John Barrasso

Mr. BARRASSO

Mr. BARRASSO. Madam President, I rise today in celebration of the 50th anniversary of the University of Wyoming Family Medicine Residency Programs. On Saturday, October 10, 2026, at the Wyoming Primary Care Symposium, the Wyoming medical community will gather to celebrate this significant milestone. The UW Family Medicine Residency Programs are tailored to Wyoming and our unique healthcare needs. With two separate residencies in Casper and Cheyenne, these graduate medical education programs ensure residents are well-prepared to treat patients with professionalism, skill, and compassion. In the 1970s, the Wyoming Legislature, the University of Wyoming, and other stakeholders recognized the need for additional physicians. After exploring options to expand medical education in the State, in 1976, the Wyoming Legislature founded the UW Family Medicine Residency Programs. The programs, affiliated with the University of Wyoming's then College of Human Medicine, were intended to meet the needs of underserved communities and provide quality medical education for the next generation of Wyoming doctors. Wyoming physicians John Corbett, MD; Charlie Huff, MD; David Driggers, MD; and Arnold Krause, MD, were instrumental in launching the residency programs. As the chair of the Wyoming State Health Care Coordinating Council, Dr. Corbett championed the cause of graduate medical education in the State. As the residency program got off the ground, he served as the acting dean of the UW College of Human Medicine. Dr. Huff advocated for a Wyoming-focused solution as the director of the Office of Rural and Community Health. Dr. Driggers went on to serve as the associate professor, acting program director, and associate dean of the residency program. Dr. Krause served as the Cheyenne residency program director, recruiting faculty and physicians as the site grew. In crafting the family medicine residencies, Wyoming took a unique approach. The programs were 100 percent State-funded when they were established. The Casper program was established in 1976, received its provisional accreditation in 1977, and graduated its first residents in 1979. The Cheyenne program followed, earning provisional accreditation in 1979, accepting its first residents in 1980, and receiving full accreditation in 1982. True to the goal of providing quality medical access to the State, the UW Family Medicine Residency in Casper is a 3-year program, with 8 recent medical school graduates accepted each year. Residents perform clinical rotations in a wide range of specialties, including orthopaedic surgery, behavioral medicine, pediatrics, emergency medicine, geriatrics and advanced family medicine. The program offers five specialty tracks, including a rural and underserved global health track, a hospitalist track, and an osteopathic-focused track. Physicians who are interested in exploring the complexities of aging may pursue the program's geriatric fellowship. The UW Family Medicine Residency in Cheyenne accepts six residents each year. These residents rotate in general surgery, community medicine, and women's health. Over the 3-year program, their opportunities include working with local patients in pediatric, dermatology, and sports medicine disciplines. The Cheyenne faculty prioritize experiences with rural medicine and treatment of patients of all ages and backgrounds. Residents also serve the local community at Cheyenne Regional Medical Center. Many program graduates go on to practice in Cheyenne and across Wyoming. Both the Cheyenne and Casper Residency Programs offer a supportive, wellness-focused environment offering future doctors a comprehensive training program tailored with rural and frontier communities in mind. Staying true to the original goal of increasing the physician pipeline in Wyoming, there are approximately 100 UW Family Medicine Residency Program graduates practicing in the State. The leadership of the UW Family Medicine Residency Programs embodies the values of professionalism, education, service, and excellence. They equip residents to provide comprehensive care to all, including the underserved. The Casper program is led by: Program Director Brian Veauthier, MD Associate Program Director Blaine Levy, DO Designated Institutional Officer Beth Robitaille, MD Director of Osteopathic Education Caroline Kirsch, DO Geriatric Fellowship Director Tabitha Thrasher, DO In Cheyenne, residents work closely with the leadership team of: Program Director Evan Norby, DO Associate Program Director Jody Cousins, MD Associate Program Director James Eggert, MD Residency Coordinator Pamela MacMillan It is my honor to recognize the incredible University of Wyoming Family Medicine Residency Programs. I ask my colleagues to join me in celebrating their investment in the people of Wyoming.

