Marsha Blackburn

Mrs. BLACKBURN

Mrs. BLACKBURN. Mr. President, for years, I have come to this floor and I have talked about what Big Tech is doing to our children in this country. There is an entire generation of children that have become the product when they are online on some of these social media platforms. What we have learned, as we have worked in a bipartisan basis-- Senator Blumenthal and I, working for over 5 years addressing these concerns--what we have learned is that when our children are online, they are the product of these Big Tech companies and these social media sites. The way these companies view our kids is that they are a profit center. Even Meta has assigned a dollar value to each child. You think, how incredibly callous can a company be? But they are fine with that. Think about that. Our kids are their product. Our kids are their profit center. Meta sees a kid, and they see $247 in profit. That is what they see. They do this because the more children they can get online, the longer they can keep them scrolling, the more data they collect on that child. And the longer the eyeballs are trained on that screen, the richer the data. And then, guess what? The Big Tech company whose value is based on how many eyeballs they have and how long they have those eyeballs on that screen, they make more money. Their valuation is higher. To me, that is reprehensible. It is disgusting. This is why we have continued to work on this issue. As these Big Tech companies are using our kids as a profit center, they are also exposing them to all sorts of adverse content and to so many harms: Cyber bullying--talk to any principal or teacher in any school, and they will tell you, in today's world, the bullying never stops. It never stops. Kids can't go home and get away from it. They can't come into the classroom and get away from the bully out on the playground. It goes to bed with them at night, and it wakes up with them in the morning. And we wonder why our children have mental health concerns at such an increasing rate. Drugs, lethal drugs, fentanyl--more children meet their drug dealers online. Sexual exploitation, where our kids are meeting traffickers and predators and pedophiles online. Human trafficking; and the list goes on and on. The reason for this negligence is simple. It is reprehensible. Investing in children's safety would cut into the profits for these social media platforms, so they don't address it. They know that if they do something about it, then they are going to make less money. How selfish can you be? The consequences are truly tragic for our kids. Earlier this month--and I thought this was such an amazing stat--the Federal Trade Commission revealed that in 2019, Instagram--many parents and grandparents know their kids and grandkids like to show them pictures on Instagram. Well, get this. Instagram encouraged ``groomers'' to connect with children on its platform. These are users who the Meta-owned company identified as potential child predators. Think about this. Looking at the profile, they think: That might be a child predator. What do they do? They do nothing. They encourage them to connect with young girls and boys. And what we know is that children were more than a quarter of their follow recommendations for people that they suspected were child predators. Of course, Meta was very well aware of what was going on. Yet Mark Zuckerberg reportedly refused to strengthen the platform's safety teams because--guess what--he didn't want to spend the money to fix the problem. Now, 6 years later, Meta's platforms are still dangerous for minors. And the people leading the company know it. On Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, AI chatbots have engaged in romantic fantasies with underage users, even carrying on explicit discussions of sexual acts with children. They know this is happening. In one case that was reported in the Wall Street Journal last month, a chatbot emulating an adult man told a test user--this was a reporter who was a test user for the Wall Street Journal for the story on these chatbots. The test user identified as a 14-year-old girl. So this chatbot who was emulating an adult male said he would ``cherish [her] innocence.'' To quote the chatbot again, he said: I want you, but I need to know you're ready. In another case, a chatbot played the role of a track coach who preyed on a middle school student. And I quote the chatbot: We need to be careful . . . We're playing with fire here. This is horrific. It is disgusting. Anyone can see it is repulsive and dangerous for our children. But for Meta, that was their goal: Get these kids in, and get them using the chatbot. Even as employees of Meta warned that the chatbots could sexualize children, Zuckerberg reportedly pushed for fewer safeguards to attract as many users as possible. This is not something that was researched here in Congress. It was not something that was partisan. It was a reporter for the Wall Street Journal. This is supposedly what Mark Zuckerberg had to say: I missed out on Snapchat and TikTok, I won't miss on this. That is allegedly what he said. Now, while Meta is among the first offenders when it comes to children's safety, they are not alone. I have talked many times--and my colleagues know--about Chinese-owned TikTok. The company is ByteDance. We know they keep all of our data there in Beijing, but TikTok pushed content that glorifies suicide to teenagers and developed some addictive algorithms that harmed their mental health. On Discord, pedophiles have targeted minors with sextortion and have lured them into abductions. This is something we know. We have the information. It is not hearsay. Drug dealers have used platforms from YouTube to Telegram to sell lethal drugs like fentanyl to teenagers, fueling our Nation's drug epidemic. The list goes on and on. For years, my colleagues and I on the Senate Commerce Committee and on the Judiciary Committee have listened to parents; we have cried with parents; we have held them close--parents from across the country who have lost their children to online harms. For years, we have heard excuse after excuse after excuse from Big Tech CEOs about these tragedies that are happening every single day, but they don't do anything about it. The excuses go on and on. They know what is happening, but they choose profit over protecting our kids. It cannot go on any longer. So, today, Senator Blumenthal and I have reintroduced the bipartisan Kids Online Safety Act, or KOSA, as we know it. This is crucial legislation. This is the legislation that will hold Big Tech accountable and make certain that parents and kids have the tools, the safeguards, and the transparency they need for young people to be protected in the virtual space. Among its provisions, the legislation will create a duty of care for online platforms to prevent specific threats to minors, including sexual abuse, illicit drugs, and the promotion of suicide and eating disorders. Bear in mind, the responsibility is on the online platform, and the duty of care would only apply to product features like algorithms, not content, meaning that KOSA would safeguard free speech while protecting our children. In many ways, KOSA is common sense. We have many protections for children in the physical world. Yet, if children are unable to buy alcohol or go to a strip club in the physical world, why do we allow them to be exposed to harms in the virtual space? They are exposed to these same harms 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. Parents know that there are just as many dangers lurking online and sometimes even more than there are in the real world, which is why 86 percent of Americans support KOSA. The legislation enjoys overwhelming bipartisan support. How often do we see legislation that can pass through the Senate with a 91-to-3 vote like KOSA did last year in this Chamber? It has also received endorsements from stakeholders across the board, including from child safety advocates, pediatricians, and tech companies like X, Microsoft, Snap, and Apple, which announced its support today. In the weeks ahead, we are going to work with our colleagues in the House of Representatives to ensure that this vital legislation makes it to President Trump's desk. When it does, the President will have a generational opportunity to secure a brighter future for children across the country. Their lives depend on the ability of us to act.

