Floor Statements

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.

Mr. President, I am so glad the junior Senator from Indiana occupies the chair as Presiding Officer at this time because it was 100 years ago next week that ``The Voice of a Thousand Main Streets'' first began broadcasting from the second floor of the Main Auto Supply Building in downtown Fort Wayne, IN--an area that the Presiding Officer knows well.

On March 31, 1925, at 500 watts, 1320 on the dial, the voice of the Midwest, WOWO Radio, hit the airwaves. In Indiana, from such humble beginnings, great things often rise, and those distinctive call letters, ``WOWO,'' endure today.

In fact, over the past century, through good times and bad, Hoosiers in the northeast part of our State have turned on and tuned in to WOWO radio. Although the number on the dial has changed, the studio was moved, the station's wattage has expanded, and the world of media has evolved, Hoosiers still listen to WOWO today.

WOWO is not just a radio station in this community; it is the community's radio station, one it has loved and taken care of for 100 years now. Its programs didn't just entertain Fort Wayne but became part of its culture. Its personalities didn't simply report the news but made history.

During the Great Depression, WOWO turned Fort Wayne into a midwest hub of country music and helped Hoosiers escape from hard times, if only for an hour.

After Pearl Harbor, WOWO provided desperately needed updates as they arrived over the wire with word of the progress of the war effort to the families of the 12,000 soldiers from Fort Wayne fighting overseas.

No matter the era or the decade, WOWO always looked out for its audience. It brought them the local news, helped them stay informed and engaged. Every morning, the legendary Bob Sievers called the Fort Wayne Police Department before going on the air.

When the station moved to the Gaskins Building on Washington Boulevard, where there were no nearby windows, a reporter ran down the hall, climbed out on the fire escape, and looked to the sky to determine the weather. The Gaskins Building is now gone, but, as WOWO listeners know, the station still reports the weather from its ``world famous fire escape.''

During the events that defined the last century for people in and away from northeast Indiana--from the blizzard of 1978 to that terrible September morning in 2001, from the thrill of the Moon landing to the loss of the space shuttle Challenger--listeners can still remember not just where they were when they heard the news but how they heard it: from WOWO through the radio in the car, on the kitchen table, in their classroom.

During tough times, WOWO provided welcome distractions. The audience could tune in to the ``Hoosier Hop,'' where local talents Nancy Lee and the Hilltoppers played and Kenny Roberts yodeled. They could visit the Little Red Barn on a farm down in Indiana for the latest in ag news. ``Modern Home Forum,'' hosted by the fictional Jane Weston, offered cooking lessons. Broadcasts of Komets and Pistons games brought the people of Fort Wayne together around their beloved hockey and basketball teams. The innovative and much imitated ``Man on the Street'' and ``One Moment'' programs turned the shows' listeners into stars.

If a member of the Fort Wayne community lost their dog, WOWO could help them find it. If they fell on hard times, it offered them a hand up.

In the 1940s, the station created the Penny Pitch, encouraging listeners to contribute pocket change for a disabled young man so he could realize his ambition of pursuing a career in journalism. The annual drive still raises money to provide resources to charities across northeast Indiana. Last year, the Penny Pitch raised over $135,000 for Habitat for Humanity of Greater Fort Wayne.

Throughout WOWO's history, many of its personalities became household names across northeast Indiana. Broadcasters like Bob Chase, who served our Nation in World War II and then served WOWO listeners as sports director and the voice of the Komets hockey team for over six decades, were beloved figures. More recently, Charly Butcher, Patrick Miller, and Kayla Blakeslee became well known and trusted by the WOWO audience. Brian Ford, WOWO news director, recalled that as a child, when the sky grew dark and storms neared, his grandmother would simply say: Turn on

Mr. President, President Biden is spending his final days in office on a valedictory tour.

Now, here is one accomplishment he won't mention: a crisis on our southern border which has spread chaos across our country, flooded our communities with fentanyl, and cost innocent American lives.

Now, it is correct to call this one of President Biden's ``accomplishments.'' He intentionally reversed the Trump administration's border policies as soon as he reached the Oval Office, and it was by design--by design--that millions of migrants who illegally crossed our southern border were released into our country. This self-inflicted disaster will be a major part of President Biden's ignominious legacy, and it is, in part, why Americans chose to return President Trump to office in November.