Mr. BARRASSO

Mr. BARRASSO. Madam President, I rise today to honor MG Gregory Porter and his 40 years of service to our country, State, and the Wyoming National Guard. After graduating from the University of Wyoming, General Porter began his service in the Wyoming Army National Guard as an aerial observer in the 115th Field Artillery Brigade. At the start of Gov. Mark Gordon's administration, Greg was selected to lead the Wyoming National Guard as the Adjutant General. Throughout his time as the Adjutant General, Greg has led the Wyoming Army and Air National Guard through many deployments overseas to the Middle East and Africa. Most notably, under his command, the Wyoming Army Guard 2-300th Field Artillery Regiment completed their first full battalion deployment for a field artillery mission in over 70 years. The 2-300th were also under the command and control of the 115th Field Artillery Brigade Headquarters, another first. I have had the honor to visit many of these Wyoming soldiers and airmen overseas on Thanksgiving. Over the years, we worked shoulder-to-shoulder to secure eight C-130J Super Hercules aircraft for the 153rd Airlift Wing. This effort stands as a testament to the determination of the hard-working Wyoming servicemen and women who serve our State and Nation every day. Through the State Partnership Program, General Porter deepened and broadened cooperation between Wyoming and Tunisia. These of military- to-military and civilian-to-civilian exchanges include education, agriculture, and tourism. The Wyoming National Guard has been in partnership with Tunisia for over 20 years and General Porter is leaving the relationship stronger than ever. General Porter coordinated the successful Exercise Agile Chariot with the U.S. Air Force Special Operations Command and the Wyoming Department of Transportation, WYDOT. Landing a MC-130J with a payload of MH-60 Little Birds, A-10 Thunderbolts, and a MQ-9 Reaper drone on a Wyoming highway is a first. Agile Chariot proved that Wyoming can support multi-domain operations and exercises. This exercise was a preview of the daring rescue mission to recover the two F-15 aviators downed in the mountains of Iran. From second lieutenant to the Adjutant General, Greg Porter's leadership and dedication have equipped our National Guard with operational prowess. I want to thank General Porter for his unwavering commitment to the Wyoming National Guard and to our Nation.

Mr. BARRASSO

Mr. BARRASSO. The following Senator is necessarily absent: the Senator from North Carolina (Mr. Tillis).

Mr. BARRASSO. I ask for the yeas and nays.

Mr. BARRASSO. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that if the order with respect to H. Con Res. 89 is executed following the cloture vote on S. 4668, the Senate vote on adoption of H. Con. Res. 89 at 1:45 p.m. today.

Mr. BARRASSO. I ask unanimous consent to waive the mandatory quorum call with respect to the cloture motion on S. 4668.

Mr. BARRASSO. I move to table Senate amendment No. 6777.

Mr. BARRASSO. I move to table Senate amendment No. 6779.

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

Mr. BARRASSO

Mr. BARRASSO. The following Senators are necessarily absent: the Senator from Montana (Mr. Daines), the Senator from Iowa (Ms. Ernst), and the Senator from North Carolina (Mr. Tillis). Further, if present and voting: the Senator from Iowa (Ms. Ernst) would have voted ``yea.''

