Ben Luján

Mr. LUJAN

Mr. LUJAN. Mr. President, if you give me a little more time, I will offer a voice vote.

Mr. LUJAN. Mr. President, my motion is simple: Public broadcasting infrastructure funding should not be rescinded if it limits access to emergency alert systems and lifesaving weather updates. Just last week, devastating floods across New Mexico claimed the lives of three people, including two children. Local radio was on the air issuing real-time warnings and helping people get to safety. Despite these horrible tragedies in New Mexico, Texas, and the Northeast, my Republican colleagues are prepared to gut public broadcasting funding. Public radio stations and local media are lifelines, especially in rural and Tribal communities. They don't just play music or share stories; they deliver emergency alerts and evacuation notices and lifesaving updates when disaster strikes. It is not just weather. These systems broadcast AMBER Alerts when children go missing--alerts where every second counts. Delays costs lives. Whether it is a flood, a fire, or a missing child, communities rely on these alerts to stay safe. Without funding and infrastructure, stations will collapse. One New Mexico broadcaster put it plainly.

Mr. LUJAN. I ask that further reading be dispensed with.

Mr. LUJAN. Mr. President, I have a motion to recommit at the desk.

Mr. LUJAN

Mr. LUJAN. Mr. President, I want to thank my friend from Illinois Senator Durbin for his leadership and commitment to saving public broadcasting and educational programming for Americans all across our beautiful country. Now, unfortunately, just yesterday in New Mexico, the Rio Ruidoso rose to nearly 20 feet in a matter of minutes amid heavy rainfall, sweeping away homes, debris, and people. The flooding claimed the lives of three people already, including two children. Rescue missions are currently underway. The same area was also ravaged by a wildfire just last year. Our first responders are working around the clock to protect their neighbors and ensure help arrives when every second counts. Now, if it weren't for the strict rules in the U.S. Senate on the floor, I would be playing audio right now--audio from the mayor of Ruidoso, Mayor Crawford, who was speaking to his constituents on KRUI's ``The Mountain'' radio program. Now, Mayor Crawford told his residents: We did have over 30 swift water rescues . . . have some folks taken to the hospital. We have been up and down trails looking at the homes that have been torn up there . . . these people have been in these homes for 70-plus years. We're issuing alerts and warnings to get to higher ground. These are the alerts that communities in Ruidoso and other parts of the country need when disaster strikes. They save lives. Many of us in this Chamber have witnessed the devastation caused by natural disasters in our own States, in our own communities. Now, tonight, I am praying for all those families across Texas, for a safe return of those who are missing and for those who lost loved ones. New Mexico is far too familiar with devastation and destruction that comes from fires and flooding and other natural disasters. Three years ago, we experienced one of the worst fires in our State's history, with the Hermit's Peak and Calf Canyon fire. A critical part of that response was our local radio stations and public broadcasters disseminating information in realtime about evacuations, shelter information, food drives, and State and Federal resources. As a matter of fact, at a time when mobile phones weren't working-- most communications were down--it was only these local radio stations, which were also benefiting from the transmitters from public broadcasting, that were able to communicate with so many constituents. These communications are now under attack by congressional Republicans and the White House. Senate Democrats are sounding the alarm and leading the charge to stop this dangerous rescission package before it harms families, communities, and the public broadcasting that they all rely on. From the moment we wake up to the time we turn in at night, New Mexicans rely on radio and public broadcasting to stay safe during natural disasters and to connect with trusted news, educational programming, and our favorite New Mexico musicians--sometimes even a basketball game or two. Now, over the past several weeks, I have received texts, calls, and people coming to my office pleading with us in the U.S. Senate to save public radio and public broadcasting. New Mexicans who work at radio stations are calling in to say that they are worried about losing their jobs. From every corner of our State, New Mexicans are speaking out with one clear message: Do not mess with public broadcasting. Radio is one of the most dependable ways to get information out when disaster strikes a community. I have witnessed this firsthand. That is why the Federal Government must do everything it can to support families in crisis and ensure that they have the resources and information they need to stay safe. Stripping $1.1 billion from public broadcasting puts millions of lives at risk, including first responders and families who depend on emergency radio systems and public broadcasts to stay informed and stay safe. Now, I heard from a broadcaster in New Mexico this week who said: We are literally saving lives and finding ways to save more. Please do everything you can to stop this rescission. Now, the White House and congressional Republicans are making decisions that will leave New Mexicans in the dark. A teacher in Albuquerque shared with me that she relies on public broadcasting in her classroom every day. Parents have shared that they use public media to teach their children about New Mexican culture, history, and tradition. These stations are central to community life. They provide unbiased news, local reporting, and educational programming that connects people to each other and to the world. Yet Republicans are trying to eliminate public broadcasting to strip communities of trusted information. If this Republican rescission package goes through, it will only divide us further: fewer voices, fewer facts, fewer connections. Americans are pleading not to be left in the dark. I urge my colleagues to listen to them and to vote against this reckless cut to public broadcasting. I yield the floor.

