Richard Durbin

Mr. DURBIN

Mr. DURBIN. I announce that the Senator from Vermont (Mr. Leahy), the Senator from Vermont (Mr. Sanders), and the Senator from New Hampshire (Mrs. Shaheen) are necessarily absent.

Mr. DURBIN

Mr. DURBIN. I announce that the Senator from Vermont (Mr. Leahy), the Senator from Vermont (Mr. Sanders), and the Senator from New Hampshire (Mrs. Shaheen) are necessarily absent.

Mr. DURBIN

Mr. DURBIN. I announce that the Senator from Illinois (Ms. Duckworth), the Senator from New Jersey (Mr. Menendez), and the Senator from New Hampshire (Mrs. Shaheen) are necessarily absent.

Mr. DURBIN

Mr. DURBIN. I announce that the Senator from Illinois (Ms. Duckworth), the Senator from California (Mrs. Feinstein), and the Senator from New Hampshire (Mrs. Shaheen) are necessarily absent.

Mr. DURBIN

Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, I am glad I was on the floor to hear the Republican leader's comments about our Supreme Court nominee, Ketanji Brown Jackson, because there are a couple of elements that he obviously inadvertently missed that he should have reported when he was talking about the support that she has received from across the political spectrum. He made her out to be a product and creation of some far-left political cause or movement, but she is much more than that. He went on to say that Judge Thomas Griffith of the DC Circuit was harassed by the same special interest group that supports Judge Jackson. He missed one key element. I just received a letter within the last 2 weeks from Judge Thomas Griffith, a well-known, retired, conservative Federal judge, endorsing Ketanji Brown Jackson. How about that? It doesn't sound like a special interest group to me. It sounds like a Republican-appointed judge who saw her in action and wants to make sure that she gets a chance to serve on the Supreme Court of the United States. It makes a big difference because, if you take a look at what he had to say about her, Judge Griffith wrote: Judge Jackson has a demonstrated record of excellence, and I believe, based upon her work as a trial judge when I served on the Court of Appeals, [that] she will adjudicate based on the facts and the law and not as a partisan. That is exactly the opposite of the point that was being made by Senator McConnell. She has the support across the political spectrum. He failed to mention that she has been endorsed by the Fraternal Order of Police. Oh, she is supposedly suspect of being too liberal. Well, I can just tell you that she is a person of quality, integrity, and values, and she has the support across the political spectrum to prove it. I believe she is going to be an extraordinary Justice on the Supreme Court, and President Biden made a good choice in selecting her.

Mr. DURBIN

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

Mr. DURBIN. I ask unanimous consent to speak as if in morning business.

Mr. DURBIN

Mr. DURBIN. Madam President, last Thursday, I decided to join with Senator Shaheen and set up a meeting with about 13 European Ambassadors to the United States. It was for the Democratic Senators. Afterward, we thought this should have been bipartisan, and the next one will be. But the Ambassadors' meeting was nothing short of historic because these 14 Ambassadors, representing the obvious leaders in Europe, all spoke to the issue of Ukraine and what it has meant to them and what it has done to their nations. Some of their statements were profound. The Ambassador from Germany talked about how her country had, in a matter of 2 weeks, dramatically changed its position on many issues: On the future of the Nord Stream 2 pipeline, they have come to realize that dependence on Russia is risky business in the 21st century; whether or not Germany will step up and support the Ukrainian people. They decided they would, and they also decided that they would make a substantial investment in military spending as part of NATO. Some of those things seem like very common decisions to Americans, but for them, it was many times a reversal of a party position. They have come to realize, as we have around the world, that the Ukrainian situation calls for emergency measures. I first want to commend President Joe Biden. Though I may not agree with all his policies and approaches, I have to say that at the moment in history we find ourselves, thank goodness Joe Biden is our President. I cannot imagine his predecessor in a similar circumstance. Joe Biden set out to first unify NATO. It sounds like an easy task. It is an alliance which we inspired back in the 1940s, after World War II, and have been an active leader in for decades. But our relationship with the nations of NATO and Europe and our relationship to the world as a NATO alliance had suffered greatly in the last few years. Joe Biden set out to change that, and he is the man to do it. Throughout his career in the Senate and as Vice President to President Obama, he played a major role in foreign policy. He was no stranger to many of the people he sat down with in the NATO alliance. He brought them together and impressed upon them that, if Putin should decide to invade Ukraine, the NATO alliance had to be stronger than ever. He convinced them, and we should recognize that. Both parties should recognize that. His leadership brought NATO into the 21st century and brought it to the stage where it can confront this Putin threat in a responsible manner. This is being felt across the world, but it is being felt particularly in the nations that are on the border of Ukraine or Belarus. At this meeting of the Ambassadors, I called on the Ambassador from Poland. I will have to admit and concede that I have a bias there because I represent the second largest Polish city in the world, Chicago, IL, second only to Warsaw. There are many fine Polish people there, and there have been for many generations, who are following this closely, realizing that they are right on the edge, right next to Ukraine. The Ambassador made some comments that I thought were worth repeating on the floor. At that time, about 1\1/2\ million refugees--1\1/2\ million refugees--had flown or come across the border into Poland, and they were being absorbed and accepted in that country--1\1/2\ million. He said something that was noteworthy. He said: If you watch the TV of the people coming to the train stations and across the border, did you notice there are no refugee camps in Poland for the Ukrainians? Those people who come across the border are being brought into the homes of Polish families. They are taking the spare bedroom or finding a way to get by in homes of people who care for them--1\1/2\ million. Now, some go on to other countries, but many are staying in Poland. Then he said something which has historic significance. He said: We are taking care of these people because in 1939, no one would take care of us. He is, of course, referring to the invasion of Poland by the Nazis and the subjugation of the Polish population after a valiant effort to stop the Nazi advance and then the hardship and suffering of the Polish people under Nazi rule. They remember that. Few were personally alive to remember, but families have repeated the stories over and over again. My hat is off to the Polish people for their kindness and caring and their leadership when it comes to accepting refugees. But what a lesson for us and for the rest of the world. Countries around Europe are each accepting responsibility. This was a big weekend in Chicago. It is St. Patrick's Day weekend. We dyed the river green--lots of parties, lots of fun, events at churches like Old St. Patrick's and others. It is a tradition which I am really fond to be part of each year. I noticed when I spoke to the Irish American Partnership on Friday morning how many people were asking me about Ukraine. At a time when we usually just have a lot of fun and remember good times involving Irish parties and Irish families, there was a real concern about Ukraine--and not just in Chicago among the Irish but equally important in Ireland among the Irish, because several things have happened in the last few days in Ireland. They have been gathering thousands of pounds of medical supplies and humanitarian aid and shipping them over to Ukraine through Poland and other countries. They really care. Then they made a commitment. Ireland--a nation of 5 million people--made a commitment to take 100,000 Ukrainian refugees. I said to the group that I met with on Friday morning: A lesson for us all. This isn't the first time we have seen refugees in the world; it is the current refugee crisis, and it is ongoing in many other parts of the world. And what a lesson for us all--regardless of our religious affiliation, that if we do care for our fellow man, we should care for these refugees. They are the strangers, as often referred to in Christian teaching, whom we are asked to accept. So I want to commend the Polish people, the Hungarians, the Romanians, the Moldovans for accepting refugees as they have from Ukraine. It is a tragedy that it is necessary, but thank goodness there are caring people in those countries who do open their homes and their lives to the refugees. There was a conversation as well from other Ambassadors that day, but the message that came through dramatically was that we are now unified. The NATO alliance and other countries in Europe, like Sweden and Finland and Switzerland, although they are not part of the NATO alliance, really care and want to be part of the response to it. That is the strength of the force against Vladimir Putin. But the real strength is in Ukraine itself. How can you watch the television and see the devastation that is taking place and not feel for the people who are still remaining there, the millions who each day wake up and wonder if that is the last day of their life because of a Russian missile or a Russian bomb or because Vladimir Putin has decided to engage in a scorched-earth policy? When they bombed maternity hospitals, I thought they had reached the lowest possible point, but over the weekend, Vladimir Putin intensified his illegal, unprovoked war on Ukraine--shelling apartment buildings, hospitals, schools, creating an obscene body of evidence that Vladimir Putin should be charged and convicted of the worst possible war crimes. That is why I had to hesitate for a moment and say, when I hear apologists for Putin in America, I wonder who they are and what they are made of. Tucker Carlson is one who even the Russians are recommending that their friends in the media listen to, making excuses on FOX for Vladimir Putin. There are no excuses--none acceptable--on the subject. Mr. Carlson should be ashamed of himself. It is impossible to know how many innocent civilians have already died in Ukraine. Estimates run from hundreds to thousands. An estimated 2.8 million Ukrainians--almost all of them women, children, and the elderly--have fled in the bitter cold to other nations, carrying one or two suitcases and a backpack and a baby on their side. Millions more Ukrainian citizens are displaced inside Ukraine--we can't even count that number--and multitudes are trapped in places like Mariupol and other cities under siege by Russia. Many of them are without food and water and medicine and electricity. These families are coming to shelters and saying: We have no food to give our children. That is how desperate the circumstances are because of Mr. Putin's invasion. His unprovoked war is a war of atrocities. Yesterday, I attended a rally at the Ukrainian Center in Chicago. It had been chilly the day before, but it warmed up into the 50s--which is good news in Chicago in March--and we were outside. Quite a crowd showed up. There were more blue and gold Ukrainian flags than I had seen in any one place in America, but there were many other flags too. There were Polish flags; and I am proud to say there were Lithuanian flags--my mother's homeland--Estonian, Latvian, American flags, all gathered to show unity with the Ukrainian people. Since this war started, they have been working to provide aid shipments and to reach family members in Ukraine. You can tell that it is taking its toll on them as they talk about members of their families that are still in Ukraine today. But people came with a loud round of applause when I announced that we had, on the floor of the Senate last week on Thursday, passed a bill to provide $13.6 billion to Ukraine--humanitarian aid, military aid. And President Biden, over the weekend, talked about another $200 million worth of direct military aid. That makes it over $1 billion that America has sent, and there is more to follow. We talked about the sanctions against Russia, sanctions which will be felt by the common people of Russia. Unfortunately, some of them are innocent victims in this as well, but it will put pressure on Putin to finally stop this deadly invasion. They said--and I believe--that this is not simply a war on Ukraine; it is a war on democracy. It is a war on civilization. On Wednesday, we are going to have a historic moment here in the Capitol. President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, the President of Ukraine, will address a joint session of Congress using the remote technology. We are all in awe of his courage and leadership, and we are anxious to hear his message, to think of what that man has achieved by staying on the scene, regularly broadcasting videos to show that he was still there. He inspires his people to get up and fight for Ukraine. Our message to him on that day is ``Slava Ukraini!''--that is, ``Glory to Ukraine.'' And it is a phrase that was actually banished during Soviet times because it was so nationalistic that the Soviets didn't want the people of that country using it. They use it proudly today because they are an independent, free, and democratic nation. America stands with Ukraine in its fight for democracy and civilization. I just hope that we will learn many lessons from this. Don't many of the things which we were arguing about in America seem so trivial in comparison to what we are talking about in Ukraine: truckers coming to protest social distancing and masks and vaccine mandates? I am sure those are important issues, but they pale in comparison to the life-and-death struggle which is going on in Ukraine. These people understand that they must be ready to stand and die for their freedom. How many of us could rise to that level if challenged? It is something I think about a lot.

