Floor Statements

Mr. President, as the senior Senator from the great State of South Carolina, it is my pleasure to recognize and congratulate Saint James the Greater Catholic Church as they celebrate their 200th anniversary as a faithful parish in the Lowcountry.

Founded in 1826, Saint James the Greater Catholic Church has served as a beacon of faith, worship, and fellowship. Since its founding, the parish has been a steadfast presence in the community, offering spiritual guidance and contributing to the cultural and historical heritage of the Palmetto State.

South Carolina is blessed by the service, stewardship, and resilience of Saint James the Greater Catholic Church. Standing as one of the oldest historically Black Catholic churches in the South, they continue to build a legacy that embodies faith, hope, and love.

I ask my colleagues to join me in congratulating Saint James the Greater Catholic Church on celebrating 200 years of faith and service to the Lowcountry and all of South Carolina. The parish's passion to spread the good news and serve others in the community deserves our sincerest gratitude. I look forward to their next 200 years and the positive impact that they will continue to make in the lives of countless South Carolinians.

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

Madam President, I ask unanimous consent to speak for up to 5 minutes prior to the scheduled vote.

Madam President, I thank the ranking member for her kind comments and for her hard work on behalf of the American people.

People oftentimes ask the question: Is there anything that is not broken in the Nation's Capital?

I will tell the Presiding Officer, as a great member of the Banking Committee herself, that the answer is that there are some things that are not broken to the point they cannot be fixed in the Nation's Capital. One of those things is our ability to not think left or right, blue or red, Black or White, rich or poor; it is to think about and focus on the journey many of us have taken to become U.S. Senators.

The fact of the matter is that I grew up in the Deep South, in South Carolina, in a little place called North Charleston. Without any question, having grown up in a single-parent household mired in poverty, the issue of housing is particularly interesting to me.

I remember when my parents were divorced, my brother, my mother, and I shared a bedroom and a bed for years in a little 700-square foot, rented unit by my grandparents. I will tell you that the American dream just seemed out of reach for so many in my neighborhood--certainly for those of us living on Meeting Street Road, which was a dirt road during those times.

Later, my mother was able to afford a small apartment that was 600 square feet or so, and my brother and I had the pleasure of having our own room that was separated from my mother's. That is what I called a blessing from the God, the King of Kings himself--without any question.

But my mother and my grandparents taught me something very powerful and necessary. They taught me faith in the Lord, perseverance through hard times, and opportunity. Those three together can transform the hardest of hard circumstances, and that belief has guided my work on this very important issue of housing.

Young people today are feeling in a similar fashion that I did then in that they are delaying marriage, they are delaying having kids, they are delaying putting down roots--not because they lack ambition but because housing prices are too darned high and housing supply is too low. Rent is too high, starter homes are too hard to find, and the American dream slips further and further away for far too many.

Even the Senator from Pennsylvania is so excited that he had to recognize the Presiding Officer. I will simply say that the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act even gets the junior Senator from Pennsylvania's vote. You may ask yourself, why is that the case? I have four really important reasons that is truly the case.

First, it is because we cut redtape, and when you cut redtape, you actually reduce the cost of housing.

Second, it unlocks the housing supply. When you put more housing supply on the market, more people have a chance to become a first-time home buyer. Today--today--today--the first-time home buyer is 40 years old. It is just too old.

Our bill protects taxpayers. Some have asked the question, how does this make housing more affordable? I want to highlight two provisions-- one that the ranking member talked about, which is what President Trump said during his State of the Union. It is simple: Houses should be for people and not for corporations. We make it easier for people to have access to housing because of the provision that President Trump placed in this legislation.

Now, why are there Republicans who disagree with the President on this one? I don't know. You will have to ask those Republicans.

John Kennedy and the ranking member have a piece of legislation that we embedded in this bill that simply says something that is remarkable from Congress, remarkable from the Senate, and that is, frankly, common sense to everybody outside of Washington, DC: If you build more housing, you should get more incentives. If you don't build more housing, you should lose those incentives, and they should go to the places where they are building more housing. Yes, I recognize this is common sense everywhere but here.

Finally, I will say that the House of Representatives did a fine job of embedding in this housing legislation important priorities that I believe will make housing more affordable, more accessible, and, frankly, that will help banks--community banks, which are the primary places you go for a mortgage--be more engaged in this process. Once again, this was a bipartisan, bicameral issue to do the work of the people.

I will close with this because I know my 5 minutes is nearly up. If we would just focus on the American people and listen when they speak, we would remember two things: No. 1, they hire us, and we work for them. No. 2, like E.F. Hutton--the Presiding Officer is too young to know who he is--when E.F. Hutton speaks, we ought to listen. Our E.F. Hutton is called the American people, and when we listen, we bring this Nation closer together.

