Floor Statements

Mr. President, how much time do I have?

Thanks very much.

Mr. President, I don't have enough time to respond to everything that my colleague from South Dakota has said. If I did, it would take a long while.

I would say this: A couple of years ago, when we passed with only Republican votes in the House and Senate, signed by President Trump, a tax-cut bill that was supposed to pay for itself, it didn't. It increased our deficit by hundreds of billions of dollars.

I think most of us know, with respect to abortion, the law of the land for many years--over 30 years--has been Roe v. Wade; and, essentially, after a certain point, when you have viability in the womb, abortions cannot be performed except in very limited cases, including rape, incest, and the life of the mother.

The legislation that we passed and considered in the House does not provide for changing those limitations, and that needs to be made clear.

The other thing I would say, with respect to the reconciliation bill, the Build Back Better legislation that the House is considering today in the Rules Committee, it is paid for. It is actually paid for, and it is paid for largely by making sure that everybody is paying their fair share.

Folks don't mind in my State--and other States don't mind--you know, seeing their taxes raised, but they want to make sure that everybody else is paying their fair share. As it turns out, there are a lot of wealthy people in this country and a lot of wealthy corporations who don't pay their fair share--in some cases nothing--and that is just wrong.

And the legislation actually cuts taxes for most Americans.

Vote on Connor Nomination

Mr. President, now to the issue at hand. We are about to vote today on the nomination of Michael Connor to serve as Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works.

As we all know, this is a critical leadership position for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The Corps of Engineers Civil Works program is the nation's primary provider of water resources infrastructure, and with the increasing impacts of climate change, having someone of Mr. Connor's caliber at the Corps is critical.

He has the experience and character to be successful in this role. During the Obama administration, he served as Deputy Secretary of the Interior, and he proved himself to be a capable leader. He will bring that experience to the Corps.

If confirmed, Mr. Connor will lead efforts that dramatically impact every corner of this country, from coastal to inland to small, disadvantaged, rural, and Tribal communities.

It is critically important that we get Mr. Connor confirmed now, today. I urge my colleagues to support his nomination.

I think my time has expired.

I yield the floor.

I ask for the yeas and nays.

Madam President, I rise today in support of the confirmation of Jeffrey Prieto to serve as general counsel of the Environmental Protection Agency. Mr. Prieto was reported favorably from our committee, the Environment and Public Works Committee, on a bipartisan vote of 12 to 8.

Yesterday, I received an interesting letter from a bipartisan group of four former EPA general counsels representing the Trump administration, the Obama administration, and the administrations of George W. Bush and Bill Clinton. They were basically conveying the same message: They support the confirmation of Jeffrey Prieto to serve as general counsel of the Environmental Protection Agency. That doesn't happen every day. We get letters of support from nominees, different parties, different Agencies from time to time, but to have four former EPA general counsels from two Republican administrations of late and two Democratic administrations all in support of the nomination of Jeffrey Prieto to serve in this important role--that got my attention, and I hope it gets the attention of all of my colleagues.

Those who wrote to us, the four who wrote to us, very correctly point out that Mr. Prieto is, and I quote--these are their words, not mine-- ``uniquely qualified for the position of General Counsel for the EPA.

They go on to say:

Mr. Prieto has been a longstanding champion of human health

and Environmental protection for all Americans.

The letter continues:

He is fair, just, and ethical. He will make decisions

strictly based on the facts, science, and the law. We expect

he will [be] ready to serve on day one.

Not surprisingly, I completely agree with their sentiments. Having come to know Mr. Prieto following his nomination by President Biden, I believe he will be an outstanding EPA general counsel. He comes from a patriotic Latino family with a proud history of military service. He has the intellect, temperament, and experience to serve in this important role.

Six years ago, this body saw fit to confirm Jeffrey Prieto unanimously for the same position, general counsel, at the Department of Agriculture. We should confirm him again today for this post. He was the right choice then; he is the right choice now. I encourage our colleagues to join me in supporting his nomination.