Mr. DURBIN

Mr. DURBIN. I announce that the Senator from Connecticut (Mr. Blumenthal), the Senator from Nevada (Ms. Cortez Masto), the Senator from Illinois (Ms. Duckworth), the Senator from California (Mrs. Feinstein), the Senator from Minnesota (Ms. Klobuchar), the Senator from Georgia (Mr. Ossoff), the Senator from Hawaii (Mr. Schatz), and the Senator from New Hampshire (Mrs. Shaheen) are necessarily absent.

Mr. DURBIN

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

Mr. DURBIN

Mr. DURBIN. Madam President, it is interesting to listen to the reaction to the notion that we are going to stop our dependence on Russian oil. I totally support that. The notion that I would buy gasoline in my hometown and put it in my car or truck and somehow subsidize what Vladimir Putin is doing in the rape of Ukraine is just unacceptable. I believe there is not only a moral force but a political force behind this. Morally, there is no way we are going to support Putin. Politically, we have to come together with other nations and make this as painful as possible on him, and stopping the import of Russian oil is a move in that direction. It is interesting that that was a bipartisan position which I joined over the weekend--many of us did--Democrats and Republicans all saying: Enough with the Russian oil. We will find other ways to keep America's economy and cars and trucks moving without being dependent on Vladimir Putin or subsidizing his war effort. It was bipartisan--strong statements. In fact, there were as many statements in support of this from the other side of the aisle as this side of the aisle. Then what happened? Well, Dana Milbank, in this morning's Washington Post, tells the story of what happened. After President Biden made his announcement Tuesday, he said, accurately: ``Since Putin began his military buildup on Ukrainian borders, just since then, [it is 2 weeks] the price of gas at the pump in America went up 75 cents. And with this action [the Americans will stop buying Russian oil] it's going to go up further.'' [President Biden] dubbed it ``Putin's price hike'' and said ``Russia is responsible.'' Since this was a bipartisan idea--stopping the flow of Russian oil into the United States and subsidizing Putin's invasion of Ukraine--you would think there would be bipartisan applause. The exact opposite occurred. In a Dana Milbank article, which I will ask to be part of the Record, here is what was said by House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy: ``These aren't Putin prices. They're President Biden's prices''. . . . ``Gas prices started rising the day President Biden took office--when he canceled the Keystone Pipeline and halted new drilling on federal lands.'' It turns out that these assertions, by not just Kevin McCarthy but other Republican leaders, are just not accurate. Nobody goes to the task and assignment of actually backing up some of these facts like real history and real numbers. Here is what he says: Gas prices started rising on the day that Biden took office. Wrong. They have been on an upward trend since bottoming out in April 2020, at the start of the coronavirus pandemic. This is because of booming demand during the recovery. So this notion that these are Biden gas prices that just started going up magically after he was sworn--not true. Then I love this one on the Keystone XL Pipeline. How many times have you heard on the floor of the Senate--maybe even this morning--that canceling the Keystone Pipeline is the reason that gasoline prices have gone up? It turns out, according to Dana Milbank, that pipeline was only 10 percent completed when Biden canceled it. Its owners didn't even expect to open it until next year, 2023, at the earliest. Well, how about this one? You hear this over and over again from so many Republicans: Biden halted new drilling on Federal lands, they say. According to Milbank: Wrong. After a temporary halt in new leases, Biden has outpaced Trump in new drilling permits for public lands. That has been reported by the Washington Post. And as for Biden's shutdown of American energy, listen to this: U.S. production has increased under Biden from 9.7 million barrels a day to 11.6 million barrels. The number of oil rigs operating was 172 in July of 2020. . . . Now, 519 are in operation. U.S. production is forecast to set a record next year. Now, I don't doubt that stopping the Russian export of oil into the United States is going to have a negative impact on gasoline prices. It stands to reason. But there is an adjustment being made. The President spoke to it last night, at a meeting we attended, where he is working on other sources for America to make this hardship as little as possible. I ask unanimous consent that the Milbank article be printed in the Record.

