Rick Scott

Mr. SCOTT of Florida

Mr. SCOTT of Florida. Mr. President, reserving the right to object. First, I want to thank my colleague from Washington for holding the hearing with the airlines, and there are two things about that. I was surprised that I didn't get a very good answer from the airlines about, did we get a return on the--what?--$54 billion we provided the airline industry? I was extremely disappointed that United Airlines was cavalier with the employees in my State who were basically let go or laid off without pay only because they decided not to get the vaccine for religious purposes. In coming back to this issue, I still am waiting for the Secretary of Transportation and the Secretary of Commerce to come to a public event so all of our constituents in my State can hear exactly what they are doing to solve the supply chain problem. I can tell you that I was on this phone call, and this problem is not getting better. There are still 100 cargo ships off the coast of California. I want to hear exactly what they are doing and so do the citizens of my State. Therefore, I object.

Mr. SCOTT of Florida. Mr. President reserving the right to object. I want to be clear. I like infrastructure. I spent $85 billion on infrastructure. With $10 billion a year, we had a dramatic increase in infrastructure. It is part of the reason we added 1.7 million jobs. I also did a lot of work to try to make sure we increased trade in Florida. We have 15 seaports. I believe in all of this. I also believe we have a supply chain crisis right now. It is not getting better. I am shocked that my colleague does not want to ask the Secretary of Transportation and the Secretary of Commerce to explain to the American public why this is not getting better. Therefore, I object.

Mr. SCOTT of Florida

Mr. SCOTT of Florida. Madam President, we are less than 3 weeks away from Christmas, and Joe Biden has run this country into the ground. I know President Biden thinks that Santa can solve his problems, but our supply chain is such a mess not even Santa Claus, with all of his Christmas magic, can fix it. There are nearly 100 ships waiting to dock in California ports. About 40 of them are a few miles off the coast, but more than 50 are holding back farther in the Pacific. It looks to me like the Biden administration didn't like the visual. I recently received a letter from a grandmother in New Smyrna Beach, FL. She is retired now but was a small business owner who has spent her life working hard to support her kids and grandkids. I have the letter with me. In her letter she writes: I am worried about inflation. I see prices of fuel, groceries, and staples going through the roof. I see the American standard of life declining. It is getting harder and harder for families to make ends meet, buy a home, afford medical care and higher education for their children. She also tells me that Joe Biden's unconstitutional vaccine mandate is putting her husband at risk of losing his job, despite the fact that he worked throughout the pandemic as an essential worker. She is not alone. She shares the exact same concerns as millions of Americans and businesses right now that are reeling from the impacts of Biden's socialism. The Pantry of Broward County, FL, usually supplies meals to 500 families each month, but they weren't able to donate as many Thanksgiving turkeys this year because of skyrocketing prices. And there are other terrible stories in the news across my State every day. I heard about a single father of three in Clearwater, FL, who lost his job due to COVID, and at his new job he is having to stretch each dollar as far as it can possibly go as prices for meat, food, rent, everything goes up and up and up. I heard about a woman who delivers groceries in South Miami. She is seeing prices going up and having to send pictures of empty shelves to her online customers to show grocery stores are out of so many products. She can hardly ever find any juice boxes for her own children. These are the stories of real Floridians, and I could keep going because Florida families and families all across our great country are struggling as Biden's inflation and supply chain crisis rages on. Now, most people, when they are in charge, they want to do something positive when a problem arises. When the families are struggling, leaders should want to solve a problem. What is shocking is that even as ships wait in docks, in ports--wait to dock in ports and families are forced to count their pennies and sometimes even go without certain products, the Biden administration is doing absolutely nothing. Secretary Raimondo and Secretary Buttigieg would rather play TV commentator than actually travel to California and solve some of these problems facing our distributors. Instead of coming to the Senate Commerce Committee to testify about what actions they are actually taking, they would rather stay silent. If they don't want to show up and do the job they signed up for, I have heard there is an opening at CNN. Energy prices are up, and families who are simply trying to stay warm during the winter season are going to face higher bills, just as gas prices and food prices continue to climb. The American people are fed up with President Biden's utter lack of leadership. Time and time again, I have come to the floor to try to get some information about this crisis, but Senate Democrats have stood in the way. When I came down to demand notes from internal meetings the Biden administration held about the signs of inflation they were seeing, Democrats blocked--blocked--it. When I walked down here to request a report about the factors causing the energy prices to rise, Senate Democrats blocked it. When I came down here to pass bicameral, commonsense legislation that would alleviate the supply chain crisis facing our ports, Senate Democrats blocked it. This isn't how Washington should be working. I came here to make Washington work for Florida families, but Democrats in this body are joining hands with the White House to institute policies that make life more difficult and more expensive. This isn't government for the people; this is Big Government that hurts the people. I yield the floor.