With that, I yield the floor.

Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the scheduled vote occur immediately.

Mr. President, today I am introducing legislation to allow the District of Columbia to receive funding and other benefits under the Coastal Zone Management Act. I am pleased to offer this companion legislation to a bill introduced by the Congresswoman from the District of Columbia, Eleanor Holmes Norton.

Few of us realize that 70 percent of the District is located within the coastal plain. Similar to my State of Delaware, sea level rise, upstream sources of water, and degraded infrastructure mean that the District could experience serious future cleanup and repair costs due to flooding, including damage to Federal property, which makes up almost 30 percent of the District. Since 1950, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, NOAA, reports there has been a 343-percent increase in nuisance flooding in

the District. Since 2006, D.C. has experienced two 100-year flooding events. Scientists predict that tides on the Atlantic coast could rise 2 to 4 feet by the year 2100, causing as much as $7 billion worth of property damage in the District, which would regularly be under threat by floodwaters. This fact was highlighted by a study released by the nonprofit Climate Central last week. Needless to say, these events will become more and more common due to climate change and sea level rise.

The District of Columbia would use funding from the Coastal Zone Management Program for flood risk planning and environmental restoration to prevent and mitigate future flood damage. At the same time, this work would help to restore and conserve the District's coastal resources such as habitat, fisheries, and endangered species.

If included in the Coastal Zone Management Program, the District of Columbia would be eligible for $1 million or more of Federal funding annually to assist in coastal flood-control projects, to combat non- point source water pollution, and to develop special area management plans in areas experiencing environmental justice and/or flooding issues.

The National Coastal Zone Management Program, housed in NOAA, was established through the passage of the Federal Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972. At the time, Congress recognized the need to manage the effects of increased growth in the Nation's coastal zone, which includes jurisdictions bordering the oceans and the Great Lakes.

There are currently 34 jurisdictional coastal zone management programs, including both States and territories. In order for the District of Columbia to participate in the program, Congress must pass this amendment to the Coastal Zone Management Act that would include the District under the definition of a ``coastal State.''

I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill I am introducing today be printed in the Record following my statement.

Mr. President, today I am introducing legislation to allow the District of Columbia to receive funding and other benefits under the Coastal Zone Management Act. I am pleased to offer this companion legislation to a bill introduced by the Congresswoman from the District of Columbia, Eleanor Holmes Norton.

Few of us realize that 70 percent of the District is located within the coastal plain. Similar to my State of Delaware, sea level rise, upstream sources of water, and degraded infrastructure mean that the District could experience serious future cleanup and repair costs due to flooding, including damage to Federal property, which makes up almost 30 percent of the District. Since 1950, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, NOAA, reports there has been a 343-percent increase in nuisance flooding in

the District. Since 2006, D.C. has experienced two 100-year flooding events. Scientists predict that tides on the Atlantic coast could rise 2 to 4 feet by the year 2100, causing as much as $7 billion worth of property damage in the District, which would regularly be under threat by floodwaters. This fact was highlighted by a study released by the nonprofit Climate Central last week. Needless to say, these events will become more and more common due to climate change and sea level rise.

The District of Columbia would use funding from the Coastal Zone Management Program for flood risk planning and environmental restoration to prevent and mitigate future flood damage. At the same time, this work would help to restore and conserve the District's coastal resources such as habitat, fisheries, and endangered species.

If included in the Coastal Zone Management Program, the District of Columbia would be eligible for $1 million or more of Federal funding annually to assist in coastal flood-control projects, to combat non- point source water pollution, and to develop special area management plans in areas experiencing environmental justice and/or flooding issues.

The National Coastal Zone Management Program, housed in NOAA, was established through the passage of the Federal Coastal Zone Management Act of 1972. At the time, Congress recognized the need to manage the effects of increased growth in the Nation's coastal zone, which includes jurisdictions bordering the oceans and the Great Lakes.

