Gary Peters

Mr. PETERS

Mr. PETERS. I would ask for the yeas and nays.

Mr. PETERS. Mr. President, I rise to urge adoption of the Peters- Rounds amendment, No. 2464. I first want to thank Chairman Manchin and Ranking Member Barrasso of the Energy and Natural Resources Committee for working with me on this amendment. I would also like to thank Senators Rounds, Portman, and Warner for joining me in offering this amendment. It is very straightforward. It simply would align several cyber security provisions for the Department of Energy in this infrastructure legislation with existing law. It would require the Department of Energy, the sector risk management Agency for the energy sector, to coordinate with the Department of Homeland Security on cyber security efforts. DHS is the lead Federal Agency for cyber security, and they have a central role to play in working across the government to strengthen our cyber defenses. As we have seen from the damaging SolarWinds and Microsoft Exchange attacks, a whole-of-government approach is necessary to protect critical infrastructure. This amendment will ensure that there is a comprehensive approach that effectively coordinates our cyber security protections for critical infrastructure across all sectors. It reduces duplication of efforts and helps protect our Nation from the persistent threat posed by cyber attacks. Mr. President, I urge my colleagues to support this straightforward, bipartisan amendment.

Mr. PETERS

Mr. PETERS. Mr. President, I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. PETERS

