John Barrasso

Mr. BARRASSO

Mr. BARRASSO. The following Senators are necessarily absent: the Senator from Alabama (Mrs. Britt), the Senator from Kentucky (Mr. McConnell), the Senator from Oklahoma (Mr. Mullin), the Senator from Alaska (Ms. Murkowski), and the Senator from Kentucky (Mr. Paul).

Mr. BARRASSO

Mr. BARRASSO. The following Senators are necessarily absent: the Senator from Alabama (Mrs. Britt), the Senator from Texas (Mr. Cruz), the Senator from Kentucky (Mr. McConnell), and the Senator from Oklahoma (Mr. Mullin).

Mr. BARRASSO

Mr. BARRASSO. Mr. President, I come to the floor today to speak about something critical to our Nation, and that is our Nation's security. And for me, national security demands and starts with border security. We were through 4 years of open borders, high prices, pain for the American people. Well, with the signing of this Big Beautiful Bill into law, we are securing the border, we are finishing the wall, and we are supporting Federal law enforcement officers. You know, we also passed, and President Trump signed into law, the HALT Fentanyl Act. It is now the law of the land, and, today, law enforcement finally has the tools that they need to crack down on drug traffickers. These policies are what will save lives here in America. These policies will make our Nation safer. For 4 long years, Joe Biden and the Democrats flung open the border walls, and over 10 million illegal immigrants flooded into our country as a result of their irresponsible behavior. This invasion raised costs for American families. People saw it all throughout their lives. They saw it when they went to the doctor's office. They found it at the grocery store, and they found it in the housing market. This invasion made our communities less safe. Innocent Americans are still suffering the consequences. Just this week, in New York City, an off-duty Customs and Border Protection officer was ambushed--ambushed-- by two illegal immigrant criminals. They shot him in the throat. Both of these illegal immigrant criminals had long criminal records. You say: How can that be, in America, that somebody with a long criminal record is out there on the street, shooting an officer of the law? Well, both of these illegal immigrant criminals entered the country illegally under Joe Biden. They were arrested multiple times in New York City, the minority leader's home city--arrested multiple times. Immigration judges ordered deportations, but what happens in New York City, in the minority leader's home city? They were released due to sanctuary city policies in his hometown. President Trump and Republicans have now made it a priority to enforce the law. Since taking office, President Trump has deported hundreds of thousands of illegal immigrant criminals. ICE arrests in my home State of Wyoming as well as my neighboring State of Colorado are now five times higher than they were during the same time period under Joe Biden. A July poll by Harvard-Harris shows that three out of four Americans support President Trump's efforts to deport illegal immigrant criminals. The message is clear: Keep making our communities safer. Illegal border crossings are now at their lowest level ever recorded. Zero--zero--illegal immigrants were released into our country over the past 2 months. Hard to believe but true--the number is zero. President Trump has successfully ended catch-and-release. By contrast, under Joe Biden and the Democrats, 10,000 illegal immigrants crossed our southern border on a daily basis. Republicans promised the American people we would secure the border, and we are keeping our word. The law we passed finishes the wall. It provides $75 billion for Immigration and Customs Enforcement. That gives our agents the resources they need to continue deporting illegal immigrant criminals. Our law allows and helps them hire, train, and retain Border Patrol agents. It even gives the agents a bonus. That is what we need to do to enforce the law. Republicans are committed to help fight back against child trafficking. This is why our law funds $300 million to vet those who sponsor children who show up at the border without an adult. And we know it happened routinely during the Biden administration. I was there on the border during the night as children would show up without an adult. A recent report from the Department of Homeland Security's Office of Inspector General is clarifying to all of us who have read it. It is disturbing, and it is frightening. The report found that the Biden administration lost track of hundreds of thousands of these unaccompanied children. In over 80 percent of the cases, the report says, the Biden administration didn't even have accurate contact information for the sponsors. In all, our new law is the most comprehensive border security investment in American history. It has invested in immigration enforcement and border security. Not a single Democrat supported these policies. Democrats continue today to be the party of open borders and unsafe communities. They made our country weaker, they made our country poorer, and they made our country less safe. Things have changed now. Across the country, ICE agents are doing excellent work enforcing the law and keeping our communities safe. Earlier this month, ICE conducted a lawful raid of a Los Angeles facility that produces marijuana. Federal officers arrested 361 criminal illegal immigrants. Many were convicted rapists, kidnappers, and child predators. Federal agents also rescued 10 children from forced labor at that marijuana production facility. Eight of them were unaccompanied minors who had been trafficked into our country and exploited. Last month, ICE arrested 1,361 illegal immigrant criminals in Houston, TX. Those criminals were in our communities because of Democrats' open border policies. Now they are off the streets thanks to an administration that is committed to our Nation's security. As law enforcement does its job, they are increasingly under attack. They are under attack, amazingly, from criminals, and they are under attack from the radical left. ICE agents have been demonized, doxed, and demoralized. Attacks against ICE agents have soared over 800 percent in the last year. In California, as ICE agents rescued children from forced labor, a violent mob of leftwing activists threw rocks and even opened fire on them. Now, some Democrats in Congress downplayed it; they dismissed it; they defended the violence, as the Democrats tend to do. One Democrat even said the operation was, in their words, a ``misuse of federal resources.'' Let me be clear. Rescuing trafficked children is not a misuse--never a misuse--of taxpayer money. If the Democrats believe otherwise, they have truly lost their moral compass. Law enforcement deserves our support, especially as they are protecting children and when they are getting dangerous criminals off the street. This is common sense. It is exactly what Immigration and Customs agents are doing, and they are doing it very well. The American people have been clear. They want secure borders. They want safer communities. And that is what Republicans are delivering. Mr. President, I will assure you, Republicans will continue to protect our children, protect our communities, and protect our country. I yield the floor. I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. BARRASSO