There are currently 34 jurisdictional coastal zone management programs, including both States and territories. In order for the District of Columbia to participate in the program, Congress must pass this amendment to the Coastal Zone Management Act that would include the District under the definition of a ``coastal State.''

I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill I am introducing today be printed in the Record following my statement.

Mr. President, reserving the right to object, I appreciate my colleague from Montana's efforts to get the northern border travel back to normal. I understand that this is an important issue in Montana, and it is important to families along our northern border, not only Montana but across our Nation.

I just want to flag a couple of things, if I can. This legislation has not been considered just yet in the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee on which I serve and formerly chaired. Given the importance of this issue, I will be more than happy to work with my colleague from Montana on a path forward from this time.

I am concerned, having said that, that this legislation, as is, is a bit too broad and could have unintended consequences, including making it harder to address future challenges at our borders. Having said that, fortunately, the Biden administration is already taking action to safely and responsibly reopen our border, including the recent announcement to expand the eligibility of travelers to enter the U.S. via air travel that will go into effect--I believe it is next month.

Again, I appreciate my colleague's efforts here and am ready to work with him, as I said to him just a few minutes ago, more than willing to work with him on this bill within the Homeland Security Committee where I serve as a senior Democrat, and we can look at changes to refine the legislation and help build bipartisan support for it.

Unfortunately, however, tonight I have to object.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to yield back the remaining time on both sides.

Madam President, before you leave, I want you to know that sitting next to me is Emily Spain from Santa Barbara, CA, where I think you might have been married, who is leaving today as my chief of staff.

You are wonderful for coming to preside today and helping us to send her off.

Now, if there is an extra box of Kleenex up there for me to use for my remarks, I would appreciate it.

Godspeed. Godspeed.

Madam President--soon to be Mr. President.

Mr. President, I have already telegraphed my pitch here, but I rise today to thank from the bottom of my heart the woman who has spent nearly two decades serving in this institution, and luckily for me, nearly 13

of those years have been spent as a member of my team.

Emily Spain has written many speeches like the one I am about to give, Mr. President, but today I have the privilege of giving a very special speech thanking Emily for her great service.

Emily may have been born and raised in California, but she has become an honorary Delawarean, and we are so proud to have had the blessing of her service and her friendship.

Anybody would be hard-pressed to find others who have been able to do all the things that Emily has done. She has helped to win campaigns, including a number of mine.

She has worked in the House of Representatives for her hometown Congresswoman, Lois Capps, whom the Presiding Officer served with, I believe, in the House.

She has helped to pass historic legislation that improved the lives of millions of Americans, like the Affordable Care Act. When people ask me what I am proudest of that I have worked on in the U.S. Senate, I always say the extension of healthcare to millions of people who otherwise wouldn't have it, through the Affordable Care Act. Without Emily's support, I am not sure that it would have become law.

She has served not only as our communications director but also as our legislative director and as our chief of staff. For folks who are not familiar with Washington, DC, that may not sound like maybe a lot, but in this game, in this business, it is a hat trick. It is a hat trick. You don't often find someone as talented or, frankly, as tireless as Emily Spain.

Many of my colleagues know this about me, but I like to start my days off by going for a run or going to the YMCA in Wilmington for a workout, and then I head to the train station, the Biden Station, and jump on a train and come down here and come to work with all our colleagues. I am used to having a pretty full day of meetings and committee hearings and votes and events. And then almost every night, I go back to Union Station and climb on a train and take the train in the opposite way, back to Biden Station in Wilmington. It is a full day every day. I enjoy it because I like to be busy, and I like to get things done.

Well, let me just say, in terms of getting things done, I have met my match--fortunately, I met her about 15 years ago--because the person who always, without fail, demonstrates more energy in her small finger than I do in my whole body is Emily Spain. It is incredible. It is incredible. Her tenacity, her strength, her conviction--this woman is literally tireless and somehow manages to get it all done and more.