Mr. PETERS. Mr. President, I rise today to honor the memory of a true lion of the U.S. Senate, Michigan Senator Carl Levin. Yesterday, he passed away at the age of 87, surrounded by his loving family. Carl was well known as a fierce advocate for Michigan and a force of nature in the Senate, but the most important thing to him was his family. He cherished his role as a brother, husband, father, uncle, and grandfather. And I know his family and his loved ones are all reeling from this enormous loss. I along with folks all across the State of Michigan are praying for them during this very difficult time. Over his 36 years of service to the Senate, the most ever for a Michigan Senator, Carl made an immeasurable impact. He served as the chairman of not just one, but two extremely powerful committees. He was simultaneously a zealous progressive voice in the Senate and one of its most bipartisan Members, able to forge strong relationships with his Republican colleagues and find pragmatic compromise to get results. I remember when Carl was first elected to the U.S. Senate, making a very impressive leap from the Detroit City Council to a statewide office. I was in college at the time, and over the years, I closely followed his service and his career in politics. He was someone who I looked up to and came to know as both a role model and as a mentor. He was always gracious with his time and his wisdom, and I cherish the conversations that we had over the years, from my time years ago serving in the Michigan State Senate to my time in the U.S. House of Representatives. When Carl announced he would be retiring in 2014, I sought out his guidance and his blessing to run to fill his seat. As the campaign progressed, he gave me his endorsement and his full- throated support. I was both honored and humbled. When I was sworn into my first term in the Senate, Carl presented me with an old map of Michigan and a handwritten note. It hangs in my front office to this day, and every time that I walk through the door, I am reminded of Carl, of his service, and his integrity. Carl was a unique figure on Capitol Hill. He had no interest in the trappings of power. He saw service as its own reward. And he could certainly be a little disheveled in his appearance. He was very frugal. He wore inexpensive suits, and his loving wife Barbara would routinely sew up the holes in his pockets so he could get just a few more years out of his suits. Legend has it he once noticed a mustard stain on his shirt and he painted over it with Wite-Out so he could get back to work. His glasses were always precariously perched on the end of his nose, and he would fix you with a piercing gaze over those rims. Despite his small stature, he was also an incredibly intimidating figure, largely due to that gaze, his intellect, and his incredible work ethic. Nowhere were those traits more apparent than in his role leading the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, also known as PSI. When Carl held the gavel, getting a letter or a phone call from his investigative staff struck fear into some of the most powerful and most corrupt figures in America. In fact, folks in Washington would quip that under Carl's leadership, the letters ``PSI'' had a completely different meaning for people: They stood for ``pretty scary investigations.'' Carl used his chairmanship to stand up for everyday folks--the Michiganders and Americans--who were working hard every day to pay their bills and play by the rules. He was furious when there were people who took advantage of hard-working Americans, and there were companies who were making millions and even billions of dollars cheating on their taxes and hurting average taxpayers. Over the course of his tenure as chair, he took on the corrupt, the wrongdoers, and the bullies who no one wanted to stand up to, including major banks, the mob, and even ruthless dictators. He brought a studious focus to his work, reviewing thousands, and sometimes even tens of thousands, of pages of documents so that he would know every single detail in that investigation. His investigative staff recounted that when he was preparing for a flight to Hong Kong, he asked for a binder full of documents related to the latest investigation to review on the plane. His staff put together 1,500 pages of documents for him to read on that flight. When he landed in Hong Kong, he called and asked his staff to send the next batch. He had already made his way through those 1,500 pages, and he wanted to see more. In every investigation he was tough but scrupulously fair. He was disciplined and laser-focused on addressing injustices. And he was dedicated to seeing a fight through to the end, even if it took years. Over the years, he tackled money laundering, abusive offshore tax shelters, and executives and bankers who cooked the books, dodged taxes, and cost workers their savings, their pensions, and healthcare. One of his greatest legacies at PSI was his work to hold bad actors in the Federal sector accountable for their abuses. In fact, after seeing unfair charges on his own credit card and hearing similar stories from his constituents, he launched an investigation into predatory credit practices, including charging interest on debt that was already paid, hiking interest rates even when bills were paid on time, and manipulating charges to try to secure additional fees. After a series of tough oversight hearings and a legislative process that spanned years, Carl's work became a central part of the Credit CARD Act of 2009, which prohibited abuse of credit card practices and helped more than 100 million Americans. He even cast his 11,000th vote during the process of getting that bill passed. Whether he was taking on Enron or Goldman Sachs or exposing the corruption of Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet, Carl was focused on holding the bad guys accountable and protecting the American people from their misconduct. And despite serving at a time when Congress was growing increasingly partisan, he managed to bridge the divide. His staunchest conservative colleagues knew that if Carl gave them his word, they could count on it 100 percent. Whether he was working with Senator Coburn or Senator Collins, Carl was able to cooperatively work with his Republican colleagues, setting an iconic example for how to conduct bipartisan oversight that my own committee staff today still strives to follow. Carl carried that same partisan principle to his role as chairman of the Armed Services Committee, a role that he served in for 18 years. Whether he was working alongside the late Senator John Warner or the late Senator John McCain, Carl found bipartisan, commonsense ways to support our Nation's servicemembers and combat waste and fraud within the Department of Defense, and he worked tirelessly to strengthen national security and to keep our Nation safe. Even though Carl took on such high profile, nationally important roles, he never forgot his roots and the lessons he learned about listening to your community during his time as a Detroit city councilman. He was a powerful advocate for all of Michigan, but especially for his hometown of Detroit. I distinctly remember his determination as our Michigan congressional delegation fought to rescue Michigan's auto industry when it was on the brink of total collapse. As our senior Senator at the time, Carl led our delegation with quiet but steady resolve. At a time when so much was on the line for Michigan, Carl helped fight for General Motors and Chrysler, which was headquartered in my district, and to save the jobs of Michigan autoworkers and everyone who depended on them. Carl was a champion for Michigan's auto industry and a true believer in the Motor City's ability to lead in vehicle innovation. He was such a believer in the future of Detroit's auto industry that he even bought one of Chevrolet's first electric vehicles, the Chevy Volt. As a former taxi driver in his youth, Carl loved driving himself around, even if his erratic and aggressive driving style startled and sometimes scared his staff. And although Carl was ready to put his own money behind the future of Detroit, Capitol Hill wasn't quite so ready for electric vehicles. Without readily accessible charging stations on the Hill, Carl actually ran an extension cord out of his window of his Russell Office Building to recharge his car's battery. He also fought relentlessly to build public transportation in Detroit. He had a vision of light rail that would transport people through downtown Detroit, and when he believed in something, he wouldn't take no for an answer, even when the administration of his own party rejected requests to fund the Detroit rail project. I recall vividly a meeting between Carl, the Detroit representatives, and then-Transportation Secretary LaHood, and in classic Carl Levin style, he peered over the rims of his glasses, held a fistful of papers, and shook them at the Secretary's direction as he railed about how we had angels in Detroit who were willing to invest in this project, but we need the public sector to support it to get across the finish line. His arguments were persuasive, and, today, you can ride the QLINE down Woodward Avenue in downtown Detroit because Carl Levin was so determined to make it a reality. President Barack Obama captured Carl's legacy perfectly when he said, upon Carl's retirement, that ``if you've ever worn the uniform, worked a shift on an assembly line or sacrificed to make ends meet, then you had a voice and a vote in Sen. Carl Levin.'' But perhaps Carl's greatest legacy is the example he set for all of us. Carl's colleagues, his staff, and his constituents all agree that one of his most powerful traits was his integrity. He had strong values and a moral compass that always pointed north. Even years after he retired, as I traveled around Michigan, folks still tell me how much they respected Carl. They knew that even if they didn't agree with him, he was thoughtful and he was considerate. And they would tell me that while they may not always agree with Carl's votes, they respected his decision making, and they trusted what he was doing and thought was best for Michigan and the country. Those same principles inspired such strong loyalty in his staff that he became known for having staff members who worked for him for decades. Carl's fearlessness, thoughtfulness, and independence marked the epitome of what it means to be a public servant. He followed his conscience, and he always fought to do what was best for his home State and for his country Carl's principled leadership, his dedication for finding common ground, his relentless pursuit of the truth, and his constant focus on ensuring that our country works for every American should serve as a model for all of us. I am forever grateful to Carl for his leadership, his mentorship, and for his example. I will always remember the advice he gave me on election night, after I was declared the winner. He pulled me aside and said: Just remember, Gary, in the Senate there will be people who will try to pull you in all sorts of directions, but never forget where you came from, never forget who you are, and always work to bring people together, despite the partisanship and polarization around you. We live in tough times, but he reminded me that people back home in Michigan are expecting me to get things done and deliver results. It is advice that guides me every day. Carl truly represented the best of public service. He did his homework and knew the issues inside and out. He focused on doing what was right for Michigan and for our country. He never had an alternative agenda. He didn't chase front-page headlines or the cameras. He had no desire to be a political celebrity. He just wanted to get things done. Carl's light in this world will be sorely missed, but the best thing we can do to honor his memory is to live by the same principles, integrity, and kindness that drove his leadership and public service for five decades. Carl loved doing his job, and he did it with boundless energy. Whether it was greeting his constituents on the street or taking on some of the toughest issues in Washington, everyone was always trying to keep up with Carl. If we could all bring just a fraction of his dedication, his integrity, and his intellect to our own worlds, Washington would surely be a much better place. May his memory be a blessing. I yield the floor.