Mr. LUJAN

Mr. LUJAN. Mr. President, I rise today to recognize and share the inspiring story of Alana Nichols, a six-time Paralympic medalist across three sports and one of New Mexico's greatest athletes and advocates. Alana is being inducted into the New Mexico Sports Hall of Fame this year as part of the class of 2024 for her outstanding accomplishments. Alana grew up in Farmington, NM, and was an avid snowboarder throughout her youth. When she was 5 years old, her grandmother introduced her to T-ball which sparked her interest in sports, along with a competitive nature. Growing up, Alana played basketball, volleyball, and softball with hopes of playing for the University of New Mexico's softball team. Her story of resilience began at 17 years old when she sustained a spinal cord injury snowboarding. This traumatic event would leave her paralyzed from the waist down. In an instant, her life had changed forever, and the future she had in mind would be altered. Yet this moment was not the end of her athletic journey, it was the start of a new one. While studying at the University of New Mexico, Alana was introduced to wheelchair basketball. This gave her a spark of hope, and she quickly rose to become a member of the U.S. Women's Wheelchair Basketball Team in 2008, where she helped bring home gold at the Beijing Paralympics Games in 2008. She didn't stop there, going on to medal in alpine skiing at the 2010 Vancouver Winter Games and later representing Team USA in paracanoe at the 2016 Rio Games. Alana became the first American woman to win gold in both Summer and Winter Paralympic Games, she is a three-time gold medalist winner, a national leader in adaptive surfing and a passionate advocate for women and athletes with disabilities. Alana was inducted into the inaugural Superman Hall of Heroes in 2014, celebrating real-life heroes. Alana's journey is an incredible story of resilience and perseverance. I am honored to have the opportunity to share her experiences with you all today. We are very proud of Alana and the shining example she is for our State. We look forward to the wonderful things she will accomplish next.

Mr. LUJAN

Mr. LUJAN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the following motions to commit for the bill H.R. 1 be placed in the Congressional Record: 1. Motion to commit to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry with instructions to strike all provisions relating to the supplemental nutrition assistance program. 2. Motion to commit the bill to the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry to prohibit the Forest Service from terminating any USFS employees who are certified to fight wildfire unless the employee violated Forest Service policy. 3. Motion to commit the bill to the committee on Judiciary to provide increased resources for the COPS Hiring Program. 4. Motion to Commit drafted to the Finance Committee to provide greater incentives for US-based manufacturers that develop and manufacture their products in the United States. 5. Motion to commit to the Finance Committee that ensures Medicaid is accessible, including to pregnant women and children, including by not providing monies or incentives for imposing barriers that reduce necessary access to health care 6. Motion to commit providing more Medicaid resources for people with substance use disorder and other behavioral health conditions 7. Motion to Commit to the Finance Committee to increase the standard deduction for individuals making $200k and married/joint filers at $400K 8. Motion to commit the bill to the Committee on Homeland Security and Government Affairs to prohibit the use of any funds made available in the bill to eliminate or reduce resources at FEMA. 9. A motion to commit the bill to the Committee on Homeland Security and Government Affairs to prohibit the use of any funds made available in the bill to decrease access to the Nonprofit Security Grant Program. 10. Motion to commit the bill to the Committee on Homeland Security and Government Affairs to prohibit the use of any funds made available in the bill to activities that would limit access to firefighter grants 11. Motion to commit the bill to Energy and Natural Resources to ensure that the title prevents the sale of oil and gas from public lands to Foreign Entities of Concern (China, Russia, Iran, North Korea). 12. Motion to commit the bill to Energy and Natural Resources to ensure that they prohibit the sale of leases for oil and gas on public lands to any company that has an existing and unused lease. 13. Motion to commit the bill to Energy and Natural Resources to ensure that any public land sales are not used for homes above $500k or secondary/vacation homes. 14. A motion to commit the bill to the Committee on Armed Services to prohibit the use of any funds made available under title II of the bill to upgrade a plane gifted by the government of Qatar for use by the United States Government in the Air Force One fleet. 15. Motion to commit the bill to the Commerce Committee to ensure that Broadband Equity, Access, and Deployment funding is used to connect every home, business, library, and school to high-speed, reliable, and affordable broadband before that funding can be used for artificial intelligence infrastructure 16. Motion to commit the bill to the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry with changes that would provide permanent, mandatory investments in the Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research, which uses Federal funding to leverage private funding in support of cutting-edge agriculture research. 17. Motion to commit the bill to the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry with changes that would make strong investments in specialty crop farmers, including improved risk management options, protections against invasive pests and diseases, increased funding for the Specialty Crop Block Grant Program, and investments in research, including mechanization and automation research. 18. Motion to commit the bill to the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry with changes that would prohibit the Secretary of Agriculture from using any funding to create a system of personally identifying information of supplemental nutrition assistance program household information, as described in the notice published by the Department of Agriculture entitled ``Privacy Act of 1974; System of Records'' (90 Fed. Reg. 26521 (June 23, 2025)).