She has an incredibly demanding job managing a staff of nearly 50 people between our DC offices and my three offices back in the State of Delaware.

Dealing with the latest in Congress often requires, as the Presiding Officer knows, one's attention 24/7 and especially of late. On top of all that, she is raising a young family and managing to give back to her community in ways big and small. Ask anyone who knows Emily--her energy is boundless, and you will never hear her complain--never hear her complain. She dives in headfirst to whatever task is before her, and she just gets things done.

I know the Presiding Officer feels this way, but I love to be surrounded by people who are good at getting things done. I always like to be surrounded by people who are smarter than me. That is not a high bar for me, but for others, it probably is. But she is smart as a whip--smart as a whip.

I also consider myself a glass-half-full kind of person. My wife likes to say I am an eternal optimist, and Emily and I share that trait too. I think it is easy for people to come to Washington and, maybe after a couple years here, become cynical, maybe even jaded. That has never happened with her, even after all these years--not Emily. She always sees the best in other people. She always sees the potential for what could be in a person or in a piece of legislation, and if a bill can be made better, Emily will give it all that she has to make it happen.

If an intern in our office wants advice on how to succeed on Capitol Hill, Emily will take an hour out of her incredibly busy day to help that intern. If partisan politics are getting in the way of getting things done, Emily is not afraid to cross the aisle, make a connection, and get something over the finish line.

There is a reason that, when I walk around the Capitol with Emily, she is the one people recognize and say hello to, and that is because, from staff to Senators alike, Emily has an incredible ability to connect with people from all walks of life. No matter how busy she may be, she always takes the time to really listen to others. She is a really good listener. My father used to say: God gives us one mouth and two ears; we should use them in that relation. And she is a great listener.

Many people in this town will offer to help, but far fewer actually mean it. People say: If I can ever be of help, let me know. When Emily says that, you know she means it. She always follows through. No matter how much success she had throughout her career, no task was ever too small for her to take on. She is a team player in the best sense of the word, through and through. She is always willing to jump in and lend a hand to whoever might need it, whether that means negotiating an infrastructure deal or helping to put binders together.

The late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg said:

You can disagree without being disagreeable.

Emily is proof of that, living proof of that.

She believes fiercely that climate change is the greatest challenge of our lifetime; that every American deserves quality, affordable healthcare; and that every child, no matter what their ZIP Code may be, should have clean air to breathe and clean water to drink. She has spent her time in Congress fighting--fighting to advance those policies without fighting with others.

She has a great deal of reverence for this institution and for her colleagues, no matter their political affiliation. She is respected and beloved by people on both sides of the aisle. That is why I say-- sitting here for a number of minutes before we were brought back into session, I had the opportunity to get recognized and give these remarks. It is interesting how many people came up to her, Senators and staff alike, to say hello and to thank her and to wish her well. She treats people with respect, and she earns their respect in return.

Our country could use a lot more Emily Spains these days, and I believe she is an example to anyone--to anyone--who may have hopes of having a career in public service and a career in political life as well.

There is no doubt that Emily has had enormous professional success, but I know that her most important job has always been and I think probably always will be being a wonderful mom to Jack and Emma Spain. And the days they come to our office are some of the happiest days of the week.

Over the last decade, Emily has spent a great deal of time in Delaware. She has gotten to know my family. My wife Martha and I have a couple sons of our own, Ben and Christopher. I have been lucky to get to know Emily's husband Ken and have gotten a chance to know their children. They are wonderful children, young children, just kids whom any mom or dad would be delighted to be able to call their own. Family is important to both Emily and to me. She has always gone out of her way to make sure that what we call Carpertown--that is the extended Carper team family--is a family-friendly place. It is always a good day when Jack Spain comes in and tells us about his latest baseball game, and we find Emma coloring in Emily's office.

At our annual Carper holiday Christmas party, there is now a table filled with gingerbread houses to decorate and all kinds of arts and crafts, and that is because of Emily. She knows it is not enough to just say that we value family; she walks the walk. She makes sure that our policies reflect our priorities, and for that and many other things, I am very, very appreciative.

