Rick Scott

Mr. SCOTT of Florida

Mr. SCOTT of Florida. Madam President, in less than 72 hours, the suspension on the Federal Government's debt ceiling will expire. That leaves Congress with two options: continue with the reckless, wasteful spending it is accustomed to without any accountability to the American people; or finally face reality, make some tough choices, and chart a path forward that lowers the Federal debt and gets spending under control. Washington is constantly spending more money and taking on new debt without any plan to ever reduce the debt. Since 1960, Congress has raised or extended the debt limit more than 70 times. Washington's choice to keep raising or suspending the debt ceiling is like raising the limit on your credit card month after month with no plan to pay it off. It is reckless, and it is this kind of fiscal irresponsibility that is hurting American families and causing the rising inflation we are seeing. As you can see here, 87 percent of Americans are worried about inflation--87 percent. Low- and fixed-income families are having to cut on purchases because of rising costs. Look at these numbers: Gas up 52 percent in 12 months; milk, 11; bacon, 16 percent; eggs, 6 percent; used cars, 45 percent; utilities, 6 percent. I am hearing from families all across Florida who are worried. Read you a couple stories. A father of three in Jacksonville, who is temporarily helping to take care of two other kids because their father is out of work, has started working a second job driving Uber just to pay for groceries that are rapidly increasing in price. Now, his Uber job is becoming less and less profitable because the rising price of gas. Mother of four in Wauchula said she used to be able to go to the grocery store and spend a certain amount of money for an entire month's groceries; now she can't. Two hundred dollars in meat is not--is no longer enough to feed her family of five. She is being forced to choose between gas to get to work and groceries for her family, and is picking up extra jobs just to get by. I can relate to all this. I grew up in a family that struggled for money. My mom would take in ironing for extra money. She would send me or my older brother to the grocery store with exact change, but she told us: You have got to check the prices. The prices keep going up. And if it does, you have got to figure out how to get the food we need with less--with the money we have. I have spoken to the owner of a construction company in West Palm Beach who says materials are going up. Twenty-four dollars for a sheet of plywood is now $80 a sheet. Drywall is going up a dollar a board. Prices of hardware, like screws, are going up 10 to 15 percent per month. Delivery prices are going up due to gas and the shortage of truck drivers. His employees are complaining about gas and are afraid what it might mean if the price continues to rise. A restaurant owner in Tampa told me the cost of meat has gone up from $9 a pound to $18. Gas prices and food prices, coupled with the struggle to find workers, has been very hard on his business. Another family in Kissimmee told me how hard it is to keep food on the table because everything is so expensive. They are having trouble keeping the car because of the cost of maintenance and gas, but if he doesn't have a car, he wouldn't have a way to get to work to take care of his family. The price of gas affects nearly everyone, and right now average gas prices are up nearly $1 since last year. For a family that fills up their tank once a week, if you drive a car, that means Joe Biden raised your expenses $600 a year; if you drive a truck, that means Joe Biden raised your expenses by more than $1,000 a year. Biden and the Democrats say they care about people, but they have done absolutely nothing to help families struggling to keep up with inflation. Their plan is to spend more, more, more money, not less. We have nearly $30 trillion in debt, and there are no plans to slow down. Now Biden and the Democrats want to spend another $5.5 trillion on their liberal priorities, with no consideration as to how this might impact families. Right now, this message that President Biden and the Democrats in Washington are sending to the American people is clear: We don't care about inflation. We don't care about reckless spending that is causing prices to skyrocket. If they say that is the cost of getting our liberal--their liberal wish list done, so be it. I think it is a disgusting approach and I am not going to stand for it. I am here to say that enough is enough. It is time to wake up to reality. Eighty-seven percent of Americans are concerned about inflation. We have to take action to get government spending under control, which is why we have introduced the Federal Debt Emergency Control Act. My bill prevents Washington from mindlessly spending by requiring that two-thirds of the Senate vote to increase the debt before approving any bill with deficit spending. It would also terminate any unobligated funding from the American Rescue Plan and any previous spending bills--sending it back to the Treasury general fund for deficit reduction. Finally, it would ensure that any bill reducing the debt by at least 5 percent over 10 years is fast-tracked through the legislative process. I have also introduced an amendment to the Senate rules to require that all committee reports include inflationary impact statements so Americans can see the true impacts of government spending. Americans deserve to know how their hard-earned dollars are being spent and how Washington's spending is affecting inflation. This will ensure they do. I welcome all my fiscally responsible colleagues to join me to say we don't accept status quo. We won't watch in silence as people try to spend us into oblivion. We won't stand by while inflation wreaks havoc on our families and businesses. We can get spending under control. While I was Governor of Florida, we paid down one-third of our State debt by living within our means, all while cutting taxes and fees about 100 times. We can do it here, but we have to start acting responsibly today, and the time to do that is now. It is time to stand up for our grandkids, whose future is being mortgaged for out-of-control Washington spending. This isn't political. It is good government, and it is commonsense. I yield the floor.

Mr. SCOTT of Florida

Mr. SCOTT of Florida. Mr. President, I rise today to commemorate the life and legacy of David Mermelstein. David was born in Kevjazd, Czechoslovakia, on December 21, 1928. In 1944, at just 16 years old, David was sent to the Nazi concentration camp at Auschwitz until the American liberation of the camp in 1945. He was the only member of his family to survive the Holocaust. David lost everything, including documentation of his family's insurance policy. After 2 years in a displaced persons camp, David came to the United States in 1948. He met his wife, Irene, who is also a Holocaust survivor, in New York. Together, they decided to move to Miami, FL, where they made a lifelong home. David devoted his life to serving the south Florida Jewish community, assuming leadership roles in many organizations. He was passionate about educating our children about the Holocaust. He founded the Holocaust Survivors of Miami-Dade County, becoming a national advocate for survivors and testifying before Congress on their behalf on the need for restitution to obtain the most equitable compensation possible for the survivors. David lived through unspeakable horror and dedicated his life to educating and inspiring those around him. Our memory of all those who suffered must never weaken, and we must always fight against hate. David was beloved by all who knew him. He was a fierce advocate and an inspiration to all who heard his story. David exemplified what it means to love and to make a difference. He will be greatly missed and remembered forever for his remarkable and inspiring life. Ann and I are praying for Irene, Helene, Joe Davis, Michael and Lisa Mermelstein, Debbi Mermelstein, Jenna and Mike Fox, Lindsay Davis, Brian Davis, and Eli Fox, and all of David's family and friends. We mourn this very heavy loss, but we are blessed to have known David Mermelstein and for the work he did to educate and improve the world. May his memory be a blessing to all.

