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coins in the cryptocurrency market. live coverage of the senate here on c-span2. ... the president pro tempore: the senate will come to order. the chaplain, dr. black, will open the senate with prayer. the chaplain: let us pray. give our senators this day, precious god, reverence to realize your presence, humility to know their own needs. trust to ask for your help and

obedience to accept whatever you require. lord, walk with them as they work. help them to remember that there is no purity without vigilance, no learning without study, and no mastery without discipline. remind them also that there is no true joy without service, no discipleship without devotion and no crown without a cross. inspire our lawmakers to be willing to pay the price required to honor you and to do your will. strengthen their resolve to always choose the right and

refuse the wrong. we pray in your holy name. amen. the president pro tempore: would you please join me in the pledge. i pledge allegiance to the flag of the united states of america, and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under god, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. the presiding officer: under the previous order, the leadership time is reserved. morning business is closed. under the previous order, the senate will resume consideration of the motion to proceed to

s. 15882, which the clerk will report. the clerk: motion to proceed to s. 1582, a bill to provide for the payment of stablecoins and for other are purposes. mr. grassley: mr. president. the presiding officer: i recognize the senator from iowa. mr. grassley: rural hospitals in america are under the gun. some of them are closing. we have about 90 rural hospitals in the state of iowa. for a change i have some good news for rural hospitals. for years i've been pressing the centers for medicare and medicaid services, cms for short, to open applications for the ten unfilled spots in a program that we call rural

community hospital demonstration. this program allows medicare to test innovative payment models to support rural hospitals. it boosts the financial viability for rural hospitals that are too large to be critical access hospitals, and yet, too small to benefit from medicare's in-patient perspective payment system. currently the program is helping four rural hospitals in iowa. in fort dodge, burnell, newton, and spirit lake. now for years i heard excuses from the executive branch for why they wouldn't fill the open spots with interested rural hospitals. so earlier this year i asked cms

administrator dr. oz to fill the spots in this program. finally on may 14, dr. oz announced that 10 new hospitals will be added to the demonstration program. also hospitals that applied but not selected will be put on a wait list if other spots open up. now until this time cms has been under utilizing this program and ignoring the interests of rural hospitals. i appreciate the trump administration taking action to help rural america this way through helping a few more rural hospitals. hospitals.

i encourage you to look at this closely. west virginia my own home state continues to rank above the national average in both new cancer diagnoses and death. were thankful for the work performed by the cdc national center for chronic disease health promotion. i look forward to more about how this important work would be continued under the administration of a healthy

america. substance abuse challenges also continue to be a real problem facing west virginia, and the nation. samhsa funding has played an important role in west virginia and want to understand of the budget proposal would impact my sticker i look for demurring learning more about that from you today. i will say there was a bit of good news i believe last week when the national statistics of overdose deaths did go down. world health care is a top priority for this body. cdc data shows role america more likely to suffer from high rates of diabetes and are more likely to die from cancer, heart disease and stroke than urban americans. this is unfortunately true in my state which leads the nation in diabetes and heart disease. improving rural health outcomes goes hand-in-hand with investing healthcare workforce to meet the physical mental health challenges in america. person has been a trusted federal partner for decades. it sounded critical role health capacity building and other

initiatives across the country and administers the healthcare workforce programs that help bring medical providers into local communities. you have proposed moving hrsa into the new aha despot is that how i say, aha? i like to learn more about how your budget proposal would invest in rural america. we have a difficult task. but hope we can will come together just as we've done in prior fiscal years to use limited resources in the most efficient and effective way. secretary kennedy i look forward to your testimony and i now will yield come not you but turn the microphone over to senator baldwin. >> thank you czech capital and i look forward to continuing our strong bipartisan work together. secretary kennedy, today we who to talk about your fiscal year 2026 budget request to congress. you run a department dedicate improving the health and well-being of every american.

these programs you are responsible for administering touch the lives of all americans at a critical moment in their lives from research for lifesaving cures and treatments for devastating diseases to enteral healthcare to childcare to addressing substance abuse and mental health. you repeatedly pledged you would run the department with i quote radical transparency. while this is a great catch phrase he it could not be fur from the reality that we are experiencing now. we talked about yesterday. as required by law a few easy of the department sent this committee a plan for how it will spending appropriated funds this year under the cr. but instead of providing congress in american people with any information about how the department is spending tens of billions of taxpayer dollars there are only asterisks in

place of spending levels for over 530 programs. in no other job under the sun can you essentially leave blank how you're spending billions of dollars. this is flatly unacceptable. when we're talking about taxpayer dollars and the people i represent deserve better. you are undertaking a massive and disruptive overall of the department if you are shutting entire offices down and firing thousands of experts. your plan for all of this that you provided to congress is little more than one page long. and that shows the chaos that this is creating. i assume today you're going to reiterate talking points about how you are consolidating offices and eliminating duplicative functions. secretary kennedy, this is a genuine request. please sit down and talk to us

in detail about what you were doing. have your staff talk with our staff on both sides of the political aisle about your plans for the department and what you are doing right now. for a for a department this, anything less is simply not acceptable. let me turn to what is, what it is that we do know about your budget request and what is happening at the department of health health and human services. your fiscal year 2026 budget request cuts to the national institutes of health $18 billion. that would have a devastating impact on research and to life saving cures and treatments for devastating diseases. setting back medical innovations by decades. it would push the brightest scientific minds to work in other countries. it would cede our leadership in biomedical research to china.

it would also take away hope for millions of american families. for the family receiving a devastating diagnosis pediatric cancer like charlie and her mom emily who spoke to this committee last month turkey would mean less hope. for jesse a pattern and a father with als and his son who once ws his dad to see him graduate from high school. it would mean less hope and lest i picked this by just says a lot about the priorities of this administration. and normally i would, i could i guess this regard it is only a request but it provides insight into what you are doing right now in fiscal year 2025. at the same time you're submitting this request you actively stopping billions of dollars in nih funding for lifesaving research including on cancer and alzheimer's disease. you implement changes right now

that everything away hope and lifesaving cures from american families. if you are not already i think this administration is heading down the road of illegally impounding funding across hhs. mr. secretary, your budget requests also cut funding for cdc in half. today, you will allude to consolidating programs into a new administration for healthy america. but you can't just slash funding, fire everyone, slap a slogan on in your agency and say that work will continue. in previous years i would've called this only a proposal. be assured by the fact that congress would reject it and we write our own. but this year right now you are dismantling cdc seemingly in line with your budget request. congress did not approve that.

on a bipartisan basis congress funded the cdc to administer programs that provide critical public health support to states and local communities across the country. that includes the cdc childhood lead poisoning program. when the city of milwaukee asked cdc for help addressing a lead crisis in schools, , cdc shoulde able to provide support and assistance because congress appropriated $51 million for cdc to do its job, to address lead poisoning. despite what you told me last week that you have no intention of eliminating this program, you have fired the entire office responsible for carrying it out. so cdc told milwaukee public schools that they simply couldn't help. your decision to fire staff and eliminate offices is endangering children, , including thousandsf

children in milwaukee. if you have a proposal to make these programs work better, present it and justify it. mr. secretary, he will say that you have two fire thousands of employees and eliminate programs like liheap because our deficit is too large. but you won't mention that at the same time this administration is proposing these cuts, is proposing tax cuts for billionaires. it will add trillions to our debt. you're cutting programs and firing staff with no plan and no understanding of what the department you are leading even does for the american people. and that's why you had to rehire staff working on the world trade center health program, and screening coal miners for black lung disease. fired everyone and now you want to take credit for hiring them back? that's not how this works. congress provided over

