussing for weeks is about helping our allies, but also, why is that important? Because we have to advance our own interests at the same time, and the border is a big part of our own interests. This is not a time to play games; instead, it is time to meet the challenges of the moment. While others refuse to accept the reality of the landscape we face, Republicans remain at the table.

For too long--for too long--we have been on the floor voting on radical nominations to advance the Biden administration's agenda instead of on legislation needed to help solve many of the problems I have described, including border security and our weakened defense industrial base and, I would add as a member of the Appropriations Committee, our appropriations bills, which have been teed up since July, and the leader has refused to put them on the floor. All that serves to do is waste time we simply do not have.

We must seek agreements that address our concerns, that provide necessary relief, that strengthen our security, and that will move the interests of the United States forward. I ask my colleagues in this Chamber to recognize that.

The time to invest in the national security of the United States and our allies abroad is now.

With that, I yield the floor.

I see my fellow Senator from Nebraska here to talk about similar subjects.

Madam President, I rise today to once again speak about a subject that President Biden and his administration are refusing to address, and that is this crisis on our southern border.

I have been extremely outspoken about this topic--many of us have-- especially when it comes to the need for deterrence along our southern border, the alarming drug epidemic that continues to harm my State and the entire country, and the desperate need to make changes to our immigration policy and the laws that define our homeland security.

The American people see the numbers, but it is not just numbers; they see the actual human effects within their own cities and States of this rampant illegal immigration. It can no longer be ignored. In just the past year, there have been more than 2.4 million illegal encounters on our southern border--we have all seen them on our television sets--and that is more than a 180-percent increase since fiscal year 2019. There have been 169 encounters with individuals on our country's Terror Watchlist--six times the number of the past year; and fentanyl seizures along the U.S.-Mexico border have hit record highs.

I see my fellow Senator from Kansas. He has spent a lot of time on this fentanyl issue because it is so devastating to our States.

More than 26,000 pounds of illicit fentanyl were seized along the country's southern border this past year, and this is just the data we know. It is hard to fathom that there are 600,000 ``got-aways''--those are people who were not even disrupted in their journeys--drugs and threats to our national security that are streaming across our border that we might have missed.

This is truly and simply an unmitigated crisis. There is no doubt that this is leading to and sometimes already has created an unsustainable situation across this country. But don't just take my word for it. I will offer some quotes:

The federal government's lack of intervention and

coordination at the border has created an untenable

situation.

This issue will destroy New York City.

A federal crisis of inaction that is many years in the

making.

These are all direct quotes from Democratic Governors and mayors across the country.

Across the aisle and across the country, we know that President Biden's rhetoric and lack of action on the southern border has created a historic problem. In fact, this is a 50-State problem. I hear about this topic from West Virginians frequently. Constituents have expressed border security concerns to me, things like the catastrophic, flawed, and failed Biden-Harris approach to immigration and the loss of control of our southern border; the vulnerable state that our communities are left in by the flow of human trafficking and illicit drugs currently coming across our border; and the need to bolster our national security with the increase in crossings by those on the Terror Watchlist.

My home State of West Virginia is not a border State, so to speak, but we are all border States now. We are no stranger to the strife and grief created by the flow of harmful narcotics into our communities.

From June 2022 to June 2023, West Virginia's provisional State data shows that an estimated 1,415 West Virginians died from overdoses. These are husbands, brothers, sisters, moms, and dads. It is indescribably sad.

Drug overdoses caused over 5,200 emergency room visits, and our EMS teams responded to over 6,300 calls of a suspected drug overdose. These numbers are staggering, especially for a State as small as mine.

Fentanyl overdose in this country has become the leading cause of death for Americans age 18 to 45. Something has to be done, and it has to be done now and fast.

This crisis on our southern border raises grave questions about the national security of our own country. In addition to the 279 individuals on the Terror Watchlist who have been encountered at the southern border since President Biden took office, U.S. Customs and Border Protection has arrested over 35,000 migrants with criminal convictions in just this past year.

Nearly half of the migrants encountered on our southern border are coming from countries other than Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, or El Salvador, with more than 24,000 Chinese citizens apprehended crossing into the United States from Mexico in the past year.

Who are these people? We don't know. Yet many of them are living in all of our States.

My point is, the immigration crisis on our southern border is now more multifaceted than ever, and the open-border virtual signaling from this administration has allowed that to happen. We truly have no idea who is entering our country illegally.

At a time of heightened national security risk, this is a chance that we cannot be willing to take. There is currently a large-scale ground war in Europe, our ally and friend Israel is facing historic and unprecedented attacks of terror, and tensions in the Indo-Pacific remain on high alert.

As Leader McConnell stated on this same floor yesterday, national security begins with border security. We can and should take needed action to mitigate the threats that we face. This starts by securing our southern border and making the policy changes necessary to defend our homeland from nefarious forces abroad.

I keep saying ``policy changes'' because there are some who think if we just keep putting money into the situation, it is going to help the problem. All the money does is turn the asylum cases around faster. It makes more people have parole into the United States, and, there, again, is a cycle of unknown people throughout the United States.

Time and again, Republicans have asked the tough questions and put forward the solutions necessary to stop the crisis that we have seen unfold. Nearly every elected official--Democrat and Republican--both in the executive branch and in Congress, has acknowledged that there are top-to-bottom changes that need to be done to our asylum system.

That is what is being offered, and that is what needs to be delivered: changes to our asylum system--meaningful changes--meaningful changes to our parole system, and safe third country agreements. This will have meaningful effect on the problems that I have described.

Now is the time to come to the table. Republicans stand for solutions that enforce and enhance not just the immigration laws that we have on the books but the policy changes that we are advocating for.

We back our hard-working CBP agents and guards on the ground who are overwhelmed and undersupported, and we need to finish the border wall and provide the necessary level of deterrence that we desperately need.

I have been encouraged by my colleagues' bipartisan efforts for their ongoing talks to deliver the immigration policy changes that are increasingly needed, but any agreement will need to find consensus by the entire body. I implore my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to recognize the importance of the effort and of this moment.

We simply do not have time to waste. We need to come together, secure our southern border, and fulfill the other national security obligations that are demanded of a nation as powerful as ours.

With that, I yield the floor.

Madam President, I rise today, really, to speak on behalf of the American people that I represent--and those are my great West Virginians--but Americans all across the country--many, many of whom have been left behind in President Biden's pursuit of Bidenomics and who are directly feeling the scars that his administrative policies have left on the American dream.

American families are experiencing ever-increasing financial pressure due to the state of our Nation's economy, which is jeopardizing our ability to succeed. And it is jeopardizing our ability to feel confident.

It is simply unfair that Americans are compromised at every turn due to inflation--increased interest rates, costly regulations, and tax hikes on essential items that we all need to live.

But not only is this unfair, but for a country as strong and resourceful as our country is, it is unacceptable.

So let's just take a quick refresher on what exactly Bidenomics means. What began as sort of an ambiguous term to recognize the economic policies of this administration has quickly come to mean one thing: You are spending more and getting less.

It means that we see inflation reach a 40-year high and remain persistently above the Fed's target rate and pre-Biden administration levels. It also means that mortgage rates would reach and remain at a 30-year record and that interest rates would rise at the fastest pace over the last four decades.

It is just truly astounding that the difference in interest that Americans are paying now, compared to what they were paying just last year. Look at some of your statements, and you will see it. The Fed aggressively raised interest rates 11 times between early 2022 and now, from nearly zero to 5.5 percent in less than 2 years.