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

Mr. BARRASSO

Mr. BARRASSO. The following Senators are necessarily absent: the Senator from Kentucky (Mr. McConnell) and the Senator from Oklahoma (Mr. Mullin).

Mr. BARRASSO

Mr. BARRASSO. The following Senators are necessarily absent: the Senator from Kentucky (Mr. McConnell) and the Senator from Oklahoma (Mr. Mullin).

Mr. BARRASSO

Mr. BARRASSO. The following Senators are necessarily absent: the Senator from Kentucky (Mr. McConnell) and the Senator from Oklahoma (Mr. Mullin).

Mr. BARRASSO

Mr. BARRASSO. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate recess following disposition of the Stevens nomination until 2:15 to allow for the weekly conference meetings.

Mr. BARRASSO. Mr. President, on behalf of the leaders, I ask that the Senate execute the order of July 17 with respect to the Divine and Stevens nomination in the order listed.

Mr. BARRASSO

Mr. BARRASSO. The following Senators are necessarily absent: the Senator from Louisiana (Mr. Kennedy), the Senator from Kentucky (Mr. McConnell), and the Senator from Oklahoma (Mr. Mullin).

Mr. BARRASSO

Mr. BARRASSO. The following Senators are necessarily absent: the Senator from Louisiana (Mr. Kennedy), the Senator from Kentucky (Mr. McConnell), and the Senator from Oklahoma (Mr. Mullin).

Mr. BARRASSO

Mr. BARRASSO. The following Senators are necessarily absent: the Senator from South Carolina (Mr. Graham), the Senator from Kentucky (Mr. McConnell), the Senator from Oklahoma (Mr. Mullin), and the Senator from North Carolina (Mr. Tillis).

