Richard Burr

Mr. BURR

Mr. BURR. Mr. President, I rise today in the time-honored tradition of giving my farewell remarks to the United States Senate. This is an opportunity to thank my friends, my colleagues, and the voters of North Carolina who have supported me for 28 years, through 8 elections, for the opportunity to serve and the ability to make a difference for my State and my country. Thirty years ago, I was a businessman with a happy family in Winston- Salem, NC, who decided things in Washington, DC, weren't working exactly right. So I decided to run for Congress in an effort to help make that change for the better. My reason for running was a concern of the future for my two young sons and others of their generation. I lost that first race for the House in 1992, and I took it in stride thinking, I have done my best shot. It was meant to be. I am not a politician. I had never run for office before or been involved in politics except to vote. But by 1994, as Congress was still raising taxes and increasing the deficit at the same time, I decided I had to try again to bring some common sense to how things were being decided in our Nation's Capital. So I threw my hat in the ring again, and I was elected to the House of Representatives. I was surrounded by 73 other new Members, with a new majority, and an opportunity to make new friends. I met three people who are now some of my closest friends: John Boehner, Saxby Chambliss, and Tom Latham. Brooke and I are blessed with their friendship. Every year since they have left, along with their wives, Debbie Boehner, Julianne Chambliss, and the late Kathy Latham, we have traveled and deepened those bonds of friendship. I am grateful and proud we are so incredibly close, and I thank all of them today. Do you suppose Boehner is crying by now? While we have all made new friends in Congress, not a day goes by-- not a day--that I don't miss my good friend Tom Coburn. I have his name plate in my office from the Intel Committee to remind me of the lessons that Tom gave all of us and for the example he set as a Member of the Senate. Now, from that class of 1994, there are only three of us left-- Roger, Lindsey, and me--and my time is short. The Contract with America created a new majority. Newt Gingrich and Frank Luntz crafted our unifying message to the American people. We came with a commitment not to leave for a hundred days until we started to change the course of American government. Then, this seemed like a small sacrifice for a transformation I saw as imminent and important. We worked day and night before we ever found the bathroom or permanent housing. Every Member had a different story and a different reason for running, but we were elected for a common cause: to fix Congress and a government that was broken and out of touch. Being one of 435 Representatives in an institution driven by seniority has a sobering impact. For many, our new committee assignments taught us that we weren't quite as smart as we thought. Winning elections was hard; thoughtful policymaking was even harder. I decided early on that the Energy and Commerce Committee was where I would spend the majority of my time and focus. Much can be said for the value of institutional knowledge, but there weren't any Republicans who knew what to do in the majority since none of us had ever served in a majority. John Dingell was the outgoing chair of the committee, and quite honestly, John could have ignored the new Republicans and been upset about the election taking his gavel away. Instead, he took me under his wing. John taught me many lessons about hearings, about oversight, how to focus on important topics, and more importantly, how the work in Washington really gets done. He advised me to spend my time listening, so I did. I came to the committee hearings, and I learned from the experts. I was doing so much at one time, I realized that family time was too often ignored. I cannot express how much I appreciate the love and the support of my family to let me have this incredible experience. Brooke and I have lived apart for 28 years. Outside of congressional recesses or a few trips, every Monday, I have had to wake up, just like you, and know I had to fly back to Washington to cast a vote. I look forward to being home with the love of my life when I am done with this. During the decade I served in the House, our country went through some major events, including 9/11 and the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, which still ripple through our foreign policy, our defense policy, and our domestic policy today; the anthrax attacks, which opened my eyes as to how unprepared our country was for the threat of bioterrorism and inspired my work to create the national preparedness and response framework; and the impeachment of President Clinton--only the second time a President had been impeached in the history of our country in the House. I had the opportunity to work on a lot of legislation, but issues I am most proud of are bipartisan legislation to end the tobacco quota; the start of my biodefense work with the National Disaster Medical System and the Smallpox Vaccine Program when we created the Department of Homeland Security; and especially the Food and Drug Modernization Act, or FDAMA, as many of us know. I came to Congress 6 years before the horrible attacks of 9/11, and guarding our Nation's freedoms was as important then as it remains today. Standing at Ground Zero just a few days after those awful attacks in New York, Washington, and Pennsylvania made it clear to me that we could never let down our guard against those who hate our country and hate our freedoms. Serving on the House and Senate Intelligence Committees has made me more committed to remaining vigilant in the goal of protecting the lives of all Americans. When I decided to run for the Senate, little did I know how grueling the campaign would be. Running a statewide race against Erskine Bowles was never going to be easy. Erskine had experience, money, and a built- in network. I had a lot of energy and a determination to win. Our campaign was downright civil compared to what we have seen in recent years, and after the election, Erskine and I became lifetime, longtime friends. We remain that way today. I appreciate Erskine Bowles for his continued service to our State of North Carolina and to the country. In my 18 years in the Senate, we have lived through some major events as well: the financial crisis of 2009, the Ebola outbreak of 2014, a global pandemic, and I might say the third and fourth impeachments of a President of the United States, the illegal and immoral invasion of Ukraine. In the Senate, any Senator can work on any legislation they want, but in particular, I would like to mention just a few: the Pandemic and All-Hazards bill, or PAHPA; the ABLE Act to help families with children with disabilities save for the future; the child care and development block grant reauthorization to help families afford quality childcare; the Veterans Choice Act to help veterans get the healthcare they deserve; making permanent the funding for the Land and Water Conservation Fund; the Ryan White CARE Act to make this successful program more equitable for Americans living with HIV/AIDS; the Emmett Till Unsolved Civil Rights Crimes bill, which helps investigators work to discover the truth and seek justice for families of the victims of civil rights-era cold cases; and years' worth of annual intelligence authorization bills. Usually, the most bipartisan bills that move through this body are often misunderstood and mischaracterized. Far from being a congressional blank check to the intelligence community, they represent an annual congressional exercise to guide and direct the intelligence community. These bills are the most bipartisan products of ongoing, rigorous oversight. Those who block or obstruct or otherwise delay these bills are not empowering the people they think they are. While I am proud of all these bills and more, I want to highlight the work I have done to build the architecture of the Nation's pandemic and biological preparedness systems--in particular, the creation of the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority, BARDA. Developing a collaboration between the Federal Government and private sector companies to accelerate the development of medical countermeasures helps us all meet the oath we swore to protect the safety and security of the American people. Without BARDA, we wouldn't have had the tools to deal with anthrax, smallpox, and radiological or nuclear threats. We wouldn't have developed the COVID vaccines as rapidly. We wouldn't be on the leading edge of science, and we would instead be falling further and further behind. This infrastructure works because we made it flexible. We made it adaptable. So whatever the current threat may be, my greatest frustration is that administration after administration seems to think they need to reinvent the wheel instead of picking up the tools that Congress has already laid on the table and built to handle emergencies. I hope one lesson we have learned from COVID is exactly how valuable BARDA is. I have been especially fortunate to serve on three of the most consequential committees in the United States Senate: Intelligence, where I continued my service from the House in the Senate, eventually becoming chair; Finance, which governs our Tax Code and much of our healthcare programs; and the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, where I currently serve as the ranking Republican and have focused on our public health threat preparedness and response infrastructure and modernizing the FDA, CDC, and NIH, and I thank my chairman, Senator Murray. While serving on the Intelligence Committee, I have developed a deep friendship with Mark Warner and so many of my colleagues. We were great partners during our investigation of Russia's efforts to interfere in the 2016 election, and our shared passion for oversight of the intelligence community has made them better, more responsive, and our country safer. Mark, I am going to miss that work with you. I would also like to offer my deepest thanks and proud affection for the men and women of the intelligence community. From junior analysts to the station chiefs, in DC and around the world, the thing that has always stood out is their love of country, their commitment to mission, to keep the American people safe and our country secure. It is easy to focus on their so-called intelligence failures, which are more, actually, policy failures, and we don't get to talk about their successes, but that is what enables them to keep doing the work they do successfully to keep us safe. It is a rare opportunity to praise them for a job