Katie Britt

Mrs. BRITT

Mrs. BRITT. Mr. President, I would like to thank my colleague from Oklahoma. He did a tremendous job on what he just laid out, and he has also been working tirelessly on this for the last few months, in particular the month of August, along with myself, Senator Eric Schmitt, Senator Ted Budd, Senator Ron Johnson, all trying to coalesce on how to make this place work again. This is about preserving the institution, not about partisan advantage. Unfortunately, this is where we are today. I think it is important that we rise to continue to talk about this, about Senate Republicans working to restore order to this Chamber. The Senate has a constitutional obligation to provide the President advice and consent on his nominations for key professions. This role is a cornerstone of the checks and balances system created by our Forefathers, and it is a process we must ensure continues to function, no matter who is currently serving in the White House. I understand being in the minority, and it is certainly frustrating when your party doesn't win the general election. But as we have heard our colleagues say a number of times, elections have consequences. And while we have seen power change back and forth from Republican and Democratic administrations, the Senate was specially designed to uphold our constitutional obligation of advice and consent. We serve 6-year terms with one-third of the Senate being up for reelection every Congress because we want to make sure that we are not shortsighted or partisan acting, but unfortunately this year, we have seen that unravel due to historic obstruction by Senate Democrats, a theme that goes back nearly 25 years. Over the August recess, as we have worked on this, I spent a great deal of time studying the history of Senate confirmations to better understand inflection points and how we actually got here. This is a common theme. The Senate slows confirmations when there is a Republican in the White House. It started in 2003 when President Bush nominated Miguel Estrada, a brilliant attorney, to serve there, and he received bipartisan praise from the likes of future Biden White House Chief of Staff Ron Klain. Democrats, concerned that Estrada might be soon nominated to the Supreme Court, used the filibuster to block him-- the first time in history an appellate court nominee was blocked. What started with Estrada continued to shape Bush's term. While President Clinton had 98 percent of his nominees confirmed by voice vote or unanimous consent, President Bush had 90 percent in his first term--a small but noticeable dropoff. Much to the disappointment of conservatives around the country, President Obama was sworn into office in 2009. In his first term, how many nominees do you think Obama had confirmed without a rollcall vote? Ninety percent--the exact same as his Republican predecessor, President Bush. Next, President Trump. He took office in 2017. Senate Democrats dusted off their same playbook that they wrote during President Bush's term, and while Obama had 90 percent of his nominees approved without a rollcall vote, President Trump actually received just 65 percent. This slowed the Senate down and, more importantly, kept well-qualified leaders out of key roles for our country. President Biden took office in 2021. He nominated a number of people controversial not just to Republicans but actually to many Democrats too. In fact, one in particular was his Secretary of Labor. His nominee to be Secretary of Labor couldn't get confirmed by his own party and actually was in an acting role for over 680 days--nearly 2 years without a confirmed Cabinet Secretary. Despite all of this, 57 percent of President Biden's nominees were confirmed without a rollcall vote. Now, this takes us to President Trump's second term, where he won, obviously, an overwhelming majority of Americans with the popular vote and the electoral college, but, as you know, he has received zero percent of his nominees without a rollcall vote--not one. Look at this chart. This lays it out for you. You have H. W. Bush, 98 percent; Obama, 90 percent; you have Clinton here, 98; you have Trump 1, 65; you have Bush again, 90. I mean, look at this: 98, 98, 90, 90, 65, 57, 0. Does this seem like people are trying to make this place work or does this seem like they are trying to bring it to a screeching halt? For me, I came here to actually do something. So we have 120 pieces of bipartisan legislation on really incredible things that have been marked up in committee and are ready to see time on this floor. They are things like social media to protect kids online, to finally stand up to Big Tech and say: The safety and security and mental well-being of our children comes first, not the profits in your pocket. We have bills on affordable housing, knowing that now, when you look at the American dream, almost everyone's piece of that comes through owning their own home. While previously you would buy your first home between 26 and 28 years old, now that number has moved to 38 or beyond. Making sure that we make that more tangible for Americans, that we figure out how to actually address those prices, is critical, and we have a bill waiting to see the floor. Yet Senate Democrats continue to try to prolong this, to try to put every roadblock in place just to keep President Trump from getting his people in place. At the end of the day, last November, the American people were actually faced with two options, and this, to me, was the most well- informed election we have ever had in American history because they were two very known entities. You knew what you were getting. You had seen Kamala Harris serve as Vice President, you had already seen President Trump serve in one term, and so you knew what you were getting. And the American people overwhelmingly said: We want President Trump back in office. Kamala Harris said she wouldn't do anything differently--I think you all remember that on ``The View''--anything differently than Joe Biden. So they said: This is what we want. But yet we are not allowing him to get his people in place to actually do the things that he needs to do for the country. I understand voting against nominees that you disagree with. I even understand requiring a cloture vote on some. What I can't understand is the blocking, is the delay tactics on every single nomination. These are bipartisan nominees--many of them. The ones we will be talking about here came out of committee with a bipartisan vote. Now, during President Biden's term, there were certainly a lot of nominees that I did not agree with, but a President deserves some deference. Give him an up-or-down vote and move on. Senate Democrats have given no such deference to President Trump and, just like the 2024 election, in my opinion, have failed to present the case to the American people. This is not obstructing nominees; this is a protest of an election that didn't go their way. We have spent an unreasonable amount of time just trying to confirm largely uncontroversial nominees when we could be using it to see those bills that have been marked up in a bipartisan fashion on this floor. We could be using it to work through appropriations bills, which, in my opinion, are so critical to the job that we do. We could be using it to continue to move the NDAA and make sure that our forces are the best trained, ready, and equipped across the planet. Instead, we are nearly 9 months into this administration, and President Trump has less than 12 percent of his positions confirmed. The Senate has worked hard these last 9 months. We have actually held a record number of rollcall votes. We have been in session a record number of days. Unfortunately, we have another record, and that is that we have zero voice votes here for President Trump at this point in time. But it doesn't stand to reason that a historical effort is being put on us for continuing this lowest number of nominees confirmed through the Senate. President Trump is on pace to have confirmed just 426 nominees by the end of this Congress--426. Look at this. You have President Biden at the end of his first Congress, the end of the first 2 years--919 nominees confirmed. Now we hear our colleagues on the other side of the aisle consistently say that we did everything possible to create an impediment for President Obama. That is clearly not true when it came to letting his people have an up-or-down vote or giving them an opportunity to get in his Cabinet. You look at President Trump, you see what they did here--715 nominees by the end of Congress. Then you go to President Biden--817 at the end of the first Congress. At the current rate we are at now--and you heard my distinguished colleague from Oklahoma say that if we kept doing this, it would be 900 more hours that we would spend just in the near future--we will have only 426 nominees confirmed into his administration by the end of this Congress at the rate we are going. Now, do you know how many people serve in a Cabinet? serve in an administration? Over 1,200. Over 1,200. So what you are saying essentially, then, is that at the end of his first 2 years, you are going to give him a third of the people, at best, that he needs to complete the mission that the American people very clearly said on November 5 they wanted to see enacted. It is not right. President Trump deserves the men and women he has nominated to be in place today, and that is exactly why our conference has been working diligently to find a solution. The Democrats' behavior in requiring a cloture vote on almost every single nominee is, in fact, a change in rules. Their behavior has set a new precedent. It is one that will last with this body on and on and on and on. We want this Senate to work again. We want it to function once again. We want to be able to bring this important legislation that we worked on in committee in a bipartisan fashion to the floor and get things done for the American people once again. And we are not going to allow the obstruction by the Senate Democrats to continue. It is important to understand that a significant number of these nominees that we will be talking about this week and next came out of committee on a bipartisan basis. Some are individuals whom many of us have known and have worked with for years. They deserve an opportunity to serve, and I think many of my Democratic colleagues would actually agree. Now, before we discuss the rules changes our conference has coalesced around, we have obviously made sure that we have been thoughtful about a number of different avenues. People have brought recess appointments up, amongst a number of different things. When recess appointments are made, they only fill a position for this Congress, so you are not fixing it for the entirety of President Trump's tenure. Also, many times, these recess appointments are generally unpaid positions. For these outstanding nominees, it would be unfair to ask to make many of them move across the country with their families for an unpaid job that expires at the end of a Congress, not even at the end of President Trump's term. Therefore, we landed on another solution--the Klobuchar-King proposal. Now, look, this solution would allow us to vote en bloc, to confirm multiple nominees at one time--so not so dissimilar to how the Senate used to work for every other President--passing dozens of nominees at once through unanimous consent. We haven't had any of those packages here. Look, there is no perfect solution, but one thing we do know is that we have to get this place back functioning again. So I want to point out that when the Klobuchar-King proposal was introduced, the Senate was regularly confirming batches of nominees by voice vote--clearly something that is not happening now. This was when the Senate was keeping the same pace confirming President Biden's nominees with Senate Democrats' pace confirming President Trump's in his first term. The blame for the delay of President Trump's nominees lies solely with Senate Democrats. When President Trump first took office, he became the first President to not have at least 90 percent of his nominees confirmed without a rollcall vote. I mean, this chart speaks for itself. Now that they have exhausted every tool, they keep chipping away until nothing is left--not a single nominee more to obstruct. This is truly ridiculous, and it is actually no way to run a country. This is not what our Founding Fathers intended when they gave the Senate the power of advice and consent, and it is not what our voters sent us to Washington, DC, to do. So, alongside Senate Republicans, I remain committed to finding a pathway forward to get the Senate back to working, to put institutional reform ahead of partisan politics, and to make sure this body is actually working for the American people. I yield the floor.

