Mike Crapo

Mr. CRAPO

Mr. CRAPO. Mr. President, continuing to subsidize mature industries is wasteful, and this bill, instead, focuses on broad-based incentives for all businesses. I urge my colleagues to vote no. Vote on Amendment No. 2564

Mr. CRAPO

Mr. CRAPO. Mr. President, if there is no further business to come before the Senate, I ask that it stand adjourned under the previous order, following the remarks of my colleagues pursuant to the relevant debate time limits under the Congressional Budget Act.

Mr. CRAPO

Mr. CRAPO. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today, it stand adjourned until 9 a.m. on Monday, June 30; that following the prayer and the pledge, the morning hour be deemed expired, the Journal of proceedings be approved to date, the time for the two leaders be reserved for their use later in the day, morning business be closed, and the Senate resume consideration of Calendar No. 107, H.R. 1; further, that the leaders be recognized and, following their remarks, all debate time on Calendar No. 107, H.R. 1, be expired.

Mr. CRAPO

Mr. CRAPO. Mr. President, first of all, let me thank my colleague from South Carolina Senator Graham for his very kind words. I return the same kind of compliments to him for his great work in helping to build this bill and get us moved to this point. I am going to make just a few remarks right now in response to some of the allegations and mischaracterizations that my colleagues on the other side have made about how this bill has been structured in terms of its evaluation and its scoring. And then, later, I will come and give a much longer speech--I am sorry, sir--on the bill itself. Mr. President, the things that were said this morning just have to be responded to. First of all, it was said that the reason that we are going to increase the debt ceiling in the bill is because we are spending so much money and driving the deficit up. Well, first of all, our bill drives the deficit down, not up; and, secondly, the reason we are dealing with the debt ceiling in the bill is because, under the previous administration's operations, the debt ceiling has already been breached. It was breached on January 2, and we are limping along with extraordinary measures--that is what we call them here in Washington--to try to keep the government funded until Congress can extend the debt ceiling. This has nothing to do with President Trump. It happened before he even was sworn into office. It has nothing to do with this bill. It has to do with the profligate spending that drove us into a breach of the debt ceiling on January 2. Secondly, my colleagues on the other side tried to characterize our choice of the current policy baseline as a gimmick and said it has never been done before. Well, they should have been more careful in their words because the current policy baseline is currently utilized in the current CBO baseline for many spending programs. In fact, many spending programs-- about $2.5 trillion of spending programs--are measured under the current treatment which the Democrats have been using for decades to make it so they don't have to count spending increases as an increase in the deficit. They are correct that that policy has never been applied to taxes before, because it was not intended to apply to taxes. That ruling and that system that was set up was intentionally designed to favor tax increases over spending cuts and to force Congress to increase taxes and increase spending. It was a strategy to achieve what we all know as tax and spend. And no matter how they try to cover it over, today, in their debate, it comes down to this: They are furious that we refuse to raise taxes in America by $4.3 trillion on Americans; and they claim that our refusal to raise your taxes, America, is going to run up the deficit because they can't get $4 trillion more of your tax revenue into their pockets. Well, the first failure of that rationale is, if you believe that you give them $4.5 trillion by letting them raise your taxes again, if you believe they are going to use that to pay the debt down, let me tell you, there is not a tax increase that I have seen in this Congress, in my lifetime, that was used to pay the debt down. It was used to increase spending. It is called tax and spend, and it is that bias in our scoring system that we are fixing today. We are fixing it so that current policy is how you treat taxes, just like you treat $2.5 trillion of spending this year in your scoring system. We are evening the balance board between taxing and spending, and America should breathe a sigh of relief that, finally, we are fixing our scoring procedures so that we don't have a built-in drive to increase taxes. Let's put it another way. One of my colleagues said that even children can understand the difference between a trillion dollars and zero dollars. I think they can also understand that if you don't raise taxes, you are not changing the Tax Code; you are making it bring in the same revenue that it brought in before. You are not increasing the deficit; you are protecting their wallets. The bottom line here is very simple. I think every American--at least 90 percent of them--intuitively understand that the refusal to let your taxes go up by $4 trillion is not a deficit increase. You are not responsible. Us keeping your money in your pocket is not making you responsible for increasing the deficit. Deficit increases come when Congress keeps spending your money and never ever controls its spending. The problem is not a lack of revenue; it is too much spending. So let's make it clear. This is not a gimmick. The gimmick is the one that has been used for all these years. We are making a balance between the treatment of tax and spend so that those taxpayers in America have at least a fair chance against the rules of this Chamber. Now, one other point that I think needs to be made here is there was a lot of talk on the other side--and then I will stop and bring in my longer speech later. One other point that needs to be made here is that it was suggested that this has never been done before, even on taxes. Well, there is a President named President Obama, who faced a similar situation like we face today. Only, then, he was President when a huge tax cut that President Bush had accomplished was expiring. And all of those tax cuts that President Bush had been able to achieve were going to go away, and everybody's taxes were going to go up. And President Obama said: No, I am not going to let that happen. So he put a bill out on the floor to stop those tax increases from happening. And he was attacked, actually, for increasing the deficit by not letting taxes go up. And President Obama, through his OMB Deputy Director, said that keeping tax policy current should be scored under a current policy and that his act in letting those tax increases be kept in place should be scored as current policy, not as a tax increase. So you have got one of your own Presidents from the Democratic Party saying that letting existing tax law stay in place and protecting against huge tax increases on the American people is the appropriate approach to take; that current policy--and those are their words--is the way we should treat tax policy. So I say to everybody in America who has been hearing all the politics of fear about what we are doing here in running up the deficit: You need to remember that only in Washington, DC, is the refusal to raise your taxes an increase in the deficit. And we are not going to let that happen. I yield the floor.