When the American people voted for a Republican President and a Republican Congress, they were voting to restore the rule of law at the border. They were demanding that their government fulfill its constitutionally delegated duty to provide for their national security. They were demanding that their government do that, and they were arguing, correctly, that it is not discrimination for a nation to demand that those who seek to call it home do so legally.

The American people want the return of commonsense immigration policy; that is all. That is what I hear back home. But you see, this wasn't possible under President Biden.

Beginning next week, we will have a new President, and there will be no excuses. The open-border policies must end. Criminal migrants must go. The number of Border Patrol and Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers must be increased. Barriers to illegal entry must be expanded and enlarged. Republicans are working on legislation which will help accomplish all of these things and improve the security of our border, just like the American people expect.

It will be too little, too late for the family of Laken Riley, though. Of course, she should still be with us today. The man who murdered her last February should have never set foot in America. Her death was preventable. Her killer entered this country illegally and was quickly paroled. Then he was sent, at taxpayer expense, to New York, where he was arrested and released. If that was the end of the story, it would still be an outrage and an indictment of the failed Biden administration. But from there, he went to Georgia, you see--all courtesy of taxpayers--where he was arrested and freed again before brutally murdering Laken Riley.

Weakening border enforcement, incentivizing criminals with specious asylum claims to cross our border, failing to detain and deport these very same people for crimes committed far away from it--these were the policies that led to Laken's death. This cannot happen again. It can't happen again to another American or to their family. That is why we need to pass the Laken Riley Act. It won't singlehandedly end the crisis at our southern border, no. That is not its objective. But it is an important first step in the broader mission we have been assigned by the American people.

Homeland Security must detain migrants charged with crimes--here again, common sense--crimes like shoplifting, one of the crimes for which Laken's killer was arrested. The bill we are currently debating, the Laken Riley Act, requires that they do this and that we meet the objectives of the American people as it relates to border security.

You see, enforcing immigration law is a national security priority. I began emphasizing this years ago. I know so many other Americans believe this in their bones. It is time Washington started acting like it.

So this bill is one of many steps we should take to reverse the Biden administration's open border policies. Stop the madness. Stop the madness. I plead with my colleagues to support the Laken Riley Act. We should pass it now.

Let President Biden have his victory tour. But starting next week, the insanity ends, and we begin to secure our border.

I yield the floor.

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

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 commerce, science, and transportation

The Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Wednesday, January 15, 2025, at 10 a.m., to conduct a hearing on a nomination.

committee on energy and natural resources

The Committee on Energy and Natural Resources is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Wednesday, January 15, 2025, at 10 a.m., to conduct a hearing on a nomination.

committee on foreign relations

The Committee on Foreign Relations is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Wednesday, January 15, 2025, at 10 a.m., to conduct a hearing on a nomination.

committee on homeland security and governmental affairs

The Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Wednesday, January 15, 2025, at 1 p.m., to conduct a hearing on a nomination.

committee on the judiciary

The Committee on the Judiciary is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Wednesday, January 15, 2025, at 9:30 a.m., to conduct a hearing on a nomination.

special committee on aging

The Special Committee on Aging is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Wednesday, January 15, 2025, at 3:30 p.m., to conduct a hearing.

select committee on intelligence

The Select Committee on Intelligence is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Wednesday, January 15, at 10 a.m., to conduct a hearing on a nomination.

Madam President, I wanted to address Senator Braun's family, members of his staff, and others who may be watching these proceedings today. Congratulations to Senator Braun for a great run here. To his family, just wonderful people, I see Maureen in the Gallery and other members of the family. I know they are incredibly proud of Mike at this moment, and they are looking forward to the next step in his professional journey and, therefore, their journey, so thank you for your service.

I know that this is every bit as much of a sacrifice and a period of service for members of one's family as it is for us. Sometimes, it is more challenging for family members because we lose all control over what people are saying and whatnot but great to visit with you, and I am looking forward to this next step.

And then members of the team, I think it was right and appropriate that Senator Braun spent so much time talking about your great work on behalf of the people of Indiana.

