Kelly Loeffler

Mrs. LOEFFLER

Mrs. LOEFFLER. Mr. President, it has been the honor of my lifetime to serve Georgia in the U.S. Senate. There has never been a day that I don't walk through the hallways of the Capitol when I am not awestruck by the magnitude of this job and of this place and of my duty. I want to thank my colleagues, especially those who welcomed me from the start, who worked with me, and who even across the aisle worked with me to get things done for our country in such a consequential year. I want to thank the people of Georgia who showed me the very best of our great State. My goal as Senator was clear: to work every single day to make Georgians' lives better and to make ours the very best State to work, to live, to worship, and to raise a family. I never stopped working to meet that goal and was energized and humbled every single day by the opportunity to serve. In between weeks spent in Washington, I crisscrossed our great State nonstop, going from southeast coastal Georgia in Camden County to northwest mountain Georgia in Catoosa County. Time with Georgians are my fondest memories. One of my earliest visits was in Homerville, GA, population 2,400. I carried the people of Homerville with me every day as I approached my work. Having grown up on our family farm, where the nearest small town had a population of 600, my calling to public service was, in large part, to be a voice--an outsized voice--for those who feel they didn't have a voice in Washington. Many Georgians inspired me each day to bring results to every corner of our State. In that spirit, I want to thank Governor Kemp for appointing me and entrusting me with the important work of being a voice for our State and a servant to our citizens. I was proud to serve alongside my friend and colleague Senator David Perdue. I want to recognize Senator Johnny Isakson and Senator Saxby Chambliss for their shining example of what it meant to be a Senator, and, most importantly, a public servant. I also want to recognize and thank my incredible husband, Jeff, whose love and support encouraged me every single day. And I want to thank my family for instilling the values of faith, family, and hard work. You all have my deepest love and gratitude. As importantly, I want to recognize my very talented and hard-working staff, many of whom are with me today. Together, our work here and in Georgia has made a tremendous difference in our State. Let me tell you about just some of that work, because in one significant year in the Senate, I am so proud of all we have accomplished together. We delivered more than $47 billion in relief to Georgia during the pandemic--to farmers, to family, to small businesses, hospitals, and schools. And, as a freshman Senator, I introduced and passed six pieces of legislation. We secured funding for rural hospitals. We increased telehealth access, and we sped the delivery of PPE to the frontlines. I championed and we passed legislation that increased funding to help homeless veterans get back on their feet, and I was proud to champion agriculture, our State's leading industry, as well as our military, law enforcement, small businesses, and school choice. I stood up for innocent life, the Second Amendment, and all of our constitutional rights. I was able to use my business experience to develop four wide-ranging plans to drive economic security, keep our Nation safe, modernize our healthcare system, and increase opportunities in minority communities. In 2020 alone, our office helped over 5,200 Georgians with casework, including nearly 1,000 Georgia veterans and Active-Duty service men and women navigate their VA benefits in VA medical centers. I am incredibly proud of all the work we accomplished together for our State and for our country. There is much more work to do. I had hoped to pass a piece of my legislation to bring back to the United States from China the manufacturing of our critical medical supplies, including prescription drugs, over-the-counter medicine, and medical equipment. I want to wish my successor well in his work serving Georgia. Now, most farewell speeches urge colleagues to put country before party or to fix what is broken here in the Senate. My message is slightly different. In all of the events of recent weeks, I want to urge my colleagues to remember why we are here, whom you serve, and to recall the greatness of the American experiment, as well as the fragile nature of our freedoms. I spent 30 years in the private sector chasing the American dream. I worked on our family's farm. I waitressed. I lived paycheck to paycheck. I moved around the country and worked hard to overcome setbacks and to build a respected career in business. I came to Georgia two decades ago as a job seeker, and I became a job creator, helping to grow a small startup company into a Fortune 500 company. And, like many Georgians, part of that work is giving back