Floor Statements

Mr. President, just last week in my home State of North Carolina, narcotics investigators from the Iredell County Sheriff's Office and the Gaston Police Department seized 5 pounds of fentanyl that was in possession of an illegal alien. It was enough to kill over a million people. That is nothing short of a weapon of mass destruction.

The reality is that is not just a public health crisis. It is a nightmare that is destroying families, shattering communities, and devastating our country.

On average, nine North Carolinians die every single day from fentanyl overdoses. Every day, fentanyl claims nearly 200 lives across our country. Just last year, this silent killer took more than 70,000 Americans.

But they are not just numbers. These are sons and daughters. These are parents and siblings. These are our friends and our neighbors. These are people who should be living full, meaningful lives but, instead, have become statistics.

Let's put this into perspective. Just 2 milligrams of fentanyl similar to 7 grains of salt is enough to kill a person. If it is a sugar packet and you pour it in your morning coffee and it were to be filled with fentanyl, it could take the lives of 500 people--the quantity equal to a sugar packet. Now, if it was a standard 4-pound bag of granulated sugar--the kind we all have in our pantries--if it were filled with fentanyl, it would wipe out 905,000 individuals.

This deadly drug is flooding our communities, and it is not by accident. When I talk to law enforcement across all 100 counties in North Carolina, I repeatedly hear the same alarming message: Every single county is a border county. North Carolina is roughly 1,000 miles from the southern border, yet the fentanyl pouring into our country knows no distance and no boundaries.

This is a direct consequence of the Biden administration's reckless open border policies that allowed the drug cartels to exploit our immigration system and to flood our communities with illegal drugs. President Trump, however, is taking necessary steps to restore our border, restore order, and dismantle the criminal networks profiting off of human suffering.

But the consequences of President Biden's open borders and lack of action to mitigate the fentanyl crisis in our country remain the deadly reality facing our communities every day. This was not just a failure of policy by the previous administration. It was a betrayal of the American people to put political agendas over our public safety.

Even in the face of these staggering losses, Democrats continue to block bipartisan efforts to dismantle the criminal networks fueling the crisis. They refuse to support measures that would cut off the supply, crack down on traffickers, and strengthen our border security.

I ask my colleagues: How many more lives are you willing to sacrifice before standing up and saying, ``Enough''? We can't afford to turn a blind eye to the sobering reality and traumatic consequences of this crisis. We need to make our streets safer, and we need to do it right now.

That is why I proudly stand with my colleague Senator Cassidy in supporting the HALT Fentanyl Act, a commonsense bipartisan legislation that will give law enforcement the tools they need to close loopholes and stop criminals from evading the law by simply doing two things: first, permanently classifying fentanyl and related substances under schedule I and, second, increasing the sentences for fentanyl traffickers.

This bill has already passed the House with strong bipartisan support, and now it is time for the Senate to do the same. Let's secure our streets. Let's stop the flow of fentanyl. Let's protect the American people, and let's do it before another innocent life is lost.

I yield the floor.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to waive the mandatory quorum call with respect to the Kessler nomination.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the previously scheduled rollcall vote begin immediately.

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

Mr. President, I thank my colleague from North Dakota for his comments in support of this legislation.

One of the highest priorities of the next administration is securing the southern border, restoring law and order, and reversing the dangerous open border policies of President Biden. Too many Americans have felt the tragic consequences of these policies.

One of them was a woman named Laken Riley. She was a nursing student at the University of Georgia, and last year an illegal immigrant from Venezuela murdered her while she was out on an early morning jog.

What makes this story all the more devastating was that the killer should have been stopped but wasn't. He should have been stopped at the border in 2022, but he was paroled into this country. He should have been detained when he was arrested in New York in 2023 but wasn't. He should have been detained when he was arrested in Georgia for shoplifting, but he wasn't. The chain of these events is downright shameful.

We must make sure that these don't ever happen again, and that is why I worked with my good friend Senator Katie Britt of Alabama to reintroduce the Laken Riley Act.

This bill would require ICE to issue detainers and take into custody illegal aliens who commit crimes like theft and shoplifting.

We need to stop these individuals when they commit minor crimes before they are able to commit major crimes like the horrific murder of Laken Riley.

