Jerry Moran

Mr. MORAN

Mr. MORAN. Mr. President, this evening, I want to recognize the upcoming anniversary of an important day in our Nation's history and in our military history. September 9 marks the beginning of the Italian campaign of World War II in 1943, a campaign that was only successful because of the courage and sacrifice of hundreds of thousands of U.S. and Allied soldiers. I am introducing a resolution to establish September 9 as the National World War II Italian Campaign Remembrance Day to commemorate their valor and ensure their legacy endures for generations to come. Eighty-two years ago, Allied forces launched Operation Avalanche, marking the start of the liberation of the Italian Peninsula from fascist Nazi occupation. This military campaign was a testament to the unyielding resolve of U.S. forces and the strength of our foreign military alliances, united by a shared commitment to democratic ideals and the fight against fascism. The Italian campaign was not just a series of joint and allied military operations; it was a stand against despotism and a defense of the freedoms we value--an important moment in our Nation's and, in fact, in our world's history. The Italian campaign was fought across treacherous terrain, from the shores of North Africa to the waters of Sicily, along the rugged Amalfi Coast, which ultimately led to the liberation of Rome--the first major European city liberated during World War II. U.S. forces, alongside brave and committed global Allied forces from over 10 nations, including Italian resistance brigades, faced grueling conditions, fierce combat, and severe materiel constraints. Battles such as Monte Cassino and Anzio stand as two of the most intense of the war, costing countless lives. Today, fewer than half a percent of the more than 16 million Americans who served in World War II are still living today. The veterans of the Italian campaign, including my father SSG Raymond Moran of the 603rd Armament Maintenance Battalion are dwindling in number. My father dedicated 2 years of his life to the liberation of Italy, repairing rifles and other small arms weapons under the regular threat of attack to make certain U.S. forces were equipped to win. I am joined in this resolution by my colleague from Florida Senator Rick Scott, whose father also served in this campaign, in recognizing the personal and collective sacrifices of these heroes. The Italian campaign spanned 602 days, culminating in the surrender at Caserta, just north of Naples, on April 29, 1945, when nearly 1 million Axis troops capitulated--the largest surrender of German forces at that point in the war. The following day, Adolf Hitler's death marked the collapse of the Nazi regime--a turning point made possible by the military operations comprising the Italian campaign. This resolution acknowledges the tremendous and significant cost of the Italian campaign, with hundreds of thousands of U.S. and Allied casualties, many of whom rest in the serene and pristine American cemeteries across Italy. Our resolution reaffirms that the victory was driven by an unwavering force of will, ironclad military alliances, and the enduring power of democratic values and principles that remain vital in today's global conflicts. I hope my colleagues in the Senate will join me in honoring the memory of those who fought and died in the Italian campaign, to salute the surviving veterans, and to recognize the families who carry on their legacy. Let us designate September 9 as ``National World War II Italian Campaign Remembrance Day'' to ensure their sacrifices are not forgotten and are memorialized here on the floor of the U.S. Senate. I yield the floor.

Mr. MORAN

Mr. MORAN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on the Judiciary be discharged from further consideration and the Senate now proceed to S. Res. 371.

Mr. MORAN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the resolution be agreed to; that the Klobuchar amendment to the preamble at the desk be agreed to; that the preamble, as amended, be agreed to; and that the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table.

Mr. MORAN

Mr. MORAN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs be discharged from further consideration of H.R. 452 and the Senate proceed to its immediate consideration.

Mr. MORAN. Mr. President, based upon that, I ask unanimous consent that the Cramer substitute amendment at the desk be considered and agreed to;

Mr. MORAN

Mr. MORAN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today, it stand adjourned until 10 a.m. on Tuesday, September 9; that following the prayer and pledge, the Journal of proceedings be approved to date, the morning hour be deemed expired, the time for the two leaders be reserved for their use later in the day, morning business be closed, and the Senate proceed to executive session to resume consideration of Calendar No. 262, Maria Lanahan, and notwithstanding rule XXII, at 11:45 a.m., the Senate execute the order of September 3 with respect to the Lanahan nomination; further, following the cloture vote on Calendar No. 269, Robert Law, the Senate recess until 2:15 p.m. to allow for the weekly conference meetings, and at 2:15 p.m., the Senate vote on confirmation of the Law nomination followed by cloture on Calendar No. 293, Kyle Dudek; and, finally, if any nominations are confirmed during Tuesday's session of the Senate, the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table and the President be immediately notified of the Senate's action.