well-done. So to all of them: Thank you. It has been an honor, and it has been a privilege to serve in that capacity. Committees are where you roll up your sleeves and you get to work. I learned that from John Dingell in the House and from my friends Ted Kennedy and Orrin Hatch in the Senate. It is where friendships are made and where we work together to get results for the people who sent us here. If I have any regrets about the operation of the Senate in recent years, it is how much leadership ignored the work of the committees and, in many cases, ignored the expertise of our staff. The Senate needs more committee consideration of bills and serious issues, less consolidation of decision-making in the hands of a few. Thomas Jefferson once said: I like the dreams of the future better than the history of the past. So let me look forward in my remaining time rather than just reminisce the past. I have never been more optimistic about America's future. During the next two decades, we will see technology and innovation at a speed that none of us can envision today. Technology platforms will emerge that change the global economy; and at a pace that will be hard for this institution to keep up with. Breakthroughs will transform healthcare, agriculture, and manufacturing. Then it will hit a wall called the Federal Government, with an architecture designed in the 1950s. The work you have got is huge. It is time for Congress to be the visionary body our Founders envisioned when they created us. We are now 22 years into this new century. What are we waiting for? We need to unleash Americans to solve today's problems with the intellectual power of our great country. America is full of bright and intelligent men and women of all ages who are creative at finding solutions and forging new paths. We need these folks in the U.S. Senate, and I am glad that I have had the chance to serve with some who will now continue to carry on the great efforts for years to come. We need more statesman and fewer politicians. As Harry Truman said while serving in this great body: Regardless of [your] politics . . . [our] fate is tied up in what [happens] in this room. What happens in this room. The tradition of a farewell speech usually includes some words to your colleagues about the importance of the U.S. Senate, John Dingell's complaint about us being the enemy of the House notwithstanding. So here are some lessons about what I have learned and what I recommend to my colleagues on both sides of the aisle, both to the newcomers and to those in term 1 or 5. One: Thank your family. They put up with more than you will ever know. To my wife Brooke, thank you, thank you, thank you. While I am sure she is happy to see me retire, she also reminded me she doesn't make lunch, so I had better get a job. To my sons and their families, Tyler, Meg, Rooney, William, Tyler-- yeah, a boy Tyler and a daughter-in-law Tyler--Mary Lyde, Virginia, and Henry: Thank you. I am proud of the lives you are building and the grandchildren you have blessed Brooke and I with. I love you. I look forward to spending more time with you instead of these guys. Two: Thank your staff. They are actually the reason you are here; it is not you. In my time in the House and the Senate, during my leadership of the Intelligence Committee, the HELP Committee, I have worked with roughly 200 of the smartest, hardest working staff who sacrifice time and higher pay to work behind the scenes to make so many things happen. I have been blessed with a staff in North Carolina. My constituents couldn't be better served by their tireless efforts. I have had the best constituent service folks in North Carolina as North Carolina has ever seen. It would be impossible to name all of you, and I will put the names in the Record, but, particularly, I want to thank Dean Myers and Chris Joyner for their years of friendship and service to North Carolina, our country, and to me. I thank both of you. There are so many names, but from my House terms, I would like to especially thank Jenny Hansen Ware, John Versaggi, Brian Vanderbloemen, and A.T. From my Senate terms: Natasha Hickman, Chris Toppings, Polly Walker, Michael Sorensen, Caitlin Carroll, Rebecca Glover, and Josh Bowlen. From the Intel Committee, Christian Cook, Emily Harding, Vanessa Le, Tommy Nguyen, the entire bipartisan Russian team, and all of those who serve the committee under my chairmanship. And my HELP Committee, Angela Wiles, Rachel Portman, Anna Abrams, Dr. Bob Kadlec, Margaret Barton and David Cleary. Finally, I would also like to say a few words about Alicia Peterson Clark. She helped me in my first election. She became my House chief, and she got me to the Senate. She helped build the operation and establish the culture that runs through my office today. Today, even if you never met her, if you have worked for me, you have been influenced by her leadership. She passed away a few years ago, heartbreakingly young, and she is deeply missed. Three: Consistently remind yourself why you came to serve. The American people expect us to get things done. Like it or not, they may not send you home, but you will leave feeling that you played in the game and have very little to show for it. Four: Only do things that have meaningful purpose. My staff knows my rule for the introduction of legislation. You have got to show me the human face behind the issue if you want me to introduce it and be passionate about it. Five: Remember, our Founders expected Congress to be visionary. When we complain about regulation we don't like, it is usually our fault because we either delegated that authority away or remained silent when an out-of-control President just takes authority we never granted. Our system is designed so that Congress would do things to fix problems, including problems that didn't exist. The creation of BARDA proved to me the importance of being visionary. We would not have been prepared for H1N1, Ebola, Zika, coronavirus. My advice is to look ahead to what you think future problems might be and build an architecture to solve them. Six: Nobody wins in impeachment. Let me say that again. Nobody wins in impeachments. I have lived through 3--75 percent of all impeachments in the history of the United States of America. Congress should resist the temptation to treat impeachment as just the newest form of political opposition. Seven: Principle is important, but flexibility is essential. While we all have areas of interest that we are most comfortable with, they may not be the greatest need of our time. When the 9/11 terrorist attacks happened, we all had to shift our focus. When the financial markets collapsed in 2008 and 2009, it was all-hands-on-deck. And when COVID became a pandemic, we had to scramble to become health, education, and financial experts to shore up our economy and save lives. I wish we had done more to keep schools open so that children wouldn't have suffered quite so much. But I know that in the future we will have learned from these mistakes and we won't make them again. That is seven lessons on how to be an effective U.S. Senator. I hope some of my colleagues find these to be helpful. America has always been a great country, where dreams can come true. Let's keep it that way. Our citizens and elected officials alike should dream big and then work hard to make them a reality. The job of being a U.S. Senator means making tough decisions. Please remember that good judgment in making those decisions often involves finding some balance between two parties as much as it means standing firm on your personal convictions and on the platform on which you were elected. I hope we are all committed to supporting the ingenuity of our citizens so that they can match the likes of Henry Ford, Thomas Edison, George Washington Carver, Beulah Louise Henry, and so many others. Government should not be a roadblock to innovation and new ideas. Rather, it should encourage new ideas, new innovation, and new possibilities to realize the untapped potential of our citizens. I have often expressed my belief that America's best days are still ahead, and lately I have been chided for thinking that that is true. But my optimism is rooted in reality. Our country and our citizens have an unlocked potential and an unbound determination to overcome any division, any problem. Yes, there is much work to be done, but Americans have never been afraid to roll up their sleeves and work hard to succeed. Think of the challenges that we have overcome since our country was founded--the Civil War, the Great Depression, two world wars, racial division, the Cold War, terrorist attacks, Presidential impeachments, disputed elections, an international pandemic, and more. Yet none of these have destroyed the fabric of our Nation or its people, and I refuse to believe that any challenge is too great to tackle when we come together. I stand here today in awe of the history made in the Capitol complex, the people's House, the U.S. Senate, the old House Chamber, the old Senate Chamber, and even the old Supreme Court Chamber. Our Nation's history is crystalized here in this building. Our flaws, our triumphs, our humbling errors, and our breathtaking successes. If you listen closely at night, when all around is quiet, you can hear the echoing voices of the ordinary men and women who became giants in our Nation's history--Sam Rayburn, Margaret Chase Smith, Everett Dirksen, Barbara Jordan, John Dingell, Tom Coburn, Barbara Mikulski, John Lewis, and so many more. They served here with dignity and honor, and they shaped the course of a nation's destiny. They shared my optimism about our country and our future. Even in the darkest days, I know that optimism is not misplaced looking ahead. It is hard for me to imagine that I have had the great honor and extraordinary privilege to follow in their footsteps. I hope that my time here has had purpose and meaning. I know I have done my best to contribute and to help build a more perfect union. I will miss you, my colleagues, and I will miss the tremendous staff in Congress who are unknown by the public, but behind the scenes, they keep everything running smoothly. I will, especially, miss the hardworking, dedicated, and fearless men and women of the U.S. Capitol Police for the job they do to keep us safe. When trouble rears its head, they stand up. We must all remain thankful for the job they do on our behalf. As I conclude, I want to thank my wife and my family again, as well as my colleagues and my staff. I also want to thank the people of North Carolina for honoring me with the trust and respect. I am humbled that they sent me here to Congress eight different times, and I appreciate their support. I yield the floor. (Applause.) (Ms. ROSEN assumed the Chair.)