The Laken Riley Act will empower the Trump administration to enforce our laws, keep our Nation secure, and prevent--prevent--tragedies.

Ladies and gentlemen, this is common sense. But if you stay here in Washington long enough, you will sometimes feel that common sense is not all that common.

But I appreciate the newfound bipartisanship that seems to have broken out on Capitol Hill on this issue. It is wonderful. Dozens of Democrats have now supported the Laken Riley Act. I want to welcome them to the cause of law and order.

But a word here about amendments. And I thank Leader Thune, who I think is off to a wonderful start, and I appreciate his leadership. He is open, as he promised, to amendments--several on this side of the aisle and several on the other. But let's just say that some of our friends on the other side of the aisle, they have an amendment. And let's say that it doesn't get the amount of votes. Let's not use that as a pretext for them not supporting this bill. Let's support this. And then you have our commitment to go back and work on that and take a look at that specific legislation that they were trying to introduce by amendment. But please don't use the failure of said amendment to not support this very important legislation.

It is my hope that we can continue in this spirit and make sure that the Laken Riley Act is passed by both Chambers and signed into law by our Nation's 47th President, Donald J. Trump.

I yield the floor.

Madam President, today I recognize National Guard and Active-Duty troops who came to the aid of North Carolinians following the terrible devastation caused by Hurricane Helene.

I want to particularly thank the North Carolina National Guard for their leadership, as well as their brothers and sisters in arms from 18 States who answered the call to provide lifesaving aid when our State was in need. This includes guardsmen from Georgia, Connecticut, Iowa, Kentucky, Florida, Indiana, Missouri, Mississippi, Pennsylvania, Ohio, South Carolina, New York, Minnesota, West Virginia, Maryland, Virginia, and Alabama. I would also like to thank the Active-Duty servicemembers from the XVIII Airborne Corps at Ft. Liberty, the 82nd Airborne Division, and those from Ft. Campbell's 101st Airborne Division who supported the Guard and communities across western North Carolina in both rescue and recovery operations.

To all those who came to western North Carolina's aid, you have my sincere thanks for your service and sacrifice. On behalf of the Senate, I thank you for your bravery and continued service.

Madam President, I rise today to talk about the road ahead for Western North Carolina after the devastation of Hurricane Helene. And I acknowledge and appreciate my colleague from one of the Mountain States, Georgia--particularly Northern Georgia--and am reminded that we are rebuilding together.

For us here in North Carolina, Hurricane Helene represented one of the worst natural disasters to ever strike my home State--and I have seen a lot of natural disasters in North Carolina.

From Hurricane Helene, at last count, more than 100 people just in our State have been killed; hundreds more were injured; and some are still missing. Thousands of North Carolinians lost their homes. They lost their businesses.

And for small mountain communities in Western North Carolina, this horrific ordeal began Friday morning of September 27. When the storm hit an already rain-soaked area, the situation escalated into life and death within moments.

In the small town of what is the now-famous Bat Cave, NC--population 180--the town's fire chief, Steve Freeman, was at home with his wife. In advance of the storm, Steve parked his first car, a 1967 Mustang. He put it up on higher ground on a ridge above the family's shed. At around 8:45 a.m., he and his wife heard their house shake. He ran to the back of the house; he looked out the window, and he found that the car had already been swept downhill into the shed. Seconds later, he watched their Ford pickup get flipped upside down by the torrential flooding. Then he heard more rumbling noises, followed by shaking; and outside, he saw a mudslide barreling down towards the rest of the holler.

He ran for cover, but the collapsing shed took his feet out from under him and washed him several yards into a backhoe, where his head was pinned between the loader and what was left of the shed. His wife, who was watching in horror, thought that he was dead. But, in a moment he credits to the grace of Almighty God, Steve had just enough room to get his head out, and he went back inside to his wife. They escaped the area.

Steve later said:

I had my near-death experience, and that's when I knew God

was here for me.

What is even more extraordinary is that, after this harrowing experience, the chief, Steve, began working for the safety of his community. Others might have called it quits, but he went to work. He and his firefighters--they mapped out the area, and they started digging people out.