Mr. SCOTT of Florida

Mr. SCOTT of Florida. Mr. President, I would like to thank my colleague Senator Rubio for joining me to honor the lives lost in the horrific tragedy on June 24, when the Champlain Towers South condo building in Surfside, FL, suddenly collapsed in the middle of the night, and honor the brave men and women that have risked their lives in search, rescue, and recovery efforts. Senator Rubio and I were on the ground in Surfside following the collapse, talking to families, first responders, and members of the community. The pain these families are experiencing is unimaginable. Those unexpectedly lost in this horrific tragedy were mothers, fathers, grandfathers and grandmothers, friends, aunts, uncles, and cousins. They were children and grandchildren with their full lives ahead of them. I can't imagine losing any member of my family like this, but the thought of losing one of my grandchildren is too painful to imagine. We mourn with these families, and our hearts break for them. We continue to pray for the Surfside community, the families and loved ones of those lost, and all of those working tirelessly to serve the Surfside community. In the face of tremendous tragedy, our first responders ran into the danger. They are heroes. They immediately answered the call to serve, and firefighters, law enforcement officers, rescue and recovery crews, emergency medical technicians, physicians, nurses, and others from across the State of Florida and the Nation came rushing to save them. When you meet with the first responders--I mean, they are working tirelessly trying to find somebody that has survived, and your heart goes out to them as they went from rescue to recovery. Miami-Dade Fire Rescue, the Miami-Dade Police Department, the Surfside Police Department, and others from around the area were there every step of the way. Some of these responders lost family in the collapse; yet they still answered the call. We heard the absolutely devastating story of a Miami-Dade firefighter who carried the body of his own 7-year-old daughter, Stella, away from the rubble. You just can't even begin to imagine the pain and loss experienced by this father. International rescue crews and emergency support organizations from Israel and Mexico also responded to the site to aid in the search and rescue efforts. Numerous volunteer organizations responded, including the Red Cross, as well as community leaders and individuals offering resources, support, and comfort to the survivors and community in Surfside. Our Jewish community, particularly Orthodox Jews, have been especially affected by this tragedy, and we thank CSE, Hatzalah, ZAKA, and all those who have worked selflessly to support our Jewish community. We can never thank these brave men and women enough for their bravery and determination in the face of this terrible tragedy. I know right now we all have a lot of unanswered questions. We are all going to work tirelessly to understand exactly what happened. And while we can't bring back the lives lost, I will always work to honor those lost and will be relentless in the search for answers to make sure a tragedy like this never happens again. As if in legislative session, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the consideration of S. Res. 300, submitted earlier today

Mr. SCOTT of Florida. 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. SCOTT of Florida. Mr. President, I appreciate the unanimous support of my Senate colleagues passing this resolution to honor the lives lost in the horrific tragedy in Surfside, and I thank the many first responders for their incredible bravery in the search and rescue and recovery efforts. Our hearts are broken, but we stand together. Florida is ``Surfside Strong.'' I yield the floor.

Mr. SCOTT of Florida

Mr. SCOTT of Florida. Madam President, America is in a debt crisis because of reckless government spending. Now, thanks to the insane spending and failed policies of President Joe Biden and Democrats in Washington, we are seeing higher and higher inflation. Under the Biden administration, inflation has grown every month. Just look at this week's CPI numbers. From June 2020 to June 2021, the Consumer Price Index rose 5.4 percent. Energy costs are up 24.5 percent, and gasoline prices are up 45 percent--nearly $1 more from where they were last year. Inflation is at the highest rate since the great recession. This week's Producer Price Index data shows a 7.3- percent increase in June and a historic 22.6-percent jump in the prices of processed goods, the highest since 1975. For 6 straight months, we have seen the data clearly shows that spending beyond our means has consequences. Inflation is growing at the fastest rate since 1981. These aren't just numbers or statistics; these increases represent a growing pressure on Florida families and businesses. Every time prices rise, life gets harder. Last month, I met with business owners in Miami and heard firsthand how their businesses were struggling with the rising price of goods. Every time I am home in Florida, I hear from families who are noticing prices are up, gas prices are up, and food prices are up. Every price increase has a direct impact on a family's budget. When inflation goes up, it hurts everyone, especially our poor families, those on fixed incomes, and small businesses. I saw how hard it was for my parents to make ends meet when inflation hit in the seventies. When food and gas prices went up, we had less food on the table. I remember going to the grocery store, when my mom took in ironing to raise money every day for groceries, and she said: You have to look at the price of things because they are constantly going up. That is happening again in Joe Biden's America. Families in Florida and across our Nation are suffering because of the Democrats' reckless spending spree led by Joe Biden. Just take a look around. Average prices of everything--everything is up. Let's say families are filling up their tank once a week. If you drive a car, that means Joe Biden raised your expenses $600 a year. If you drive a truck, that means Joe Biden raised your expenses by more than $1,000 a year. And let's remember, half of Americans make less than $35,000 a year. Inflation is a new tax on our families. Instead of addressing this crisis that has hurt Americans, Biden and the Democrats are living in an economic fantasyland where debt doesn't matter, spending has no consequences, and inflation is impossible. They are ignoring the fact that our Nation is barreling towards $30 trillion in debt. That is $233,000 in debt for every family in America. Now Democrats in the Senate want to spend another $4 trillion of your money on a so-called infrastructure plan that has little to do with infrastructure. They don't care if Americans get a return on their hard-earned tax dollars. But the truth is, we can't keep spending like this. There will be a day of reckoning coming if we don't act to get our fiscal house in order. That is why I have introduced legislation, the Federal Debt Emergency Control Act, to take real steps to rein in Washington's out- of-control spending. That includes preventing Biden and the Democrats from mindlessly spending by requiring that two-thirds of the Senate vote to increase the debt before approving any bill with deficit spending. It would terminate any unobligated funding from the American Rescue Plan and any previous stimulus bills, sending it back to the Treasury General Fund for deficit reduction. Finally, it would ensure that any bill reducing the debt by at least 5 percent over 10 years is fast-tracked through the legislative process. We are in a debt crisis. This isn't monopoly money; it is Americans' money, and we have to be responsible with it. It is time to end the madness, and it is time to stand up for low- and fixed-income families and for small businesses that bear the brunt of President Biden's inflation crisis. With the debt ceiling suspension expiring on July 31, we must tackle these issues head-on and chart a new and fiscally responsible path forward that protects families and our Nation's financial security. I look forward to every fiscally responsible Republican and Democrat working with me to reject Biden's insane spending spree, quickly pass my bill, and protect the future of this Nation