Mr. BARRASSO

Mr. BARRASSO. Mr. President, when it comes to foreign policy, the Republican Party's philosophy will always be ``peace through strength.'' Yesterday, at the United Nations, President Trump made that very clear. He made it clear that America continues to lead with peace through strength. The President of communist China, Xi Jinping, will hear the same message later this week, when he comes to Washington, DC. Now, I just heard the minority leader of the U.S. Senate come to the floor and say something about the fact that he thought that President Trump was going to sell out our country to China. Let me set the record straight. President Xi last visited the White House 11 years ago. Today, he is going to arrive to a very different America and a very different President. A decade ago, Barack Obama was in the White House. The Obama policy with regard to China was appeasement. It was accommodation, and it was apologies. Obama's weakness gave China free rein--free rein to undermine our economy and our national security. China spied on American businesses. They stole American technology. And China strengthened its grip on global supply chains. As Democrat climate alarmists forced the closure of our coal-fired powerplants, China built new ones. They continue to build them today in the race for power and the competition over artificial intelligence. From new technology to global supply chains, China's goal is to be the military, the economic, and the technological superpower of the world. China wants to push America aside. Their vision is not cooperation. It is not even competition. It is complete control. The American people want safety, prosperity, and freedom. That is what we want at home in America. America can't be free if we are dependent upon China for our medicine, for our materials, and for our minerals. We need to do more. America can't continue to lead the free world if we allow China to steal our best ideas and our newest technologies. We must stand firm. America needs to stand strong. We must say to China: Never again. We also must say it to ourselves: Never again will we allow ourselves to be in this position. President Trump is very clear-eyed. He sees the stakes. He knows the threats. He also understands that American strength is more important today than ever before. That is why the President is acting decisively to protect American interests. Fair trade, historic tax cuts, aggressive deregulation--they have all made us stronger and more prosperous. Innovative American companies still give us a great strategic edge. Republican tax cuts are putting more money into people's pockets. A secure border means less fentanyl coming through China, through Mexico and the southern border into the United States. Investment is coming to American manufacturing in record amounts, trillions of dollars. America is producing more energy than ever before. We are also mining more critical minerals. These minerals are critical for our homes, our factories, and our national defense. Under President Trump, America is hitting China's ambitions north, south, east, and west. What he has done is hold China accountable. That wasn't done in the previous administration, and President Trump is doing it without apology. Just yesterday--just yesterday--President Trump signed a historic agreement, and it is regarding Greenland. The agreement prevents our adversaries--including communist China--from building military bases in Greenland or making critical investments there. This was a historic agreement. The Trump administration has also hindered China by blocking their access to cheap oil. No longer can China buy oil at steep discounts from dictatorships in Venezuela or Iran. Additionally, we voted, here in the Senate, on our late colleague Lindsey Graham's efforts on China and oil. The President has now signed into legislation the Lindsey Graham bill, putting new penalties on China for importing oil and energy from Russia or from Iran. The penalties are stiff. The penalties are severe. As the largest buyer of Russian energy, China now faces these tough new penalties. The United States is systematically blocking the vast ambitions of the so-called axis of aggression--China, Russia, and Iran. This is the definition of peace through strength. Weakness invites attacks; strength deters them. And Republicans are going to continue to show unmatched strength in defense of our American economy and our Americans' safety. President Trump is going to do the same this week, when he meets with President Xi. And so I say to my colleague from New York, the minority leader: That is the straight record. That is setting the record straight about what things were like in the Democrat administration, and what things are like with President Trump in the White House. I yield the floor. I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. BARRASSO. Mr. President, reserving the right to object. College sports are one of the last great institutions in America that still bring people together. Today, all across our country, fans see the institution falling apart. Rosters are being rebuilt every year through an unrestricted transfer market. Schools are locked in an arms race of ever-increasing NIL spending. Coaches spend as much time recruiting their own players as they are preparing for opponents. Eligibility rules are no longer determined by clear standards but by lawsuits, by court orders, and by last-minute injunctions. It is why the Senate has now overwhelmingly voted three times to advance the bill called the Protect College Sports Act. We will finish that bill this week and send it to the House and then, hopefully, on to the President for his signature. Senator Paul has identified one of the critical problems. The antitrust laws applied to the collegiate sports system are currently the reason why sports are governed by court order rather than by fair, enforceable rules for all. The Protect College Sports Act provides the NCAA with the ability to govern, but any antitrust protection is narrow, and it comes with guardrails. My understanding is that Senator Cruz and Senator Cantwell are discussing a package of possible amendment votes, and this is one of them. Let's give them the opportunity to work through the process and see if we can get votes on Senator Paul's amendment as well as other amendments. And as they work on it, let's give them a little bit more time for that reason. And for that reason, Mr. President, I object.

Mr. BARRASSO

Mr. BARRASSO. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to waive the mandatory quorum call with respect to the Colmenero nomination.

Mr. BARRASSO. I yield the floor.

Mr. BARRASSO

Mr. BARRASSO. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that notwithstanding rule XXII, if cloture is invoked on Executive Calendar No. 828, all postcloture time be expired and the Senate vote on confirmation of the nomination at a time to be determined by the majority leader, in consultation with the Democrat leader, no later than Friday, September 25; further, that the mandatory quorum call with respect to the cloture motion on the substitute amendment No. 6776 be waived; and if cloture is invoked, that all time during recess, adjournment, morning business, and leader remarks count postcloture on the amendment.

Mr. BARRASSO

Mr. BARRASSO. The following Senators are necessarily absent: the Senator from Louisiana (Mr. Cassidy), the Senator from North Carolina (Mr. Tillis), and the Senator from Alabama (Mr. Tuberville).

Mr. BARRASSO

Mr. BARRASSO. The following Senator is necessarily absent: the Senator from Louisiana (Mr. Cassidy).