Mr. SCOTT of Florida. Mr. President, reserving the right to object. I am sure my colleague is aware that, last month, I sent a letter to the Commerce Committee--a committee on which we both serve--informing the chair that I would be holding all Department of Transportation and Department of Commerce nominees until the Senate-confirmed leadership from these Agencies testify about the supply chain crisis. Right now, there are nearly 100 ships waiting to dock in California ports to unload their goods, but they are unable to do so because of President Biden's supply chain crisis. Christmas is just a couple weeks away, and families and businesses are facing empty shelves, shortages on goods, and higher prices. And, so far, Secretary Raimondo and Secretary Buttigieg have been too busy playing TV commentator to actually go to California and solve the problem. It is long past time for the Biden administration to tell us what they are actually doing to solve this crisis and help American families. I appreciate my colleague's partnership with me on the issues under the purview of the Commerce Committee. In fact, I am looking forward to next week, when the bill we are putting together will be considered during a Commerce markup hearing. Given that we will be in session next week, I would urge my colleagues to join me in urging leadership from the Commerce and Transportation Departments that come before the committee and testify on what those Agencies are doing to combat and mitigate the supply chain crisis that is hurting so many families and businesses in Florida and across the country. This isn't an unreasonable request. The Senate has oversight authority, and we can't allow Agency leadership to just ignore their responsibility to report to us on these issues impacting our constituents. But if that is too much to ask, I am inviting Secretary Raimondo and Secretary Buttigieg to even just have an open, public meeting with me and my colleagues. But until we hear from Senate-confirmed officials responsible for this crisis in the Commerce committee, I will be objecting to all Commerce and Transportation nominees going through an expedited process here in the Senate. This isn't personal. It is about accountability for Florida families. Therefore, Mr. President, I object.