Mr. CRAPO. I also have to thank my incredible staff who have foregone sleep over the past several months to provide timely, indispensable insight, facts, legislative text, counsel, and so much more. Without them, we would not be at this point and ready to deliver this much needed growth-focused policy for the American people. I ask unanimous consent to have the names of my entire Finance Committee staff printed in the Record.

Mr. CRAPO. Mr. President, even with all that and all that we accomplish in this legislation, there are dozens of additional good ideas, smart policies, and commonsense reforms that we were not able to include today. I commit to working with my colleagues to advance those goals as well as we move forward. But today's historic legislation is more than a good start and will pay dividends for American families. Extending good tax policy, delivering targeted relief, and reining in wasteful spending, as achieved in this bill, is the best way to restore economic prosperity and opportunity for all Americans. I look forward to getting it to the President's desk as soon as possible.

Mr. CRAPO

Mr. CRAPO. Mr. President, I rise today to urge my colleagues to vote in favor of the motion to invoke cloture on Mr. Ken Kies, who is nominated to serve as the Assistant Secretary for Tax Policy at the Treasury Department. The Assistant Secretary for Tax Policy is the senior adviser to the Secretary of the Treasury for analyzing, developing, and implementing Federal tax policies and programs. Mr. Kies is eminently qualified for this position. He has a total of 47 years of experience as a tax attorney, covering every aspect of the Internal Revenue Code. Mr. Kies has also been involved in every significant piece of Federal tax legislation since 1981. If confirmed, Mr. Kies will be a valuable partner in our efforts to prevent a $4 trillion-plus tax hike on American families and businesses and to deliver additional tax relief for middle-class workers and families. I encourage my colleagues to join me in advancing his nomination.

Mr. CRAPO

Mr. CRAPO. Mr. President, I rise today to urge my colleagues to vote in favor of the motion to invoke cloture on Mr. Rodney Scott, who is nominated to serve as the Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, or CBP. CBP's mission priorities include countering terrorism and transnational crime, securing the border, facilitating lawful trade and travel, and protecting revenue. Mr. Scott is well-positioned to lead CBP in fulfilling these important priorities. He has nearly three decades of relevant experience, including serving as a chief patrol agent in the U.S. Border Patrol and as the associate chief in CBP's Office of Anti- Terrorism. At his nomination hearing, Mr. Scott said he ``would leverage [his] experience to empower the men and women of CBP to do what they were hired to do--safeguard every American by providing secure borders and keeping trade and travel moving.'' I know that if confirmed, he will do so. I thank Mr. Scott for his commitment and for his responsiveness throughout this nomination process. I strongly encourage my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to join me today in voting to advance Mr. Scott's nomination.