Mr. PETERS

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

Mr. PETERS

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

Mr. PETERS

Mr. PETERS. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate vote on the nomination without intervening action or debate and that, if confirmed, the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table, all without intervening action or debate; that no further motions be in order to the nomination; that any statements related to the nomination be printed in the Record; and that the President be immediately notified of the Senate's action.

Mr. PETERS. Madam President, I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. PETERS. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the consideration of the following nomination, Calendar No. 176.

Mr. PETERS

Mr. PETERS. Madam President, I rise in support of Jen Easterly's nomination to serve as Director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, commonly referred to as CISA. Before the Senate adjourned for the July 4 holiday, I stood right here and urged my colleagues to confirm her for this vital position. I was disappointed that a Republican colleague blocked Ms. Easterly's swift confirmation at that time, but I appreciate that he has now resolved his concerns and that we can move forward today. I warned that, without confirming Ms. Easterly, we risked leaving ourselves vulnerable to cyber attacks, and in the 2 weeks since I last called on my colleagues to approve this critical nomination, nation- state actors and criminal organizations have continued their relentless targeting of the United States. Over the July 4 weekend, we learned that U.S. software company Kaseya was the target of a major ransomware attack that has impacted hundreds and possibly thousands of businesses and organizations worldwide. Days later, we saw reports that a Republican National Committee contractor had been attacked in an attempt to target the RNC. Unfortunately, these are only the latest of several recent cyber attacks that threaten our government, critical infrastructure, and key industries. These attackers will stop at nothing to infiltrate our networks, and we urgently need qualified, Senate-confirmed cyber security leaders in place to fight back. With more than three decades of cyber security expertise and service in the public and private sectors, Ms. Easterly is more than qualified to lead CISA. We need her in place immediately so she can get to work with agencies, businesses, and others to recover from recent cyber attacks and to strengthen cyber security defenses before the next attack. I appreciate that my colleagues on the other side of the aisle have withdrawn their objections and that the Senate is prepared to confirm this highly qualified nominee on a bipartisan basis. I certainly look forward to working with her and with my friends on both sides of the aisle here in Congress to shore up cyber security vulnerabilities and keep American families, businesses, and the Federal Government secure.