Mr. SCOTT of Florida

Mr. SCOTT of Florida. Mr. President, since being elected to the U.S. Senate about 3 years ago, I have spoken often about the dangers presented by communist China. I have not been alone in this. Colleagues on both sides of the aisle--Republicans, Democrats, and Independents in this body--have been vocal about the threats we face from General Secretary Xi and his communist regime. While we may not always agree on the solutions to the problems caused by communist China, I feel we are united in a truth: the good people of China are being brutally oppressed, censored, intimidated, and manipulated by the Chinese Communist Party--a regime that wants nothing more than to dominate the world and extinguish the democratic values and true freedoms we so proudly stand for. Communist China's actions have repeatedly made this fact clear to all freedom-loving people across the world, and its latest attack on liberty and freedom of Peng Shuai demand our attention. Ms. Shuai is one of China's most recognizable athletes. She is a three-time Olympian and was ranked the No. 1 doubles player in 2014 by the Women's Tennis Association. She has won championships at Wimbledon and the French Open and has represented her country at the highest levels of tennis competition. So when she shared her story of sexual abuse by a former Vice Premier of the Chinese Communist Party last month on social media, it rightfully caught the attention of the world. And communist China's reaction to these disturbing allegations have both shocked us all and completely verified all of our fears. Instead of taking Ms. Shuai's claims seriously and investigating these allegations, the communist Chinese Government followed its authoritarian playbook--silence, deflect, and cover up. General Secretary Xi and his Communist thugs are so thin-skinned, weak, and intolerant of any questioning of their conduct that the government immediately silenced and disappeared Ms. Shuai. For more than 2 weeks, a global outcry arose, led by the Women's Tennis Association, asking ``Where is Peng?'' Then, communist China's state media released what it said was an email from Ms. Shuai to the Women's Tennis Association reversing her allegations. It read like a hostage note and only raised more concerns as to her whereabouts and safety. Then, the communist Chinese Government shared a couple of videos of Ms. Shuai at various structured public events and staged two video calls with the International Olympic Committee. Shockingly, the International Olympic Committee didn't ask about her disappearance. They didn't ask about her allegations of abuse. But are any of us surprised? I have been pressing the International Olympic Committee to speak up against communist China's genocide, attacks on democracy, and other abuses for 2 years. They have been completely silent. The IOC's failure to ask these questions reveals it is more interested in appeasing the Chinese Communist Party and maintaining its good relationship with a genocidal communist regime than the safety of athletes. I am not the only one who believes this. Last week, world renowned sports broadcaster Bob Costas appeared on CNN and told the truth that I have been sounding the alarm on. The IOC is in bed with communist China. It is disgusting, but that is the truth. Fortunately, the Women's Tennis Association took real action to stand up for Ms. Shuai. Last week, the WTA announced it would be suspending all of its events in China until it was clear that Ms. Shuai was safe and in good health. The WTA is also calling for a full-fledged and completely transparent investigation into Ms. Shuai's allegations. We should applaud the WTA for doing the right thing and showing the world how sport can stand up to an evil authoritarian communist regime. This is what courage looks like, and I believe it ought to be celebrated in this body. The IOC, on the other hand, is bending over backward to keep communist China happy. We have American athletes and coaches traveling to Beijing in just weeks. It is terrifying. If communist China is willing to do this to its own citizens, how do we know Americans will be safe during the Olympics? We must demand that Ms. Shuai immediately be freed from censorship, coercion, and intimidation, and that there be a full investigation into her serious allegations of sexual assault against former Vice Premier Zhang Gaoli. That is why I have introduced a resolution calling exactly for that. I am thankful that Senators Lummis, Rubio, Braun, Hawley, and Cruz have joined me. The United States is the leading voice of freedom and democracy around the world. We cannot tolerate this kind of behavior, and I urge my colleagues to stand together today for human rights and help pass this good resolution. Mr. President, as if in legislative session, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the consideration of S. Res. 474, which is at the desk. I further ask that the resolution be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, and the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table with no intervening action or debate.

Mr. SCOTT of Florida. Peng Shuai.

Mr. SCOTT of Florida. Mr. President.

Mr. SCOTT of Florida. Reserving the right to object, first, I thank my colleague for agreeing that--I think we all agree that what has happened to Peng Shuai is wrong, and I think we all know we have to stand up to what communist China is doing. Here is my concern about Nick Burns: Until the day he was nominated by President Biden, he had had no problems with communist China. He has never stood up to communist China; he has taken money from communist China; he has always looked the other way. So my concern is that we ought to have a vote on him because everybody ought to have the opportunity to talk to him and get his position. I have talked to him, and he has never ever said a word about the Uighurs, about the Tibetans, about what happened in Hong Kong, about stealing American technology. He has never done any of those things. So I don't know how it is going to help us. I object to the modification, but I hope my colleague will agree that the resolution itself is worth it to go forward and just do it by themselves, and, over time, we will have a vote on Nick Burns.

Mr. SCOTT of Florida. Mr. President, this is pretty disappointing, all right? My Democratic colleague said that he agreed with the resolution. I think it is time that we stand up for the Chinese citizens who are being oppressed by Secretary Xi. What this resolution does is say that, you know, we have got to stand up to all the oppression in China, that we have got to stand up for Peng Shuai. The resolution says, you know, as for the athletes who are going over there, we have your backs. Yet, if you look at what is happening now, the Democrats are saying: We are not going to do those things. I don't think that is right. I don't believe our platform in the Senate should be that we don't stand for alleged victims of sexual assault. I think, by not having this resolution approved today and having the Democrats block it, that that is exactly what we are saying. So it is pretty disappointing. This was a basic resolution that said that we were going to stand up for Peng Shuai. I am very appreciative of what the WTA has done. I am very disappointed with what the NBA has done. I am disappointed with what the IOC has done. I am also disappointed that the Senate, today, could not come to a resolution and simply stand up for somebody who has accused the Vice Premier of China of sexual assault. None of us would like that to happen to anybody in our families, and we don't want it to happen to anybody in this country. We ought to stand up for people in China just like we would want them to stand up for people in this country.