Chief Freeman is one of hundreds of heroic North Carolinians who leapt into harm's way to help others. That is the thing about the people of Western North Carolina: They are not just tough; they are mountain tough.

I had the pleasure of going to undergrad at Appalachian State in Boone years ago, and I have got lifelong friends who still call the region home. But if you spend any amount of time up there, you learn just how strong these people are in the mountains: These are proud and self-sufficient people. They are generous people.

For instance, take the story of Ethan Fowler of Slick Rock. He lives in Henderson County, and he volunteered to help rescue folks who were trapped. When he saw the storm debris that needed clearing in his neighborhood, he jumped on his own heavy machinery, and he did the job. Locals went up to him, and they offered to pay him; they offered him compensation for his work.

And Ethan replied:

It's just fuel.

He went on to personally help direct the National Guard and Federal officials as they arrived to clean up Gerton, Bat Cave, Lake Lure, and Chimney Rock.

This story and countless others like it are a perfect testament to the people of North Carolina. They are some of the most resilient people around. They don't look for handouts; they don't complain. The truth is they need us right now. Our government must be there to help them.

That is why it is incredibly disturbing to hear reports on the ground that they are still struggling to get in touch with representatives from FEMA. Now, of course, I don't want to denigrate the hard work of many of these hard-working officials who are trying to do the right thing, but when you hear the same story of a scattershot response and when you hear that same story over and over again, you know that something is dreadfully wrong.

You also know that something is wrong when we hear from a whistleblower at FEMA who claims that Federal officials directed a colossal event of avoidance against households with flags or yard signs supporting President Trump. This sort of weaponization of the government against people in their time of need is disgusting, and it is wrong, and there is going to be accountability for it.

As we hold these Agencies accountable, we in Congress have work to do, and no time to waste. So I am again calling on this body to quickly approve a supplemental bill to help fund the long-term recovery for the citizens of North Carolina. Congress should take up this bill without any further delay. Those of us from the region, regardless of party, I believe, support this.

Now, I realize that coming from someone like me--a dedicated fiscal conservative asking for this--it might sound, to some, out of place, but disaster relief is one of the essential functions of this government. Times like these are precisely why we shouldn't overspend or waste taxpayer dollars in more prosperous times. Like any family or small business, we ought to be saving for a rainy day.

Ladies and gentlemen, that rainy day is today. In Western North Carolina, the temperatures are falling fast. Many people in my State are in real danger of facing a winter without heat because the storm destroyed the area's only kerosene station. We have people living in shelters with only the clothes on their backs because the hurricane wiped out their homes.

We have small shops, hotels, and restaurants that rely on tourism to operate, and some of those folks will be forced to shutter their businesses forever.

We have large sections of a major U.S. interstate highway that are still impassable and small mountain roads that are damaged beyond repair.

We have communities that are mourning the unimaginable loss of members of first responders and law enforcement.

We have some towns that I visited in the last month, like Hot Springs, Marshall, Burnsville, and Swannanoa, that are buried by flooding and mudslides, and there are towns like Chimney Rock that are mostly gone. Every day that I was present in the region, I was stunned by the enormity of the damage. It was unlike anything that I had ever seen.

This is not a situation where our government has the luxury of hand- wringing or deferring action for another few weeks or after another long recess. The citizens in my State--they need help and they need it now. This is why these men and women pay their taxes. This is their right as Americans, and we can't leave them behind. I believe, after having many conversations around the State, that that is their greatest fear: of being forgotten.

I will make my promise not to ever forget them, and my promise to the people of Western North Carolina is this: I will do everything in my power to see that you have the Federal resources you need to recover and to rebuild. I stand ready to work with my Senate colleagues and President-elect Trump to cut through the delays and provide the people of Western North Carolina with the resources they need as quickly as possible. We owe it to these fellow Americans to help them and help them now.

I yield the floor.

Madam President, I rise today to voice my strong opinion to Senator Sanders' attempt to cut off U.S. military support to our friend and ally Israel.

I don't dare denigrate my colleague's intent here or the motives, but I believe the effect is reckless and I believe it is dangerous and I believe it will lead to the loss of even more lives.

We need to remember some basic facts about the difference between the two sides of the conflict here. Israel is Middle East's only democracy. They have been a force for stability in the region that is historically beset by chaos. They have been America's strongest friend in good times and bad. Israel is an unmistakable force for good.