Mr. SCOTT of Florida

Mr. SCOTT of Florida. Madam President, I rise today to talk about the new day of freedom dawning in Cuba and the brave Cubans marching for freedom across the island. For decades, the Cuban people have suffered atrocities, oppression, and misery at the hands of the communist Castro regime. I have repeatedly told the story of Sirley Avila Leon, a Cuban woman who was attacked by Cuban security forces in 2015. They cut off her hand and stuck her arm in the mud to make sure it got infected. Her crime? She complained that the regime was going to shut down a school in her neighborhood. I have spoken to brave leaders like Jose Daniel Ferrer and the courageous members of his Patriotic Union of Cuba who are fighting every day to defend human rights, freedom, and the democratic movement in Cuba. Activists like Jose Daniel Ferrer and the artists of the San Isidro Movement are the future of Cuba, not the ruthless communist regime. Today, the people of Cuba are saying: Enough. Across Cuba, people are marching in the streets to protest against communist rule and demand the freedom, liberty, and basic human rights that have been stolen from them for decades by the brutally oppressive Cuban regime. Their demands are simple: libertad. What we are seeing in Cuba should send a clear message to the world. Communism is a failed ideology that does nothing but lead to suffering and oppression. Communism doesn't work. Socialism doesn't work. The people of Cuba are crying out for freedom. They are denouncing the oppressive communist rule that has brought ruin to their nation for more than 60 years. The message from the Cuban people to Diaz-Canel and Raul Castro has never been more clear: Your time is up. And the regime is terrified of the Cuban people. They are attacking peaceful protesters in an effort to silence them. Right now, Jose Daniel Ferrer, members of his family, and other leaders from his group are reportedly missing, likely kidnapped by the regime. This disgusting assault on the people of Cuba cannot go unchecked. We cannot ignore this historic moment in the fight for freedom. We understand the value and importance of freedom in our everyday lives, and it is our duty to support and stand up for those who are oppressed by dictators and denied the right the live freely. Today, I stand proudly with the heroic freedom fighters across Cuba who have taken to the streets, determined to regain their freedom and put an end to the Castro dictatorship. Now, the Biden administration must lead the freedom-loving nations of the world in loud and unequivocal denouncement of the brutal communist Castro regime and in support of the liberty, democracy, and human rights the Cuban people call for and rightfully deserve. We must be clear. For decades, Cuba has been the root of instability in Latin America and represented a terrible threat to the national security of the United States. The Castro regime harbors terrorist groups; has gotten rid of free and fair elections; threatens and arbitrarily arrests critics, journalists, and political activists; and props up other ruthless dictators, like Maduro in Venezuela and Ortega in Nicaragua. Today, the American people must join freedom-loving Cubans in saying that the oppression ends now. We cannot lift sanctions or restore diplomatic relations with the Cuban dictatorship. We should not offer another lifeline to this brutal communist dictatorship. I urge the Biden administration to impose further sanctions on the tyrannical Cuban regime. We cannot let up. There must be consequences for this heinous oppression and attacks on peaceful protesters. To the people of Cuba: You are not alone. I stand with you in this fight. Florida stands with you in this fight. The United States of America stands with you in this fight. The freedom of Cuba is closer than ever, and we are not going to stop until we see a new day of freedom, democracy, and ``Patria y Vida'' in Cuba. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent to address the Senate in Spanish.