Mr. BARRASSO

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

Mr. BARRASSO. Madam President, today, I come to the floor to tell the body that, for the first time in years, the Senate is going to begin the appropriations process in the right way. The right way is on time. The right way is here in public. And the right way is with bipartisan support. Now, that may seem routine, and it would be expected to be routine. But here in the U.S. Senate, that hasn't been routine for a long time because, for years, the appropriations process has been broken. We just heard the minority leader, Senator Schumer, come to the floor and say this process has become more partisan, as he said, only in the recent weeks. Let me remind the minority leader of his own actions to undermine the appropriations process. Last year, 11 of 12 funding bills passed the Senate Appropriations Committee. They were passed through regular order in the committee. They had strong bipartisan support. Many actually were unanimous. Yet not a single one of the appropriations bills that were overwhelmingly agreed upon reached this floor of the U.S. Senate--not a one. Why? Because the minority leader, Chuck Schumer, blocked each and every one of them from coming to this floor. He let these 11 bipartisan appropriation bills die at that desk right there. As the majority leader at the time, Senator Schumer had the power to bring each and every one of these bills to the floor of the U.S. Senate, and he refused. Day after day--for 100 days, over 200 days--he absolutely refused. He unilaterally shut down the appropriations process, and now he and other Democrats are threatening to shut down the government of the country. Both Republicans and Democrats are fully aware of how broken the appropriations process has become. The Senate is meant to be, as has been described, the greatest deliberative body in the world. Yet over the last 4 years, the Senate had become a graveyard for consensus during the Biden administration and with Chuck Schumer as majority leader. The Senate Republicans are now here to correct that. The Republicans believe in a Senate that debates and amends and then votes. We believe in regular order, not top-down control. That is why, today, Republicans are bringing our first appropriations bill to the floor. The bill funds veterans' healthcare. It strengthens military readiness. It improves housing for servicemembers as well as for their families. The bill went through the committee process. It passed 26 to 3. That is overwhelmingly bipartisan. This is one of several funding bills that earned nearly unanimous support in the Appropriations Committee. Now it deserves bipartisan support on the floor of the U.S. Senate. This bill to fund veterans' healthcare and military readiness and housing should unite us. It shouldn't divide us. This is an opportunity to return to real governing after years of Democrat-imposed dysfunction. This is how we restore the trust in this institution and the faith in the work that we do here. When the Senate does its job, the American people are better off. The appropriations process is how Congress fulfills our basic everyday legislative duty--the duty of controlling the power of the purse. It forces accountability, and it forces transparency that had been blocked in the past by the minority leader. It requires Congress to look closely at every taxpayer dollar being spent, and we should. We have an opportunity and an obligation to do that. This process helps Congress fund what really matters to the American people. It means securing the border; it means strengthening our national security; and it means protecting the most vulnerable among us. It is the best tool that Congress has to rein in reckless, runaway Washington spending. That is what Republicans are doing-- accountability, transparency, openness, letting people see the truth. If Democrats walk away from this process again--and it sounds like Chuck Schumer is trying to decide if he is going to allow his Members to even vote on some of these things--and if they want to do it simply to protect wasteful Washington spending, they will be the ones sabotaging the Senate and shutting down the government. It won't be the first time. It will be another Schumer shutdown. A Schumer shutdown would punish hard-working families. A Schumer shutdown certainly hurts seniors who rely on Social Security. A Schumer shutdown hurts our military and the families who live paycheck to paycheck. And a Schumer shutdown forces Border Patrol agents to work without pay. The American people should not be forced to pay the price for the games of the Democrat Party. To my colleagues on the Appropriations Committee who worked in good faith this last year only to see their hard work buried by petty politics, this is an opportunity for us to do better. Republicans are committed to restoring regular order, transparency, and trust. We are doing the work of the American people here, and the question is: Will Senate Democrats join us, or will they once again drag this country into another Schumer shutdown? I yield the floor. I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. BARRASSO

Mr. BARRASSO. Mr. President, I would like to take the opportunity to express my appreciation to Charlotte for her hard work as an intern in my Washington, DC, office. I recognize her efforts and contributions to my office, as well as to the State of Wyoming. Charlotte is originally from Salt Lake City, UT, but now lives in Jackson, WY. Charlotte attends Santa Clara University where she is pursuing a bachelor's degree in biology and minoring in biotechnology. She has demonstrated a strong work ethic, which has made her an invaluable asset to our office. The quality of her work is reflected in her great efforts over the last several months. I want to thank Charlotte for the dedication she has shown while working for me and my staff. It is a pleasure to have her as part of our team. I know she will have continued success with all of her future endeavors. I wish her all my best on her journey.