For folks who may not be all that familiar with the work or the role of chief of staff, Senate chief of staff, and a full-time mom, let me just tell you, neither one is easy. Put them together, and they are really hard. But no matter what the circumstances, she has risen to the challenge in both roles--in both roles--without fail.

I just want to note that Emily has led our office under particularly difficult conditions and has done so with

grace and compassion. Her tenure included, among other things, two impeachments; an attack on this very building on January 6 of this year; an unprecedented global pandemic, the worst in 100 years; and the worst economy since the Great Depression.

There was no handbook for how to handle any of these things, let alone all of them at once. There was no guide to show her how to keep our office firing on all cylinders in remote settings so that we could keep our staff safe while also helping the people of Delaware when they needed that help the most. There was certainly no instruction manual to help her console our staff during an insurrection at this place of work. I know these were challenges that Emily never anticipated when she took on this role--none of us could have anticipated these challenges--but I am immensely grateful that she was the leader on our team during such turbulent and trying times.

You know, one of the glories of knowing someone like her is, she has had the compassion, as we have gone through this pandemic this year, to literally call just about everybody on our team in Delaware and our offices here, our three offices in Delaware and the folks who work here, including the members of the Environment and Public Works Committee, the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations that I have been privileged to help lead, and to make sure that they are doing OK, that they and their families were doing OK as we go through this pandemic. That is the mark of a great and wonderful human being and a great leader.

There was, again, no guide to show her how to keep our office firing on all cylinders in a remote setting so that we could keep our staff safe while also helping the people of Delaware with what they needed the most. And there was certainly no instruction manual to help her console the staff during the insurrection of this place of work, right here in this building. I know these were challenges Emily never anticipated when she took on this role, but I am immensely grateful that she is, again, the lead and one on our team during such critical, turbulent, and trying times.

I will close with this. From the bottom of my heart, I want to thank Jack and Emma--son and daughter of Ken and Emily Spain--for sharing your mom; and Ken for sharing your wife with all of us for these years. I know it has been a lot of early mornings and probably more late nights than you want to think about, and some unexpected things over too many weekends. But what we love to call Carpertown is better for your mom's dedication, your wife's dedication to this job and the people of Delaware, and I think the country is better off because of her dedication.

I want to sincerely thank Emily for her service to the Senate, to the country, and to the people of Delaware. Sometimes it is hard to really know that we have made a difference, but I can assure Emily and her family that she has. She has left her mark on 513 Hart. That is where we have been for 20 years--all 20 years since I have come here--and made her mark on 515 Hart and on the First State, and she will be sorely missed.

In the Navy, when people do an especially good job--I have had the privilege of serving for, I guess, 23 years all in, plus midshipman before that. And we have a saying that we like to--when people do an extraordinary job, do a terrific job, we say: Bravo Zulu. Bravo Zulu.

And I will say to Emily over and over again: Bravo Zulu. I probably say it just about every day of her service. But thank you for a remarkable, remarkable congressional career that has been an inspiration to me and, I know, all of Delaware that you served.

When people are ready--in the Navy, when they are ready to weigh anchor and sail off to their next chapter or their next adventure, we say these words: Fair winds and following seas.

So I will say those today to Emily and her family, and I say those words with reluctance but also with joy that comes from having been able to know her, to work with her, and to get to know her and her family.

We are lucky in life when we get the chance to work with people who push us to be the best versions of ourselves, who make our loads lighter, and who bring us people from all walks of life. Joy. Joy every day.

And I am very lucky--we are very lucky in our team that Emily Spain has, in my case, let me work for her for all these years, and she has kept me on the payroll and, in no small way, helped make sure that I stay on the payroll here to be able to do all these things together.

But Em, we will miss you, but we wish you and the Spain family nothing but the best.

I yield the floor.