Mr. SCOTT of Florida

Mr. SCOTT of Florida. Mr. President, reserving the right to object. First, I want to acknowledge my colleague's interest in the nominee for the National Institute of Standards and Technology. I am not sure if my colleague is aware, but, last month, I sent a letter to the Commerce Committee, informing them that I would be holding all Department of Transportation and Department of Commerce nominees until the committee hears testimony from Secretary Raimondo and Secretary Buttigieg about the supply chain crisis. Right now, there are nearly 100 ships waiting to dock in California ports to unload their goods, but they are unable to do so because of President Biden's supply chain crisis. Christmas is just a couple of weeks away, and families and businesses are facing empty shelves, shortages on goods, and higher prices. So far, as far as I can tell, I have only seen Secretary Buttigieg and Secretary Raimondo play TV commentator rather than actually go out to California and solve the problems. It is long past time for the Biden administration to tell us exactly what they are doing to solve this crisis and help American families. Until we hear from Secretary Buttigieg and Secretary Raimondo in the Commerce Committee, I will be objecting to all Commerce and Transportation nominees going through an expedited process here in the Senate. This isn't personal. It is about accountability. I look forward to hearing from Secretary Raimondo and Secretary Buttigieg and then going forward with these nominees. Therefore, Mr. President, I object.

Mr. SCOTT of Florida

Mr. SCOTT of Florida. Mr. President.

Mr. SCOTT of Florida. I object.

Mr. SCOTT of Florida. Mr. President.

Mr. SCOTT of Florida. I object.

Mr. SCOTT of Florida. Mr. President, I object.

Mr. SCOTT of Florida. Mr. President, I object.

Mr. SCOTT of Florida. Mr. President, I object.

Mr. SCOTT of Florida. Mr. President, in reserving the right to object, throughout his Presidency, Joe Biden and his administration have shown a complete and total inability to place qualified and competent people in positions of power across the Federal Government. We have had crisis after crisis due to the failed leadership of President Biden and his appointees. I have absolutely no faith that Joe Biden's radical, far-left nominees will uphold the rule of law. I cannot and will not consent to allowing these nominees to move forward in an expedited manner. We should take a vote so every Senator can get on the record with their support or opposition to each of these nominees. Therefore, I object.

Mr. SCOTT of Florida

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

Mr. SCOTT of Florida. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on the Judiciary be discharged from further consideration of S. 3263 and the Senate then proceed to its immediate consideration. I further ask 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.