Mr. BURR

Mr. BURR. And the 12 that Roy has been in. But I have got to say that I never questioned whether Roy was going to be prepared, whether he was going to attend, whether he was going to absorb what he heard, and, more importantly, whether he was going to make a prudent decision about what we do. I can say that he mirrors the other 13--Susan, you being one of them--and I think that what Roy brings to this representation from Missouri is not only a man of character but a true leader. I expected to hear in your farewell address the words of Harry Truman, and I am paraphrasing when I say this because I can't remember the direct quote, but he was referencing all the things we think about that we do. But Truman boiled it down to this: The only things that matter are what happens in this room, in the U.S. Senate. And as we all three of us think of our departures, I don't think Missouri yet understands the loss that they have got by not having Roy Blunt here. But I do understand this: There are 99 other Members of the Senate who understand what the Senate will lose with Roy Blunt's decision to retire. So for all the good that you have done, Roy, I wish you many years of success from this point forward. I yield the floor.

Mr. BURR. Madam President, I rise today to remind my colleagues of what we have often heard: In Washington, if you want a friend, get a dog. Roy Blunt destroys that because Roy has been a true friend. Our relationship goes back to the House, though. The Senator wasn't whip when I was there. Clearly, he came in, and the math got better. But Abby is a strong woman. She has put up with a lot, as have all of our spouses. And, Abby, I hope you have a wonderful chapter in what is in store for him next. I want to speak from the standpoint of chair of the Intelligence Committee, and the fact that I work with 14 extraordinary people who understand upfront that they are going to learn a lot, they are going to be faced with some tough decisions, and they are not going to be able to talk to their colleagues, their friends, their family about anything that goes on. There can be some rather difficult days to go through, as we have seen over the 18 years I have been in the Senate and--16, 14? MR. BLUNT. Twelve.

Mr. BURR

Mr. BURR. Madam President, it is clearly apparent by listening to this debate, if Senator Sanders had been on the PEB board, the PEB board wouldn't be making a recommendation and the President wouldn't be behind it. But that is where we are, short of a breakthrough in the negotiations that are occurring and going on. I grew up listening to Paul Harvey. Paul Harvey had a show, the rest of the news, the stuff you didn't hear. Let me do Paul Harvey on Senator Sanders. The railroad workers today get 3 weeks paid leave on average, plus 11 paid vacation days. PEB made a recommendation that they get 1 additional paid leave day. We will add that in. That is almost a month of paid leave. Regardless of what you call it, there is a month there. You now mentioned this wasn't as lucrative as Germany and UK. I was home all of August. Nobody was asking: Geez, can you pass legislation that makes us look more like the UK or Germany or the rest of Europe? And I would be willing to bet that 27 paid leave days probably is more than some of the European countries.

Mr. BURR. I will turn to you when I finish, how about that? I gave you a gracious amount of time. The PEB board determined this was a good solution. And Senator Sanders says he is here looking out for the middle class because nobody does that. Tell me this: How are you looking out for the middle class when you are risking losing $2 billion a day in economic activity? Some of those people that you are talking about standing up for, if this rail strike continues, they are going to lose their job because of you. They are going to lose their job because the President took a position and you didn't support him. I have been amazed with this administration. I find it pretty difficult sitting up here taking the President's position because the CDC today, 78 percent of the CDC workforce does not show up at the office more than 2 days a month. We are in the middle of COVID. We have a monkeypox national medical emergency, and 78 percent of CDC employees--Centers for Disease Control--do not go to the office in Atlanta. As a matter of fact, by, I think, the New York Times report, even the Secretary doesn't go into the office. At a time where you ought to have leadership, the leadership is gone. Let's give the President a little bit of credit. He is showing some leadership. He realizes this is not good for every American. It doesn't matter whether you are rich or poor or in the middle. Having $2 billion a day of negative economic impact is not good. It will ruin people's lives, just like COVID, just like monkeypox has done to some Americans. I am not sure how in good conscience you can roll the dice and say: Boy, 24-percent increase in pay retroactive to 2020--not 2022, 2020-- $1,000 bonus, and 27 paid leave days per year, somehow we are cheating them. It is beyond me. But an objection has been heard, and now it means this is in Senator Schumer's hands. He is the majority leader. He can bring this legislation up on the floor. All he needs is 60 votes because I am convinced, after hearing Senator Sanders, he is not going to have an epiphany tonight and wake up tomorrow and say: I was wrong, I am for this. But here is the promise I will make to Senator Schumer. If he will bring it to the floor, I will produce 48 Republican votes for it. That means Democrats only need to produce 12 people to support it to keep the American people from having a $2 billion-a-day economic impact negatively impacting them. It will keep the flow of goods from the east coast to the west coast, and Amtrak will open up again. Christmas that comes in from overseas will hit L.A., Seattle, everywhere, and it will make it to its retail location where my wife can buy it. You could probably squeeze 12 Democratic votes just out of coastal communities that have ports that are going to be the real loser in this. Remember, not long ago we had a port problem. We had ships that were sitting off L.A. that couldn't unload, and we felt the impact of it. Well, if you thought that was bad, wait until there are no trains because then they will be unloading no ships. They are all going to sit off the shore. When they back up like that, that backs up further and further when these goods are going to come in because once they unload here, they are going to go back and get more. It also means that what we export in this country, there are no containers and no ships coming in to export those goods. If you are in agricultural territory at harvest time, this is going to be devastating to you. There are 160 million freight cars of agriculture transported every year, and it happens in this period. So I say to my colleagues, let's all hope that Senator Schumer will bring this up, that he will take Republicans up on their position of supporting the President and a solution to this problem, and that all he needs to do is produce 12 folks, and at any point, we can pass this legislation. I yield the floor.