Mrs. BRITT

Mrs. BRITT. I ask for the yeas and nays.

Mrs. BRITT

Mrs. BRITT. I ask for the yeas and nays.

Mrs. BRITT

Mrs. BRITT. Mr. President, I rise today to talk about a number of topics. I first want to start with how thrilled I am that childcare was addressed in the bill that we passed last week. The affordability and accessibility has hung over so many Americans coast to coast that want or need the opportunity to reengage in the workforce. And we took action to make a difference--to make it easier for parents to keep more of their hard-earned money to be able to do just that. It wouldn't have been possible, obviously, without that bill and the Republican conference coming together and actually deciding to effect change for hard-working families across this Nation. We worked diligently, though, before that was even an option, building a coalition in a bipartisan way to address the affordability and accessibility of childcare. I want to take a minute to thank Senator Tim Kaine. The Britt-Kaine proposal is what much of this was pulled from. We worked together to build that coalition to make sure that we were getting it right for the American people, in that we both had team members that worked diligently and around the clock. I want to thank Rebecca Howard from his team for the work that she put in--tireless work. She happens to be an Alabamian from Alex City, AL, working hand in glove with Maggie McPherson from our team. Maggie dedicated so much time and energy to getting this right. As a result of their hard work--along with Stephen Newton, Sean Ross, and Caroline Moore--Americans are going to have more opportunity, parents are going to be able to rely on childcare and have it accessible to them, businesses--large and small--are going to get to be a part of the solution. I am so proud that the Republican conference came together and finally updated the Tax Code. It had not been updated since 1986 and 2001 to double what parents get moving forward. I want to thank the team that worked so diligently for weeks and months leading up to that to make that happen.