Mr. President, I have 6 requests for committees to meet during today's session of the Senate. They have the approval of the Majority and Minority Leaders.

Pursuant to Rule XXVI, paragraph 5(a), of the Standing Rules of the Senate, the following committees are authorized to meet during today's session of the Senate:

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to print the following letter in the Congressional Record.

Mr. President, Senator Capito has been very, very gracious in her thanks and praise, and it is now her turn to be on the receiving end.

We have all heard of the Gang of 20 or the Gang of 22--the Group of 20 or 22--but before there was a gang or a group of 22, there was a gang of 1--the Senator from West Virginia, my native State.

She joined in with the President and the President's team to really get the ball rolling and sort of took the hand off from what we had done working with the administration, meeting with the administration, meeting with the President.

But with the President, after our meeting, they decided to engage. They decided to engage with the Senator.

And, eventually, to use a football analogy here, she might not have gotten the ball into the end zone, but I say to the Senator, you certainly got it into the red zone, and we are grateful for all of your work, and, really, your good humor and good treatment when things were tough.

Sitting right here on my left is Mary Frances Repko, the staff director of our EPW Committee on the Democratic side. And she is joined today, I think, on the floor by John Kane, by Mackie McIntosh, and by Tyler Hoffman. And we have Adam over here sitting next to the ranking member--Adam.

I have gone before through the names of your staff, but I will just say you all are back here, and we are grateful for the great support and work that you have done, each one of you.

I would be remiss if I didn't thank--you don't get to be floor managers without somebody in the leadership saying: Well, we would like you to be floor managers. So to Senator Schumer and Senator McConnell, thank you for putting your confidence and trust in Senator Capito and me.

To the floor staff, the folks who work for the leaders, thank you very much for keeping us on the straight and level and heading in the right direction.

Rob Portman is still here on the floor. I don't see Kyrsten Sinema. Rob is here. Rob, Senator Portman, succeeds George Voinovich. He was a dear

friend as Governor. We were Governors together and Senators together. I miss George every day, but you have more than filled his shoes, my friend, and I salute you for your leadership.

Kyrsten Sinema is relatively new here, but she has really, really impressed a lot of people, taken the bull by the horns, never gave up, just wouldn't give up. And because of her efforts and the partnership she has with Senator Portman, we are here today.

I quoted a couple of times during debate the words of Winston Churchill. Winston Churchill, when he was thrown out of office at the end of World War II, was asked as he left 10 Downing Street: Is this the end?

He replied, famously: This is not the end. This is not the beginning of the end. This is the end of the beginning. The end of the beginning. And so it is here with us today.

We are nearing the end of a debate and the final vote on the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act of 2021. And before we take a vote on the adoption of this measure, I just want to take a moment to reflect briefly on how this bipartisan infrastructure bill came to be.

Senator Capito has already referred to this, but I wanted to reinforce it. In February of this year, at my encouragement, President Biden invited Senator Capito, Senator Cardin, Senator Inhofe, and me-- all senior members of the Environment and Public Works Committee--to the White House to discuss the need to make bold investment in our Nation's crumbling infrastructure. He asked us, the Environment and Public Works Committee, to lead the effort to address that need; to get to work in our committee by crafting and reporting to the full Senate, to this body, surface transportation legislation--roads, highways, bridges--as well as drinking water and water sanitation infrastructure, climate change legislation by springtime. That was the request.

In the weeks that followed, working together with all 22 members--20 members, rather, of the Environment and Public Works Committee, that is exactly what we did--10 Democrats, 10 Republicans working together. In May, we reported out of our committee a 5-year transportation bill with a unanimous bipartisan vote of 20 to 0.

By more than a third, we increased investments in our roads, our highways, and our bridges, with a historic climate title to help address the most serious challenge facing our planet, and that is the threat of global warming.

That Transportation bill is at the core of the legislation we consider today, along with the drinking water and wastewater infrastructure legislation that was also reported unanimously out of the Committee on Environment and Public Works earlier this year and passed by the full Senate right here, earlier this year, by an 89-to-2 vote.

