Bernie Moreno

Mr. MORENO

Mr. MORENO. Mr. President, I want to urge my colleagues, at 4:30 today, to vote strongly in objection to S. Res. 616. This resolution, introduced by our Democrat colleagues, is a relic of a failed past approach to Central America, one that imposes a leftist ideology and a purity test and ties our hands, while cartels flood our streets with poison and chaos spills across our borders in the hemisphere. It demands a report dredging up old allegations against a former Honduran President, Juan Orlando Hernandez, focusing on events from his administration. The irony is striking. Many of these activities and challenges occurred during the Obama administration, when Democrats were asleep at the wheel in the Western Hemisphere. They allowed narcotrafficking to flourish and created the Western Hemisphere's worst migration crisis, without decisive action. This resolution also fails to mention the radical, leftwing Castro administration, which ravaged Honduras with policies that exacerbated migration and opened the doors to China. Yet this resolution remains completely silent on the Biden administration's foreign policy failures and the open borders agenda that poured fuel on that fire. Honduras suffered under the Biden and Castro era, but now it has absolutely turned a page. Under President Tito Asfura, who I had the chance to go visit in person a little less than 2 weeks ago, it is a new day in a bilateral relationship. He is aligned with the ``America First'' priorities. He is a key partner in the Shield of the Americas and the Counter Cartel Coalition. Honduras is working with us on intelligence sharing, going after the cartels, extraditions, and securing the hemisphere from Chinese and criminal influence. President Asfura is hyperfocused on fixing what Castro and Biden broke and restoring stability and prosperity for the Honduran people. This resolution singles out past issues under a previous government, while the current administration in Honduras and our own administration are focused on results: dismantling trafficking networks, ending the migration crisis, and building long-term prosperity. As a side note, as you just heard from the Senator from Virginia, this actually has nothing to do with human rights. This has to do with clickbait speeches that are all intended to embarrass the President about a pardon. Of course, it is ironic, given that President Biden pardoned tens of thousands of serious criminals. But, back to Honduras, this resolution risks undermining the very security assistance and cooperation we need to keep Americans and Hondurans safe. Section 502B is a tool, but in the hands of those who prioritize bureaucratic processes over results, it becomes a bludgeon against effective policy. President Trump's approach? Security coordination, economic incentives for partners fighting cartels, and putting the stability and prosperity of the Western Hemisphere first. It is delivering results: zero illegal border encounters this last 12-month period. We are seeing deportations of criminals, revived extradition efforts, and a coalition that is actually confronting the cartels instead of studying the cartels. Colleagues, the American people are tired of hollow and ideological resolutions that achieve nothing but clickbait headlines. They want secure borders, safe communities, and a foreign policy that puts our hemisphere's stability ahead of nonsense reports. Objecting to this resolution isn't ignoring human rights. It is refusing to let the past paralyze the future. Let's come together. Let's support our Western Hemisphere allies, like President Tito Asfura. I urge my colleagues to reject S. Res. 616. Let's focus on advancing the Shield of the Americas, supporting vetted partners, and delivering real results against the drug cartels that threaten us. I will say one last thing. The Senator from Virginia has evidently another resolution on Honduras that is intended to slow the process down of passing actually meaningful legislation here in the U.S. Senate. Let's take that one up, too, now because if not, what you just heard me say you are going to have to hear again for a second time. This is not why people elected us. I think that when the Presiding Officer travels to Missouri, people ask him: What are you doing? What are you doing to make the country better? Debating what happened a decade ago isn't making the country better. We should be talking about how to make our economy stronger, how to make our communities safer, and how to make our communities more secure. We should be talking about ensuring--ensuring--that we complete our duty and fund our government, not posturing months ahead of time to defund our government again. Again, colleagues, let's get this done. Let's deal with this resolution swiftly, quickly, and vote no. I yield the floor.

Mr. MORENO

Mr. MORENO. I ask unanimous consent for the previously scheduled rollcall vote to commence. Cloture Motion

Mr. MORENO. Mr. President, I will make my remarks very, very brief. For those watching on TV, wondering what their government did this week, what you just witnessed on the floor of the U.S. Senate is one Democrat, at least, who is willing to have his position stated. The other ones are hiding because they know what they did today was so wrong. At the end of the day, the most important job we have is to protect the American people. And because of Democrat political posturing, they made this country less safe. And I hope and pray to God that nothing happens in this country where an American is killed or something happens to this Nation as a result of what we just witnessed here today. This is another low point in the history of the U.S. Senate. Waiving Quorum Call Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to waive the mandatory quorum call with respect to the Smith nomination.

Mr. MORENO

Mr. MORENO. Mr. President, there is no slush fund. We have discussed this ad nauseam for hours. But I will ask--I will actually be inspired by my colleague from California. Does anybody think it is a good idea to fund ICE? Anyone? Do you think it is a good idea to fund our Border Patrol? Do you think it is a good idea to fund Federal law enforcement? Let's do it. The budgetary effects of the pending amendment are merely incidental to the nonbudgetary components of the amendment. Point of Order Therefore, I raise a point of order under section 313(b)(1)(D) of the infamous and very well-known and world-renowned Congressional Budget Act of 1974.