Mr. LUJAN

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

Mr. LUJAN. Mr. President, recently, a Republican colleague said regarding this bill's SNAP cuts: If we don't watch out, people are going to get hurt. He is right--people are going to get hurt. For the past 50 years, the United States of America has maintained a bipartisan promise to feed our children, our veterans, our seniors, and our working families. This bill betrays that promise. It cuts more than $1 trillion from Medicaid and SNAP--cuts that will harm all of our constituents. With this motion, I am offering my colleagues the opportunity to step away from these devastating cuts, to show our fellow Americans that in this country we care for our friends, families, and neighbors who need support. I hope my colleagues on both sides of the aisle can agree that this is a promise worth keeping. I yield the floor.

Mr. LUJAN. Mr. President, I have a motion to commit at the desk.

Mr. LUJAN

Mr. LUJAN. Madam President, I heard several of my colleagues speak tonight about what this bill means for Americans all across America. Now, each of us has a responsibility to ask whether this bill meets the needs of the people that we are honored to serve. Now, I grew up on a small farm, as many of you know, working the land, caring for animals, sometimes even cleaning barns. And I can tell you, this bill does not pass the smell test. For New Mexicans, hard-working people, this bill does not help our families get ahead. New Mexicans work hard. Folks are not looking for a handout. New Mexicans are the type of people who would give you the shirt off their back if you needed it. It is just who we are, and I am proud of it. But sometimes people fall on hard times. And I will remind you all that this could happen to any of us. You might need medical care. You might need help putting food on the table, maybe support to care for a loved one, or just want enough security to know that a job will be there for us. Some claim that this bill will help Americans, which we know is not the truth because, from where I stand, there is very little in this legislation that helps hard-working New Mexicans. Now, it is important that this debate is happening because now New Mexicans and people all across America can clearly see what is in this bill and what is not. As has been said time and time again this evening, the vast majority of this legislation benefits the ultrawealthy. The wealthiest 0.1 percent are getting over 250 grand back in their pocket. Can you believe this? How many people might not make that in a lifetime? An extra $250,000 in their pockets, that is what this bill is about. Now, meanwhile, it does not help farmers; it does not support teachers or children. Nothing for New Mexico seniors who rely on Medicaid SNAP, and nothing for New Mexicans who served our country and deserve our care in return. New Mexicans are hard-working people who believe in the values of loving your neighbor, following what the Bible teaches us: Do unto others as you have them do unto you. This bill goes against everything New Mexicans stand for. It is not honest; it is not caring; and it is not fair. Now, I have heard my colleagues try to claim that this bill does not cut assistance. That is a lie. It is not true. This bill cuts more than a trillion dollars from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and Medicaid, for crying out loud. Senate Republicans are gutting the Affordable Care Act and ripping healthcare away from 17 million Americans. Now a few of my colleagues across the aisle have spoken with some clarity, saying out loud what we all know to be true. One Republican Senator warned about SNAP, about these cuts, saying: If we don't watch out, people are going to get hurt. Another Republican colleague said on Medicaid: We can't be cutting healthcare for working people and for poor people in order to constantly give special tax treatment to corporations. Now that same Senator went on to say that: Slashing health insurance for the working poor is morally wrong. That is right. I wish more of them spoke with that clarity. At least a few of them are saying out loud what the rest of America is thinking. Now is the time for more courage, though, the courage to put people first. My colleagues all have a chance to vote against this legislation. They all have a chance to vote for amendments that will say: Hands off Medicaid. Don't cut those nutrition programs that one Senator said are going to hurt people if we don't watch out. This bill takes food from the mouths of New Mexican children and takes care away from New Mexicans who are sick. It is not just New Mexico. These cuts will hurt people in every State. My Republican colleagues, to lock up one more vote, offered something called the Polar Payoff--a carve-out for one State. Now, look, these carve-outs are an admission that this bill will leave people hungry and without care--plain and simple. Otherwise, why would they want a carve- out for their State? Why was this carve-out added? Because this scam of a bill cuts funding for rural hospitals and the programs that feed children and families in need. For our rural communities out there, for the farmers and ranchers who grow our food, this bill will hurt your bottom line while closing rural hospitals, closing rural grocery stores. For families who rely on SNAP, this bill means less food on the table and more children going to bed hungry, all while making healthcare, especially emergency care, harder to access. That is what this bill does to hard-working Americans. And I am not even mentioning the Americans who currently have healthcare but will no longer be able to afford it because of this bill. Those of you watching at home tonight who do not think this impacts you, it just might. Earlier this week, I had the honor of speaking with a healthcare worker from Las Cruces, Julee. Julee traveled all the way from New Mexico to Washington, DC, to tell Congress not to mess with her families' Medicaid. Like many of her colleagues, she had a story to share. Now, Julee's son received mental health care through Medicaid. When that coverage was cut, Julee lost her son. Soon after, her daughter was diagnosed with a serious condition that required immediate care. Now, without Medicaid, her daughter may not have survived either. Just think about that. Let it sink in. New Mexicans understand the responsibility of looking after family. Like so many families in New Mexico and across the country, I grew up helping to take care of my grandparents. Grandma Nestora and Grandpa Celedon, my dad's parents. Now, when my other grandparents Grandpa Luis and Grandma Cleotilde were victims of a terrible car accident, I watched my mom, my uncles, my aunts, and my cousins show what grace looks like, what love feels like, what compassion really means. Now this bill is a direct attack on those values, values of helping one another and shared sacrifice. There is no shared sacrifice in this bill, only more handouts for the wealthy. There is nothing in this bill that shows that we are all looking out for our neighbors across America. And like so many Americans, I am so deeply concerned about the pricetag. This bill would add more than $3 trillion to the national debt. To people watching, this is not just a number. It affects your everyday life--higher interest rates. Think about your credit cards, your car loans, your mortgages if you are fortunate to have one. This bill is going to make your life more expensive. It is a total betrayal of our constituents. So to the American people: Hear me when I say, keep speaking. You have done it before. The American people--all of you that spoke up--you helped stop the sale of our public lands. You made your voices impossible to ignore. Now, this bill is not the law of the land yet. But if we stay silent, it will be. So keep organizing, keep calling, and keep showing up because part of our responsibility as American citizens is to protect one another, to stand by one another, to treat others the way that we want to be treated, the Golden Rule. It is not hard. We all have a responsibility to stand up when something this dangerous threatens our neighbors, our values, and our future. I yield the floor.

