Floor Statements

Mr. President, since the beginning of this year, there has been a lot of conversation both here in Washington and around the country about the future of American involvement in Venezuela and how that relates to the War Powers Act. So, as we head into the recess and as my colleagues head back to their respective States and to other locales, I just wanted to take a minute and update my constituents on how this U.S. Senator is approaching the situation.

First, I want to reiterate that I support President Trump's decision to bring Nicolas Maduro to justice for his many crimes. I know I speak for countless Hoosiers in expressing my gratitude that after years of oppression, the Venezuelan people now have new hope. In fact, I have taken meetings in recent days with diplomats, national security luminaries, business people, expats, and others. Those meetings have reinforced the reality for me that right now we have an opportunity for brighter days ahead in Venezuela, and I know the administration is working with multiple stakeholders to effect that sort of positive change that we are all hoping for.

I, of course, also want to commend the bravery and the professionalism of the U.S. service personnel who carried out this successful law enforcement mission in Venezuela earlier this month-- highly impressive, highly sophisticated. I am awestruck by the mission and all that it accomplished, and I thank the men who were a part of that.

Now, while I applaud and stand with the President and his team on the law enforcement action taken in Venezuela to remove Nicolas Maduro, that law enforcement mission is now complete. I just want to clarify that for many of my constituents.

I have also expressed concerns about the possibility of American military involvement in Venezuela as we move forward. The President and members of his national security team have openly stated that the United States now runs Venezuela, and because we can't predict the future, no one can guarantee with certainty that an American military presence won't be required to stabilize the country.

So I, along with whom I believe to be the majority of Hoosiers, am not prepared to commit American troops to that mission. I strongly believe that any such commitment of U.S. forces in Venezuela must be subject to debate and authorization from Congress. That is what has animated so much of my activity in recent days and weeks.

That belief is not a new one to this situation or to this President. In fact, for over a decade and under multiple Presidents, I have pushed for Congress to fulfill its role as defined in the Constitution on matters involving the use of military force. Since U.S. involvement in Venezuela began last year, I have pushed for briefings and other forms of congressional engagement. Just last week, because of those concerns, I ultimately voted to advance a War Powers Resolution to make my concerns crystal clear to the administration and to my colleagues.

The reality, though, is this: Even if the Senate had adopted that resolution, had it not been derailed through a procedural vote, it likely would have died in the House of Representatives--very likely--or at a minimum have been vetoed by the President of the United States. That much was clear.

Given that stark, incontrovertible, unavoidable reality, I have had numerous conversations with senior national security officials over the past week and since the first vote took place, and in those conversations--some in person, some by phone--I received assurances that there were, No. 1, no longer any American troops in Venezuela. I also received a commitment that if President Trump were to determine American forces were needed in any major military operation in Venezuela, the administration would come to Congress in advance--in advance--to ask for a formal authorization on the use of military force.

Lastly, Secretary Rubio has agreed to my request to appear before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee to provide a public update on Venezuela immediately after the recess, facilitating the very type of public debate and, if necessary someday, authorization around these matters, hopefully working the muscle memory of this institution and its various committees on issues of war powers so that they might be more inclined to operate those prerogatives--to exercise those prerogatives in the future.

For those like me who want Congress to perform its longstanding role on these issues, the commitments I have secured are major commitments that will help keep Congress better informed, help ensure we make better decisions, and ensure in this situation that any future commitment of U.S. forces in Venezuela is subject to public debate and authorization here in this body.

Let me just end by saying that President Trump campaigned against forever wars. Millions of people strongly supported him in that position. I strongly support him in that position still today, and I believe that a drawn-out campaign in Venezuela involving the American military, even if unintended, would be the opposite of President Trump's goal of ending foreign entanglements. But I also make that statement with humility, understanding that world events are fluid, that the world is complicated, and that circumstances can change.

What all of us in this body should want is the opportunity to perform oversight and provide input on these critical foreign policy issues on behalf of those we represent. If we must make a decision--a very difficult decision--at some point in the future, our constituents should be able to hold us accountable for those decisions.

Regardless of who serves as President or which party controls the White House, Congress must get back to carefully fulfilling its constitutional responsibilities. I am pleased that we have a path forward toward that goal now, and I look forward to the next steps in the weeks ahead.

I yield the floor.

Mr. President, on the campus of Indiana University, a tablet placed on the floor of the student union pays tribute to the men and women who served in the Civil War.

Over 80 years ago, in March 1942, three young Hoosiers stood over that marker. They raised their right hands, and they joined those ranks.