Mrs. BRITT

Mrs. BRITT. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate resume legislative session and be in a period of morning business, with Senators permitted to speak therein for up to 10 minutes each.

Mrs. BRITT

Mrs. BRITT. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today, it stand adjourned until 10 a.m. on Tuesday, June 10, that following the prayer and pledge, the Journal of proceedings be approved to date, the morning hour be deemed expired, the time for the two leaders be reserved for their use later in the day, morning business be closed, and the Senate proceed to executive session and resume consideration of Executive Calendar No. 49, postcloture; further, notwithstanding rule XXII at 11:15 a.m., the Senate vote on confirmation of Executive Calendar No. 49, and if cloture is then invoked on Calendar No. 112, Steven Vaden, the Senate recess following the cloture vote until 2:15 to allow for the weekly conference meetings; further, if cloture is invoked on the Vaden nomination, the postcloture time be expired at 2:15 p.m. and the Senate vote on confirmation of the Vaden nomination, and if any nominations are confirmed on Tuesday's session of the Senate, the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table and that the President be immediately notified of the Senate's action; finally, that the filing deadline for all first-degree amendments to Calendar No. 66, S. 1582, and the substitute amendment No. 2307 be 2:30 p.m. tomorrow.

Mrs. BRITT

Mrs. BRITT. Mr. President, if there is no further business to come before the Senate, I ask that it stand adjourned under the previous order.

Mrs. BRITT

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

Mrs. BRITT

Mrs. BRITT. Mr. President, in March of this year, I delivered remarks right here on the Senate floor about a piece of legislation-- bipartisan, commonsense childcare legislation. I spoke about how the Republican Party is now the party of parents, the party of families, the party of hard-working Americans. I spoke about how we, as the party of life, the party of family, should prioritize ways to make it easier to both start and grow our families. Since then, more and more colleagues have joined the Child Care Availability and Affordability Act. As we work to build back America, it just makes sense. I was proud to introduce this legislation with Senator Tim Kaine, and we believe it will help address our Nation's childcare crisis. Supporters are both Republicans and Democrats. They are both parents and grandparents who understand how incredibly difficult it is to find affordable, high-quality, reliable childcare. I have spoken about my own personal story in this Chamber, but today, I want to speak for the millions of moms and dads who don't just want Congress to do something about this, they need Congress to do something. Recent polls show that 81 percent of America--think about that. In the time we are in right now, 81 percent of America believes affordable and available childcare is an issue that everyone should be concerned with regardless of whether they have children or not. Seventy-two percent of Republicans say that increasing Federal funding for childcare is an important priority and a good use of taxpayer dollars, and 70 percent of Independents and 90 percent of Democrats agree. Three out of every four Americans believe that the lack of childcare impacts the ability of businesses to function effectively and consistently. The message from voters is absolutely crystal clear: It is not just parents of young children who are impacted by the lack of affordable and available childcare; it is small business owners, neighbors, grandparents, and friends. This issue cuts across different demographics and party lines. It is a struggle that Congress absolutely should address. I believe the solution is my childcare legislation, the Child Care Availability and Affordability Act. This plan consists of targeted investments in families and small businesses. It modernizes three existing tax credits to reflect the current economic reality. This is an example of good, commonsense policymaking. We are not creating a new entitlement; we are letting Americans keep more of their hard-earned taxpayer dollars in a manner that actually grows the economy, and we are offering job creators an incentive to invest directly in their hard-working people who have childcare needs, and those benefits would help. These tax credits have not been updated since 2001, so almost 25 years ago. Unfortunately, inaction by Congress has contributed to the crisis. The American economy loses $122 billion a year because of the lack of affordable childcare. In contrast, my bill would cost just over $4 billion a year. You can do that math. Imagine the boost to our economy if we made this targeted investment in workers and in families. Consider a parent who may be a low-income individual, many of whom find the high cost of childcare to be the single biggest barrier to reentering the workforce. We could empower those parents to get back to work and move off government assistance. This is exactly the kind of pro-family, pro-Main Street, pro-worker legislation that has the ability to both transform our economy and support families. I want to thank my colleagues who have already signed on--most recently, the senior Senator from Alabama, Tommy Tuberville, and the senior Senator from Arizona, Mark Kelly. I am encouraged by the amount of support this legislation continues to build, but we can't stop now. They are counting on Republicans--the American people--to be that party of families, party of parents, party of hard-working Americans, and to actually deliver. I believe the American people are firmly behind us, and I want to encourage all of my colleagues to join with me in this effort. We are elected to serve the needs of our constituents, and when the American people speak out about those needs, we have an obligation to listen and to do something about it. I yield the floor.

Mrs. BRITT

Mrs. BRITT. I yield the floor.