Mr. MORENO. If I could just have my colleagues indulge me for just a second, if you could take out your phones, open up your favorite AI app, and type the following: How could a Democrat Senator make an annoying amendment to try and distract from their failure to fund ICE and Border Patrol? It would say that you would put an amendment forward to force a time- consuming, awkward vote that would shift the media and public focus, create issues, generate sound bites, and portray the original border funding as incorrect. If you go further, you would actually get the entire text of this amendment. And for that reason, this pending amendment does not produce a change in outlays or revenues. Point of Order I raise a point of order under section 313(b)(1)(A) of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 and section 204(b) of the amendment. I urge my colleagues to vote no. Motion to Waive

Mr. MORENO. Mr. President, I have a crazy idea for my colleagues to consider. I am just word-shopping this one out. I think what we should do, instead of figuring out how to hire more police officers and Federal law enforcement--here is a crazy idea: Why don't we pay them? I think it is decently difficult to hire people when for 6 months our Democratic colleagues refused to pay Federal law enforcement. So why don't we focus our energies on funding Federal law enforcement, Border Patrol, and ICE. Recruitment will happen naturally when we can put a big sign up that says: We will actually pay you for doing your job. Vote on Amendment No. 5463

Mr. MORENO. Mr. President, there is a tragic Spanish novel called ``Don Quixote,'' and that is what we are down to here at 3:15 in the morning. Now they have us chasing windmills. They want us to vote about funds that don't exist. And please don't be like Sancho Panza. It turned out terribly for him. To my colleagues: Stay focused. We are almost at the finish line. We are going to fund ICE and Border Patrol for the next 3\1/2\ years so that we never have to do this again during the administration of President Trump. There is no such fund. It is a false flag. It is a windmill. It doesn't exist. And, most importantly, this pending amendment does not produce a change in outlays or revenues, as my colleagues know. Point of Order I raise a point of order under section 313(b)(1)(A) of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974, the most spoken about act from 1974 in American history, thanks to today.

Mr. MORENO. Mr. President, after 18 hours of us on the Republican side trying to fund ICE and Border Patrol, you will be shocked to know that now the Democrats are suggesting amendments for things that are already in the bill. We already authorized $20 million in body cameras when we funded all of DHS except for ICE and Border Patrol, and in this bill, we give more money for body cameras for ICE agents. Can we, please, stop the nonsense and get this over with? Let's fund ICE and Border Patrol. Let's go home, see our families, meet with our constituents, and get this over with. I urge my colleagues to channel their inner Nancy Reagan and just say no. Vote on Amendment No. 5808

Mr. MORENO. In case my Republican colleagues are worried, you are not having a stroke. You are hearing the exact same exact amendment again; it is just 6 hours later after 18 hours of total nonsense. This evening and the day we have just had is about funding ICE and Border Patrol. We will continue to say it. I don't know how many amendments you want to put up or how many times you want to do the same topic. It is very simple. Democrats do not want to fund ICE and Border Patrol. Republicans do. I urge my Republican colleagues to fund ICE and Border Patrol and reject this amendment. Vote on Amendment No. 5813

Mr. MORENO. Mr. President, first of all, this amendment, as you know, has no budgetary impact. You know that. You know it doesn't produce a change in outlays and revenues. Yet why do you guys continue to put up amendment after amendment when you know we are here to fund ICE and Border Patrol? If you want to talk about Hispanic children, let's talk about Hispanic children. I am one. Do you know how many thousands of Hispanic children died during the Biden years trying to get to the U.S. border? Thousands. Do you know how many Hispanic children Biden lost track of? Three hundred-plus thousand. So don't give me the crocodile tears about what you guys want to do. You are making this country more dangerous by sitting here for 14 hours now not funding ICE and Border Patrol. Let's get to the business at hand and end this charade. Point of Order I raise a point of order under section 313(b)(1)(A) of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 against section 204(b) of the amendment--for the 19th time.

Mr. MORENO. Mr. President, it has been a long day. I think it is important for us to maybe take a step back at what we are here to do. The Senator, my colleague on the Democrat side, mentioned dead Americans, so I thought it would be appropriate to mention some dead Americans: Laken Riley killed while jogging by an illegal from Venezuela; Rachel Morin, a mother of five from Maryland killed and raped by an El Salvadoran here illegally; Jocelyn Nungaray sexual assaulted and strangled by two Venezuelan men that were here illegally; Kayla Hamilton murdered by an MS-13 gang member; Ivory Smith. I could go on. The names are endless. What we are here to do is fund ICE and Border Patrol to make certain that not another American citizen dies at the hands of an illegal. Point of Order And the pending amendment contains a matter which is not even within the jurisdiction of the HELP Committee; therefore, I raise a point of order under section 313(b)(1)(C) of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974.