Mr. BARRASSO

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

Mr. BARRASSO. Mr. President, I come to the floor today on a day that we celebrate the Constitution, the U.S. Constitution. It is interesting. I met with a 12-year-old visitor to the Capitol here today. His name is George Barozzini. He said, ``You know today is Constitution Day.'' Well, he is absolutely right, and it is delightful to know that a 12- year-old would know that. We have the pages here. They are well aware of that because this is the anniversary of the day, 237 years ago, when 39 noble patriots, representing 12 of the Thirteen Original Colonies, signed the Constitution. In four short, handwritten pages, the structure of our government was laid out. The Constitution was a work of courageous men, men who fought and bled and sacrificed for the sake of the United States, the sake of our freedom, the sake of our liberty. Their daring produced a document that is truly unique in human history. Now, I have my own copy of the Constitution right here. It begins with three simple words: ``We the People.'' To the delegates of the Constitutional Convention, America was not a fuzzy idea; it was one people and one land, united for one purpose. And the purpose, of course, was to secure the blessings and liberty to ourselves and our posterity. In Federalist No. 2, John Jay, one of the authors of the Federalist Papers, he cataloged what unites us as a nation. It is our shared heritage, our shared language, and our shared belief in the same God. It is our shared principles of government, our common culture, one nation's shared sacrifice in the Revolutionary War. On this basis, our Constitution has endured for more than two centuries. It remains the fountain of American glory, American greatness, and American self- government. Today, President Trump and Republicans are fighting to uphold the Constitution and unite the American people. We are confirming judges who follow the Constitution, judges who apply the law, who don't try to legislate from the bench. We are restoring power to the people and the States. We are removing power from unelected bureaucrats in Washington, DC. Under President Trump and Republicans, the Constitution is respected once again. By contrast, the left doesn't really value the Constitution, let alone will they be celebrating it today. That is why the American people have never been more worried or more alarmed by the direction of today's Democrat Party. It is true. Democrats have launched a full frontal assault on the core principles of America. They are ignoring our laws, they are violating our sacred values, and they seem to be trying to destroy our way of life. Democrats have now come out with an extreme manifesto. Their manifesto dismantles the Constitution. It diminishes our American spirit. It betrays Americans' trust. The lead three articles of the Constitution compose our system of government, three branches of government, and Democrats today are attacking all three of those branches simultaneously. Additionally, a number of their nominees are attacking the Bill of Rights. They are after the whole thing. The Democrat nominee in Michigan wants to take away our guns, our Second Amendment rights. The Democrat manifesto calls for abolishing the U.S. Senate--get rid of the whole thing. Well, the Constitution guarantees equal representation of the States in the Senate regardless of the population of the State, and that includes my home State of Wyoming and your home State of Montana. Senator Booker, the Democrat from New Jersey, said recently in an interview that this article I pillar of the Constitution--he described it as ``problematic.'' Apparently, we are problematic. No, Senator Booker. What is truly problematic is that thousands of illegal immigrants were registered to vote in your State of New Jersey. That is problematic. Additionally, the Democrat manifesto calls for getting rid of the Presidency as we know it. Under the Democrat manifesto, Congress would elect the President--and that is a Congress without a Senate. Additionally, the Democrat manifesto calls for abolishing the Supreme Court--a Supreme Court as appointed by the President and confirmed by this body, the Senate. What the Democrats are proposing is radical, it is extreme, it is dangerous, it is scary, and they are standing by it. The simple truth is people who want to tear up our Constitution cannot be trusted to build up our country. They can't be trusted to keep our Nation safe. They can't be trusted to keep our Nation secure. Republicans are going to continue to defend America's history, our American values, and our American greatness. I yield the floor. I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. BARRASSO. The following Senator is necessarily absent: the Senator from Kansas (Mr. Moran).

Mr. BARRASSO

Mr. BARRASSO. The following Senators are necessarily absent: the Senator from Tennessee (Mr. Hagerty), the Senator from Kentucky (Mr. McConnell), the Senator from Kansas (Mr. Moran), and the Senator from Alabama (Mr. Tuberville).

Mr. BARRASSO

Mr. BARRASSO. The following Senators are necessarily absent: the Senator from Kansas (Mr. Marshall), the Senator from Kentucky (Mr. McConnell), the Senator from Kansas (Mr. Moran), and the Senator from Alabama (Mr. Tuberville).