Mrs. BRITT

Mrs. BRITT. Mr. President, today I could not be more proud to introduce a piece of legislation that goes to the heart of what I believe the Republican Party stands for. We are the party of life, the party of parents, and the party of hard-working Americans. This, among many reasons, is why I believe the Republican Party won so resoundingly in November. We ran on a promise to strengthen and grow American families, and this is another promise that we are going to keep. My legislation, the MOMS Act, is further proof of that commitment. Alongside my friends, Senators Eric Schmitt and Kevin Cramer, I am honored to introduce this pro-life, pro-woman, and pro-family legislation. I would also like to thank so many of my Republican colleagues for already jumping on and cosponsoring this. The MOMS Act is straightforward. It stands for More Opportunities for Moms to Succeed. First, the MOMS Act would establish pregnancy.gov. This new website would feature a wide range of resources available to expecting and postpartum moms as well as moms and families with young children. We are providing necessary resources and support to women throughout their pregnancy journey. While being a mom is the most rewarding experience, I think I can speak for most moms when I say that it is a challenging one as well. When I was pregnant with my first child, I felt like I had no idea what I was doing. I remember actually being in the hospital room, them waiting, you know, to discharge me, and me thinking, You are going to send me home with her? What do I do next? Fortunately, I had the support of my friends and my family that helped me through this exciting journey of bringing new life into the world and bringing that baby home. However, I know that many moms may not have the incredible support that I did. That is why the MOMS Act is so important. This would help the most vulnerable, the most isolated women the most. Resources available to moms would include: mentorship opportunities, including pregnancy and parenting health; health and well-being services, including women's medical services like OB/GYN services, primary care, dental care, and mental health services. Financial assistance, work opportunities, childcare resources, foster care resources, adoption services, and educational opportunities for parents would be included. I could go on and on and on. It also includes material or legal support. So when you think of what material support would be, it is transportation, food, nutrition, clothing, household goods, baby supplies, housing, shelters, maternity homes, help with tax preparation, and more. When you think about legal services, what it would include is child support, family leave, breastfeeding protections, and custody issues. Next, I want to talk about the grant portion of the bill. This part would actually be separated into two different grant programs. The first one would help purchase necessary tools for prenatal and postnatal telehealth appointments, including medical equipment and technologies for those in rural areas and others in medically underserved communities. And the second program would establish a grant program for nonprofit entities to support, encourage, and to assist women through their pregnancies and to care for their babies after birth. This grant program would be funding many of the resources that I just named for mental health services, other medical care, childcare, housing assistance, education and employment assistance, and nutritional assistance. Finally, the third part of my bill is Senator Kevin Cramer's Unborn Child Support Act. It would require States to apply child support obligations to the time period during pregnancy if requested by the mother. This could be requested retroactively, and State level requirements involving proof of paternity would still apply. When I think about what this bill means to me, I immediately think of my own two children. They are why I am here today. They are why I chose to step up and run for the Senate. Their future and the future of the next generation is absolutely what I am fighting for. As parents, our children are at the heart of every decision we make. We want them to have the greatest opportunity to succeed and to thrive. As a Senator, I want that for children across our Nation, from coast to coast. They are at the heart of this commonsense legislation. Building a comprehensive culture of life starts with building blocks just like the MOMS Act. To all moms across my great State of Alabama and across our incredible country, I could not be more proud to stand with you. I am committed to growing and strengthening families and ensuring parents have the opportunities and resources needed so that they and their children can thrive and live their American dream. I am committed to getting the MOMS Act signed into law so that we can ensure that the comprehensive culture of life, that the next generation is ready, is prepared, and that women, as they go through their pregnancy journey, all the phases of it, are supported as they work to bring life into this world.

Mrs. BRITT

Mrs. BRITT. Mr. President, today I could not be more proud to introduce a piece of legislation that goes to the heart of what I believe the Republican Party stands for. We are the party of life, the party of parents, and the party of hard-working Americans. This, among many reasons, is why I believe the Republican Party won so resoundingly in November. We ran on a promise to strengthen and grow American families, and this is another promise that we are going to keep. My legislation, the MOMS Act, is further proof of that commitment. Alongside my friends, Senators Eric Schmitt and Kevin Cramer, I am honored to introduce this pro-life, pro-woman, and pro-family legislation. I would also like to thank so many of my Republican colleagues for already jumping on and cosponsoring this. The MOMS Act is straightforward. It stands for More Opportunities for Moms to Succeed. First, the MOMS Act would establish pregnancy.gov. This new website would feature a wide range of resources available to expecting and postpartum moms as well as moms and families with young children. We are providing necessary resources and support to women throughout their pregnancy journey. While being a mom is the most rewarding experience, I think I can speak for most moms when I say that it is a challenging one as well. When I was pregnant with my first child, I felt like I had no idea what I was doing. I remember actually being in the hospital room, them waiting, you know, to discharge me, and me thinking, You are going to send me home with her? What do I do next? Fortunately, I had the support of my friends and my family that helped me through this exciting journey of bringing new life into the world and bringing that baby home. However, I know that many moms may not have the incredible support that I did. That is why the MOMS Act is so important. This would help the most vulnerable, the most isolated women the most. Resources available to moms would include: mentorship opportunities, including pregnancy and parenting health; health and well-being services, including women's medical services like OB/GYN services, primary care, dental care, and mental health services. Financial assistance, work opportunities, childcare resources, foster care resources, adoption services, and educational opportunities for parents would be included. I could go on and on and on. It also includes material or legal support. So when you think of what material support would be, it is transportation, food, nutrition, clothing, household goods, baby supplies, housing, shelters, maternity homes, help with tax preparation, and more. When you think about legal services, what it would include is child support, family leave, breastfeeding protections, and custody issues. Next, I want to talk about the grant portion of the bill. This part would actually be separated into two different grant programs. The first one would help purchase necessary tools for prenatal and postnatal telehealth appointments, including medical equipment and technologies for those in rural areas and others in medically underserved communities. And the second program would establish a grant program for nonprofit entities to support, encourage, and to assist women through their pregnancies and to care for their babies after birth. This grant program would be funding many of the resources that I just named for mental health services, other medical care, childcare, housing assistance, education and employment assistance, and nutritional assistance. Finally, the third part of my bill is Senator Kevin Cramer's Unborn Child Support Act. It would require States to apply child support obligations to the time period during pregnancy if requested by the mother. This could be requested retroactively, and State level requirements involving proof of paternity would still apply. When I think about what this bill means to me, I immediately think of my own two children. They are why I am here today. They are why I chose to step up and run for the Senate. Their future and the future of the next generation is absolutely what I am fighting for. As parents, our children are at the heart of every decision we make. We want them to have the greatest opportunity to succeed and to thrive. As a Senator, I want that for children across our Nation, from coast to coast. They are at the heart of this commonsense legislation. Building a comprehensive culture of life starts with building blocks just like the MOMS Act. To all moms across my great State of Alabama and across our incredible country, I could not be more proud to stand with you. I am committed to growing and strengthening families and ensuring parents have the opportunities and resources needed so that they and their children can thrive and live their American dream. I am committed to getting the MOMS Act signed into law so that we can ensure that the comprehensive culture of life, that the next generation is ready, is prepared, and that women, as they go through their pregnancy journey, all the phases of it, are supported as they work to bring life into this world.