Mr. PETERS

Mr. PETERS. Mr. President, I rise once again in support of Jen Easterly's nomination to be Director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, commonly referred to as CISA. Yesterday, I came to the floor to urge my colleagues to swiftly confirm Ms. Easterly to lead CISA so she can get to work in strengthening our Nation's response to the recent onslaught of online attacks that have literally wrought havoc to our critical infrastructure, businesses, and even government. With her more than three decades of service in the public and private sectors and her critical role in crafting vital cyber security recommendations as a member of the Cyber Solarium Commission, Ms. Easterly is more than qualified to lead this critical Agency. Her leadership is needed now more than ever, after the damage and the chaos that recent cyber attacks have caused. We urgently need a qualified and Senate-confirmed leader in place before the next major breach, which could be even worse. Yesterday, when I called on the Senate to immediately confirm this critical nominee, the Senator from Florida objected, not because he opposes Ms. Easterly's confirmation, and, in fact, he actually helped advance her nomination out of my committee just last week. Instead, he blocked the swift confirmation of this critical cyber security leader because he wants to extract a completely unrelated political concession from the Biden administration. As we now know, Vice President Harris has announced that she will travel to El Paso tomorrow, along with Homeland Security Secretary Mayorkas, to assess the situation on the southern border. The Biden administration and Secretary Mayorkas have worked hard to address our border challenges, and, as a result, we have seen a reduction in the number of unaccompanied children who are in DHS custody. But this nomination is not about the border, as much as my Republican colleagues try to conflate these issues. This nomination is about cyber security. This nomination is keeping American families safe and our economy secure. That is what this nomination is all about. My Republican colleagues are continuing to stall the confirmation of Ms. Easterly at a time when we desperately need strong cyber security leadership. The Senate is preparing to adjourn for Independence Day, which is a major travel weekend. As we have seen from recent cyber attacks, our transportation networks are vulnerable. Criminal organizations and foreign adversaries will continue their efforts to compromise our networks. We must be prepared for attacks that could disrupt trains or flights over the holiday weekend. We must confirm Ms. Easterly as the CISA Director now, not in 2 weeks and not in 2 months. We must have a qualified Senate-confirmed leader in place to help us address these attacks. If our Republican colleagues won't consent, they risk weakening and slowing our cyber defenses at a time when attacks could cause serious disruptions. These attacks risk the lives and livelihoods of countless Americans. Safeguarding against them should not be a partisan issue. Putting in place highly qualified cyber leadership should not hinge on whether Republicans in the Senate approve of the Vice President's travel schedule. I urge the Senator from Florida to withdraw his objections so that we can do our job, confirm Ms. Easterly today, and help protect the American people from this grave national security threat. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that notwithstanding rule XXII, the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of Calendar No. 176, Jen Easterly, of New York, to be the Director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, Department of Homeland Security, and the Senate vote on the nomination without intervening action or debate.

Mr. PETERS

Mr. PETERS. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate vote on the nomination without intervening action or debate and, if confirmed, the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table, all without intervening action or debate; that no further motions be in order to the nomination; that any statements related to the nomination be printed in the Record; and that the President be immediately notified of the Senate's action.

Mr. PETERS. Mr. President, I would like to discuss Ms. Carnahan's qualifications further before asking for consent on her confirmation. Ms. Carnahan has an extensive career spanning Federal and State government, as well as the private sector. During the Obama administration, she founded and led the State and Local Practice at 18F, a technology consultancy within GSA. In this role, Ms. Carnahan worked with State and local government agencies to improve and modernize their digital services. Prior to her tenure at 18F, Miss Carnahan served as Missouri's secretary of state, where she focused on modernizing IT infrastructure to improve service for hundreds of thousands of customers. Ms. Carnahan is a nationally recognized government technology leader and in 2017 was named one of the Federal Government's Top Women in Tech. I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting Ms. Carnahan's nomination to lead GSA. From modernizing and securing Federal networks to strengthening supply chain security, GSA plays a critical role in bolstering our national security. With that, I ask unanimous consent that notwithstanding rule XXII, the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of the following nomination: Calendar 175.