$360 million on a bipartisan basis for an irish. you eliminated the entire safe to sleep program -- niosh at the eunice kennedy shriver institute. safe to sleep is one of the most successful child safety campaigns in history that prevents 1500 babies from dying each year. i had a time seeing rates of the sids starting to climb. without staff these programs are meaningless and this is happening across hhs. i could go on and on about how this administration's careless and reckless approach is hurting the people of wisconsin and this country. these are just a few examples. mr. secretary, this committee has worked in a in a biparn manner to improve childcare options for working families,

address the substance use disorder crisis, support seniors and people with disabilities so that they can live in their communities and to make the united states the leader in biomedical innovation. you were implementing changes right now that are dismantling our progress and you were hiding it from congress and the american people. we don't need to just reject this budget request. we need to reject what's happening at hhs right now. we need to do that before you have caused irreparable harm. at the department and the programs that administers that millions of americans rely on. yield back. >> thank you. secretary kennedy, we welcome your opening statement. [inaudible]

>> is it on now? all right, thanks. thank you, chairwoman capito and thank you ranking member baldwin on and all the members on this committee. i'm honored to appear before you today to visit the department of health and human services fiscal year 2026 budget. debilitating disease, contaminate food come toxic environments, addiction, mental health affect families across every race, class and political belief. and my team and i took the helm at hhs we set up with clear goals. first, we aim to make america healthy can with a special focus on chronic disease epidemic. second, we committed to delivering more efficient response of an effective service to over 109 americans who rely on medicare, medicaid and other programs. third, we mr. president, this we going to be moving to take up

congressional review act resolutions to overturn clean air act preemption waivers, the environmental protection agency granted to california that allow california to dictate emission standards for the whole country. effectively imposing a na nationwide electric vehicle mandate. now, clean air act waivers are nothing new, mr. president. the clean air act allowed for waivers to address specific pollution problems and over the decades a number of them have been granted. but the waivers the biden epa handed to california, on the biden administration's way out the door, go far beyond the scope congress contemplated in the clean air act. the waivers in question allow california to implement a stringent electric vehicle mandate, which, given california's size and the fact that a number of other states have signed on to california's mandate, would end up not just affecting the state of

california, but the whole countries. under california's electric vehicle mandate, automakers around the country would be forced to close down a substantial part of their traditional vehicle production with serious consequences. diminished economic output, job losses, declining tax revenues. and that, mr. president, is just the start. consumers around the country would face fewer choices, higher prices, and reduced automobile availability. and our already shaky electric grid would quickly face huge new burdens from the surge in new electric vehicles if, of course, automakers were able to ramp up production as fast as california wants them to, and charging stations, which typically take several years to approve, could be built in time. mr. president, our nation is already facing serious problems on the energy supply front. we are, to quote a "washington post" headline from last march,

running out of power. as a surge in demand and the premature retirement of fossil fuel fired power plants push us to the brink. our electric grid is simply not in a position to absorb a huge surge in electric vehicles. unfortunately, that didn't seem to register with president biden, who implemented a na nationwide electric vehicle mandate that the trump epa is currently working to undo. while the biden epa's e.v. mandate was bad, mr. president, california's is much worse. if we don't act, the consequences to our economy, to consumers, and to our electricity supply could be devastating. the house, mr. president, has already passed a cra resolution to repeal california's mandate. and the situation is so grave that not just republicans but 35

democrats supported this repeal. but here on the senate, mr. president, democrats are attempting to derail an appeal by throwing a tantrum over a supposed procedural problem. the california waivers are not rules, democrats claim, and thus the congressional review act cannot be used to repeal them. mr. president, let's be very clear, the epa has submitted the waivers to congress as rules, which is all that congress has ever needed to decide to consider something under the congressional review act. the house, as i said, passed a congressional review act resolution of disapproval, that garnered 35 democrat votes in the house, and was passed without objection from the house parliamentarian. there can be no question these waivers are rules in substance, given their widespread effects. but it's true that we are facing something of a novel situation,

because the first time ever the government accountability office has decided to insert itself into the process and affirmatively declare an agency rule submitted to congress as a rule is not a rule. it's an extraordinary deviation from precedent for an agency that should be defending congress' power instead of constraining it. frankly, mr. president, i think we need to act to ensure that this intrusion into the congressional review act process doesn't become a habit, and that the senate doesn't end up transferring its decision-making power on cra resolutions to the government account act office -- government accountability office. that's why i intend to bring the question of gao's unprecedented interference to the floor this week. but in the meantime, i want to make one thing very clear -- this debate, mr. president, is

not about destroying senate procedure or any other hysterical claim the democrats are making, and i have to say that my colleagues' newfound interest in defending senate procedure is touching, if a touch surprising. after all, it's only last year democrats were planning to destroy one of the bed rocks of the senate, the legislative fili filibuster. of course, democrats' concern about overruling the parliamentarian is a wit unex -- is a bit unexpected given their history of attempting to do exactly that. i'm glad to see democrats demonstrating an interest in safeguarding the senate. however, mr. president, the fact of the matter is that their purported concerns here are entirely misplaced. we are not talking about doing anything to erode the institutional character of the senate. in fact, we are talking about pre preserving the senate's

prero prerogatives. i would like to see senators from both parties vote to uphold the senate's rights under the congressional review act, even if democrats support the california green new deal rule in question. mr. president, the california waivers rules are an improper expansion of a limited clean air act authority and would endanger consumers, our economy, and our nation's energy supply. i look forward to overturning those rules in the very near future. mr. president, i yield the floor, and i suggest the absence of a quorum. the presiding officer: the clerk will call the roll. quorum call: the clerk: ms. alsobrooks.

>> the research that has been neglected for the past 20 years on chronic disease and what's cause us to go from 3% of americans of children having chronic disease, when i was a little boy by alka was president. i would want to look at the

thousands of come over 10,000 chemicals that are not in a food, most of them have never been tested. i want to look at what's causing the infertility crisis. why are girls in this country reaching puberty security early? earlier than historically. why do boys in this country have half the testosterone teenagers of asphyxiation eight-year-old man? half the sperm count of the 60-year-old man? i would want to do research on why our bees are disappearing, why 90% -- collapse which is a food issue. i want to look at the micro biomes of the soil and how that's contributing to erosion, and how chemicals that were you are using in agriculture are sickening farmers in many cases potentially and are destroying the micro biomes and creating a

situation where soil is running off and were most agronomists believe we only have 60 harvests left. and i want to look at why we're having explosion in alzheimer's in this country, not just during it but why, what is causing it. and i think nih has been, done a very good job at making cancer more survivable, for example, colorectal cancer with his been extorting her sites than it nih. why isn't an h asking the question why do have colorectal cancer in children? this is something that is new to humanity. it was never known before. and now it's an epidemic in our children and we need to have a balanced where will he get cures for diseases but we are also focusing on how to keep americans healthy so that we can beat these voluminous healthcare

costs and have a healthy, productive society. >> thank you. i wanted her to a couple other issues. first of all the liheap program which we talked about is absolutely vital for thousands of older mainers and low income families. it helps them avoid the constant worry of having to choose between keeping warm, by essential foods and medication and other basic necessities. i was pleased to see the release of the rest of the fiscal year 2025 funds, but the administration's new budget seeks to eliminate what is truly a critical program. will you work with this committee in trying to restore the liheap program so that we can avoid literally seniors and low income families not being able to keep warm in winter?