Mrs. BRITT

Mrs. BRITT. Mr. President, I wish to honor the life and legacy of Mrs. Etta Smith Perkins, an extraordinary Alabamian who has helped shape our State with courage and conviction. Mrs. Perkins moved to Selma, AL, at the age of 4, and grew up on Selma University's campus where she attended elementary and secondary school through 12th grade. She was the fourth of ten children born to Henry Daniel Smith, Sr., and Rebecca Sanders Smith As a young child, she was baptized at West Trinity Baptist Church, where she developed her love for our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, serving others, and congregational singing. It was in church where she met the love of her life, James Perkins, Sr. Together, they shared an extraordinary 71 years of marriage, 4 children, 7 grandchildren, 13 great-grandchildren, and several godchildren who affectionately called her ``Momma.'' Her favorite scripture, Proverbs 3:5, guided her extraordinary life of faith and service. She began her professional nursing career at the Good Samaritan Hospital School of Practical Nurses. Her dedication to caring for others led her to further her education at Wallace Community College- Selma, where she graduated as a registered nurse in 1973. As a nurse during the civil rights movement, she fought to integrate waiting rooms in the segregated doctors' offices. Her efforts were later documented in the documentary film ``Sisters of Selma: Bearing Witness for Change,'' which was broadcast nationwide. Her commitment to service was not limited to her professional career. Mrs. Perkins truly inspired future generations of leaders when she became Selma-Dallas County's first African-American Girl Scout troop leader. She was also appointed as the first African-American board member of the Selma-Dallas County Public Library and a charter member of the National Council of Negro Women. Her leadership also extended to organizations like the American Red Cross, Head Start, Vaughan Home Health Boards, and the Selma-Dallas County AARP. Mrs. Perkins' remarkable contributions have been memorialized across the State of Alabama. Her story has been written in numerous publications, including ``The Alabama Nurse'' and ``Advances of Nursing Science.'' Her 35 years of outstanding service were forever cemented in history when she was featured as one of four inaugural nurses in the book ``Alabama Notable Nurses.'' This Women's History Month, I am honored to recognize Mrs. Perkins on behalf of the people of Alabama as a truly trailblazing woman who made significant contributions to her community and our state. Her legacy serves as a powerful reminder that Alabama women don't just witness history; they make it.

Mrs. BRITT

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

Mrs. BRITT

Mrs. BRITT. I ask unanimous consent to waive the mandatory quorum call with respect to the Faulkender nomination.

Mrs. BRITT

Mrs. BRITT. I know of no further debate on the nomination.

Mrs. BRITT. I ask for the yeas and nays.

Mrs. BRITT

Mrs. BRITT. Mr. President, today I rise to celebrate the birthday of someone very special: my grandmother Lyra Baker Boyd, who I call MaMa. Today, she turns 100 years old. She is such an incredible woman. I think about the memories of her in my lifetime. I think about the impact she has had on me and my cousins, on people all around her who have the honor of knowing her. Some of my earliest memories are that of her kindness and gentleness, her teaching me how to treat others. I remember sitting at her kitchen table as my grandfather was going over different Bible verses before church on Sunday morning. She would make oatmeal. We would get blueberries out of her garden. She would make scrambled eggs, pouring milk in them to make them go a little bit further; making sure we used our best manners at the table and then sending us off to conquer the day. There is no doubt she had a passion for leaving everyone and everyplace that she encountered better as a result of her. Those values that she has, those values of service, they stirred in her so early in her life. MaMa graduated high school at the height of the Second World War. She dreamed of serving our country overseas. As we know, women weren't allowed to enlist in combat roles at that time, so she embarked on a different pathway to serve. She became a nurse. It was 1943 when she enrolled at what was then the Hillman Hospital Training School for Nurses. It later became Jefferson-Hillman, and it is now right at the center of the University of Alabama at Birmingham Medical Campus. MaMa was ready to ship out to Europe to tend to our wounded soldiers, but V-Day actually came right before she graduated. Still wanting to serve her fellow Americans in some way, she moved to Enterprise, AL--I am proud to call that my hometown--and she began her 40-year nursing career. In the early fifties, during the Korean war, her husband--my PaPa, as I call him--was among the brave soldiers defending our ally from communist invasion. MaMa and her sisters moved to Seattle during the time. She moved to live with her sister there, and she worked as a registered nurse. During her time in the Pacific Northwest, she never lost her southern roots. Her colleagues even called her ``Magnolia.'' They said it was clear that she held Alabama dear. Ultimately, she and PaPa made their way back down to the Yellowhammer State, as MaMa worked as a labor and delivery nurse until she retired. Both she and PaPa's life are emblematic of their generation. Rooted in unselfishness, unselfish service to our great country, they personified what JFK said: Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country. MaMa helped teach that to my entire family. She wanted us to know that life wasn't always about us. She makes sure, in every conversation, that we understand that there is a greater purpose and a higher calling to which we must answer and a service to which we must all work. We all have a responsibility to put our God, our family, our friends, and our country above our own personal interest. And there is nobody who embodies that better than my grandmother. That service to our communities and our Nation can take many shapes and forms. For both of my grandfathers, it was military service. For others in my family, it has been protecting their fellow Americans as law enforcement officers and firefighters. For me, it is the honor to stand and serve in this body. And for MaMa, it was helping bring life into this world, helping new moms, and nursing people back from sickness. Above all, what MaMa has taught me is that you must use your post, whatever it is in life, to make a difference in the lives around you. We are all called to serve. We are all called to be in the arena. Everyone's service is different, but no one's is less important. It is about striving to do better, to be better, and to leave this world better than we found it. So, thank you, MaMa, for being a guiding light throughout the course of my life. On behalf of my aunts and uncles, cousins, and MaMa's family and friends, we say, ``Happy 100th birthday.'' We love you dearly, MaMa. I yield the floor.