And then you have the terrorists of Hamas. I mean, even their founding charter calls for the destruction of the State of Israel. Hamas's largest benefactor, Iran, lends its materiel and financial support to this cause each and every day. They intentionally target civilians. They target civilians, and they fire rockets into crowded markets, and they preach not just death to Israel and to the Jewish people but death to America.

And then came October 7. On October 7, 2023, Hamas terrorists launched an unprovoked and deceitful series of terrorist attacks inside Israel. The level of barbarism that we witnessed was nothing short of evil incarnate--the mass slaughter of innocent civilians; unmistakable and unspeakable violence against women, children, and the elderly. It was the deadliest massacre of the Jewish people since the Holocaust.

These crimes against humanity were also visited upon American citizens as well. Hamas murdered 46 Americans. They kidnapped 12. Seven U.S. citizens remain hostage in Gaza. The State of Israel has every right to root out the genocidal terrorists who committed these acts and eliminate the threat once and for all.

Israel is carrying out this military action with precision, thanks, in part, to munitions from the United States. For example, one of the systems that we sell to the Israelis is tail kits with GPS receivers. These kits convert unguided free-fall bombs into precision-guided bombs. Put simply, these kits turn ``dumb bombs'' into ``smart bombs.''

But Senator Sanders proposes blocking the sale of these systems to the Israelis. And, apparently, Senator Sanders would prefer that Israelis use less accurate weapons to eliminate terrorists.

Now, it doesn't take anything more than common sense to realize that this would make collateral damage even more likely. In Senator Sanders' zeal to undermine our ally, he would make it more likely that Palestinian civilians--who Hamas intentionally uses as human shields-- could be killed.

The bottom line is this: Cutting off U.S. support for an ally in their time of need is just unbecoming of our country. To hamstring the very nation trying to defeat the perpetrators of the October 7 carnage is insulting to the Americans who were murdered and those who are still held hostage. It is just wrong in every conceivable way.

All of these resolutions should be soundly rejected, and this body should stand shoulder to shoulder with Israel as they take the fight to Hamas.

I yield the floor.

Mr. President, I want to thank my friend Senator Tillis for his partnership not just for today but throughout this whole crisis in our State.

Hurricane Helene represents one of the worst natural disasters ever to happen to our State--in particular, Western North Carolina. More than, as he mentioned, 100 people were killed and hundreds more injured, and some are still missing.

Thousands of North Carolinians lost their homes and their family businesses. Every day that I was present in the region, I was stunned by the enormity of the damage. It is unlike anything I have ever seen.

Now, I went to college at Appalachian State in Boone, and you learn very quickly how tough these mountain folks are. They are proud. They are self-sufficient people. The citizens of Western North Carolina are some of the toughest, most resilient people

around. They don't look for handouts. They don't complain. So when there is a need like this, government needs to be ready, needs to be there to help them.

They have to be able to access the loans from the SBA so they can continue to rebuild and recover their communities. Now, this program provides victims with low-interest loans to replace lost property or to rebuild their businesses or their homes or shops. This is very important because very few Helene victims--they don't have flood insurance, and it covers--you know, anything that covers a disaster of this magnitude.

Now, it is critical that this program be funded and effectively managed to get loan dollars flowing to those in need immediately, but, as my colleague mentioned, the SBA announced on October 15 that it ran out of money.

Now, every day that this fund sits empty, it further slows the process of rebuilding the lives for thousands of North Carolinians, and that is why we are here. We have to replenish it, and we need to do it now.

So I stand ready to work with my Senate colleagues to cut through the delays and provide the folks of Western North Carolina and the whole Appalachia region the resources they need as quickly as possible. So in this spirit, I strongly want to support Senator Tillis's RELIEF Act to refill the SBA's Disaster Loan Program, and I hope the Senate can pass it today. I also strongly support the quick approval of a supplemental bill to help fund the long-term recovery for the folks in Western North Carolina. Congress should take up this bill without any further delay.

I either yield to Senator Tillis or to Senator Warner.

Madam President, Americans should be able to trust our electoral process. But the Biden-Harris administration is undermining the system. And this is rightly causing millions of Americans to doubt the integrity of their vote.