>> yeah, absolutely. i am from new england myself. my brother for 40 years right as citizens energy which provides low-cost home heating oil the families in new england and so many people come to me over the years and said to me, thank you. your brother saved my life because i didn't have to choose between food and heat. i was on navajo reservation three weeks ago and navajo president said to me, if we cut at this point if we cut liheap, navajo will die so i understand the critical historical importance and president trump's rationale and omb's rationale is that president trump's energy policies are going to lower the cost of energy so this program so everybody will get lower costs. heating oil. and in that case his program

would simply be another subsidy to the fossil fuel industry. if that doesn't happen and i would, and congress chooses to appropriate the money, i of course will spend it. i have already dragged the spending a $400 million in this year's budget to that, double work with you to make sure that those families do not suffer in that way. >> thank you. you and i've had many conversations about alzheimer's disease and the bold act. i do want to point out that cdc's cooperative agreements for the healthy brain initiative and three dementia public health centers of excellence under the bold act are expected, are set to expire at the end of september. we initially expected that the

cdc would put out a notice encouraging applications early this year. inexplicably no such notice has been issued even though we reauthorized the bold act and funding is available under the appropriations measures that president trump signed into law in march. how and when does hhs planned issue this notice of funding opportunity so that we can continue what has been a very effective approach to the healthy brain initiative and centers of excellence? it helps caregivers. it encourages early diagnosis. it really has been an important program, taking the kind of public health approach that you generally supported. >> yeah.

senator, because of the dro from the federal judge on this issue that was issued last week, i have been instructed by hhs and by white house attorneys i can't speak directly to that part of the reorg. i have a strong personal commitment to, as i said before, to alzheimer's, dementia and its affected members of my family and understand how important these programs and whatever happens we will continue that research. >> senator baldwin. >> thank you, chair capital. secretary kennedy, free quickly. when it asked informational misstep asks your staff for information, d commit responding? >> yes, senator of course. >> and we might expect detailed operational plan i referenced an opening statement the fact that

530 programs or activities when you provide that information had an asterisk in place of a dollar amount. when might i might expect a detailed plan? >> that -- >> went? >> as i explained to you, those decisions are being made by omb -- >> so you would not in charge of the plan for -- >> this is not an h as issue. if governmentwide issue pics of the secretary at eight as is not in charge of the spend plan for 2025. i'm going to move on. research funded by the national institutes of health has pioneered the development of new technologies and cutting edge treatments including immunotherapies that are saving lives and getting millions of americans suffering from devastating diseases more hope and more time with their families. last week american doctors made

history with the world's first successful personalized gene editing treatment in a night and a half month old baby boy, curing him of a rare life-threatening genetic disorders -- 91 half. >> this technology is miraculous and it was a possible by nih research. according to the american cancer society, nih funded cancer research and save 3.5 million lives between 1991-2019 and reduced reduce the overall cancer death rate by 33%. congress has spent nearly 100 years building up the world's premier biomedical research agency to develop state-of-the-art treatments that wouldn't happen thinkable just decades ago. and in just 100 days this administration is starting to tear it all down. nih has awarded nearly

$3 billion less in funding, 3 billion less in funding compared to the same period last year. that's more than 3200 fewer grants. these grants are being withheld. this includes funding for everything from cancer to alzheimer's disease to rare disease research. secretary kennedy, whose decision is it to withhold thousands of grants and billions in funding for life-saving medical research at nih? >> i can tell you, senator baldwin, gene therapy and cell therapy is a priority for me and for marty makary was the fda director. we are going to ensure that this country remains the hub of -- >> that wasn't my question. secretary kennedy, whose decision is it to withhold thousands of grants and billions

in funding for life-saving medical research at nih that we approved on a bipartisan basis in this subcommittee? in the subcommittee? >> we are not abandoning any life-saving, saving research -- >> visit doge redoing nih? visit doge redoing nih grant award? >> we have cut administrators require cutting waste. where cutting new program. >> you were funding $3 billion less in medical biomedical research than you did a year prior. >> we are spending less on administration of those programs. >> 3200 you are grants speeded many of the grants were terminated because they were grants that were not advancing speeded these are not grants terminated. these are grants not awarded because the panels were not -- >> we spent 70% of the world's biomedical research out of nih, 70%.

and with speeded cutting $18 billion and 40% from the nih budget slow the development of these treatments? >> and we are the sickest country in the world, so that money has not been well spent. we've had 38% increase in our agency growth and agency over the past four years. >> will ask you, is funding for alzheimer's disease research centers dei? because you're holding up $65 billion for 14 of the centers in nine states including the universe of wisconsin madison. is funding for cancer centers dei? because you're holding up $47 million in cancer center support grants at nine cancer centers in eight states. is funding for rare disease research dei? because you're holding up $55 million for 11 rare disease medical research network grants in eight states. these are just a few examples,

and the list goes on and on, secretary kennedy. i have run out of time. i yield back. >> thank you. [inaudible] >> ask questions and give a chance to enter the. don't give me time to answer them. >> may be similar questions you can elaborate on some of the valid estimate the clinical trials because she does have that up on her poster there. clinical trials are the forefront of research innovation and off the top of is that the last hope for cancer patients and other patients addressing chronic disease when traditional treatments of an clinical. these clinical trials awfully to getting life-saving drugs to the market. has come is it just for any sub agency assessed the impact of patient access to clinical trials through the reorganization? >> we are not cutting in a clinical trials. we are not getting any clinical

trials. we're not cutting drug development. >> thank you. >> administrative costs. >> the question on indirect cost because this is the biggie. when it was announced that nih announced it would cap indirect cost at 15% for research. we talked about this actually in our meeting. we talked about the possible adverse effects of this, and like i've heard from west virginia university martial universe which received smaller mouse but ifre it from everybody the presiding officer: without objection. mr. schumer: now, mr. president, on salt. in -- that is, the state and local tax deduction. in the fall on the campaign trail on long island and in his truth social account, donald trump said this. quote, i will turn it around, get salt back, lower your taxes and so much more. i'll work with the democratic governor and mayor and make sure the funding is there to bring

new york state back to levels it hasn't seen for 50 years. unquote. and on long island donald trump went further. he promised to, and i quote, quote, cut taxes for families, small businesses and workers, including restoring the salt deduction, saving thousands of dollars for residents of new york, pennsylvania, new jersey and other high cost states. promising jobs and factories will pour back into new york. i know how to do it better than anybody has ever known how do it and we can do it so easily. unquote. this was obviously met with raucous praise. after all, it was he, donald trump, who created this disaster when he put salt caps in during his first term in his tax bill that year. i was incredibly skeptical about donald trump's proposal miss on long island -- promise on long island. after all this was the arsonist promising to put out the fire.