Mr. LUJAN

Mr. LUJAN. Mr. President, I am sure the American people right now are just starting to see what happened to the U.S. Senator from California--the senior Senator from California--Alex Padilla. He is at a press conference in California, where the Secretary of Homeland Security is, and he wants to ask some questions, with all that is going on in California. Look, I don't know what all happened, but Federal agents took him down--took down a U.S. Senator--saying that they are doing their job. Why aren't more people down here speaking up about this nonsense? This is ridiculous. I would use some other language, but I would probably get tossed off the floor right now. Growing up on a small farm and cleaning a barn, my dad taught me how to take a shovel to all the stuff that came out of the animals. You know what that is called. I know what it is called. And some of the animals that did that were males. They were bulls. And the stuff that came out of them has a few names to it. I will call it manure today. This is nonsense. This is awful. How can these Federal agents get away with this? Is the President of the United States telling folks to go down and start arresting U.S. Senators, taking them down to the floor? Is that what we have come to, the executive branch doing this to our colleagues? This is a Democrat. What happens when it happens to a Republican? Will I hear from my Republican colleagues then to say: No, we should not do this, Mr. President. Back down. Back off. You are wrong. Will someone here have the backbone to tell the President of the United States: You crossed the line. Stop it. I am so disappointed, so disappointed. And as a Latino U.S. Senator, for this to happen to another Hispanic here--there are several of us who are Hispanics here, Democrats and Republicans. Speak up. When one of my predecessors was here, Dennis Chavez, there were places he could not eat in this town because of the color of his skin, because he was from a State called New Mexico. Are we going to use our voices? Are we better than this in the United States of America? Or are we going to show all the other folks in the world who choose to do this to the people who were duly elected by their people: No, just go arrest them. Throw them down on their face. Treat them like garbage. We are better than this in America, you all. We have got to speak up. I hope, by tonight, every Democrat and Republican Member of this body has the courage to say something. This has gone too far. It is not right. I yield the floor.

Mr. LUJAN

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

Mr. LUJAN

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

Mr. LUJAN. Mr. President, how much time do I have?

Mr. LUJAN. Mr. President, they don't want to listen because they are trying to get rid of the darn program. It is not a surprise. They want to eliminate SNAP, $230 billion completely devastates it. It is not about the inefficiencies as they claim. This is going to hurt our constituents, and there are hundreds of thousands of constituents in every one of your States that are going to get hurt. This is not right.