When the oath began, they were college students in the last days of childhood. When it was complete, they were U.S. marines, the first to fight for their country. They joined a long line of American heroes, dating all the way back to the Revolutionary War.

On November 10, 1775, when America contemplated a difficult amphibious assault on the British supply hub in Nova Scotia, the Continental Congress called for the raising of a regiment to execute this difficult expedition.

It required a special breed of warrior, capable of fighting on land and sea. Just the type of men ``acquainted with maritime affairs,'' as the Continental Congress phrased it, were to be found at Tun Tavern, a brewhouse on Philadelphia's waterfront.

On the same day the colonial government passed its resolution, they commissioned Samuel Nicholas to raise this force. Not long after, he walked through the tavern's door and appointed its owner, Robert Mullan, chief recruiter. Together, with the lure of high adventure, mugs full of cold beer, and the call to defend their homes, they enlisted two battalions of men. These men were the first members of the U.S. Marine Corps.

So beginning on that day in Philadelphia, to countless days like the one on the campus of Indiana University, millions of men and women have answered their Nation's call. For 250 years, from the shores of Nassau to the walls of Abbey Gate, they have defended our flag, our way of life, and freedom's friends far from its shores. They have been asked and have often done the impossible.

Because of their daring, their relentlessness, and their ingenuity, the U.S. Marine Corps will always be synonymous with danger--danger to any foe that would threaten the American people. A history of vanquished foes can testify to this: Barbary pirates, whose strongholds Leathernecks marched across the African desert to conquer; British Redcoats mowed down during the Battle of New Orleans when marines formed the center of the city's defense under General Jackson; Mexican cadets, who watches as marines stormed the Halls of Montezuma and raised the stars and stripes over Chapultepec Castle; German soldiers driven from Belleau Wood by the greatly outnumbered 4th Marine Brigade; Japanese troops who bombarded marines as they landed on the black sands of Iwo Jima and then listened from their bunkers as the Americans cheered while six members of the 5th Marine Division planted their flag at the summit of Mount Suribachi; the al-Qaida insurgents killed and captured in Fallujah when the marines fought from street to street, house to house. These and countless other battles were won at terrible cost--tens of thousands of marines killed or wounded in action, widows and widowers, sons and daughters left behind.

The history of the Marine Corps is one of incredible heroism and great sacrifice, but to reduce the Marine Corps to only those virtues is, I believe, to understate its importance in American history. Marines are not simply warriors but, as Ronald Reagan once said, the ideal of ``soldierly virtue.''

On the wall of my office hangs my Mameluke, the curved saber a marine carries at his side. Its history began on the shores of Tripoli when that band of marines took the Libyan port city of Derna. For this victory, they were awarded a Mameluke from an Ottoman prince. Two decades later, it officially became part of a marine officer's dress uniform. Today, its use is largely ceremonial, but if used wisely, it becomes a tool with multiple purposes, like the marine who carries it.

You see, marines are not just taught the virtues that make men and women soldiers--courage under fire, physical strength--but they are also taught the virtues that make them good citizens once their service has ended.

This photograph captures the moment in 1942 when those three young Indiana University students swore the oath--an oath to defend their country. The lives of the men in it, on the battlefield and off of it, demonstrated what it means to be a U.S. marine. They were honorable.

Three years after the picture was snapped, the man at its center wandered around Okinawa. He was searching for souvenirs to send home. He was there as part of the American assault on the island, which was a precursor to attacks on the Japanese mainland.

``The death and destruction leave bad taste in my mouth,'' he wrote, ``and strike me deeply as the horrible part of the war.'' This from Lieutenant Colonel Maurice ``Pat'' David as he wrote his family in Nashville, IN. But his cause was just, he wrote. The bodies of old women and young girls murdered by the Imperial Japanese Army proved it.

He encouraged his parents not to worry about his safety, but months later, he was severely wounded, returned to the States, and later awarded a Purple Heart.

Through his service in the Corps, Lieutenant Colonel David attended law

school in Washington, DC. He then served as a legal officer before retiring from the Marine Corps after 22 years of service. He then returned home to Southern Indiana, settling in Columbus with his wife and daughters.

Lieutenant Colonel David served his country with honor during his time in the Marine Corps, and he did the same for his community after the war concluded. He was elected a superior court judge, practiced law for nearly 20 years, and after retiring, he served as a senior judge. As a lawyer, he was dedicated to his clients. As a judge, he treated the attorneys before him thoughtfully, reasoning they were his clients as well.