since then, many new york house republicans have made the same promise, parroting then-candidate trump almost every week since he's taken office. they even formed a little salt caucus in the house. so some may be shocked, shocked to hear that just a few moments ago, right here in the capitol, president trump completely, completely reversed himself. now donald trump is against this proposal that he and many new york house republicans campaigned on. he reportedly said this morning he will not raise the salt cap because, quote, we don't want to benefit democratic governors. president trump came to the capitol apparently to send a message to new york republicans. he's reversing himself and breaking his promise on salt. just as i long warned he would do. donald trump apparently says he now opposes salt because it would only benefit democratic governors. what between new york taxpayers?

what about the police and firemen and teachers who are paying high are taxes because of salt on long island and the hudson valley, throughout new york state. or the millions of taxpayers across the country impacted by trump's illogical move to do this in his first term? does donald trump give a damn about middle class new yorkers particularly in the superbs who are -- subburps who are paying more taxes because of the salt cap? apparently not. when trump came to long island and talked a big game about restoring salt relief, i called it a farce. it was actually a lie. and today he has proved himself a liar and is seemingly played new york republicans for fools. if new york republicans don't stand up to donald trump right now, they will look like fools. they have said over and over again that they're going to fight this horrible salt cap which hurts so many new yorkers, so many in their own districts.

they have said they will fight to the end. will they stand up now to donald trump or cave? while disappointing millions of new yorkers? on the babbitt settlement. i'm deeply disappointed that the republican leader did not condemn the trump administration's most recent attack on our beloved capitol police. i'm appalled and disgusted at the disrespect the trump administration is showing to the capitol police by awarding $5 million to the family of ashli babbitt who broke into the u.s. capitol on january 6. and i'm appalled and disgusted at the thought that my colleagues on the other side of the aisle support trump's decision. awarding the family of an insurrectionist $5 million is an insult to first responders, those who were in the capitol, and those everywhere. it sends a sickening message to police and all other first responders throughout the

country. when it matters most, donald trump will turn his back on you. on fentanyl. donald trump promised on the campaign trail he would hold the chinese government accountable to stop the fentanyl crisis. over a hundred days into office, donald trump has failed on both accounts. meanwhile, donald trump is also -- has also handed over all leverage to china through his stupid trade war and is trying to gut key state department programs that curb the flow of fentanyl into america. today i join three of my colleagues in demanding secretaries and bessent use all diplomatic tools to have the china stop the froe of fentanyl into america. this administration should also scrap the misguided 91% cut to the state department's

international narcotics control and enforcement program included in the president's budget proposal. instead of working to hold china accountable and stop this crisis in its traction, the trump administration -- tracks, the trump administration has raged a destructive trade war, and now donald trump's budget is trying to gut key programs that could actually do something about the problem. so specifically i urge the trump administration to first push the chinese government to do three things, do a better job policing fentanyl, increase precursor scheduling and stop the financing of precursor chemicals in china. second, the trump administration must use every diplomatic tool available to stop the flow of fentanyl into america. and, finally, the trump administration must immediately end cuts to programs that

actually address the fentanyl crisis. when i met with president xi two years ago i told him directly about the devastating impact of the opioid epidemic in america, i demanded to president xi that the chinese government cut off the supply of precursor chemicals. some important steps were taken but more is needed from the chinese government and the presidents and his -- president and his team should work with the prc to get their cooperation rather than destroy our competition with the prc abroad. tariffs. across the country companies like wall mart, ma he tele, target are starting to do what was feared, they're raising their prices and the american people are paying more. but does donald trump listen? of course not. he almost never listens except to what he wants to hear.

instead of backing off his tariffs, donald trump tells companies to, quote, eat the tariffs. that's his words. he tries to bully and berate companies when they want to be transparent with their customers. of course businesses will raise prices because of the tariffs. what does donald trump expect? donald trump blaming businesses for raising prices due to tariffs, is like setting a fire to a building and then blaming the fire department. donald trump doesn't seem to understand the pain his trade war created for business. perhaps it's hard for donald trump to hear their concerns from inside his luxury qatari jet. on reconciliation, donald trump can meet with house republicans as many times as he likes, but he won't change the fundamental problem of their bill. it kills u.s. jobs, explodes the deficit, overwhelmingly helps

the rich. donald trump wants to reward billionaires by taking an ax toe clean energy investments. under donald trump, china is overtaking the united states -- under donald trump china is overtaking the u.s. republicans attacks on clean energy investments means the u.s. will creed our -- cede our -- we need to meet our energy needs and republicans who squander the future will regret it. they're letting china become number one-on-one of the most important industries in the world, energy. second, if republicans make trump's tax cuts permanent, they'll add over $50 trillion to the debt in the next 30 years. our children, our grandchildren will be condemned to a lifetime of higher interest rates, higher costs, diminished potential. meanwhile republicans keep

saying their tax scam will lift americans across the board. this is false and we have the data to show it. according to a study by wharton under the republican plan, the top 10% of americans will get 60% of the tax breaks. many making less than $51,000 a year will see their incomes go down, many families will take a $1,000 hit and the national debt will increase by $4.6 trillion. that is in addition to the $50 trillion over the next three decades if these tax giveaways take place. billionaires win, working families lose. finally on e equinor, trump

stopped -- the administration backed off ef equinor and pushed lutnick to explain the work stop order. they told them they must stop, they said you didn't meet environmental assessments. they couldn't tell them why. they couldn't answer. even though there were investments in the ground to build these turbines that could provide 800,000 families with cheaper electricity. the reversal is good. it will save more than a thousand good-paying new york jobs on long island and staten island and provide billions in investment, what kind of country asks them to invest in america and then tells them to stop

working? this project could have been scrapped entirely, a disaster for the industry. a the work stop announce was rotten the moment it was issued. the administration gave a real explanation for the claims that eqinor was stopped. so this episode should serve as a warning to other industries, donald trump may try to push you, but if you push back, he will push back, i say that to all the wind and solar folks who are about to produce good, clean, low-cost energy and donald trump and the republicans in the house and maybe in the senate are threatening them by cutting off the tax breaks we were able to get done in the ira. now that this order is lifted, billions of dollars in private investment will once again flow into new york. thousands of new yorkers and

suppliers can get back to work, construction will help power half a million homes and we can go ahead with one of the most significant offshore wind projects in the country. i yield the floor.

mr. barrasso: mr. president. the presiding officer: the majority whip. mr. barrasso: i would like to associate my remarks by those made earlier today by the majority leader senator thune. that's because democrats have this delusional dream of eliminating gas-powered vehicles in america. they want to force feed electric vehicles to every man and woman who drive in this country. republicans are ready to use the congressional review act to end this democrat electric vehicle fantasy. the california epa rules we will vote on are expensive and economically destructive to our nation. e.v.'s make up 7% of the market of vehicles in this country and sales are plummeting.

so what the democrats want to do, want to happen to this country, is goals are impossible to meet, they want 35% of all light-weight vehicles sold in america next year to be electric vehicles, 35% and by the year 2035, they want it to be 100% of vehicles, the house republicans, and 35 democrats have voted to say, nope, they want to end this mandate. they were right to do so. that's what the senate will take up. but democrats cling it on the pillar of their green new deal. that is a deal americans rejected in november, and rebe jektd it by -- rejected it by voting for a republican house, senate and presidency. on another matter i come to call for an end of russia's war in ukraine. president trump is committed to

peace. he has repeatedly said that his mission is to stop the killing. yesterday's phone call with vladimir putin, i believe, was a decisive step to do just that. after three years of bloodshed, russia and ukraine have now begun necessary talks for a cease-fire that will end the war. this breakthrough wouldn't be possible without president trump's strength in leadership. president trump is a master deal maker, we know that. he's united our allies in europe and ukraine behind his vision for lasting peace. real leadership ends wars, real leadership saves lives and that's what we're seeing today from president trump. as president trump forges peace, putin continues to sow chaos. putin is a brutal dictator, that's who he is, he lies, he cheats, and disregards the lives of his own country's citizens, and the attacks of war continue.