Mrs. BLACKBURN

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

Mrs. BLACKBURN

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

Mrs. BLACKBURN. Mr. President, when it comes to healthcare access, one of the biggest issues that Tennesseans face is rising costs, especially on prescription drugs. I will tell you, this comes up in meeting after meeting, questions about why our pharmaceuticals are costing me so much. According to a study by the Department of Health and Human Services, the average drug price increased by more than 15 percent--15 percent-- between 2022 and 2023. That translates to about $590 per prescription. Nearly half of all the medications that were studied saw price increases that outpaced inflation, including some with increases of-- get this--over 3,000 percent. This is unsustainable. And the reason it is unsustainable is why President Trump decided to take Executive action last month to lower drug prices for so many Americans. Among his actions, the President is taking on a category called pharmaceutical benefit managers or they are referred to in acronym parlance as PBMs. PBMs raise prices and limit choices for consumers. When you look at this industry, we have pharmaceutical companies that are manufacturing the pharmaceuticals. You have health insurers that cover the cost of these. You have pharmacies that sell them, patients that rely on them, and in the mix, there are now PBMs. They are middlemen that came about decades ago. They are between the drug manufacturer, the health insurer, and the pharmacies. Think of this as a triangle with the cost of that running around from point to point. PBMs came into play decades ago. Bill Clinton was President when they came to be. They were supposed to help manage prescription drug costs and benefits for employers. It sounds like a worthy goal. But over time, these benefit managers have gained incredible power over the prescription drug access across the entire country. They determine which medications will be covered by health insurance plans. I would imagine that many of us have had something that was prescribed, and then we find out no longer can we take that; there is going to be something to replace it or it is not going to be covered at all. They also determine the price. Many times, we have gone to pick up a pharmaceutical, and we have known what the copay was. It was covered. Then, all of a sudden, it is not and the price jumps and you are standing there at the pharmacy counter asking what has happened. Then you have to go call your insurance company. Then they say it is because of the pharmacy benefit manager, and then they will tell you, well, the employer is trying to reduce their costs--all of this ``excusitis'' because they are focused on how much money they can make. This revenue is often linked to the price of the drug, and the PBMs steer health plans toward more expensive options rather than lesser expensive options. They game the system by tying administrative fees, rebate-based compensation, and other payments to the list price of the drug. And to make matters worse, current regulations allow Medicare Part D plan sponsors to contract selectively with pharmacies, favoring PBMs' preferred networks that often exclude independent pharmacies that are probably located on the town square there in your hometown. This is something we have seen far too often in Tennessee, and we have realized this hurts those who live in rural and other underserved areas the most. Recently, the Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance conducted an audit of a single PBM in our State. They wanted to see how this is affecting the price of pharmaceuticals in our State. What they found was truly troubling. To the report, the PBM in question forced nonaffiliated pharmacies to pay higher rates for more than 550 medications, including some drugs that they tagged as, again, 3,000- percent more expensive than what would have been the lower cost option. A nonaffiliated pharmacy is generally an independent pharmacy. They are not part of a chain. They are not part of that vertical integration of the pharmacy--the physician, the PBM, the insurance company, the drug manufacturer. They are there in your neighborhood. We also saw in this report that the PBM in question repeatedly failed to reimburse low-volume pharmacies. Again, that is probably the pharmacy in your neighborhood. And they, in good faith, fill your prescription. And then the PBM challenges it and does not pay the bill. So the next time you go to the pharmacy, what do you hear? Oh, this is not covered. We cannot help you. You are going to have to drive 30 miles or 20 miles or whatever to get to one of the affiliated pharmacies, which, again, that is one of the big changes. Again, what you are seeing is those that are in underserved and rural areas and use an independent pharmacy, they lose out. We also found that this PBM in question was engaged in spread pricing that allowed them to pocket $30 million. That is one PBM in one State--Tennessee--and spread pricing put an extra $30 million in their pocket. What that means is patients were overpaying by $30 million, plus the inconvenience, plus the accelerated price, plus the fact that these PBMs jockey for what they can get in these rebates, and they change what you are allowed to get. And by the way, they do that without ever talking to your physician. When you look at that spread pricing, it is the difference between what the PBM charges the health plan and what they reimburse to the pharmacy. This is increasing the cost--another burden you bear--of your insurance. That is what PBMs are doing. So President Trump is addressing this issue by directing his administration to evaluate the role of PBMs in raising drug prices. The resulting report should provide an even clearer picture nationwide of the harms that are being caused by these PBMs, these middlemen, and they are totally unnecessary. In the Senate, we are working on bipartisan legislation to hold the PBMs accountable. In March, Senator Hassan, Senator Warner, and I reintroduced the bipartisan Patients Before Middlemen Act. This piece of legislation--which we want to get across the finish line and to the President's desk--would restore fairness for patients by requiring Medicare Part D plans to contract with any willing pharmacy, not just those in the PBM network. That means Medicare Part D would be contracting with your local community pharmacy, the one where you have a relationship, the one where you know the pharmacist, the one where you go in and say: Help with this; explain this medication to me; talk me through this. Also, our legislation would enhance transparency by assuring that PBMs are not limiting patient access to available pharmacy options under Medicare Part D. If your doctor says: You need this, and the PBM says: No, we are not going to pay for that; we are going to pay for this one over here, it would give you the right to get what the doctor says is best for you. It would ensure PBM service fees are no longer connected to the price of drug discounts, rebates, or other fees. When you hear these rebates advertised, guess who gets them. The PBM. When you hear discounts advertised, who gets it? The PBM. Also, this would create an enforcement mechanism requiring PBMs to pay the Department of Health and Human Services any amount more than the designated service fee. It means they would no longer be able to game the system, get the rebate and the money, pocket it, and you get a higher price. It is far past time that Congress took action to hold these middlemen accountable. I think we should just do away with them completely. It is time that we lower these drug costs for Tennesseans and Americans across the country. With the PBM Act, we know that this will happen.

Mrs. BLACKBURN

Mrs. BLACKBURN. I yield the floor. I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mrs. BLACKBURN

Mrs. BLACKBURN. Mr. President, 100 years ago this November, the world of American music changed forever. Nashville's Grand Ole Opry hit the airwaves for the very first time. Today, fans across the country know it as country music's most famous stage. It began as a small radio show at the National Life and Accident Insurance Company right in downtown Nashville. In those early days, the Opry showcased the dance tunes and ballads that were being performed by a new generation of musicians in Tennessee and across the South. Drawing on America's folk tradition, these artists were pioneering an entirely new genre--country music. Soon crowds were showing up at the company's radio station. And after moving between different venues in Nashville, they settled down. The Opry called the Ryman Auditorium its home. That was in 1943. At the Ryman, some of the music tradition's biggest stars made their Opry debut: Hank Williams, Patsy Cline, Johnny Cash, Elvis Presley, Dolly Parton, and the list goes on and on. Since moving to its current home at the Grand Ole Opry House in 1974, the Opry has welcomed generation after generation of new stars who have stepped into its famous wooden circle and added another chapter to country music's incredible, amazing history. Along the way, the Opry has become the longest running radio show in U.S. history, reaching millions of listeners in America and across the world with its weekly broadcast. To honor this extraordinary and historic institution, I am asking for unanimous consent to pass my resolution that congratulates the Opry on 100 years of incredible music, legendary performances, and musical heritage. Here is to 100 more. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent the Senate proceed to the consideration of S. Res. 207, which is at the desk.

Mrs. BLACKBURN. I ask unanimous consent the resolution be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, and that the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table with no intervening action or debate.