That is why my colleague from Utah Senator Lee has worked so hard to pass the SAVE Act. It is a commonsense bill to make sure that only American citizens vote in American elections.

Now, this would address one of the most pressing threats to the electoral system. But there is also another serious threat to the integrity of our elections: the use of taxpayer dollars for partisan political activity.

During the first 100 days of the Biden-Harris administration, President Biden signed an Executive order directing the head of every Federal Agency--every Federal Agency--to submit a plan for their Agency to ``promote voter registration and voter participation.''

Now, on the surface, this seems like a harmless order simply designed to increase the number of Americans who vote. And I believe--we probably all believe--that is a laudable goal.

The problem is that the order also mandates that all Federal Agencies partner with approved third-party organizations to provide these services on Federal Agency property and using your taxpayer dollars.

So big questions remain, less than 2 months before a general election: Which third-party organizations are approved; who approves them; and what criteria are required?

All of this information is conveniently missing from this order.

Now, Congress has attempted to provide some and conduct some oversight on this, and citizens have rightly filed the Freedom of Information Act lawsuits.

The Biden-Harris administration has released only a tiny fraction of these Agency plans. Now, in at least one instance, the administration redacted every single paragraph of an Agency plan, leaving only vague headers.

I have one of these. I have 8 pages of redaction. That is how they responded to what American citizens are entitled to in regard of Freedom of Information. That is how the Biden-Harris--Kamala Harris-- administration responded.

So it begs the question: What does the Biden-Harris administration have to hide? I am concerned that this administration is writing their own rules and using taxpayer money to partner with liberal get-out-the- vote organizations. For example, a few months after this order was issued, the Biden-Harris administration hosted a listening session to discuss the implementation of this order.

Now, about 50 leftwing organizations attended this meeting, and every representative attending was either registered as a Democrat or donated to Democrats, with the exception of one member of the Green Party.

According to notes from a Department of Justice attorney documenting this meeting, their talking points focused on expanding Democrat voter blocs and espousing extreme liberal views. Remember, this is everyone's taxpayer dollars doing this.

Now, as a matter of principle, I don't believe the Federal Government should be using those taxpayer resources to advance their partisan politics and policies. That is a principle that should be commonly shared across the aisle.

But more than that, the prospect of a blanket Federal Agency mandate to engage in electioneering on the taxpayers' dime raises serious ethical and legal concerns.

Now, I don't think you can draw any conclusion other than to say that this Executive order is another example of the weaponization of Federal Government.

Congress should shut down this ethically and legally dubious scheme to help restore faith in our elections. That is why I stand here today to propose that the Senate pass the Promoting Free and Fair Elections Act. The bill is simple and straightforward. It would prohibit Federal Agencies from using your taxpayer dollars to enter agreements with partisan organizations that conduct voter mobilization activities.

The Biden-Harris administration's sweeping directive is inherently political and directed primarily at groups expected to vote for one party over another. And when the American people ask for information on it, this is what they get. This order must not be allowed to stand.

Madam President, as if in legislative session, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Rules and Administration be discharged from further consideration of S. 1398 and the Senate proceed to its immediate consideration; further, that the bill be considered read a third time and passed and that the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table.

Madam President, I really do appreciate my colleague's comments, especially the part on agreeing 100 percent with me.

You know, it is very easy for my Democrat colleagues to wax poetic about wanting more Americans to want to register to vote. After all, it could be that the program I am discussing here is designed only to help his party, especially when I go back to what I referenced earlier about a Department of Justice attorney documenting this meeting and noticing that all the points were focused on expanding Democrat voter blocs and that there were 50 leftwing organizations that attended the meeting except for the one member of the Green Party.

When we asked for details on this, of course, he said it wasn't that, but I do look at the top of this document from the Biden-Harris administration, referred to as the interim ``Strategic Plan for the Implementation of Executive Order 14019, Promoting Access to Voting,'' and this is what the American people get from the Biden-Harris administration.

I would hope, at the very least, that my colleague, while waxing poetic, would agree about this program, like all Federal programs, that it should not be about oversight and transparency, but that is the case at the present time.