Mr. CRAPO

Mr. CRAPO. Mr. President, I rise today to urge my colleagues to vote in favor of the motion to invoke cloture on Mr. Gary Andres, who is nominated to serve as the Assistant Secretary for Legislation at the Department of Health and Human Services, HHS. The Assistant Secretary for Legislation at HHS serves as principal adviser to the Secretary with respect to all aspects of the Department's legislative agenda and congressional liaison activities. The office of the Assistant Secretary for Legislation also informs Congress of the Department's views, priorities, actions, grants, and contracts. As a veteran of Capitol Hill, Mr. Andres knows how to implement a successful legislative agenda and will be a valuable partner to Congress at HHS. In addition, Mr. Andres has experience in the Legislative Affairs offices of previous Republican administrations, which will serve him well in this position. At his hearing, Mr. Andres also committed to prioritize timeliness in responding to questions from Members. I thank him for this commitment and look forward to working with him, if confirmed. Qualified nominees for this position in prior administrations normally receive widespread bipartisan support. I strongly encourage my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to join me today in voting to advance Mr. Andres' nomination.

Mr. CRAPO

Mr. CRAPO. Mr. President, I rise today to urge my colleagues to vote in favor of the confirmation of Congressman Billy Long, who is nominated to serve as Commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service. The IRS is responsible for helping American taxpayers understand and meet their tax responsibilities, and enforcing the law with integrity and fairness. However, the Agency has been plagued by inefficiencies, outdated systems, and low employee morale, despite an influx of funding. At his confirmation hearing, Congressman Long pledged to refocus the IRS on its primary mission to collect Federal taxes and placed an emphasis on prioritizing IT modernization and improving customer service. He also stated unequivocally that politicization has no place at the agency. American taxpayers will benefit from these initiatives, and I look forward to working with Congressman Long to ensure they are implemented, if confirmed. I also thank Congressman Long again for his time spent working through the Finance Committee's rigorous nomination process. Despite accusations to the contrary, Congressman Long made clear in both verbal and written responses that he worked as an independent contractor when performing tax consulting work for Capitol Edge Strategies. He never worked at White River or anywhere else on Native American Tribal tax credits. With respect to contributions made to his Senate campaign, Congressman Long has stated repeatedly that he followed Federal Election Commission guidelines. I am confident that Congressman Long is equipped to lead the IRS as Commissioner. I encourage my colleagues to join me in advancing his nomination.

Mr. CRAPO

Mr. CRAPO. Mr. President, reserving the right to object, I rise today to discuss Senator Whitehouse's request for unanimous consent for the Senate to pass the Protecting Seniors' Data Act of 2025. I agree with my colleague that Federal Agencies must take all necessary steps to safeguard the personally identifiable information entrusted to them by the people they serve. Along these lines, the Commissioner of the Social Security Administration, SSA, who was nominated by President Trump and confirmed by Senate Republicans last month, has spent his career protecting personally identifiable information. He has also committed to doing the same as Commissioner of the SSA. However, legislation is not needed to request a Government Accountability Office, GAO, audit on a specific topic of interest. Additionally, the Comptroller General, who leads the GAO, testified before the Senate Appropriations Committee earlier this year that GAO is already conducting a review of DOGE's access to agency systems, including at the Social Security Administration. During his testimony, the Comptroller General also stated that GAO will issue public reports to the Congress on its findings from these reviews. For these reasons, I object.

Mr. CRAPO

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

Mr. CRAPO

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

Mr. CRAPO

Mr. CRAPO. I ask unanimous consent to waive the mandatory quorum calls with respect to the Hooker and Marks nominations.