When he died in 2016, it was after living a life defined by what he learned in the U.S. Marine Corps: integrity, devotion to justice, service of a cause greater than oneself.

These men were courageous too. In fact, the man to Lieutenant Colonel David's right in the photo was Leonard Alford of Garrett, IN. A year after he stood at the memorial plaque in Bloomington, Alford sat in a tent staring at the Pacific Ocean.

``I know you have been worried because you have not heard from me,'' he wrote to his parents from an island he was not at liberty to name.

He had earned a Silver Star leading the men of the 4th Marine Raider Battalion in the Battle of New Georgia as his men fought across the Solomon Islands. Afterwards, they were redesignated the 2nd Battalion, 4th Marines, and Alford was made company captain. Members of the original 4th Marine Regiment were lost on Bataan and Corregidor.

``We hope to be able to keep their good name,'' he shared with his family. Because of Captain Alford's courage, they did.

Two years later, when Captain Alford was awarded a second Silver Star, which was turned to Gold, it was awarded posthumously.

In the closing weeks of the Okinawa campaign, he led a charge towards one of the island's remaining Japanese strongholds. Under heavy fire, ignoring his safety, he steadied the marines, ensured their advance, and he sacrificed his life for the success of the campaign and the freedom of his country.

Oh, they were committed too. In fact, the last man in the photo was Cpl John Irwin Murray of Hartford City, IN. In the years after the photo was taken, John Murray remained on campus, drilling with Pershing Rifles.

After graduation, he trained on Parris Island. Corporal Murray spent 16 months on Guadalcanal and Guam. He then deployed to China with the 6th Marine Division.

After the war, he settled in California, where he married and raised a family and worked as an accountant and a teacher.

Unlike the two other marines in this photo, there is very little public information about Corporal Murray's life--occasional updates in the Indiana University alumni magazine on his time in the Marine Corps, his letters home from the Pacific lamenting how few other Hoosiers he met there. But you see, he lived a meaningful civilian life, without fanfare.

Commitment to duty doesn't demand glory or a long military career; it is about showing up when needed and then quietly contributing to society afterwards. Our service continues in the everyday work of building communities and supporting families.

Corporal Murray represents something essential about the Marine Corps. Most of us who serve will return to become good citizens, neighbors, and workers, carrying a sense of duty into ordinary life. That is not less important than the other two paths; it is an expression of the same commitment.

Whether on land, sea, or air, in war or peace, in service or after service, for 250 years, the U.S. Marine Corps has not just trained warriors but made citizens. There are no fiercer defenders of our freedom, no greater examples of the virtues that make our Republic function.

So as we celebrate this great anniversary throughout the month of November, we thank and salute the men in that photo and every member of the U.S. Marine Corps--always faithful--for their service and for their sacrifices. It is impossible to imagine America without the Marines.

I yield the floor.

I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. President, I rise today to honor the 100th anniversary of the Children's Museum of Indianapolis.

Towards the end of the 1920s, a Canadian newspaper took note of a collection in America's Midwest. One of its reporters marveled, ``In Indianapolis, Indiana, there is a unique institution called the Children's Museum. . . . ''

Today, a century later, that institution is no less unique. It is now the largest museum for children in the entire world and the fourth oldest. But to describe it as solely a museum for children is a misnomer. In the era of the museum's founding, opportunities for young people to learn and grow beyond the classroom were sometimes rare, and the museum provided them. This is what Mary Stewart Carey--the businesswoman who founded the institution--and the numerous Indianapolis civic and leaders who helped it grow, intended.

In the museum, children were not just guests, but directors and curators. They formed clubs to boost enrollment in the museum; first prize for most students enlisted was a goldfish aquarium. They sat on a junior board of directors. They examined and wrote reports on the exhibits and went on field trips across the country to find objects to help fill them. The Children's Museum of Indianapolis was a museum by children, a place where they were encouraged to think and dream, to both study and reach for the stars. It still is.

This year, the museum celebrates its centenary. It is not simply a commemoration of a building and its exhibits--though those, from the Dinosphere to the Fireworks of Glass, to the Treasures of the Earth to The Liberty Bell 7, are remarkable. Nor is it exclusively an opportunity to commend the museum and its leaders for their contributions to Indiana's economic and cultural life, which are considerable. It is also, importantly, a chance to reflect on all the memories created within and beyond its walls, the interest in natural history, archaeology, and science cultivated inside and the many young lives touched by this museum.