Public service should not be about those of us in public service; it should be about the journey we took. For me, that is as a kid born into poverty to a great mother who believed in faith, perseverance, and opportunity. If we do our part, more kids today who are being raised in similar situations and circumstances that I was might have hope in the American dream.

Somewhere, you can read faith, hope, and love. Hope is not a bad second place, though. Let's provide more hope and more results for more Americans by simply doing the right thing.

Amendment Withdrawn

Madam President, I ask unanimous consent to withdraw Thune amendment No. 5824.

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

Mr. President, I understand that the Senate has received a message from the House to accompany H.R. 6644.

I ask the Chair lay before the Senate the House message to accompany H.R. 6644, and I ask for the yeas and nays.

Mr. President, I urge my colleagues to oppose this amendment.

The bill before us is not about funding housing programs at HUD. The bill, unlike amendment No. 5514, is about funding our ICE agents and Border Patrol. You wouldn't know it based on what the other side is talking about.

Democrats are desperate--desperate--to distract Americans from the fact that they have, once again, become the party of ``defunding the police and border security.''

The American people see right through this. Democrats are making our communities less safe and our homeland less secure. Enough is enough you-all.

Because of Democrats' obstruction, we will fully fund ICE and Border Patrol without them.

I urge a ``no'' vote on this amendment. And, by the way, the pending amendment contains a matter that is within the Banking jurisdiction and thus extraneous; therefore, I raise a point of order under section 313(b)(1)(C) of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974.

Just say no.

Mr. President, I urge my colleagues to oppose this amendment. The bill before us is not about housing programs at HUD; the bill, unlike amendment No. 5535, is about funding our ICE agents and our Border Patrol and keeping our country safe.

Democrats are desperate to distract Americans from the fact that they have once again become the party of defunding the police and border security. The American people see right through it. Democrats are making our communities less safe and our homeland less secure. Enough is enough. Because of Democrats' obstruction, we will fully fund ICE and Border Patrol without their help.

The pending amendment contains matters that are within the jurisdiction of the Banking Committee and thus extraneous; therefore, I raise a point of order under section 313(b)(1)(C) of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974.

I urge my colleagues to vote no.

Madam President, today, I rise to oppose the resolutions, these three CRAs.

Under former Director Chopra, the Biden CFPB frequently pushed or ignored the limits of the CFPB's authority. Consistently, they ignored their own limits because power--power--was more important than doing the right thing for small businesses across this great country.

He attempted to assert the CFPB in issues far outside its statutory limits, including healthcare, labor, and technology.

The Biden CFPB's guidance documents we are discussing today were highly prescriptive, established new regulatory requirements, and were all issued without formal rulemaking under the Administrative Procedure Act's notice and comment process.

This is not speculation. Multiple Biden CFPB policies have been struck down in courts--let me say it differently. Court after court after court struck down nonsense after nonsense after nonsense.

The current administration was right to correct this overreach and refocus the CFPB.

Last year, Congress enacted a Congressional Review Act resolution rejecting the Biden CFPB's last-minute attempt to impose price controls on overdraft fees. These are those junk fees that you heard President Biden talk about during his State of the Union presentations and speeches. It is utterly ridiculous to lump all these things together.

I can't think of a worse way to govern than the Biden administration's approach to the CFPB and the playbook that they used time and time again, putting onerous pressure on small businesses that merely--my words--confiscated millions of dollars from private businesses without actually ending in a finding. This happened over and over and over again. Weaponizing the Federal Government against private businesses is just wrong.

I can't think of anything more clear than how wrong the CFPB has been consistently.

Agencies should not be conducting supervision or exams without explicit statutory authority to do so.

The Biden administration CFPB's medical debt advisory opinion is another example of Agency overreach. This guidance creates serious privacy concerns. Imagine a debt company being able to peer into your medical records to determine which debt should be and which debt should not be a part of their process. I don't want a debt company looking at medical records--certainly not my medical records--and making a determination on what they can and cannot do. That is just utterly ridiculous but consistent with the Biden administration's approach to the CFPB.

We ought not bring that back. We ought not ever bring that back. That means more third parties would have more patient-level health and financial information, increasing the risk of misuse, overcollection, and data breaches. Don't forget the data breach we saw at the CFPB. We don't want more information in the hands of people who can't handle the information they had before.

This is, as we know, Madam President, something we know in Wyoming and South Carolina. We just call it common sense.