Mr. PETERS

Mr. PETERS. Mr. President, I rise today in support of two critical nominations: Jen Easterly's nomination to be the Director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency--commonly referred to as CISA--within the Department of Homeland Security, as well as Robin Carnahan to be the Administrator of the General Services Administration, or GSA. Our country is under attack. Nation-state actors and criminal organizations are relentlessly targeting our government, critical infrastructure, and key industries to infiltrate networks, steal information, conduct espionage, and demand ransom payments. These cyber attacks pose a serious threat to our national security. As we saw from the SolarWinds hack, as well as the Colonial Pipeline and JBS ransomware attacks, cyber criminals are constantly looking to exploit cyber security vulnerabilities and find the weakest link. We must be vigilant about preventing these attacks, and we need a strong, coordinated approach from across the Federal Government to better secure America's networks. That means the Senate needs to confirm qualified cyber security nominees so that they can get to work immediately. CISA is the lead domestic Agency for cyber security in the Federal Government. It is responsible for ensuring that Federal Departments and Agencies--our private sector critical infrastructure partners--and the American people have the resources to detect, to withstand, and to respond to cyber attacks. GSA provides a wide range of support to Agencies across the government. One of GSA's key functions is to provide funding and expertise to help Agencies both modernize and secure their IT systems and their networks. We need Senate-confirmed leadership at the top of these critical Agencies, and we need it today. Ms. Easterly has served for over three decades in the Federal Government and the private sector. Since 2017, Ms. Easterly has led the operations center for Morgan Stanley's cyber defense strategy. She was also a critical member of the Cyber Solarium Commission, which has made 80 recommendations for cyber deterrence, 25 of which have already become law. Prior to joining the private sector, Ms. Easterly served as the Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for Counterterrorism, the Deputy for Counterterrorism at the National Security Agency, and was instrumental in the design and creation of the U.S. Cyber Command. On top of all of these incredible accomplishments, Ms. Easterly is a two-time recipient of the Bronze Star and retired from the U.S. Army after more than 20 years of service in intelligence in cyber operations. Ms. Easterly is more than qualified for this position, and this body needs to confirm her nomination today to lead CISA. Every day that this body delays confirming critical leaders like Ms. Easterly and Ms. Carnahan leaves our Federal system and our Nation vulnerable to cyber attacks. We have already seen the damage and the chaos from these attacks. The Colonial Pipeline attack disrupted the lives of millions of Americans, created fuel shortages, and saddled customers with high gas prices for weeks. The next major breach could be even worse. I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting Ms. Easterly's nomination to lead CISA and to take on the vital mission of strengthening our defenses and fighting back against the persistent cyber attacks that threaten our Nation each and every day. Cyber security and strengthening our Federal networks are not partisan issues. Cyber attacks put each and every one of us at risk. I would hope my colleagues will allow these nominees to be confirmed today so they can keep us safe. With that, Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that notwithstanding rule XXII, the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of Calendar No. 176, Jen Easterly, of New York, to be Director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, Department of Homeland Security, and the Senate vote on the nomination without intervening action or debate.

Mr. PETERS

Mr. PETERS. Mr. President, I rise to support Kiran Ahuja's nomination to be Director of the Office of Personnel Management, or OPM. Ms. Ahuja is a proven leader who has the experience and commitment needed to restore confidence in OPM and provide a vision for the future of the Federal workforce. OPM is an independent agency that supports more than 2 million Federal employees who serve all across the government. Both OPM and the Federal workforce have faced unprecedented challenges in recent years, from attempts to dismantle the agency, to a record-setting government shutdown, to the coronavirus pandemic. And unfortunately, these challenges were made worse due to the lack of consistent and committed leadership at OPM. Our dedicated public servants are on the frontline every day, responding to the ongoing pandemic, protecting our national security, and delivering vital services to the American people each and every day. The dedicated men and women who serve at OPM and throughout the civil service deserve a qualified, experienced leader who is committed to supporting the people who make government work. Ms. Ahuja's career includes over two decades of management experience, including running nonprofit organizations, leading the White House initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders during the Obama administration, and serving as Chief of Staff at OPM. Throughout this confirmation process, Ms. Ahuja has demonstrated that she understands the mission of OPM and the experience of safeguarding the nonpartisan civil service. She has committed to working closely and transparently with Congress to strengthen and to modernize the Federal workforce. I am confident that Ms. Ahuja is the right person to lead OPM at this pivotal time. She will provide the strategic vision and the management needed to reinvigorate the Federal workforce. I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting the confirmation of Kiran Ahuja for Director of OPM.