Mr. DURBIN

Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, finally, an omnibus spending bill. For months, there have been negotiations underway. The process has been drawn out. As a member of the Appropriations Committee, there was a lot of frustration. But soon we are going to vote on an omnibus spending package, and we are going to do much more than keep the lights on in our government. In many ways, this spending package is a testament to the progress we have made during the past year of the Democratic majority. We have historic funding to reduce the cost of living for working families. We get it; American families are having a tough time making ends meet and are living paycheck to paycheck. We take action in this omnibus spending bill to start to address that challenge, and we create good jobs here in America. Isn't it about time we focus on making things in America, putting people to work with good jobs that supply them? And we need to ensure families and children can access critical supplies, like nutritious food and clean water that they need to survive. This bill also provides more than $13 billion to the Ukrainians fighting tooth and nail to defend their freedom. The Democratic Senate caucus was fortunate last night to have over an hour and a half with the President where he spoke candidly and informally about the challenge we face in Ukraine. We have sent millions--maybe billions of dollars--in assistance to those who are resisting Vladimir Putin's barbaric attack on that nation, and we know that it is the right thing to do. There are displays of courage by the Ukrainians the likes of which we haven't seen in modern times. President Zelenskyy, particularly, has impressed not only the United States but the world with his singular courage. The funds we are putting in this bill will help Ukrainians on the frontline to continue to hold back Vladimir Putin, and on the ground, in the air, through cyberspace, as well as helping our NATO allies in the region. NATO has never been stronger--30 different countries standing together, shoulder to shoulder, to stop Vladimir Putin's invasion. The omnibus spending package, also, makes crucial investments in America at a time when we need it. It will fund research into the technologies and innovations. Innovation is an American phenomenon. Other countries do it, but I think we do it better. And whether we are curing a disease, creating a new industry, or combating the climate crisis, America needs to continue to lead the world in innovation. This spending bill does that. At a moment of great peril and uncertainty in the world, we are coming together to defend our families, our security, our economy, and our future. But we need to move fast. We need to send this package to President Biden's desk quickly. For the past 2 weeks, Russian mortars and missiles have been raining down on innocent people and children throughout Ukraine. More than 400 individuals have been killed, with some estimates in the thousands of deaths, believing that the current numbers are really an undercount. Let me say one word while we are on the subject of Vladimir Putin and war crimes. What more evidence do you need than the bombing of a maternity hospital and the killing of mothers and infants? This man, Putin, and his attack on the Ukrainian people, is not following any standards or rules of decent conduct in any way whatsoever. I think it is obvious. Yesterday, the Russian airstrike that devastated the hospital complex in Mariupol is an indication that we will never forget. A video released shortly after the bombing showed a pregnant woman being carried away on a stretcher, surrounded by pulverized cars in flames and blackened trees covered in debris. It was a scene from a horror movie--a horror created by Vladimir Putin. Ukraine needs humanitarian, military, and economic aid today. That is exactly what this omnibus bill will provide--billions of dollars in military equipment and intelligence support and even more billions in emergency supplies, food aid, healthcare, migration, and refugee assistance. This is how America stands by our fellow defenders of democracy at their darkest hour, and Ukraine needs our help. Here at home, the spending package includes a number of provisions that will strengthen America and the 330 million Americans who live here. We are bringing vital investments back to our home States. I support the return of congressionally directed funding, because Senators and Representatives know their States and know their districts better than any Federal Agency personnel in Washington. I am pleased to report that my colleague, Senator Tammy Duckworth, and I worked to include $210 million in funding for Illinois projects in this bill; and I will be ready to stand up and defend every single one of them piece by piece, project by project, as a good investment in the future of my State and our Nation. This funding is going to help localities in Illinois launch important infrastructure, access to healthcare, environmental conservation, strengthening community violence prevention initiatives, supporting nonprofits doing important work through our State, and much more. We also do something that I have worked on personally for the last several months and that I am particularly proud of; we are going to reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act, known as VAWA. For months, I have worked on this proposal with some amazing people in the U.S. States Senate. On my side of the aisle, Senator Dianne Feinstein really was one of the founders of this effort. On the Republican side of the aisle, two women Senators have just been amazing--Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Joni Ernst of Iowa. We wouldn't have passed this bill and included it in this appropriations measure were it not for their good effort; and I thank them very much. They have helped to provide a lifeline to survivors of sexual and domestic violence. With this year's spending package, Congress will finally reauthorize the Violence Against Women Act. Additionally, the omnibus includes funding for a longstanding priority of mine: research. These investments in research are going to help keep America on the cutting edge of innovation when it comes to lifesaving medical treatment, therapies, and so much more. For example, this bill provides the National Institutes of Health with a significant funding increase--this time, a $2.25 billion increase; that is more than 5 percent. Five percent, I have kind of established--and, I hope, with some of my colleagues--as the Holy Grail of increases each year in research, particularly at the NIH. And with the good help of Republican Senator--retiring Senator, unfortunately--Roy Blunt of Missouri, we have managed to keep our promise. Lamar Alexander, now retired from the Senate, was one of the leaders on this issue. And Patty Murray is always there from the State of Washington. Well, we are going to keep our word again this year. Basic medical research, which the United States leads the world in, is going to be enhanced with this improvement of more than 5 percent increase in the budget of the National Institutes of Health. I am particularly pleased that this omnibus bill includes a dedicated $25 million for the implementation of the ACT for ALS bill, which became law late last year. I want to thank Senator Coons for his leadership on that issue. This funding will ensure that NIH can quickly launch new initiatives to expand access to treatments for those suffering from ALS. Sadly, I am disappointed to say that the package does not include COVID relief. We are at a turning point in this pandemic. New cases of COVID are at their lowest rates in more than 7 months, praise the Lord; and parents and families are just as anxious as can be to get their kids back in school and life back to normal. These are promising developments--from vaccines to better treatments--but we cannot pretend that this pandemic is over for good, nor that it won't resurface in terms of new variants. We need to prepare for whatever the coronavirus might have in store for us. We need to make sure we have the therapeutics and strengthen our capacity to detect new variants before they become pandemic. Given the dire urgency of the situation in Ukraine, I understand we simply don't have time to go back to the bargaining table, but many of us still believe that a toolkit to deal with future infections in COVID or the next pandemic is absolutely essential. I can only hope the Senate agrees with that on a bipartisan basis. Two years into this pandemic, we know this virus is anything but predictable. It operates like free-form jazz. Just when we think we have found our rhythm, the tempo gets turned upside down with a new variant. This current lull in cases is the perfect moment to tune up our instruments, keep our fingers sharp, and prepare for whatever is next. Let me close by saying that, aside from the omission of additional COVID relief, there is much to celebrate in this spending package. It is an example of what Congress can achieve when it works together. In the face of Russia's horrible invasion of Ukraine, an invasion that has already created 2 million Ukrainian refugees, we are standing together in defense of democracy. Russia's invasion is a tragic illustration of one man's mania and of a conflict that will define the 21st century if we don't stop it in its tracks. Right now, Putin is waging yesterday's war with yesterday's goal of reestablishing the Soviet Union. He is sending ill-equipped teenagers in Russian Army uniforms into Ukraine to terrorize innocent families and bomb children in hospitals, all in some delusional effort that he is going to create the new Russian Empire, with him being installed as the Czar of that enterprise. He is not willing to face the challenges of the New World. So he is trying to revive the Old World. Autocrats like Putin live in fear of the future. Democracies like America welcome it because we know that the future represents an opportunity to build a better world for everyone. That is precisely why President Zelenskyy and every Ukrainian is fighting to protect their country. They are protecting, as well, the freedom to shape their own future, not to have their future dictated by a man like Vladimir Putin. With the spending package before the Senate, we can begin building our own future as well--a future made in America. Mr. President, I yield the floor.