Mr. MORAN

Mr. MORAN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to vitiate the order with respect to the 10 U.S. attorneys agreed to just moments ago.

Mr. MORAN

Mr. MORAN. Mr. President, as if in executive session, I ask unanimous consent that the following nominations be returned to committee: Calendar Nos. 176, 183, 257, 258, 316, 317, 318, 319, 320, and 321.

Mr. MORAN

Mr. MORAN. Mr. President, as if in executive session, I ask consent to move to proceed to Executive Calendar No. 321, and I make a point of order that the nomination was not properly reported.

Mr. MORAN. For the information of all Senators, there are two votes at 11:45 a.m., two votes at 2:15 p.m., and further votes are expected later in the day.

Mr. MORAN

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

Mr. MORAN

Mr. MORAN. Mr. President, as if in executive session, I ask consent to move to proceed to Executive Calendar No. 183, and I make a point of order that the nomination was not properly reported.

Mr. MORAN

Mr. MORAN. Mr. President, as if in executive session, I ask consent to move to proceed to Executive Calendar No. 257, and I make a point of order that the nomination was not properly reported.

Mr. MORAN

Mr. MORAN. Mr. President, as if in executive session, I ask consent to move to proceed to Executive Calendar No. 258, and I make a point of order that the nomination was not properly reported.

Mr. MORAN

Mr. MORAN. Mr. President, as if in executive session, I ask consent to move to proceed to Executive Calendar No. 316, and I make a point of order that the nomination was not properly reported.

Mr. MORAN

Mr. MORAN. Again, Mr. President, as if in executive session, I ask consent to move to proceed to Executive Calendar No. 317, and I make a point of order that the nomination was not properly reported.

Mr. MORAN

Mr. MORAN. Mr. President, as if in executive session, I ask consent to move to proceed to Executive Calendar No. 318, and I make a point of order that the nomination was not properly reported.

Mr. MORAN

Mr. MORAN. Mr. President, as if in executive session, I ask consent to move to proceed to Executive Calendar No. 319, and I make a point of order that the nomination was not properly reported.

Mr. MORAN

Mr. MORAN. Mr. President, as if in executive session, I ask consent to move to proceed to Executive Calendar No. 320, and I make a point of order that the nomination was not properly reported.

Mr. MORAN

Mr. MORAN. Mr. President, as if in executive session, I ask consent to move to proceed to Executive Calendar No. 176 and make a point of order that the nomination was not properly reported.

Mr. MORAN

Mr. MORAN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that all postcloture time be expired.

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

Mr. MORAN

Mr. MORAN. Mr. President, today I would like to congratulate the Hutchinson Monarchs baseball team on an impressive season and their 2025 National Baseball Congress--NBC--World Series victory. Established in 2009, the Monarchs are a summer collegiate team comprised of current college baseball players. These young men dedicated their summer to improving their skills and playing the sport they all love. While many of the players on the roster are Kansans or attend a Kansas college, some players came from other States like California, Louisiana, Arkansas, and Texas. They live with a host family in Hutchinson, so they could be part of the Monarchs team. Each of these players displayed outstanding commitment to the team, and their hard work paid off. The championship game's final score of 21-4 underscores the impressive nature of the win. This championship is particularly meaningful because it is the second time in 3 years that the Hutchinson Monarchs have achieved victory as NBC World Series champions. The Monarchs' championship game also set a record, marking the most single-game runs in the team's history. Players showed up and performed tremendously. Maize native Jaden Gustafson started the team off strong in the first inning with a 2-RBI single; pitcher Pryce Bender threw a no-hitter through four frames; and Andale native Drew Bugner hit one down the line as two runs scored on the double. Each player gave their all on the field, and together, they claimed victory. Of course, the team would not have achieved victory without the outstanding leadership from their coaches Casey Lippoldt and Ryan Stoecklein. Thank you, Casey and Ryan, for giving your time and commitment to the Monarchs and helping lead them to the championship. I would also like to thank the host families and members of the Hutchinson community who supported the Monarchs this season. Thank you for opening your homes, preparing meals, and most importantly, showing up to the games to cheer the team on. I know that the players valued every single person who invested in them this summer as they strived to excel during each game. Winning a World Series victory is no easy feat. This achievement takes countless hours of hard work, sacrifice, and dedication. With this victory, the team of the Hutchinson Monarchs has made our entire State proud. Congratulations again to the Monarchs, the 2025 NBC World Series champions.