in our communities and supporting others in achieving their dreams. I have done that now in business, in philanthropy, in sports, and now in public service. That is the American dream. It gives everyone, regardless of their background, the freedom to make the most of their life, chase their passions, build their family and their career, and thrive in the greatest country in the world. Protecting that dream for all Americans should be our common cause, regardless of political party. As I served over the last year, it has become clear that we need more outsiders, more business people, and fewer--with all due respect--fewer politicians. Americans have high expectations for us. They are looking for leadership. They want results, and, right now, they want their lives back. They are looking for us to restore America and protect their dreams, not to take advantage of a crisis and expand the government. They certainly don't want their way of life overwhelmed by radical change and costly policies that will push them out of their job, limit their children's educational opportunities, and threaten their right to worship and speak freely. At the same time, while those on the left feign a desire for unity, they say they cannot tolerate it without accountability. In essence, there can be no unity without conforming to their views. Disagree, and you will be canceled, and not just your social media account but your job, your family, your educational opportunities, and even your God- given rights. Only those who meet the ideological purity test can claim moral superiority and maintain their voice. Over the last year, I experienced this firsthand many times. Yes, I have been a proud champion of conservative values, but I always put Georgia first ahead of politics. As the pandemic began to unfold, I worked around the clock to deliver relief across Georgia, yet the mainstream media, including my own hometown newspaper, flooded its pages not with serious coverage of my relief efforts but with completely false stories about stock trades fabricated by a leftwing blog. When this political attack was thoroughly debunked, that fact was largely omitted from subsequent coverage to fit their narrative. The truth is, the mainstream media and Big Tech increasingly care only about advancing their political ideology and protecting only the speech that fits into their specific narrative. The double standards, disdain, and contempt that elites and institutions of influence have for conservatives is increasingly being revealed. For the sake of our discourse, this cannot continue. As a starting point, we must hold accountable those who limit our free speech and the loss of our civil discourse in this country. The American people are alarmed by the effort to censor conservative voices. We are witnessing a constitutional crisis that threatens to erode the First Amendment and silence people across our country. As a Republican and a conservative American who still believes in the Constitution and the core principles on which our country was founded, I refuse to be intimidated by the cancel culture and its dangerous narratives. However, not every American feels free to speak up. Their voices are being lost. This is why this Senate is so important. For 230 years, the U.S. Senate has been the central venue for voicing dissenting views, and it has celebrated the deliberation of issues confronting our Nation. You must be the voice for those who can't use theirs. Now is the time. The urgency weighs on our country. If we are serious about uniting, it must be out of respect for diversity, not despite it. Diversity of belief is not monolithic. In 1964, a future President Ronald Reagan spoke to his fellow Americans saying: You and I have a rendezvous with destiny. We will preserve for our children this, the last best hope of man on earth, or we will sentence them to take the first step into a thousand years of darkness. These sage words echo today. These words are timeless. To my colleagues in the Senate, I urge you to address the dire threats to our First Amendment rights in order to restore every American's faith in our democracy and to help restore our trust in each other. It is the only way to ensure that America, the world's shining city on the hill, a republic admired for centuries, can endure for future generations. I encourage each of you to uphold our uniquely American values and preserve the American dream, and I will continue to champion our party's values from whatever position I occupy. America depends on it. Americans are counting on us to be their voice. For a shy farm girl who was the first in her family to graduate from college, who could never have imagined that one day I would serve as the U.S. Senator from the great State of Georgia, thank you all. It has been my deepest honor. May God bless you, and may God bless the United States of America. I yield the floor. (Applause.)