russian soldiers continue to attack ukrainian citizens. this weekend's massive drone attack, one of the largest of the war was a deliberate attack on innocent people, not combatants but innocent people. we cannot forget vladimir putin's brutality. russia faces a stark choice. peace or crippling sanctions. president trump has spoken forcefully of swift and severe consequences if russia fails to honor a cease-fire. there's a bipartisan group in this senate, we agree, over 70 have already signed on to a bill to expand sanctions and tariffs on russia, crippling sanctions, crushing sanctions. senator lindsey graham of south carolina and richard blumenthal of connecticut are leading the charge. it includes 500% tariffs on anyone who buys oil and gas or

uranium from russia, it is the cash cow of putin's war machine, cut it off and russians cannot continue to fight. russia's biggest customer? communist china, next is india, they will be hit very hard. europe too must act. last year europe spent $23 billion on russian oil and gas. it's more than europe sent in aid to ukraine. europe has somewhat reduced their dependency on russian energy products, partially buying american, they must do better, they must do more. europe must do more to take back its security and future. america stands ready. american energy is a security, it is a sourings of our strength as a nation. we in america are a superpower and under president trump's leadership we are acting like it. vladimir putin doesn't respond to statements, he only responds

to strength. if russia stalls, the senate will act decisively to move to bring lasting peace. it's time to end the killing, it's time to end the war in ukraine. thank you, mr. president, i yield the floor. i suggest the absence of a quorum. the presiding officer: the clerk will call the roll. quorum call: the clerk: ms. alsobrooks.

are proposed reductions in the rate of growth over the next five years, those reductions are to illuminate waste, fraud, and abuse. i'll explain to you there's a million people now on medicaid who are accepting medicaid, ec f medicaid into states. that's illegal. they are stealing from the medicaid program. we've now been able to identify them which no other administration was able to do. ..

the remaining people affected are full-bodied male workers who job, or even meet the minimum threshold. >> that's rhetoric, not reality. it will undermine the healthcare system senator kennedy. >> , any employee at just like

the constant. >> every do you have? 2000 that's about the level of covid the first time downsized? >> microsoft announced they would reduce their workforce price. there will be the end of microsoft? >> we wouldn't have reduced anybody. >> meta- facebook announced they're going to reduce their site we thousand people meta-

knows what they are doing? >> i think that they do, they make a lot of money. >> do you nih? i visited when i was a boy and those are my favorite afternoons need to leave the world and medical research. >> isn't it true you would like to see more money and are not. >> this department does he wants to see the budget cut back one way of doing that to stop and what you mean by that?

and that takes 30 million of the subsidized the rest of the university. we don't know what they were. , really, is there any doubt in your mind. taking? fund the universe is there any doubt in your mind.

>> pay page 10%. we are paying 50, 60, 70% so what you're doing is adding money to medical research. part of that cost report? they found 11000 dead people. no but that is not based on this

verse getting they found 1000 federal salaries that and they found some of those folks got 18 me about highly processed but. >> that's a complicated question

and they don't do it abroad they do not contain chemicals. >> do you understand there's nothing you can do to make my democrats happy? i am coming to understand that. >> will turn it over to the questions. >> i look forward to working with you both again in congress. talk well, it's clear what you are doing devastating to children and families and american the programs support, you are required to plan the killing how you spend funds congress provided to programs families rely on 530 star right

now in language programs seemed hopeful departments, local substance abuse and mental health programs and preventive care. in the healthcare system and firing critical employees.

tracking maternal health and more. you propose a budget but devastating cuts to implement it right now to my colleagues, we heard several the leadership on biomedical research. the public cuts across hhs that means deciding we are comparable

china and access to the latest treatments and cures will depend on other entries in time to stand up and assert authority. sitting this for failure we have to do better. listening to your testimony left me to send concerned about what's happening sapping and

funding reported on publicly and confirmed by preference that are not happening so you're lying the one making the decision. 400 children to close doors so let me ask you about another issue. decision was it for child care and development? >> president biden -- you've

made an accusation. may 28, he submitted. our budget we are a new administration. >> i asked you specifically. >> you recited the american. none a lot. >> out ask you hold back. >> mr. secretary, i'm asking about childcare.

the message was get the job done. everyone in the room agreed to deliver this for the president and the american people. the stakes are too high not miss our chance switching gears, the american people are smart. when it was released on friday, they lied about biden's the american. this week i hope no one does.

lying and fear mongering it will not let them away and i hope you will have them on shows like the will remain on offense this week in advance are worn big beautiful bill and violent illegal immigrants and losses like to bongino and pursue illegal immigrants. this opportunity to secure our borders and make our community safer, this bill provides technology improved enforcement

and provides resources to support border patrol agents. we have an opportunity to make generational investment in the safety of our communities. let's not forget the other wins in the bill. if we don't get built done it will not provide if they don't pass the bill.

it's time we put them first. that's what we promised and that's will be delivered. the democrats didn't mount i would love to turn it over to our chairman. >> joe biden, kamala harris wrote this record for the rule of law is stored for crisis

wasting billions of taxpayer dollars illegal gang activities referred us talk about before. they gave republicans the trifecta because the first southwest border encounters were down 90% and back down from the lowest in the previous administration but even from there, it down 90% in this

president. and to enforce law but success short-lived. secure our order. we had so many times in the past seven going life, parents, and access.

the grants and the state that work with the department of homeland all in this bill because american people set enough is enough. doors and heroes in this building. >> the democrat like so much because it is so darn republican and this bill doesn't and we are party that believes he will get

for taxpayers can be economy and for individual. these principles of our party, it's really important to tell the american people with what we told the voters who do some confident we will get there this weekend we need to get this past and with that, i chairman. >> president trump promised and delivered. the one big beautiful bill, the largest tax focus on purpose families and parmesan.

and promised to all american workers 40 billion your solace and we will deliver on president promises and help working and middle-class americans. i grew up in a wide trailer 5000. the average income is just over $24000.

the families and communities all across the united states no caps on to be alone an additional $1700 in the pockets of each of the 4 million throughout the nation families take on facebook thousand dollars. the take on they.

and delivering the greater benefit. i've said it before and i'll say it again, failure is not an option. we have to deliver for the amount. >> house republicans have the potential to notify the compaq that's already begun our nation's farmers hours a week on street. our one big beautiful bill in 1000 organization 1000 have already.

and jump start the economy for decades certainty now and when. in the time to get this done now. and unleashed american energy. allows president trump for border security. our reconciliation bill delivers

does so while saving $1.6 trillion. must the opportunity. i will turn it over to. >> president trump had a strong and here is such over different issues one big beautiful bill has come through time to end negotiation behind the bill and

get passed on to the senate. families have a large painful acts. every democrat will vote no. they are fighting and mail stop us democrats have made their they don't want the provision of the bill. finally have the technology and have better tools secure our. two deport criminals who came to

america. on the" shutting american is back up again. for families fire we just and there's the lower cost and lower interest rates 77 million voters deliver. i know we have final issues of

said stop. bill failure is not an option that charge and there are great words are in a very good mood this morning. we are on the verge of making history here.