Mrs. BLACKBURN

Mrs. BLACKBURN. Mr. President, yesterday did indeed mark the 100th day of President Trump's second term, and I think, if you were to pick four words that really describe his first 100 days, it would be promises were made, and promises are being kept. That is precisely what he has done. If you want to go through some of these, let's start at the southern border. Under President Biden, criminals, terrorists, and traffickers were flowing across that border, but because President Trump on day one took Executive action to secure that border, illegal crossings are at their lowest level in decades. This is something the American people wanted to see done. In March, those crossings were down 95 percent from the last administration. I understand that this past weekend, they had the lowest number ever--a 99-percent reduction. They had three people who were apprehended. When you look at deportations, the Trump administration has already removed more than 100,000 criminal illegal aliens. This number has included suspected terrorists, members of violent gangs like MS-13 and Tren de Aragua, and we know that more of those deportations are going to take place. President Trump is fulfilling the promise he made to make this Nation safe again, to make our communities safe again, and to get these violent gangs and criminals off our streets. Now, even though these efforts have been very successful and are widely supported by the American people, we have seen some powerful institutions in our country try to block the will of the people and what they wanted to see done. This includes some of our Nation's social media companies. According to reports, Facebook is allowing a black market to thrive on its platform where illegal aliens can buy ride share and delivery driver accounts from credentialed users. In effect, what this black market does is help illegals avoid background checks and be able to work in our country illegally using someone else's name and credentials. This is not something that is a new problem. Last year, I led a probe into the account security of food delivery services after we had received reports that showed illegal aliens were buying access to the accounts of legitimate users. Thankfully, companies like Uber Eats, DoorDash, and Grubhub implemented stronger driver verification processes after we began this investigation, but Facebook's black market really helps illegals to bypass those protections. There is one Facebook group that has been out there, and here is the name of it: ``UBER ACCOUNT FOR RENT WORLDWIDE.'' This account tallied 22,000 members who bought and sold delivery credentials. While the social media platform has taken that specific group down, what we did find is there are now 80 similar groups that are active on Facebook. This black market not only runs afoul of the law, but it also poses a serious public safety threat, especially for women, children, and the elderly. Just in February--and this is a case in point--there was a lady in Massachusetts. She was allegedly raped after ordering an Uber Eats delivery to her home. The app indicated that a woman would be delivering her order. Instead, an illegal alien with horrific intentions is who showed up on her doorstep. Last week, I sent a letter to Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, demanding answers about what his company is doing to eliminate this black market from Facebook. He has until May 6 to respond to the questions. I will continue to press this issue of accountability and public safety with the big tech giants. While President Trump has worked to secure our border and our communities, he has also focused on making our economy stronger than ever before. In the last 100 days, he has slashed Democrats' far-left regulations, has unleashed American energy production, and has secured trillions of dollars in investment to support American workers and industry. Now, in Tennessee, we have seen some of the benefits of that, and we have seen millions of dollars in investments. The candy company Charms is investing nearly $100 million to expand its production plant and distribution center in Covington, TN. Mount Juliet was included in a $700 million nationwide investment by Schneider Electric to boost domestic manufacturing and energy infrastructure. Electronics company ABB is investing $80 million in Selmer, TN, to expand manufacturing and to create new jobs. Later today, I am going to be joining President Trump at the White House as he welcomes many CEOs of these companies that are making these investments in our Nation. As the President works to usher in a new golden age, we are already seeing incredible results. In March, our economy added 228,000 jobs, beating expectations by almost 100,000 jobs. That same month, falling energy costs pushed inflation down to 2.4 percent. That is tied with the lowest inflation rate since February 2021. That was 1 month after President Biden took office and ushered in the worst inflation crisis since the 1970s. President Trump and my Republican colleagues believe that Americans should have more money in their pocketbooks, not less, which is why we are working to extend the President's 2017 tax cuts. These tax cuts delivered historic growth for the economy, and if we fail to extend them, families and businesses will face the largest tax hike in history. It would be a $4 trillion tax hike. That is why, earlier this month, Republicans in Congress passed a budget resolution that will enable us to extend these expiring cuts. At the same time, we are advancing other tax priorities that are championed by the President, including his proposal to cut taxes on Social Security. By taxing Social Security, the Federal Government is taxing a tax. It makes no sense. Social Security recipients have paid into this program for decades. They deserve the full sum of their Social Security income. However, nearly 66 percent of retirees are paying taxes on their Social Security benefits because Bidenflation pushed seniors' benefits into higher income brackets. To address this, I have introduced the RETIREES First Act. It would lower the tax burden on Social Security benefits for seniors by raising the provisional income threshold from $25,000 to $34,000 for single filers and from $32,000 to $68,000 for married filers. In effect, this legislation would eliminate income taxes for many of our Nation's retirees, leaving them with more money in their paychecks. As we work on these tax provisions and more, I am looking forward to working with President Trump to deliver relief for hard-working Tennesseans and, indeed, all Americans. We are the greatest Nation on Earth, and with strong leadership back in the White House, we can get this Nation back on track. I yield the floor.

Mrs. BLACKBURN

Mrs. BLACKBURN. Mr. President, I ask the previously scheduled vote begin immediately.

Mrs. BLACKBURN

Mrs. BLACKBURN. Mr. President, in recent days, Middle and West Tennesseans have faced severe storms that have truly upended the lives of many of our communities and our citizens. Over 4 days, parts of our State saw more than 12 inches of rainfall. This has caused rising rivers, flash floods, and it has forced people out of their homes and their businesses. At the same time, we have seen devastating tornadoes that have destroyed homes, businesses, and entire communities. In Selmer, TN, one tornado reached winds of 160 miles per hour, leaving a path of destruction. In the words of one survivor, the storms have left the town ``unrecognizable.'' As a result of this devastation, we have lost the lives of 10 Tennesseans. My heart goes out to every single one of their families as our State mourns this loss and as the communities gather to grieve the loss of their citizens. Right now, Tennessee remains in a state of emergency. Over the weekend in Nashville, I visited the State Emergency Operations Center and received an update from the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency, FEMA, Tennessee Department of Transportation, Tennessee Highway Patrol, and other agencies on our State's emergency response. I also had the opportunity to visit with nonprofits that are meeting the needs on the ground of our citizens. I do want to say thank you to all of the first responders and the volunteers and the emergency teams who are working around the clock to meet the needs of so many. With water still rising in our State, power lines down, and many roads blocked completely, it is imperative that Tennesseans listen to local authorities and take every precaution to keep themselves safe. My team is working closely with State and Federal and local agencies, and we are ready to assist anyone who has endured these awful, awful storms. In the face of any crisis, Tennesseans always come together. As we start to pick up the pieces from these storms, I know you will see that volunteer spirit alive and well in Tennessee.

Mrs. BLACKBURN

Mrs. BLACKBURN. Mr. President, I have 14 requests for committees to meet during today's session of the Senate. They have the approval of the Majority and Minority Leaders. Pursuant to Rule XXVI, paragraph 5(a), of the Standing Rules of the Senate, the following committees are authorized to meet during today's session of the Senate:

Mrs. BLACKBURN

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

Mrs. BLACKBURN

Mrs. BLACKBURN. Madam President, in our constitutional Republic, the President represents the will of ``we the people.'' He does this more than any other elected official in this country because, alongside the Vice President, he is the only office holder who is elected by the entire Nation, State by State. And in November, the American people gave President Trump a powerful mandate to secure the border, lower inflation, rein in spending, restore our standing in the world, and usher in what he terms is a new ``golden age'' for America. And to be certain, the administration is seeing a lot of success, and the American people are very pleased with what he has done. However, on many fronts, the Trump agenda has been held up in court, not for legitimate legal reasons but because activist judges want to block as many actions by this administration as they possibly can. In the last two months alone, judges issued more injunctions--and, in February, that was 15 against President Trump--than they did against President Biden in his entire 4 years. There were 14 against him. Now, these judges are not issuing rulings on small details in narrow cases. They are trying to stop policies at the heart of President Trump's ``America First'' agenda. What we know that the American people and, indeed, Tennesseans, whom I represent--what they want to see is a government that is going to be transparent, a government that is going to be accountable, a government that will be a good steward of their money. But activists on the left can't get what they want at the ballot box. They lost on November 5. They lost, and they can't accept that. They can't get what they want legislatively. They don't have the votes. The American people said we are tired of leftist DEI-ESG policies. We are tired of two tiers of justice. We are tired of seeing waste, fraud, and abuse in the government. Reporting it, and the bureaucracy does nothing--zip, zero, nada. They are tired of that, and they are pleased with the actions that are being taken by this administration to hold the bureaucracy to account--not for just what is some of what I think they are doing, but for every single penny that they are spending and every decision that they are making. Now, as I said, we have got those on the left. They can't get what they want at the ballot box. They can't get what they want legislatively. They are looking at Governors and State legislators who are not giving them what they want, which is control and power over the American people. But that is what the American people are saying: Oh, no, we are not going to let you have that. So what have our colleagues on the left decided to do? Well, there is one branch of government that is left for them to try to go in and say: You do it for us. We have failed. We can't get it legislatively. We can't win these elections, but we are going to count on you. And that is the judiciary. So what we have seen and what is troubling so many Tennesseans is activist judges that are on the bench, but, all of a sudden, they are trying to act like they are Supreme Court Justices. They are trying to act like they have the authority to take down the decisions and actions of a President who is delivering what the American people want. So our colleagues and friends on the left are now depending on the judiciary to rescue them--to rescue them. They failed because they are wrong, and the American people said we are not with you. So now we have these judges. They are stepping up. They are district judges. Now, what we know is this. A district judge has a case before him. His decision or her decision applies to that case, and it applies to the district in which that judge is seated. But oh, no, these activists on the court have decided they are going to make nationwide injunctions to try to stop some of President Trump's policies, which as I said, are policies the American people have said: We want to see this done. It is like cutting down the size of the Federal bureaucracy. The American people are loving what DOGE is doing, but the leftists go to a district judge out in, of all places, San Francisco, and they have that judge issue an order to block what the President is doing. So this district judge out in San Francisco--the ``left coast,'' appropriately named--directed the administration to rehire thousands of terminated bureaucrats. Tennesseans and a lot of Americans, also want a government that spends taxpayer dollars responsibly because we have $36 trillion in debt--$36 trillion in debt. Now, the Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, has already found north of $140 billion in waste and fraud. They have identified this, and we are working to save this money for the taxpayers. But here, again, the left can't pass what they want on the floor of the Senate or the floor of the House. So they go to the judiciary, and they say: You stop them because we can't get enough of the taxpayer money. We want more of it, and we want to shove it out the door to leftist NGOs and organizations and nonprofits. We want that money so we can waste it the way we want to waste it. Now, that is, in essence, what they are saying. They want the power and the authority to waste your money. That is what the Democrats are working for. Well, DOGE is working for the people--for the people. Go pick up those founding documents: ``People''--``We the People.'' It is in caps. It is in caps. But see what happens with the bureaucracy? The people stand up to be the people, and, all of a sudden, the leftists say: Oh, no, this is our sandbox. We have got to have more spending. We have got to have more money. We want to waste it all. Who is going to pay for this? It is going to be our kids and our grandkids because it not only affects our Nation's solvency; that addresses our Nation's ability to be a sovereign nation. We have got activist judges, and oh, you know, all those NGOs--they are just stuck in a tear over this. So you have got a judge that says: Oh, no, you have got to send this money out. Are you kidding me? They don't want to save the taxpayers' money? Now, I think one that has come up so often with Tennesseans and the reason this issue of these out-of-control leftist judges came up on our telephone townhall last night--by the way, we had thousands of Tennesseans on that call, and it had to do with deporting these criminal illegal aliens--Tren de Aragua, MS-13. To my colleagues, I remind you, we have deemed them foreign terrorist organizations. These are not people who are our friends. These are people who are terrorists. They are gangs. They have murdered. They have raped. They have robbed. But we have some of our friends on the left who are saying: Oh, you can't deport them. You can't send them to the gang prison in El Salvador. You have got to bring them back. Are you kidding me? Show me somebody that actually wants to have more murderers and rapists and robbers in their community. I invite anybody: If you want to go out there and protect rapists and murders and robbers, you come on down here, and you explain why you would like to have them come. If they are for that, I would like to hear why they are. But what we see happening is these activist judges are undermining our Nation's Constitution. In each of our Nation's 677 district judges, there is no veto power over the President--none. They do not have it. There is nothing--nothing--that gives a Federal district judge veto power over the actions of the President of the United States. Now, if they did have that power, they would be circumventing the will of the people, and we would no longer be a sovereign nation. The separation of powers works both ways. Judges must respect the President's authority over the executive branch. That is his jurisdiction. To ensure that happens, my Republican colleagues and I are introducing the Judicial Relief Clarification Act. Now, this is being led by Senator Chuck Grassley, who is chairman of our Judiciary Committee. And it would end this harmful practice of nationwide injunctions, make temporary restraining orders against Federal or State governments immediately appealable, and ensure the courts can only issue relief for the case or the controversy before them. A district judge in San Francisco or anywhere else should not ever be deciding national policy. That is not something they have the ability to do. Altogether, these provisions would help restore Federal courts to their core purpose, which is administering justice under the rule of law--not deciding nationwide policy.

Mrs. BLACKBURN

Mrs. BLACKBURN. Mr. President, there can be no doubt, Elon Musk is a patriot. He has revolutionized entire industries, whether it is PayPal, Tesla, SpaceX, Neuralink. Across his businesses, there are so many things that he could be working on, but when President Trump asked him to join the administration, he answered that call. He said yes, and he committed himself to serving the American people and helping get this fiscal house in order. In many ways, he is tackling one of the biggest threats to our Nation's sovereignty, and that is our debt--$36 trillion in debt. He understands that our fiscal path is unsustainable. And today we are spending more money to service our debt than to fund our entire military. As this debt grows, it will become more and more difficult to fund basic government functions. That is why he is leading the Department of Government Efficiency, trying to rein in reckless spending and to get this country back on the track to fiscal health. Now, so far DOGE has had a lot of success. In just 2 months, they have identified $130 billion in potential savings by eliminating waste, fraud, and abuse across the Federal Government. They hope that that number--and they fully expect that number--to reach $2 trillion by the time we get to Independence Day next year, which, by the way, will be our 250th birthday. Every American should be applauding this effort. Our children and grandchildren's future depends on a free America. But because he has been helping President Trump, he has become a target for the radical left, which has launched a domestic terrorism campaign against his company Tesla. In Las Vegas, suspects set Tesla vehicles on fire with Molotov cocktails; in Oregon, a man shot up a Tesla dealership; and across the country, Tesla owners have had their cars destroyed with arson and vandalism. Now, some of these Democrat-aligned groups are organizing a ``Global Day of Action'' on Saturday to target Tesla. The reason for this campaign is simple. In November, the American people rejected the left's radical agenda. They said: Enough of this. Well, our friends across the aisle have lost the debate, but instead of making a better pitch to voters, they are trying to stop Republicans with violence and intimidation. The Democrats spent the last 4 years denouncing domestic terrorism and supporting EVs, yet now they are eerily silent. And when they do comment, they celebrate Tesla's setbacks. Tim Walz, Democrats' failed VP candidate, claimed he gets a daily boost from checking on Tesla's stock price, which has declined amid the terrorism campaign. Democrat ally and late-night host Jimmy Kimmel seemed to endorse the violence, sarcastically telling his audience: Don't ever vandalize Tesla vehicles. Last week, Democrat Congresswoman Jasmine Crockett said all she wants for her birthday is to ``see Elon taken down.'' This rhetoric is inexcusable. And as the world's greatest legislative body, we should jointly condemn political violence. That is why I am asking for unanimous consent to pass the resolution that condemns the horrific acts of violence, arson, and domestic terrorism committed against Tesla dealerships and facilities. There is no reason why Democrats should oppose this resolution. Mr. President, as if in legislative session, and notwithstanding rule XXII, I ask unanimous consent the Senate proceed to the consideration of S. Res. 146, which is at the desk; further, I ask that the resolution be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, and that the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table with no intervening action or debate.

Mrs. BLACKBURN

Mrs. BLACKBURN. I object.