Mrs. LOEFFLER

Mrs. LOEFFLER. Mr. President, when I arrived in Washington this morning, I fully intended to object to the certification of the electoral votes. However, the events that have transpired today have forced me to reconsider, and I cannot now, in good conscience, object to the certification of these electors. The violence, the lawlessness, and siege of the Halls of Congress are abhorrent and stand as a direct attack on the very institution my objection was intended to protect: the sanctity of the American democratic process. And I thank law enforcement for keeping us safe. I believe that there were last-minute changes to the November 2020 election process and serious irregularities that resulted in too many Americans losing confidence not only in the integrity of our elections but in the power of the ballot as a tool of democracy. Too many Americans are frustrated at what they see as an unfair system. Nevertheless, there is no excuse for the events that took place in these Chambers today, and I pray that America never suffers such a dark day again. Though the fate of this vote is clear, the future of the American people's faith in the core institution of this democracy remains uncertain. We as a body must turn our focus to protecting the integrity of our elections and restoring every American's faith that their voice and their vote matter. America is a divided country with serious differences, but it is still the greatest country on Earth. There can be no disagreement that upholding democracy is the only path to preserving our Republic. I yield the floor. (Applause.)

Mrs. LOEFFLER

Mrs. LOEFFLER. No, I really don't.

Mrs. LOEFFLER. Mr. President, I will yield the floor to my colleague from Wyoming.

Mrs. LOEFFLER. No, that is not correct.

Mrs. LOEFFLER. The President is the President for 4 years--for a full 4-year term--and we will carry out our Constitutional duty.

Mrs. LOEFFLER. Thank you for the question. There have been 29 such cases. When, in fact, the executive branch and the Senate are controlled by the same party, the nomination proceeds, and that is the case that we are now in, and we will proceed with the vote and the nomination.

Mrs. LOEFFLER. Sure.

Mrs. LOEFFLER. Mr. President, as the first U.S. Senator to call for the nomination and confirmation to fill Justice Ginsburg's seat before the November 3 election, I am proud to support Judge Amy Coney Barrett as President Trump's nominee for Associate Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court, but I am not the only one who is proud. Two weeks ago I joined Concerned Women for America in Marietta, GA, to kick off their nationwide bus tour in support of Judge Barrett's confirmation. Dozens attended, including men and women from every walk of life--families, business owners, policymakers, faith leaders, and students. Judge Barrett has inspired millions of us across our country. She has reached the pinnacle of her profession, while upholding her Christian faith and values. She is a wife and a mother of seven children. She will become the first woman to serve on the Supreme Court with school- aged children. Now the majority of Americans in the most recent Gallup poll agree we should vote to confirm her. As I have traveled around the Peach State, the enthusiasm and admiration I hear from Georgians is very clear. President Trump established a group of highly qualified candidates for the bench. He was transparent and well prepared for the moment. It is clear that he could not have made a better nomination. Judge Barrett is a woman of remarkable intellect and character, with the judicial philosophy of originalism, and, as a textualist, she understands and respects the Court's role to interpret the law as written. As such, I believe Judge Barrett will uphold the Constitution in protecting our God-given rights, including the right to life, the Second Amendment, free speech, and religious liberty. The need for judges who will uphold the intent of the Framers is especially clear when the left is showing their disregard for our Constitution. Democrats are attempting to change article I and trying to federalize the election system through the creation of a national universal ballot system, and Nancy Pelosi has attempted to politicize and weaponize the 25th Amendment in another desperate move to form a committee to remove an elected President. That is why I introduced a resolution condemning the Speaker for her political gains in the middle of an election while refusing to support relief for hard-working families impacted by this pandemic. Now, Big Tech is aggressively limiting the First Amendment right to free speech and free press. Created before the existence of the very companies that are silencing conservatives, the 1996 Communications Decency Act's section 230 provision no longer suits our country's needs. Last week, Justice Clarence Thomas called on Congress to update these laws to ``make them more appropriate for an Internet-driven society.'' In the Senate I am leading the charge to modernize the law to suit the reality of the digital marketplace of ideas by introducing the Stopping Big Tech's Censorship Act in June to give all Americans a process to bring claims against companies when they remove or limit constitutionally protected free speech. Today I introduced a bill to eliminate ambiguous language in section 230 and to codify the more concrete terms recommended by the Department of Justice. In Congress we must act to hold Big Tech accountable, but we also must have strong judges in our courts who will uphold the Constitutional rights of all Americans. That is why it is concerning that Democrats are fighting so hard to oppose an eminently qualified nominee. As retaliation, they have threatened to pack the Court if we follow clear precedent in filling this seat, attempting to constrain our well designed system of checks and balances. Unable to criticize Judge Barrett's sterling credentials, Democrats have resorted to scare tactics, claiming she will take away healthcare coverage or advance her own policy views. At her confirmation hearing, Judge Barrett put those leftwing talking points to rest, saying: ``It is never appropriate for a judge to impose that judge's personal convictions, whether they derive from faith or anywhere else, on the law.'' These accusations make clear that there is little Democrats fear more than strong, conservative women. I know firsthand what it is like to step into public service and then be attacked by the left and the fake news. There is a playbook for trying to stop conservative women and their place in public service. Nonetheless, Judge Barrett has been the definition of grace under pressure. At her confirmation hearing, Senator Graham asked why she decided to put her family in the spotlight and accept the President's request to serve. She said, abridged: We knew that our lives would be combed over for any negative detail. . . . our faith would be caricatured. . . . the benefit . . . is that I'm committed to the rule of law . . . and dispensing equal justice for all. Judge Barrett's commitment to the rule of law and equal justice are clear from her writings, decisions, and testimony. In fact, on the Seventh Circuit, 95 percent of her adjudicated cases were unanimously decided. I am so grateful that Judge Barrett has accepted the call to serve our country. President Trump could not have chosen a more qualified, impressive jurist than Judge Barrett, and I will be honored to vote to confirm her as the next U.S. Supreme Court Justice.