Mr. SCOTT of Florida

Mr. SCOTT of Florida. Mr. President, reserving the right to object, before I address this issue, I will take a moment of personal privilege to talk about the horrific tragedy that occurred in Surfside, FL, when an apartment building collapsed earlier this morning. Miami-Dade fire and rescue, Miami-Dade police, and our other brave first responders rushed to the scene and have been working nonstop to rescue those trapped in the rubble. It looks horrible. I have talked to quite a few people down there, and we know of one confirmed death, and, hopefully, there won't be no more. But I know they are still trying to get people out of the rubble. So I join all my Floridians in praying for strength for these first responders and all those impacted by this disaster. First, I want to thank my colleague for giving me a few moments to speak on this difficult moment for my State. My colleague raised this same issue yesterday. I am here fighting for accountability for the American people. So I will say the same in return. I voted to support Ms. Easterly's confirmation in committee last week. If Senator Schumer filed for cloture, like he has done for dozens of other nominees this year, I would vote to support her confirmation here on the Senate floor. In fact, I don't understand why Senator Schumer didn't file for cloture on Tuesday night when my office first learned of my colleague's intention to raise this. We could be voting on her confirmation right now. As my colleague has said, this isn't about Ms. Easterly, in my mind. This isn't about cyber security. Remember, we announced and confirmed the National Cyber Director last week. Just yesterday, the Senate confirmed the Administrator of the General Services Administration, which is a key Agency for modernizing and protecting the Federal Government's IT infrastructure. I am here today because families in my State of Florida and across our Nation deserve accountability, and President Biden has shown a total lack of accountability when it comes to addressing the border crisis. That is why I announced last month that I will be holding all of President Biden's nominees for the Department of Homeland Security from being approved through our expedited process until he and Vice President Harris visit the border and see for themselves the crisis their failed policies of open borders and the amnesty have created. As we all know, yesterday, the White House announced that the Vice President will be visiting the border tomorrow, and absolutely, I think we all hope that is true. The administration made a lot of promises they haven't kept. They promised not to raise taxes. They promised to reopen schools quickly. They promised to be tough on Communist China. There is quite a list. So trust me--I am glad the Vice President seems to be taking my advice and finally listening to the American people and visiting the border. I truly hope she gets down to the border to see the crisis that this administration's failed policies have created. I hope she meets with the National Border Patrol Council to hear from them what our brave CBP agents are going through every day to keep us safe. I hope she meets with border community sheriffs who are responsible for keeping our families safe. I hope she meets with our ICE and CBP section chiefs. I hope she takes an aerial tour like I did and sees the gaps in the wall. I took a tour with Governor Ducey. You have the wall, and then all of a sudden, there are these openings where the fences weren't put up or the gates weren't put up. A lot of people up here said: Oh, we don't need the wall; we need, you know, technology. Well, there are the lights and cameras. I saw places where it just-- it wasn't electrified. It just doesn't make sense. I hope she meets with families who have been victims of trafficking and hears their horrific stories, what this has put people through. I hope she visits some of the border communities and talks to the mayors and talks to people down there about how they are housing and caring for this historic number of people illegally crossing our borders. This is a tough crisis that has been created. I hope she talks to families who have lost loved ones from massive, massive amounts of fentanyl that now our cartels are moving across the border. I hope she talks to ranchers who are impacted by people illegally crossing the border onto their property. I think all of us would hope that it is not just a political stunt. I hope she actually says: I want to see the crisis. I want to understand exactly what happened here. When she does, I am going to lift all of my holds, as I told my colleague. What is happening at the border is a crisis, and I don't think there is another word for it. You can look at this chart. Look at how many people have come across. This is the number of people who have been apprehended. We don't know how many people there are who haven't been apprehended. More than 180,000 illegal aliens tried to cross our southern border last month--the highest number in 21 years--threatening our national security and the safety of American families. President Biden's immigration policies are putting unaccompanied minors at risk of human trafficking, violence, sexual abuse, and separation from their families. I mean, it is horrible. They are leading to an alarming increase in human trafficking and drug smuggling by cartels. FBI Director Wray said there is ``no question'' that the cartel activity from Mexico is ``spilling over'' to the United States. We are seeing it in Florida. I talk to our sheriffs, and what they are telling me is that they are seeing a lot more deadly fentanyl coming into their counties, and it is showing up in their labs. But instead of securing the border and finishing the wall construction projects--I don't get it. Why did President Biden terminate all the border wall projects? No one can--he has never had an explanation. So this inaction of not going to the border by President Biden and Vice President Harris doesn't make any sense. Why can't they acknowledge that we expect and we deserve a secure border that is good for our Nation? Why can't they stand up against the radical left and say that open borders are dangerous for our families? It should make every American furious. It is not something to laugh about. People are dying. Children are being exploited and abandoned in the desert. This is a picture of two young 3- and 5-year-old Ecuadorian girls. You can see it. They were just dropped. Anybody who has been around little children, 3 and 5 years old--think about it. They were just dropped over the wall and just abandoned, just abandoned, hoping somebody was going to take care of them. Abandoned in the middle of the night. I mean, I have grandkids. I just can't imagine--I can't imagine anybody doing this. The White House claims that Vice President Harris's last trip was to talk about the root causes of immigration. It doesn't make any sense. It seems like it was just a political stunt to me. President Biden and Vice President Harris need to stop avoiding the crisis, stop laughing about the threat, get down to the border, and actually take real steps to really secure the border. So if either of them goes to the border, I am lifting my holds, but as long as they refuse to help those risking their lives every day to keep us safe, as long as they refuse to visit the border and put an end to the humanitarian crisis they have created, I am going to keep my holds on. Those two little girls, they deserve better. The millions of immigrants going through the legal immigration process, they deserve better. Our Border Patrol agents deserve better. Our local law enforcement agents deserve better. ICE deserves better. American families deserve better. Therefore, I object.

Mr. SCOTT of Florida

Mr. SCOTT of Florida. Mr. President, it has been a trying year for our Nation. Thankfully, the vaccine has brought so much hope and a semblance of normalcy back to the lives of many Americans. As families and businesses in Florida and across the United States continue to work hard to recover from the devastation of COVID-19, travel is critical to get our economy fully reopened. From the beginning of the pandemic, I encouraged everyone to wear a mask as we learned more about this virus, but now the science is clear that broad mask mandates aren't necessary. Unfortunately, the CDC has decided to buck the science when it comes to travel and is still requiring face masks on public transportation. We have all heard the stories of how this mandate impacts families: a mother and her six children traumatized by being kicked off a flight after her 2-year-old daughter refused to wear a mask; a New Jersey couple forced to deplane because their 2-year-old wouldn't wear a mask; a Colorado mother and their family booted off a flight over fears their 3-year-old son, who has a disability, wouldn't wear a mask; an Orthodox Jewish family kicked off a flight because their 15-month-old baby was not wearing a mask. You can't make this stuff up. It has made traveling with children nearly impossible. After a year of hardships and being apart from loved ones, these families were denied the ability to reconnect. It is awful and unnecessary. And I hear stories all the time about parents with young children deciding, I am not getting on an airplane because I know I will get kicked off or I might get kicked off. And to make guidelines even more confusing, you are allowed to remove your mask to eat and drink. So why is it OK and totally safe to not have a mask while you eat a snack but dangerous to be unmasked any other time? The CDC itself has been clear that mask mandates aren't needed. You don't have to wear a mask in a restaurant. You don't have to wear a mask in a hotel. You don't have to wear a mask at a school. You don't have to wear a mask in a stadium. So why is the CDC singling out airlines and public transportation? It doesn't make any sense. This isn't a political argument. In fact, during our Commerce Committee markup of the surface transportation measure last week, both Democrats and Republicans expressed frustration at the continuation of the mask mandate. Republican and Democratic Governors and mayors across the country have followed the science and lifted mask mandates. Just like the Federal Government should not be in the business of requiring Americans to turn over their vaccination records, the Federal Government should not be mandating citizens wear masks on public transportation. That is why I introduced the Stop Mandating Additional Requirements for Travel, or SMART Act, which would revoke the Federal requirement for Americans to wear masks on public transportation. Americans should be free to make choices they feel are in the best interest of their own health and the health of their loved ones. If someone wants to wear a mask, they are absolutely free to do so, but the government has no right to tell them what to do. If an airline or other private company decides it wants to implement a mask policy, so be it. This does not prohibit them from doing so. I have been clear. Private companies should be able to make decisions that they feel are appropriate for their employees and their customers. And their customer gets to make a decision. This bill is pure common sense, and I am glad to be joined today by my colleague from Utah, Senator Lee, and he will be speaking after I ask for the consent. The science just doesn't support keeping the mask mandate in place. We have to listen to the science and work together to move America forward. I know Americans will do the right thing to stay safe, and I hope my colleagues join me in passing this important bill. Mr. President, as if in legislative session, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on HELP be discharged from further consideration of S. 2084 and the Senate proceed to its immediate consideration. 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. Mr. President, I thank my colleague from Utah for his comments. I want to thank his continued commitment always to make sure that we, Congress, handles everything we can. We don't defer constantly to the executive branch in making decisions that we should be making. This is a simple example of why we should be making this decision. This is following the science, and I am actually shocked that my colleague from the State of Washington does not want to follow the science. I don't understand why my colleague from the State of Washington wants government to be dictating things. Why do we want to dictate to Americans how to lead their lives? Why does she think that the government--why has the government lifted mandates in States all across the country but not--and why is the CDC fine with every place but public transportation? It just doesn't make any sense. Americans will do the right thing. It is not our job to dictate, to tell them how to lead their lives. If someone wants to wear a mask, so be it. They should do it, but the government has no right to tell them that they have to wear a mask. If an airline or another private company decides it wants to implement a mask policy, have at it. We shouldn't prohibit them from wanting to do that, but we should not be dictating this. So I am disappointed that my colleague from the State of Washington didn't go along, but I think it is important for us to always make sure we are doing the right thing for the American public and, right now, the right thing is eliminate the mask mandate on public transportation.