Mrs. BLACKBURN. Mr. President, to speak on my objection, I think it is important to note that the resolution I presented does not mention Elon Musk. The ``Resolved'' title in this--and by the way, it is really short is that the Senate condemns the horrific acts of violence, arson, and domestic terrorism committed against electric vehicles, car dealerships, and charging stations across the United States. Now, for years, my Democratic colleagues have come to the floor and supported EVs. Just last year, my colleague from Connecticut claimed, and I quote him, ``if we want to cut emissions and save the planet, we need more electric cars on the road.'' And as domestic terrorists target the largest EV company in the world, they refuse to condemn the violent actions. And in the past, he has also condemned vandalism and political violence. Now, as BLM rioters rampaged through American cities in the summer of 2020, he posted on X that ``Looting and property damage is bad.'' He deleted that post, but I will give him credit, his sentiment was right. And after an assassin's bullet almost took the life of then- Candidate Trump, he said: There is no room in America for political violence. He was right on that quote. And as we see a wave of political violence in our country today, Democrats should have no problem condemning it. Now, to the resolution from my colleague in Washington, I find it interesting that they want to talk about lawlessness. For years, they pushed policies that weaken law enforcement and promote crime. As BLM rioters rampaged through Seattle in 2020, my colleague called on the Department of Homeland Security to remove Federal agents from the city who were trying to quell the unrest. The U.S. Senate should be able to stand up to violence and support law and order. And today, they are stopping us from doing that. And when it comes to pardons, I think we should talk about pardons. In his final weeks in office, President Biden abused his pardon power to protect family members, free violent criminals, and make our country less safe. For years, President Biden claimed he would not pardon his son Hunter; yet, in December, Biden gave him an unconditional pardon for any Federal crimes he may have committed over the course of a decade. Such an abuse of Presidential pardon power has never happened in our Nation's history. Just months before, Hunter had been convicted of Federal gun crimes and tax offenses totaling $1.4 million. At the same time, evidence continued to mount that Hunter sold access to his father in foreign countries, including China and Russia. This was a multimillion-dollar influence peddling scheme and a Biden family affair. That is why just minutes before leaving office, the former President also pardoned his siblings and their spouses. They joined more than 8,000 people who received pardons and commutations from Joe Biden, including many violent criminals and murderers. With one foot out the door, before leaving office, he commuted the death sentences of 37 of the 40 men on Federal death row, including-- get this--Thomas Sanders, who kidnapped and then shot a 12-year-old girl, and he cut her throat. That is who Joe Biden decided to commute a sentence on. Anthony Battle, who murdered an Atlanta prison guard with a hammer in 1994 while serving a life sentence for raping and murdering his wife. And Kaboni Savage, who was convicted of committing and ordering the deaths of not 1 person or 2, 12 people--12 people, including 4 little children. If we should be condemning any pardons, we should start with violent criminals. To be clear, Senate Republicans strongly oppose any violence, especially toward our Nation's brave law enforcement. Our resolution states that all acts of violence are entirely unacceptable in the United States. I would encourage my colleagues to join me in passing this resolution. Instead, they have decided to play games with a sham counter resolution.

Mrs. BLACKBURN

Mrs. BLACKBURN. Mr. President, last week, our Nation lost a fearless entrepreneur, beloved cook, and Tennessee institution: Miss Daisy King. For more than five decades, Miss Daisy blessed our State with her incredible talent for southern cooking. From her successful catering business to her restaurants in Franklin, Miss Daisy's Tearoom and Miss Daisy's Kitchen, she served up dishes that were adored by Tennesseans and celebrated by the food industry: buttermilk pie, creamed chicken, chive potato salad, beef casserole, bourbon and chocolate pecan pie, and much, much more. Through it all, Daisy took joy in sharing her passion for cooking with others. In 1978, she published ``Recipes from Miss Daisy's,'' a treasure of wonderful southern recipes that would sell more than 1 million copies. She would go on to publish 13 more cookbooks and share her recipes on national and regional shows, including ``Today Show,'' ``CBS This Morning,'' and Nashville's WTVF-TV's ``Talk of the Town.'' Over many years of friendship, I was fortunate to see Daisy's generosity, creativity, and delight in serving others. If you wanted to have a conversation about how to do something better, Daisy was there to help. Especially for younger women who were trying to find their way in the restaurant business, Daisy always offered help and paved the way for others to follow. There is a reason Miss Daisy was known as the First Lady of Southern Cooking. While we have lost a truly special woman, her legacy--and recipes--will live on in Tennessee and across the country for many years to come.

Mrs. BLACKBURN

Mrs. BLACKBURN. Madam President, last month Tennessee lost a great man, public servant, and community leader: Sheriff Wayne Potter. For almost three decades, Sheriff Potter served the citizens of Morgan County as a member of law enforcement. Starting in 1995, he became a correctional officer for the Tennessee Department of Corrections, serving at Brushy Mountain State Penitentiary. Three years later, he joined the Morgan County Sheriff's Office, where he would rise through the ranks with a dedication to helping others. In recognition of his distinguished service, Morgan County elected him as sheriff in 2018. With the responsibility entrusted to him from his community, Sheriff Potter worked to lower crime, improve public safety, and make life better for all residents. Over the years, Sheriff Potter took on many roles: patrolman, narcotics investigator, school resource officer, and law enforcement professional with the Wartburg Police Department and Oliver Springs Police Department. And through it all, he showed unwavering courage. After receiving his tragic cancer diagnosis last year, Sheriff Potter remained committed to leading his department and helping those in need. On behalf of all Tennesseans, I extend my heartfelt condolences to Sheriff Potter's family, including his wife Lea and six beautiful children. While our State has lost a great leader, Sheriff Potter's legacy will endure in Morgan County and across Tennessee for many years to come.

Mrs. BLACKBURN

Mrs. BLACKBURN. Mr. President, since Hamas's barbaric attack on Israel on October 7 of last year, many of our Nation's top universities have abandoned their Jewish students. Instead of providing a place to learn, they have become hotbeds of anti-Semitism, anti-American hatred, and open support for terrorism. Here are some examples. At Princeton, students have waved the flags of terror groups like Hezbollah. At UCLA, activists set up barricades across campus and blocked Jewish students from attending class. At George Washington University, a pro-Hamas demonstrator walked around campus with a sign calling for a ``Final Solution'' against the Jewish people. At Columbia University, students chanted ``We are Hamas'' and ``Long Live Hamas.'' In recent weeks, pro-Hamas activists at Barnard College occupied an academic building, allegedly assaulted a school employee, and handed out fliers produced by the Hamas Media Office. These fliers glorified ``Operation Al-Aqsa Flood.'' That is Hamas's term for its kidnapping, rape, and murder of more than 1,200 Israelis. These are not isolated cases. To many Americans and, certainly, many Tennesseans, it seems impossible that this would be happening right here. But according to Hillel International, there were more than 1,800 anti-Semitic incidents on college campuses during the 2023-2024 school year. Think about that--1,800 anti-Semitic incidents. The thing that is so upsetting about this is that is an increase of more than 500 percent from the year before. This shows you the organization and the intensity of these events. What we do know is Jewish students have faced harassment and intimidation on their university campuses. And we also know that the Biden administration sat on their hands, and they chose to do nothing about this. Instead, they sided with the radical activists who turned our campuses into cesspools of hatred. Now, with President Trump back in the Oval Office, pro-Hamas students and the colleges that enable them are being put on notice. Recently, Secretary of State Rubio vowed to revoke visas and green cards for any foreign students who support terror groups like Hamas and Hezbollah. This is something that I have called for and supported, which is why I am so pleased to see this administration--the Trump administration-- actually taking action. What we do know is that ICE arrested a former Columbia University student who is from Syria. That is Mahmoud Khalil. This was a ring leader for Columbia's anti-Israel encampment--as I said, a former student. As I said, pro-Hamas activists spat on Jewish students. They chanted ``F--the Jews,'' and they held signs next to Jewish students claiming that they would be Hamas's next target. Think about this--if you are a 19-year-old Jewish college student, and you were there on Columbia's campus, and you have a protester holding a sign against your head saying you should be the next target. In many ways, Khalil was the perfect leader for this anti-Semitic, pro-terror movement. What we know is this: Before he enrolled at Columbia University, he allegedly served as a political affairs officer for UNRWA. That is right, the U.N. Relief and Works Agency there in Gaza. This person was a political affairs officer for UNRWA. This is the same UNRWA that we now know indoctrinated Palestinian children to hate the Jews and stored Hamas's weapons in its facilities in Gaza. They actually put ammunition and weapons in the schools--the U.N. schools--there in Gaza. We know that they had people affiliated with Hamas on their payroll, and we know they provided support and aid to the terrorists. There is no reason why someone like this should be allowed in our country to support terrorism and to promote anti-Jewish bigotry. That is why Secretary Rubio is intending to deport Khalil, which this administration has the full authority to do under our Federal immigration laws. And under this administration, I have no doubt we are going to see many more deportations. As we work to deport Hamas affiliates, my bipartisan No Immigration Benefits for Hamas Terrorists Act would block any migrant tied to Hamas from entering our country. And my No Flights for Terrorists Act would put anyone on the no-fly list if they have called for violence against the Jewish people or pledged allegiance to a foreign terrorist organization. At the same time, President Trump is vowing to pull Federal funding from schools that fail to protect Jewish students from discrimination. Just on Friday, his administration canceled $400 million in grants and contracts with Columbia University. That is a good start to accountability. Right after October 7, I joined Senator Tim Scott in introducing the Stop Anti-Semitism on College Campuses Act. This legislation would rescind Federal funding for any university--any university--in this country that authorizes, funds, or facilitates events that promote violent anti-Semitism. With such widespread failure from our Nation's colleges and universities to protect Jewish students, there are billions of dollars on the line. One thing should be clear: With President Trump back in the Oval Office and Republicans in the majority, pro-Hamas activists and colleges are going to face accountability. And if you are visiting our great Nation and supporting terrorism, please know this: You will be deported.