The historic increase comes at a cost. It comes at a cost that Americans have to pay and is making that dream of affording a home, buying a new car, or building a business seemingly impossible.

Bidenomics means that consumer prices are skyrocketing, and it means that everything from groceries to energy to gasoline will stay at nearly unaffordable levels.

Well, we just saw it last week with the Halloween candy. I saw several comparisons of how much more Halloween candy was this year than last. And you know what? We are going to see it again when we all gather at Thanksgiving and we look at the cost of providing a family meal.

President Biden refers to Bidenomics as an ``investment in America.'' But the reality is Bidenomics is making sure that Americans have nothing left to invest. Nor do they have anything in their savings accounts. We see lots of studies on this. We can't invest in our small businesses, not investing in repairing and replacing your home, and, certainly, not investing in the future of our families.

I hear about this from West Virginians every single time I go home, which is every weekend. I had the opportunity to hear the story of a gentleman who owns a bus company that operates in West Virginia.

The challenges his business is facing come from all levels. He owns 38 buses, but not all of them are operational. In addition to elevated fuel costs, he cannot find enough drivers. So workforce shortages are everywhere, and lingering supply chain issues have hampered his ability to conduct much needed maintenance. He said that even when he gets a bus rolling and the group asks: Let's stop for some food--I think often, when we see a bus stopping for food and we are wanting to get some food at the same restaurant, we keep going because we know what that means--but he says, often he as the driver of the bus is often met by restaurant owners in the parking lot who say that their staffing shortages are preventing them from being able to provide service to the passengers.

And that is just one interaction, but it proves the multifaceted challenges created by Bidenomics, the growing negative impact that these policies have made, and the handcuffs that are being placed on business owners that prevent them from doing their jobs.

Sustained high inflation and interest rates mean that operating costs are at levels where, even if prices are raised, business owners can't reinvest into their business or hire to maintain a good workforce.

And because they are forced to raise prices, those costs are passed on to the consumer who continues to make difficult choices about how they will spend their money.

Additionally, I hear from West Virginians who are facing difficulties as they are beginning to start their adult lives. They have graduated from school; they have got a job; maybe gotten married, thinking about maybe starting a family and a life together. But due to rising interest rates, high inflation, and stagnated wages, they are unable to do so. It is unaffordable.

These are children who came of age in the time of economic success, who saw how their parents were able to provide for them, but they are unable to use that blueprint now because of Bidenomics.

This shows the direct damage, I think, that the President and his policies have inflicted on the American people and the American dream and the disadvantages that some of our children will continue to grapple with if we do not change course soon.

For reasons I do not understand, President Biden continues to travel the country to try to claim credit and convince people that the state of the economy is good for them. The President has the right, certainly, to take that credit. But my question is, Why would he want to do it? I don't think he has done his own grocery shopping lately. And anytime you are in the grocery store, you can see what is going on.

So truth be told, I think he is selling us--he is trying to sell us a false bill of goods, one that the American people are not buying because, you know what? There again, they can't afford to. They can't afford to.

Recent polls show that 76 percent of Americans think that our country is on the wrong track, and 66 percent--that is two-thirds of all Americans--rate our Nation's economy as bad. These numbers shouldn't surprise any of us, as Americans are continuing to feel the squeeze.

American workers are continually becoming increasingly concerned that they won't have enough to retire as they had originally planned. The optimism of our small business owners is continuing to decline and the credit card debt is rising, and it is being carried by Americans as it hits a new record of over $1 trillion.

On top of all of this, the disappointing October jobs report saw unemployment rise and manufacturing decline. So Americans are concerned--deservedly so.

One thing is clear: Our country cannot continue on the path that Bidenomics has led us. It makes no sense to continue to focus Federal time and resources to push burdensome ESG government policies--that is environment, social, and corporate government policies--instead of promoting pro-growth policies to help bring the United States out of the difficult reality that our people are finding themselves in. Americans remember times of past economic success. The progress that was generated by lowering taxes, supporting small businesses, and investing in American energy and technology.

Our Republican colleagues and I continue to craft solutions that we believe will promote fiscal responsibility, cut redtape, cut Executive overreach, and unleash the American energy that we have right here at home. Each of these areas is of vital importance to our economy and would provide the relief that American families need at a time when they need it the most.

I encourage President Biden and my colleagues to heed the calls of the American people who face challenges in their pocketbooks every single day, every single trip they make to the grocery store, every time they fill up their gas tank, every time they look at their checkbook. The focus should be on them, not on the President and the empty pursuit of Bidenomics.

With that, I yield the floor.

Madam President, I rise today to address this Chamber at an increasingly important moment in our Nation's history, to discuss the national security issues that we are currently facing and the ways in which the U.S. Senate can address them.

On the floor, over the past several weeks, I have repeatedly called for American leadership in support of our allies abroad and in support of the many challenges that we face here at home. Again, today, I renew that call for American leadership and continue to stress the urgency created by the trials at hand: from the vicious, horrific attacks on our allies in Israel by Hamas to Putin's aggression we see in Europe; from North Korea's brazen nuclear posturing to Iranian militias attacking our men and women overseas in uniform; and, of course, the increasing tensions that we see in the Indo-Pacific, where China continues to threaten stability and to pursue the largest military buildup since World War II.

We are currently living in times and are tasked in making decisions that will greatly shape the world in which we and the young people here today will be living in. Our Nation is being tested. Our resolve is being tested. And a country as powerful as ours needs to show strength, clarity, and control that only the United States of America can generate.

This is something I have addressed repeatedly with my constituents across West Virginia and something that I am confident they understand and agree with. The Mountain State is incredibly patriotic. We are very proud Americans. Pride in our country and a steadfast belief in the ideals and values that we stand for are invaluable, both now and in our future. I agree with my fellow patriotic West Virginians that this is the greatest country on Earth and that the title requires us to make critical investments in both our own national security and in the security of our allies, before it is too late.

It is imperative that Americans across this country recognize this and that we come together as our adversaries attempt to turn us against one another.

I am appreciative of the Biden administration for proposing a supplemental appropriations package that addresses key areas of concern that I have talked to, but those key areas of concern that we see across our country and the world. That being said, the administration's supplemental request needs to be recognized for what it is--a request. The Senate must and will have a say in how this is formulated. The Biden administration has not shown the strength it needs to during these challenging times.

We need to unabashedly stand with Israel. We need to responsibly support

Ukraine as they further deteriorate Putin's military. They are getting back land that they lost. They are regaining it. We need to strengthen our allies and our own defense capabilities in the Indo-Pacific. And we may need to make strong changes to policies that have allowed our southern border to remain in chaos for years now. Any response from the Senate must reflect these four categories because they are directly tied to what is in the best interest of our country and our national security.

Yesterday, I participated in a Senate Appropriations hearing to examine President Biden's request. This was an important step. It allowed us to grow consensus as we move toward a supplemental that will be crafted by the Senate. I firmly believe that this was one of our most important Appropriations Committee hearings, and I congratulate the chair and the vice chair. This hearing highlighted how investments into the defense of Israel and Ukraine go a long way to strengthening our own defense capabilities and how the lack of deterrence and enforcement at our southern border is creating elevated threats to our national security.