Mr. CRAPO

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

Mr. CRAPO

Mr. CRAPO. Mr. President, with my colleagues Senator Jim Risch and Representative Simpson, I recognize the careers and service of Mark Brown, Maria Mitchell-Williams, Michael Goriup, Jennifer Cate, Doug Pruitt, and Mark Jones, instrumental leaders for the Idaho Cleanup Project, ICP. With more than 140 combined years of experience, these individuals have been integral contributors to the U.S. Department of Energy, DOE, and the ICP. With more than 40 years of experience in nuclear operations and environmental restoration, Mark C. Brown has made a lasting impact on the Nation's environmental cleanup mission. Since joining DOE in 1995, he has held several senior leadership positions, most recently serving as manager of the ICP, where he led critical efforts to safely treat, store, and dispose of radioactive and hazardous waste, remove legacy buried waste and oversee the removal of spent nuclear fuel and high- level waste from Idaho. His career reflects a deep commitment to safety, operational excellence, and environmental stewardship, demonstrated through his roles at both the Idaho Site and Office of River Protection. Prior to his civilian service, Mr. Brown served with distinction as a nuclear submarine officer in the U.S. Navy. Maria Mitchell-Williams provided outstanding leadership throughout her career, most recently as deputy manager for the ICP, where she oversaw the complex cleanup work at the Idaho National Laboratory, INL, Site. Previously, she served as assistant manager for business and acquisition management, applying more than 20 years of experience in contract oversight, budget management, and workforce planning, including administration of the $6.4 billion ICP End State contract. Her work encompassed leading high-impact efforts in contract management, project controls, budget, and workforce oversight, while also driving strategic coordination between the Office of Environmental Management and the Office of Nuclear Energy to ensure mission alignment and operational success. With a strong foundation in business, human resources, and level III certifications in acquisition and financial assistance, Ms. Mitchell-Williams' service has significantly advanced DOE's cleanup mission. With more than 34 years of dedicated service to the DOE and nearly 40-plus years of experience in the nuclear field, Michael Goriup has been a vital leader in advancing the mission of the ICP. Since joining DOE Idaho in 1990, he has held key roles including program manager for the Idaho Nuclear Technology and Engineering Center, INTEC, construction project manager, facility engineer at the Advanced Test Reactor Complex, and as a facility representative qualified across all INL facilities. In 2012, he was promoted to supervisor of the facility representatives team, where he led a group of facility representatives providing critical oversight of ICP operations, safety, and support activities. Under his leadership members of his staff were awarded four DOE Complex Facility Representative of the Year Awards. His Federal service was preceded by 9 years in the U.S. Navy, where he served in a nuclear submarine fleet as an electronics technician. Mr. Goriup's commitment to safety, technical excellence, and mission success has left a meaningful legacy at DOE Idaho. Doug Pruitt, assistant manager for environment and waste programs at the ICP, has provided 20 years of environmental restoration and waste management, starting as a college intern, Mr. Pruitt completed his career as a senior manager with ICP. Mr. Pruitt has overseen critical cleanup efforts at the INL site, including the exhumation and disposal of transuranic waste, soil and groundwater remediation, and facility demolition. He has also played a key role in waste disposal systems, such as the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act, CERCLA, waste disposal cell and the evapotranspiration cap over waste disposal areas. Mr. Pruitt has been instrumental in leading procurement efforts for the past two ICP contracts and served as transition manager for the ICP end state contract. Jennifer K. Cate, who concluded her notable Federal service as the acting assistant manager for business and acquisition management at the ICP, played a key role in overseeing the project cost and analysis and contract management teams, which provided essential services including budget formulation, financial management, and contracting for the $6.4 billion ICP end state indefinite delivery indefinite quantity, IDIQ, contract. With more than 30 years of contract management experience, she developed innovative business strategies and cost-effective solutions to support the successful execution of the ICP mission. Holding level III certifications in acquisition and financial assistance, her leadership and expertise were critical to the success of the project and the broader DOE mission. Mark Jones served with dedication as the chief of staff for the ICP, bringing a strong background in project controls to the DOE. With 17 years of Federal civilian service and more than 20 years in the U.S. Air Force, retiring as a major in the Air Force Reserve, he has provided consistent leadership, coordination, and support across a wide range of mission-critical functions. Mr. Jones played a key role in integrating project baseline planning and performance metrics that supported the safe and timely execution of environmental cleanup activities under the ICP end state contract. Mr. Jones' professionalism and commitment to the ICP mission have made him a valued leader and colleague throughout his career. The careers of Mark Brown, Maria Mitchell-Williams, Mike Goriup, Doug Pruitt, Jennifer Cate, and Mark Jones reflect an unwavering dedication to public service, technical excellence, and mission success to the American people. Throughout their distinguished service, these individuals provided oversight and leadership on some of the most significant accomplishments at the ICP, including the completion of exhumation and retrieval of buried waste at the radioactive waste management complex, the startup of the integrated waste treatment unit, the successful transfer of spent nuclear fuel from wet to dry storage, and the awarding of multiple major contracts for managing the cleanup mission. Collectively, they were responsible for the management and disposition of high-level waste, transuranic waste, and spent nuclear fuel at the INL Site. They provided executive oversight of a $470 million annual budget, 52 Federal employees, and more than 1,900 contractor personnel. As they enter retirement, we honor their lasting contributions and thank them for their tireless efforts to advance the DOE's environmental cleanup mission and serve the people of Idaho and the Nation. It is our great honor to congratulate these individuals on their accomplishments and thank them for the many years of service. We wish them the best of luck following their retirement from DOE and the Idaho Cleanup Project.