Mr. SCOTT of Florida

Mr. SCOTT of Florida. Reserving the right to object, I want to make one thing very clear. I am here today to ensure accountability to the American people. I voted to support Ms. Easterly's confirmation in committee last week, and if Senator Schumer filed for cloture, like he has done for dozens of other nominees this year, I would vote to support her confirmation here on the Senate floor. This isn't about Ms. Easterly. This isn't about cyber security. Remember, we unanimously confirmed the National Cyber Director just last week. I am here today because families in my State of Florida and across our Nation deserve accountability, and President Biden has shown a total lack of accountability when it comes to addressing the border crisis. That is why I announced last month that I would be holding all of President Biden's nominees for the Department of Homeland Security from being approved through our expedited process until he and Vice President Harris visit the border and they see for themselves the crisis their failed policies of open borders and amnesty have created. I understand the White House has just announced that Vice President Harris will be visiting the border later this week. I hope that is true. The administration has made a lot of promises that they haven't kept, like not raising taxes, reopening schools quickly, being tough on Communist China--the list goes on and on. Trust me, I am glad the Vice President seems to be taking my advice and finally listening to the American people. I truly hope that she gets down to the border to see the crisis firsthand that her administration and their failed policies have created. I hope she meets with the National Border Patrol Council and hears from them what our brave CBP agents are going through every day to keep us safe. I hope she meets with border community sheriffs who are responsible for keeping our families safe I hope she meets with ICE and CBP section chiefs so she can hear firsthand the impact on them. I hope she takes an aerial tour, like I did, and sees the gaps in the wall. I hope she sees where the lights and cameras are sitting powerless, without electricity, and unable to be used to monitor our border. I hope she meets with families who have been the victims of trafficking and hears the horrific stories they have and what they have been through because of this crisis. I hope she visits border communities that have been put in a position to house and care for the historic number of people illegally crossing our border. I hope she talks with families who have tragically lost loved ones from the massive amounts of fentanyl that the cartels are moving across our border. I hope she talks to the ranchers impacted by people illegally crossing their lands. More than anything, I hope this isn't a political stunt. If she truly goes to see this crisis, I will lift all of my holds of DHS political nominees. It is that simple. What is happening at the border is a crisis; there is simply no other word for it. It has been 3 months since I traveled to the southern border to see exactly how President Biden's open borders and amnesty policies are wreaking havoc. I took a tour with Governor Ducey. We did an aerial tour. What you see is a wall and then all of a sudden, these openings. They intentionally didn't put up the gates. I remember my colleagues were saying: Oh, we don't need the wall. We have lights and cameras so they can monitor from someplace else. They are out there; they are just not hooked up to electricity, intentionally. I mean, you can't make this stuff up. It has been 3 months since I made clear that President Biden and Vice President Harris need to get to the border and see the crisis their administration has created. It has been 3 months since they pledged to visit the border. Since then, as you all know--you look at all the numbers--apprehensions at our southern border are at a record high. More than 180,000 illegal aliens tried to cross our southern border last month and were apprehended--the highest in 21 years. This is a crisis. It threatens our national security and the safety of American families. And we don't know how many people we didn't apprehend. President Biden's immigration policies are putting unaccompanied minors at risk of human trafficking, violence, sexual abuse, and separation from their families. They are leading to an alarming increase in human trafficking and drug smuggling by cartels. FBI Director Wray said this month that there is ``no question'' that cartel activity from Mexico is ``spilling over'' into the United States. We are seeing it here in Florida. I talk to sheriffs. What they are telling me is that unbelievable amounts of fentanyl are coming across the border and getting into our State, putting Florida families in danger. I was down at one lab, and they were telling me that two people died that week from fentanyl. But instead of securing the border and finishing wall construction projects, President Biden is terminating all of the wall projects. Why would you be doing this? The inaction by President Biden and Vice President Harris is inexcusable. I don't know what they are waiting for. Why can't they acknowledge that a secure border is the best thing for our Nation? If you talk to people around this country, they want a secure border. Why can't they stand up against the radical left and say that open borders are dangerous to American families? Two weeks ago, the Vice President went to Guatemala and Mexico. While she was there, she was asked by Lester Holt when she was going to go to the border, and she laughed. I mean, this is not a laughing matter. This is a crisis, and people are dying because of this crisis. It should make all of us furious. People are dying. Children are being exploited, and they are being abandoned in the desert. Earlier this week, two Ecuadorian children-- two little girls, 3 and 5 years old--were dropped over a 14-foot section of the border wall. We all saw the pictures. They were abandoned there in the middle of the night, two innocent little girls, just 3 and 5 years old. Can you imagine how terrified they were? I mean, I think of my daughters. I think of my grandchildren. We all do. We all think, how would our family deal with that? It just breaks your heart. The Vice President claims the Vice President's trip down to Guatemala and Mexico was to talk about the root cause of immigration. I don't believe that. The Vice President's trip wasn't anything more than a poorly executed political stunt. President Biden and Vice President Harris need to stop avoiding the crisis, stop laughing off this threat, get to the border, and take real steps. As I said, once they actually go to the border and actually see the crisis, I will lift my hold. This is all to make sure they go to the border. But as long as they refuse to help those risking their lives every day to keep us safe, as long as they refuse to visit the border and put an end to the humanitarian crisis they created, I am going to keep my holds on. Those two little girls and all the people who have been trafficked-- they deserve better. The millions of immigrants in our country going through a legal process--they deserve better. Our Border Patrol agents--they deserve better. All American families deserve better. Therefore, I object.