This further underscores the importance of responsible relief efforts that need to be included in a response from the Senate. It is critical that a Senate-crafted supplemental address all four areas that I have mentioned and that we provide the tools needed for our allies to win and to strengthen our own defense capabilities, at the same time, in the process.

Israel is currently under attack by Hamas and Hezbollah and terrorists who are supported by America's most evil adversaries. American lives have been lost, and far too many innocent families have been left without a home and without their loved ones.

Ukraine is facing an unjust and unprovoked ground war, the likes of which we have not seen in generations--nor did we think we would see in this generation. Putin's aggression creates dangers all around the globe. The Ukrainian military is decimating Russia's military strength without putting one American troop in harm's way.

Additionally, funding toward Ukraine goes straight into replenishing our own stockpiles with new and more advanced weapons. These are weapons that are made in the U.S.A., for the U.S.A., some of which are made in my home State of West Virginia.

Our Indo-Pacific allies remain on heightened alert. I saw this directly when I visited the region last summer. It is irresponsible to neglect the tie between the attacks on Israel, the war in Ukraine, and the security of Taiwan and the increasing aggression from China--and on our southern border, which remains in chaos.

President Biden's policies have led to record after record of illegal crossings, with an alarming amount of encounters with individuals on our own country's Terrorist Watch List. I saw where Secretary Mayorkas testified yesterday that 600,000 ``got-aways''--we don't even count them in the over 2 million who were apprehended. This is 600,000 people who are believed to have entered our country without any interdiction at all. We don't know who these people are.

We do not just need funding for a border wall; we need substantial changes in policy, as I said earlier, that will strengthen our security and protect our homeland, which has been left under siege for far too long.

It is important that Congress and the American public recognize the importance of support across those four categories. The investments will support our own defense industrial base. It will increase the security of the United States. We will support our allies in their time of need, and, most importantly, we will keep U.S. servicemembers from fighting in these battles. Each of these categories is in the direct and best interest of the United States and the security of our homeland and the security of our allies.

There is no doubt that now is the time to act. If we fail to meet our obligations in any of the four areas, we weaken the overall impact of all of them. I am confident in the ability of this Chamber to craft a supplemental that meets the growing and urgent national security needs of our country and our world.

The time for American leadership is now.

Mr. President, West Virginia lost one of its truly beloved sons when G. Ogden Nutting of Wheeling passed away on August 25 at the age of 87. To call him a community leader doesn't come close to capturing the leadership, dedication, and inspiration he provided the city of Wheeling, the State of West Virginia, and the entire Tri-State region of West Virginia, Ohio, and Pennsylvania. I rise today to pay tribute not only to his legacy, but also to the enduring one of his beloved wife, Betty Woods ``Snookie'' Nutting, who survives him. The two of them, both Wheeling Hall of Fame inductees and also Distinguished West Virginians, exhibited the best of West Virginia for seven decades.

G. Ogden Nutting served in many capacities at his family's business, Ogden Newspapers, Inc., for more than 60 years. His contributions, both professional and philanthropic, benefited numerous organizations in Wheeling to include the Oglebay Foundation, the Wheeling Park Commission, the Salvation Army, United Way, the Elks and Rotary clubs, Bethany College, West Liberty University, and West Virginia University. Ogden was recognized by national organizations for his excellence in and passion for the newspaper industry and for setting standards for future generations of journalists.

His partner throughout has been his wife Betty Woods ``Snookie'' Nutting. Her commitment to historic preservation literally changed the face of Wheeling, helping to save and rehabilitate dozens of Victorian- era buildings in West Virginia's first capital city. She recognized excellence and beauty in the city's historical architecture while epitomizing it in the way she lives her life and serves her community.

I am proud to have called Ogden Nutting a friend to me and my family and am humbled to extend my deep gratitude to Snookie for her loyal and selfless dedication to making our State a better place. To their family and friends, I share in your grief in Ogden's passing, celebrate his life, and am enriched by the example these two fine West Virginians have set for all of us. Wheeling and the entire State of West Virginia are a better place because of these two fine people.

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

Madam President, we were here last week when I addressed the floor on this very issue that I want to talk about again because it is so absolutely critical to the world's security and our security, because violence is continuing to rage in Israel. We continue to hear the horrific and heartbreaking stories of Hamas's vicious attack on innocent Israeli civilians and families, and our own American citizens remain unaccounted for and are being held hostage by Hamas in the wake of their unjustifiable terrorist attack on the nation of Israel.

In this Chamber and in this country, our support for Israel and their right to defend themselves must be unwavering. We must stand with our ally and friend as they continue to withstand barbaric attacks from terrorist militant groups and threats from all directions.

There is absolutely no question that now is the time for American leadership. Our response needs to be united, and our response needs to meet the urgency of a moment just like this. As a world power, the United States of America has both the responsibility and the wherewithal to support our allies, especially as they come under attack by nefarious adversaries. It becomes vitally important that our Nation recognize this, that the American public hear the stories from those in Israel, and that we understand the brutal, inhumane, and devastating tactics that Hamas is deploying on the residents of the Jewish state.

Last week, I had the opportunity to speak with two American families who have members who are being held hostage in Gaza by the terrorist organization Hamas. These stories are gut-wrenching--one, a 3-year-old child; the other, a married couple--and bring to light what is truly happening in Israel right now. Elderly families were ripped from their homes, children taken from their parents, family members executed in front of their loved ones.

I am a mother myself and a grandmother, and I know everyone in this Chamber and everybody listening has members of their own family and loved ones they care about so deeply. So can we really imagine what that feels like? This is the reality that the Israeli people are facing every day.

These attacks need to be condemned and denounced in the strongest possible terms, and they have been, and it makes it all the more imperative that the United States provide the support it needs to stop and root out the evil Hamas.

It is impossible--impossible--to understate--or to overstate, even-- the outside role that Iran has played in these past 18 days since the initial attack. We know--we know--that Iran is financially supporting Hamas. We know in the strongest terms that Iran has helped reinforce Hamas's military strengths and capabilities and training. We know that Iran is backing Hezbollah, to the north in Lebanon, who stands at the ready to open a second front of this war along the Israel-Lebanon border.

We know that the Iranian-backed militias are responsible for the recent attacks on U.S. personnel stationed in the Middle East, and we know that Iran harbors deep resentment and hatred for our own United States and our ally Israel. Make no mistake, Iran is an evil empire, and they must be held accountable for these attacks as well. Sanctions need to be imposed and enforced on this regime and all others that are complicit in the illicit Iranian oil trade, which funds terror and aggression in the Middle East.

The unmistakable anti-American hatred from Iran and its allies creates greater questions regarding our own national security. It highlights the importance of our investments in our own homeland security and national defense. We are at a very difficult juncture right now, and the security of America and the defense of our allies should remain our first priority.

In addition to the terrorist attacks in Israel, there is a large- scale ground war in Europe perpetrated by Russia, the likes of which we have not seen since World War II. China continues to increase their posture and presence toward Taiwan. And our southern border is totally porous. It remains under siege.

And 2.48 million immigrants came across our border in fiscal year 2023, a new record--a new record. Just last month, we set another new record: over 269,000 encounters at the southern border and then not to mention that 169 of these encounters were people on our terror watchlist, which is more than the last 6 fiscal years all tied together.

So what does that tell you? We are not sheltered from terrorism. We can't think that what we see going on in the Middle East can't come here. We know it has been on our shores before, and there is no reason it can't come back unless we do something where we make intentional investments.