we are blessed understand and is going to roll in part of this. saw to enact and that's why we call it the one big beautiful bill and on the world stage. congress has a role in this. we cannot leave the american people waiting. one big beautiful bill and trying to go law.

after the last four years everything was a disaster. make permanent historic tax cuts. invest in our national defense and establish american energy dominance and that's what the american people elected them to do. we are right on schedule. eleven separate they did it right on they were given a resolution today have more in the bill delivered more than $1.5 trillion in. there's never been anything like

it. this is all of congress response and the results of all, every house republican the white house has been involved in group from around the country nearly 1000 organizations it would be an public endorsement. i don't think there's anything like that. we never thought this would be an effortless process. it is comprehensive and there's a lot of attention in the room and you are going to get there opinion and that is part of it.

we are going to glance the plane and deliver and we are proud of the accomplishment. you heard of the highlights and let me give you a couple of things. i'm of the conservatives for the american people. i love what chairman jordan said.

mr. durbin: mr. president, yesterday the senate voted to begin consideration of the modestly named genius act, a bill that would regulate stablecoins, a form of cryptocurrency. crypto is known as a volatile investment and more unpredictable than traditional financial assets like stocks and bonds. last month the value of bitcoin, a type of crypto, dropped to $76,000, but it shot up to more than $100,000 last week. supporters of the genius act say that's where stablecoins come in. they argue that stablecoins are tied to the value of the dollar, for example, so they never lose

their value. the name stablecoin makes it sound secure, doesn't it? but the name is misleading. in 2023 alone, stablecoins deviated from an underlying asset more than 600 times. that does not sound like stability to me. while i agree with supporters of the genius act that crypto and stablecoins need to be regulated, i have genuine concerns about the bill. one is the amount of illicit finance that stablecoins could support. a recent report found that crypto facilitated $51 billion in illicit transactions and stablecoins accounted for 63% of all illicit crypto transactions. many illegal transactions -- crypto transactions involve crypto atm's. you might have seen one at your grocery store or gas station, but you may not realize it. they allow you to trade in cash

for cryptocurrency, but they also are a frequent tool of scammers and fraudsters who prey on americans, especially senior citizens. we receive phone calls in our offices back in illinois on a regular basis from senior citizens who've been scammed out of thousands of dollars. here's thousand works -- -- how's how it works. a scammer will call an unassuming victim pretending to be from the government or the victim's bank. let me stop right there and say -- what i tell people all over again. the government is not going to call you on the phone. if anyone calls you on the phone and represents they're part of social security or some other federal agency, it is most likely a scam. that's the starting point. a scammer calls this unassuming victim and creates an emergency scenari scenario. the scammer tells them they owe

money for skipping jury duty. the scammer warns the victim they've got to pay urgently or else the fines will escalate and the victim may face jail time if they don't move quick lymph the scammer tells the victim not to worry; they can simply drive to the nearest crypto atm, make their payment and everything will be just fine. the scammer walks them through the steps of inserting can a shall in the machine, purchasing crypto currence and sending it to the -- crypt currency and sending it to the scammer's wallet. all throughout the scam arc the fraud letters will stay in constant contact with the victim to keep them from eliminate going a moment to take a breath, calm down, consult a trusted friend or maybe realize what's really going on. in 2023, scammers used crypto

atm's to cheat victims out of $114 million, mainly senior citizens. i first found out about these scams after reading an article in the illinois times, a newspaper publication in springfield, illinois. the article told the story of a vape shop owner who was being paid $300 a month to have a crypto atm on his premise. one day he notice add panicked elderly woman in the shop putting money into the atm machine. the woman was scammed out of $5,000 before he stepped in to stop her from putting more money into the machine. later the owner removed the machine from his store. that owner said he couldn't in good conscience allow more senior citizens to come in and use that machine after being scammed. this same story has repeated

itself after countless times across the country. an 80-year-old man in texas lost thousands of dollars to a scammer who claimed he needed money to get his son out of jail. i hit the panic button and i let the panic take control of my good judgment. in south carolina a retired couple lost $320,000 over several months to a scam involving crypto atm's. last month a retired woman in wisconsin lost $24,000, her entire life savings, when scammers convinced her to use a crypto atm claiming it was the only way to protect they are bank cat from fraudulent -- bank account from fraudulent activity. sometimes i wake up and shiver because i still hear the scammer's voice. a resident was cheated out of $129,000 by a scammer claiming to be from a bank.

crypto atm operators will claim that their kiosks give access to the unbanked, often those in the minority and low-income communities who historically have been locked out of the banking system. but in reality, the elderly and unbanked are the most vulnerable to scams involving crypto atm fraud. crypto atm's charge high fees ranging from 7% to 20% and have fewer customer protections, if any, for the users. states such as nebraska, arizona and conhave passed electricals to -- and connecticut have passed legislation to crack down on these scams. it is time for congress to do the same. the result of the society-called genius act is a dramatic increase in crypt activity. that means dramatic exposure to fraud. let's make that this amendment which i'm going to offer to the jean just act is adopt protect innocent victims. i can tell you for sure you're going to hear from senior citizens and others who have

lost their live's savings. that's why i'm pushing for a vote on my amendment. it prevents crypt atm fraud and empowers law enforcement to prevent these scams. my amendment would require crypto atm operators to warn consumers about scams, provide live customer support, develop comprehensive antifraud policies. with my amendment, fewer americans will be cheated out of their entire retirement savings in just a few days, and atm operators would no longer be able to turn a blind eye to the fraud at their kiosks. these scams have already harmed thousands of americans and cheated them out of their life sakes. snuff enough. i urge my -- enough is enough. i urge my completion to listen to -- i urge my colleagues to listen to the people you represent, particularly the people losing their live's savings to these scamsing. realize with 30,000 crypto atm's

across the country, more of this will occur. would end to support this amendment that provides commonsense guardrails to stop scammers in their tracks and protect hardworking americans. mr. president, i yield the

they sponsored the guide act modernize the data systems,

technical or institutional and nih from clean and modern that drives innovation and a lot of that inertia. and i learned to have seen as for healthcare services and they

are selling it and are bashing doubtful the barriers depersonalize and through data sharing it is i look forward to that legislation. and the corporations. and innovators from industries how to get them that data.

>> one question for you. biomedical research in rotation with a.i. in terms of speeding up the process tells us we can make discoveries and cures for the main diseases. in long-term treatment and improve the quality of life for millions of americans and families. accelerating the process could improve the quality of life initial introductions you're

making with a.i. in the clinical trial process. marrying that with the medical research. >> thank you, madam chair. perhaps the president and that is a concern about the high cost in the united states of america president trump and his first term not acceptable americans are charged more than others in the developed world.

and they couldn't charge us more than the average price charged in canada and australia, larger european nations clear to me taxpayers of the united states but more than any other anywhere in the world, we should at least get the fairest price, not the worst price. the same, though. it is the nation's status last

week and the ego and discerned the ways they comply. 80 dollars a dose in the same factor in new jersey. >> the allocations act and the difference between is built and

find the lowest prices they sell to major countries his bill says the average price slightly different set. you offer to work toward his bill, extent my bill? >> absolutely. my enthusiastic partnership. >> i look forward to working with you and president trump stress, the ego negotiation. if it doesn't produce substantial salts and by the way it's for everyone, not just medicare or medicaid. no one should have to pay more. i think that is the general sense you have not just if you're over 65, everyone should get a fair price. >> that is our position, yes.