The bills that he has shown leadership on, multiple bills, and successes would not have happened, as he said, but for your work, the phone calls received, and the emails responded to, all the meetings. I mean, it is really important. Many people call their U.S. Senator only once. Most people don't call, but they will talk to someone who has talked to a U.S. Senator, and those interactions are just so essential.

They shape people's views of what government can be, and they help people be reassured during times like these that they are represented. And so

I appreciate you very much. For many of you, I know you will return to the great Hoosier State and keep working in some sort of service capacity, and I will look forward to working together.

Mike, I have to say, the Senate's loss is Indiana's gain. You have certainly served with distinction here, but I know you have always prided yourself, appropriately so, on your executive responsibilities and achievements over the years. Now, the people of Indiana will benefit from a different type of service, and we are all very much looking forward to seeing what is next. It has already started, I know.

I have to say, the hunting is better. The hunting is a heck of a lot better, whether you are a hunter hunting things with faces or mushrooms, and there is no better place to do that kind of thing than southern Indiana, Dubois County, preferably.

You know, this is Indiana's win, this moment right here--remembering the great service and achievements--but when you reflect on the experience you bring to this next step, building and running a large organization, and yet you still have exposure to and experience in government between the local school board levels, State legislature for a brief period of time, and then the U.S. Senate, what better perspective could an incoming chief executive of a State have?

So I am really excited about this step. Your commitment, I know, will be enduring to fiscal responsibility and economic freedom. Those have been hallmarks of your service here. They are, frankly, expectations that people have of you and of our State. Carrying on that tradition of fiscal responsibility and effective management is, I think, one of the reasons you were elected, despite some strong and talented opponents you faced in that recent election.

So here we are. Here we are parting ways in the U.S. Senate. But as we leave this Chamber, I will have an opportunity to call you Governor- elect, and then we can keep working together on veterans' issues, on budgetary issues, on expanding healthcare access to more people, on ensuring that Hoosiers and others across the country have access to affordable, quality housing near where the jobs are. All of these issues that make normal life possible in this country. Government can be maddening; government can be inefficient; government can be unresponsive; but government is necessary. And if it is necessary, let's make it good government. Let's do what we can to instill some measure of confidence in this system, as imperfect as it may be.

I think that this is something in this new capacity that you can help deliver at a time when so many people are pessimistic about the state of affairs. Again, you are the guy to make this happen.

So Godspeed, Senator Braun. Godspeed to members of your team and to your beautiful family. I am looking forward to helping make you successful in this next step because if you are successful, Senator, then the State of Indiana is successful.

I yield the floor.

Madam President, if you conduct a quick survey of global events over the past 4 years, it is impossible--impossible--to argue that the world is more secure today than it was when the Biden administration began.

Events began to spiral downward in the summer of 2021 when the Taliban retook control of Afghanistan. The Biden administration's botched withdrawal cost the lives of 13--13--brave, patriotic American servicemembers. It left American citizens behind, and it left Afghans desperately clinging to the sides of aircraft departing Kabul.

We shouldn't forget this. It conveyed a message of American weakness to the world, a message that was heard loud and clear in places like Moscow, Tehran, and Beijing.

Just 6 months after the debacle in Afghanistan, Russian tanks rolled across the Ukrainian border. Vladimir Putin launched the largest conflict in Europe since World War II. The United States has stood with the Ukrainian people rhetorically. We provided some critical assistance to ensure Ukraine did not lose against the Russian onslaught.

But I have to say, it has not put Ukrainians in a position to win. The Biden administration has too often slow-walked deliveries of weapons or they have imposed other restrictions on the Ukrainian forces. This foot-dragging, this obstructionism, this bureaucratic lethargy, this timidity has undermined our ability to convincingly deter Putin's ambitions or deter a broadening conflict.

So here we are today. The war drags on with no strategy and no defined end goal for American support of Ukraine. Of course, the American people are understandably exasperated by this development. Meanwhile, additional conflicts developed in other regions, as if that wasn't enough.

Determined to revive the Iran nuclear deal, the Biden administration repeated the mistakes of the Obama years. They loosened sanctions on the Iranian regime, and the results predictably have been nothing short of disastrous.