Mr. LUJAN. Mr. President, the last time we voted on the budget resolution, I introduced an amendment to prevent $1 billion in cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. My Republican colleagues said that $1 billion in cuts wouldn't take benefits away from our constituents and that they were targeting ``inefficiencies.'' Well, this time around Republicans are attempting to pass legislation that would cut $230 billion from SNAP. I am willing to work with all of my Republican colleagues to make SNAP more efficient, but what you are doing is completely gutting the program, probably trying to eliminate it. Mr. President, 41.2 million Americans rely on SNAP to put food on their family's table. Forty percent of SNAP recipients are children. And the fact it is impossible--

Mr. LUJAN. Mr. President, I call up my amendment No. 1726 and ask that it be reported by number.

Mr. LUJAN. Madam President, I come to the floor today to raise my voice on behalf of constituents all across New Mexico. Now, this week, all eyes have been on the U.S. Senate. Millions of people across the country tuned into C-Span, social media live streams, and YouTube to watch our friend from New Jersey. We all got to bear witness to the unyielding patriotism of Senator Cory Booker, who rightfully said: This is a moral moment. This is not about the right or left; this is about right or wrong. Today, I am proud to join my Senate Democratic colleagues in pushing back against a Republican budget resolution that is wrong for the people not just of New Mexico but every corner of America. Today, Senate Democrats have uplifted the stories of Americans who are worried about the path that President Trump, Elon Musk, and congressional Republicans are putting us on, folks who feel the pain every time they go to the grocery store, moms and dads who don't know how they are going to afford food next week, grandmothers and grandfathers who are scared that their hard-earned benefits are going to be eliminated. Now, New Mexicans have been calling, emailing, texting, and talking to me from all across New Mexico. I hear you. I see you. Every time I go to the grocery store, folks stop me in the grocery aisles back home and ask me when President Trump is going to start lowering prices. Now, as I was walking over here today, I was surprised to see that while the American people are trying to put food on the table, I see that Donald Trump is out there playing golf. That is what is on the TV screens for all the folks back home that are going to be going to the grocery store or maybe going to a restaurant and see if you can even afford the food that is over there any longer because of these tariffs and what is coming our way. The President should be listening to the people across the country. Maybe he should go into a grocery store and do some walking, talking to folks. Now, one of my constituents who works at a car dealership, a very successful car dealership in New Mexico, said her managers notified the team that they are no longer fulfilling orders in the United States. She wrote to me saying that all of her friends and coworkers are scared of being fired because of President Trump's reckless tariffs. A woman in Questa, NM, pleaded with me to help restore the U.S. Department of Agriculture funding for schools and food banks. She told me that because of high grocery prices caused by this administration, the demands at their local food bank have more than doubled. Another constituent told me that she is ready to retire--looking forward to it--but she is scared that the Trump administration will continue to take a sledgehammer to Social Security. And I guess that Elon Musk is going to take a chain saw to it. Unless this stops, she doesn't know if retirement is even an option. My constituents can see the economy is slipping before their eyes-- they feel it--and their paychecks are not going as far as they used to. Now President Trump is imposing sweeping, across-the-board tariffs that will increase prices for everyone back home. The tariffs are going to cost New Mexicans nearly 4,000 bucks a year--$4,000 that a lot of folks don't have. Donald Trump's own former Vice President, Mike Pence, said the Trump tariffs will decimate family budgets. That is right. The former Republican Vice President under President Trump's first term said that the Trump tariffs will decimate family budgets. When the new tariffs were unveiled this week, more chaos and confusion ensued. There was a lot of conflicting information being put out by the White House--I would argue, intentionally--with different countries on different lists and inconsistent numbers that were confusing not only to the American people but to some of our allies across the world. These tariffs will not only cost hard-working families thousands of dollars each year, but they will undermine many of the relationships that America has built and strengthened for decades. The U.S. auto industry, they cannot afford the 25-percent tariff already in effect. In Detroit, MI, our proud ``Motor City,'' 900 autoworkers have been temporarily laid off as a direct response to these auto tariffs. When household costs skyrocket, it crushes entire families. Forget changing to generic brands and not going out to eat anymore; more families will be struggling to get food on the table, period. And because of the Trump administration cutting food programs--the U.S. Department of Agriculture and State food programs--there is less fresh and local food for families on the lunch trays of our students. This is also hurting farmers and ranchers all across America, constituents who have told me that they voted for this President and have now come to tell me this is not what they signed up for. Now, how does President Trump respond when families start to speak up about the rising cost of groceries? The President says he really doesn't care and he thinks the term ``groceries'' is old-fashioned. I don't know the last time that he went grocery shopping for himself. They are not old-fashioned. It just shows how disconnected he is. He doesn't get it, and I don't