Mr. SCOTT of Florida. Mr. President, the crisis at the U.S. southern border is raging out of control. Last week, I traveled down to the southern border to hear from local leaders, law enforcement, and our brave Border Patrol agents in Yuma, AZ. I saw the border at night and during the daylight hours with Arizona Department of Homeland Security Director Tim Roemer, Yuma County Sheriff Leon Wilmot, Yuma Mayor Doug Nicholls, and County Supervisor Jonathan Lines. I got to talk with Border Patrol in Arizona and heard from them about how hard this job has become thanks to Joe Biden's radical open border policies. Let me just say that these men and women who work at the Border Patrol are our absolute heroes. In Yuma, Border Patrol agents are encountering illegal immigrants every day, some of whom are dangerous criminals, traffickers, drug cartel members, or even terrorists. Others are families who have been victimized by the cartels. I encountered a family from Haiti while I was there. I watched them cross the border through a massive hole in the border wall caused by Joe Biden's decision not to complete the already paid-for wall--not to complete an already paid-for wall. These families are victims of the cartels. Once in America, many of them live a life of indentured servitude and debilitating debt in which they have to send nearly all of their money back to the savage cartels. Many of the children are trafficked, made to pose as the children of people they don't know. We know that so many women and children who make this journey are brutally victimized and raped, but, still, the cartels push these families across the border. It is all just money to them, and Joe Biden's actions are making the cartels richer. I saw it firsthand last week. Dozens of migrants crossed into our country right in front of me while I was in Yuma, and we could see the savage coyotes watching them from across the river. That is what our brave Border Patrol is up against each and every day. There are about 200 Border Patrol agents across the entire Yuma Sector, but that same area is seeing more than 700 illegal crossings every day. It is sad how many of our Democrat colleagues don't give these brave agents the respect they deserve, and they certainly are not getting it from the White House. So I want to be clear here on the floor of the U.S. Senate: In America, we respect our Border Patrol, we respect law enforcement, and we are incredibly thankful for their hard work and for their bravery. This was not my first time visiting the border since being elected to the Senate, but it was definitely the worst I have ever seen it. Secretary Mayorkas testified in the Homeland Security Committee that the border is closed. He said the border is closed. He is, maybe, the only person in America who is going to say that. No one in this country believes the border is closed, and it is clearly not. I saw it with my own eyes, and many of the Members of this Chamber have seen it also. Secretary Mayorkas has repeatedly lied to me and to other Members, and he must resign now. Just this fiscal year, there have been 1.7 million illegal border crossings. That is the highest ever on record. That means that, by the end of this year, about 1 out of every 150 people in this country will have come here illegally--this year. In Florida, we are an immigration State, and we are very proud of it. We love immigration. It has helped build our State, but it has to be legal. Illegal immigration threatens our safety, undermines our legal process, and hurts those who are waiting to come here through legal channels. But under Biden's system of open borders and illegal immigration, we are seeing dangerous individuals trying to come into this country. Of the 1.7 million people apprehended, which does not even include the getaways, we know that more than 10,000 have criminal records. Now, if you are not going to be apprehended and you try to get away, are you probably more inclined to have some past record that you don't want the Border Patrol or law enforcement to know about? There are 10,000 of the ones apprehended who have prior criminal records. Nearly 1,200 have prior convictions of assault or domestic violence. There are 2,100 who have prior drug convictions. Nearly 500 have prior sexual abuse offenses. And the Biden administration can't even tell us where they are. They can't tell us where any of these individuals are, anything about what has happened to them, if they are being held or if they have been deported--nothing. I want to be clear: These are dangerous criminals who can harm our families--American families--and even one is too many. Along with those border crossings, our Border Patrol agents have seized more than 11,000 pounds of fentanyl in the last year--11,000 pounds. That is four times as much as was confiscated in 2019. Now, let's think about this: 2 milligrams of fentanyl is a lethal dose--2 milligrams--and 1 pound is enough to kill nearly a quarter of a million people. If you do the math, just