Mr. PETERS

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

Mr. PETERS

Mr. PETERS. Madam President, I rise in support of Kiran Ahuja and her nomination to be the Director of the Office of Personnel Management, or the OPM. OPM needs an experienced, qualified leader who is committed to the Federal workforce and is invested in their future. Ms. Ahuja is that leader. She understands the unique challenges facing OPM, and she has the management experience and vision needed to restore and strengthen the workforce. I am confident that Ms. Ahuja is the right person to lead OPM at this pivotal time. I urge my colleagues to join me in supporting the confirmation of Kiran Ahuja for Director of OPM.

Mr. PETERS

Mr. PETERS. Madam President, due to a family medical emergency, I was unable to attend today's vote on Executive Calendar #123--Tommy P. Beaudreau, of Alaska, to be Deputy Secretary of the Interior. Had I been able to attend, I would have voted ``aye'' on confirmation. Madam President, due to a family medical emergency, I was unable to attend today's votes on motion to invoke cloture and confirmation of Executive Calendar #157, John K. Tien, of Georgia, to be Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security. Had I been able to attend, I would have voted ``aye'' on the motion and ``aye'' on confirmation.

Mr. PETERS

Mr. PETERS. Mr. President, due to a family medical emergency, I was unable to attend today's votes on motion to invoke cloture and confirmation of Executive Calendar No. 148, Radhika Fox, of California, to be an Assistant Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency. Had I been able to attend, I would have voted yea on the motion and yea on confirmation. Mr. President, due to a family medical emergency, I was unable to attend today's votes on motion to invoke cloture and confirmation of Executive Calendar No. 173, Lydia Kay Griggsby, of Maryland, to be United States District Judge for the District of Maryland. Had I been able to attend, I would have voted yea on cloture and confirmation. Mr. President, due to a family medical emergency, I was unable to attend today's vote on the motion to invoke cloture of Executive Calendar No. 123, Tommy P. Beaudreau, of Alaska, to be Deputy Secretary of the Interior. Had I been able to attend, I would have voted yea on the motion.

Mr. PETERS

Mr. PETERS. Mr. President, due to a family medical emergency, I was unable to attend today's vote on confirmation of Executive Calendar No. 119, Lina M. Khan, to be a Federal Trade Commissioner. Had I been able to attend, I would have voted yea on confirmation.

Mr. PETERS

Mr. PETERS. Mr. President, the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol remains a dark stain on our Nation's history. Americans deserve to have all of the facts about that day, and a fair, balanced, and independent Commission will give us those answers. This Commission would complement the current investigations into this deadly attack, including my Homeland Security Committee's own investigations in conjunction with the Rules Committee. After the devastating September 11 terrorist attacks, Congress came together to create a bipartisan independent Commission. January 6 marks a singular event in our Nation's history, similar to what we experienced on 9/11, and there is simply no logical reason to oppose its creation. The brave law enforcement officers who stopped this attack and every American who watched in realtime as our free and fair democratic process was attacked deserve answers and accountability for the actions that occurred on January 6. I urge my colleagues to support this Commission and get the American people the answers that they deserve. I yield the floor.