think he cares. To sum it up, groceries are a necessity. I just don't understand. Who is talking to this President? I hope someone gets his ear to help correct that approach to what families depend on every day. Now, my constituents living in rural parts of New Mexico depend on the local grocery store to have food stocked at prices that don't break the bank, if they can find them in rural America. Some folks in the country take it for granted that they have a Whole Foods or a Trader Joe's on every corner block, but countless Americans and New Mexicans need to drive more than 30 minutes--some, 60, 90, or 2 hours--in one direction to find the closest grocery store. When you are living in a food desert with nothing healthy to eat, what else are you going to get? Nominee after nominee that are now part of the Trump administration has asked me: Well, why do those folks that live out in the rural parts of New Mexico just eat Doritos or chips? What other stores are out there? Go out there and see for yourself. But when this administration and these Secretaries choose to cut the food programs that allow us to do something about these food deserts, to be able to get healthy food out there and support more local farmers and ranchers, they just cause more devastation. They are hurting families. And like I said earlier, I don't think they care. I don't think they know. And now, thanks to Republicans and this President, a lot of the things we are eating just to sustain ourselves are getting more and more expensive. Now, a little story about one of these nominees, who is now the Secretary of the Department of the Treasury: I had a conversation with Secretary Bessent in my office about tariffs, and I told him about New Mexico's incredible food culture and how we depend on specialty imported foods and crops and some of the things you might find at the local grocery store or even, if you are fortunate enough to go to one of the local restaurants, even one of the local food trucks. I told him about something called guacamole. Most people across the country know it is made out of avocados. That is one of the key ingredients. That is where the story begins. I told him people were already upset that they couldn't get avocados for some of their meals or some of the restaurants. Yesterday, the New Mexico Restaurant Association was in town, and two of the restaurants that were represented--I am telling you what--they are scrambling right now to be able to find the ingredients that are part of these old family recipes that have allowed their restaurants to be so successful. This is one of them. Now, the Secretary said that where he comes from that they grow a lot of peaches and maybe we should try that. I don't know about you, I have never made guacamole out of peaches. I don't think it is going to work. I congratulate this Secretary on his success. He is one of the wealthiest people in America. He probably gets subsidies from the U.S. Department of Agriculture for the farm that he has, even though he is one of the richest people in America. Talk about not getting it. Now, at a time when grocery prices are rising, Republicans are actively working to dismantle the programs that keep folks with maybe a meal on the table. As soon as tonight, during these late-night votes that we are going to have this evening, Senate Republicans will move legislation that proposes to cut up to $230 billion from Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Programs. Some people across America know this simply as SNAP, that acronym. One in four people in my State rely on this program, many are children. Think about food banks. Think about meal programs for schools. Think about meal programs for seniors. This comes on the back of President Trump and this administration firing the people that are delivering Meals on Wheels to seniors, some of which may not even be able to get out of their home, may not even be able to go to the grocery store to get a meal. This President saw fit to fire those people. Talk about a lack of respect and dignity. If $230 billion is cut from a program that feeds mostly kids and seniors, what does everyone think is going to happen all across America in all of our districts, in all of our States? I am not the only one that represents rural America. I am not the only person that represents families that have to drive hours in one direction just sometimes to get fuel or to find milk, if they can find it, or find a grocery store. I am not the only one. I know my colleagues know exactly what I am talking about because when I speak with them in private, they share similar stories with me. This is just about common sense. We have got to do better here. And then to boot, my Republican colleagues like to preach about fiscal responsibility. We all know across America that we need to get our fiscal house in order at the Federal level. We all know that we need to work toward those balanced budgets and that we need to find a way to get everything under control; lower our debt; lower those annual deficits. Part of the gimmick we are going to hear and see tonight is that my Republican colleagues are trying to convince the American people that this Trump tax scam--the same thing that happened in 2017 that they are trying to extend now--here is the secret: The program costs over $4 trillion. You heard it correct--$4 trillion. That is how much this thing costs. Everyone knows it, including my Republican colleagues. Why is it that my Republican colleagues are trying to tell the American people: Well, after tonight, it costs $0. Doesn't cost a penny. It is going to add $4 trillion, some argue even more, to our debt--to the annual deficit. If that is the case, then why don't our Republican colleagues just say: No more debt in America. That is gone too. No more annual deficits. That doesn't cost anything. It is nonsense. It is a lie. It is not true. Don't take my word for it. You are going to see it in the next few hours. You will see it on this floor. You already saw it in the House of Representatives where Speaker Johnson and House Republicans pushed this