the amount the Border Patrol has confiscated this year is enough to kill 2.5 billion people. There are 100,000 Americans who have died of drug overdoses this year; 100,000 Americans are dead because of drug overdoses just this year. That is 1 out of every 3,000 Americans. It is hitting Florida and every community across this country. Floridians, like everyone in this country, want to live in safe communities where their families can thrive and prosper. Where is Joe Biden? He is missing. He is hiding from the crisis he created. I heard him say recently that he hasn't had time to get to the border. He didn't have time to get to the border. Well, I hope he enjoyed his vacation in Nantucket last week and had plenty of ice cream. What makes you even more angry is that, while drugs and illegal immigrants are flowing in, Secretary Mayorkas has the audacity to come to the Homeland Security Committee and tell us that the border is closed when it clearly is not. It is shameful, and Secretary Mayorkas should resign. Simply holding Mayorkas accountable isn't going to solve this crisis. We need to do more to make sure our laws are being upheld. This crisis and the administration's refusal to do anything about it is why I have introduced the Upholding the Law at Our Border Act. This simple bill would require the inspector general of the Department of Homeland Security to investigate the vetting and processing of migrants apprehended along the southwest border and ensure that all laws are being upheld. It is a simple question that the inspector general can and should answer: Is the Biden administration following all of the laws with respect to immigration at the U.S.-Mexico border? My colleague said he wanted to change the immigration laws. In the meantime, you enforce the laws. When I was the Governor of Florida, I had to enforce all of the laws whether I liked them or not. That is exactly what the Border Patrol should be doing right now and what the Biden administration should be doing right now. It is the kind of question everyone in this body should be interested in: Is the executive branch doing its job in following and enforcing the laws that the legislative branch has passed? When the executive branch doesn't enforce those laws, they should be held accountable. This was a simple bill to find out if the Department of Homeland Security is following all of the laws. It is pretty simple: Follow all of the laws in place as they relate to immigration and customs enforcement on our southern border. Yet my colleague objected to finding out just this basic information. There is clearly a crisis on the border, and we all know it. Instead of ensuring that the laws that this body has passed are being enforced and doing something about the influx of drugs that are killing American citizens and traffickers coming into our country, my colleague wants to hear nothing about it. There were 100,000 Americans who died of overdoses this last year. Every person who dies of an overdose impacts a family. It seems the Democrats in Washington would rather stick their heads in the sand and pretend that nothing is wrong. I want to ask my Democratic colleagues: How do you explain 100,000 lives lost in drug overdoses to a parent who just lost a son or a daughter, and how do you explain Biden's decision to open our borders to our brave Border Patrol agents? Our Border Patrol agents have no idea why these decisions are being made. I wonder if any of my Democratic colleagues has talked to a family who has lost a son or a daughter to a fentanyl overdose or has talked to a member of Border Patrol recently. Or do they just have to follow the lead of the ``open borders'' Biden, and they can never object to whatever Biden wants and can ignore our laws and our law enforcement? We have already seen that Joe Biden's policies of open borders and amnesty have been a total disaster for our Nation. He has laid out the welcome mat for traffickers and cartel members and has ignored U.S. laws that are designed to keep American families safe--to keep American families safe--including not fully enforcing title 42. It is clear that law enforcement in Yuma and across our southern border need help, and every day that Joe Biden and Secretary Mayorkas fail to provide it, they fail the American people. Secretary Mayorkas doesn't work for Joe Biden. He works for the American people, and he needs to do his job and secure this border. It is a shameful decision to forsake the responsibility the American public has entrusted to Members of this body and to this executive branch. Enforce the law. It is a decision to stand against our Border Patrol agents and our law enforcement, who are putting their lives on the line every day to keep dangerous drugs and violent criminals from entering this country. That is their job, and they need help in doing it. We can't let this stand any longer, because the American people deserve better than having 100,000 people, this last year, dying of drug overdoses. I yield the floor.