So now is the time to make those investments into our national security across the board. Support for Israel, Ukraine, the Indo- Pacific, and our southern border is paramount and will serve to directly invest back into our own country and our own defense.

America's place on the world stage requires a level of leadership and accountability that we must accept with authority--we are the superpower--while we must always prioritize the needs of our own country first and then the support of our allies.

The good news is that when we are supporting the defense of our allies, we are also investing in deterrence and also supporting our own security and deterrence.

I am supportive of providing supplemental funding towards our defense capabilities--our southern border, Israel, Ukraine, and Indo-Pacific allies--because it is in the best interest of our country, our citizens, our neighbors, but I say in the strongest terms, I mentioned the southern border, but this must be front and center of any kind of supplemental that comes forward.

The Senate will have its say on the supplemental. The President has put his proposal before us. I would venture to say that will drastically change. The buckets may not change so much, but certainly the areas of influence will, and we will have a bill that creates and reflects our own thoughts, what we think. We need to craft a response to the attacks on Israel and other national security emergencies of this time.

I believe the Biden administration has been defined by its shakiness. The Senate needs to be defined by its strength and make certain that our country is ready and able to act.

There is no doubt that the United States is currently being tested by our adversaries, but we must make certain that we don't respond with weakness. By working together--and I think we will and can--I am confident in our ability to lead.

We must meet this moment, as our Nation has done in times of trial before. That is what will define this body, and we will move our country forward.

With that, I yield the floor.

Madam President, I join my colleague from Kansas and many others who are going to be on the floor today in full and total support of one of our most steadfast allies, the State of Israel. I also stand here today to strongly condemn--condemn in the strongest terms--the terrorist attacks perpetrated on Israel by Hamas.

Since the initial attack on October 7, we have lost 31 American citizens. Other Americans remain unaccounted for and are being held hostage. More than 1,400 Israelis have been killed, and countless families have been left without a home and without their loved ones.

This is an unacceptable tragedy and recalls far too familiar memories of terrorist attacks in our own Nation's history. We remember vividly the devastating and hostile attacks that ISIS deployed and can clearly see the parallels between their terroristic actions and the wrath that Hamas is now perpetrating. Now is the time to unabashedly and unapologetically support Israel, and I do.

It is also time to support Israel's right to defend themselves and their people. The United States and Israel has a long, long history of demonstrating mutual respect and allegiance to one another.

It dates back to 1948, when President Truman became the first world leader to recognize the Jewish State. Since then, Israel has displayed unmatched loyalty and provided critical support to our country in the Middle East. Israel has stood beside us in some of our darkest hours, and now, as friends do, we will do the same for them.

It is imperative that Congress take action now and provide the support that Israel needs in the face of these terrorist attacks, both to properly defend themselves but also to provide the humanitarian resources needed for those whose lives have been decimated by a group that shows no mercy toward civilians, many of whom are women and children.

Our country must do all that it can within our power to rescue American hostages and return them to safety. This has to be met with increased urgency because time is of the essence. I am afraid the longer we wait, the sadder the stories, especially for those hostages who are in severe need of medical attention.

We must also make certain that the $6 billion in frozen assets that the Biden administration planned to send to Iran in September remains frozen.

It is incomprehensible to me that the Biden administration made the announcement that they were going to unfreeze $6 billion to Iran and that they would do that on September 11 of this year. Additionally, it is imperative that the Biden administration finally strengthens and enforces U.S. sanctions on the Iranian regime, which is raking in billions of dollars--the Iranian regime is raking in billions of dollars--in illicit oil sales.

It is past time to get tough on Iranian oil and to stop the regime from skirting our U.S. sanctions. Iran is selling 1.4 billion barrels of oil per day this year and using these proceeds to fund what we just saw over the last several weeks--these murderous actions of terrorist groups throughout the region--and they fund their own military at the same time.

It should surprise no one that Iran, the world leader in state- sponsored terrorism, was heavily involved in this attack and that they continue to support the unjustifiable actions of Hamas.

The leaders of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee have put forth a resolution, of which I am an original cosponsor and support strongly, as do many of us. This resolution declares that Congress will stand with Israel. It

reaffirms Israel's right to self-defense. It condemns Hamas and Iran and calls on the Biden administration to further impose sanctions on Iran.

With the support of 99 Senators, once passed, this will send an almost unanimous message to the world that acts of terrorism and violence will not be tolerated or go unpunished.

I have been encouraged by President Biden's response following the attacks on Israel. However, President Biden's time in office has been defined by a level of, in my view, passiveness and ambiguity that has emboldened our adversaries, and it has lacked the strength that is required of a superpower. That being said, this is not the time to fight amongst ourselves.

One of our strongest allies is under attack, and a nation as strong as ours must display a united front as well as call these attacks on Israel exactly what they are, an act of terrorism.

There is no doubt that the continued assault on Israel creates a seismic shift in our foreign policy. Just a few weeks ago, on this very floor, I warned about the uneasy closeness that was cultivating between our adversaries. Nations that shun our values and reject democracy are finding refuge with each other and stand in direct opposition to our ideals and our way of life. The connection between these countries-- Russia, China, Iran, and North Korea--cannot be ignored and only further underscores the importance of strengthening our own military capabilities. We need to be providing military aid for Israel that will serve to not only reinforce our allies but also invest directly back in our own defense. We will serve to reenergize our defense industrial base by restoring the arsenal of democracy that defines our leadership as the United States of America.

Moving forward, we must act decisively and lead in the way that America has done before in times of emergency and adversity. This is the United States of America, the greatest country on Earth. We have the capacity and the obligation to defend our allies as they face unjustified aggression from adversaries.

These attacks on Israel are brutal beyond comprehension and have led to the slaying, as I said before, of innocent families, women, and children. It is incumbent upon us to show steadfast support for Israel and to reiterate how military aid from the United States is in the best interests of both of our nations.

The world is watching and expecting the United States to lead. I encourage my colleagues to recognize the magnitude of this moment, which many of us have been expressing here on the floor today, and join together in our unwavering support of Israel.

With that, I yield the floor.

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

Mr. President, Monday marked 22 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. We will never forget.

Many of us were here that day, including me, and I certainly will never forget that awful horrible tragic day. Those horrific events in New York City and Washington, DC, and Shanksville, PA, forever changed the national security of the United States of America. Our Nation banded together, and we supported one another as we rebuilt and recovered.

As part of our collective response, we saw the beginnings of the Global War on Terror. Together, with the help of our allies, we made significant progress in countering violent extremism and eliminating the territorial gains that the Islamic State had made.

While this threat still remains today, we made progress in diminishing the ability of terrorists to harm Americans. Now we are again seeing the landscape of our national security shift as we are facing a new challenge of rising threats from nations like Russia and China.

Putin's unwarranted aggression has created a large-scale ground war in the European continent--something that was really nearly unthinkable just a few short years ago.

Adding to that, we are witnessing the unprecedented buildup of the Chinese military state. Make no mistake, those Chinese military investments were made with U.S. capabilities in mind.

Nations that directly oppose U.S. values and interests are beginning to create an uneasy closeness with one another. Just yesterday, North Korea's leader, Kim Jong Un, pledged ``full and unconditional support'' for Russia's Vladimir Putin. And we don't know what the behind-the- scenes conversations were or the tradeoffs that were made.