Mr. BURR. Mr. President, I thank my colleague from Mississippi. There are going to be some who say this is unprecedented by the Congress. In fact, under the Railway Labor Act, Congress is allowed to intervene. In fact, Congress has intervened 18 times in the past, imposing PEB recommendations in whole or in part 4 times. If we don't do it, if we do not force this issue, at 12:01 tomorrow night, the railroads will shut down, and the economic impact on the American people is $2 billion a day--$2 billion. The Senator from Mississippi and I have introduced a bill that will adopt the Biden administration recommendations--recommendations that include a 24-percent increase in pay, paid retroactively to 2020; annual bonuses of $1,000; and additional paid leave. This is what has been negotiated by the PEB board, but, as Senator Wicker said, there are holdouts from a standpoint of some of the major unions even though eight have agreed to it. Now, as I said, Congress has taken this action 18 times to intervene in 12 different rail disputes. It spans back to 1982, and the latest was in 1991. So I dare say there are only a few that are in this body who were here when that happened. Now, Senator Sanders is on the floor, and I know he is going to object. I know he is going to object because I read his tweet this week. It said this: Congress shouldn't stand in the way of railroad workers going on strike. The rail companies have avoided bargaining, abused their workers, and allied with the same forces who killed the Biden agenda in 2021. Now they want Congress to support their greed. Don't. It sounds similar to the argument he was just making to Senator Scott about student loans. It sounds very similar to every argument he uses. It is that there is this thing in America where nobody is speaking up for something. Listen, this is the President's bipartisan emergency Board that he set up that came back with a recommendation to the Biden administration and said: Here is the solution to this. It should be adopted. This is really weird that Senator Wicker and I were on the floor introducing legislation that supports the President's position and supports the position of the Presidential Emergency Board. Now, here is the key thing. This is the takeaway. We don't have to be here. Senator Schumer at any point can place this legislation on the floor. Clearly, Senator Sanders would object then. But let me make a promise. If Senator Schumer needs votes, I can deliver 48 Republican votes to implement the PEB recommendation and the Biden-endorsed position. Let me say that again because I want to make sure Senator Schumer's staff understands. This is about how you get to 60. I don't want to give a 101 of the U.S. Senate, but 60 votes, as the President knows, is required. I am offering him 48. He only needs to get 12 on his side to have 60 votes, take this up, pass it, to have this over with. And there is no interruption. Not only is it $2 billion a day in economic impact; this is 160,000 trainloads of agricultural product at a time of harvest to cross this country. There are some who say: Well, this isn't going to affect me. They haul coal. They haul gas. They haul petroleum. They haul gases like helium that are required for manufacturing businesses. They haul auto parts, which means you are going to see auto assembly plants that shut down not because of China but because we let the railroad workers go on strike and did not support the President's position. This is not political. This is Republicans supporting the President's position and only asking 12 Democrats to support this action. I ask my colleagues: Drop this concern that you are representing one side or the other. Ask yourself what is best for America. We just got a report that inflation is 8.3--8.3; food up 7; housing up 6; gasoline was down, and I think everybody expected inflation numbers to go way down. So 8.3 percent--wages aren't keeping up with that. Every American family is losing money every month. And now you are going to tell them you are going to be paying more because food is going to be scarce. Commodities are going to be scarce. Some things aren't going to be delivered. If we thought that the port chaos that we saw last year was bad, we are going to see a complete shutdown of rail, and we are just a matter of months away from Christmas, when most retailers are counting on that product to come in. There are ports like Seattle and L.A., what are they going to do with the containers? You talk about ships staying out at ocean. Amtrak canceled their east-west rail coverage today going forward. Carriers have already stopped hauling hazardous waste because they didn't want to get halfway down a line and not be able to secure the hazardous waste. We are at a real tipping point on this. And this can all be solved by either no objection to the unanimous consent request or by Senator Schumer bringing this to the floor, knowing that he has 48 Republicans, and he only needs to produce 12 to get to 60. This is a really easy thing. It is an easy lift. Well, my hope is that we will take one of the two paths. But do understand that in less than 48 hours, at 12:01 Friday morning, the likelihood is that without action by Congress, there will be a strike, and rail traffic will stop. Period, end of sentence. At this time, Mr. President, as if in legislative session, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions be discharged from further consideration of S.J. Res. 61 and the Senate proceed to its immediate consideration; further, that the joint resolution be considered read a third time and passed and that the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table.

Mr. BURR. Mr. President, in a few minutes, I am going to ask unanimous consent for the passage of the bill. In the interim, I would like to yield some time to my good friend Senator Wicker.

Mr. BURR

Mr. BURR. Mr. President, I actually rise today to support Bob Califf and to say to my colleagues there has been a lot of criticism as to what he has done. I have never seen an FDA Commissioner, in 9 months of service--that was the length of his time at the FDA--who accomplished anything, much less as many negatives as have been raised. But as the ranking member of the HELP Committee and as a fellow North Carolinian, I would like to share with my colleagues that Dr. Califf is a supremely qualified nominee with bipartisan support. He has the robust agency and private sector experience needed to help build on the success of the FDA in helping Americans get back to normal life with the approval of tests, vaccines, and therapeutics that are bringing the pandemic to an end. He is the leader we need today but also for the future. Now, let me take a few moments to explain why. It has been 391 days since the FDA has had a Senate-confirmed Commissioner--391 days. No matter how effective and successful an Acting Commissioner can be--and we have been blessed with Janet Woodcock's leadership--the full backing of a Presidential nomination and confirmation by the U.S. Senate carry a weight that allows a confirmed Commissioner to push forward necessary, meaningful change and leadership within a Federal Agency. There has never been a more critical time for the FDA to have effective leadership. While the FDA has long played a leading role in the lives of the American people, regulating 20 cents of every dollar of the U.S. economy, the COVID pandemic brought the actions of the FDA during the response to the dinner-table conversation of every family in this country. In the 391 days since our last confirmed Commissioner stepped down, there have been two new, serious variants of the COVID virus; case counts that topped 1 million per day; shortages of vital therapeutics and diagnostic tests; and, tragically, the loss of hundreds of thousands of American lives. The FDA has and will continue to play a leading role in our response to a once-in-a-century pandemic. The Agency's unprecedented work helped innovators bring forward countermeasures, tests, treatments, and vaccines that have helped us withstand and fight against the virus and instill hope in Americans in some of the darkest moments of the pandemic. The FDA has made significant progress to advance medical product development. As new cases continue to slow and spring approaches, we are at what I am hopeful is an inflection point. Mask mandates are lifting, children are back in school, and the FDA is ready to move into the next phase of the response that will hopefully bring us back to normal. The FDA needs a leader who will not lose sight of the progress it has made. The silver lining of COVID has been its ability to show the value of American innovation and ingenuity. No one understands that better than Dr. Califf. His expertise at translational science means that he understands what it takes to transform an idea from a research bench into a real solution for patients. COVID catalyzed the FDA and the private sector to compress the timeline of the transformation without--without--sacrificing our world- renowned gold standard for safe and effective medical products. Platform technologies were developed through programs like Operation Warp Speed and RADx that put us leaps and bounds ahead. These types of technologies are force multipliers, allowing us to bring new options to patients with cancer, infectious diseases, and life- threatening conditions by adapting the same underlying technology. We need a Commissioner who understands and will advance these breakthroughs. I urge my colleagues, support Dr. Califf's nomination because he will provide the leadership needed to promote today's biomedical advancements and help to pave the way for tomorrow's innovation. As many know, I have been one of the FDA's toughest critics over the years. However, I am critical because I believe in the Agency's mission, and I know that American patients pay the price if the FDA falls behind. The FDA has an opportunity to be forever changed for the better, but it needs effective leadership to get there. Dr. Califf knows the Agency well, understands the value of innovation underway in academia, and knows firsthand how the private sector is advancing cutting-edge science that can benefit all Americans. I urge my colleagues this morning to support the nomination of Robert Califf. I yield the floor.