For these reasons, I urge my colleagues to oppose all these motions to proceed and the underlying resolutions.

I yield the floor.

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

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to speak for up to 5 minutes prior to the scheduled rollcall vote.

Mr. President, the issue of housing is not a Republican issue or a Democrat issue. It is an issue about helping moms like the one that raised me--the amazing woman that she was--to become a homeowner.

I grew up in rental property, and my first home that I remember was the one that my grandparents were renting, a little 700-square-foot place where me, my mother, and my brother shared a bedroom and a bed. Our experience was one that was filled with tragedy and challenges and a lack of resources, but the one resource we had a lot of was love and hope.

The legislative process today gives us an opportunity to restore hope for so many people who want to just experience their version of the American dream, which is so consistently home ownership.

I am so thankful that back in those days when I was growing up, there was a group of legislators--back in the late seventies and early eighties--who created a program through the USDA that allowed my mom to become a first-time home buyer at 38 years old. But today the average age of a first-time home buyer is 40--40 years old before you ever experience the American dream. That age is too old.

We as a legislative body can do now what a legislative body did then--create opportunities, restore hope, and let young people experience for the first time the American dream--the dream of home ownership.

I am so thankful that it is so far so good, but we must finish the task today. We can do what so many folks failed to do in this legislative body for the last few decades--not a few years but a few decades--which is to pass consequential legislation that makes it easier to become a homeowner for those who are ready for that part of their journey.

I urge this body to vote yes on this bill, and let's create more homeowners at an earlier age. The age of affordability is now, and the solution to affordability is, in fact, us. I urge my colleagues to vote yes on this bill, and let's get the ball moving.

Vote on H.R. 6644, as Amended

Mr. President, I rise today to honor the extraordinary life of Dr. Elijah Washington, a native son of South Carolina, who dedicated his life to healing bodies and nurturing souls in Beaufort County.

Dr. Washington, who passed at the age of 83, exemplified the highest ideals of service to his community and country. Rising from humble beginnings in Sheldon, SC, he pursued excellence in education at Morehouse College and Meharry Medical College before embarking on a medical career that would touch thousands of lives.

In the early 1970s, Dr. Washington made a choice that would define his legacy when, after serving in the U.S. Navy, he returned home and served the people of rural Beaufort County with the Beaufort Jasper Hampton Comprehensive Health Services. At a time when malnutrition and healthcare disparities plagued these communities, Dr. Washington answered the call.

Not only did he deliver more than 10,000 babies during his career in Beaufort County, for almost a decade, he was the only obstetrician- gynecologist at the clinic in Sheldon. Dr. Washington's impact extended beyond the delivery room. When he joined the staff at Beaufort Memorial Hospital, he rose to become chief of staff and played a critical role in integrating the hospital's medical staff. He mentored countless young physicians, setting an example by treating every patient with dignity and compassion. Today, the BJHCHS clinic in Sheldon bears his name, a lasting testament to a man who made a difference in the Lowcountry.

In addition to the medical field, he also lived out his calling in ministry. He not only tended to the physical ailments of the community, but as the pastor at First African Baptist Church on St. Helena Island, he tended to people's spiritual needs as well.

South Carolina has lost a giant, and I ask my colleagues to join me in expressing our deepest condolences to Dr. Washington's family and in celebrating a life extraordinarily well-lived in service to others.

Mr. President, as the junior Senator from the great State of South Carolina, it is my honor today to recognize and celebrate the extraordinary career of Doug Allison, who is retiring after 31 remarkable years as the head coach of the Furman University men's soccer program.

Coach Allison's tenure at Furman represents one of the most successful coaching careers in collegiate soccer history. With a career record of 365 wins, 175 losses, and 77 ties, he stands as the winningest coach in Southern Conference history, a true testament to his talent, leadership, and commitment to excellence over three decades.

Under Coach Allison's guidance, the Furman Paladins have achieved unprecedented success. He led the program to 12 Southern Conference regular season titles, 11 conference tournament championships, and 11 NCAA Tournament appearances. His final season, though, may have been his finest. With a record of 16-2-5, he steered the team to win both the regular season and tournament titles, as well as the school's first-ever appearance in the NCAA Men's College Cup, finishing the season ranked third in the Nation.

Beyond wins and championships, Coach Allison has been a mentor and developer of young talent. During his 31 seasons, he produced 151 All- Southern Conference selections, 31 All-Americans, 15 United Soccer Coaches Scholar All-Americans, and 9 MLS draft picks. His influence extended far beyond college soccer. Three of his former players went on to represent the U.S. National Soccer Team and scored in the FIFA World Cup competition, bringing honor to Furman University and the Palmetto State.