This is something that we must monitor closely, and it demands a collective and united response. The growing threat from China was something that I discussed with the United States Indo-Pacific Command leaders when I met with them over August. This is a real threat and underscores the importance of working with our allies in this region.

Our allies in the Indo-Pacific area are very important when it comes to both deterrence efforts and facilitating U.S. operations in the event of a crisis or conflict. That cooperation is a key piece in our ability to protect the power that the United States has led with.

The AUKUS agreement between Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States further cements this relationship and ensures that we will become even more interoperable with our allies in the Indo- Pacific.

We need to maintain a strong military posture in this region and bolster our cybersecurity and technological abilities to ensure that our Nation and our allies will be ready for any and all threats that we may face.

The intrinsic relationship between China and Taiwan and Russia and Ukraine cannot be lost on us. There is no doubt that China and Xi Jinping are closely watching Russia's attempted land grab and are taking notes of the united resistance that they are now facing. Stopping Russia in Ukraine will send a clear and direct signal to China that violent, unwarranted aggression will be met with a swift and unified response.

It is vitally important to recognize that supporting Ukraine explicitly and clearly strengthens our own national security. I truly believe that is a fact. Our support for Ukraine has benefited the United States by illuminating vulnerabilities in our own defense industrial base, which we now have the opportunity to remedy. Without this, we might not have discovered these issues until a crisis of our own, and these production challenges would have severely disabled our ability to defend ourselves and strengthen our U.S. warfighters in a time of conflict.

It is important to recognize that funding Congress has appropriated in support of Ukraine is going directly back into our own capabilities. This has initiated facilities upgrades at our ammo plants. It has boosted production at our defense industrial base sites and funded replenishment of our own U.S. arsenal.

As Leader McConnell mentioned on Monday, by showing support for Ukraine, Americans are making strides in our competition with China, we are degrading the Russian military capacity, we are encouraging our allies to ``Buy American,'' and we are reassuring the importance of investing in their own defense. We have seen this directly from our allies like Australia and Japan, which are making serious investments in their defense capabilities, or the UK, which has also pledged meaningful military support for Ukraine.

Moving forward, NATO members need to take the commitment to pledge 2 percent of their GDP towards defense more seriously and move at the speed of the threats that we face.

One thing is for certain: This is not a time to show weakness. However, President Biden and his administration have unfortunately not shown the strength needed in the face of these rising threats. We saw this in the botched withdrawal in Afghanistan in 2021, where 13 of our servicemembers senselessly--senselessly--lost their lives, or just this weekend when President Biden claimed, while he was on a trip to the Far East, that ``we're all better off if China does well.'' And then on 9/11, of all days, the Biden administration notified Congress that they are negotiating with the leading sponsor of terrorism--Iran--and sending $6 billion in frozen assets with little or no accountability.

Actions like these endanger every American abroad and display a level of deficiency that is inconsistent--inconsistent--with the true standing and power that the United States has.

We are currently at a pivotal moment in our history, both in the history of our Nation but also the history of the world. American leadership has always transcended nefarious forces. That, I am confident in. We must always lead with the strength that defines this leadership and work to ensure that our national security remains the foremost priority that it deserves to be.

My own State of West Virginia, which has deep roots of military service and patriotism, has established a growing presence and participation in our national defense infrastructure. West Virginia companies and universities are stepping up and are contributing in increasingly important ways to the military industrial base in this country. From ammunition production to cybersecurity advancements and critical components for vehicles, aircraft, and weapons, West Virginia is leading the way. Our country must follow this example and continue this level of investment into our national security, with each and every one of us contributing to the proud tradition of American leadership.

I yield the floor.

Mr. President, just yesterday, all of us returned to the U.S. Capitol following a 5-week stretch where we exercised the opportunity to meet with our constituents in our homes, visit updated projects and attend events in our respective States; and some of us traveled across the country and around the world to expand our understanding and gather lessons so that we can apply that to our work here in Washington.

I was able to accomplish this at home by attending my State's annual economic development summit, where I met business leaders from all across West Virginia on a variety of issues from a variety of fields.

Through meetings with individuals in specific industries, I was able to share the landscape that I currently see in Washington and hear about the specific policies that are impacting West Virginia most directly. I was also able to attend a really great event, a ribbon- cutting ceremony for a brandnew high school in Kanawha County. This school, Herbert Hoover High School, had been decimated--the former school--in 2016 by floods, and we all gathered there and celebrated something that was really awful into something very joyful. And our own home State Brad Paisley came and gave us a concert to celebrate with.

During the ceremony, the West Virginia spirit was really palpable as the community worked hard to remedy the scars from that horrible flood. It was a special occasion, and I think it proved to me and to all of us the resiliency that defines the people of my State, and I would say Connecticut as well.

The August work period also provided the opportunity for me to lead an all-women Congressional delegation of bipartisan, bicameral members to the Indo-Pacific region. The trip kind of had a dual mission. The first was to discuss national and global security and energy in the Indo-Pacific region. The second was to explore issues related to the empowerment of women and girls--the status of women in sports--and building on current momentum in that space.

To do both in a week is certainly a tall order, as the two are seemingly disconnected. We went hoping, originally, obviously, to see the U.S. women's soccer team play in the World Cup. We didn't quite get to see them, but we did see all of the excitement around the Women's World Cup, and we did get to see a great match between Japan and Sweden.

But the experience we gained proved that these topics are really more related than what meets the eye. The center focus that binds these two missions that we had together are our U.S. values. These values have tangible power, and our ability to lead by our values displays the influence that our Nation has in both of these areas.

When Congress passed title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, sex discrimination and education programs and activities offered by any entity that receives Federal financial assistance was barred. It was monumental legislation for women and women's sports.

This forever changed the way that women participate in our society and has paved the way for life-changing scholarships, a dramatic change in women's participation in our economy, and the consequent rise of U.S. women's sports.

The ascension of women's involvement in sports has created a ripple effect that is not just felt in our country--we certainly saw it halfway around the world--but around the entire globe. American coaches and former players have traveled globally to inspire and encourage the next generation of female athletes. Businesses have funded and broadcast women's games, as they didn't in the past. And in America, girls' participation in high school sports continues to rise, with 3.3 million girls competing in high school sports in the 2022 school year.

The truth is, the growth of women's sports, both domestically and internationally, is a result of that increased role that women now embody. Communities and countries around the world, including our own country, are more likely to be peaceful and successful when women fully participate in society.

The world has begun to realize that this kind of support is simply the right thing to do and is now embracing the values that the United States has led with.

Our codel saw this directly through our travel in Australia and New Zealand and our meeting with leaders from the Women's World Cup. We met with the U.S. leaders, and we met with the international leaders. And while the United States didn't take home that title this year, our presence alone continues to have an impact in every tournament where the Stars and Stripes are represented.

Now, the question remains, how is women's empowerment a metaphor-- sports I am talking about too--a metaphor for global security? Well, here in Congress we have supported Ukraine not just in defense of democratic values and territorial sovereignty, but also because it advances U.S. security interests and deterrence.

The United States has led the push to bring together allies from Europe and across the world to not just understand the threat created by Putin, but to respond to it with strength.

We have made that progress by leading with our values and with our interests to stop aggression in its tracks, whether it is in Europe or elsewhere.

The United States has shown the way through significant bipartisan military support. Our global leadership against aggression and autocratic land grabs has built a formidable opposition that Russia simply did not anticipate and that China can see clearly every single day.