Mrs. LOEFFLER

Mrs. LOEFFLER. Madam President, Mrs. Kelly Loeffler, of Georgia, rejects the assertion by Mr. Chuck Schumer, of New York, that there is no precedent for a Supreme Court justice being confirmed after July 1 in a Presidential election year. In fact on three separate occasions, a duly-elected President appointed and the Senate confirmed a Supreme Court justice in a Presidential election year: John Hessin Clarke: confirmed by the Senate on July 24, 1916; George Shiras, Jr.: confirmed by the Senate on July 26, 1892; and Melville Fuller: confirmed by the Senate on July 20, 1888. The Constitution does not limit the President's nomination powers during the fourth year of his term. I support President Donald J. Trump's decision to nominate a justice to the Supreme Court who will uphold the rule of law and the Constitution as written. I look forward to performing my constitutional duty to advise and consent on his nominee before November 3, 2020.

Mrs. LOEFFLER

Mrs. LOEFFLER. Mr. President, instead of passing a resolution meant to politicize our military, I am offering my own resolution to honor the service and the sacrifice of the members of the U.S. Armed Forces, veterans, prisoners of war, and Gold Star families. My resolution also recognizes President Trump's strong record of supporting our troops, taking care of our veterans, defending the American people from foreign threats. President Trump and I have and always will honor the service and sacrifice of our brave men and women in uniform. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that, as if in legislative session, the Senate proceed to the consideration of my resolution at the desk. I further ask that the resolution be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, and that the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table with no intervening action or debate.