Mrs. BLACKBURN

Mrs. BLACKBURN. Mr. President, I think everyone so enjoyed listening to the State of the Union Address last night, and for so many Tennesseans--we have heard from them today--they were excited, they felt hopeful, and they also are watching very closely what the actions of the House and the Senate are going to be. Now, many of them have mentioned that they know we have that March 14 funding deadline coming up, and so, in 9 days, the Federal Government would be running out of money. And they have heard my colleagues from across the aisle talk about shutting the government down and making that choice to shut the government down because they don't want to pass a budget. But if you shut the government down, then you are not going to be able to move forward on President Trump's agenda. We know they are not for that agenda, but what they are missing is that the American people are for President Trump's agenda. They want to see the border secure. They want inflation to come down. They want crime in the cities to be dealt with. They want our standing in the world to be returned. They support President Trump. And we know that when President Trump was returned to the Oval Office, he was given a powerful mandate from the American people, and he deserves to have his agenda shape government spending. But we know there is little time left, and so we begin to hear those conversations that we usually hear about having a continuing resolution. Now, the reason conservatives like me oppose that is because it continues the current spending, and that is a Joe Biden budget. And we know that, under the Biden administration, they literally ran the numbers off the government credit card. They were spending so much money. They have driven this Nation's debt to $36.5 trillion. This pandemic and post-pandemic spending has left every single American spending $1,060 more per month to buy the same basket of goods and services they were buying in 2021. Now, think about that. That is the result of Bidenflation: $1,060 more a month to buy the same basket of goods and services you could buy 4 years ago--because we know what has happened with Bidenflation. We know the true rate of that inflation is, cumulatively, over 20 percent. It is not what they wanted to say--core inflation is only 3 percent or it is only 4 percent. Anybody that buys milk and eggs knows that is not right. And, of course, it is going to take a while to get those numbers down, to look at the prices of gas and groceries and rent and utilities. And we know that the Biden budgets are what have fueled this growing debt, this annual deficit that we have seen, and the fact that now, when you look at every single American, their portion of our Nation's debt is now $107,000--$107,000. I was talking to a friend this week who has a new baby--just arrived, brandnew--and they are so excited to once again have a little baby in their family. And as we were talking about politics and all that was going on and the excitement of the baby, I said: And when you look at the Federal debt, their share, their ``welcome to the world'' present from the U.S. Federal Government: You now, as a U.S. citizen, share in this $36.5 trillion debt to the point of $107,000. I think the American people know that our fiscal path would lead us to disaster if we do not change what we are doing, if we do not look at where we are spending this money. Thank goodness that President Donald Trump has taken the time to look seriously at what the Federal Government spends and, yes, to work toward moving us to a balanced budget. Now, one of the ways that he is doing this--and, yes, there have been Executive orders and there has also been the implementation of the Department of Government Efficiency. We refer to this as DOGE. Today, some of us have had the opportunity to listen to Elon Musk and his team who are carrying out the work at the Department of Government Efficiency. DOGE, so far, has found $105 billion of inefficiencies in the Federal Government--$105 billion. They are finding about $4 billion a day. The President went through a list last night of some of the waste that is there for projects that maybe really do not yield a result that will benefit the hard-working taxpayer. We also heard about fraud and people that are receiving Social Security checks that maybe don't exist, people that might be 125, 150, 160 years old, even over 300 years old. That is fraud. And we all are very hopeful that we are going to be able to close that loop, find out who these individuals are, and make certain that they are prosecuted and that money is returned to the U.S. taxpayer. This is a huge step toward getting our fiscal house in order. Yet these savings that we are finding are only going to be made official and permanent when we put them into the congressional budget. Now, we all know that this requires us to go through the rescission process. This requires us to codify these reductions so that they are removed from the budget in future years. We know that that is going to require us to get back to regular order on the budget as we go through this process, as we work through reconciliations, making certain there is a clear path to end continuing resolutions, return to regular order, return to a budget document, and be able to deliver. I will tell you this: When I talk to Tennesseans, they want transparency. I think one of the things they have so appreciated about DOGE is that they have a website. They are putting all of this information on the website. They are putting it on their X account, but they are showing the American people what they are doing, where they are finding waste, where they are finding fraud, and how they are being able to address this. This means that as we work through this, we are going to have to take our actions. We are going to have to return to that regular order. We are going to have to bring these spending bills to the floor, and we are going to have to insist and vote for and support a balanced budget so that we begin to reduce, first, eliminate our deficit for the year, and then target balancing our Federal budget and beginning to reduce our debt. I am so pleased that President Trump talked about this last night in his State of the Union Address because it is important not only for today, tomorrow but for our children and grandchildren's future. He mentioned this--the sovereignty, the stability of our Nation. What we want is to make the tough choices today, to make the spending reductions today, so that in the future, our children have a nation that is firmly sovereign and is able to stand whatever comes our way. I think it is so interesting that in 2010, the summer of 2010, Admiral Mullen was asked the question: What keeps you up at night; what worries you the most; what is our greatest threat to our Nation's freedom? His response was our Nation's debt, and we all know that debt has doubled since that point in 2010 when he made that comment.