through. That is what this vote tonight is all about, everyone. If you have not figured it out, keep a close eye on this because we are trying to open up these curtains to let a bit of sunshine in so the American people can see what they are up to because what they are up to is not right. This is wrong. My Republican colleagues know better. My colleagues that once called themselves fiscal hawks, let's see if they have the courage to stand up tonight and stop this nonsense because there is many of us that want to work with you to get our fiscal house in order. There is little piece of policy that was instituted during a recent moment in history under former President Bill Clinton, and it was the legislative branch showing fiscal constraint. It was something called pay-go. It said, if you are going to pass a piece of legislation that cost a dollar, you either have to save a dollar in Federal spending or you have to create revenue, but you have to pay for it. That is how the American people live. If they spend a buck, they have got to pay for it. They have got to cut the budget or they have got to go get another job or try to find a way to get another dollar. Let's work together. But after tonight when my Republican colleagues move this nonsense forward, I don't want to hear one of them talking about fiscal constraint or fiscal responsibility because they are about to blow it out of the water. I hope they think about it. I am praying for you. I hope you take a moment and pray before you come to the floor and vote tonight. Now from the grocery stores to the doctor's office, the budget proposed by Senate Republicans will hurt families everywhere they turn. A mom from New Mexico told me that she is scared--scared that if congressional Republicans and President Trump rip Medicaid away, she will lose her son. Six-year-olds should be entering the first grade, outside playing, getting into good trouble, getting to know the neighborhood kids, even watching superhero movies, maybe even arguing with siblings about whose turn it is to do the dishes. Six-year-olds should not have to worry about whether or not they are going to get to see a doctor, where their next meal is going to come from, whether they are going to get the medicine they need to feel better so they can do all things that a normal 6-year-old and healthy 6-year-old can do. I know each of us has these stories. Whether you are a Member of the Senate or you are just tuning in or you are visiting with us today, you all have these stories. The Republican tax scam benefits the top 1 percent more than anyone else. Look at the actuary numbers. Look at the economists. Look at the facts around us. Don't fall for the nonsense that is coming from my colleagues who are trying to pull the wool over your eyes. Tell the truth to the American people. Now, if you make under $60,000 a year, you lose, plain and simple. It is not a fair system for Americans. Look, I want my friends across the country who have done well for themselves, who are so successful financially, that have made millions or tens of millions or hundreds of millions of dollars, I want them to do more and do better. I congratulate them. All I am saying is, I don't think they need a tax cut. How about we help the folks making less than $60,000 a year, $80,000 a year. I mean, heck, $400,000 a year. How about we agree with our Republican colleagues that let's put a cap there. A few weeks ago, there were votes on this floor that asked my Republican colleagues, Can we agree to put a cap at $10 million? They voted no. They said: OK. If that is not enough, how about a $100 million? Nope, they voted that one down. So one of my colleagues said: Well, how about $500 million? If someone is making $500 million a year, can we agree to put a cap there that says no one making more than $500 million a year gets a tax cut? Surprise. Surprise. They voted no. Even the leader asked my Republican colleagues: How about $1 billion? If 10 is not enough, 100 is not enough, 500 is not enough, how about $1 billion? If someone is doing so well in America that they make $1 billion a year, can we agree to put a cap there? They voted that down. Out of touch. Today, and all through the night, you will hear from a number of my colleagues, all representing different States across America, different people from all walks of life. They are standing alongside me to speak up about the harmful repercussions that this Republican budget will have and the damage that we are already seeing. I urge my fellow Americans: Pay attention. Get the facts. Demand that the people that ask for your vote to represent you, that they stop lying to you. Just tell the truth. My Republican colleagues won the election. I understand that. They have the majority votes in the Senate and in the House. They even control the White House. It is no secret that they want to devastate Medicaid and Medicare. But then my Republican colleagues say: No, no, no. We are not going to touch it. We are going to leave it up to the States while they take the Federal money away. Don't worry about Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Programs and those food programs that help food banks, that help schools. We are not taking the money. We are leaving it up to the States. But these votes are going to eliminate all those dollars so there can be another handout to the wealthiest people in America. That is what is at play. I know my constituents cannot afford to pay for another Trump tax scam. My constituents cannot afford to pay for this national sales tax that is coming our way because of the Trump tariffs. I urge my fellow Senators, listen to your constituents, be honest with them, understand what it is like to walk in their shoes. Let's work together. Let's find a way to get this done instead of ignoring the Parliamentarian, finding some accounting gimmick to get around this. Let's work together. Let's follow the rules. Let's listen to the American people. Let a little common sense come into our lives. Reflect, a little prayer is not going to hurt you, and do the right thing. I yield the floor.