And I do want to make thing one thing perfectly clear: We need as many people as possible to vote. Republicans and the vast majority of Americans support the idea that you need a photo ID to vote. Republicans and the vast majority of Americans support the idea that you should be a U.S. citizen to vote. Republicans and the vast majority of Americans do not support the use of Federal taxpayer funds--your dollars--for partisan political activity.

Opposing these measures makes it clear that my Democrat colleagues simply aren't valuing election integrity, especially when we ask for details, and this is what the Biden-Harris administration shows the American people regarding ``Executive Order 14019, Promoting Access to Voting.'' Republicans value election integrity. At least you can tell by our efforts here.

Folks, we just want it to be easy to vote and hard to cheat. I hope the American people are watching.

I yield the floor.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to use a prop during my speech.

Mr. President, today, I have the distinct honor of recognizing my alma mater, Appalachian State University, on the 125th anniversary of its founding.

Established in Boone, NC, as Watauga Academy in 1899, App State began as a teachers college with 53 students.

Today, it enrolls over 21,000 students, employs more than 3,500 employees, and boasts more than 150,000 living alumni who exemplify the Mountaineer spirit every day.

This strong and steady growth has established App State as a premier public institution and one of the largest in the UNC System.

Given its worldwide reputation, App State has remained true to its mission as a rural institution known for service to its local and regional communities. App State is committed to increasing enrollment of students from North Carolina's rural populations and ensuring timely graduation with as little debt as possible.

The university's regional impact is undeniable, contributing nearly $2.2 billion to our State's economy. App State continues to maintain a low student-to-faculty ratio and offers more than 150 undergraduate and 80 graduate majors at its campuses in Boone, Hickory, and online.

The university is committed to supporting the workforce needs of North Carolina as one of our State's leading producers of graduates in business, education, and healthcare.

Moreover, App State has stepped up to meet the growing needs in the areas

of veterinary technology, health sciences, and cyber security.

App State's successes reach beyond the classroom to competitive sports, with more than 400 Mountaineer student athletes in 17 NCAA Division 1 varsity sports. These student athletes earned a cumulative GPA above 3.0 for the 12th consecutive year during the spring semester of 2024.

Since joining the Sun Belt Conference in 2014, Mountaineer athletics programs have won 13 conference championships. Four of those titles belong to the nationally ranked football team--the legendary triumphs of which are known from Ann Arbor, MI, to College Station, TX.

On behalf of the citizens of the State of North Carolina, I congratulate Appalachian State University on 125 years of service to our State and our region.

I yield the floor.

Madam President, I thank my colleague and the ranking member for his comments and his leadership on Armed Services.

We meet at a time of increasing peril for our country. The threats we face are demanding attention in a way that we haven't seen in decades. From the Middle East to Europe, to the Indo-Pacific, weakness and moral bankruptcy from the Biden-Harris administration have allowed chaos to spread around the globe.

In the Middle East, Israel is in a fight for survival against genocidal Hamas

terrorists and other terrorist proxies from Iran. These forces of evil are bent not only on the complete annihilation of the Jewish State but on the destruction of the United States as well.

In Ukraine, Russia continues its vicious war of aggression by continuing to commit war crimes against innocent civilians and threatening the very stability of Europe.

In the Indo-Pacific, China is saber-rattling and taking provocative action toward Taiwan and the Philippines.

The aim of the Chinese Communist Party is clear: They are determined to displace the United States as the dominant world superpower. If this were to occur, the consequences would be staggering for America and, I say, yes, the world's security and economic well-being.

We know that the answer to all these crises is the one thing that has been missing for the last 3\1/2\ years, and that is American strength, particularly America's military superiority.

This year's National Defense Strategy Commission report has made clear that the dire threats we face can only be confronted if America's military might is strengthened. Our enemies won't relent if America takes a step backward. Our diplomatic efforts will never be successful if they are not backed up by the real threat of overwhelming military force. Simply put, in order to be a strong nation, our military must also be strong.

I am proud to say that my home State of North Carolina plays a leading role in our national defense. The Old North State is blessed to be home to eight active military bases, and it has thousands of Active- Duty servicemembers, veterans, and their families as well.