Mrs. BLACKBURN

Mrs. BLACKBURN. Mr. President, last November, the American people returned President Donald Trump to the Oval Office with a mandate to restore common sense in government, and in many ways, this common sense was most needed on the issue of protecting women and girls. After 4 years where President Biden waged a war on women's sports, the message from voters was clear: no more biological men competing in women's athletics, no more stolen records and medals, and no more invasions of privacy, humiliation, and harm for our Nation's incredible female athletes. To be certain, President Trump has delivered on the mandate. On Inauguration Day, the President issued an Executive order that affirms the Federal Government's position that there are only two sexes, male and female. This is a position grounded in biological reality, not gender ideology. Last month, the President also signed an Executive order that bans biological males from competing in women's sports. It was an honor to join President Trump at the signing ceremony along with the brave young women and girls who have spoken out for fairness, safety, equal opportunity, including one of those female athletes, Tennessee's Riley Gaines. The terms of the order are simple: If you allow men to compete in women's athletics, you will lose your Federal funding. To no one's surprise, the order is getting results. Right after President Trump signed it, the NCAA, which oversees more than 530,000 student athletes, announced that it would comply with the order. For more than a decade, the Nation's largest athletic association allowed men to compete in women's events. It will be a top priority of mine to ensure that this injustice never happens again and that the NCAA will fully adhere to the Executive order. While the vast majority of States are complying, there are some States, blue States like California and Maine, that are vowing to fight President Trump over the order. The message they are sending is clear: Democrats are willing to risk millions in Federal funding for schools to uphold their radical, far- left ideology that claims there are no differences between men and women. The American people know better, and so do the more than 3 million female high school and college athletes who deserve every single opportunity to succeed. They work hard; they train hard; they set their goals; they compete; and they work to succeed. To celebrate all of these incredible accomplishments from these 3 million high school and college athletes, I am asking for unanimous consent for my resolution to establish October 10--the 10th month, 10th day--recognized by the Roman numerals XX, like the female sex chromosome, as American Girls in Sports Day, setting aside a day to recognize the accomplishments of 3 million high school and college female athletes. In addition to celebrating female athletes, this resolution calls on sports governing bodies across the country to protect women and girls in sports. There is absolutely zero reason for Senate Democrats to oppose this resolution, and here is the reason why: We have a New York Times Ipsos poll that tells the story on this. Seventy-nine percent of the American people, including 67 percent of Democrats, want to make certain that female sports are for girls and women. Those numbers--67 percent of Democrats, 79 percent of all Americans--say they are with us. They want to protect women and girls in sports. They want to make certain that they have the right to compete, the right to train, the right to do team building, and the right to succeed and be recognized for it. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation be discharged from further consideration and the Senate now proceed to S. Res. 21; further, that the resolution be agreed to; the preamble be agreed to; and that the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table.

Mrs. BLACKBURN. Mr. President, I find my colleague's comments so very interesting, and I think it would have served him well to actually read the resolution. So I am going to read part of it so that my colleagues know what this does because it does talk about celebrating these athletes. Here you go: Whereas athletic participation has an important, positive impact on young girls, improving their physical health, self- confidence, and discipline; Whereas women have been responsible for some of the greatest athletic feats in the sports history of the United States, from the Olympic games to professional competition; He wanted to make certain that some of these greats like Pat Summitt and our Lady Vols are recognized. Absolutely. That is what we are doing: Whereas female athletes have served as inspirations for generations of women and girls; And then we talk about title IX. We talk about: Whereas there are fundamental biological differences between men and women that put women at a competitive disadvantage in sports and jeopardize their safety during competition; And 79 percent of the American people agree with this. Then we go through: Whereas, since 2003, biological men have displaced women and girls from 950 championship titles, medals, scholarships, and records they should have rightly won, including at least 28 women's sports titles in volleyball, swimming, mountain biking, track and field, weightlifting, and cycling. We look at the policies that have been enacted to protect women and the imperative to make certain they are athletically protected and then setting up October 10 as the day that would be American Girls in Sports Day and continuing to recognize that year after year. Now, my colleague from Connecticut probably knows that this issue of protecting women and girls in sports is very, very popular in Connecticut. One of Connecticut's biggest track stars is a Conrad High School senior there, a male-to-female athlete who holds the State's top 2023-2024 rankings in the girls outdoor high jump, long jump, and triple jump according to athletic.net. Then you look at--there are two individuals, two boys who identify as female, they competed on a Connecticut high school track team from 2017 to 2020, and there were--and I want to be sure we look at what this does to girls who are trying to compete. This is why this issue is so popular. Here are the stats. There were 93 times when a girl was denied an individual or relay championship because of these two male athletes who were competing as females--93 times. A girl who had trained, who had worked out, who sought to win, to represent her team--they were denied because two boys were competing as females. Ninety-three times. There were 52 times when a girl was denied the advancement to a championship meet. Now, think about that. We all have children. We know the heartbreak when someone has trained and trained and trained, not just for days or weeks or months but for years, and they are denied the ability to move forward because there is a boy competing in a female category. There were 39 times when a girl was denied an opportunity to advance to finals, 17 times when a girl was denied an All-New England honor, 11 times when a girl lost a meet record, and 23 girls--23--were denied a Connecticut State Open team championship. In other words, allowing these two boys to compete as females and compete against girls denied girls opportunities and awards 235 times. That is one State. So I would remind my colleagues they are on the wrong side of this issue. Seventy-nine percent of the American people say it is wrong for men to compete in women's athletics. Sixty-seven percent of Democrats say it is wrong to have men compete in women's athletics. It is lost opportunity. It is lost recognition. It is lost success for women. What ever happened to people on the left that supported women's rights, women's safety, supported title IX? Obviously, they have thrown it to the wayside. I yield the floor.

Mrs. BLACKBURN

Mrs. BLACKBURN. Mr. President, there is an issue that I have spoken about so often on this floor, and it is one that should concern each and every one of us; and that is the issue of human trafficking and sex trafficking that is happening in this country. And what we have learned is that today in the United States a child is either bought or sold for sex every 2 minutes. Now, think about that and think about the harm that is happening to children because of this amount of human trafficking and sex trafficking. What we also have learned is that, globally, this has turned into a $150 billion-a-year business. This is something that we also have learned affects every town, city, and community in our Nation. It is pervasive. In Tennessee, my home State, there were 1,170 reports of human trafficking through November of last year, and that is according to the data we have from the Tennessee Bureau of Investigations. Now, that number was actually down from the number in 2023, which had been 1,432 reports, and that was because of the effort that our Governor, Bill Lee, the Tennessee General Assembly, and the Tennessee Bureau of Investigations made into fighting this human trafficking and trying to bring an end to what truly is modern-day slavery. But, unfortunately, what we saw as we looked at the data was that last year's total of 1,170 was still 62 percent higher than the number in 2019. So as we have looked at this in recent years, what you have seen is an explosion of human trafficking and sex trafficking in this country. While we know that human trafficking has been a problem over a period of time, the concern is this heinous crime and how it has exploded in the recent past. Now, there are some reasons and some contributing factors to the escalation numbers, and one of them is during the Biden administration, basically they surrendered our southern border to cartels and gangs and criminals and traffickers. Many of us have been to the border. We saw what was happening on the border during the Biden years. And as a result of the inaction that took place there, every town in this country became a border town, and every State became a border State. And because of the drugs, because of the human trafficking, the sex trafficking, the American people suffered the consequences. Just this month, earlier this month, authorities charged eight Venezuelan illegal aliens in Middle, TN, for trafficking women across our border for the purpose of sexual exploitation. That was eight Venezuelan illegal aliens. After entering our country illegally, the criminals conducted their operation out of Nashville motels between 2022 and 2024. And like so many criminal illegals in our country--no surprise--they are tied to the violent gang Tren de Aragua, which has plagued cities across this country with organized crime. All too often these traffickers target not only vulnerable women, they also target children. According to our TBI data, there were 514 reports of children being sex-trafficked in Tennessee in 2024. That is 1 year, 514 reports. That was more than twice the number of reports of adult sex trafficking. The report also notes that there has been an increase in the number of unaccompanied minors who were trafficked into our country and exploited. This should come as no surprise. Under Biden, hundreds of thousands of unaccompanied children have reached our southern border, while many more arrived with adults who falsely claimed to be their relatives. Although Biden had a responsibility to place these children with vetted sponsors, his administration, obviously, did not do that. We have learned that they lost track of more than 320,000 migrant children who face the threat of abuse, trafficking, and sexual exploitation. Thankfully, after 4 years of failure under the Biden administration, President Trump is working to secure our border, to protect our communities, and to bring human trafficking to an end. And there is so much more that Congress can do to support this effort. Last week, I introduced the bipartisan GRACIE Act, which would require the recording of all Child Protective Services interviews with children and adults. Although 60 percent of child sex trafficking victims in our country have engaged with the foster care system, too often CPS staffers miss the signs of abuse. By recording interviews, we can increase the likelihood that child trafficking victims will be identified and rescued. Last month, I also reintroduced a package of bills that will do much to combat human trafficking. My SAVE Girls Act would provide States, local governments, and nonprofits with the resources they need to end the trafficking of young women and girls. My National Human Trafficking Database Act, meanwhile, would establish a national human trafficking database at the Department of Justice and incentivize State law enforcement agencies to report their data. To help bring an end to trafficking at the border, I also introduced the End Child Trafficking Now Act, which would require a DNA test to determine the relationship between illegal aliens at the border and any accompanying child. Now, it is so important to note, I have introduced this bill before, and I did it because during the Trump administration, there was DNA testing. It was ended during the Biden administration. They said it took too much time. I inquired about the amount of time. It took 45 minutes. What we know from the time we did DNA testing, 30 percent of the children that were DNA tested by border agents shared no relation to the illegal aliens who were falsely--falsely--representing themselves as family members. I think 45 minutes is worth it to save the life of a child. And my PRINTS Act, which has been reintroduced, would give Customs and Border Protection the authority to fingerprint noncitizens under the age of 14 to combat the horrific practice called child recycling. Just this week, I also sent a letter to FBI Director Kash Patel and Attorney General Pam Bondi requesting that they release the complete, unredacted flight logs from Jeffery Epstein's private jet. In addition, I also requested Ghislaine Maxwell's little black book and all video surveillance footage from Epstein's residence in Palm Beach, FL. After years of stonewalling by former Director Wray, we still do not have all the necessary information regarding Jeffrey Epstein's crime, who his associates were, and who was involved in his global human trafficking and sex trafficking ring. That is information we need if we are going to bring an end to this practice of human trafficking and also if we are going to bring justice for the women and children that were abused and trafficked during these human trafficking and sex trafficking rings. It is past time to bring this practice to an end. With these efforts, we can provide this administration with the tools they need in order to bring an end to this practice.