>> i want to turn to the reconciliation bill and i apologize if this was covered but i wanted to express my concerns about the possibility of 14 million americans coverage and the bill hasn't come out of the house yet the modified do not medicaid coverage. >> i think there are two, one is for obamacare and one is for the other that you're talking about. others we are looking at medicaid.

medicaid -- obamacare is a little different. extension of the tax on credits. medicaid is, the cuts are not really cuts they are in the program. they are waste, fraud and abuse i talked about this a little before, there's a million people medicaid in two different states which is illegal, a million people collecting medicaid and obamacare. they are collecting medicaid and they eliminated. there are people who are able-bodied and do not meet the

minimal standard, they have a job, a part-time job, looking for work or getting education i hear your arguments. i've seen evaluations of the program to consider to go far beyond. i support the waste fraud and abuse in world and various programs but one thing for example, as we have a program where people could enroll in snap and medicaid at the same time just being severed. if you're raising a couple of kids as a single parent, you have to go in every six months revalidate your income should, it is extraordinarily different for an ordinary struggling family to do that in the goal is to cut people making it difficult and i don't think we should make it difficult for

folks trying to get on their feet and raise kids. the loss of people enrolled and i consider healthcare a right, not the you achieve because you are wealthy enough to buy it. u.s. said it's for a thriving, they make sure everyone has access so i'm concerned about the obstacles but what i hear is world healthcare clinics and hospitals because they are on the edge shutting down birthing centers. i have a picture of your father when he was baker during his campaign and have to go down in order to winter storms and an

hour to get to a facility. i am concerned about these hospitals what a lot of people will be able to pay. >> you are over time. a hard one. >> i appreciate your here today. i agree with you on all the issues you talked about. if you call my office, we can talk about it. >> thank you very much. >> thank you for having, thank you for being here. cancer remains one of the leading causes of death. reducing her costs -- and i

couldn't hear what you said. >> early detection to screening is critical to improving outcomes and long-term health care cuts. designated cancer centers that deliver cutting edge across the united states. states with the highest mortality rate in the country. arkansas is working really hard on the for several years. we really would like your help us would go forward in providing this.

how can we help with this, particularly and world regions? we talked about what we can do but again as we go forward. >> i am aware of the application. i your comments last week and recognizing that difficult position, especially farmers and the population between 2022 and 23 through our counties in america and americans face

barriers and provider bridges and transportation challenges. programs like the rural residency program are affected underserved rural areas and we are in the process of working on a bill think that support not only the farmer but rural america general. how we partner with hhs to develop structure that ensures they retain providers for

hospitals the program. we are about to see a revolution a.i.. >> the help delivery. they are used by millions with direct access. they are for people immediately discern with direction they are in.

and i am very excited about that. you got to keep those as they are economic drivers they are there lifesaving i want to work with you. want to make sure 60 million americans live in rural areas are culture and economy.

in every other value in those areas. >> thank you. >> thank you for the extra five minutes. good to meet you. i want to tell you about my dad the first position on record to question the ethics. ...

>> okay, great. >> and they do come just to clarify they do have efficacy tests. they don't have safety testing. >> it's a biological fact that as a two on more likely to carry the dash and we know roberto

less likely to receive preventative health services that people are living in cities. when a liver cancers more than twice as common among asian americans than white americans. i just want to clarify as the administration attempts to root out what they consider to be dei that we are not characterizing biological differences between the sexes among races, among people who live in different parts of the country, and a steady those because obviously in the administration of care whether it's medicine or other healthcare, we want to know how different people respond to different courses of treatment or preventative care, whatever it is. i'm assuming you don't think that dei. is a fair? >> absolutely not, senator. i was talking before you got in here that we worked with senator

tim scott and a very, very innovative program. we approved three weeks ago and south carolina to deliver new therapy for people to every person south carolina who has sickle cell disease. >> right. all kinds of diseases speeded affects different races and those, , that's nothing to do wh dei. >> i think the challenge is this is like this is not just your agency but really governmentwide is that the first cut at eliminating, scrutinizing, raising, reforming grants, projects lined with funding have been this basically sophisticate inversion of control where you look for the work gender or you look for the word race or you look for the word equity. and i would just ask you to relook through your department's at whether or not some of the stuff got swept up accidentally,

and it's not some powerpoint presentation to your workforce to divide them according to race and tell people what words to use to describe themselves or others, but rather a foundational of medical research. i would like to be reassured you're taking a second look after the first doge script was written to fight anything that could be problematic from the standpoint of the trump administration. >> we are doing that and we have hardly rectified a number of studies that were eliminated based upon those presumptions because they did, because the search terms make made thee they were dei. and when that happens people call me and i called jay bhattacharya and i so would you look at this? in several cases he is reinstated in. we do not want to lose that kind of site. >> thank you. >> thank you. thank you, senator. senator baldwin make a quick statement at that i will wrap u

up. >> secretary kennedy, a do want to make sure that we correct the record on the l.e.a.d. program that we've been discussing back-and-forth last week. there are no staff on the ground deployed to milwaukee to address the lead exposure of children in schools and there are no staff left in that office at the cdc because they have all been fired or i look forward to working with youth to reestablish that pickett simply get a commitment to that, but when you step in order to make it function. i i do have some for the questis for the record, and understand that we will have an ability to submit those. >> so the skins are hearing today. i really thank you and my fellow committee members. you had full attendance today so you're a popular guy but a veryy thoughtful conversation, thank you, secretary kennedy or for any centers who wished ask additional questions, the hearing record will also remain open until then from them so wishes met additional materials for the record, the subcommittee

will stand in recess, and thank you. >> thank you, chairwoman capito and thank you, senator baldwin. [inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations] [inaudible conversations]

>> will you share with us all the communications with of those donors by you or any known intermediary of yours that prompted that sudden flood of donations that ended up in your personal pocket? >> as mentioned several times today everything that you do with the federal election commission you have to buy the book, by their rules and that's exactly what i did.

we follow the letter of the law -- [talking over each other] they needed to change with the fec does or how speeded this is different. this isn't just comply with the spc. this is a senate hearing about what you should be the irs commissioner or not and if you started using -- to solicit funds back then, , that's the kd of thing that would be shown in the communications i your intermediaries with these individuals. will you promise to share with the committee any communications related to that sudden surge of contributions? >> i will share what we shared with the sec. i mean, everything had to be reported for everything had to be public. it wasn't like i thought oh, these people are sending money in and out. it's public record. >> we all know here in which a file with the sec purchase what's happened when you conduct investigation, back behind the findings to look at the communications and the memos and

focal records, whatever took place we are entitled in the situation, by the way happy birthday -- >> thank you. >> to have a look at that is if the when investigation going on to see the actual documents behind all of this. that would be my ask and my time is this it is expired. >> thank you. senator daines. >> good to see you here today. i have great memories of the time we served together in the u.s. house measured by what it honors and what it neglects. in a quiet spot among the rolling hills of monroe county, indiana, the statue of a young soldier keeps watch over a lonely cemetery. the doughboy stands at parade rest, campaign hat atop his

head. canteen on his cartridge belt. springfield rival by his side. nearby, a region ringed with red, white, and blue flowers rests on a grave. it was americans like private thomas forest riddle who helped .. e. as we prepare to observe memorial day this year, we honor all americans who've risked their lives and in many cases given their lives for our liberty. in april 1917, america formally entered what we now called world war i after votes in this building, in this building. and two months later, private riddle, a 21-year-old farmboy from unionville, indiana,