Mr. CRAPO

Mr. CRAPO. Madam President, reserving the right to object.

Mr. CRAPO. I would like to make some remarks. If my colleague is going to make some remarks, I would yield to her first.

Mr. CRAPO. I am reserving the right to object. I will object, and we can make our remarks after.

Mr. CRAPO. Madam President, I want to explain the reason for my objection. This is another of many attempts that have been made to stop the efforts of President Trump and his Cabinet and the rest of the administration in downsizing our bloated bureaucracy and trying to bring a little bit of control to the amazing growth of our Federal Government without causing the damage that is always alleged that is being done. From groundbreaking biomedical advancements through the NIH to critical healthcare coverage for America's most vulnerable patients, the Department of Health and Human Services oversees many of the Federal Government's most essential functions. But far too often, these programs fall short of their well-intended purpose. Bureaucratic overreach has resulted in the loss of trust from many Americans. Waste, fraud, and abuse have contributed to excessive spending without meaningful improvements in outcomes, and that is driving our national debt now to $37 or $38 trillion. Secretary Kennedy has committed to addressing these failures. He has made himself and his staff available to Congress and the American people to restore faith in our institutions. When issues have arisen, Secretary Kennedy has worked quickly to remedy the problem. In fact, in recent days, Secretary Kennedy has appeared before two Senate committees to have an open, transparent conversation about the Department's efforts. Last week, the Senate Finance Committee moved to advance more nominees who will assist in the Department's management and communication with Congress. Secretary Kennedy and his team deserve time to deliver on the promise of putting patients first, promoting transparency, and following the science. For these reasons, I objected to the request.

Mr. CRAPO

Mr. CRAPO. Mr. President, with my colleagues Senator Jim Risch and Representatives Mike Simpson and Russ Fulcher, I congratulate Lupe Wissel, of Eagle, ID, on her outstanding career of advocacy for senior citizens and veterans. Lupe is retiring from serving most recently for nearly 10 years as State director of AARP, Idaho. Prior to joining AARP, Lupe dedicated more than 14 years to working for the U.S. Senate. This includes her service of more than 10 years as staff director for the U.S. Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs and her prior service as staff director for the U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging. A proud alum of Boise State University, she was also appointed by former Idaho Governor Dirk Kempthorne to serve as director for the Idaho Commission on Aging. And, previously, she devoted 21 years to serving as assistant regional manager/rehabilitation counselor III at the Idaho Division of Vocational Rehabilitation. In all, Lupe has spent more than four decades in public service, advocating for seniors, veterans, and people with disabilities. Lupe has used her immense experience to inform her tireless, measured, and well-informed advocacy for seniors. She has provided trusted counsel to our congressional delegation as we have worked on issues of importance to Idaho seniors. She helped administer AARP- hosted tele-townhalls, ensuring Idahoans across our great State had opportunities to voice their views on issues before Congress. Throughout, she has been kind, efficient, professional, effective, and sincere to her cause. Lupe's service to others stretches beyond her employment; she has also supported efforts in her communities and Idaho through service in leadership positions for various organizations. This includes service on boards and commissions for the Pacific Region National Rehabilitation Association, Idaho Hispanic Commission, Idaho State Independent Living Council, Mountain Home Chamber of Commerce, Idaho Public Television, and Saint Alphonsus Health Systems. When announcing the search for Lupe's replacement, AARP shared, ``During her tenure with AARP, Wissel guided the Idaho staff and a deep cadre of volunteers--who are committed to helping the 50+ live their best lives and thrive as they age. Wissel has also been instrumental in AARP's expansion of resources for veterans through increased access to information and services, and educational programs. She also led the development and delivery of AARP's community programs, advocacy and information for its more than 187,000 members in Idaho.'' As we honor Lupe for her remarkable work and wish her well in her next chapter, we also recognize she truly leaves big shoes to fill. Her leadership and impactful championing will be greatly missed, and we thank her for her strong backing of Idaho seniors and our country's veterans as she has shaped sound policy for Americans throughout her commendable career.

Mr. CRAPO

Mr. CRAPO. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the rollcall vote scheduled to start at 11:30 start immediately.

Mr. CRAPO

Mr. CRAPO. Mr. President, I move to proceed to Calendar No. 65, H.J. Res. 60.

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

Mr. CRAPO. I ask unanimous consent the rollcall vote begin immediately.