Mr. SCOTT of Florida. Mr. President.

Mr. SCOTT of Florida

Mr. SCOTT of Florida. Madam President, I stand again today in support of our great ally Israel. Israel is a vibrant democracy that supports capitalism, champions human rights, and holds free and open elections. Israel is the only democracy in the Middle East, and Israel deserves our unwavering support. Israel is surrounded by nations and terrorist groups that want it wiped off the face of the Earth. I saw this firsthand during my latest visit as Senator, which gave me a clear picture of Israel's proximity to its enemies--Hamas, Hezbollah, ISIS, and Iran. At my last visit, I was about a half mile from the Gaza Strip and went to a kibbutz. What was shocking to me is that there were little children there instinctively raised that, whenever they would hear the sirens, they instinctively raised their hands because somebody is going to pick them up and get them to a bomb shelter. I think what they were telling me when I was there is they had 15 seconds to get to a bomb shelter when the sirens went off, which said that Hamas was sending rockets. Also, they were told the story that Hamas was sending balloons with candy and explosives. So when the balloon would come down, if the children would touch it, it would explode. It is disgusting. For 11 days last month, we saw rockets rain down on Israel. As we watched Hamas terrorists target innocent Israeli citizens, I thought about the families impacted by this evil. Think about a 5-year-old you know. They like to play games. They love their brothers and sisters, and they love their mom and dad. Well, a 5-year-old, just like the one you are thinking of, named Ido Avigal was killed as Hamas rockets indiscriminately just pounded Israel. His life was taken by Hamas terrorists. I have a 5-year-old grandson. I can't imagine life without him. I can't imagine what either of those families is going through right now. Instead of coming together against this violence, we saw the Democrats turn their backs on Israel. I was proud to lead more than 30 of my colleagues in a resolution to support Israel in its right to defend itself against terrorist attacks. Unfortunately, it was blocked by Senate Democrats. It was not so long ago that the Senate stood with Israel on a bipartisan basis. In 2014, when Israel was again subject to a barrage of rockets targeting innocent Israelis, then-Majority Leader Reid offered a resolution supporting Israel's right to defend itself against Hamas. Every single Senator voted to support Israel's right to defend itself against Hamas--not anymore. It is despicable that something as simple as reaffirming America's support for Israel no longer aligns with the priorities of the Democrat Party. I have also joined in a resolution with Senator Cruz to approve the arm sales to Israel and the resolution with Senator Hawley to condemn the disturbing wave of anti-Semitic and anti-Israel actions in Congress, in the United States, and around the world. These reprehensible and disturbing acts must be swiftly condemned at every level and those responsible prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. President Biden's State Department recently said: We're going to be working in partnership with the United Nations and the Palestinian Authority to `kind of' channel aid there in a manner that does its best to go to the people of Gaza. The official went on to say: As we've seen in life, as we all know in life, there are no guarantees, but we're going to do everything that we can to ensure that this assistance reaches the people who need it the most. So the Biden administration can't guarantee that American taxpayer dollars aren't going to fund terrorists in Hamas? The Biden administration thinks it is OK to fund Hamas terrorists because ``in life there are no guarantees''? The Biden administration seems unbothered if some funding goes to the terrorists that killed Ido. President Biden must do better. His administration must control where this money is going. Yes, we can make sure American tax dollars aren't funding terrorists. What we are hearing from the Biden administration is they simply won't take the time to do what it takes to guarantee that. This lack of accountability or concern is absolutely disgusting, and we should not allow it. That is why I, along with Senators Joni Ernst, Cindy Hyde-Smith, and Mike Braun, introduced the Stop Taxpayer Funding of Hamas Act, which says that no funds will be authorized for the territory of Gaza until the President certifies to Congress that these funds can be spent without benefitting terrorist organizations. The Stop Taxpayer Funding of Hamas Act also ensures U.S. funds are not authorized for expenditure in the territory of Gaza to any United Nations entity or office that the President cannot certify is not encouraging or teaching anti-Israel and anti-Semitic ideas and propaganda. Recently, a European Union report was released showing Palestinian Authority textbooks in U.N.-supported schools encourage violence against Israelis, including anti-Semitic messages. And just last week, a tunnel reportedly dug by Hamas was found underneath a Gaza school run by the U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees. We can't allow this to continue. I am proud to lead my colleagues in saying the United States will not fund this destruction. I yield to my colleague from Iowa, Senator Joni Ernst.

Mr. SCOTT of Florida. Madam President, I want to thank my colleagues from Iowa and Mississippi for supporting me today in our effort to make sure that we do not ever fund Hamas. I hope every single Member in this body can agree that the United States shouldn't fund terrorists with American taxpayer dollars-- funding that could be used to kill Israelis--like I do. I look forward to my colleagues joining me today to stand with Israel and against terrorism. Madam President, as if in legislative session, I ask unanimous consent that the Foreign Relations Committee be discharged from further consideration of S. 1899 and the Senate 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. Madam President, I am glad my colleague has acknowledged his interest in helping Israel. Unfortunately, I am surprised that the--if my colleague had an interest, why didn't the Foreign Relations Committee take up the same resolution that the majority leader retook up in support of Israel basically saying that Israel had the right to defend itself and saying that Hamas was a terrorist organization? My colleague didn't. This is a pretty simple bill. It basically just says, look, any foreign aid we are going to give to the Palestinian Authority, we are going to make sure it doesn't go to Hamas. It is pretty simple. Let's remember why we are doing this. President Biden's State Department said: We're going to be working in partnership with the United Nations and the Palestinian Authority to kind of channel aid there in a manner that does its best to go to the people of Gaza. That should scare us. It went on to say: As we have seen in life, as we all know in life, there are no guarantees, but we're going to do everything that we can to ensure that this assistance reaches the people who need it the most. That is not much of a guarantee. That is a ``maybe we will try.'' We can do better. The Senate should do better. Republicans and Democrats should all say that not a dime will ever go to Hamas, a terrorist organization that kills little boys like Ido. We should all be disgusted with this. So I am very disappointed that my colleague uses a procedural matter to say he objects, but basically what he is saying is he will not agree that this money will not go to Hamas. This was really simple. You could read this in just 2 minutes. I am disappointed that my Democratic colleague has made this political. It is not political. It is about, do we support Israel? Are we going to make sure that never a dime goes to Hamas and another little boy like Ido dies? I yield the floor.