Mr. MORENO. Madam President, the motion is right here. You know what words are not in here? Immigration enforcement and border protection. We have been sitting here for almost 12 hours listening to nonsense after nonsense. You have refused to fund basic law enforcement for months. I was just in Latin America where vetted units have not gotten paid since February. Our entire immigration system in Latin America that goes after drug traffickers is collapsing because of unprecedented obstruction by Democrats. I have had enough. It is time to vote to fund Border Patrol and ICE. This motion has nothing to do with that. I urge all my colleagues to vote no and send a message. And we will stay here so that Susan Collins can get to 20,000 votes if it takes it to fund ICE and Border Patrol. So you guys go for it. I am ready to lock in. Let's go.

Mr. MORENO. Mr. President, you know, honestly, I didn't hear a word of what the minority leader said because I didn't hear him address what we are here to do. We are here to complete our oath of office, which is to provide security and safety for the American people. I want to speak directly to the Border Patrol agents and the people who work in law enforcement that wake up every day to protect us: We will do our jobs today. We will fund your paychecks. They refuse to do it. They are going to play so many games over the next 8, 9, 10 hours. Bring it on, because what we will do today is we will make certain that communities are safe in this country. We are going to fund immigration enforcement and Border Patrol, and I urge my Republican colleagues to stay united on that singular mission. I urge my colleagues to vote no.

Mr. MORENO. Objection.

Mr. MORENO

Mr. MORENO. Mr. President, if there is no further business to come before the Senate, I ask that it stand adjourned under the previous order following the remarks of Senator Kennedy.

Mr. MORENO

Mr. MORENO. For the information of my colleagues, they should expect a vote in relation to S. Res. 526 at noon tomorrow.

Mr. MORENO. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today, it stand adjourned until 10 a.m. on Thursday, May 14; 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, and the Senate be in a period of morning business with Senators permitted to speak therein for up to 10 minutes each; further, notwithstanding rule XXII, the cloture motion with respect to the nominations to be considered en bloc pursuant to S. Res. 690 ripen at 1:45 p.m. tomorrow.

Mr. MORENO

Mr. MORENO. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent 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.

Mr. MORENO. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry be discharged from further consideration and the Senate now proceed to S. Res. 711.

Mr. MORENO

Mr. MORENO. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent 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.

Mr. MORENO. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to consideration of S. Res. 728, which is at the desk.

Mr. MORENO

Mr. MORENO. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate be in a period of morning business, with Senators permitted to speak therein for up to 10 minutes each.

Mr. MORENO

Mr. MORENO. I ask unanimous consent that the Padilla amendment at the desk be agreed to; that the resolution, as amended, be agreed to; and that the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table with no intervening action or debate. I point out that the amendment goes broader for us as Members of the Senate. It is not intended to change the definitions of any of the types of contracts that we are talking about. This is about making certain that we have the integrity we need to show our constituents.

Mr. MORENO. Mr. President, as you know as somebody who led an incredibly distinguished business career, integrity and confidence are the key building blocks in any institution. We take a solemn oath here to our Constitution and to represent our constituents free of any conflicts of interest whatsoever. When we come here on the Senate floor, our constituents have to know that our only guiding light is what is best for our States, what is best for the people of our States, and what is best for the United States of America. Engaging in any way in a prediction market or trying to place bets where we might have insider information deteriorates the confidence our constituents have in us. So it is extremely important that the public know that from this day forward, there is no chance that any Member of Congress--Member of the Senate in this case, in this resolution I am going to propose--will be involved in any prediction market whatsoever. I am presenting a resolution that makes that crystal clear. By changing the standing rules of the Senate, what we are doing is allowing our constituents to know once and for all that no Member of the U.S. Senate, no Member of the staff of the U.S. Senate can ever use that inside information as a way to monetize this job whatsoever. So I am very proud that we have unanimous support, hopefully, from every single Member of the Senate to do that. So I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to consideration of S. Res. 708, which is at the desk.

Mr. MORENO

Mr. MORENO. Mr. President, first of all, I am very thankful that the Senator from Oregon is now completely on the side of President Trump in making certain that we restore home ownership for Americans. I didn't think I would see this moment, but I am excited that it happened either way. I obviously urge my colleagues to oppose this amendment because we have already passed it. We have already solved this problem. In fact, congratulations to all of us--89 to 10, we banned institutional ownership of single-family homes. I think that is fantastic. By the way, in January, we saw a 7-percent decline in the prices of homes in just San Diego because another factor that we are dealing with tonight is that, unfortunately, the Democrats allowed tens of millions of people to come into this country illegally. That drove up housing prices. So what this bill is about is actually enforcing our immigration laws, making certain that we have border protection, and making certain that we remove the people from this country that were not supposed to be here in the first place. That will also continue to drive down housing prices. But again, I agree with the Senator from Oregon. This is about lowering the price of housing. We have already done it. I urge all my colleagues to vote against this amendment.