John Barrasso

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 Senator is necessarily absent: the Senator from Texas (Mr. Cruz).

Mr. BARRASSO

Mr. BARRASSO. The following Senator is necessarily absent: the Senator from Texas (Mr. Cruz).

Mr. BARRASSO

Mr. BARRASSO. The following Senator is necessarily absent: the Senator from Texas (Mr. Cruz).

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. The following Senator is necessarily absent: the Senator from Texas (Mr. Cruz).

Mr. BARRASSO

Mr. BARRASSO. Mr. President, I have just come from a meeting with the Prime Minister of Israel, Binyamin Netanyahu. Our meeting comes on the heels of incredibly good news for everyone, and that is that hostages are coming home. Earlier this week, Keith Siegel, an American hostage, was released. He is a 65-year-old American citizen, currently lives in Israel. He is a father; he is a grandfather. On October 7 of 2023, he was abducted by Hamas, taken to their underground tunnels, and his wife was also taken hostage. He was held prisoner by the terrorists for 484 days, and the conditions, we know, were hellish. He is finally free, reunited with his family, and recovering in a hospital. We look forward to more of these moments. These are the results of bold action by President Donald Trump. As Prime Minister Netanyahu said this week, President Trump is the ``greatest friend Israel has ever had in the White House.'' We celebrate this good news. We are also keeping an eye on alarming news; the news is the rise of anti-Semitism around the world. A prime example is the International Criminal Court. It is a kangaroo court. Last year, it issued arrest warrants for Israeli officials. One of those officials is Prime Minister Netanyahu. The charges, of course, are bogus. The Senate had an opportunity last week to fight back. Senator Tom Cotton of Arkansas, chairman of the Intelligence Committee, introduced a bipartisan bill to impose severe sanctions on the ICC. The House of Representatives passed the same bill last month. The vote was bipartisan. Passing this bill in the Senate would have sent a very strong message that America stands with Israel, that we wouldn't let our ally stand alone. Democrats in this body of the U.S. Senate filibustered in spite of the fact that 45 Democrat Senators voted to abandon our closest ally. Two now Democrat Senators voted for this same bill last year when they were Members of the House, yet when the opportunity last week to support Israel in the Senate came, they voted no. Democrats' filibuster is the reason why the ICC is not facing the crippling sanctions that it deserves. This very topic came up in our discussion with the Prime Minister of Israel. We did point out the fact that ICC is a kangaroo court, refuses to point out the difference between right and wrong, and the vote of the Democrats to block this bill in the U.S. Senate was an affront to the people of Israel, and the Prime Minister specifically asked the Democrats to get this passed, to support this legislation, which is united support by the Republicans, had bipartisan support in the House, but was held up on this body by a unanimous vote of the Democrats or near unanimous vote of the Democrats to stop this legislation in its tracks and to allow the so-called International Criminal Court to continue with their lack of justice in a court they claim to have, where I see having no jurisdiction. So where do we go from here in terms of what we have seen today and in our discussion with the Prime Minister? What is the path forward for peace and prosperity in the Middle East? That is what we just spoke about. First, peace and prosperity in the Middle East begins with American support for Israel. President Trump and Republicans in the Congress stand with Israel and have from the beginning. Our support is unwavering; it is unbreakable; and it is unequivocal. It is not what we have seen from the other side of the aisle. Additionally, the biggest barrier to peace and prosperity in the Middle East continues to be Iran. As the largest State sponsor of terror in the world, Iran controls a vast, violent network of proxies. These Iranian terror proxies include Hamas, Hezbollah in Lebanon, the Houthis in Yemen. Iran funds its terror proxies. Where does the money come from? Well, by selling oil to communist China. Last year the Iranian regime's oil sales to China averaged over 1\1/2\ million barrels of oil each and every day. How did that happen? Well, the Biden administration allowed it. They looked the other way. Tanker loads of oil to China, pay at a discount, tanker loads of cash back to Iran. To break Iran's choke hold on the Middle East, America must bring back maximum pressure. President Trump is going to do that. He is tough on Iran. During his first administration, he imposed crippling sanctions and enforcement measures that brought Iran to its knees. President Trump is now back into the White House and so is his successful maximum-pressure campaign. This week, he restored sanctions on Iran. This comes after he relabeled the Houthis as a foreign terrorist organization. It is a strong start, and we can still do more. In the Senate, stopping Iran terror is a priority for the Republican majority. Now, deterring Iran means restoring peace through strength. Republicans are supporting our military. We are ready to make key investments to make our military more lethal and the most powerful force on earth. With Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth now in place, we are already seeing morale return and recruiting numbers rise. We are also working to bring back American energy dominance. Energy is America's most critical national security asset. We, as a nation, are an energy superpower. We have enormous natural resources. We ought to behave that way. And under this administration and this majority, America will unleash American energy. A stronger America makes our allies stronger and also makes the world safer. Strength deters enemies. We will work with Israel every step of the way. Together, America and Israel will bring a new era of peace and prosperity to the Middle East.

Mr. BARRASSO

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

Mr. BARRASSO

Mr. BARRASSO. The following Senator is necessarily absent: the Senator from Texas (Mr. Cruz).

Mr. BARRASSO

Mr. BARRASSO. The following Senator is necessarily absent: the Senator from Texas (Mr. Cruz).