For example, our codel witnessed joint exercises in the Australian seas that were the first of their kind between India, New Zealand, Australia, and the United States. Japan has, for the first time, committed more than 2 percent of its gross domestic product to defense. Sweden and Finland have just recently joined NATO. The EU is buying more crude oil from the United States as they divest from Russia. And new economic partnerships are cropping up globally as a result of our U.S. leadership.

The tie between women's empowerment and global security is an American values-based leadership. The members of our bipartisan and bicameral codel--we saw that firsthand. As our leadership and values inspire nations across the globe, we must respect, encourage, and celebrate those that exemplify it.

You know, you don't have power if you don't use it; but by working together, our strong leadership here in the United States can continue to change the world.

I really cherished the opportunity to gain experience, knowledge, and perspective from our leaders at the headquarters of the U.S. Indo- Pacific Command, as well as leaders throughout the region, when it comes to domestic and international security matters and energy issues in the Indo-Pacific.

I am also thankful for the company and counsel from the other members of our codel: Senators Cindy Hyde-Smith from Mississippi, Representative Chrissy Houlahan from Pennsylvania, Representative Kathy Castor from Florida, and Representative Nicole Malliotakis from New York, as well as their steadfast desire that we all share together to engage on these topics and issues.

There is no doubt that Congress has an extensive list of challenges facing us in the coming month, but I am really confident in our ability to meet the needs of our country--both domestically and abroad--and to exemplify that value-based leadership that was evident throughout our trip.

I yield the floor.

Mr. President, I rise today to bid farewell to a good friend, a great confidant, and a strong leader: my chief of staff of over 18 years, Joel Brubaker.

I am joined in the Galleries by many folks who have worked with him, who know him, and who love him just as I do.

Joel started with me in the year 2005, when I was just entering my third term in the U.S. House. His experience in working with Bill Shuster and Bob Walker--both Pennsylvania Representatives from Joel's home State of Pennsylvania--prepared him well to head up a growing and aggressive congressional office from West Virginia.

Joel's path to Capitol Hill started in Lancaster, PA. He was born there and was raised by his mother Eleanor. I haven't had the chance to meet Eleanor yet, but from what Joel has told me, she is a strong and independent woman.

Joel is also the youngest of four boys. My husband and I have always said that, no matter what the problem is, big or small, Joel handles it exactly like the youngest of four boys would--calmly, for the most part, and like it is no big deal.

After graduating from high school, Joel went to Gettysburg College and, later, picked up an MBA at American University.

His talents as a legislative director for then-Congressman Shuster led me to realize that those very same talents were perfect for our office to help us make decisions, to hire people. And do you know what? The results speak for themselves.

Last week, we had a gathering of well-wishers to send Joel off. The room was full--full--of folks from hockey players to former employees to coworkers to friends from West Virginia to neighbors and family, including my very own family, because our families are very much together. It was great to see so many individuals from all walks of life gathered in one place to wish Joel a good sendoff from a place that he truly loves.

Speaking of things that Joel truly loves, he has quite a few favorites in his life. First of all, Katrina, his wife of many years-- who is one of my favorites too--and their two terrific children, Kat and Heath. Believe it or not, I remember Kat and Heath's births and their birthdays. Kat was a page here a couple of weeks ago, and we loved it. In fact, Katrina was 6 months pregnant with Kat when I interviewed Joel for the job of chief of staff, and now Kat is going to be away for her freshman year at Ole Miss.

Ice hockey is another one of Joel's favorite things. Whether it is pond hockey in freezing New Hampshire, going to a Caps game, watching his kids play hockey, or the Capitol Members hockey game--which, I must admit, he is a star there--he just loves the game. And he has the lineup of framed jerseys in his office to prove it.

Joel loves beef jerky; Chick-fil-A; Disney World and crazy rides; decorating his house outrageously for Halloween and Christmas--for those of you who live in Arlington, yes, that is his house--politics, especially West Virginia politics; and the Fourth of July. He always attends the national Independence Day celebration on the Capitol lawn.

That brings me to another strong attribute that we will miss about Joel. Joel loves his country and our traditional American values. He has not--and never has been--one to shy away from talking about what a great country we have. And he is grateful. He is grateful for that.

Joel has a great sense of integrity, and he is always careful--very careful--to make sure that we are all working within the boundaries of our office--and for me, especially, my oath of office. I appreciate his very keen sense of right and wrong, and I will miss the way we both see our duties through the same lens.

Now, Joel is not perfect. He will not fly into our great State of West Virginia, and he hasn't for many years. Apparently, one flight was just a little bit too much for him over those mountains, so he began to name our airlines ``Air Fallujah.''

He almost stayed overnight one time in my district office to fend off some very aggressive protesters, and he is known to have a camping- style cot that is very unique that he used in our campaign office once upon a time. Rumor has it the cot still exists today, despite Katrina's best efforts to get rid of it.

You could always tell you are getting under Joel's skin because his voice always raises an extra octave.

Apparently, Joel and I had three disagreements over 18 years. But do you know what? He tells me--and I am pretty sure--I think I won all of them.

Joel's sense of humor has carried us through tough times, hard campaigns, long days and nights, missed vacations, and challenges associated with larger and larger responsibilities.

I personally will always appreciate his affection for both of my parents and his compassion for the difficulties of watching them decline. Our whole family will miss Joel, because we really are parts of each other's families.

Joel has an enormous affection for West Virginia. He is a Mountaineer and holds the same sense of pride in our foundations and aspirations as if he had been there his whole life.

As I have often said in my speeches, and I will say to him: The country roads of West Virginia will always welcome you home, Joel. Good luck. We will miss you. You will always be a big part of my life and our lives. Eighteen years is a long time, but it has all been great. Thanks.

Madam President, I rise today to talk about something we have been hearing a lot about recently, and that is Bidenomics. The President and his Cabinet have been traveling the country trying to convince the American people into believing that the President's economic vision for the

country has our Nation on the right path.

Well, I can assure you, after being home for the last 2 weeks, that these false messages are not really resonating with the American public. Polling data between June 6 and July 7 of this year shows that, on average, two-thirds of Americans believe that our Nation is going on the wrong track. If you spend a few minutes at the supermarket, a car dealership, or a retail store, or if you are looking to purchase or rent a home, or if you face energy and utility bills or the prices at the pump that middle-class American families are having to pay-- everybody is paying--this should be no surprise.

So what exactly is Bidenomics? Let me break down a couple of definitions of this term as they relate to American folks outside of the beltway, and certainly those would include people whom I represent in West Virginia, which I consider the backbone of our country.

Bidenomics means you are getting less while spending more. According to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, since President Biden took office, grocery prices have increased 20 percent, energy prices have increased 38 percent, prices for fuel oil have increased 45 percent, gasoline prices have increased 52 percent, natural gas prices have increased 20 percent, electricity prices have increased 26 percent, prices for used cars and trucks have increased 35 percent, prices for new vehicles have increased 20 percent, apparel prices have increased 10 percent, and airline fares have increased 39 percent. But the list goes on and on.

Bidenomics means that inflation is just a part of everyday life. Today's inflation report marks the 30th straight month that year-over- year inflation is over the target rate of 2 percent. The President is touting this decreasing inflation as something to celebrate, but there is really nothing to celebrate here. Americans have felt the blunt and unapologetic force of inflation for over 2 years.