As a member of the Armed Services Committee, I see it as my responsibility to do everything that I can to support our military and to keep it strong. I am particularly proud of the work the committee did this year on the National Defense Authorization Act to combat the growing threats posed by China, Russia, Iran, and the dangerous individuals coming across our own southern border.

In this dangerous world, the U.S. Senate should prioritize the passage of the NDAA. We shouldn't procrastinate, and we shouldn't play politics with it. We should put it on the floor, have a full amendment process, and let everyone debate the issues. It is pretty simple.

But don't be fooled by the political calendar. The Democrat majority--they can make the time if they really wanted to do it, but instead they are prioritizing politics. They are holding show votes on messaging bills designed to fundraise for their political base. This does a massive disservice not only to the men and women serving overseas who depend on us, but it also sends yet another message of weakness and division to the world at a time when our enemies see the United States as weaker than we have ever been.

So my message to the majority is this: If you care about keeping America a strong nation, if you care about American leadership in the world, if you care about U.S. troops stationed here and abroad, put the NDAA on the floor so that we can do our job.

I yield the floor.

Mr. President, I object to S. 1297 for a simple reason: It would make it easier for unborn life to be ended.

The Supreme Court's Dobbs decision brought renewed hope to Americans who believe in the sanctity of each and every life, including life in the womb. After 49 years, a new culture of life is enriching our country from coast to coast.

But this bill would take us backward. This bill would, first of all, allow abortion on demand in pro-life States, so long as the patient is from another State. And that is crazy.

Second, this bill would expose doctors and nurses who work in religious organizations, clinics, and hospitals. It would expose them to costly lawsuits if they stand by their deeply held beliefs. That also is crazy.

And, finally, this bill would violate the spirit of bipartisan Hyde protections by providing millions of taxpayer dollars to the abortion industry. That also is crazy.

I was elected to protect life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness for all, including for life for the unborn. But this bill puts more unborn lives in danger. Therefore, I object.

Mr. President, under President Biden, nearly 10 million illegal immigrants have entered our country. Now, among those 10 million are an unknown number of dangerous individuals.

We know that hundreds of individuals appear on the Terrorism Watchlist. We know that a significant number of transnational cartel members are in this population. Other categories include drug smugglers, human traffickers, and many more.

It is a laundry list of bad actors who have no business stepping foot in our country. And, sadly, it is not a surprise, when we allow over half a million illegal immigrants with criminal records into the homeland, that they commit crimes against American citizens.

Even members of law enforcement--the very people entrusted with keeping us safe--are now on the frontlines of the border crisis. And, no, I am not talking about police in border States like Texas or Arizona; I am talking about North Carolina--my State. I am talking about New York City.

Two years ago, in my home State of North Carolina, Wake County Deputy Sheriff Ned Byrd was killed in the line of duty by an illegal alien gang member who crossed the border under President Biden. And just this week, in Queens, NY, NYPD officers were shot while trying to apprehend a suspect in a string of robberies. One was shot in the stomach, and the other was shot in the leg.

Now, thankfully, they are going to survive. Our prayers are with them and their families, and we are grateful for their service to our country. But the suspect was identified as a 19-year-old from Venezuela who crossed the border illegally through Eagle Pass, TX, in July of last year. Worse yet, he was caught, and then he was released with a court date that he, predictably, ignored.

So enough is enough. I am back here on the Senate floor to, once again, try and pass a bill called the POLICE Act. It is a straightforward bill. The POLICE Act simply states that an alien can be deported for assaulting a police officer, a firefighter, or another first responder. This bill has already passed the House, and it can be sent to the President's desk by passing it right here today. Pretty simple.

But now the last time I tried to pass this bill, the Senator from Connecticut blocked it, and he called it nothing. That is 100 percent wrong. Specifically, the POLICE Act amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to explicitly state that an illegal immigrant may be deported for assaulting a police officer.

Now, it is important to point out that the current law does not cover all assaults against law enforcement. That means that some immigrants can remain in the country even after committing assaults against cops.

And we know that under the Biden administration, that is a very real possibility, unfortunately. But the truth is that we cannot trust this administration to do the right thing or enforce the law and to keep our communities safe. That is why we need to pass the POLICE Act today.