Mr. BURR

Mr. BURR. Mr. President, occasionally, Members are given the opportunity for a point of personal privilege. This is mine today. Today, I rise to speak in tribute to Christopher Austen Joyner, my most trusted adviser for the last 24 years. This week, Chris will retire from a 22-year career working in public service, most of them supporting me in some capacity. Twenty-two years is a long time. In Hill terminology, that translates to three terms in the House, followed by almost three terms in the U.S. Senate. And in Chris's case, it includes participation in almost every one of my campaigns since 1998. To say that I will miss our partnership is an understatement. Joyner's love of country, his dedication to serve, his ability to bring out the best in staff and in me have been a true gift for the last two decades. Chris, I hope you will enjoy a well-earned retirement; that you can head out to the coast; that you can have a few laughs with your wife, Amanda, your kids, Liz and Andrew; that you can enjoy some more baseball games, whether that is coaching Andrew's Little League team or sitting at Nats Park; and that you can properly reflect on your poor decision to get a pandemic puppy. From now on, I hope that there will only be one Monday per week, and, in addition to lunch, you occasionally get dinner. I expect to see you here, though, for the occasional breakfast burrito. Like so many young staffers, Chris started his Hill career as an intern at the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in 1996. In the spring of 1998, Alicia Clark, my then-chief of staff, brought Chris to my House office as a legislative assistant. Chris worked in my House office from 1998 to 2005, involved in almost every issue that came through our doors: foreign policy, defense, oversight, trade, tax, ag. In my House office, I could always count on Chris to be committed, prepared, and willing to work within the conference and across the aisle to get things done for the American people. One of Chris's proudest accomplishments during those years was his work with a bipartisan group of House staffers to draft legislation that ultimately became the tobacco quota buyout. Of course, I think his most noticeable accomplishment there in those years was to meet and marry the love of his life, Amanda, who has been patient over the years with long nights, nonexistent weekends, and staffdels that produced laundry smelling like jet fuel and explosives. Chris rose through the office ranks to become policy director, and he joined my Senate office in 2005. In the spring of 2006, after 8 years on Team Burr, Chris went looking for new challenges and briefly worked as a Washington rep for the American Petroleum Institute. Thankfully, he wasn't gone too long, and, in 2008, Chris agreed to come back to my Senate office as chief of staff. As my chief, Chris hired and mentored my staff both here and in North Carolina and provided me invaluable counsel on a host of issues facing the American people. Whatever the problem, Chris always brought the best options to the table, occasionally with some good bourbon, and provided the best advice, even if I didn't always agree. When I took over as chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence in January 2015, I knew that Chris would bring his keen intellect, good judgment, and steady leadership to the staff director role. Although Chris had never worked in the intelligence community, I knew that he had the right balance of respect for the intelligence community's mission and commitment to the Senate's important oversight role. Chris dove into this role head first, learning everything he could about the intelligence community, becoming a champion of its missions and of its workforce. He traveled the world in pursuit of ground truth, joining me on trips to war zones, crisis hotspots, and training locations to show the intelligence community our support; traveling via trains, planes, armored cars, helicopters, and, occasionally, souped-up golf carts. Chris knew the value of an in-person thank-you to our people in harm's way and the importance of a surprise stop to ensure that the reality on the ground was described back in Washington in the same way. Chris's bipartisanship and his supportive leadership style served him well during his time on the Intel Committee. Thankfully, he also kept his sense of humor and his penchant for movie quotes and exactly the right GIF. As staff director during the SSCI's Russia investigation, Chris led a bipartisan team of staffers on an almost 4-year-long effort to uncover foreign interference in the 2016 election. Although we had some heated moments and a lot of drama, Chris never wavered from the mission that Senator Warner and I had given the staff: to follow the facts wherever they led. Chris's leadership style is not flashy, and his quiet support for the SSCI staff and his devotion to the IC mission kept the committee focused on its essential oversight mission throughout a high-profile investigation in the beginning of the pandemic. Clearly, Chris could not get enough of this important mission, and for the last 2 years, Chris has served as the senior adviser on the committee, continuing the committee's efforts to focus the intelligence community on critical work exposing malign foreign influence. His work is clearly rated AAA. Chris, I am proud of you. I am so thankful to you, and I hope you know how much your service has meant to all of us and especially to me. You have been a voice of common sense in a divisive time, a steady hand through good times and bad times, and a champion of the legislative branch. Our Nation is safer, our intelligence community is sharper, and this institution is stronger because of you. Thank you for dedicating your life and service to your Nation and thank you for your dedication to me. It has truly been an honor and a privilege to have you by my side on this journey. We wish you well.

Mr. BURR

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

Mr. BURR

Mr. BURR. Mr. President, as if in legislative session, I ask unanimous consent that Calendar No. 50, S. 1364, the Lumbee Tribe of the North Carolina Recognition Act, be referred to the Committee on Indian Affairs.

Mr. BURR

Mr. BURR. Madam President, October is National Disability Employment Awareness Month. I would like to take a moment to honor IFB Solutions, headquartered in my hometown of Winston-Salem, NC. IFB Solutions has been operating in North Carolina for over 85 years and over that time has provided employment to thousands of blind and visually impaired individuals. Over their many decades of operation, IFB has helped fill the needs of the Federal Government with high quality products, delivered on time, and at a fair market value. As we celebrate National Disability Employment Awareness month, I applaud IFB Solutions for their commitment to offering employment opportunities for the blind and visually impaired. It is my hope that more employers will understand the value of having a diverse workforce and follow suit.