Mrs. BRITT

Mrs. BRITT. I yield the floor.

Mrs. BRITT

Mrs. BRITT. I ask for the yeas and nays.

Mrs. BRITT

Mrs. BRITT. Mr. President, I rise today to talk about something that I have spoken about on this floor before. Last September, an incredible young woman named Lulu Gribbin really came on to the scene with regard to a piece of legislation that we put forth before this body. You see, her life changed forever in July of last year. She is an incredible young woman from Mountain Brook, AL. She brought her entire community, her State, and now our Nation together. On June 7 of last year, out of the blue, she was attacked by a shark. She and a friend were looking for sand dollars, and obviously all of this came unexpectedly. What happened next was nothing short of a miracle. The doctors, nurses, EMTs, and everyday people on the beach that day saved Lulu's life. But the real miracle was just beginning. When Lulu woke up from surgery that day and got taken off of her ventilator, her very first words were ``I made it.'' That has become a mantra not just in how she reemerged but in the way that she has pushed forward. After a long rehabilitation, she came back to Alabama 3 months after the accident. She was determined. When you talk with her parents, they tell you about her aggressiveness. When other amputees would come and visit her and tell her how long it took them to walk or to do other things, she would say: I am going to do it faster. I am going to do it better. She was back outclassing golfers there at a driving range, not too long after. She refused letting losing an arm or a leg stop her. Just last week, Lulu spoke publicly for the very first time since the shark attack. Her grace, her faith, her strength, her perseverance--it was an inspiration to all of us. Lulu told a crowd that morning that she wakes up ready to conquer the day every day, and that she is motivated to keep getting better. She launched a foundation called Lulu Strong to help others in need get the prosthetic technologies that will make their lives easier. After visiting Walter Reed just a few weeks ago, you can tell how this advocacy can actually change lives. When the unimaginable changed her world, what Lulu decided to do was change our world for the better. Lulu is a modern-day American hero. The courage she has shown, the fight, the resolve that she has demonstrated are truly remarkable, and not just for a 16-year-old but for anyone. But it shouldn't have to be this way. Lulu is, indeed, an inspiration, but this tremendous battle that she has fought and won could have been prevented in the first place. You see, when I heard Lulu's story, I learned that there was another shark attack that happened just right down the shore, 90 minutes earlier. Elisabeth Foley, a mother of three, from Virginia, tragically lost her hand to a shark bite and suffered other terrible injuries resulting in 26 surgeries. After talking with Lulu and her family, we said: It doesn't have to be this way. They knew there was something that could have been done. And after talking, we knew that there had to be a better way to get information out there to warn beachgoers about shark attacks in the area. That is when we introduced Lulu's Law, and it is why I am reintroducing this bill in this Congress today. This bill, which I am proud to share, has bipartisan support. It would empower local authorities to issue wireless emergency alerts warning beachgoers of potential shark attacks through the already existing wireless emergency system. This has the potential to make a real difference in Americans' lives. When we are given the opportunity to do something simple that can make such a big difference, I believe we have to take it. So, Lulu, I want you to know how much you inspire all of us. Your bravery in the face of the unimaginable is just amazing, and your taking what happened to you and saying: How can I make others' lives better? How can we make sure that this doesn't happen to someone else? We want to honor the strength that you have shown over the past 9 months. To Lulu's parents Ann Blair and Joe Gribbin, the way you have all rallied our State and our country to support Lulu on her road to recovery is truly unbelievable. To my colleagues in the Senate on both sides of the aisle, whether you represent a State on the coast or you represent citizens of the interior, there is no doubt we want to keep our citizens safe, whether they live there or they are visiting. Making sure that we put safeguards in place that can prevent another tragedy from occurring is imperative. Let's pass this law. Let's celebrate this amazing young woman, and let's prevent this from happening again.

