John Barrasso

Mr. BARRASSO

Mr. BARRASSO. The following Senators are necessarily absent: the Senator from South Carolina (Mr. Graham) and the Senator from Pennsylvania (Mr. McCormick).

Mr. BARRASSO

Mr. BARRASSO. The following Senators are necessarily absent: the Senator from South Carolina (Mr. Graham), the Senator from Pennsylvania (Mr. McCormick), and the Senator from Kansas (Mr. Moran).

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 ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record.

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, today the Senate is going to vote on what is called the Kaine-Van Hollen resolution. To me, it is a political stunt, and I will vote against it. It is not about transparency. It is not about human rights. It is about bringing a verified member of MS-13, a terrorist group, criminals--and bringing that member back into the United States. So today, Senate Democrats are voting, once again, to defend illegal immigrant criminals. They seem to like to do that. It is hard to believe, but it is true. That is whom Senate Democrats are here to protect, and that is whom Senate Democrats seem to want to defend. So they are going to come to the floor today, and they are going to line up to express their blind loyalty and their belligerent support for illegal immigrant criminals. That seems to be the party model right now. No Democrats are going to be able to answer this simple question, though: How does allowing MS-13 gang members to roam free in our communities make our communities or make our country safer? I will tell you the answer: It doesn't. You allow illegal immigrant criminals in our country, you let them stay in our country, it makes all of us less safe. Under unified Republican government, illegal border crossings have plummeted. Illegal crossings are down 93 percent compared to last year--93 percent this year over last year. Republicans are going to continue to fight for protecting American communities and protect our communities against illegal immigrant criminals.

Mr. BARRASSO

Mr. BARRASSO. The following Senator is necessarily absent: the Senator from South Carolina (Mr. Graham).

Mr. BARRASSO

Mr. BARRASSO. The following Senators are necessarily absent: the Senator from Texas (Mr. Cruz), the Senator from South Carolina (Mr. Graham), the Senator from West Virginia (Mr. Justice), and the Senator from Alabama (Mr. Tuberville). Further, if present and voting: the Senator from South Carolina (Mr. Graham) would have voted ``yea.''

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

Mr. BARRASSO

Mr. BARRASSO. The following Senator is necessarily absent: the Senator from South Carolina (Mr. Graham). Further, if present and voting, the Senator from South Carolina (Mr. Graham) would have voted ``yea.''

Mr. BARRASSO

Mr. BARRASSO. Mr. President, I have just come to the floor and listened to the minority leader talk about energy. Energy. Do you know why he is in the minority and we are in the majority? It is because of energy, because Joe Biden, former President, told the EPA, the Environmental Protection Agency, to prioritize the climate over energy that is affordable, available, and reliable. They tried to shove electric vehicles down the throats of every man, woman, and child in America. That is why they are in the minority and we are in the majority. People want affordable energy. I am here today on the floor, and in the Gallery are many people from the State of Wyoming, our law enforcement officers who are here as part of Police Week ceremonies. They know about affordable energy. They know that this week in Wyoming, graduation week at home, gas at the pump is 50 cents a gallon cheaper than it was a year ago. So if they have to drive the distances around the State of Wyoming to see kids or grandkids for graduations, it is $10 a tank less to fill up now than it was a year ago when Joe Biden was in the White House and the Democrats were in charge. Wyoming is America's energy breadbasket. We are a powerhouse of energy. And the Presiding Officer's home State of Oklahoma knows a lot about energy as well. We know what the American people want, and it is not what Chuck Schumer is trying to sell here on the floor of the U.S. Senate or across the country. So when I come to the floor to talk about Police Week and hear the minority leader talking about energy, I just can't help but think about how much better we are now with this effort to unleash American energy than we were the last 4 years when they wanted to keep American energy in the ground and made it so hard for the hard-working men and women who produce that energy to do their jobs in ways that respect the environment, ways that protect the environment. That is what the American people want. That is what they voted for. And to hear the minority leader come to the floor, when, when Biden left office, energy prices were 30 percent higher than they were the day he came into office--the American people said: We can't afford this. We need a big change. They got that change on election day, and I am proud to be part of those who are being able to restore American energy dominance. I know the men and women who listen from around the country and certainly our officers who are here today know how important affordable energy is to our home State of Wyoming.

Mr. BARRASSO

Mr. BARRASSO. The following Senators are necessarily absent: the Senator from South Carolina (Mr. Graham) and the Senator from Alabama (Mr. Tuberville).

Mr. BARRASSO

Mr. BARRASSO. The following Senators are necessarily absent: the Senator from North Dakota (Mr. Cramer), the Senator from South Carolina (Mr. Graham), and the Senator from Alabama (Mr. Tuberville).

Mr. BARRASSO

Mr. BARRASSO. The following Senators are necessarily absent: the Senator from South Carolina (Mr. Graham), the Senator from North Carolina (Mr. Tillis), and the Senator from Alabama (Mr. Tuberville). Further, if present and voting: the Senator from North Carolina (Mr. Tillis) would have voted ``yea.''

Mr. BARRASSO

Mr. BARRASSO. The following Senators are necessarily absent: the Senator from South Carolina (Mr. Graham), the Senator from Kansas (Mr. Marshall), and the Senator from Alabama (Mr. Tuberville). Further, if present and voting: the Senator from South Carolina (Mr. Graham) would have voted ``yea'' and the Senator from Kansas (Mr. Marshall) would have voted ``yea''.