Mr. BURR

Mr. BURR. Mr. President, I rise today to pay tribute to Vanessa Le, a dedicated member of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence staff, an integral part of the committee's investigation into Russia's interference in the 2016 U.S. elections, and my designee on the committee staff since March of 2019. While with the committee, Vanessa proved herself time and again to be more than just another capable lawyer. Although there is no debating her strengths as an attorney, it is--and I hope always will be--Vanessa's courage in the face of corruption and expedience that distinguishes her counsel. As an unrelenting advocate for virtue, sensibility, and the common good, Vanessa lives the axiom, ``What is right is not always popular, and what is popular is not always right.'' Vanessa's work for the committee covered a waterfront of complex national security challenges that ranged from investigating Russia's election interference to conducting oversight of the U.S. counterintelligence apparatus. As lead investigative counsel for the majority on the Russia investigation, Vanessa worked tirelessly to secure witness interviews and document production, draft and serve committee subpoenas, interview witnesses, and liaise with the Department of Justice, the Office of Special Counsel, and the Senate legal counsel. In addition, she helped conduct witness interviews, drafted and reviewed chapters of the committee's report, and provided crucial legal advice on the committee's constitutional and Senate procedural authorities. Vanessa was also responsible for overseeing the FBI and helping to actualize my policy objectives relative to the Bureau and the Nation's broader counterintelligence enterprise. Vanessa brought a keen mind, exacting questions, and a heartfelt passion for the role of the committee in keeping this Nation secure to work with her every day. Vanessa's professional experience prior to joining the committee staff includes time as a litigation associate at the Drinker, Biddle & Reath law firm branch in Chicago, and as an Honors Attorney in the National Security Agency's Office of General Counsel. Vanessa is leaving the committee staff to work for the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, where she will serve as a special advisor to the DNI. I can most assuredly say that our loss is Director Haines' gain. Vanessa will achieve incredible things at the ODNI, and it is to the country's benefit that her contributions to work with this intelligence community will continue. Although I am hopeful the transition will afford her more time with her husband Gary and son George and baby girl Margaux, anyone who has ever met Vanessa will tell you that she is not really the relax-at-home type. I suspect she will bring the same intensity and ``let's get this done'' attitude that she was known for on the committee into her role at the DNI. Therefore, it is with a little reluctance and a lot of pride that I wish Vanessa well and thank her for all she has done for the committee. Her wit, intellect, boundless energy, and unparalleled mastery of the culinary arts will be impossible to replace. Thank you, Vanessa. The vital investigative work of this committee would not have been accomplished absent your dedication, your clear- minded judgment, and your unwavering moral compass.

Mr. BURR

Mr. BURR. Madam President, today I wish to pay tribute to Paul Matulic, a dedicated member of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence staff for over 16 years. Paul's total service to the U.S. Senate spans 27 years, the first 11 of which were spent as foreign policy adviser to Senator Orrin Hatch. Since joining the staff in 2005, Paul has been resolute and unwavering in his commitment to the committee's oversight mandate. He has managed an array of critical responsibilities ranging from oversight of intelligence community covert action programs and regional monitoring of America's national security hotspots and warzones, to making key contributions in support of the committee's most sensitive and high-profile investigative work. Paul never got anything but difficult assignments because I trusted him and I knew he would do an excellent job. Through it all, Paul maintained an erudite and exemplary professionalism that bettered both his colleagues in the performance of their oversight work and the intelligence professionals who he oversaw. Paul was exacting as an overseer, but he always balanced his demanding expectations with a heartfelt, genuine admiration for the extraordinary men and women of the intelligence community he helped oversee. Paul enjoyed relationships of trust and respect with his colleagues and members of the committee alike because he was thorough, he was prepared, and above all, Paul always gave you the truth, whether you wanted to hear it or not. Before coming to work for the Senate in 1994, Paul served as the vice president of Hill & Knowlton, a global public relations consultancy in New York City. Prior to that, Paul spent several years as an editorial and research assistant in the office of former President Nixon. Paul earned a master's degree in international affairs and political economy from Columbia University, and a bachelor of science in international affairs from St. John Fisher College in Rochester, NY. Prior to college, Paul experienced life at its grandest and grittiest, working from one side of the North American continent to the other, all the way into the Yukon Territory, spending time as a gravedigger, a magician, a ranch hand, a construction worker, a janitor, and a bartender. Paul's work for the committee, by its very nature, defies elaboration in this public forum. It is enough to say that Paul approached every day in the office with one ideal in mind: Democracy is underwritten by a vigorous system of checks and balances and that accountability is all the more necessary when it is applied to intelligence activities that might otherwise escape public scrutiny. The pride and purpose Paul took from being a part of that oversight mechanism were evident in the seriousness with which he approached his work. I am personally grateful to Paul for everything he did on the committee's behalf. Paul plans to spend his retirement with Margo, the great love of his life, at his side. He intends to travel, read, and walk the woods of the Rock Creek Park where he has found so much comfort and solace over the years. The son of European immigrants, who emigrated himself from Canada when he was 4 years old, Paul's story is a distinctly American one. Everyone who got to play a role in it these past 16 years is better for it. It gives me great joy to publicly thank Paul for his contributions to the work of the committee, the integrity of congressional oversight, and the security of this great Nation. He has been a credit to what we do from the moment he joined the staff. Congratulations and best of luck to you in retirement, Paul. Neither your expertise, your good humor, nor your wise counsel will soon be replaced.

Mr. BURR

Mr. BURR. Mr. President, I rise today to recognize the distinguished service of Michael ``Mike'' Sprayberry who will be retiring as director of North Carolina Emergency Management on August 1, 2021. Every citizen of North Carolina is indebted to Mike for his tireless efforts over the last 16 years to respond and rebuild following the countless disasters big and small that the State has faced. Since his appointment as deputy director for North Carolina Emergency Management in 2005 and subsequent elevation to director in 2013, his department has been called upon to respond to 32 Federal emergency and disaster declarations, ranging from hurricanes and tornadoes to fuel shortages and a global pandemic. Throughout his time, he has served under four Governors and provided steady leadership to ensure that the State of North Carolina is prepared to respond to any crisis at all times. While being charged with running emergency management operations for a large State is never easy, the last 5 years would have been an insurmountable challenge to almost anyone except to Mike Sprayberry. In 2016, Hurricane Matthew slowly crawled up the southeastern coast bringing record setting rain across nearly half of the State. While many had termed Hurricane Matthew a once in a generation event, less than 2 years later Hurricane Florence stalled along the coast once again bringing historical rains. In some areas of southeastern North Carolina over 30 inches of rain fell, cutting off Wilmington, NC, and other communities from the outside world for days. Through it all, Mike oversaw the rescue and sheltering of thousands of displaced North Carolinians while also ensuring that information continued to flow to Senator Tillis, myself, and other Federal agencies to allow for better federal coordination. While communities across the State are thankful for North Carolina Emergency Management's quick response at the height of the storms to rescue hundreds trapped in their homes due to flood waters, Mike Sprayberry's lasting legacy will be his dogged effort to rebuild North Carolina better and more resilient than before. Understanding that billions of Federal aid would be coming to support recovery, Mike advocated for the creation of the North Carolina Office of Recovery and Resiliency, including the establishment of the State's chief resilience officer, one of the first such positions in the country. He is a fierce proponent of the development of affordable housing and challenges his team daily to think about the long-term impacts they can make in storm preparation, storm recovery, and everything in between. Mike Sprayberry has lived a life of service first as a U.S. marine, then 25 years in the North Carolina National Guard as a field artillery and infantry officer, and finally serving as director of North Carolina Emergency Management. While he will be missed, his reputation and the culture of preparedness he has built in the organization and across the State will live on.