Mr. MORAN

Mr. MORAN. Mr. President, I want to highlight one of my members, a former member of my staff, Mark Crowley. For the past 8 years, I have benefited from the service, the hard work, and the loyalty of my legislative director, Mark Crowley. After 12 years of working here on Capitol Hill, Mark is leaving public service, but he has made a positive--a very positive--change during the time that he has spent here working in the U.S. Senate. Before coming to work for me, he was working for his home State senator, Mark Kirk of Illinois. He was with Senator Kirk from 2013 to 2017. He first joined my office as a legislative assistant covering issues that surrounded the topic of justice, the Department of Justice. He also became my counsel, helping me on issues ranging from technology, taxes, to consumer protection. Mark's contribution to the Senate has been both wide-ranging and deeply meaningful. One of the examples of this impact of his work was in 2018. The subcommittee in the Commerce Committee that I chaired completed a Senate investigation into the sexual abuse of Olympic athletes. He helped lead a thorough investigation that uncovered systemic failures that allowed abuse to persist way too long. The joint investigation included four subcommittee hearings, interviews with Olympic athletes and survivors, and the retrieval of more than 70,000 pages of documents. This work culminated in the development and passage of the Empowering Olympic, Paralympic, and Amateur Athletes Act of 2019. This landmark law made critical improvements to the Olympic movement that strengthened oversight and accountability for the safety of American athletes, and Mark was a critical component of the team that saw this legislation become law. After serving as an LA and then as counsel, Mark shifted his work to the Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs, which, as general counsel, he was greatly helpful to me after I became that committee's chair. In that role, he talked to whistleblowers, provided in-depth oversight of the operations and policy of the Department of Veterans Affairs, and helped veterans navigate legal challenges within the VA. Mark has played a key role in passing some of the most consequential veterans legislation in recent memory, including the Commander John Scott Hannon Veterans Mental Health Care Improvement Act and the PACT Act. Through his work on behalf of veterans, Mark has showed the same qualities that defined his work on the Olympic investigation: deep policy expertise, a strong desire to get things done--and done right-- and great care for the people who are involved. At the beginning of 2023, Mark then took over the policy team, serving as my legislative director back in my personal office. Most recently, Mark helped to guide the ACRE Act and the Financing Our Energy Future Act to passage during the reconciliation process. Whether we are talking about veterans, technology, the Olympics, complex Senate procedure, Mark could be counted on to effectively advise me and lead our team to the success that we have had. He has been a mentor and guiding hand to several legislative assistants who have come through my office. My junior staff would tell you that Mark brings a steady hand, a steady presence, and even under pressure, he recognizes the importance of thoughtful decision making before taking action. They would also tell you that Mark is quick to crack a joke and often brings much needed humor to Capitol Hill on stressful days. More importantly, he has a real interest in getting to know the people he works with--not just knowing them, not just knowing what makes them tick, but being a mentor and a friend. Mark leads in a way that earns respect. He makes sure that everyone on the team knows their role, and they know that it matters. He is the kind of person who listens first, gives clear feedback, and never dismisses an idea out of hand. I have many ideas that I thought would be shot down from the very beginning, and Mark, at least, took time to convince me that I was wrong. Because of that, my staff and I have been more encouraged to take ownership and to work harder. While Mark has expressed to me and to his colleagues how much he loves working in the Senate as a legislative director, there is another role that he loves even more, and that of being a husband and a dad. The fact that the Senate never seems to end its business anytime during the normal business hours really has created problems in people's family lives. I am grateful to Mark's wife Colleen for letting me keep Mark at work late into these nights for evening votes and vote- aramas, even when that meant he missed out on helping with bedtime and other tasks related to being a dad. Mark is the father to Ilsa, James, Hallee, and has a fourth baby on the way. As much as he loves working in the Senate, he loves his family. And with a fourth child on the way, he recognized it is time to really put his family first. I will miss Mark's presence in my office and in the Senate. I will miss his skills and expertise. They don't come along every day. He has a lot to offer our country. While he wasn't a Kansan--perhaps his only shortcoming--he embodies many of the traits that we value in the Midwest: hard work, a cheerful attitude, and determination to get things done. My many thanks to Mark. I thank Mark for his years of service to me, to Kansans, and to our country. I am wishing him well as a father and a husband and in his new line of work. I ask the Senate to acknowledge with me, today in these remarks, the contribution that we all find from those who work side by side with us every day in hopes for a great outcome.

Mr. MORAN

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