Mr. SCOTT of Florida. And I yield to my colleague from Mississippi, Senator Hyde-Smith

Mr. SCOTT of Florida. Madam President.

Mr. SCOTT of Florida

Mr. SCOTT of Florida. Madam President, the United States is a beacon of democracy in the world, and our Nation was founded on free and fair elections, but if the American people don't have confidence in our elections, we don't have a sustainable democracy. Right now, unfortunately, many people do not have confidence. People across the country are mad when they look at the blatant power grab by the Democrats to fundamentally change our democracy. Do you know what? They should be mad. We are talking about the sacred right to vote. If we want to continue as a thriving democracy, we have to take action so that Americans trust in free and fair elections. That is why I introduced the Save Democracy Act so as to restore faith in our Federal elections and guarantee that voters decide the outcomes of elections, not the courts. I also introduced the Promoting Election Integrity by Proving Voter Identity Act so as to require voter ID. It is pretty simple. If you want to vote in person, you will need to bring your current and valid ID. If you want to vote by mail, you will need to provide a copy of your ID. Like I said, it is pretty simple and straightforward. If we want, and we do--we want 100 percent participation in our elections, and we want zero fraud. We want it to be easy to vote and very hard to cheat. Voter ID helps us meet that goal. Of course, the Democrats will do anything to fight against these commonsense reforms. Instead, the Democrats are pushing S. 1, otherwise known as the Corrupt Politicians Act. S. 1 is the most ridiculous legislation I have seen since I have come to the Senate. I would need hours to go through all of it. For our purposes here today, I want to highlight just one piece of this lunacy: using taxpayer dollars to pay for political campaigns. The Democrats want to use your tax dollars to subsidize their political campaigns. Think about how anti-democratic it is to allow public servants to use the people's money to manipulate the people themselves. Just to be crystal clear, here is what is exactly being proposed by the Democrats in this anti-democratic bill: Public officials--the government--take money from you. Then they use that money to pay for their campaign ads in order to manipulate you. This bill is nothing but a political power grab by Washington Democrats. New Hampshire Democrat Secretary of State Bill Gardner even said recently that S. 1 was a power grab by the Federal Government that would ``trample New Hampshire's state constitution.'' Under the Democrats' plan, a candidate for the Senate in California could spend $80 million in taxpayer dollars to run attack ads and fund his campaign--$80 million. In Georgia, a Senate candidate could get as much as $25 million in taxpayer money. Candidates in Arizona could get almost $19 million. New York candidates would get more than $44 million. That doesn't make any sense. What kind of return on investment are the American people getting when their hard-earned tax dollars are funding attack ads? Why is the Federal Government in the business of funding campaigns? Because my Democratic colleagues want the government to take your money and spend it on trying to manipulate your vote. Only in Washington would a bunch of politicians look at the challenges from recovering from the pandemic and decide the most important thing we can do is make taxpayers fund campaign ads. This is the most radical piece of voting legislation this Nation has ever seen at a time when restoring confidence in our elections has never been more important. I was sent to the U.S. Senate to fight for Floridians and Americans against corrupt politicians. Here is my promise to every American family: I am going to fight every day to make sure the Democrats do not try to take your money to manipulate your vote. If we are serious about working together to move our country forward, restore public trust in our elections, and protect democracy, we need to reject the insanity of S. 1 and look to commonsense reforms like voter ID. We will continue to fight the Democrats' election power grab and combat their efforts to prevent measures that protect the integrity of our elections I yield the floor.

Mr. SCOTT of Florida

Mr. SCOTT of Florida. Mr. President, I rise today to recognize the heroic actions of 7-year-old Chase Poust, of Jacksonville, FL, and thank the brave first responders with the Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department, Jacksonville Sheriff's Office, and Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission whose actions saved Chase's dad, Steven, and 4-year-old sister, Abigail. On May 28, 2021, Steven, Chase, and Abigail were boating and swimming on the St. Johns River in Jacksonville, FL, when the current pulled 4- year-old Abigail away, causing her to lose grip from the boat. Her father, Steven, jumped in to try to bring her back to safety. At the direction of his dad, Chase swam to get to the shore to find help, swimming through the river for over an hour. Within that hour, Steven and Abigail had drifted nearly 2 miles away from the boat, according to Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department; and other agencies, including the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, were called in to expand the search. Thanks to Chase and Jacksonville's brave first responders, Steven and Abigail were successfully rescued and a terrible tragedy was prevented. Chase's strength and bravery is a reminder that heroes come in all ages and sizes. I applaud the lifesaving actions of the Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department, the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, and most of all, Chase, who showed remarkable grit and determination to save his dad and sister.

Mr. SCOTT of Florida

Mr. SCOTT of Florida. Mr. President, it is with heavy heart that I stand here today and remember this dark day in Florida's history. I thank my colleagues for joining me to honor the 49 lives lost far too soon in a terror attack on Pulse nightclub nearly 5 years ago. While nothing can ever bring back the lives lost, I am glad we are able to come together to stand for love and kindness over hate and evil in this world. I yield the floor.