Mrs. BLACKBURN

Mrs. BLACKBURN. Mr. President, today, after 4 years of reckless spending and decades of high inflation under the Biden-Harris administration, our national debt now sits at $36.4 trillion. In many ways, this number represents one of the biggest threats to our Nation, as interest payments on the debt now eclipse our country's total defense spending. Think about that. The debt--interest on the debt--is costing the hard-working taxpayer more of their money. It is taking a greater share of their tax dollars than we are spending to provide for the common defense. It is astounding that that is where we are, but this problem has gotten worse through the years. During the last few months of the Biden administration, October to December of last year, our country ran a deficit of more than $710 billion, up 39 percent from the same period in 2023. The American people know this is unsustainable. Among many other reasons, that is why the American people showed up in record numbers and gave a mandate to Donald J. Trump as the President of the United States, winning the electoral college and the popular vote. The American people know full well they are overtaxed. Government is overspent. And they are tired of it. And since Inauguration Day, the President has been hard at work on this issue, getting the economy under control. And one of the first things he did, back in office, was to establish the Department of Government Efficiency. It is being led by Elon Musk, and the agency is working to uncover and eliminate waste, fraud, and abuse from the Federal Government. And to no one's surprise, DOGE has found a lot of waste, especially with programs that should never have been put on the books in the first place. Now, in recent weeks, the agency, working overtime to find ways to save money for the taxpayer, they found $33 million in Education Department grants to groups that push far-left ideas like critical race theory and $44.6 million in canceled leases for unused office space and $45 million in scholarships for students in Burma and $182 million in Department of Health and Human Services contracts that had nothing to do with health--nothing. They even found $168,000 for a museum exhibit for Anthony Fauci, and a billion dollars in DEI programs. Now, when you scoop all of that together, you have a pretty good savings for the U.S. taxpayer, who has been funding all of this. Removing these programs and recouping those dollars, that is the right thing to do. In addition, DOGE has worked to reform the mismanaged U.S. Agency for International Development. We call this USAID. Under the last administration, the Agency used its $40 billion budget to support leftwing and anti-American causes around the world, including terror- tied extremist groups in the Middle East. As DOGE uncovers the left's abuse of taxpayer dollars, Washington Democrats have tried desperately to paint the agency as unaccountable to the American people. But the exact opposite is true. DOGE, which reports directly to President Trump, is restoring government accountability by reining in the Federal Government and reining in the bureaucracy. By the way, they are unelected. That is why, last week, President Trump issued an Executive order to support DOGE, directing Federal Departments to work with the agency to reduce the size of the Federal workforce. A downsize is desperately needed. The government employs more than 2.4 million civilian employees at a cost of hundreds of billions of dollars each year. To support these efforts, I recently introduced a package of bills called the DOGE Acts, which would hold the Federal Government accountable for managing taxpayer dollars. Now, all of these bills would help to drain the swamp. And these are bills that I have proposed over the last several years, but we brought them together under the heading of the DOGE Acts. It would implement a hiring and salary freeze, direct Agencies to reduce the size of their workforce by 5 percent within 3 years, and establish a commission to report to Congress on moving non-national-security Agencies outside of Washington, DC. In addition, the legislation would create a pilot program to determine Federal employees' compensation based on merit, not seniority, something that is so important to do because, right now, the longer someone holds a job, the more they are going to make. Let's move that to how well they do their job and how well they perform in fulfilling the responsibilities that are given to them. And it would require Agencies to reinstate their pre-COVID telework policies, a measure that is especially crucial after just 6 percent of Federal employees worked in an office full time during the Biden administration. Tennesseans go to work every day. They are working full time in order to get a full-time paycheck, and they are astounded when they hear that under the last administration--the Biden administration--6 percent of Federal employees worked full time. But do you know what? They all got a full-time paycheck courtesy of the hard-working U.S. taxpayer. Perhaps most importantly, the DOGE Acts would cut nonsecurity discretionary spending by 5 percent by fiscal year 2028 and every following year, saving taxpayers billions of dollars. When it comes to government spending, Tennesseans--and certainly Americans--demand accountability. With DOGE, Republicans are delivering it.

Mrs. BLACKBURN

Mrs. BLACKBURN. Mr. President, I have eight requests for committees to meet during today's session of the Senate. They have the approval of the Majority and Minority Leaders. Pursuant to rule XXVI, paragraph 5(a), of the Standing Rules of the Senate, the following committees are authorized to meet during today's session of the Senate: committee on commerce, science, and transportation The Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Wednesday, February 19, 2025, at 10 a.m., to conduct an executive session. committee on commerce, science, and transportation The Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Wednesday, February 19, 2025, at 10:15 a.m., to conduct a hearing. committee on environment and public works The Committee on Environment and Public Works is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Wednesday, February 19, 2025, at 10:15 a.m., to conduct a hearing. committee on health, education, labor, and pensions The Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Wednesday, February 19, 2025, at 10 a.m., to conduct a hearing on a nomination. committee on the judiciary The Committee on the Judiciary is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Wednesday, February 19, 2025, at 10:15 a.m., to conduct a hearing. committee on veterans' affairs The Committee on Veterans' Affairs is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Wednesday, February 19, 2025, at 9:30 a.m., to conduct a hearing on a nomination. select committee on intelligence The Select Committee on Intelligence is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Wednesday, February 19, 2025, at 2:30 p.m., to conduct a closed business meeting immediately followed by a closed briefing. subcommittee on airland The Subcommittee on Airland of the Committee on Armed Services is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Wednesday, February 19, 2025, at 4:15 p.m., to conduct a closed session.