A century on, in Indianapolis, that unique institution once remarked upon by a visitor still stands and still astonishes. Long may it do both.

Madam President, I rise today to honor the distinguished service of Richard ``Rich'' Hanson, a Hoosier who has dedicated his life to aviation and public service.

After an extraordinary career in aviation and law enforcement, Rich is retiring as president of the Academy of Model Aeronautics, AMA, after 9 years of distinguished leadership. Headquartered in Muncie, IN, AMA is the Nation's premier organization dedicated to model aviation, a community that inspires innovation, education, and a lifelong passion for flight.

Rich's love of aviation began early in the Civil Air Patrol from 8th through 12th grades. After high school, he enlisted in the U.S. Army, trained as a helicopter pilot, and served with distinction in Vietnam. He later continued his service in the Army National Guard, rising to the rank of lieutenant colonel.

In 1973, Rich joined the Arizona Department of Public Safety as a helicopter pilot, embarking on another chapter of service. He advanced through the ranks, ultimately commanding aviation operations and leading the department's Criminal Justice Support Bureau. Even during his days off, Rich continued to share his love of flying by piloting tours over the Grand Canyon.

Alongside his public service career, Rich devoted decades to advancing the hobby and science of model aviation through AMA. Rich's efforts have strengthened aviation safety, expanded STEM education opportunities, and inspired countless young people to pursue careers in aviation and aerospace.

Rich's leadership has guided AMA through some of the most significant transitions in its history, particularly the emergence of drone technology and the evolving regulatory landscape surrounding unmanned aircraft systems. Through his steady advocacy, he helped others appreciate the strong safety record and educational value of model aviation, a legacy that will endure for generations.

On behalf of Hoosiers, I extend my thanks and congratulations to Rich Hanson on an impactful career of service and dedication to the field of aviation and his country.

Madam President, I call up my amendment No. 3337 to amendment No. 3748 and ask that it be reported by number.

Mr. President, the Iraq war started 22 years ago; the Gulf war, 34 years ago. Today, Iraq is a partner, not an adversary, and it is time for the law to reflect that.

DOD has assured Congress that operations can continue without these expired AUMFs. Our amendment does not implicate the 2001 AUMF, which is critical to ongoing operations.

Both Chambers have passed the same repeal before on a bipartisan basis. The House included it in its NDAA this year. Let's do the same here in the Senate and close the book on these forever wars.

I urge my colleagues to support the amendment.

Mr. President, I rise today to honor the life and career of a true hero, Sergeant Daniel D. Edenfield.

Sergeant Edenfield lived to serve his country, his city, and Hoosiers throughout Allen County. He began his service with the U.S. Army in Vietnam from 1969 until 1971. Upon his return home to Fort Wayne, Sergeant Edenfield joined the Allen County Sheriff's Department on January 10, 1972.

During his 26 years serving Allen County, Sergeant Edenfield was known as a ``cops' cop,'' always ready and eager to respond to calls for backup with a relentless commitment to keeping his community safe. He was not only a model officer, but also a father of two children and committed husband. In these and so many other ways, Sergeant Edenfield was a testament to the value of servant leadership.

On May 15, 1998, Sergeant Edenfield was providing security for a special event at the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum. While on watch, he witnessed an assault, and, in true fashion, Sergeant Edenfield chased down the perpetrator on foot. He apprehended the offender and called for a patrol car to transport him to the county jail. Sadly, Sergeant Edenfield collapsed before the car arrived, and he was taken to a local hospital, where he passed away while undergoing emergency surgery for a heart attack.

Later this week, Allen County and the city of Fort Wayne will recognize October 3, 2025, as ``Sergeant Dan D. Edenfield Day'' in honor of Sergeant Edenfield's life and service. The county will also be dedicating a stretch of Parnell Avenue near the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum as the ``Sergeant Dan D. Edenfield Memorial Parkway,'' cementing a community recognition of his heroism.

It is my honor to recognize Sergeant Dan Edenfield for his service and the lasting impact he had on the greater Fort Wayne area. We pay tribute to the commitment and sacrifice he demonstrated throughout his life.

Mr. President:

I would do anything for my country.

If an epitaph were ever written to the ``greatest generation,'' that would be it:

I would do anything for my country.

These words were spoken by one of the remaining heroes from that selfless age. He celebrates his 100th birthday this week, and on this momentous occasion, we owe him thanks for his service.

There he is. His story is powerful. His example is certainly worth following.