Mr. BARRASSO

Mr. BARRASSO. Mr. President, the Senate is soon going to vote on the confirmation of Scott Turner to be the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development. He grew up in Texas and dreamed of a career playing in the National Football League. He achieved not just that dream but a great deal more. He used his platform as a player to help others achieve their own dreams. These leadership qualities are fundamental to who Scott is. They are going to serve him well as the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development. Scott also has extensive experience in State government and the Federal Government. After playing in the NFL, he served his community in the Texas legislature. In 2019, he oversaw investments in opportunity zones under President Trump. In that role, he secured more than $50 billion in private investments for over 8,700 economically distressed communities. These investments helped to revitalize many forgotten communities. Senator Tim Scott of South Carolina, who is now the chairman of the Banking Committee, created these opportunity zones in the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017. Scott Turner was instrumental in their success. He is the right man to help restore opportunity now. He is going to put his experience and his leadership skills to work for the American people, and I strongly support his nomination.

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 order for the quorum call be rescinded.

Mr. BARRASSO

Mr. BARRASSO. Mr. President, the Justice Department needs a leader--a leader who has the qualifications, the experience, the determination, and the moral clarity to keep our Nation safe. Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi is that leader. She has my vote and my vocal support. The Attorney General is America's top prosecutor. The role should be filled by an experienced prosecutor. Attorney General Bondi has prosecution experience--a lot of it. She spent almost 30 years as a criminal prosecutor and then a State attorney general. She has more trial experience than any modern-day U.S. attorney general. Attorney General Bondi is the most experienced career criminal prosecutor ever to be America's chief law enforcement officer. She is ready to lead on day one. In Florida, Attorney General Bondi prosecuted a range of violent crimes and criminals. She locked up the worst of the worst for the worst offenses. Her signature achievements were in fighting illegal drugs and in fighting human trafficking. When she first became Florida's attorney general in 2011, the State was overrun with things known as pill mills. They were operations that were running to sell opioids. Pam shut them down. She locked up the drug dealers. She pushed for stronger laws, and she stopped the spread of synthetic opioids. Under her leadership, Florida led the fight against this deadly epidemic. Attorney General Bondi also protected victims of human trafficking in Florida. She pledged to make human trafficking an area for her to combat. It was a top priority at her justice department in Florida. She is a fierce advocate for safety, and she is a skilled leader. The Department of Justice is a huge Agency. It controls 40 separate organizations. It employs more than 115,000 people. It oversees all 94 U.S. attorneys across the country. Leading the DOJ is an enormous undertaking. Pam Bondi is up to the challenge. The Florida Attorney General's Office is one of the largest in the Nation. It handles a broad scope of civil and criminal investigations, just like the U.S. Department of Justice. She led that office effectively and efficiently, and she will do the same thing now as Attorney General. She has received overwhelming support from all across the country. More than 100 former senior DOJ officials wrote a letter to the Judiciary Committee in support of Pam Bondi. Here is what they said about her track record: It shows ``the no-nonsense, law and order, pro- law enforcement approach she will bring to the Department of Justice.'' The Fraternal Order of Police also urged the Senate to confirm Pam Bondi. This is an organization of more than 377,000 members of law enforcement. She has also earned the support of Second Amendment advocates. U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi will stand in stark contrast to the prior administration's Justice Department. The previous administration gave us two tiers of justice. It labeled parents as ``domestic terrorists'' when they attended school board meetings. It brought charges against pro-life protesters, then threw them in prison. It worked with leftwing judges and prosecutors to try to throw President Trump in jail. That is what we had in the last administration. This doesn't even begin to get into the Russiagate hoax or covering up for Hunter Biden. In those cases, we saw rogue Federal agents try to subvert the democratic process. At her hearing before the Judiciary Committee, Attorney General Bondi promised a different path. Instead of playing politics, Pam Bondi pledged to enforce the law fairly, fully, and faithfully. She said in her opening statement that she will return the Department of Justice to its ``core mission of keeping Americans safe and vigorously''-- vigorously--``enforcing the law.'' Her commitment to the Constitution, to public safety, and equal justice under the law is exactly what our Nation needs today. The partisan, politicalized, and polarizing prosecutions are now over. Pam Bondi will usher in a new era of safety, of sanity, and of justice. She has my vote to be the U.S. Attorney General.

Mr. BARRASSO

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

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

Mr. BARRASSO

Mr. BARRASSO. Mr. President, I would like to take the opportunity to express my appreciation to Cate 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. Cate is a native of Virginia. She is currently a junior at Madeira School in McLean, VA. 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 Cate 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 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. The following Senators are necessarily absent: the senator from South Carolina (Mr. Graham) and the Senator from Mississippi (Mrs. Hyde-Smith). Further, if present and voting: the senator from South Carolina (Mr. Graham) would have voted ``yea'' and the senator from Mississippi (Mrs. Hyde-Smith) would have voted ``yea.''

Mr. BARRASSO

Mr. BARRASSO. Mr. President, first let me start that all of us here in the Senate and around the country, having seen what we saw that happened last night at Reagan National Airport, it was tragic. It was heartbreaking. There are many questions that need to be answered in the coming days, but today all of America is praying--praying for the 64 individuals on the American Airlines flight that lost their lives, praying for the 3 soldiers aboard the Army helicopter, praying for the families of the victims. It truly is a heartbreaking moment for our country. We are so grateful for the bravery of the first responders. We thank the Metropolitan Airport Authority's Fire Department, the Washington DC Fire Department, the Metropolitan Police Department, the U.S. Park Police, and all the more than 300 first responders who are assisting in the recovery efforts.

Mr. BARRASSO

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

Mr. BARRASSO

Mr. BARRASSO. Mr. President, I yield the floor.