Mr. BARRASSO

Mr. BARRASSO. Mr. President, during the past month, I traveled all around the State of Wyoming--great community events, one community after another: Dubois, WY, the firefighters' picnic and buffalo barbecue. Nothing like it in the world. We had our Wyoming Ag Hall of Fame in Douglas. We had the banquet. We had a celebration of the 100th anniversary of the Wyoming Pioneer Association. In Rawlins, I visited the hospital there to talk about the incredible advantages to all these small community hospitals now as a result of the bill that we passed to put up a fund to help rural hospitals stay focused and functioning and able to provide care in our communities. I was in Meeteetse on Labor Day for the parade and the pancake breakfast. I talked to a lot of people. And people all around Wyoming follow the cowboy code. The cowboy code says you live each day with courage, take pride in your work, and do what needs to be done. And the people of Wyoming are very proud of the progress that we have made here as Republicans over the last year and a half with President Trump in the White House, a majority in the House, and a majority of Republicans in the Senate. And people all want the same thing. They want safe communities, strong communities. They want a prosperous future. And they believe--rightly so--that Republicans have been delivering that the last 2 years. The border is now secure. I think about where it was 2 years ago and where we are today: No one caught and released into the country. This whole catch-and-release program of the Bidens', it is over. The largest tax increase in America that the Democrats were proposing, that has been stopped. Taxes on tips, taxes on overtime, taxes on Social Security, they are all gone now. America is now energy dominant, which is where we should have been all along. The crooks and the criminals that we know have been abusing Medicaid and abusing food stamps--today, they are paying the price; they are being held to account. Six hundred members of President Trump's team are now on the job, and they are on the job in spite of historic opposition by the Democrats. Republicans torpedoed their obstruction. People in Wyoming also shared with me their worries. And there are concerns. They are concerned about what the radical Democrat policies would do to harm them and harm their families and harm our communities. Democrats now have laid out their manifesto. And we are not just talking about in California or New York. We are talking about Democrat nominees all across the country. The Democrat nominee for the Senate in Minnesota claims Immigration and Customs Enforcement, she says, is evil, and she wants to ``rip ICE apart.'' The Democrat nominee in Maine, he wants free healthcare for every illegal immigrant in the country. Democrats want it paid for by hard- working Americans with their tax dollars. The Democrat nominee in Florida is a card-carrying member of the Democratic Socialists of America. The Democrat nominee in Texas says he would lay out a welcome mat at the southern border. He says men ought to be playing in women's sports. The Democrat nominee in Michigan, he wants to take away our guns. His campaign partner says that America deserved the horrific terrorist attacks of September 11. Our Nation, just a few days ago, commemorated the 25th anniversary of the horrendous attacks that killed nearly 3,000 Americans. But Democrats--north, south, east, and west--they are running on this radical roadmap. They plan to take away private property and seize businesses. When we just read their manifesto, it is all right there. They want to open the borders. They want to open the prisons. They want to put prisoners back into our communities. They want to get rid of ICE. They want to shut down our military. They want to shut down police. That is who they are. This is the difference between common sense and crazy. People see it. They know it. Democrats want to rip $50 billion away from our rural hospitals. These are rural hospitals that we have worked with over the years to just try to keep alive, to keep open at a time when we saw, both under Biden and Obama, rural hospitals close in my State and in the Presiding Officer's. Democrats want to start taxing tips and overtime and Social Security. That is a direct increase in taxes on waiters and waitresses, on police officers, on nurses. It is a direct increase in taxes on our seniors if they start taxing Social Security, which is what they want to do. What do they want to do with the money? Well, they have been very clear. They want to use it to pay for healthcare for illegal immigrants. I mean, that is the difference between the Republicans and the Democrats right now. People I talked to don't want taxes to be higher. People I talked to don't want men to play in women's sports. People in my home State of Wyoming I talked to don't want to defund the police; they don't want to defund the military. People I talked to at home, they don't want to put a welcome mat out at the southern border. The people I talked to at home don't want hard-working Americans to be forced to pay for healthcare for illegal immigrants. The people I talked to at home don't believe illegal immigrants should have the right to vote or to be made citizens. Many of the Democrats in this Chamber and on the ballot this November, they want all of those things; they are campaigning on those things. I continue to say the Democrats of today are radical, they are extreme, they are dangerous, and they are scary. It is the difference between common sense and crazy, and the American people see it. My Democrat colleagues in this very Chamber have called these radical policies--they call it the future of their party. We cannot allow that to become the future for our Nation. So Republicans are going to continue to fight for safety, for American prosperity, and for continued American greatness. I yield the floor. I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. BARRASSO

Mr. BARRASSO. The following Senator is necessarily absent: the Senator from Kentucky (Mr. McConnell).

Mr. BARRASSO

Mr. BARRASSO. The following Senators are necessarily absent: the Senator from North Dakota (Mr. Cramer), the Senator from Kansas (Mr. Marshall), the Senator from Alaska (Ms. Murkowski), the Senator from Idaho (Mr. Risch), the Senator from Missouri (Mr. Schmitt), and the Senator from North Carolina (Mr. Tillis).