At the end of 1941, a teenage attendant was knocked down when an air compressor knocked him off his feet. He was working at Hoosier Pete filling station in Indianapolis. That blast broke windows, it tore off the roof of a room, and it cracked a wall, but it could not keep Clyde Milligan down.

Shortly after the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, the minor explosion at that station was forgotten, but Clyde was on his feet at a military recruiting station. What was under his feet demonstrated his devotion to this country and his belief in it at a ripe age. You see, Clyde was 16 years old, and he was a sophomore at Ben Davis High School outside Indianapolis. The legal enlistment age at the time was 18, but Clyde could not tell a lie. Nothing was going to stop him from fighting for America, though, so before Clyde walked into that recruiting office, he wrote the No. 18 on the sole of his shoe, and when the recruiting officer asked him if he were over 18, Clyde, of course, said yes.

As a staff sergeant, Clyde guarded the beaches in Virginia and Maryland. That was a dangerous duty, as those beaches were vulnerable to U-boats. This assignment was made sufferable, he said, by the dances that were held at the camp, but those evenings and any other comforts were soon just faded memories by the time Clyde deployed to the South Pacific.

He was a soldier for the 111th Infantry Regiment. He crossed the Marshall Islands, leading a squadron during the allied invasion of Kwajalein. Clyde and his men helped secure American control of that island and destroyed a link in the Japanese defensive perimeter.

For his valor, Clyde was awarded numerous honors. The one he was the most proud of was the Combat Infantryman Badge. That was a few years into a young man's life, a long time ago, like so many of the boys who were asked to and did the impossible: storming the beaches of Normandy, liberating concentration camps, and island-hopping across the Pacific.

When the war ended, Clyde returned back home. This Hoosier boy married. He was wed for many years to his late wife Marie. He worked for and then owned a small business. He dedicated himself to his community and his church. He is still spending his energy to this day on behalf of New Hope Christian Church in Whitestown, IN.

Although the war had interrupted his education, in the 1990s, Clyde-- representing his fellow World War II veterans who had left school to join the fight--Clyde was awarded an honorary high school diploma.

Clyde, you can see, has lived the American dream.

Like so many soldiers, he seldom speaks about his service during the war; he seldom references the sacrifices. He has said in the past that he witnessed things while serving in the South Pacific that no teenager should ever see. What he shared about his service, I am told, was his sense of duty, his commitment to the men he led, and his respect for those he fought under.

Whether he will admit it or not--I suspect the answer is no--Clyde Milligan is one of our best. You might even call him a hero--a hero for the way he answered his country's call in a time of peril and for the way he has lived his life since the war ended--a life guided by faith, full of achievements and friendships, and, as the Bible says, years.

There have been many great generations of Americans dating back to our founding, and I trust there will be many more. The patriotism and humility of one inspires the next. So let's continue to cherish and honor our ``greatest generation'' and the greatest of our generation. Let's inspire this generation and the generations that follow by recognizing these standout citizens--some of them citizen warriors who helped us win World War II--so that when future Americans are called to greatness, they, too, in Clyde Milligan's words, will do anything for their country.

On this monumental birthday, we all--from the U.S. Senate back to his church in Whitestown--send him our best wishes and enduring thanks.

I yield the floor.

Madam President--

I thank the good Senator.

Madam President, I request 5 minutes to state my case.

Madam President, I would say that I love all of our States, and I am very proud that the State of Indiana plays such a critical role in ensuring economic resiliency and the manufacturing potential of this great Nation--something so important to all of our citizens irrespective of where you live.

I represent the most manufacturing-intensive State in the country. Energy demand is up, manufacturers are invested in expanding, small businesses are plugging in, and our Nation's energy needs are rising. Indiana is foremost a manufacturing State. About 45 percent of our instate electricity generation comes from coal. That is the reality. That means dependable, around-the-clock capacity isn't optional; it is how the Hoosier economy runs.

Yes, the expectation was that four Indiana coal-fired power units would be offline by 2024, but the facts on the ground have changed, and our responsibility here today is to keep power dependable and affordable with the megawatts we have--the megawatts we already have.

So what the EPA is doing now is a commonsense correction. That is all we are talking about--updating Indiana's summer emissions limit to match the plants that are actually in operation while keeping the underlying clean air guardrails in place. Keep those in place. Plants still have to meet current environmental standards. They still have to run controls. No one is getting a free pass here. This is merely a housekeeping correction that lines up the State limit with active generation so unrealistic, retroactive costs aren't forced on powerplants and ultimately the ratepayer.