Mr. SCOTT of Florida. Mr. President, I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. SCOTT of Florida

Mr. SCOTT of Florida. Madam President, as empty shelves grow more and more common, prices are surging higher, and small businesses can't access the goods they need to serve their customers. Joe Biden's supply chain and inflation crises are devastating for so many Americans, but it is our poorest families--those on low and fixed incomes, like mine growing up--who are hurt the most. Just last week, we saw the new CPI inflation data come out. Rates are the highest they have been in more than 30 years. Every month, when I see Biden's new inflation numbers come out--and they are always worse than the month before--I think about my mom. Growing up, I watched my mom struggle every day just to put food on the table and make ends meet for our family. Now countless families across America are dealing with that same struggle today all because of Joe Biden's reckless, socialist policies, like his unconstitutional vaccine mandates. These policies are fueling inflation and the current supply chain crisis, but Biden and his administration do absolutely nothing to fix it. Throughout my years in business and 8 years as the Governor of Florida, I learned that, when you are trying to solve a problem, the best place to start is by bringing people together. When hurricanes devastated Florida, and we had to deal with restoring power and communication services and getting resources where they were needed most, we brought people together and got to work to solve problems, but you don't see any of that with this administration. Just look at inflation. I have been talking about inflation nonstop all year, and it is getting worse and worse and worse. Biden has totally ignored it. His administration has attacked people like Larry Summers and me. Larry Summers is a Clinton-Obama appointee who warned early on that reckless spending was going to fuel a massive inflation crisis. Now we are seeing the same thing with Biden's supply chain crisis. I have called on Commerce Secretary Raimondo and Transportation Secretary Buttigieg to come before the Commerce Committee and testify about what they are doing to resolve this problem. They haven't shown up. We haven't had a single hearing on this crisis in the Commerce Committee. I have seen them on TV dismiss the severity of the problem. I was surprised to see that Secretary Buttigieg had time to attend a bill signing but still hasn't been to California to get working on the massive supply chain issues that are stranding dozens of ships off the California coast. Unlike the Biden administration, I am not going to sit around and play TV commentator. Families in Florida expect and deserve more than that. That is why I was proud to partner with my friend and colleague Congressman Carlos Gimenez to introduce the Supply Chain Emergency Response Act to get products flowing to American families and businesses again. Our legislation is simple and common sense. Congress passed the CARES Act to help our economy survive the effects of COVID and the economic lockdowns. We know that much of that money remains unspent and that it could be used for far more important purposes. We also know that there are dozens of ships waiting to dock and be unloaded at California ports right now. Our bill would redirect $125 million of unspent, unobligated CARES Act funds to help pay for the costs of moving cargo ships, which are waiting to dock on the west coast, through the Panama Canal, so they can dock along the east coast, including in States like Florida. I am going to be clear. This bill does nothing to mandate that ships be redirected to the east coast. It simply provides an option and the funding to offset some of the costs. The bill would also allow Governors to use their unspent and unobligated CARES Act funds to offset port fees and other related State-level expenses. It is the pretty simple idea of using the money meant to help with the economic recovery to actually help with the economic recovery. Just last week, at the Port of Palm Beach, I had a meeting with port and business leaders who are seeing the delays and effects firsthand. Their businesses are hurting and are left waiting for weeks and months for the resources they need to run their businesses and serve their customers. We need a solution, and Florida's ports are ready and able to help with this crisis, and with the holidays getting closer and closer, we can't waste any more time. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of S. 3224, which is at the desk. Further, 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.

Mr. SCOTT of Florida. Madam President, I appreciate my colleague, and I am proud to serve on the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation with her. Just remember, what we are talking about here is a supply chain problem, and let's not ignore a very important fact. That committee has not held a single hearing on this crisis. I have been calling for Secretary Buttigieg and Secretary Raimondo to testify in the Commerce Committee on Biden's supply chain crisis for weeks and haven't seen one bit of action taken to make that happen. I don't think we can wait any longer. American families can't wait any longer. Biden's supply chain crisis is hurting American families everywhere right now. The President's failed policies and unconstitutional vaccine mandates are stifling business growth, crippling our supply chain, and fueling his--his--inflation crisis. Restoring our supply chains is critical to getting the American economy rolling again and something President Biden doesn't seem to understand, but we need solutions. I actually feel sorry that my Democratic colleagues have to cover for the President's failures instead of actually helping the American people. Passing this bill today would have given us the opportunity to provide some needed relief in the supply chain and help lower costs for American families who are worried about whether they will be able to afford Thanksgiving dinner and Hanukkah gifts and holiday gifts. We need solutions now, and today's inaction is a perfect example why the American people don't trust Washington to get anything done. I yield the floor.