That bill targets the most impoverished communities across America to help them meet their drinking and wastewater treatment needs.

I am proud--we are proud--of the work that our committee has done, made possible by the partnership that we enjoy. I think of the work that we did--I think of it as laying the foundation. Clean drinking water, wastewater sanitation, roads, highways, bridges, climate really are the foundation on which this package was built.

And we tried to provide an example to the rest of the Senate and the other committees of jurisdiction, and I like to think that maybe we did that.

Leadership is all about leading, and the President sought and encouraged us to try to lead earlier this year, and I think we have met that request and then some. I want to thank him. He didn't give up either. And he has been negotiating with Senator Capito and negotiating with the team, the gang of 22. He never gave up. A lot of people said this was a fool's errand. He never gave up. I am proud of him and the leadership that he has provided.

The bill that is before this body today builds on the strong bipartisan work of our committee, Environment and Public Works, as well as the good work done by our colleagues on other committees--the Commerce Committee and the Energy and Natural Resources Committee among them. My appreciation to all who worked so tirelessly on this Herculean undertaking.

Now, let me be clear. This legislation isn't perfect. It has been said before. You will hear that again. I have never written a bill that was perfect, and this certainly, even though we had a fair hand in writing a lot of it, is not perfect. In spite of making real progress, it doesn't go as far as we would like to go in advancing equity, the way we treat other people--the Golden Rule, treating other people the way we want to be treated--in tackling the existential crisis of our time, and that is climate change.

There is much more work to do on these issues--issues that, in my mind, we have a moral obligation to address. So rest assured I will be joining my colleagues in fighting for progress on these fronts in the days and weeks ahead.

But let's not make the perfect the enemy of the good. And make no mistake, the bill before us does a whole lot of good. It is the largest long-term investment in our Nation's infrastructure in almost a century--almost a century--and the largest Federal investment in history when it comes to public transit, clean energy transmission, climate resiliency, clean drinking water, and wastewater infrastructure.

Now, on this day, the American people are looking for us to strengthen our economy and support our communities and build for our future. On this day, we have a President dedicated to moving past partisan divides and meeting the moment for our Nation. And on this day, leaders in this body from across the political spectrum have come together in shared purpose, in common cause, and commitment to find a way forward.

I want to close with the thought that there is a lot of bridge money in here, a lot of money to fix bridges all over: West Virginia, Delaware, Ohio, Maine. You name it. There is a lot of troubled water in our country, troubled water. And I would like to think, with this legislation, crafted together across the aisle, bipartisan, with the administration, we have created a bridge over troubled waters. Think about that: a bridge over troubled waters--and right at a time when we really needed one. And we could use a few more as we go along.

Sometimes when I travel people ask me--they say: What do you do? What do you do anyway?

They don't know what I do, on the airplane or whatever. I say: I help people.

They say: How do you help them?

I think the best way we can help people is help them find a job, have a job where they can support themselves and their families. We can help make sure that they have clean water to drink. We can help make sure they have clean air to breathe.

Those are ways that we are helping people with this legislation--big time, big time--and we will be doing it for a long time.

Colleagues, on this day, we can vote to make a downpayment on a brighter future for our country. I want to ask you to join me in seizing the day in voting to advance this legislation together. On this day, let us seize the day. Carpe diem. Carpe diem.

I yield the floor

Recognition Of The Majority Leader

Madam President, I call up my amendment No. 3330 and ask that it be reported by number.

Madam President, the amendment that I have called up is clear, it is simple, and it is straightforward. It makes clear that we are going to address the climate crisis. We are going to do it through policies that do several things: one, create jobs; two, create jobs here in the United States; policies that strengthen our economy--all while reducing the pollution that hurts our health and our environment.

We are in a code red situation. This is all hands on deck when it comes to the climate crisis. We don't have a moment to waste. We need to put politics aside and act now on climate change.