Mr. BARRASSO

Mr. BARRASSO. The following Senators are necessarily absent: the Senator from South Carolina (Mr. Graham) and the Senator from Alabama (Mr. Tuberville). Further, if present and voting: the Senator from South Carolina (Mr. Graham) would have voted ``yea.''

Mr. BARRASSO

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

Mr. BARRASSO

Mr. BARRASSO. Madam President, this week, Senator Kaine of Virginia and Senator Van Hollen of Maryland are going to force a vote on a resolution here in the Senate, and, astonishingly, it is in defense of illegal immigrant criminals. They are going to take up the Senate's time, the time of the American people, because they want to defend illegal immigrant criminals. It is called the Kaine-Van Hollen resolution, pure political theater. It is not about human rights. It is not about protecting Americans, in my opinion, from violent crime, and that is why I am opposing what they are proposing here today. What they are proposing is to shield illegal immigrant criminals-- shield them from deportation and shield them as they try to evade arrest. Democrats want to defend illegal immigrant criminals, and apparently they want to continue to do that. Let's talk about illegal immigrant criminals, and let's talk about the one that they are running to check on in El Salvador: Kilmar Abrego Garcia. That is what one of them did, went to go check on him. The media likes to call him a ``Maryland man.'' Senator Van Hollen said he doesn't ``vouch'' for Garcia. Yet he is one of many Democrats now who have gone to El Salvador. Let's talk about Garcia's record. That is what the American people have been hearing about as well. For starters, Garcia is an illegal immigrant with a deportation order. He has been ordered by the courts to be deported from the United States. His own lawyer has conceded, in immigration court, that he entered the country illegally back in 2011, and he is fully subject to deportation, and a deportation order has been given. Moreover, in 2019, an immigration judge again--a judge--determined Garcia was a ``verified member'' of MS-13. A ``verified member'' of MS- 13. Well, then they appealed. Well, the determination was upheld on appeal. Yes, he is a ``verified member'' of MS-13. Oh, he is also suspected of human trafficking because in 2022, he was caught driving eight passengers from Texas to Maryland. He was stopped in Tennessee. He was driving eight passengers, Texas to Maryland, in a car registered to a human smuggler. Astonishing. That is what the Democrats are defending. He was driving on a suspended license, no proof of insurance, all in violation of the law. None of these eight passengers being moved-- transported--from Texas to Maryland had any luggage. Tennessee law enforcement recently released the body camera footage of the stop. It is real. But what else do we know? Well, his wife, Garcia's wife, sought two protective orders--two protective orders--against him for threatening to kill her. That is whom the Democrats are here defending today--not that one individual but that whole style of behavior that has now impacted every community in America as 10 million illegal immigrants flooded into our country during the Biden administration. What has President Trump done? He has taken this dangerous thug off the streets. But now Democrats are fighting to bring illegal immigrant criminals, in his case and others, back into the country. How many people want him as a next-door neighbor? Is that good news? Is that what the Democrats want, hey, bring him back, bring him into our community? President Trump and Republicans in this body are protecting our communities. We are supporting and actually deporting illegal immigrant criminals. Democrats' policies would allow each and every one of those criminals to roam free in our communities. Americans were forced to live with Democrats' failed approach at the border for the last 4 years. Ten million illegal immigrants flooded into the country, entered with ease. Open border policies--what do we know about our home State of Wyoming?--drove up crime, drove up fentanyl deaths. So many illegal immigrants, they strained our schools, our hospitals, our communities. And Democrats are now attempting to weaken the strong and successful border security policies that this current administration is actually enforcing, which the Democrats ignored. Illegal crossings are down 93 percent from last year. In April, only five illegal immigrants were released into the country. Compare that to April 1 year ago when Joe Biden was in charge. He was the President. The Democrats were the majority. Mr. President, 68,000 illegal immigrants were released into America in a single month under Joe Biden. That was the month of April last year. Look, we are putting in place strong border security. Republicans are leading the way. We ended this catch-and-release program. We restored ``Remain in Mexico.'' We are the party of secure borders and safe communities. The Democrats are the party of open borders and crime running rampant. So the response of the obstructionist Democrat is to push a political stunt, and that is what they are doing here today. This Kaine-Van Hollen resolution, it wastes the Senate's time, it delays our important work on behalf of the American people. I have not heard one Democrat, and I hope some come to the floor and explain how allowing MS-13 gang members to roam free in our communities and in our neighborhoods, how that makes America safer or stronger. What is the Democrat plan to protect Americans like Laken Riley and Rachel Morin and other victims of their failed policies? They have none. They have none. Republicans know how to keep America safe: Secure the border. Fund law enforcement. Deport illegal immigrant criminals. That is the way to keep our country safe and strong. I yield the floor. I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. BARRASSO

Mr. BARRASSO. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the mandatory quorum call with respect to the Meink nomination be waived.

Mr. BARRASSO

Mr. BARRASSO. The following Senator is necessarily absent: the Senator from South Carolina (Mr. Graham).

Mr. BARRASSO

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

Mr. BARRASSO

Mr. BARRASSO. The following Senator is necessarily absent: the Senator from South Carolina (Mr. Graham).

Mr. BARRASSO

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

Mr. BARRASSO. The following Senators are necessarily absent: the Senator from South Carolina (Mr. Graham) and the Senator from Tennessee (Mr. Hagerty). Further, if present and voting: the Senator from South Carolina (Mr. Graham) would have voted ``yea'' and the Senator from Tennessee (Mr. Hagerty) would have voted ``aye.''