Mr. BURR

Mr. BURR. Mr. President, I would like to talk about the HHS Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response. The HHS Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response, or ASPR, is in charge during a public health emergency and serves as the principal adviser to the Secretary on these matters. This is not a political or a personal choice for any administration; it is the law. I know because I helped write it. It is a national security position, responsible for keeping Americans safe from public health threats, like COVID-19. It is a role that we envisioned with two types of responsibilities. The ASPR serves an operational role. During an emergency, the ASPR coordinates the public health and medical response--whether that threat is a hurricane, a novel virus, or a chemical attack. The ASPR has the responsibility of overseeing the development, purchase, and deployment of lifesaving countermeasures, like the COVID-19 vaccine. The ASPR is also a policy job, assessing the threat landscape and adjusting our strategies to best position the United States for the threats we face today and in the future. I am glad that today the Senate was able to confirm, by unanimous consent, Dawn O'Connell to be the ASPR. During Ms. O'Connell's nomination process for the job, she repeatedly agreed that she is ready to serve both roles and that the ASPR is in charge during public health emergencies. I believe her current role as a Senior Counselor to the HHS Secretary for COVID Response and her previous roles at HHS and in Congress have provided her with the skills necessary to fulfill the role of the ASPR. I was disappointed that it took the administration so long to nominate someone for this critical role, but I am pleased that they picked someone of Ms. O'Connell's qualifications. The ASPR is critical to the Nation's response and recovery to the COVID pandemic and preparing us against whatever comes next. I helped orchestrate Ms. O'Connell's confirmation today when I am also releasing a white paper from my role as lead Republican on the Senate HELP Committee about the role of the ASPR. We have learned from two responses under two different administrations--Ebola under Obama and COVID under Trump--that despite Congress's bipartisan intent that the ASPR be in charge in an emergency, that hasn't worked quite the way we envisioned. So I have a series of recommendations to bolster the role of the ASPR and bring greater clarity to our government's response for future emergencies. The ASPR needs to have strong, effective leadership and play a key role in coordinating the Federal Government response. The ASPR needs to have the authority and resources to strengthen public-private partnerships in our medical countermeasures, medical supply chain, and healthcare system. And the ASPR needs to leverage innovation to expand our preparedness infrastructure. Senator Murray, the chair of our HELP Committee, and I are working together on bipartisan legislation to address the response to the pandemic, and these recommendations will see their way into that legislation this fall.

Mr. BURR

Mr. BURR. Mr. President, I rise today to pay tribute to the life of a gentleman named Alvin Sykes, who passed away on March 19, 2021, in Kansas City, MO. Teddy Roosevelt once famously said, in life, ``The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again . . . but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, [the] great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause.'' Alvin Sykes was the man in the arena. He was a man who knew great devotion, who dedicated himself to a worthy cause, and who helped move our Nation even closer to our founding promise of ``liberty and justice for all.'' Alvin was born to a teenage mother. He ended his public school enrollment after the eighth grade, but he never ended his education. In his own words, Alvin transferred from public school to the public library. In the coming decades, Alvin immersed himself in learning about civil rights crimes and cold cases, becoming an expert on an often overlooked issue. He researched the history of these tragic crimes, the relevant laws, and the statutes of jurisdiction. Alvin was so well versed, when he testified about such cases before Congress in 2007, one Member mistakenly assumed he was an attorney. Alvin replied that he was not an attorney, but it was evident the knowledge and insight he possessed on these issues surpassed even the best-educated lawyers in this town. What made Alvin so remarkable, however, wasn't the knowledge he acquired but what he did with it. As he learned more about unsolved civil rights crimes--the ones no one talked about, the ones no one looked into--Alvin realized we needed a system in place to investigate those cold cases and uncover the truth. I met Alvin Sykes in 2016 through Senator Tom Coburn, a great and dear and missed friend today. Dr. Coburn ran into Alvin Sykes and heard this story and built a relationship that wasn't just personal--it was professional--because he wanted to help Alvin fix these wrongs. Through Alvin's advocacy and guidance, I joined Congressman John Lewis--a civil rights icon who, sadly, also passed away this last year--to introduce the Emmett Till Unsolved Civil Rights Crimes Reauthorization Act. The legislation was named for 14-year-old Emmett Till, who was brutally murdered in Mississippi in 1955 and whose killers were acquitted. After we introduced the bill, Alvin did what he had been doing for years: He went to work. He got in the arena. And he did not stop until there was legislation authorizing a Department of Justice unit dedicated to investigating and prosecuting cold cases that remained unsolved from the civil rights era To date, the Justice Department has investigated 152 cases under this program. And while many others were dedicated to making this a reality as well, Alvin's expertise, his passion, and his persistence were second to none. Last year, Alvin reached out to me again, seeking to posthumously recognize Emmett Till and his mother Mamie Till-Mobley for their role in starting the civil rights movement. His advocacy led me to introduce legislation with Senator Booker to award Emmett Till and Mamie the Congressional Gold Medal, the Nation's highest civilian honor. I can't think of two individuals more worthy of it than them. This bill is also a worthy coda for Alvin Sykes' life and his legacy. You see, Alvin was born only a year after Emmett Till's mother. And when he first became involved in that case, he heard Emmett's mother Mamie say she had been fighting to get justice since 1956. Alvin said he thought to himself: I was born in 1956. That means she has been trying to do one thing my entire life. Now Alvin is no longer with us, but the pursuit of justice for the Till family continues. My hope is that Congress will soon pass this legislation to recognize and honor their legacy. Today, though, I want to give Alvin the credit and the honor he deserves. His passion, his advocacy, and his high achievements made our Nation a better place. Personally, I learned from Alvin Sykes. I admire Alvin Sykes. I mourn his passing. I pay tribute to him today and thank God that he created Alvin Sykes. I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. BURR

Mr. BURR. Mr. President, I want to honor the life of Officer Tyler Avery Herndon of the Mount Holly Police Department. On December 11, 2020, Officer Herndon's life was tragically cut short at just 25 years old while responding to a report of a break-in. I want to take a moment to remember him and his commitment to his community. Officer Herndon had served in the Mount Holly Police Department for just shy of 2 years before his young life was taken. He had ambitions of becoming an FBI agent and was approaching the time needed as a police officer to become eligible to apply. He was described by his fellow officers as ``the guy you just can't help but like'' and someone who ``lived a life of service, and always wanted to do what he could to help others.'' Officer Herndon served the people of Mount Holly, NC, and today, we remember how he made the ultimate sacrifice. I want his family and the Mount Holly Police Department to know that my thoughts and prayers are with them as they grieve the loss of this exceptional young man. I know that Officer Herndon will be forever missed, and his service and sacrifice will not be forgotten.

Mr. BURR

Mr. BURR. Madam President, I am going to support the nomination of Mayor Marty Walsh to be the U.S. Secretary of Labor. Now, why is a guy from North Carolina here to encourage my colleagues to vote for the mayor of Boston, MA? Well, it is quite simple. Mayor Walsh has the background and skills and the awareness for the need of balance in conversations between labor and management. He has been a mayor; he has been a State representative; and he has also been a union leader. The Department of Labor serves an immensely important role in our economy and in the lives of the American people. Especially in the midst of a pandemic, with unemployment at 6.7 percent and 12.6 million Americans unemployed, this is a job that needs filling. But our Nation can't have a Labor Secretary that will ever be accused of being in cahoots with labor or beholden to management. I have made it clear that the Labor Secretary's job is to play a balanced role and to confront both, when necessary, for the protection of the rank-and- file workers. Mayor Walsh emphasized during his nomination hearing that he wanted to work with us collaboratively to help the American workers improve and expand opportunities. He respects the importance of job creators and the need for better coordination of numerous job training programs. Mayor Walsh is committed to making sure commerce and labor work cooperatively. He stated that the workers in a representation election have the right to listen to both sides. Mayor Walsh agreed to be responsive to our oversight requests and to keep us updated on his plans and departmental actions. Now, we won't agree on everything, but we should be able to find places that we can agree, in a bipartisan way, to move forward. I support the nomination of Mayor Marty Walsh, and I look forward to working with him. I encourage my colleagues to support this nomination as well. I yield the floor. I suggest the absence of a quorum.