Any Senator who claims to ``back the blue'' should have no problem at all supporting this bill. So I sincerely hope that in the face of yet another attack on police officers, that we can pass this bill today.

Mr. President, as in legislative session, notwithstanding rule XXII, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on the Judiciary be discharged from further consideration of H.R. 2494 and the Senate proceed to its immediate consideration; further, that the bill be considered read a third time and passed and that the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table.

Mr. President, I appreciate my colleague's comments, and I believe them to be sincere. But let's not get lost in the swirl of eloquence here.

I believe my colleague once said that illegal immigrants are ``undocumented Americans''--a direct quote--and that they are ``the people we care about most''--another direct quote--but I would submit that if you illegally enter the United States and then beat up a police officer, you are most certainly not an American. And the only thing we should care about is that you are deported.

Now, he said these laws can lead to deportation, but it is not necessary that they do particularly under this administration.

I refer to my prior remarks: There have been a half million illegal immigrants--a half million--with criminal records that have come into the homeland, again, illegally. And it is no surprise that they can commit crimes against Americans.

So this bill, which he seems to support--I am a little confused at the language. It seems like he might support this unanimous consent effort here because it is important because the current law does not cover all assaults against law enforcement. Deporting an illegal alien who assaults a law enforcement officer requires a complex legal analysis to prove that the illegal alien committed an aggravated felony or crime involving moral turpitude.

It is not guaranteed that this process will even lead to deportation. So the POLICE Act creates a simple, straightforward, commonsense rule that says illegal aliens who assault cops are deportable--period, end of story.

We saw it in North Carolina. We have recently seen it in New York City. And it can happen in a community near you.

I yield the floor.

Today is the 229th day of captivity for eight American citizens held hostage in Gaza by the terrorist organization Hamas--229 days of being deprived of food, water, and medical care; 229 days of being subjected to unbearable violence, abuse, and psychological torture by Hamas terrorists; 229 days that mothers and fathers--many of whom I have met--and husbands and wives and brothers and sisters have had to live with the pain, the anguish, and the uncertainty of their loved ones' well-being. But if you flip on mainstream media tonight or if you watch the protests on college campuses or if you listen to the Biden White House, the conversation has been dominated by everything but securing the release of American hostages.

We have seen the prosecutor for the International Criminal Court seek arrest warrants of Israeli leaders as well as Hamas leaders. Equating the Israeli Prime Minister with Hamas terrorists is despicable, and it shows a complete lack of moral clarity.

We have read about the State of Qatar reportedly temporarily expelling Hamas leaders from Doha, only to reverse course and welcome them back later. To be clear, Qatar is hosting a brutal terrorist organization with American blood on their hands. This continued dithering and flip-flopping is not helping. Qatar must pressure Hamas leaders to release the hostages now or expel them from Doha. It is just that simple. To do anything less, my friends, is unbecoming of a major non-NATO ally.

When we look to the President of the United States, we continue to see weakness and a lack of moral clarity on this issue. In a total betrayal of our friend and ally, the Biden administration withheld lethal aid to Israel earlier this month. This signaled to Hamas that they can drag their feet and hold out because the so-called ironclad bond between the United States and Israel, in Biden's mind, is not so ironclad after all.

I know firsthand that Biden is overruling his national security team, and he is letting a few radical activists on his staff dictate foreign policy as American lives hang in the balance. At the end of day, there is nothing more important in U.S. foreign policy than protecting American citizens. The best way we can bring the hostages home from Gaza is by increasing pressure on Hamas.

On the international stage, we need global bodies, like the ICC and the U.N., to grow a moral core, identify the evil being committed, and to rally the community of nations to pressure Hamas to release innocent hostages. We need the State of Qatar to end its straddling and doublespeak and to permanently expel Hamas leaders from Doha. Here at home, we need the Justice Department to file charges and hunt down every Hamas terrorist responsible for the murder of over 40 Americans on October 7 and the kidnapping of 8 who remain in captivity. We need the President of the United States to show strength and to show some moral leadership on this issue.

Friends, the line between good and evil in this conflict is crystal clear. President Biden needs to use every lever of national power to secure the hostages' freedom.

After 229 days, let's be united in working for the release of these eight hostages.

I yield the floor.

I suggest the absence of a quorum.

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