Bidenomics is certainly not a science. If it were, it would be a shifting one. Remember when inflation was only supposed to be transitory? The individual who voiced that opinion, who himself is not an economist, got a promotion from the President and is now Chair of the Council of Economic Advisers.

Bidenomics means, if you are looking to rent or buy a home, you might just be out of luck. Rampant spending from the American Rescue Plan and the Inflation Reduction Act were main contributors of high inflation and, in turn, the source of soaring interest rates.

So, on top of that, rental prices for a primary residence have increased 15 percent, furniture prices have increased 19 percent, the average rate of a 30-year fixed mortgage is now 7.22 percent, and, just this May, home prices hit record highs. All of this combined leaves the prospect of buying a home seemingly unattainable to many American families and compromises the American dream.

I would add here that young families can't get in the game of buying a house, fixing it up, living there for a while, and moving on to a little bit nicer, better, bigger home as their family grows.

Bidenomics means that if you have a small business, it will be harder to maintain and grow, and if you want to start a small business, it is nearly out of the question. Increased taxes felt directly by mom-and- pop shops combined with skyrocketing costs have made it very difficult to support a business along our Main Streets. Increased prices on consumer goods and basic needs means that wage growth cannot keep up with employers' rising costs.

Bidenomics means the destruction of the financial health of a lot of our American families. The Feds's ``Economic Well-Being of U.S. Households'' report was just released Monday. And it stated that ``[o]verall financial well-being declined markedly over the prior year'' and that one-third of Americans say they are worse off financially than they were the year before.

These are devastating statistics, but, unfortunately, they show the dire straits of an economy that has a 71-percent probability of recession, according to the New York Federal Reserve's recession probability model.

One aspect of Bidenomics that really baffles me is the President's willingness to take credit for the current state of our economy and his efforts to make this the centerpiece of his White House.

There is a long list of achievements that our President has failed to adequately address and accept accountability for. Certainly, the crisis at the southern border is one, the weakened status of our military another, and the out-of-control spending that has defined his time in power. Yet, surprisingly, President Biden is more than happy to accept responsibility for the state of our Nation's economy. And in this one instance, he does have the right of ownership because they are his policies that have been put into place.

So for my State of West Virginia, Bidenomics is costing West Virginia families an additional $713. That is not a year. That is a month. That is a month.

President Biden and his administration continue to lead our country down the wrong path, but if we look at Republican-led States where Republican Governors are in charge and have been able to prove their resilience among these enormous headwinds: increased earnings in States like North Dakota and my colleague's home State of Nebraska, booming manufacturing sectors in States like Florida and Texas, or States with record surpluses like my own State of West Virginia where Republican leadership is leading the way.

So moving forward, our Republican colleagues and I will continue to fight for proven solutions that rein in unnecessary spending, that bring down inflation, that increase market competition, that lower tax burdens on our small businesses, and spur the economic development that every State in this Nation needs.

With that, I yield the floor.

Mr. President, I rise to talk about something that is unseen but really impacts every aspect of our daily lives, something that has major implications on the future of my State and many rural States just like the Presiding Officer's rural areas, and that is reliable broadband connection and the implementation of service in our unserved and underserved areas.

Internet connection is something that we often take for granted, certainly in the DC area we do--especially in our cities and urban communities. It is a mainstay of so many facets of our life.

So just think about it. We rely on internet connection for our communication with our family and friends, our emergency services, obtaining information. I have already done that about five times today, getting some additional information--banking, conducting business, and as we experienced firsthand during the pandemic, essential aspects of our workforce participation, the education of our children, and I would add in healthcare here. Even as we transitioned back to in-person work and school post-pandemic, these capabilities are so essential and greatly beneficial.

In West Virginia, our State is the only State entirely encompassed by Appalachia, and we are recognized across the world for our mountainous terrain. So we love our mountains in West Virginia, but our topography in West Virginia has dealt us a challenging hand when it comes to adopting needed advancements to connect people to the internet.

So we know one thing: It is expensive, and it is a lot easier said than done. But this lack of broadband connectivity and reliability is one of the biggest concerns that I hear every time I travel in the State. That is because our homes, our schools, our hospitals, our health clinics, our churches, our businesses, if they lack the appropriate level of connectivity or lack it entirely, you are behind. You are behind. You are not participating. You can't get the help that you need. You can't communicate the way you want to. And in a lot of cases, you are not going to live in a place that doesn't have connectivity. So this is something that must change and something that I am committed to changing.

So one of my first initiatives as a U.S. Senator was launching my Capito Connect Plan to help bridge this digital divide that we see in the country. The plan served as a roadmap for bringing affordable, high-speed internet connection and access to our homes, our businesses, and our classrooms throughout the State. Since launching this initiative, we have made a lot of progress--we have--connecting our communities in our State. We have had a lot of conversation, and, really, we have kind of bridged a lot of what we thought would be the impossible.

We have expanded cellular service in Paw Paw, a very remote area, and in Lincoln County, a very rural area, by initiating searches for providers. We have secured millions of dollars in broadband funding investments through the USDA programs, and we have hosted multiple visits with our FCC officials to bring attention to our State's broadband needs.

Increasing rural broadband funding has been a focus of the Appalachian Regional Commission. I have also supported major broadband builds like Zayo's announcement to connect a fiber optic network right through the North Central part of our State. We have also been receiving critical feedback from listening sessions in all 55 counties, including soliciting all kinds of data back from folks in West Virginia onto our website. Also, when we were leading efforts to craft the bipartisan infrastructure law, I made sure, along with many others, that this was included because this is an essential part of our infrastructure. And we are making a difference.

So we have made a lot of advances. We have. But there is still much more work to accomplish. Now is not the time to look back and see what we didn't do and how maybe we could have done it better. Now is the time to look forward and see where we are and where we are going to be. So we are at a really critical moment here and one we must take advantage of.

We have all prioritized funding and provided funding for broadband in many different pieces of legislation. We have done that every year in appropriations--and I am on appropriations--and I personally have made sure that we have included this not just in the appropriations bill but also in the bipartisan infrastructure package.

So, on Monday, I was back home in West Virginia and got the chance to speak to some of the greatest young men and women in our State at West Virginia Girls State and West Virginia Boys State. It is clear in talking to some of them that our best and brightest are unlikely to stay in our State if they don't have this reliable broadband. It just doesn't make sense. The lack of internet connectivity will impact how they join the workforce, how they further their education or perform the tasks of everyday living that have become so dependent on broadband.

So Congress has a much needed and very important role to play here, and I am confident in our ability to rise to this occasion in the face of this challenge.

But in order to distribute the unprecedented funding that is coming from the bipartisan infrastructure law to the communities and States that need it, we have got to have accurate data.

This has been a flaw in the system. That is why NTIA and FCC have been tasked with developing the National Broadband Map, to determine where the unserved and the underserved communities were located.

Why is that important? Because much of the funding, as it should be, is

not to up your service in an urban area or up my service in Charleston, WV, in a more, I would say, suburban-type area, but it is to go to these unserved and underserved areas. We have to have accurate data. So with accurate data, we can work and distribute funding as we should, as is proper.

There is no doubt that the first maps that came out in November were inaccurate. They failed to properly account for the connectivity needs--I know I can speak for my State, but I am sure it is the same all across the country. And this is something that our State of West Virginia, we really took it personally because we know that this is a once-in-a-lifetime chance to really get it right.