On October 7, 2023, Hamas, the Iran-backed terror group controlling Gaza, carried out the worst attacks against the Jewish people since the Holocaust. Iran-backed Hezbollah has attacked Israel from the north and forced the evacuation of Israeli civilians.

And in recent months, President Biden has sadly undone much of the good will he initially created when he stood with Israel after October 7. In the process, President Biden has caved to misguided or hostile voices from within his own administration who demand that Israel defend itself with one arm tied behind its back.

For 4 years, the Biden team has failed to formulate a strategy for restoring deterrence and stopping Iran's campaign of terror and chaos, leaving our ally Israel and the entire Middle East less safe and rolling back the diplomatic progress of the Abraham Accords of the Trump years.

Across the Pacific, the Chinese Communist Party continues to build up its military, threaten Taiwan, wage economic warfare against our businesses and our supply chains, pursue economic coercion against American partners and allies, and undermine security and stability in the broader Indo-Pacific.

Other than that, things are placid.

We saw these developments play out most visibly when China launched a surveillance balloon over North America last year. It traveled over the United States. Here again, President Biden failed to provide answers to the American people about that situation or to restore deterrence so that the Chinese Communist Party understands it cannot spy on our schools, on our military bases, on our homes, on our farms, on the American people. Today, our strategic competition with China continues on as it must, with the CCP's global power and influence largely unchecked over the past 4 years.

Whether it be in Afghanistan, the Middle East, or the Indo-Pacific, the

world that President Biden is leaving behind--there are no two ways about it; let's not be mealymouthed--it is a world full of chaos. A band of malevolent nations--China, Russia, North Korea, Iran, Venezuela, and others--that band is redrawing borders, threatening neighbors, stealing intellectual property, sowing chaos, and threatening the global stability. Unchecked, their aggression emboldens other foes of freedom, and it triggers evermore destabilizing conflicts.

So what is to be done? I know there is a natural tendency to withdraw from the world, to give up on our leadership responsibilities, to give up even on what I would characterize as our own security interests. And, understandably, right now there is a natural impulse to withdraw, certainly, from our global leadership role. It all just seems so daunting right now.

We have domestic problems, of course, but we cannot ignore the costs of such a divestment, costs which are manifesting themselves at this very moment. Abandoning our allies and partners will empower and embolden authoritarian powers, such as China, Russia and Iran and others around the world.

Leadership comes with a price. It also comes with rewards, as we have learned throughout our history.

I look forward to working with President Trump and the many talented members of his incoming administration to reverse years--years--of disastrous policies, to restore deterrence against tyrants everywhere. We must be smart. We must be economizing in our global engagement, and I believe President Trump and the team he is building understand that.

We must continue to rebuild our defense industrial base across the country. Restoring our military readiness from artillery and submarines to semiconductors is critical--not promoting war but instead deterring conflict and furthering America's global interests, many as they are.

We must continue to persuade our allies to increase real investment in their own defense. The American people can do a lot, but we can't do it all. Our partnerships with European and Indo-Pacific nations must remain firm, but our allies also must understand that we can't bear the burden of defending the entire globe alone. We need to use our diplomatic leverage, maintain a strong military, and stand with our allies and partners.

A final piece is economic innovation here at home, something I have been working a lot on in my capacity as the U.S. Senator for Indiana. At a time of technological transformation, the United States cannot just be resilient; no, we must continue to lead. All of these pieces are critical to American foreign policy as we move forward. It is time to turn the page on the last 4 years, time to restore deterrence, and time to get back to peace through strength.

Madam President, I rise today to recognize a former staff member and friend, Becky Lambert.

Last year, Becky retired after 12 and a half years as constituent services director in my office. In her time serving Hoosier taxpayers, she worked on more than 4,000 cases, helped veterans obtain more than 80 medals, and returned more than $68 million to individuals fighting to get benefits they were owed. In addition to her accomplishments, her quick wit and bright personality helped to make our New Albany office an amazing place to work.

Becky was born and raised in Prophetstown, IL. She was a brilliant student who earned bachelor's degrees in both criminal justice and accounting. Before joining my staff, she held several different career roles, including helping displaced workers upskill and re-enter the workforce through Business Employment Skills Team. Becky is also a lover of the arts. She is a gifted pianist who has taught countless others over the years. She also created and directed large annual Christmas productions and semi-annual stage productions at her church.