This is common sense, pushing aside the bureaucracy and using the flexibility that we have in the law. It keeps the numbers honest, it keeps the planning stable for the hottest months of the year, and it avoids regulatory whiplash. Imagine if we are changing the rules nonstop in DC. It would create great uncertainty. So this accommodates the realities on the ground.

If this fix were overturned, Indiana would revert to older limits designed for a fleet that no longer exists, so, in practice, that means less operating room during heat waves and higher costs right when our citizens need power the most--all of our citizens.

Hoosiers are already feeling it. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, Indiana's average home electricity prices are up roughly 11.5 percent year over year, and the Trump administration aims to do something about it.

Rather than working to keep generation steady and reliability predictable, my colleagues--at least some of them--on the other side of the aisle are advancing a repeal effort that would punish Indiana at the worst possible time.

Hoosiers should not pay more because government insists on regulating yesterday's grid instead of today's realities. Instead, we should focus on adding new capacity--new capacity--before prematurely retiring existing assets and cut redtape so that generation, pipelines, and transmission get built faster. That is what we should do. Let's not write off active megawatts and then act surprised when bills rise and lights flicker.

So if your priority is reliability and protecting American families from price spikes, the choice is clear: Keep what works today so we can build what we need for tomorrow.

I urge my colleagues to vote no on this disapproval resolution.

I yield the floor.

Mr. President, I rise today to congratulate a fellow Hoosier, Mr. Todd Jackson, as he nears the end of his term as the 119th chairman of the Nation's largest insurance association, the Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America, also known as the Big ``I''. Todd was elected to the Big ``I'' Executive Committee in 2018 and was installed as the association's chairman last September in Indianapolis.

A graduate of Indiana University, Todd is currently the owner and partner of McGowan Insurance Group in Indianapolis. Starting out at his family's agency in 1989, Todd has over three decades of experience in the insurance industry and has been a prominent volunteer leader with the Big ``I'' at the State and national level. He served on Big ``I'' Indiana's board of directors and executive committee before becoming State president in 2013. He also represented Indiana on the national Big ``I'' Board of Directors for 4 years, served on the trusted choice board and the finance committee, and was elected to the national executive committee in 2018.

During his term as Big ``I'' chairman, Todd has focused on enhancing operational efficiencies and streamlining resources to better serve independent agencies nationwide. He has traveled the country with that mission in mind, visiting with agents, brokers, State association staff, and other industry representatives in virtually every State. He has been a steady leader and strong advocate for independent agents and the communities and consumers they represent.

I would like to recognize Todd for his work with the Big ``I'' over the years and his commitment to his profession and his community. The State of Indiana is proud of Todd and wishes him and his wife Theresa well following his successful term as chairman of the Big ``I''.

Mr. President, I rise today to recognize the work of Rich Maloney, head coach of Ball State University's baseball team, whose leadership and contributions to the sport have made a lasting impression on his players, the university, and the broader baseball community. This season, Coach Maloney reached a rare milestone, becoming the 10th active Division I head coach to reach 1,000 career wins.

Coach Maloney's tenure at Ball State began in 1996, and after a successful decade at the University of Michigan, he returned to Muncie in 2013. Over nearly three decades as a head coach, he has led teams to numerous conference titles, tournament championships, and NCAA regional appearances. With the Cardinals, he is the most accomplished coach in program history, having guided the team to multiple MAC West Division, regular-season, and tournament titles. Since his return, he has added two Coach of the Year honors and, in 2023, led Ball State to its first tournament title in more than 15 years.

Before beginning his coaching career, Coach Maloney was a standout player at Western Michigan University, where he was a two-time All-MAC selection, team MVP, and team captain. Drafted by the Atlanta Braves in the 13th round of the 1986 MLB Draft, he spent six seasons in professional baseball, reaching Double-A. After retiring as a player, he became an assistant under his college coach Fred Decker, an experience that helped shape the values and approach he would carry into his own head coaching career. That foundation, built on discipline, respect, and a love for the game, continues to guide his work at Ball State today.

Coach Maloney's 1,000th win is not just a measure of longevity, but proof of sustained excellence and the respect he has earned throughout college baseball. In an era of constant change in college athletics, he has been a steady presence, setting a lasting standard for what college coaching can and should represent.

On behalf of Hoosiers, I extend my congratulations to Coach Rich Maloney on reaching this significant achievement. I thank him for his years of service and leadership and for the lasting impact he has had on Ball State University and the world of college baseball.