Mr. DURBIN

Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, I would like to call the attention of my friend from Wyoming to a column today by Dana Milbank in The Washington Post. I think it is really worth reading in light of some of the things that have been said on the floor: Canceling the Keystone XL pipeline caused gas prices to rise? That has been said. Well, it is wrong. It was only 10 percent [finished] when Biden canceled it, and its owners didn't expect to open it until 2023 at the earliest. It had no measurable impact--maybe no impact--on current oil prices. [The assertion that] Biden halted new drilling on Federal lands? Wrong. After a temporary halt in new leases, Biden has outpaced Trump in new drilling permits for public lands. The Post has reported that publicly. As for Biden's ``shutdown of American energy,'' U.S. production has increased under Biden from 9.7 million barrels a day to 11.6 million barrels. The number of oil rigs operating was at 172 in July 2020, E&E News reports. Now, 519 are in operation. U.S. production is forecast to set a record next year. What's holding back oil production-- according to Mr. Milbank-- isn't government policy. U.S. producers still have 4,400 wells already approved and drilled that are not yet producing. They aren't drilling more because of a shortage of workers and equipment and, particularly, investors' greed-- which, I think, the Senator from Maine was alluding to. So some of the many things that have been said on the floor here as gospel have turned out to be somewhat short of factual. I would concede that I listened to the Senator's statement earlier that this is a supply and demand issue at its heart. I do think there is some gouging going on. Maybe I am wrong. The fact of the matter is we are coming out of a recession--or at least out of a downturn in the economy--from COVID-19, and there is an exceeding demand and not much supply. The net result is inflationary, and prices have gone up at the pump. In terms of this administration's being at war with the production of oil in America, I don't think that case can be made. I yield the floor.

Mr. DURBIN

Mr. DURBIN. Madam President, on April 1, 2022, the Illinois State Police--ISP--will mark 100 years since its founding. Its work and dedication to making a safer Illinois is one of pride and integrity. I want to take a moment to reflect on the ISP's century of service. A little more than a century ago, Illinoisans no longer wanted to be stuck in the mud. The year was 1921. The Department of Public Works and Buildings reported nearly 1,100 miles of paved road in service, and that number was growing. But the State was still filled with dirt roads, and Illinois voters approved a new road system. The Age of the Automobile led the State of Illinois to undertake one of the largest building programs in the country. It also meant these roads and drivers needed to be protected. On April 1, 1922, the 52nd General Assembly approved the creation of the Illinois Highway Maintenance Police to do just that. Today, they are known as the Illinois State Police. The name has changed. The mission has expanded. But the dedication of the ISP has not. The ISP started out with just eight officers. Equipped with mismatched and self-constructed World War I surplus uniforms and motorcycles, they set out to enforce the weight laws of the State and protect the growing highway system. The first headquarters was at the residence of John J. Stack, the ISP's first director. The building also was its first mechanic garage. From these modest beginnings, the ISP would grow and evolve every year. A year after its founding, the ISP increased to 100 officers. By the end of the decade, it grew to 300. The ISP moved under different departments and continued to take on new responsibilities and add to its roster. And by the 1950s, more than 1,000 members were authorized to conduct a variety of law enforcement activities, confronting a rising tide of crime and controlled substance abuse. The ISP's duties and size continued to advance through several reorganizations. The ISP has become a nationally renowned law enforcement, public safety, and criminal justice agency. Its responsibilities have only grown with the challenges of times. Today, there are more than 1,800 sworn officers and more than 1,000 civilian employees. They protect people on more than 2,100 interstate miles, nearly 16,000 miles of State highways, and nearly 8,000 bridges. These dedicated officers no longer focus on just the hard roads. From aircraft support to helping with high-profile investigations, the ISP is on the frontlines of law enforcement. In addition, it provides oversight of the 9-1-1 systems and support for the statewide 9-1-1 advisory board. The ISP also is an important part of fighting the opioid crisis. Through all of this, the ISP has kept its focus on the mission of promoting public safety and justice for every Illinois citizen. Its officers and employees do this every day and with great sacrifice. Dozens have given their lives for their fellow citizens. Thousands of ISP recruits and cadets pursuing law enforcement careers throughout Illinois have followed in their honorable footsteps at the Illinois State Police Academy. I want to congratulate the ISP on an incredible century of integrity, service, and pride, and I thank the brave men and women of the ISP for their unwavering service to Illinois. The second century of the ISP has unlimited potential.

Mr. DURBIN

Mr. DURBIN. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent to print the following letter in the Congressional Record.