Becky was inspired to enter public service by her father, George ``Bud'' Thompson, who held many public positions in Illinois, including local school board member. She always said she hoped to emulate his servant's heart, and I can say unequivocally that she succeeded in her mission.

On behalf of my staff and the entire state of Indiana, I thank Becky for her service and wish her the best in retirement.

Madam President, I rise today to in honor of Hoosier Hero Carver McGriff.

A great Hoosier is gone, and with him, another link to our Greatest Generation is lost. Carver McGriff of Indianapolis, who died on July 20 at the age of 99, never considered himself a hero or sought the many honors he received.

After all, thousands of other boys stormed the beaches of Normandy. As Carver would remind us, he was just among the fortunate who came home. But a few of those honors bear mentioning: the Bronze Star, two Purple Hearts, the French Legion of Honor medal. Characteristically, on his induction into the Indiana Military Veterans Hall of Fame, Carver said, ``I have no idea what I did to deserve it, not very much.''

Let the record show, here is what he did to deserve it and why he was a hero:

As part of the 90th Infantry Division, he manned a machine-gun on Utah Beach, surrounded by the enemy during Operation Overlord. He took artillery fire in both legs and one arm, was captured by the Germans, and spent a month as a prisoner of war. Injuries prevented further Active Duty, but after his rescue, he remained with the Army until the war was won and the Axis defeated.

Like so many other Americans, he then came home, started a career, raised a family, and contributed to his community. He tried his hand at business, but Carver's calling was the ministry. He served for 26 years as the senior pastor at St. Luke's United Methodist Church in Indianapolis, growing its congregation dramatically during his tenure.

Carver rarely celebrated his part in winning the war and spoke of his service humbly. What he took from this difficult period of his life was a sense of grace, inspired by the humanity he saw in the worst moments of combat: the French priest who offered him and other hungry Americans food and the common citizenship among soldiers that mattered more than color or creed.

What he thought of most often, though, were those boys who did not come home. In later years, when he would guide tours across Normandy, Carver would point to the crosses standing in the American Cemetery. Then he would ask his companions to pick one out, say the name engraved on it, and offer a prayer for the soldier resting under it. ``It has been a long time since someone has said a prayer for that boy, but you can,'' he would remind them.

And we can do the same. I ask my fellow Americans to join in saying a prayer for Carver McGriff and extending condolences to his beloved wife Marianne, their three daughters, and nine grandchildren. But as we mourn his loss, we also celebrate an incredible life, full of years and purpose, led with humility and courage.

If, in the decades ahead, future Americans ever wonder why we referred to this generation as the Greatest, they need only look to the example of Carver McGriff, not simply because of his valor in a war, but because of how he lived his life and served his country long after it was over. Great, indeed.

Mr. President, I rise today to honor the life and career of a true hero, Sheriff John Plasse.

For four decades, Sheriff Plasse lived to serve and protect his community and his country. He died on Wednesday, July 24, after a battle with cancer. Sheriff Plasse served in law enforcement in Terre Haute and Vigo County since 1985. He served 33 years in the Terre Haute Police Department, including 11 as chief of police, before retiring from the department in 2018. But he was not done working to keep his community safe. In 2018, he was elected Vigo County Sheriff, a position he held until his passing.

Sheriff Plasse also served 34 years in the Indiana Army National Guard. He rose to the rank of sergeant major with the 38th Infantry Division before retiring in November 2017. He was a veteran of the War in Afghanistan and, among his many commendations, awarded a Bronze Star.

While his military and law enforcement careers are impressive, he was also beloved in Terre Haute for his selfless service in the community. He served on numerous boards and volunteered for countless charitable organizations including the Boys and Girls Club, the United Way of Central Indiana, the Hamilton Center, the Special Olympics, and the Muscular Dystrophy Association, to name just a few.

Sheriff Plasse is survived by his wife Julie, three children, and three grandchildren. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and the countless individuals whose lives were changed as a result of his service.

It is my honor to recognize Sheriff John Plasse for his life of service.