Madam President, in reserving the right to object, as my distinguished colleague is very much aware, a number of important and impactful provisions from the One Big Beautiful Bill Act were challenged and, unfortunately, stricken during Byrd challenges. There are also a number of provisions that had to be written in a very specific way to comply with this Byrd rule. The underlying bill is an effort to fix one of those instances, and I am supportive of this policy change. I want to make that clear.

Another provision that was, unfortunately, not included in the final bill as a result of the Byrd rule was an exemption for qualified religious institutions from the excise tax on investment income of certain private colleagues and universities, also known as the university endowment tax. The qualified religious institution provision would exempt any institution that, in short, is longstanding and has substantive ties to a religious organization.

Religious institutions have served a very important purpose in our country throughout our history and have, by and large, not been offenders of the woke and DEI problems that are rampant at many other major universities with large endowments.

As long as my Democratic colleagues are keen on fixing provisions of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act that were the result of this Byrd process, I think it is only fair that we fix this one as well. Again, I strongly support the underlying bill, but we will have to object, unless the Senator can agree to my request.

Accordingly, I ask that the Senator modify her request to include my amendment, which is at the desk; that the amendment be considered and agreed to; that the bill, as amended, be considered read a third time and passed; and that the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table.

I object.

It is understandable that my colleagues would want to characterize this imminently reasonable request as something that is parochial in nature. I will say, however, that when we advanced the largest tax cut for middle- and working-class Americans in American history, when we advanced this broader initiative to make Medicaid more sustainable for all Americans and take Medicaid back to its original purpose, when we invested in critical resources in our military--at a time when the world is not becoming less dangerous; it is becoming more dangerous-- when we beefed up border security, we also thought it right and proper to ensure that our religious institutions were cared for, that we continued to incentivize their critical investments in education and other important causes.

Unfortunately, it was through a Democratic Byrd process. It was a partisan effort to initiate a process to strip out the provisions that would have exempted religious institutions from attacks that should not be applied to them.

So I seek an exemption on behalf of all these religious institutions across the country that are broadly supported, at the same time that I seek relief for the Senator from Nevada, in the interest of her State, for gambling purposes.

Mr. President, the worth of a nation can be measured by what it honors and what it neglects. In a quiet spot among the rolling hills of Monroe County, IN, the statue of a young soldier keeps watch over a lonely cemetery. The Doughboy stands at parade rest, campaign hat atop his head, canteen and trench digger on his cartridge belt, Springfield rifle by his side. Nearby, a wreath, ringed with red white and blue flowers, rests on a grave.

It was Americans like Private Thomas Forest Riddle who helped win the Great War but not without terrible, terrible sacrifice.

As we prepare to observe Memorial Day this year, we honor all Americans who have risked their lives and, in many cases, given their lives for our liberty. In April 1917, America formally entered what we now call World War I, after votes in this building--in this building. And 2 months later, Private Riddle, a 21-year-old farm boy from Unionville, IN, reported for duty. He visited a recruiting station right down the road in Martinsville, next door to where I live today.

The first doughboys deployed in the summer of 1917, but it wasn't until the following year that the hastily mobilized and inexperienced American Expeditionary Force, known as AEF, arrived in numbers, and Private Riddle was assigned to Company D--Delta Company--of the 12th Machine Gun Battalion, Fourth Division.

In June 1918, the battalion packed into the Aquitania, and it sailed for France. That spring, the Germans determined to split the allied lines and make one final push toward Paris. Private Riddle helped halt the enemy's march and proved the AEF's mettle.

When the American Army launched its largest offensive on the front, running from the Argonne Forest to the Meuse River, it was Private Riddle among the 1.2 million soldiers who broke the German Army's spirit and forced its government to surrender.

The Americans initial arrival at the front was greeted with joy from civilians and soldiers alike. A British nurse recalled the dignity of their march, the self-assurance on their faces. They were, she said, ``so God-like, so magnificent, so splendidly unimpaired in comparison to the tired, nerve-wracked men of the British Army.''

But make no mistake, they were not gods. They were hurriedly trained, untested boys, asked to accomplish the seemingly impossible. And they did so at enormous cost.

During that offensive, over 26,000 of them laid down their lives--the single deadliest campaign in our Nation's history. The survivors suffered terribly too. You see, the sheer devastation of World War I and the trauma faced by those who fought it was unprecedented. We forget today: miserable trenches and never-ceasing artillery assaults, the terror of tanks and aerial bombardments, battle through barbed wire, at the point of a bayonet, and the mental and physical trauma that accompanied it all--the exhaustion, the confusion, the tremors, the nightmares.