Coach Allison's impact on Furman University, the Southern Conference, and collegiate soccer cannot be overstated. He has built a legacy of excellence, integrity, and leadership that will inspire future generations of student-athletes.

I ask my colleagues to join me in congratulating Coach Doug Allison on his 31 years of service to Furman University and wishing him all the best in his well-deserved retirement.

In light of the Sunday attack in Australia on the Jewish community, I wanted to read a letter sent by my friend Scott Reckler to his family--he is Jewish--in response to the Jewish community's pain and misery that they were feeling, experiencing. This is a real-time letter that he sent to his family on Sunday. I thought it would be appropriate for us to hear these powerful words written to Scott's family:

So each year, we light our own menorahs to remember that

light can triumph over darkness, that courage and faith can

outlast oppression, and that the smallest spark can ignite

hope for generations.

Tonight is the first night of Hanukkah. It arrives during a

moment that feels heavy and unsettling--a time when

antisemitism is surging in ways I have never experienced in

my lifetime.

Scott is 58 years old.

I had hoped that the recent movement toward peace in the

Middle East and a reduction in protests might cool the

temperature. Instead, it feels as though the ancient and ugly

beast of antisemitism has been unleashed again, and it will

not be easily forced back into the bottle.

Earlier today--

He is talking on Sunday, of course--

that reality became heartbreakingly clear. Jews gathered at

Bondi Beach in Australia to celebrate what would have been

the first public Hanukkah menorah lighting of 2025 anywhere

in the world--a moment meant to symbolize light, unity, and

hope.

Instead, it became a scene of unimaginable horror. Two

armed men opened fire on the gathering. At least eleven

people were killed simply for being Jewish. Dozens more were

wounded, including police officers. One attacker was killed,

the other apprehended, but none of that changes the

devastation left behind. The pain is overwhelming. The shock,

the sadness, the anger--all of it sits heavily.

But history has taught us something essential: our response

matters just as much as our grief. The Jewish answer to

darkness has never been retreat. It has always been light.

Our response does not need to be loud or performative. It

needs to be intentional, dignified, and deeply rooted in who

we are.

Let us each take on an extra mitzvah in memory of our holy

brothers and sisters who were murdered simply because they

were Jewish. A small act of goodness. A moment of kindness.

An affirmation of life.

If I may suggest one simple but powerful act: tonight, when

we gather with family and friends, let us be especially

mindful as we light the Chanukah menorah. The single candle

we light on the first night represents more than tradition.

It represents oneness. It represents resilience. It

represents the unbroken chain of a people who refuse to let

darkness define them. That small flame projects a message--

quietly but unmistakably--that we are still here, that we are

proud of who we are, and that we will continue,

unapologetically, to share light with the world. Let us be

who we are in the most beautiful way: proud Jews, joyful

Jews, strong Jews--committed to goodness, justice, and life.

Light does not diminish when it is shared. Light only grows.

This Hanukkah season, let those of us--my words, not his--who are Christians light a candle for our Jewish communities, for the strength of our Jewish communities, for the protection of our Jewish communities, and for God's favor to shine on our Jewish communities.

Finally, remembering the words of the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.:

Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that.

Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.

May 2026 be the year that people of good intent stand strong with those who should not have to stand by themselves. May we as a nation, we as a people, and specifically we as Christians stand not just with the Jewish community, but, when possible and necessary, may we stand in front of the Jewish community.

I yield the floor.

Mr. President, I have three 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, as the junior Senator from the great State of South Carolina, it is my honor to recognize and congratulate Medshore Ambulance as they celebrate their 50th anniversary of exceptional service to the people of South Carolina.

For five decades, Medshore has served South Carolina communities with distinction, providing medical transportation, special event coverage, and community support services. What began as a singular vision has grown into an organization providing comprehensive health services that has touched countless lives across our great State.

Medshore's commitment to excellence has been recognized repeatedly through prestigious awards and achievements. The organization received three American Heart Association Mission Lifeline Awards, and they have been honored as South Carolina's Large EMS System of the Year multiple times. In 2001, Medshore became the first ambulance service in South Carolina to receive accreditation from the Commission on Accreditation of Ambulance Services. Medshore's adherence to the highest industry standards and unwavering commitment to continuous improvement embodies the values of quality, reliability, and community service every day.

I ask my colleagues to join me in congratulating Medshore Ambulance on this remarkable milestone and in thanking all those who have contributed to its success over the past 50 years. Their dedication ensures that South Carolina residents receive the highest standard of emergency medical care and transport when they need it most.

Vote?

I ask for the yeas and nays.