Mr. President, I rise today to discuss the life and legacy of Jim Morris. Jim Morris is one of the most influential civic leaders in Indiana's history, and he passed away earlier this month.

I first met Jim Morris about 20 years ago. It was when I returned home to Indiana, after spending time in the military and after a brief stint as a staffer here on Capitol Hill. The only thing I remember about that initial meeting was that it wasn't particularly memorable.

Jim Morris wasn't the kind of man who would bowl you over with his charisma or his magnetism. This wasn't his style. It was never about him. But, over time, the weight of continuous heartfelt interactions with Jim could change a person. Indeed, you might say they changed an entire city.

Jim Morris died July 12. He was 81. He had a 60-year career of service, all

told, to the city of Indianapolis, the State of Indiana, and even to the world.

Though Jim would bark at the title ``model,'' in my mind he was, in many ways, a model American citizen.

Jim grew up in Terre Haute. He attended Indiana University. It was there that he fell in love twice, once with the school itself and once with his beloved wife Jackie. And that endured.

In 1967, not long after graduation, he became chief of staff to a young mayor of Indianapolis named Richard Lugar. Since that moment, almost nothing great in our capital city happened without Jim's involvement. He helped launch a university in downtown Indianapolis, until recently known as IUPUI. He was involved with the building of the Indianapolis Zoo, the Indianapolis Colts, and the Indiana Pacers. They all had Jim's fingerprints on them.

Jim understood that the key to healthy organizations and healthy communities was to connect and empower others and ensure that seriousness of purpose was met with civil discourse.

In 2002, Jim took that approach global when he was appointed to lead the United Nations World Food Programme. He served as executive director of the program for 5 years, caring for and delivering aid to men, women, and children around the world who experienced a level of poverty that is difficult for us to imagine.

These monumental headline-grabbing accomplishments were only a part of who Jim Morris was, though. Indeed, his true legacy was far deeper, more personal, and, I dare say, more beautiful.

He always counseled friends to expand their work to its widest possible sphere of impact, to help more people, or--as he sometimes put it--to find someone who could use a boost.

He practiced what he preached. Indeed, countless Hoosiers have been affected by the small acts of altruism: funding local food banks, building neighborhood basketball courts, and similar generosities that we will never know about.

His servant's heart, no doubt, stemmed from his deep and abiding faith in God. He was an active member in the Second Presbyterian Church in Indianapolis. He didn't boast about many of his accomplishments. Instead, he lived a life worthy of the Gospel of Matthew, chapter 20: ``Whoever wants to become great among you, must be a servant''--a servant.

I think about our ``forgettable'' first meeting often. I could be wrong, but Jim probably would have made a poor candidate for public office today. But, you see, that was a choice.

For me, Reverend Henry summed it up at Second Presbyterian, last Friday, in his memorial meditation to Jim. He said that Jim Morris chose--he chose--hope over despair, connection over division, gentleness over meanness, courtesy over discourtesy.

There is power in that choice. Jim Morris chose to be a decent man. He knew, and we must never forget, that no man can truly be great if he is not good. Now, more than ever, we need good men and women like Jim Morris in every corner of our Nation--men and women who become great through selfless service to their communities and endeavor to make life better for the rest of us.

I yield the floor.

Mr. President, in 1864, after 3 years of Civil War, many citizens of the North were ready for peace. The 13th Amendment had passed in this very Chamber but failed to do so in the House of Representatives, and the fate of Abraham Lincoln's Presidency--and perhaps the continuation of the war--was on the ballot.

In that spring of 1864, Lincoln placed his hand on a Hoosier general's shoulder, and he said: ``I believe it right to give you a chance.'' What he really meant was a second chance.

I rise to mark a day 160 years ago when that second chance and a refusal to flinch from duty, even in a forlorn hope, saved our Nation's Capital and possibly much more than that.

Not long after his meeting with Lincoln, that same soldier was ushered into the office of Secretary of War Ed Stanton.

``What do you know of the Middle Department?'' the Secretary asked.

``Nothing,'' his visitor replied.

``Nothing?'' the Secretary repeated.

``I am from the West,'' General Lew Wallace answered.

By ``the West,'' Wallace meant Crawfordsville, IN, and that is exactly where he was when the year began--an officer whose career appeared to be at a dead end.