Mr. DURBIN

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

Mr. DURBIN

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

Mr. DURBIN

Mr. DURBIN. Madam President, late last month, President Biden announced the nomination of Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson, the next Associate Justice of the Supreme Court. As I said the day her nomination was announced, it is hard to think of a better jurist to replace highly regarded Justice Stephen Breyer. Over the past 10 days, we have all had a chance to learn about her record, and last week I met with her in my office. I would like to share what impressed me the most about her. First is her breadth of experience. A graduate of Harvard Law School, she has worked in private legal practice. She served as a Federal public defender and served on the U.S. Sentencing Commission. She has clerked at every level of the Federal judiciary: for Judge Patti Saris on the District of Massachusetts, Judge Bruce Selya on the First Circuit, and Justice Breyer on the Supreme Court. That is an amazing resume. She went on to serve as a Federal district court judge. Currently, she sits on the DC Circuit, often regarded as the second highest court in the land. And once confirmed, she will be only the second current Supreme Court Justice with experience as a trial court judge. That means Judge Jackson will bring to the Court insights into the issues confronting Federal district courts every single day. And these same questions often make it to the Supreme Court for final review. Second, I was impressed with her character and temperament. They are unimpeachable. During our conversation last week, we spoke about her family, her daughters, her upbringing, and the highlights of her career. I particularly enjoyed one story, which she has told before, about a letter that her daughter wrote to President Obama a few years ago. In it, she asked the President to appoint her mother to the Supreme Court. Well, it may have taken a bit longer than Judge Jackson's daughter anticipated, I can only imagine how proud she is today. My conversation with Judge Jackson also made clear that she has the exact temperament we need on the Court. She is personable, humble, approachable. That last attribute is particularly important for a Supreme Court Justice. The Supreme Court should not be shrouded in secrecy and mystery. Its process and its decisions should be clear and easily understood for the people in the Court as well as for the American public. With Judge Jackson on the Court, we can trust that will be true. Third, Judge Jackson is clearly--clearly--within the judicial mainstream. She has a record of evenhandedness and impartiality, guided by the Constitution, the law, and the facts of the case. She is not a partisan or an ideologue. She is independent in her thinking, and she will maintain the Court's proper role. Don't take my word for it. Judges and lawyers from across the political spectrum have said the same thing. Consider the support Judge Jackson enjoys from David Levi, who was appointed by President George H. W. Bush to serve on the Eastern District of California. He wrote to the committee, and he said a Supreme Court nominee ``must be neutral, nonpartisan, exercise self-restraint, model civility, and approach each case with an open mind and with a determination to reach as just, wise, and correct a result as possible.'' And he concluded that ``[b]ased on what I know of Judge Jackson . . . I believe she has been that kind of a judge and will be that kind of a Justice.'' I could not agree more. Often, I have seen my colleagues on the other side of the aisle in their initial reaction to the judge--Judge Jackson--have said, well, I want to know more about her judicial philosophy. Certainly, they can draw their own conclusions, but I hope that they will read what David Levi had to say as well as other conservative jurists. Sadly, Judge Jackson has already been subject to a number of baseless attacks so let's set the record straight. First, she has drawn criticism for refusing to comment when asked whether the Supreme Court should remain at its current size. Well, Judge Jackson's exactly right not to offer an opinion. As a nominee to the Supreme Court and a sitting judge on the DC Circuit, it would be totally inappropriate for her to opine on a public policy decision that only we can make in Congress. Indeed, Judge Jackson's handling of this question mirrors the approach taken by Justice Amy Coney Barrett just a few months back when she was nominated to the Court. At her hearing, when then-Judge Barrett was asked about the size of the Court, she then responded, it is ``a question left open to Congress'' and that if there were a ``specific constitutional question'' about the Court's size, she ``could not opine on it.'' Judge Jackson also has faced offensive questions from figures on the far right about her qualifications. This past Wednesday, FOX News talking head Tucker Carlson demanded that President Biden produce Judge Jackson's score on the LSAT exam. Mr. Carlson said he wanted to see Judge Jackson's LSAT score to gauge if she was, in fact, ``a once in a generation legal mind.'' Isn't it interesting that Mr. Tucker Carlson never once asked for LSAT scores of President Trump's nominees to the Court: Neil Gorsuch, Brett Kavanaugh, or Amy Coney Barrett. He never once questioned their qualifications to sit on the Court or their academic credentials. Let's be clear: Judge Jackson graduated magna cum laude from Harvard University and cum laude from Harvard Law School. Not bad. As an undergrad, she received the Harvard College Scholarship for Academic Achievement. Let me repeat that--academic achievement. And she served as supervising editor on the Harvard Law Review. Mr. Carlson, of course, is notorious for his outrageous comments. I don't expect he is going to offer any apology to Judge Jackson, but I would urge all my Republican colleagues to disavow his remarks and disassociate themselves from the innuendo. We also continue to hear false allegations that Judge Jackson was handpicked by so-called liberal dark money groups. Once again, that claim is completely divorced from reality. The truth is this: President Biden undertook a rigorous process to select Justice Breyer's successor, seeking the advice of a bipartisan group of Senators. And after weeks of consideration, he, and he alone, chose Judge Jackson. President Biden's selection process was deliberative, collaborative, and it took seriously the Senate's advice and consent role. It did not involve dark money groups. I can't help but note the irony of this line of attack coming from the other side of the aisle. After all, it was President Donald Trump who bragged--bragged--that groups like the Federalist Society and Heritage Foundation actually drove his selection process for the Supreme Court. As a candidate, Trump said: We're going to have great judges, conservative, all picked by the Federalist Society. Trump, never at a loss for words, made it very clear where he went to find his nominee. And Don McGahn, the Trump administration's first White House Counsel, said about the Federalist Society in judicial selection: I've been a member of the Federalist Society since law school. Still am. So, frankly, it seems like it has been insourced. ``Insourced'' was his word. And it is worth adding that Republicans, including Senator McConnell, have blocked every single effort to address the presence of hard money--dark money in our political system. We should have full disclosure. I support that. We are ready to vote on the floor. The leader on the Republican side resists. Judge Jackson also has faced baseless claims that she is a partisan Democrat just nominated to rubberstamp the Biden agenda. These claims have no basis in fact. She is evenhanded and impartial, confirmed by the Senate on a bipartisan basis three different times, including last year. If Judge Jackson were such a partisan, why would so many prominent conservatives be supporting her? The short answer is they wouldn't. But she has that support and plenty of it, including from former Republican Speaker of the House Paul Ryan; retired DC Circuit Judge Thomas Griffith, a George W. Bush retiree; retired Fourth Circuit Judge Michael Luttig, a George H. W. Bush appointee; Bill Burck, a prominent Republican attorney who worked in the George W. Bush administration; Charles Fried, who served as Solicitor General during the Reagan administration, and many more. These conservative jurists and attorneys have endorsed her precisely because she is independent and fairminded. She will not rubberstamp any President's agenda. These conservative leaders know that on the Court, Judge Jackson will be faithful to the Constitution and the rule of law. Finally, we hear the false allegation that Judge Jackson will be ``soft on crime.'' Look at her life, look at her record and at the support she now has from the law enforcement community. As Judge Jackson noted in accepting the President's nomination, she has two uncles and a brother who serve as police officers. One of her uncles was chief of police in Miami. On the bench, she has approached each criminal case in a manner that we would ask of every judge. Look at the law; look at the facts. It is not surprising that she has garnered the support of multiple law enforcement groups. This nominee, who is attributed as being soft on crime, has the endorsement of the Fraternal Order of Police. They wrote the following about her: We are reassured that, should she be confirmed, she would approach her future cases with an open mind and treat issues related to law enforcement fairly and justly. Wouldn't we all be proud to have that endorsement for our pursuits? Superintendent David Brown of the Chicago Police Department wrote: I have no doubt that if confirmed, Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson's appointment will make history by adding a powerful, moderate, and informed voice to the highest court in the land. As Senators and the American people continue to learn more about Judge Jackson and her amazing record, I hope and expect they will reach the same conclusion that leaders have reached all across America's political spectrum. Judge Jackson will be a strong, fair, principled, evenhanded, and impartial Supreme Court Justice. In closing, let me say that we have scheduled the hearings of the Judiciary Committee to begin on March 21. That is 24 days after President Biden announced his nominee. The previous Justice nominated for the Supreme Court, Amy Coney Barrett, under President Trump, was brought to the committee for a hearing in 16 days. So we are certainly within the window and beyond it in producing Judge Jackson on the 24th day. We are also providing materials that have been requested, including documents from the U.S. Sentencing Commission, of which Judge Jackson was a member. She will produce 12,000 pages of documents that are going to chronicle what happened in the Commission while she was serving. They include minutes and the Board's discussions of the important issues that are before us. Lucky for all of us, it is a very transparent Agency, and they have lived up to that transparency with this disclosure. In the meantime, the judge is going to do her best to meet with as many Senators as possible. She has prioritized those members of the Senate Judiciary Committee on the right and on the left, Democrats and Republicans, as well as other leaders in the U.S. Senate. She is available, and I am certain that if my colleagues are fair in their appraisal, they will come to the same conclusion that I have come to. She is an excellent choice to be Justice Breyer's successor on the Supreme Court. I yield the floor.