So they invited challenges. They said if you can identify a residence or a home or business that is shown as being served, and you are unserved or underserved, then you can challenge the map to say that is an inaccurate recording of the status of broadband activity.

So we had over 120,000 challenges of which 86,000 of these were accepted. That means they went back and looked, and working with our State broadband council that has done a phenomenal job, they went back and looked and found that 86,000 homes or businesses that were recorded as being served in actuality had either no service or very little service--something that was considered underserved. This is going to help us as the distribution of the larger sums of money come to actually provide the dollars to get to those places.

These developments are encouraging and the FCC will continue to improve this and two future versions are being planned.

The need for connectivity remains. Updated mapping shows that over 271,000 locations in my State now remain without service. I think some people watching this would probably say: It can't possibly be that you don't have service. But if you get to some of these remote areas, and sometimes they are not even that remote, you get out into some of the more rural areas where there is maybe one provider or there is no competition, it is not an economic model to serve one home that is 10, 15 miles away.

So there are people. When I get a show of hands in classrooms in West Virginia, I get at least 20 percent to 30 percent of the students in those classrooms do not have good service. Think about doing their homework when they get home. They can't do it. Most of it relies on information that you get from the internet. So it really puts those students and those families behind.

While funding will be allocated by the end of this month, we have to make sure also that it is not wasted. Sadly, we have seen this happen. In our own State in 2010, money was wasted when our first chance came along to be able to connect more people. So we have to make sure that that doesn't happen. That is why I have introduced the Rural Broadband Protection Act. It is a bill with broad bipartisan support that would improve government programs responsible for connecting people. I look forward to marking up this legislation in committee here soon.

West Virginians have been persistent and diligent and, honestly, I think, quite patient--but are now very frustrated--throughout the process. They can always expect the same from me, as however they are feeling is however I am going to feel, because that is how you are as a representative.

So I will continue my efforts for these broadband capabilities--to go to that last house, that last home, that last business--in this Mountain State. We are on the cusp, I think, of a major breakthrough here--we are all on board on this--and one that I am committing to see through.

With that, I yield the floor.

Mr. President, I ask that the rollcall vote begin now, immediately.

I ask for the yeas and nays.

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

Madam President, I rise today to bring attention to the issues that Americans are facing at home--the problems that I see and hear from my constituents in West Virginia, and I am sure the Presiding Officer hears many of the same in your home State. I want to raise the question as to why the Senate is not bringing some of the solutions to the floor.

As you know, I am a lifelong West Virginian. I care deeply about and understand the concern of our residents and the difficulties that our families are facing. Our families, our veterans, our small business owners, our manufacturers, law enforcement, and communities--they are struggling--what they are struggling with.

I was initially inspired to get involved in public service when I saw these local issues arising, and many of those I have tried to help face in my own home community of Charleston, WV. Later on, as the passion in me sort of grew, I decided to seek a bigger platform in the House of Representatives and, now, here in this esteemed body, the U.S. Senate. As public servants, it is our responsibility to not only put forth but to take action on issues that Americans are facing. We can do that to improve the lives of those we serve.

But it seems to me and it pains me that so many of the legislative solutions that we have come to work to craft--some of which are bipartisan--collect dust on the majority leader's desk. In fact, that, to me, is very unacceptable.

Let's start with the issue that touches so many lives--the issue of addiction. Our country is in a deep and continued battle with an addiction crisis, something I raised multiple times on this Senate floor and something that I am committed to curbing and stopping. With the data available from the CDC--the latest report on drug overdose deaths--it is obvious that fentanyl, our clear and common enemy, is fueling the highest overdose rates we have seen for individuals between 25 and 44.

CDC provisional data released on May 17 also revealed that more than 100,000 Americans--100,000 Americans--died from drug overdoses in 2022, becoming the most deadly year on record. And some of those, I think-- some of us in the Chamber tonight might know one or two people or at least families who are affected.

My colleagues and I have introduced legislation that will further coordinate efforts to disrupt the distribution of fentanyl, to block efforts to ship illicit drugs into the United States, and to improve law enforcement training to crack down on drug trafficking tactics.

In a crisis this deadly and urgent, time is of the essence, and these bills deserve the time to be considered. Yet, despite these alarming statistics and the commonsense solutions that we have put forward, the majority leader has refused to take any of these bills up on the Senate floor.

Regarding law enforcement, over the weekend we had one of the saddest things happen in our State of West Virginia. A West Virginia State trooper was tragically killed in the line of duty.

Our hearts are broken with the loss of Sergeant Cory Maynard. He was only 37 years old. He had a wife and two children. It is a very tragic, tragic story.

Our brave law enforcement officers defend communities across our States from crime and work incredibly hard to help keep our cities and towns safe. They are the first to answer the call. They continuously-- continuously--show courage and heroism. There must be swift penalties in place for criminals who target our officers, and resources must be available to ensure their safety.

I joined several of my colleagues last month to introduce several pieces of legislation that support law enforcement officers and increase their safety. But I will say it again: The majority leader has yet to take up any of the legislation that we have offered.

Additionally, residents across my State and the entire country are still reeling with the elevated costs of all things--from housing, energy, food, and everyday essential items. And, as our economy continues to prove its weakness under President Biden, the hard-earned dollars of hard-working Americans do not stretch as far as they need to.

In May, the Institute for Supply Management's industrial PMI showed that our manufacturing sectors are shrinking. We hear all about that we have to make more here. Guess what. Our manufacturing sectors are shrinking. Extended pressure on manufacturing output and prices for goods has been caused by higher interest rates, increased cost of living, and complete economic uncertainty. And this further restricts our ability to make things in this country.

That is why I have introduced the American Investment in Manufacturing Act. It is a bill that would reinstate a much needed measure that allows industries affected by sustained high interest rates to grow, to increase jobs and wages, and to contribute to the U.S. economy. It is past time that this body stand with American manufacturing--our small business owners and the employers and employees that keep this great country running.

My colleagues and I continue to put forward solutions that invest in an ``all of the above'' energy plan: innovative ways to utilize everything from conventional, renewable, and nuclear energy sources to build back our energy independence; solutions that rein in government spending, that attack the true causes of fraud, waste, and abuse, that will saddle future generations with insurmountable debt; solutions that provide proper resources to our veterans, those who have served our country and put their life on the line for our freedom deserve our utmost respect and support.

What makes this all the more frustrating is that the Senate has proven our ability to legislate in a bipartisan way. We have done so on multiple fronts in recent memory on issues like infrastructure, American competitiveness, and just last week as we acted to raise the debt ceiling and avoid economic catastrophe.

There is no reason why this body should be hamstrung on addressing the biggest needs of our country and improving the lives of our residents in the areas where they need it the most.

I understand that floor time is a precious commodity, especially knowing that we have to take up action on several must-pass pieces of legislation. We have to pass 12 appropriations bills out of this body; we have to pass the farm bill; we have to pass FAA reauthorization; and perhaps, most significantly, a bill that under this Democratic leader has never gotten a fair amount of its time or consideration, the National Defense Authorization Act.

The American people want to see this place work for them. They want to see action on issues that impact them every single day. I encourage the majority leader to heed the concerns of our constituents and join in our efforts to provide the answers American families and communities are desperately looking for.

Until then, my Republican colleagues and I will continue to put forward the answers that the American people deserve.

I yield the floor.