Mrs. LOEFFLER. Thank you, Senator Duckworth, for your service and your sacrifice. We share the goal of supporting our military and our veterans. However, the left's latest outrage against President Trump is, as usual, baseless. Here is the truth: The Atlantic article is just one in a long line of lies and political attacks against President Trump by unaccountable, fake news outlets and the so-called anonymous sources. Here is another truth, one that will not be covered by the fake news: No one has done more to support our men and women in uniform, including our veterans, and more to restore peace and prosperity for all Americans than President Donald J. Trump. Let me share the facts with some of my colleagues and the media, which they refuse to acknowledge. This President has championed a historic investment of $2.2 trillion into our military, a 3 percent pay raise for troops--the largest in a decade. He has personally thanked our troops on the ground in Iraq, Afghanistan, South Korea, and Germany. He has spent countless hours honoring our wounded warriors at Walter Reed Medical Center and honoring our fallen servicemembers killed in action at Dover Air Force Base. He confirmed plans to withdraw troops from Iraq and Afghanistan, honoring his commitment to end endless wars. Finally, today, he was nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize for his leadership in facilitating the Israel-UAE peace deal, a historic step toward a safer world for all. I am proud to defend President Trump against another desperate political attack. I proudly stand with him in support of our military and our veterans. This Atlantic hit piece is the antithesis of honest journalism. More than two dozen former and current administration officials have rebutted these false claims on the record. In fact, the liberal activist author, who has a history of using sources that are shaky at best, admitted that his reliance on anonymous sources was not good enough. What is not good enough is the media's treatment of this President and his clear track record of support of our military and their families. Last week, I was at Fort Gordon and Fort Stewart in Georgia, visiting our Active-Duty members. I saw firsthand the opportunities our military leaders now have to grow our safety and security on all fronts, from combating terrorism to making sure our cyber domain is safer. There was a renewed sense of optimism that should bring all Americans comfort. This is a direct result of the President's work that he is doing every single day for our men and women in uniform. They are fighting every single day to protect us, and he is fighting every single day to have their back. Here is the truth: President Trump has delivered on his promises to rebuild our military, to respect our veterans, and to keep our country safe. It is time to stop playing politics with our national security and those who provide it. For these reasons, I object.

Mrs. LOEFFLER. Reserving the right to object.

Mrs. LOEFFLER

Mrs. LOEFFLER. Madam President, I come to the floor today to ask the Senate to pass a resolution honoring the 50th anniversary of the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center--known as FLETC--that is headquartered in my home State of Georgia. This is the center that trains Federal law enforcement officers whom President Trump has directed to help restore law and order in communities across our country faced with dramatic increases in violence. As part of Operation Legend, the FBI, ATF, DEA, U.S. Marshals Service, and Homeland Security have been deployed to Kansas City, Chicago, Albuquerque, and Detroit to reduce alarming and rising levels of violent crime across America. Sadly, our brave women and men of law enforcement are under attack. Rioters have physically assaulted law enforcement--throwing rocks at them and more, causing countless injuries. It is clear that the recent surge in violence has been driven in part by a lack of leadership from leftwing politicians who refuse to prosecute crime and who endorse defunding the police. They are clearly intent on politicizing and demonizing our law enforcement. Today, I am asking the Senate to recognize the critical centers that train these dedicated officers. For half a century, FLETC has trained the next generation of highly qualified law enforcement. Headquartered at the former Glynco Naval Air Station in Georgia, FLETC has been instrumental in getting violent criminals off the streets and protecting our communities for five decades. Every year, FLETC trains nearly 70,000 officers from 95 Federal law enforcement agencies, as well as State, local, and Tribal law enforcement agencies. This includes agents from FBI, DEA, ATF, Customs and Border Protection agencies, and others. It includes the Secret Service, Park Police, and U.S. Capitol police officers who keep all of us here safe every day. In Georgia, FLETC is a cornerstone of our coastal community where agents train in a mock town complete with banks, shops, and hotels to mimic real-world scenarios. There are other programs in cyber terrorism, active shooter threats, and financial forensics. FLETC Director Thomas Walters recently said: ``FLETC is the only institution in the U.S. that has the capability and capacity to train the new Federal officers that will replace thousands of officers that retire from Federal law enforcement in a typical year.'' At a time when law enforcement is under more scrutiny, more pressure than ever, it is important that we take this opportunity to recognize the hard work that goes into training and preparing our Federal law enforcement officers, particularly in my home State of Georgia. Madam President, as in legislative session, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the consideration of S. Res. 668, submitted earlier today.

Mrs. LOEFFLER. I ask unanimous consent that the resolution be agreed to, that the preamble be agreed to, and that the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table with no intervening action or debate.

Mrs. LOEFFLER

Mrs. LOEFFLER. Madam President, I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mrs. LOEFFLER

Mrs. LOEFFLER. I ask unanimous consent that the resolution be agreed to; that the preamble be agreed to; and that the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table with no intervening action or debate.