Private Riddle survived Chateau Thierry and Meuse-Argonne, but he was a casualty still. Gassed, shellshocked, he returned to Unionville, IN, in February 1919, weakened, in the midst of an influenza epidemic, and he was immediately stricken by the virus.

Sick, he laid in bed delirious, reliving the horrific battles in broken sentences, recounting the shock of exploding shells. He passed on February 21, 1919. In an incredible tragedy, Thomas's younger brother Raymond had died the day before, also taken by influenza. They were preceded in death by a sister Amanda a month before.

It was their grandmother who paid $500 for a sculptor to create the likeness of Private Riddle in limestone to stand near his and Raymond's graves in the cemetery behind Pleasant View Baptist Church in Unionville. She did this, no doubt, so her grandson's sacrifice for our Nation, which landed his name in the Indiana Gold Star Honor Roll, would never be forgotten.

So today, we resolve to never forget. Whether they be in country churchyards or on the National Mall, we build tributes to our soldiers for the same reason we celebrate Memorial Day. Monuments and a day of national reflection are reminders of our enduring debt. But they are more than that. They are warnings, too. If we should ever forget our fallen, we will, in time, cease to be free.

Sadly, that warning is not always heeded. In the summer of 2004, vandals snuck into Pleasant View Cemetery and smashed the statue of Private Riddle to pieces, breaking it at the knees, severing its head. It wasn't simply the destruction of a piece of art; knowingly or not, it was the desecration of a promise.

We don't glory in war, but we do honor the glorious deeds of the men and women who, at the last resort, are called to defend our liberties. The memory of those who do so is as sacred as our flag.

We stake our Republic on our promise to honor them always and, of course, to care for those they leave behind and to do everything in our power to prevent future Americans from joining their ranks.

It has been alleged throughout history that republics are ungrateful, self-obsessed, self-absorbed, selfish, self-regarding. America has subsequently proven otherwise. If you ever doubt this, visit Pleasant View Cemetery in Monroe County, IN. You see, the people of Unionville were heartbroken when the monument of Private Riddle was knocked down. So Edith Clark, the cemetery's caretaker, paid $600 to have the sculpture restored and resurrected. Then the community held a bake and yard sale to help her recover the cost.

Patriotism--never forget.

Today, he shows wear. The brim of his hat is broken; the bayonet from his rifle is lost; part of his ear is missing; so are a few fingers. But Private Thomas Forest Riddle stands once more, and his memory remains. His watch continues, and America's gratitude goes on.

So today, we remember Private Riddle and all who have given their lives for our freedom on this grand Memorial Day.

I yield the floor.

Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the previous scheduled rollcall vote begin immediately.

I ask for the yeas and nays.

Mr. President, I am thrilled to be in the audience for my colleague's maiden speech.

Senator Banks just delivered inspired words. And he gave a speech from his heart as well as his head, and those are always the best received.

It is really--he has an amazing life story. He is a great public servant. I know his family is very proud of him. I know his hometown in Northeastern Indiana are very proud of him, people throughout the great State of Indiana and really beyond, and I am proud of him.

I have known Senator Banks for a lot of years, and we have long been friends. And it is really remarkable what he has done up to this point in his professional career and what he is going to do.

I want to thank Jim and his family for taking this step. It is not always easy serving in a public capacity. I want to welcome him formally to the U.S. Senate in front of the world, and I know Amanda is watching. Amanda, thank you so much for your service to this country. Sometimes it is like being the preacher's wife. You are not always given the credit that you are due. But certainly my colleagues here understand the sacrifices that are made as your husband serves the State of Indiana.

So I am glad you are here, Jim. We have a lot in common. We are both IU basketball fans. We both have a degree from Indiana University. We are both veterans. We both have three beautiful daughters, and one of yours is here. Lillian, thank you for visiting and being part of this important moment.

So I will just tell the world and to certainly my colleagues that Jim Banks is committed, committed to making our economy work for everyone. Jim Banks is committed to making sure that we satisfy our responsibilities of keeping the American people safe and secure by taking care of our warfighters and giving them all they need.

And, Jim, if you are up to it, and I think you are, we are going to do some amazing things together on behalf of the people of Indiana. We are going to have to right some wrongs from the past--you alluded to that--rethink some preconceived notions that require rethinking, and offer solutions. And we will work together on that and drive those solutions to outcomes.

More on that later, but I am just so appreciative to have you here, and I thank you for your words.

I yield the floor.