Two years before, the division under his command arrived late to the Union lines during the first day of fighting at Shiloh. Wallace was scapegoated after one of the deadliest battles in the war up to that point. He was removed from his command in the Army of Tennessee and placed on reserve. Requests for a reinstatement failed.

``I had cast my last throw. What next?'' Wallace wondered.

The answer came from another Hoosier--President Abraham Lincoln. Wallace was to report to Washington and take command of the 8th Army Corps and the Middle Department even though he didn't even know where the Middle Department was headquartered. The answer, Stanton told him, was Baltimore, and that is where Wallace headed after buying a Rand McNally map of the United States for 15 cents.

In early July, Wallace sat at his desk studying that map closely. He had just received word from the anxious president of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad that Confederate troops were advancing through the Shenandoah Valley. The path from there to Washington, DC, was wide open. The city was poorly defended with Union soldiers. They were away attacking Richmond at the time.

``Washington, seriously menaced, was incapable of self-defense--that much was clear,'' he wrote years later.

Staring at that map, Wallace understood that the threat was very real and his responsibility was crystal clear. Without orders--without orders--he departed for Monocacy Junction, where the roads and railroad leading to Washington and Baltimore crossed a tributary of the Potomac.

Upon arrival, he stood on a bluff looking down on the Monocacy River and the green pastures and golden wheat fields beyond it. He could see the steeples of Frederick, MD, not far off and the Catoctin Mountain on the horizon.

The peaceful summer was interrupted with the echo of distant gunfire. Soon it was clear: General Robert E. Lee had sent General Jubal Early north to take Washington. He had crossed the Potomac and was on his way east toward Monocacy Junction, perhaps to Baltimore--more likely to Washington, just 40 miles away.

Wallace had already moved with great urgency. He messaged Washington to recall troops and prepare for an attack. He called in what brigades or parts of brigades he could to augment his own men, eventually raising a force of several thousand. Then he spread them thinly along the eastern bank of the river, determined to block its bridge just long enough for reinforcements to arrive in the Capital.

On the night of July 8, the eve of the battle, Wallace laid down and placed his head on a folded coat, but anxiety made sleep impossible. Could he throw a hastily gathered and mostly green force in the way of a superior army, in an objective so hopeless? The Navy Yard up in flames, the Capitol menaced, the library inside it looted, the treasury emptied, foreign heads of state rushing to recognize the Confederacy-- and then, most painfully, the image of Abraham Lincoln ``cloaked and hooded, stealing like a malefactor from the back door of the White House just as some gray-garbed Confederate brigadier burst in the front door.''

The next morning, July 9, when the Confederate Army of over 15,000 arrived at Monocacy River, it was met with fierce resistance from the outnumbered Federals. Rebel charges were repeatedly turned back until late in the afternoon, when Wallace, after heavy losses--nearly 1,300 dead and wounded--ordered his men to withdraw toward Baltimore.

Early's battered army paused for the night before it continued on to Washington. When he reached its gates on the 11th, Union reinforcements were waiting. A skirmish at Fort Stevens followed, and the rebels departed emptyhanded.

The Union stand cost the Confederates a full day--a full day--and with it, their chance at Washington.

Monocacy. Monocacy. Monocacy is usually unmentioned among the list of consequential Civil War battles, but today, on its 160th anniversary, we reflect on its importance. You see, had Early's men taken the Capital, however briefly, the humiliation could have persuaded a war- weary population to dismiss Abraham Lincoln.

What then would be the fate of the 13th Amendment or the eventual terms of peace? Because of Wallace's steely resolve and his men's uncommon valor, the questions went unanswered. Lincoln was reelected. The following January, the 13th Amendment to forever end slavery passed Congress. The war was over by April, and the Union was preserved. And General Lew Wallace, not unlike the hero of a novel he later wrote, was redeemed.

When it comes to words, Wallace will always be best known for ``Ben- Hur,'' but the message he forwarded to Washington after the Battle of Monocacy is timeless too. It should inspire all of us still, a reminder that rising to our duty, no matter the odds or even outcome, can change the course of history.

I did as I promised. Held the bridge to the last.

I yield the floor.

I suggest the absence of a quorum.