Mr. PETERS

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

Mr. PETERS. Mr. President, as we emerge from the coronavirus pandemic, we have a real opportunity to revitalize American manufacturing and harness American leadership in scientific and technological advancement. Today I urge my colleagues to support critical, bipartisan legislation that will do just that. The United States Innovation and Competition Act will help keep our country on the cutting edge of technology, strengthen American competitiveness on a global stage, and protect our national security. International competitors like the Chinese Government are aggressively investing in manufacturing, science, and technology in an attempt to gain a competitive advantage over the United States, and we cannot let that happen. In order to maintain our edge, we must make serious investments in domestic research and development, technology, and manufacturing. We know that a strong manufacturing sector is the backbone of any economy. I have long believed that you cannot be a great country if you don't make things. This bill contains a number of provisions to help revitalize and strengthen American manufacturing. A provision in this bill that Senator Stabenow and I led will provide $2 billion in new funding for the domestic production of mature semiconductor technologies that are absolutely critical to the automotive industry and other manufacturers all across our country. This provision is essential because our reliance on overseas semiconductor manufacturing is a threat to our economy and to our national security. We are currently experiencing a semiconductor shortage that is causing massive supply chain disruptions and has idled plants in Michigan and other States across our country, forcing auto manufacturers to shut down factories and lay off workers. This is a completely unacceptable situation, and we must immediately work to address this challenge. Boosting manufacturing in Michigan and across the Nation requires a comprehensive Federal strategy to help companies grow our domestic manufacturing base. That is why I authored a provision in this legislation to reactivate the Manufacturing Advisory Council and worked to increase funding for the Manufacturing Extension Partnership program, a program that helps small- and medium-sized manufacturers grow their companies and create jobs. Together, these policies will help strengthen our manufacturing sector, advance our economic competitiveness, and create good-paying jobs. The United States Innovation and Competition Act also helps ensure that when we are spending American taxpayer dollars, we are investing in American manufacturers and creating American jobs. As chairman of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, I was proud of our committee's efforts to include several bipartisan provisions in this package that will strengthen ``Buy American'' requirements. These provisions, including one based on a bill Senator Stabenow and I introduced, will ensure that American taxpayer dollars are being used to buy American-made products and close loopholes that have allowed the use of Chinese- and Russian-made steel rather than using U.S. steel. Growing good-paying jobs in America must always be our focus, and passing this bill will do just that. This package also includes a provision to secure our supply chain and address the serious national security risks posed by our overreliance on companies in China and other countries for medical supplies. During the pandemic, we saw firsthand how our country's overreliance on foreign manufacturers for critical supplies, such as personal protective equipment, left us unprepared to combat the pandemic and cost American lives. This bill takes important steps to address that, thanks to a provision I worked on with Senator Portman to encourage investments that will expand domestic production of personal protective equipment here in the United States. These provisions and so many more will help us unleash American innovation, lock in our competitive advantage, and grow our economy, but that alone is not enough. We must also protect our advantage. That is why our committee worked to include critical provisions in this legislation to strengthen cyber security and protect against increasingly sophisticated efforts by adversarial governments and criminal organizations to steal our research and intellectual property. Cyber attacks pose a significant threat to our national security, and cyber attacks have significant real-world consequences. We saw this with the recent Colonial Pipeline attack. This bill includes provisions I authored to strengthen the Federal Government's capabilities to prevent and respond to a significant cyber incident, creates a fund that can help entities recover from serious breaches, and strengthens our Federal cyber workforce, therefore ensuring our workers have the skills and knowledge to build a competitive advantage and secure our networks from these attacks. From spurring advancements in artificial intelligence to securing taxpayer-funded research and intellectual property from adversaries who try to steal it, this legislation takes significant steps to help ensure American companies and workers will continue to lead the way in developing the technologies and economy of the future. The process we followed to write this legislation shows that when we work together in a bipartisan manner, we can tackle the biggest challenges facing our Nation. I am grateful to my colleagues for all of their hard work, and I look forward to continuing to partner with our House counterparts to get these important provisions signed into law. I yield the floor. I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. PETERS

Mr. PETERS. Madam President, this measure undermines Federal Agencies' efforts to protect workers, consumers, our environment, and public health. When Federal Agencies create regulations, they must look at the full range of costs and benefits, including the impact on employers, workers, and vulnerable groups. This measure shuts out most of these voices. It is designed to push Congress to repeal regulations without considering the concerns of workers who rely on Federal safety standards or communities whose water has been polluted by lead. If Congress is concerned about a regulation, we already have tools to make the needed changes--either passing a law or using procedures like the Congressional Review Act. We need to move forward on bipartisan policies that will improve our Nation's competitiveness, not measures that will endanger our constituents and our communities. I urge my colleagues to vote no on amendment 1929. Vote on Amendment No. 1929

Mr. PETERS

Mr. PETERS. Mr. President, I rise to speak in opposition to the Johnson amendment. The amendment would force the continued payment of government contractors to build an ill-conceived border wall. Most of these funds were never intended for this purpose. More than $10 billion was redirected from the Department of Defense. These funds were intended for military missions and functions, such as schools for military families and National Guard equipment. The Biden administration is conducting a comprehensive review of these contracts, led by the Departments of Defense and Homeland Security. These decisions will be guided by what is best for our national security, not well-connected government contractors profiting off of hard-earned taxpayer dollars. We need to move forward with smart, bipartisan investments to improve border security that secure both our southern and our northern borders, not look backwards at the former administration's boondoggle. I urge a ``no'' vote.