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

Mr. BURR

Mr. BURR. Mr. President, for two Congresses, Angus King and I have introduced bipartisan legislation to streamline and simplify student loan repayment programs. Our proposal would make the current, overly- complicated loan repayment programs easier to navigate and more predictable for both borrowers and the Federal Government. Today, students are asked to choose between nine different loan repayment plans, each with different eligibility and income requirements. The uncertainty created by too many competing options has made it nearly impossible for the Federal Government to accurately fund the program, leading to billions of dollars in budget shortfalls. Just last year, the Office of Management and the Budget said the Direct Loan Program would cost $64 billion more than previously anticipated in just a single fiscal year prior to the COVID-19 emergency. The COVID-19 emergency caused $39 billion in additional unplanned for costs to the program through congressional and administrative actions. This is unsustainable, and it is unnecessary. We need to make it easier for student borrowers to find the best repayment plan that works for them, and we need to make it easier for the Federal Government to accurately account for a program on which so many students depend. The REPAY Act would do just that, and I am here again to introduce this commonsense proposal to help all new borrowers, which represents approximately 20 percent of Federal student loan borrowers each year. This bill has been previously supported by a number of cosponsors, including Senators Warner, Rubio, Collins, Capito, Shaheen, Carper, Wicker, Manchin, and Portman. The REPAY Act would simplify this process by establishing just two, easy-to-understand loan repayment plans. The first is a fixed 10-year payment option, like most borrowers pay now. The second is a simplified income-driven repayment plan, which takes into consideration how much a student borrowed verses how much they earn. First, this plan provides forgiveness of all outstanding debt after the borrower fulfills their obligation to pay monthly on a 20-year term if the student borrowed less than the maximum undergraduate borrowing limit of $57,500 and pay monthly on a 25-year term if the student borrowed more than the undergraduate limit. Second, this plan provides reasonable expectations for monthly payments. Very low-income borrowers would have a zero dollar payment. No payments are required until a borrower earns above 150 percent of the poverty line, which adjusts by family size and income. Modest- income borrowers would have a very low payment equal to 10 percent of the earnings they make above 150 percent of the poverty line. Higher income borrowers would pay 10 percent on the first $25,000 of discretionary income they earned and 15 percent on any income above that. A single income-driven repayment plan assures students that there is a reasonable repayment plan available based on their individual earnings. It means students won't be unnecessarily discouraged from pursuing careers that may pay less but for which they have a passion, such as education or social work. As I said, this is not the first time Senator King and I have introduced this legislation, but there is added urgency this year because of the COVID-19 pandemic and because of the reckless proposals to simply transfer hundreds of billions in debt from individual borrowers to the Federal Government. Last year, as the Nation struggled to combat coronavirus, Congress paused loan repayments for all borrowers through September 30, 2020. The Trump and Biden administrations then extended that pause through September 30, 2021. No borrower has been required to make a student loan payment for the last 12 months. As the American economy recovers, however, we cannot continue to pause payments indefinitely or, even worse, erase large swaths of loan balances, regardless of an individual's economic circumstance. Instead, Congress must put forward a commonsense plan that reflects the interests of student loan borrowers and American taxpayers. I have cautioned Secretary Cardona against pursuing a dangerous proposal to simply forgive student debt through administrative action, an action which neither complies with the Federal Claims Collection Act, the Higher Education Act, or the related regulations. Not only do I think this isn't a legal idea, I don't believe it is a wise one, either. It is reckless policymaking to forgive massive amounts of existing student debt and doing so will create a profound moral hazard. What happens after existing debt is forgiven? Will colleges magically lower their tuition and fees, so no student ever needs to borrow again, or will colleges continue to charge for their services, and will students load right back up on exorbitant debt that 5, 10, or 30 years from now the American taxpayer will be asked to write off once again? This is an unserious gambit that doesn't come close to addressing the real drivers of student debt. Rather than a flash-in-the-pan trick, I propose that we take up a durable policy solution, which includes the commonsense, bipartisan legislation that Senator Angus King and I are advocating. Our proposal helps ensure student loan repayment programs are understandable and workable for future students who need them. As ranking member of the Education Committee, I will work with our committee's chairman to move this legislation forward. I hope that we will find a willing partner in the White House and at the Department of Education.

Mr. BURR

Mr. BURR. Madam President, I rise today to support the nomination of Michael Regan to be the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency. One look at Michael's resume should make it clear to my colleagues that he is immensely qualified for this position, not only in qualifications but in his demeanor. Michael is a proud North Carolinian who, over the last 4 years, has ably served as secretary of the North Carolina department of environment. You will consistently hear from those who have worked with him in this role that whether they agreed or disagreed on a given policy, he always listened and looked to find agreement. This type of praise is not easy to come by on environmental matters, but it is exactly what we should ask of any nominee to ensure everyone gets a fair hearing at their Agency. That is exactly why North Carolina's agricultural community supports his nomination. It is our job to ascertain whether a nominee has the knowledge and experience to do the job that the President has nominated them for, but, too often, we overlook whether a nominee has the right character to lead an organization. In this case, there is no question that Michael Regan has that character. I have had the pleasure to get to know him over the last several years and to see firsthand his sincerity and love for his family. I know when a man of this caliber is confirmed, he will bring those same qualities to the Agency he leads, bolstering the EPA and ensuring that communities reliant on agriculture for their livelihood will be listened to. In closing, Michael Regan is a good man. He is the right man to lead the Environmental Protection Agency. And I would urge you and urge my colleagues to confirm him to be the next Administrator of the EPA With that, I yield the floor. I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. BURR

Mr. BURR. Mr. President, I rise today to support the nomination of Miguel Cardona to be the next Secretary of Education. He has the background, qualifications, and the temperament to serve in this position. Dr. Cardona has a meteoric rise from a classroom teacher to a school principal, to a commissioner of education for the State of Connecticut. I am glad the President has nominated him to lead the Education Department in such a challenging time for our Nation's schools. COVID-19 related school closures have led to significant learning losses, with millions of children stuck at home, trying to learn. Parents are at their wits' end because many of the adults running public schools across our country are failing to actually follow the science. We should be seriously talking about reopening schools as quickly as possible. That is what the science tells us, and that is what students need. Dr. Cardona testified before the Senate HELP Committee. He stressed the need for students to get back to school, and I am glad that is now, finally, a bipartisan mission. At the same time, each school district, college, university, State and local community faces different circumstances in dealing with this pandemic. Trying to treat them as a monolith instead of providing flexible advice for States and localities to use if applicable and useful would be a mistake. Dr. Cardona said he understands that one-size-fits-all mandates from Washington won't work. Dr. Cardona also agreed to be responsive to our oversight requests and to keep us updated on his plans and Department action. We won't agree on everything, but we should be able to find places where we can agree and we can move forward. I support the nomination of Dr. Cardona and look forward to working with him, and I encourage my colleagues to support his nomination as well.

Mr. BURR

Mr. BURR. Mr. President, we are all representative of heroes and idols and, clearly, my colleague from Oklahoma appoints several out from his home State. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that I complete my remarks before we go to the vote this afternoon.

Mr. BURR

Mr. BURR. Mr. President, I thank my colleagues for their time tonight, and I urge all of our colleagues to prepare. This will be back up. I yield the floor