The budget resolution should allow us to develop legislation that can respond to the urgent challenge of climate change.

I ask my colleagues to join me in supporting this amendment.

I yield the floor.

Madam President, I ask for the yeas and nays.

Madam President, I would like to speak in opposition to the amendment. Let me be clear. Colleagues, let me be clear. Let me be clear.

The EPA is not acting to regulate methane from cows or any other farm animals. This amendment is designed as a messaging amendment to suggest that the Agency is undertaking actions that it is not considering.

Democrats are working to advance policies that assist farmers and ranchers in participating in efforts to address greenhouse gas emissions in ways that inure to their bottom line.

Methane is a super climate pollutant. It is at least 80 times more powerful than carbon dioxide in terms of global warming. In order to stem the tide of climate change, we must reduce methane emissions.

The Biden administration and my Democratic colleagues are laser- focused on making sure our Nation's largest source of methane--the oil and gas sector--is doing all it can to reduce or eliminate methane emissions.

The American people should rest assured that no one is focused on regulating cow emissions, as this amendment would suggest.

I recommend a ``no'' vote. Thank you.

Vote on Amendment No. 3115

Mr. President, I have 3 requests for committees to meet during today's session of the Senate. They have the approval of the Majority and Minority leaders.

Pursuant to rule XXVI, paragraph 5(a), of the Standing Rules of the Senate, the following committees are authorized to meet during today's session of the Senate:

Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry

The Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Tuesday, August 10, 2021, at 11 a.m., to conduct a hearing on nominations.

Select Committee on Intelligence

The Select Committee on Intelligence is authorized to meet during

the session of the Senate on Tuesday, August 10, 2021, at 4 p.m., to conduct a closed hearing.

Subcommittee on Near East, South Asia, Central Asia, and

Counterterrorism

The Subcommittee on Near East, South Asia, Central Asia, and Counterterrorism of the Committee on Foreign Relations is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Tuesday, August 10, 2021, at 10 a.m., to conduct a hearing.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that notwithstanding adoption of substitute amendment No. 2137, the Toomey amendment No. 2656 be considered and agreed to.

I do not.

Mr. President, we just heard from the senior Senator from Illinois. I remember when he was a junior Congressman from Illinois, elected in 1982, along with about 80 other Democrats and Republicans from all over the country. One of them was me. One of them was me. And he has been a colleague off and on. I left the House to become the Governor of Delaware, and he came over to the U.S. Senate, and now, we get to work together again.

He is a smart guy, a very bright guy, and a very caring person and very good at not just working with Democrats but working across the aisle. I admired that about him in the House, and I admire that about him in the Senate.

He is passionate about a lot of things, but one of those is an important one, immigration reform. And immigration reform may seem like it is far afield from what we are talking about here today, but for the 8 years I was privileged to be the Governor of Delaware, it was a good economy--Bill Clinton was the President--and it was a good economy for the country. More jobs were created in Delaware in those 8 years than in any 8 years in Delaware's history. As Governor, I didn't create one of them, but we did see a lot of job creation and economic growth, and I was the beneficiary of that, as were other people in my State and around the country.

One of the reasons why I believe that comprehensive immigration reform is something we should have done and ought to do is not just because we are reminded on Sunday afternoon of Matthew 25--when I was a stranger in your land, you welcomed me--but also, it makes good business sense. One of the keys to economic growth, whether it is my State or the State of New Mexico, where the Presiding Officer is from, one of the keys is the workforce, having people who are either already trained or trainable and able and willing to do the work that needs to be done.

We have a little bit of a mismatch right now in our economy with respect to the skills that a lot of folks who are without jobs would like to be having; they would like to have a job or maybe a better job. There is a mismatch in what employers are looking for and what a lot of workers bring to the workplace. A big part of what we have done in these legislative packages--I call them cares packages--in the last year or 2 is to provide money for workforce development and redevelopment to better equip people with the tools that they need.