Mr. SCOTT of Florida

Mr. SCOTT of Florida. Madam President, in December, President Biden promised he would not require Americans to be vaccinated or require that they carry vaccine passports. Less than 10 months into his Presidency, I think he must have forgotten what he said, breaking promise after promise and going back on his word. How can the American people believe anything he says? Americans are sick and tired of the government telling them what to do and are more than capable of making the right choices to protect themselves, their families, and their neighbors. But now, because King Biden has gone back on his word or forgotten what he said, millions of Americans are facing an ultimatum: Get the vaccine or lose your job. For companies, it is either make your employees get the jab or lose your Federal contract. This is a complete overreach of power. Biden wants to control our lives and make the government be the authority in every area of your life. Nowhere in the Constitution does it say that Biden has this power--nowhere. Listen, I had COVID. I am grateful that I was able to get vaccinated. I hope that all Americans talk with their doctors and consider making the same decision. It is a personal decision every individual gets to make, but that is not how President Biden sees it. That is why I introduced multiple pieces of legislation to push back on these unconstitutional vaccine mandates. I have introduced the Freedom to Fly Act to prohibit the TSA from requiring Americans to show proof of vaccine or produce a vaccine passport and protect the privacy of American families. I don't believe that the Federal Government has any business requiring travelers to turn over their personal medical information to catch a flight. I introduced the Stop Mandating Additional Requirements for Travel Act to prohibit the feds from requiring Americans to wear masks on public transportation like Amtrak or on airplanes. I also introduced the Prevent Unconstitutional Vaccine Mandates for Interstate Commerce Act, which would prevent Federal Agencies like the Department of Transportation from requiring proof of vaccination for companies trying to do business across State lines. Last month, I introduced legislation to prevent vaccine mandates from being tied to a few of our Federal assistance programs, like Medicare, Social Security, food stamps, and public housing. I hoped everyone in this Chamber would have agreed that we shouldn't force struggling American families to choose between Social Security disability checks and a personal health decision. Most Americans would be shocked if a politician said it is acceptable to deny someone health insurance or food stamps simply because of their vaccine status. Sadly, Madam President, this is exactly what happened on this floor last month. All I did was request that Americans, regardless of vaccine status, should be able to access a few of our most essential government programs. My Democratic colleagues disagreed every time. The Democratic Party leaves no room for disagreement. They leave no room for compromise. I think it is shameful. But unlike Joe Biden and Democrats in Washington, I don't believe that government knows better than the American people. My parents didn't have much of a formal education, but they worked hard and made the choices they felt were right for the health and well-being of our family. As Biden tries to control the lives of every American family, our economy is suffering. Inflation is already skyrocketing, and these vaccine mandates are going to add to it. Only weeks ago, the Federal Reserve published its latest Beige Book report. In the report, the Fed found that vaccine mandates were widely cited by businesses as a reason for low labor supply and hiring and retention issues. The Federal Reserve admitted what I have been warning about for weeks: Joe Biden's unconstitutional vaccine mandates are causing higher turnover, driving Americans out of their jobs, and further fueling the devastating supply chain and inflation crisis plaguing American families. When I think about the impact of vaccine mandates, I think about my dad. My dad was a truckdriver. Anyone who has driven trucks or has been close to someone in that line of work knows how demanding the job can be. There is already a driver shortage in this country, and we can't afford to lose any more due to unconstitutional vaccine mandates. Consider first responders. Dozens of Massachusetts State troopers are threatening to resign over vaccine mandates. Los Angeles County could lose up to 10 percent of its police force. Chicago may see up to 50 percent of its police refusing to comply with vaccine mandates. Seattle is preparing for a mass exodus of officers in the coming weeks due to people who are quitting over vaccine mandates. For the past several months, we have been seeing rises in violent crime and problems in retaining police officers. We should not add to that ongoing problem by forcing police officers to choose between their jobs and taking a vaccine. I have called on Secretary Raimondo and Secretary Buttigieg to come before the Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee to explain what they are doing to prevent U.S. supply chains from completely crumbling under Biden's failed policies and mandates. Sadly, I haven't heard a word from them, but I do see them on TV all the time. These people love to get on CNN and be commentators. That is not their job. Their job isn't to just point out a problem; their job is to fix it. Now, we have all seen the disruption that this virus has caused. Many of us know someone who has fallen extremely ill or who has died because of COVID. That is why I am very appreciative of all of those who have worked so hard to develop the vaccine. But I am 100 percent against these unconstitutional mandates. Being vaccinated is a decision every American gets to make for himself. It is an authoritarian overreach by King Biden to threaten people with job loss unless they get the vaccine. Think about it. Why on Earth would a President do something they know is going to cost someone their job? Our job within government is to provide people with good information so they can make informed decisions and help create jobs, not kill them. But we are seeing that everything Joe Biden does makes things worse for families and businesses in Florida and across our great country. It is time he rescinds his proposed unconstitutional vaccine mandate. I yield the floor to my colleague from Tennessee.