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 move to lay it on the tablized and -- mobilized and inexperienced american ex-he dish area force -- ex-is he dish nature force arrived in numbers. private riddle accompanied delta company. 12 machine gun battalion 4th division. .. atainia and it sailed for france. that spring the germans determined to split the allied lines and make one final push towards paris. private riddle helped halt the enemy's march and proved the

aef's mettle. when the american army launched its offensive, 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 h. assurance on -- the self-assurance on their faces. they were, she said, so godlike, so magnificent, so splendidly unimpaired in comparison with the tired, nervewracked 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 boy bay on -- -- bayonette. and the tremors, the confusion,

the nightmares. private riddle survived shah tu murie but he was a casualty, still. gassed, shell-shocked, he returned to unionville, indiana, in february 1919, weakened in the midst of an influenza epidemic and was immediately stricken by the virus. sick, he laid in bed delirious, reliving the horrific battles and broken sentences, recounting the shock of exploding shells, and he passed on february 21, 1919. in an incredible tragedy his youngest brother raymond died the day before, also taken by

influenza. they were preceded in death by a they were preceded in death by a .. .. 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's baptist church in unionville. she did this no doubt so that her grandson's sacrifice for our nation which landed his name in the indiana's gold star honor roll would never be forgotten. and so today we resolve to never forget. whether they be in country church yards 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 smashed the statute of private riddle to pieces, 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 a 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's been alleged throughout history that republics are ungrateful, self-obsessed, self-absorbed, selfish, self-r self-regarding. america has consistently proven otherwise. if you ever doubt this, visit pleasant view cemetery in monroe county in indiana. you seep, the people in unionville were heart broken when the monument to private riddle was knocked down, so edith clark, the cemetery's caretaker paid $600 to have the

statue restored and resurrected, then the community held a bake and yard sale to help her recover the cost. patriotism, never forget it. so today he shows where the brim of his hat is broken, the bayonet from his rifle is lost, part of his ear is missing, but so are a few fingers, but private thompson forrest 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. thank you, mr. president. i yield the floor.

mr. tuberville: mr. president. the presiding officer: the senator from alabama. mr. tuberville: mr. president, the first stanza of the national anthem ends with, quote, oh say does that "star-spangled banner" yet wave for the land of the free and the home of the brave. we sing this part as a declaration, but if you read the lyrics of the "star-spangled banner," the sentence actual lip ends with a question mark. francis scott key intended this line to be sung as a question rather than a statement. that's fitting because while our freedom may seem concrete, it's never a guarantee. our freedoms depend on brave men and women who are willing to answer the call to defend our

great country. over the years our national anthem took on a feeling of confidence and assurance rather than uncertainty. that's thanks to the millions of men and women who have answered the call to serve, some of whom made the ultimate sacrifice. next week we recognize memorial day. it's not just another long weekend, but it's time to honor our fallen soldiers and reflect on their sacrifices. today i'd like to recognize two such heroes from my state of alabama -- michael hosey and jason barfield and their families. for u.s. army staff sergeant michael wesley hosey, there was never a question in anyone's mind as to what he wanted to do

when he grew up. every career day he would also dress up as a soldier. michael loved reading about history and he loved our country, so much so that his friends and family gave him the nickname american, with an m. that's american without an a because michael was 17 when he graduate waited from clay chalkfield high school, his dad had to sign for his permission to enlist in the army. as a vietnam veteran the elder michael knew all too well what his son was signing up for. yet, the hosie family supported michael's decision to serve his country. there's no question that this courageous young man also came from a courageous family.

michael graduated from boot camp three days after 9/11. he had a gift for learning languages quickly and planned to use his talent to become a communications intelligence specialist. this ability to quickly pick up on a new language combined with his outgoing personality made michael a favorite with the local afghans. members of michael's unit recall him quickly receiving a dinner invitation from one of the local families the shortly after moving into the area. michael had a giving heart and continued to earn the trust of the locals, especially all the kids. his sister, laurie, recalls him always asking his family to send candy when they sent him a package. at first she found this odd

because michael wasn't a big candy eater. but they'd always send skittles or gum. she later realized michael wasn't asking for candy himself but to share with all the kids in the country. sadly, michael lost his life on september 17, 2011, during operation enduring freedom, one week before his 28th birthday. when sharing his story, laurie wants us to remember that freedom is not free. it's a reality that her and michael's parents, condi, and the older michael still carry with them every single day. for marine lance corporal jason barfield of ashfield, alabama, he also was born with a strong desire to serve his country.

his father, ray, is a disabled army veteran, and jason's grandfather also named jason was killed in world war ii. jason lived his life with the goal of making a difference. his mom kelly says that jason believed that there was good in everyone. even if you couldn't find it at first, that just meant to dig a little bit deeper. jason lived by the motto that, quote, every day is a good day. he also had a gift for music and was in the band at ashford alabama high school, enjoyed singing at church, playing the saxophone, and was teaching himself to play the piano. jason's hard work and talents earned him a four-year band scholarship to huntington college, but he chose to forego the scholarship to enlist in the marines because he wanted to be

part of the best. kelly remembers asking jason's recruiter about the dangers that he was signing up for and the sinking feeling when the recruiter replied, no, ma'am, i can't guarantee that he'll come home. jason surprised his family for christmas in 2010 and spoke about his new goal to reenlist in the military and become a chaplain. the barfields didn't know this would be their last holiday that they would spend together. jason was killed in action on october 24, 2011, at the young age of 22. sensing the danger that was ahead of jason, he pushed eight of his fellow marines, a native translator, and a k-9 out of the

way from a booby trap explosion that would gain his life. his platoon manager said his name and action for fellow marines will outlive all of us. jason was a hero. he makes all alabamians proud. michael wesley hosie and jason barfield are two young men who never got to start a family or fully pursue their dreams. we are ever, forever grateful and indebted to them for their sacrifice that gives us the assurance to continue to sing the national anthem not with a question mark, but with a declaration that we are the land of the free and the home of the brave. i'm reminded of the words in john 15:13, greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends.

we may never have met michael or jason, yet they courageously were giving and willing to give their lives for their fellow americans. we will continue to share their stories to ensure their sacrifices are never, ever forgotten. as memorial day approaches, i hope we take time to honor americans that have fallen along with the brave families who have been left behind. may we never forget that freedom is free. i yield the floor, mr. president.

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the presiding officer: under the previous order, the senate previous order, the senate >> and the senate now in recess for the weekly party caucus lunches. lawmakers are considering a bill regulating stablecoins integrate the currency market. you can see live coverage of the senate when lawmakers return at 2:15 eastern here on c-span2. >> order. >> and a nation divided a rare moment of unity. this fall c-span presents

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