Mr. LUJAN

Mr. LUJAN. When asked his opinion of Lincoln's performance, former slave and abolitionist Frederick Douglass replied: It was a sacred effort. Let me be the first to say this is a sacred effort, Senator Booker, and I am proud to stand alongside you. So, Senator Booker, the question that my constituents and I have for you is: Can the farmers and ranchers of America afford to pay for another Trump tax scam with all this nonsense that is going on? It is a question I get when I am at church--I will say not during church but after church is OK--or at the grocery store. But when I visit with folks back home, this is what they are asking me.

Mr. LUJAN. If they are going to vote to take these programs away-- they have the votes, my Republican colleagues--just be honest. Treat my constituents with respect and dignity so that they can plan, so that a single mom that has a child whose Medicaid may get ripped away but that child has cancer--how are they going to plan for care in 6 months? So that farmer who started planting seeds recently but was planning over a year on what to do, so they can find another customer so that they are not going to lose that farm as well. Now, before I ask you this question, sir, I want to end with this: Senator Booker, you often share a story of Abraham Lincoln's inaugural address, his second, and the man whose review mattered most to the 16th President of the United States.

Mr. LUJAN. What is not respectful is when the Trump administration gives them a few days' notice and pulls the rug from under them and cancels the program that is going to allow the food bank--their customer--to buy their food. What do those farmers have to do now across America? Now, it gets worse and worse. I won't go into all of it, Senator Booker, but here is one of the dirty little secrets: All of these programs that are being taken away from the American people, it is to find an extra dollar for this tax policy under Donald Trump that my constituents started calling back in 2017 the ``Trump tax scam.'' I asked: Well, why are you calling it that? They said: Well, everyone promised me--I am making less than the median income, making less than $80,000, which is a lot of money in New Mexico, across America. The median income there is a little lower. I was told that we were going to get the brunt of this tax cut, recognizing that we are hard-working and how hard it is to make ends meet, but that is not what happened. Most of this went to families and folks making over $2.8 million. I don't have anything against those families. I wish them well. I want them to make more--$10 million--next year. But they don't need a tax cut. That should be going to those hard-working families that were told that they were being prioritized. But they are the ones that told us--told me, anyway--that this was a Trump tax scam. That is the secret. That is where all this money is going. So, Senator Booker, whether I am in a grocery store and I am chatting with constituents, we are out there looking at egg prices, or whatever it may be, they are concerned about what is going on here. And all they are asking for me to share with my colleagues here is: Just tell them to tell us the truth.

Mr. LUJAN. There are food deserts everywhere, but we can do something about that. We have programs in place that recognize the importance of getting someone a meal who needs that meal, supporting our farmers out there to sow those seeds, to help them with their planting. But what I am seeing right now, Senator Booker, is our farmers have been on the receiving end of these Federal funds being taken away from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, these reckless tariffs that are hurting farmers and ranchers just as much as they are hurting anyone in America. Outbreaks, bird flu--people know what the cost of eggs is in the store right now. Then they look into what is going on now. There is this bird flu that is going around. My constituents ask: Well, why does the U.S. Department of Agriculture under Donald Trump fire the people, epidemiologists, that are responsible for containing this thing? It just doesn't make any sense to folks. I was in the Ag Committee earlier today, Senator Booker, and I was asking some questions to USDA, and I learned that on March 7, 2025, under the Trump administration, the U.S. Department of Agriculture terminated the local food in schools program and the Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement. And then they went further, and they also notified grant applicants on March 24 that the fiscal year 2025 competition for the Patrick Leahy Farm to School Grant Program is canceled. Why does this matter to farmers and ranchers and people back home? These programs allow food banks and schools and others to purchase food from our local farmers. Now, our local farmers aren't just making a decision on what seeds are going to be planted so they can sell the lettuce next week. They start this a year going back. So when the U.S. Department of Agriculture, a year ago, started talking to these farmers and ranchers about what programs were going to be in place and then these farmers, responsibly, went and found customers to sell their food--food banks, different groups around the country--they planned the rest of the year to be able to get that nutritious food into the bellies of people that need it most. That sounds like respect and dignity.

Mr. LUJAN. Senator Booker, thank you. I won't be surprised if Mom is watching right now. So you are probably going to get some messages from her. But I want to thank my friend and colleague from the great State of New Jersey. You have been holding this space for the American people now for well over 17 hours. While we represent different parts of the country, Senator Booker, we have the same values. I learned from you the importance of treating people with respect and dignity. That is what we should all be talking about here today--every day. I have also learned a lot about grace from you. Now, I come to the floor to ask you a question about farmers. You and I both appreciate the long hours that farmers put in to take care of that soil, their families, the planning that goes into this, sowing the seeds. Sometimes you have to do a little weeding to make sure that we are going to all benefit from the fruits of their labor. Having fresh food in a grocery store is not something that can be taken for granted. And for a lot of our constituents--I have had these conversations with nominees who have come before us, when they ask me: Well, why is someone just eating potato chips or Doritos from that local store? I will educate them by saying: That is the only store around.

Mr. LUJAN. Will the Senator yield for a question?