Mrs. LOEFFLER. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the consideration of S. Res. 654, submitted earlier today.

Mrs. LOEFFLER

Mrs. LOEFFLER. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on the Judiciary be discharged from further consideration of S. 3989 and that the Senate proceed to its immediate consideration.

Mrs. LOEFFLER. I ask unanimous consent that the bill be considered read a third time and passed and that the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table.

Mrs. LOEFFLER

Mrs. LOEFFLER. Mr. President, this spring, 14-year-old Janina Valenzuela was riding a bike with a friend in Marietta, GA, when she was killed as part of an initiation into an MS-13 gang. In 2016, Christopher Dean was brutally murdered by gang members in Atlanta. The D.A. called it ``the most horrific death'' in recent history. His murder left two children without a father. In 2010, 11-year-old Nicholas Sheffey was shot and killed sleeping in his bed during a drive-by shooting in Chamblee, GA. These are just three of the too many lives that have been lost, tragically cut short due to senseless gang violence. In Georgia, there are over 71,000 known gang members representing a variety of gangs, including the Ghostface Gangsters, an all-White gang in Georgia; the Gangster Disciples, which formed in Chicago and quickly spread to Georgia; and the Aryan Brotherhood, a White supremacy gang. Nationwide, there are more than 1.4 million members and 33,000 gangs across the U.S. According to the most recent National Gang Report, half of law enforcement officials reported that gang-related violence has increased in each of their jurisdictions. Thankfully, President Trump and Georgia leaders have taken strong action to address the rising tide of gang violence and to end the cycles of violence that they cause. For the first time ever, the Department of Justice has brought terrorism charges against a member of the MS-13 gang, taking action against their leader and 21 other gang members. Under the leadership of Georgia Governor Brian Kemp and Attorney General Chris Carr, my home State of Georgia has led the way on confronting gang violence, passing legislation that gives prosecutors the tools they need to disrupt and dismantle these terrible gang networks. Today, I am introducing the Cracking Down on Gangs and Deporting Criminals Act to apply Georgia's anti-gang, pro-community measures across our country. This legislation, based on the Georgia law that Attorney General Carr has called ``one of the strongest statutes in the Nation,'' aims to deter and punish criminals who set out to destroy lives and communities. This includes violent crimes like the murders of Janina, Christopher, and Nicholas. In addition to violence, gangs run elaborate drug operations. One recent bust in Pickens County last month resulted in the arrest of nearly 50 individuals. Law enforcement confiscated nearly $2 million worth of methamphetamine from a drug ring run by three gangs. They deal in the abhorrent world of human trafficking. A study in San Diego County found that an astounding 85 percent of those involved in human trafficking were actively involved in gangs. Current Federal gang statute has three strict criteria that are difficult for prosecutors to meet in order to hold someone accountable for their participation in a street gang. The legislation I am introducing today will make it easier for Federal prosecutors to seek harsh sentences for gang activity. It will facilitate the removal of criminal gang members who are in our country illegally, and it would create a national gang database, making it easier to eradicate these gang networks. We need to take action now to take violent gang members off of our streets. Across the country, violence is skyrocketing in our cities, while radicals call to defund and abolish the police. The troubling decline in support for law enforcement, coupled with the effects of the pandemic and recent unrest, threatens the further spread of gang violence across communities in America. The Cracking Down on Gangs and Deporting Criminals Act will help keep our communities safe and support law enforcement in their work to root out gang activity. No family should have to go through what Janina, Christopher, and Nicholas did. Parents should be able to send their children outdoors and off to school without worrying that they won't make it home, and children shouldn't fear that their parents won't return home. It is time that we hold gang members accountable for their vile and evil actions and keep the American public safe

Mrs. LOEFFLER

Mrs. LOEFFLER. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that, at 12:10 p.m. tomorrow, all debate time with respect to the Sanders amendment No. 1788 and the Tester amendment No. 1972, as modified, expire and the Senate vote in relation to those amendments, in that order, with all other provisions under the order of July 2 remaining in effect with respect to these amendments; finally, that the time from 11:20 a.m. until 12:10 p.m. be under the control of Senator Sanders and that 10 minutes be under the control of Senator Sullivan prior to the votes in this series.