Mr. DURBIN

Mr. DURBIN. I announce that the Senator from Vermont (Mr. Sanders) is necessarily absent.

Mr. DURBIN

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

Mr. DURBIN. Madam President, 260 years ago, a young nobleman from Poland and a military officer helped lead a rebellion against what he and many others saw as a Russian puppet King in what was known as the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. He was driven into exile in France, where Lafayette and Benjamin Franklin urged him to go to America to join in the fight, the Revolutionary War. That young Polish nobleman's name was Casimir Pulaski. When he arrived in America, he wrote to General George Washington and said to him: I came here, where freedom is being defended, to serve it, and to live or die by it. Pulaski was at Washington's side and is credited with saving George Washington's life at the Battle of Brandywine. He is remembered fondly as the Father of the American Calvary. Pulaski died at age 34 in the fight for freedom and independence in America. Today is Casimir Pulaski Day, which we know full well in Illinois, where it is a State holiday. Today, however, we look at the world and realize that freedom is being defended in Ukraine. And today, we seek Casimir Pulaski's spirit and fierce commitment to freedom and human dignity in a historic young Ukrainian President and in Ukrainian men and women who are fighting to save their Nation from another would-be Russian czar. I have been in Congress for a few years. Over the weekend, I had an experience unique to my service in Congress. Early on Saturday morning, hundreds of Members of Congress joined a video call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. I have never seen anything like it. With the Russian military laying siege to his country and a Russian bull's-eye on his back, President Zelenskyy spoke to us with remarkable dignity and courage. He didn't mince words about what is happening in Ukraine--the brutal Russian assaults literally trying to destroy his nation. He said we all share the same basic values and dreams: to live our lives in peace, watch our kids grow up, and to kiss them. He said the Ukrainian people are fighting for these basic freedoms, and they are prepared to be friends and share culture with their Russian neighbors, if they can. But over the last 12 days, his country, Ukraine, has faced full- fledged war with barbaric attacks on kindergartens, nuclear powerplants, apartment buildings, infrastructure, and innocent civilians. Last Thursday, Russia and Ukraine agreed to create humanitarian corridors in Ukraine, to allow civilians in areas under the heaviest Russian attacks to evacuate safely. Twice over the weekend, Ukraine was forced to close those corridors because Russia was attacking them mercilessly. This is Vladimir Putin's war, deliberately targeting women and children who have left everything and are trying just to reach safety. This photo shows the result of one horrific attack by Russian soldiers on the people of Ukraine. Many people have seen it. It was on the front page of the New York Times this morning. It took place in the city of Irpin on Sunday. A Russian mortar struck an evacuation point where these civilians were waiting to board a bus to go to safety. Irpin's mayor said the attack killed at least eight people, including a family. Sadly, you can see the children lying on the street. These are among the 364 Ukrainians killed during the last 12 days of Putin's barbaric war. Mr. Putin, these deaths, like the death of that little girl I showed on the floor last week, are your doing. Your reputation as a war criminal and a bloody tyrant is now sealed in history. More than 1.7 million Ukrainians have fled as refugees to neighboring countries, such as Poland and Moldova. The open arms of the Polish people and Moldovan people to their Ukrainian brothers and sisters is remarkable and a reminder to the rest of us that we do share common human bonds. Some of you may have seen the moving stories last night on ``60 Minutes'' of the families with their children, desperately trying to reach Poland, other countries nearby so that they can escape the bonds of Vladimir Putin. This strategy is like nothing we have seen in Europe since World War II. But Putin's war on Ukraine is not simply an attack on one young democracy; it is an attack on democracy itself. I am proud to represent the city of Chicago, prouder still that it is the home of so many immigrants who have made a difference in that city and in America, Polish immigrants and descendants of Polish immigrants. Per capita, there is a larger number in Chicago than anyplace outside of Warsaw. We are also home to many immigrants who trace their heritage to the Baltic States. I happen to be one who does as well. We have such a long history of Ukrainian immigrants coming to our city that there is a neighborhood in Chicago called Ukrainian Village. Last Friday, I went over to the Ukrainian National Museum. It is near their Orthodox church. I take great pride in it. One woman there, who is a Ukrainian artist, had displayed many of the creations she had made on the wall. She said to me: They are for sale, Senator. And I said: Well, I am glad to know that. And she said: All the proceeds are going to the Ukrainian Army. Naturally, I left with one under my arm. Putin's war on Ukraine and the wave of refugees pouring into Poland and other neighboring nations hits home in Chicago. People from all backgrounds are donating money and goods--whatever they can--to help. Meest-Karpaty is a Chicago-area shipping company with experience in Eastern Europe. For 7 days now, the company's shipping facility on the Northwest Side of Chicago has been an operations center for an incredible volunteer effort to rush critical supplies to Ukraine. People and companies are dropping off supplies of first aid equipment, non-perishable food, diapers, and basic essentials: warm clothes, sleeping bags, tents, flashlights. Scores of volunteers assemble the donations into first aid kits and baby kits--whatever is needed. They pack the donations in the boxes that will be flown and delivered to the Polish border, where more volunteers deliver them to Ukrainians who need them. People are doing everything they can to support Ukraine's fight for freedom and democracy. Andriy Herha is a banking executive from Oak Brook, IL, who was born in Ukraine's capital city of Kyiv. His dad, in-laws, cousins, friends-- they are still there in Ukraine. In one day last week, he raised $40,000, personally, to buy bulletproof vests, helmets, first aid kits, and other supplies. When he learned that it would take weeks for the supplies to reach those who needed them, he decided to pack them into suitcases and board a flight to Poland and deliver them himself. As Andriy Herha told a reporter, ``we are trying to do anything possible to help them.'' We in this Senate must also do what we can to help Ukraine in its fight for freedom and democracy. Last week, I led more than 40 Senators--both parties, Democrats and Republicans--in asking President Biden to extend temporary protected status to the 75,000 Ukrainians who are currently in the United States, including on student and work visas. On Thursday, as I knew he would, the President responded favorably. He is granting that protection. Congress should also act without delay to approve $10 billion this week in emergency aid to assist Ukraine and bolster our NATO allies, as well as support neighboring nations like Poland and Moldova that are providing safe havens to the refugees. And after listening to President Zelenskyy on Saturday, I thought to myself: How can we possibly be importing Russian oil and gas, giving the profits of those transactions to Vladimir Putin to pay for his war machine? I believe now--and I have cosponsored the legislation that reaches this goal--that the United States should ban the purchase of Russian oil to further tighten economic pressure on Putin. I joined in the legislation introduced by Senators Murkowski and Manchin to do that. Secretary of State Antony Blinken was talking with our NATO allies. Many of them also seem willing to consider a ban on Russian oil. Vladimir Putin is threatening not only the security of Ukraine; he is threatening the security of the world. We must not even indirectly fund his war machine. While Putin wages war on democracy, the world, including the United States, will likely pay more to fill our tanks at the gas stations and heat our homes. We have to be ready for that reality, but that is the price today of defending freedom and democracy. The Ukrainians are paying with their lives. We may end up paying some more at the pump. Amid all this utterly outrageous and unnecessary suffering and destruction, all to assuage Vladimir Putin's warped sense of grievance and his twisted nostalgia for the dark days of the Russian Empire, President Zelenskyy ended his talk with us on Saturday morning on a memorable note. He said we are all one big, undefeatable army for freedom and that we should all live in peace and openness and, despite the horrors inflicted on his people, we must hold on to our humanity. He was a standup comedian at one point. He did a movie, which was a spoof on someone as unlikely as himself being elected President. Lo and behold, in the next free election, he was elected President of the country. Many people questioned whether he was up to the job. Boy, his detractors are very quiet now. This man has risked his life for his country, as so many are in Ukraine. It is time for us to stand behind Ukraine solidly--solidly for their leadership. I hope this crisis ends soon. Until then, the United States and the rest of the civilized world must stand with Ukraine for freedom and democracy. I yield the floor. I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. DURBIN