Mrs. BRITT

Mrs. BRITT. Mr. President, I rise today to talk about something that I have spoken about on this floor before. Last September, an incredible young woman named Lulu Gribbin really came on to the scene with regard to a piece of legislation that we put forth before this body. You see, her life changed forever in July of last year. She is an incredible young woman from Mountain Brook, AL. She brought her entire community, her State, and now our Nation together. On June 7 of last year, out of the blue, she was attacked by a shark. She and a friend were looking for sand dollars, and obviously all of this came unexpectedly. What happened next was nothing short of a miracle. The doctors, nurses, EMTs, and everyday people on the beach that day saved Lulu's life. But the real miracle was just beginning. When Lulu woke up from surgery that day and got taken off of her ventilator, her very first words were ``I made it.'' That has become a mantra not just in how she reemerged but in the way that she has pushed forward. After a long rehabilitation, she came back to Alabama 3 months after the accident. She was determined. When you talk with her parents, they tell you about her aggressiveness. When other amputees would come and visit her and tell her how long it took them to walk or to do other things, she would say: I am going to do it faster. I am going to do it better. She was back outclassing golfers there at a driving range, not too long after. She refused letting losing an arm or a leg stop her. Just last week, Lulu spoke publicly for the very first time since the shark attack. Her grace, her faith, her strength, her perseverance--it was an inspiration to all of us. Lulu told a crowd that morning that she wakes up ready to conquer the day every day, and that she is motivated to keep getting better. She launched a foundation called Lulu Strong to help others in need get the prosthetic technologies that will make their lives easier. After visiting Walter Reed just a few weeks ago, you can tell how this advocacy can actually change lives. When the unimaginable changed her world, what Lulu decided to do was change our world for the better. Lulu is a modern-day American hero. The courage she has shown, the fight, the resolve that she has demonstrated are truly remarkable, and not just for a 16-year-old but for anyone. But it shouldn't have to be this way. Lulu is, indeed, an inspiration, but this tremendous battle that she has fought and won could have been prevented in the first place. You see, when I heard Lulu's story, I learned that there was another shark attack that happened just right down the shore, 90 minutes earlier. Elisabeth Foley, a mother of three, from Virginia, tragically lost her hand to a shark bite and suffered other terrible injuries resulting in 26 surgeries. After talking with Lulu and her family, we said: It doesn't have to be this way. They knew there was something that could have been done. And after talking, we knew that there had to be a better way to get information out there to warn beachgoers about shark attacks in the area. That is when we introduced Lulu's Law, and it is why I am reintroducing this bill in this Congress today. This bill, which I am proud to share, has bipartisan support. It would empower local authorities to issue wireless emergency alerts warning beachgoers of potential shark attacks through the already existing wireless emergency system. This has the potential to make a real difference in Americans' lives. When we are given the opportunity to do something simple that can make such a big difference, I believe we have to take it. So, Lulu, I want you to know how much you inspire all of us. Your bravery in the face of the unimaginable is just amazing, and your taking what happened to you and saying: How can I make others' lives better? How can we make sure that this doesn't happen to someone else? We want to honor the strength that you have shown over the past 9 months. To Lulu's parents Ann Blair and Joe Gribbin, the way you have all rallied our State and our country to support Lulu on her road to recovery is truly unbelievable. To my colleagues in the Senate on both sides of the aisle, whether you represent a State on the coast or you represent citizens of the interior, there is no doubt we want to keep our citizens safe, whether they live there or they are visiting. Making sure that we put safeguards in place that can prevent another tragedy from occurring is imperative. Let's pass this law. Let's celebrate this amazing young woman, and let's prevent this from happening again.

Mrs. BRITT

Mrs. BRITT. I yield the floor.

Mrs. BRITT

Mrs. BRITT. Mr. President on November 5, President Donald J. Trump was elected to a second term on the back of a big-tent coalition. In 2024, this election showed us that we needed to put the finishing touches on a shift that we have seen occurring in our party and our Nation. The Republican Party is the party of parents, we are the party of families, and we are the party of hard-working Americans. We have an opportunity to prove it, starting with addressing our country's childcare crisis. Anyone who has kids can attest to this: It is incredibly difficult to find affordable, accessible, high-quality childcare. When I was a student in Tuscaloosa--I had gone back to school with essentially a newborn and an 11-month-old; decided, why not? Law school sounds good. I joked that on the scale of bad ideas I have had in my life--and I have had a few--that one is without a doubt No. 1. In the midst of trying to figure out my 1L year, I also had to figure out childcare, and it was challenging for me to find a place where I could get both of my kids in. So at the very beginning, there I was, taking one child to one place and one child to another, all hoping to show up at torts on time and then get back before you get fined, picking them both up and hoping traffic didn't keep me from being late. When my husband and I had the opportunity to move to Birmingham, where he began his new career and I had 1 more year of law school left, we got them immediately--both of our kids--into one childcare facility. But the check that we wrote--wow--it felt like I was writing a check for college tuition and not a check for a 3- and 4-year-old to be cared for and loved and educated during the day. Well, I will tell you what. The problem--that was, what, 13 years ago--has only gotten worse. Childcare costs have been increasing. They have actually increased 36 percent over the last 10 years, actually outpacing inflation. It has gotten to the point where parents, on average, are spending 22 percent of their income on childcare. The median annual price of childcare in this country is about $15,600. The cost is crushing for so many parents. It is also prohibitive. Ask yourself this: How many married couples, do you think, think about having another child; they want to, and they start looking at the dollars and cents and feel like they can't financially afford it? To my fellow Republicans: Don't we want to incentivize rather than deter parents from starting their families? And how can we, as the party of life and the party of families and the party of parents and the party of workers, neglect to make that easier? If our goal is creating a comprehensive culture of life--and that should absolutely be our goal--then we have a role to play in the childcare space. But families are not the only ones that are affected by the current state of childcare in this country. The amount of money that the American economy loses annually because of childcare, the challenges that we face as a result of the affordability and accessibility, are staggering. Our economy loses $122 billion a year, and 74 percent of mothers and 66 percent of fathers either have to leave work early, arrive late, or be absent because of last-minute changes in childcare. Also, 59 percent of part-time or nonworking parents say they would go back to work--they want to go back to work--but, unfortunately, they don't have access to quality childcare at a reasonable cost. That isn't good for the broader economy, and it isn't good for American workers. President Trump has made it clear he wants America to be a place that builds things once again. He wants to unleash a golden era for made-in- America excellence, where the skill, hard work, and ingenuity of our people accomplish the impossible and changes the world. To accomplish that goal, which I wholeheartedly agree with, we need to tackle the childcare affordability crisis. Ultimately, this is a workforce crisis as well. That is where the two-pronged approach that I have introduced today, alongside a number of my colleagues, comes into play. With the Child Care Workforce Act and the Child Care Availability and Affordability Act, it consists of targeted investments in families and small businesses. It modernizes our existing tax credits so that our policy reflects our current economic reality. It is a good example of commonsense policymaking. We are not creating or growing another entitlement. We are letting Americans keep more of their hard-earned taxpayer dollars in a manner that grows our economy and gives people an opportunity for their American dream. And we are offering job creators an incentive to invest directly into hard-working people with childcare-related benefits. We will help couples who want to have more children. We will help parents be able to reenter the workforce after having kids. And we will help our job creators--especially small businesses--recruit and retain workers. This legislation is pro-family. It is pro-Main Street. It is pro- growth. For the first time in years, the Republican Party controls both Chambers of Congress and the White House. We have an opportunity we can't afford to waste. If we truly are the party of parents and families and hard-working Americans, we have an opportunity to prove it. Let's address the childcare crisis in this year's tax package. I think America will be better for it.