Mr. BARRASSO

Mr. BARRASSO. The following Senators are necessarily absent: the Senator from Louisiana (Mr. Kennedy), the Senator from Kentucky (Mr. McConnell), and the Senator from Oklahoma (Mr. Mullin).

Mr. BARRASSO

Mr. BARRASSO. Mr. President, I would like to take the opportunity to express my appreciation to Brogan for his hard work as an intern in my Washington, DC, office. I recognize his efforts and contributions to my office, as well as to the State of Wyoming. Brogan is from Buffalo, WY. Brogan is currently enrolled at the University of Wyoming in Laramie, where he is pursuing a bachelor's degree in energy resource management. He has demonstrated a strong work ethic, which has made him an invaluable asset to our office. The quality of his work is reflected in his great efforts over the last several months. I want to thank Brogan for the dedication he has shown while working for me and my staff. It is a pleasure to have him as part of our team. I know he will have continued success with all of his future endeavors. I wish him all my best on his journey.

Mr. BARRASSO

Mr. BARRASSO. Mr. President, I would like to take the opportunity to express my appreciation to Lucas for his hard work as an intern in my Washington, DC, office. I recognize his efforts and contributions to my office, as well as to the State of Wyoming. Lucas is originally from Westborough, MA, but now calls Wilson, WY, home. Lucas is a rising senior at Davidson College in Davidson, NC, where he is pursuing a bachelor's degree in politics, philosophy, and economics. He has demonstrated a strong work ethic, which has made him an invaluable asset to our office. The quality of his work is reflected in his great efforts over the last several months. I want to thank Lucas for the dedication he has shown while working for me and my staff. It is a pleasure to have him as part of our team. I know he will have continued success with all of his future endeavors. I wish him all my best on his journey.

Mr. BARRASSO

Mr. BARRASSO. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record.

Mr. BARRASSO. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record.

Mr. BARRASSO

Mr. BARRASSO. Mr. President, I would like to take the opportunity to express my appreciation to Aspen for her hard work as an intern in my Sheridan office. I recognize her efforts and contributions to my office, as well as to the State of Wyoming. Aspen is originally from Cody, WY. Aspen recently graduated from American University in Washington, DC, with a bachelor's degree in justice and law with a concentration in criminology. She has demonstrated a strong work ethic, which has made her an invaluable asset to our office. The quality of her work is reflected in her great efforts over the last several months. I want to thank Aspen for the dedication she has shown while working for me and my staff. It is a pleasure to have her as part of our team. I know she will have continued success with all of her future endeavors. I wish her all my best on her journey.

Mr. BARRASSO

Mr. BARRASSO. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record.

Mr. BARRASSO

Mr. BARRASSO. Mr. President, I would like to take the opportunity to express my appreciation to Faith for her hard work as an intern in my Casper office. I recognize her efforts and contributions to my office as well as to the State of Wyoming. Faith was born and raised in Casper, WY. Faith attends Casper College, where she is pursuing a degree in elementary education. She has demonstrated a strong work ethic, which has made her an invaluable asset to our office. The quality of her work is reflected in her great efforts over the last several months. I want to thank Faith for the dedication she has shown while working for me and my staff. It is a pleasure to have her as part of our team. I know she will have continued success with all of her future endeavors. I wish her all my best on her journey.

Mr. BARRASSO

Mr. BARRASSO. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record.

Mr. BARRASSO

Mr. BARRASSO. The following Senators are necessarily absent: the Senator from North Carolina (Mr. Budd), the Senator from Louisiana (Mr. Cassidy), the Senator from Texas (Mr. Cruz), the Senator from South Carolina (Mr. Graham), the Senator from Mississippi (Mrs. Hyde-Smith), the Senator from Louisiana (Mr. Kennedy), the Senator from Oklahoma (Mr. Mullin), the Senator from Idaho (Mr. Risch), and the Senator from North Carolina (Mr. Tillis). Further, if present and voting: the Senator from North Carolina (Mr. Budd) would have voted ``yea'', the Senator from North Carolina (Mr. Tillis) would have voted ``yea'', and the Senator from Texas (Mr. Cruz) would have voted ``yea.''