Mrs. LOEFFLER

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

Mrs. LOEFFLER

Mrs. LOEFFLER. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today, it adjourn until 10 a.m., Wednesday, July 22; further, that following the prayer and pledge, the morning hour be deemed expired, the Journal of proceedings be approved to date, the time for the two leaders be reserved for their use later in the day, and that morning business be closed; finally, that following leader remarks, the Senate resume consideration of Calendar No. 483, S. 4049, under the previous order.

Mrs. LOEFFLER

Mrs. LOEFFLER. Mr. President, this spring, 14-year-old Janina Valenzuela was riding a bike with a friend in Marietta, GA, when she was killed as part of an initiation into an MS-13 gang. In 2016, Christopher Dean was brutally murdered by gang members in Atlanta. The D.A. called it ``the most horrific death'' in recent history. His murder left two children without a father. In 2010, 11-year-old Nicholas Sheffey was shot and killed sleeping in his bed during a drive-by shooting in Chamblee, GA. These are just three of the too many lives that have been lost, tragically cut short due to senseless gang violence. In Georgia, there are over 71,000 known gang members representing a variety of gangs, including the Ghostface Gangsters, an all-White gang in Georgia; the Gangster Disciples, which formed in Chicago and quickly spread to Georgia; and the Aryan Brotherhood, a White supremacy gang. Nationwide, there are more than 1.4 million members and 33,000 gangs across the U.S. According to the most recent National Gang Report, half of law enforcement officials reported that gang-related violence has increased in each of their jurisdictions. Thankfully, President Trump and Georgia leaders have taken strong action to address the rising tide of gang violence and to end the cycles of violence that they cause. For the first time ever, the Department of Justice has brought terrorism charges against a member of the MS-13 gang, taking action against their leader and 21 other gang members. Under the leadership of Georgia Governor Brian Kemp and Attorney General Chris Carr, my home State of Georgia has led the way on confronting gang violence, passing legislation that gives prosecutors the tools they need to disrupt and dismantle these terrible gang networks. Today, I am introducing the Cracking Down on Gangs and Deporting Criminals Act to apply Georgia's anti-gang, pro-community measures across our country. This legislation, based on the Georgia law that Attorney General Carr has called ``one of the strongest statutes in the Nation,'' aims to deter and punish criminals who set out to destroy lives and communities. This includes violent crimes like the murders of Janina, Christopher, and Nicholas. In addition to violence, gangs run elaborate drug operations. One recent bust in Pickens County last month resulted in the arrest of nearly 50 individuals. Law enforcement confiscated nearly $2 million worth of methamphetamine from a drug ring run by three gangs. They deal in the abhorrent world of human trafficking. A study in San Diego County found that an astounding 85 percent of those involved in human trafficking were actively involved in gangs. Current Federal gang statute has three strict criteria that are difficult for prosecutors to meet in order to hold someone accountable for their participation in a street gang. The legislation I am introducing today will make it easier for Federal prosecutors to seek harsh sentences for gang activity. It will facilitate the removal of criminal gang members who are in our country illegally, and it would create a national gang database, making it easier to eradicate these gang networks. We need to take action now to take violent gang members off of our streets. Across the country, violence is skyrocketing in our cities, while radicals call to defund and abolish the police. The troubling decline in support for law enforcement, coupled with the effects of the pandemic and recent unrest, threatens the further spread of gang violence across communities in America. The Cracking Down on Gangs and Deporting Criminals Act will help keep our communities safe and support law enforcement in their work to root out gang activity. No family should have to go through what Janina, Christopher, and Nicholas did. Parents should be able to send their children outdoors and off to school without worrying that they won't make it home, and children shouldn't fear that their parents won't return home. It is time that we hold gang members accountable for their vile and evil actions and keep the American public safe