Mrs. BRITT

Mrs. BRITT. Mr. President on November 5, President Donald J. Trump was elected to a second term on the back of a big-tent coalition. In 2024, this election showed us that we needed to put the finishing touches on a shift that we have seen occurring in our party and our Nation. The Republican Party is the party of parents, we are the party of families, and we are the party of hard-working Americans. We have an opportunity to prove it, starting with addressing our country's childcare crisis. Anyone who has kids can attest to this: It is incredibly difficult to find affordable, accessible, high-quality childcare. When I was a student in Tuscaloosa--I had gone back to school with essentially a newborn and an 11-month-old; decided, why not? Law school sounds good. I joked that on the scale of bad ideas I have had in my life--and I have had a few--that one is without a doubt No. 1. In the midst of trying to figure out my 1L year, I also had to figure out childcare, and it was challenging for me to find a place where I could get both of my kids in. So at the very beginning, there I was, taking one child to one place and one child to another, all hoping to show up at torts on time and then get back before you get fined, picking them both up and hoping traffic didn't keep me from being late. When my husband and I had the opportunity to move to Birmingham, where he began his new career and I had 1 more year of law school left, we got them immediately--both of our kids--into one childcare facility. But the check that we wrote--wow--it felt like I was writing a check for college tuition and not a check for a 3- and 4-year-old to be cared for and loved and educated during the day. Well, I will tell you what. The problem--that was, what, 13 years ago--has only gotten worse. Childcare costs have been increasing. They have actually increased 36 percent over the last 10 years, actually outpacing inflation. It has gotten to the point where parents, on average, are spending 22 percent of their income on childcare. The median annual price of childcare in this country is about $15,600. The cost is crushing for so many parents. It is also prohibitive. Ask yourself this: How many married couples, do you think, think about having another child; they want to, and they start looking at the dollars and cents and feel like they can't financially afford it? To my fellow Republicans: Don't we want to incentivize rather than deter parents from starting their families? And how can we, as the party of life and the party of families and the party of parents and the party of workers, neglect to make that easier? If our goal is creating a comprehensive culture of life--and that should absolutely be our goal--then we have a role to play in the childcare space. But families are not the only ones that are affected by the current state of childcare in this country. The amount of money that the American economy loses annually because of childcare, the challenges that we face as a result of the affordability and accessibility, are staggering. Our economy loses $122 billion a year, and 74 percent of mothers and 66 percent of fathers either have to leave work early, arrive late, or be absent because of last-minute changes in childcare. Also, 59 percent of part-time or nonworking parents say they would go back to work--they want to go back to work--but, unfortunately, they don't have access to quality childcare at a reasonable cost. That isn't good for the broader economy, and it isn't good for American workers. President Trump has made it clear he wants America to be a place that builds things once again. He wants to unleash a golden era for made-in- America excellence, where the skill, hard work, and ingenuity of our people accomplish the impossible and changes the world. To accomplish that goal, which I wholeheartedly agree with, we need to tackle the childcare affordability crisis. Ultimately, this is a workforce crisis as well. That is where the two-pronged approach that I have introduced today, alongside a number of my colleagues, comes into play. With the Child Care Workforce Act and the Child Care Availability and Affordability Act, it consists of targeted investments in families and small businesses. It modernizes our existing tax credits so that our policy reflects our current economic reality. It is a good example of commonsense policymaking. We are not creating or growing another entitlement. We are letting Americans keep more of their hard-earned taxpayer dollars in a manner that grows our economy and gives people an opportunity for their American dream. And we are offering job creators an incentive to invest directly into hard-working people with childcare-related benefits. We will help couples who want to have more children. We will help parents be able to reenter the workforce after having kids. And we will help our job creators--especially small businesses--recruit and retain workers. This legislation is pro-family. It is pro-Main Street. It is pro- growth. For the first time in years, the Republican Party controls both Chambers of Congress and the White House. We have an opportunity we can't afford to waste. If we truly are the party of parents and families and hard-working Americans, we have an opportunity to prove it. Let's address the childcare crisis in this year's tax package. I think America will be better for it.