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

Mr. DURBIN

Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, on Tuesday evening, President Biden delivered his first State of the Union Message to Congress and to the American people. His remarks were timely, strong, and statesmanlike. He touched on many topics. I think his message really boiled down to two profound questions: How do we protect democracy in other nations, particularly in Ukraine, which is now entering the second week of a horrific and unprovoked invasion by Russian forces; and then he asked, how can we protect and preserve democracy here in America? Dictators like Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping want the world to believe that democracy is nothing more than chaos and gridlock. The people of Ukraine are showing the world just how wrong these despots are. I speak to you today from the comfort and safety of the Senate Chamber in the United States of America, in Washington, DC, on a beautiful springlike day. But I have to reflect for a moment on what life must be like at this very moment in Kyiv, in Ukraine, and what it must be like in Lviv; two cities in Ukraine that I visited where bombs are raining down on innocent people--children, women, and men who are losing their lives because Vladimir Putin believes that he can restore the Soviet Union to its borders. We have all seen the video of the Ukrainian grandmother, armed with nothing more than sunflower seeds and courage, confronting Russian soldiers. We have seen ordinary Ukrainian men and women and teenagers taking up arms, making Molotov cocktails, building barricades, taking down highway and road signs to confuse the invading Russians--even laying down their lives to stop Russian tanks and convoys. In the back of my mind, I am sure I am thinking what many Americans are thinking: Could I do the same thing? Could I bring together the courage at this moment to stand up and fight if my home is at stake, if my family is at stake, if my country is at stake? The Ukrainians are answering that message every minute of every day. Their courage and unity in the face of this Russian barbarity is inspiring the world. For months, President Biden, Secretary of State Tony Blinken, and others in the Biden administration have worked behind the scenes to revitalize the NATO alliance. That critical alliance emerged after the last great land war in Europe in 1945 from the allies who came out of it and said: Never again. We will stand together to stop any invader against the NATO coalition, the NATO alliance. The Biden administration has worked behind the scenes to remind this alliance that there comes a moment when you have to bring to this alliance the courage and direction to stand for the kind of democracy which we are all committed to. Two years ago, we had a President who took Putin's word over the assessment of America's own intelligence Agencies and said he threatened to pull the United States participation out of NATO. Today, we have a President who actually shared U.S. intelligence with our allies to show Putin for the liar that he was from the very start. NATO is more unified today--thank you, Vladimir Putin, for that--than it has ever been since the Cold War or the end of World War II. In fact, nations that are not formally part of NATO--Sweden and Finland, for example--have stepped up, in concert with the NATO alliance, to stand our ground and protest what is happening in Ukraine and to protect Europe--even Switzerland. Switzerland, which is famously neutral in all major conflicts, has come out of its neutrality and made it clear that they, too, stand against the Putin invasion. In his State of the Union Address, President Biden urged Congress to approve billions of dollars in emergency military and humanitarian assistance for Ukraine. Sign me up. I will vote for that in a second, and I hope it comes soon. We need to agree on an aid package without delay and get it to the President as quickly as possible, not just for the humanitarian purpose but for the purpose of showing American unity with the resistance in Ukraine. Ukrainian ordinary citizens are dying today because of Vladimir Putin and the bombs and missiles he is launching. As in every war, innocent Ukrainians will soon be facing greater suffering, greater hunger--even starvation. In the year 2022, is it imaginable that this is happening in Europe? We must rally the world to support those still in the Ukraine, assist our allies in neighboring nations who are housing and feeding neighboring Ukrainians who have fled their homeland. They estimate 800,000 to a million Ukrainians have left the country to find safety nearby. Once again, let me thank the people of Poland. They have been opening their doors to the people of Ukraine for many years, and now, they are being called on in an extraordinary way to harbor these refugees and to take care of them at this moment of need. They are fleeing Putin's war, and their numbers are growing dramatically. Some have suggested that a humanitarian airlift is a possibility. I don't want to rule that out. Let's explore that and see whether that is the best way to provide relief to those still in Ukraine facing Putin's attack. President Biden also promised to form a high-level task force to enforce U.S. sanctions against Putin, sanctions against Russia's political elites, and sanctions against the corrupt oligarchs. That always brings a cheer here in America because people think that those who have been engaged in a kleptocracy in the name of personal greed should be held accountable. The thought that they are shopping in New York City or buying luxury condos and apartments in London or are harboring their yachts in any country is disgusting. They need to pay a price. We shouldn't just freeze their assets; we ought to seize their assets and hold them to rebuild Ukraine amid the devastation that the Russians are causing. Putin wants to be a czar. He and his cronies have become a pariah. We will support Ukraine, but we also have work to do to strengthen our own democracy. We also have to remember that the bordering nations, the Baltic States of Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia, are especially vulnerable to Russian aggression. They, as members of the NATO alliance, know that they have friends at their back, but we have got to reinforce that to the people of those small countries who worry about their very survival. Let's take a look at home. As the President said, we have finally moved to a safer direction with the pandemic. What a relief it was to go to the State of the Union Address and not wear a mask. Following doctors' orders, I might add, we listened to the medical experts who told us it is safe now not to be wearing a mask unless you are in a particular category of people. So most of us enjoyed one of the first public gatherings of a political nature where we were without masks and relieved to be so. We need to get back to our normal routines. We need to get our kids back in school--all of them--as quickly as possible. We added 6 million new jobs last year, an alltime record. Things are good and positive, but inflation still is haunting this Nation. Wages are up; inflation is up. But it is not just our Nation. Inflation is a global problem. COVID-19 constricted the economy of the world. We are now emerging from it with new jobs, new businesses, new appetites, and new consumption. It is all good. But the cost of it is inflation. I trust that we can bring this under control soon. Inflation is real. It is eating away at families' wages and savings and their faith in the future. When people work hard and can't get ahead, that is not just an economic problem; that can be a threat to our democratic spirit because it can open the door for anti-democratic demagogues. In his State of the Union Address, President Biden laid out a plan to help American families afford big-ticket items that are essential; restore the enhanced child tax credit; help parents raise their kids and themselves out of poverty; help families with quality affordable daycare, childcare; expand family and medical leave so workers don't have to choose between caring for an ailing member of their family or a terminally ill parent and keeping their jobs; make healthcare more affordable and accessible; expand veterans' health benefits to cover more cancers and other service-related health conditions; and make prescription drugs more affordable by letting Medicare negotiate the price for medication. Just one simple thing seems to be so popular across this country, cap the monthly cost of insulin at $35--$35. There are some 34 million people who are suffering from diabetes in this country, and of course their families are pulling for them every day. Think of all of the lives that could be improved if insulin were affordable. If a fourth or half of those who are diabetic have to now ration their insulin and risk their health, that is just wrong in a great nation. We should have insulin at affordable prices, and $35 a month is that. It is an outrage that the price of insulin has been raised countless times to more than $300 a vial. As we support the Ukrainian people and their immense courage, I hope we will also find the courage to protect America's future. Tribute to Tom Balanoff Mr. President, when it comes to the American labor movement, I selfishly say all roads lead to Chicago. At the turn of the 20th century, workers from all walks of life and from every corner of the globe joined together in support of a simple but profound belief: An injury to one is an injury to all. Few leaders have embodied that philosophy of solidarity and mutuality more than Tom Balanoff, president of the Service Employees International Union--SEIU--Local 1 in Chicago and the union's State council. If you are a worker in Illinois or a worker anywhere in America, there is a good chance you know Tom. He has devoted his life not only to building a strong labor movement but a more inclusive one. Now, he is retiring from his post as president of Local 1. Though his leadership will be missed, he leaves behind a formidable legacy. He helped build a global labor movement, led by essential workers. I am talking about janitors, security officers, airport staff, and nursing home and home healthcare workers who are reclaiming their power in the workplace. As president of Local 1, Tom Balanoff transformed the chapter into one of the most influential forces in the American labor movement, and every step of the way, he held true to the chapter's progressive roots. Formed in Chicago in 1921, Local 1 was the first racially integrated union in America, bringing together immigrant janitors from across the globe who were fighting for better working conditions. From that moment on, SEIU has been synonymous with merging the fight for workers' rights with the fight for social equality, and Tom has carried that legacy to new heights. He has been a steadfast champion of racial equality, gender equality, and protecting the rights of immigrant workers, and he has assembled the most diverse leadership team in SEIU's history. Importantly, Tom's commitment to leading a socially conscious labor movement is steeped in a proud family tradition. It began when Tom's grandfather, James Balanoff, immigrated to America from Bulgaria and found work in a live chicken shop on Commercial Avenue in Chicago. Since then, each generation of the ``Battling Balanoffs'' has been grounded in a commitment to defending the rights of working people in and outside of the workplace. The Balanoff family notes with pride that both Tom's father and grandfather attended the 1937 Memorial Day Massacre, where police opened fire on unarmed protesters at the gate of the Republic Steel Company in South Chicago, killing 10 men and injuring scores of others. If the police had hoped to fracture union solidarity, the massacre had the exact opposite effect on the Balanoff family and many others. The Balanoff family has stood by workers. Tom's father, James Jr., organized steelworkers at a time when manufacturing was the dominant industry in America, and he eventually rose to be president of the largest steelworkers union in America, Local 1010, in East Chicago, IN. Tom has been helping lead the charge for justice for all since he was in middle school--middle school--when he and his siblings were the only White kids in class to protest racial segregation in American schools. By the time Tom was ready to follow in his family's tradition of union activism, America's economy was going through a dramatic shift. Factories were shuttering and good-paying union jobs disappearing, shipped overseas. As more and more Americans left the factories and found new opportunities in airports, hospitals, nursing homes, offices, and coffee shops, Tom discovered his life's mission: defending the rights of the service workers who make our economy tick. To complement the commitment to economic and labor justice that runs in the Balanoff family's veins, Tom earned a master's degree in labor and industrial relations from the University of Illinois. For decades, whenever and wherever his skills were needed to protect the rights of workers, you could count on Tom Balanoff to be there. He worked for the International Association of Firefighters here in Washington, for the Allied Industrial Workers in Chicago, and the Cement, Lime and Gypsum Workers in Kansas City before then-SEIU president, John Sweeney, spotted Tom's exception abilities and brought him to work for SEIU in Washington, DC. Tom would go on to serve as trustee of John Sweeney's old SEIU local, Local 32BJ, in New York City. After a successful tenure there, he returned to Chicago, first as SEIU Local 46 trustee and eventually as president of both SEIU Local 1 and president of the Illinois State Council. Tom always has seized opportunities to uplift disempowered workers. In 2005, he traveled down to Houston to help unionize janitors who were being paid as little as $20 a day. In the heart of one of the most anti-union States in the country, Tom secured a contract for more than 5,000 janitors that doubled their pay. Never content to settle, Tom kept the victories coming. Just a few months later, he helped thousands of janitors in Cincinnati, Columbus, and Indianapolis win a similar contract. It was a testament to his lifelong belief that, when working people of all identities come together, they win. In the world of politics, my friend Tom has been a champion of the downtrodden. Several years ago, he helped launch the progressive caucus in the Chicago City Council, despite facing significant political headwinds. Today, more than a third of the city council members belong to that caucus. Perhaps the most consequential decision Tom ever made as a political changemaker was in the year 2003, when he became an early endorser of a community organizer running for the U.S. Senate by the name of Barack Obama. That endorsement helped pave the way for former President Obama's stratospheric rise in the world of politics. And a few years later, Tom became the first labor leader in America to endorse Barack Obama's campaign for President. At the time, Tom and I were part of the same lonely club. I was the first U.S. Senator to endorse President Obama's candidacy in 2007, and for more than a year, I was the only Senator to do so. But Tom and I knew that Barack Obama was the leader this country needed. We had seen firsthand the amazing work he had done in Chicago, helping displaced workers rebuild their lives and partnering with churches to launch job training. We knew that President Obama had what it took to unite our country. And without Tom's support, his candidacy may never have gotten off the ground. Tom has said one of the leaders who inspired him most during his career was Nelson Mandela. A few years after the end of apartheid, Nelson Mandela wrote: ``To be free is not merely to cast off one's chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others.'' Tom has dedicated his life to enhancing the freedom of others. He has stood for immigrant workers so that they could find a voice in the workplace. He has stood in solidarity with Black workers protesting against racial injustice. And he has worked to protect our communities and our children by demanding climate justice as well. In one of his final acts as president of Local 1, Tom helped make history again. He handed the reins of leadership of that storied local to the first Black president of the SEIU's State council. Greg Kelley is a proven champion of working people in Illinois and across the country. And I might add that when I sat down for breakfast to congratulate Greg on this new opportunity, he reminded me that he had once been an intern in my Senate office--something I am very proud of. Tom Balanoff is leaving his post at a promising moment for the working people of America. Since the beginning of the pandemic, service workers have come together to demand safer working conditions, higher wages, and better benefits. For instance, in December, workers in Starbucks in Buffalo, NY, voted to unionize. It will be the company's first-ever union. And those workers will soon be represented by Starbucks Workers United, an affiliate of SEIU. This moment is a culmination of Tom's decades of service to the labor movement. I want to thank Tom Balanoff for everything he has achieved for working families in Chicago, throughout America, and literally around the world. He has cultivated progressive political power and helped build a fairer economy that rewards hard work, not just wealth. Loretta and I wish him a long, joyous retirement with his wife Hetty and their two kids. Tom, I am looking forward to seeing you some day soon in Highland Park--watermelon juice on me. I yield the floor.

Mr. DURBIN. I announce that the Senator from California (Mrs. Feinstein), the Senator from Arizona (Mr. Kelly), and the Senator from California (Mr. Padilla) are necessarily absent.

Mr. DURBIN

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