Mr. SCOTT of Florida

Mr. SCOTT of Florida. Mr. President, America is in a debt crisis. It appears, for Joe Biden and my colleagues across the aisle, reckless spending has only just begun. If left unchecked, this spending will be devastating for families in my State of Florida and all across our great Nation. Washington's insane spending has our Federal debt rocketing toward $30 trillion. That is equal to $233,000 of debt for every American family. Think about that. America's debt crisis, caused by decades of wasteful and reckless spending by Washington politicians, has now grown to the equivalent of every American family owing a quarter of a million dollars in debt. Yet Biden and my colleagues across the aisle want more President Biden is pushing for trillions in wasteful spending, raising the U.S. Federal debt by 60 percent, to $39 trillion, and the debt-to-GDP ratio to 117 percent in 2030, the highest level ever recorded in American history. Enough is enough. It is time to end the madness. Today I am introducing the Federal Debt Emergency Control Act to help bring some accountability back to Washington. On July 31, the current suspension of the Federal debt ceiling is set to expire, giving Congress a choice: Act responsibly to reduce Federal debt through structural reform to how we approach spending or suspend the debt ceiling again, allowing more reckless spending that will cripple our Nation with insurmountable debt. Reckless spending has consequences. We are already seeing rising inflation. Let's remember, inflation doesn't hurt the rich, but it devastates our poorest families. It hurts families like mine growing up. It hurts poor families. It hurts people on fixed incomes. Just look around us. Milk prices are up. Bread prices are up. Gas prices are up. Meat prices are up. It seems like everything is up right now. When inflation happened in the seventies, I watched. I watched what my parents went through. At that point, my mom was taking in ironing from other families to make ends meet. At the end of the day, whatever she had made that day, either my older brother or I would go to the grocery store, and we would watch--and she was worried about milk and food, all of the prices going up. She said, ``You only have this amount of money,'' and we had to know what everything cost before we went to the checkout counter. It is not fair. No family should have to go through worrying about the price of bread and milk and things going up week after week. We can get control of inflation. We can put our Nation on a fiscally responsible path, but we have to have real solutions that hold Congress accountable. My Federal Debt Emergency Control Act aims to rein in Washington's out-of-control spending with concrete checks and balances, including the declaration of a Federal debt emergency anytime the debt exceeds 100 percent of GDP. By the way, once debt equals 100 percent of GDP, it is very difficult to start paying down debt. You have to dramatically either reduce spending or dramatically grow your economy. Declaring a Federal debt emergency would initiate commonsense debt reduction measures, including a requirement that two-thirds of Congress vote to increase the debt before approving any bill with deficit spending. It would also terminate any unobligated funding for the American Rescue Plan Act and any previous stimulus bills, sending it back to the Treasury General Fund for deficit reduction to reduce our debt. Finally, it would ensure that any bill reducing the Federal debt by at least 5 percent over 10 years is fast-tracked through the legislative process. Everyone can get behind these commonsense measures. That is why my bill is already endorsed by the National Taxpayers Union, the Council for Citizens Against Government Waste, Americans for Tax Reform, Americans for Prosperity, FreedomWorks, and Club for Growth. I am also proud to have the support of Senators Cruz, Braun, Blackburn, Johnson, Barrasso, Ernst, and Tuberville as cosponsors of this important legislation. With President Biden's budget proposal--and just to put that in perspective, his budget proposal is $6 trillion. This year, our Federal receipts are only going to be $3.5 trillion. How can we expect to run trillions and trillions and trillions of dollars of deficit year after year? With his budget proposal, we see how important the need is to get Washington's awful spending habits under control and start paying down our debt. I did it before. I did it as Governor of Florida. I walked in with a $4 billion deficit. I started reducing taxes my first year. We reduced it every year in 8 years, and we cut over a third of the State debt. We did it by being responsible, by holding government accountable for watching how we spent every dollar. It can be done. So getting back on track is possible, but it takes discipline. It takes accountability. It starts with taking concrete steps, like rejecting bloated budgets and passing commonsense legislation like the Federal Debt Emergency Control Act. We have the chance to do this. We know the vote over the debt ceiling increase is a tough vote for everybody. Let's take this opportunity to have real structural reform so we can start paying down our debt and not leave this debt to future generations

Mr. SCOTT of Florida

Mr. SCOTT of Florida. Mr. President, America is in a debt crisis. It appears, for Joe Biden and my colleagues across the aisle, reckless spending has only just begun. If left unchecked, this spending will be devastating for families in my State of Florida and all across our great Nation. Washington's insane spending has our Federal debt rocketing toward $30 trillion. That is equal to $233,000 of debt for every American family. Think about that. America's debt crisis, caused by decades of wasteful and reckless spending by Washington politicians, has now grown to the equivalent of every American family owing a quarter of a million dollars in debt. Yet Biden and my colleagues across the aisle want more President Biden is pushing for trillions in wasteful spending, raising the U.S. Federal debt by 60 percent, to $39 trillion, and the debt-to-GDP ratio to 117 percent in 2030, the highest level ever recorded in American history. Enough is enough. It is time to end the madness. Today I am introducing the Federal Debt Emergency Control Act to help bring some accountability back to Washington. On July 31, the current suspension of the Federal debt ceiling is set to expire, giving Congress a choice: Act responsibly to reduce Federal debt through structural reform to how we approach spending or suspend the debt ceiling again, allowing more reckless spending that will cripple our Nation with insurmountable debt. Reckless spending has consequences. We are already seeing rising inflation. Let's remember, inflation doesn't hurt the rich, but it devastates our poorest families. It hurts families like mine growing up. It hurts poor families. It hurts people on fixed incomes. Just look around us. Milk prices are up. Bread prices are up. Gas prices are up. Meat prices are up. It seems like everything is up right now. When inflation happened in the seventies, I watched. I watched what my parents went through. At that point, my mom was taking in ironing from other families to make ends meet. At the end of the day, whatever she had made that day, either my older brother or I would go to the grocery store, and we would watch--and she was worried about milk and food, all of the prices going up. She said, ``You only have this amount of money,'' and we had to know what everything cost before we went to the checkout counter. It is not fair. No family should have to go through worrying about the price of bread and milk and things going up week after week. We can get control of inflation. We can put our Nation on a fiscally responsible path, but we have to have real solutions that hold Congress accountable. My Federal Debt Emergency Control Act aims to rein in Washington's out-of-control spending with concrete checks and balances, including the declaration of a Federal debt emergency anytime the debt exceeds 100 percent of GDP. By the way, once debt equals 100 percent of GDP, it is very difficult to start paying down debt. You have to dramatically either reduce spending or dramatically grow your economy. Declaring a Federal debt emergency would initiate commonsense debt reduction measures, including a requirement that two-thirds of Congress vote to increase the debt before approving any bill with deficit spending. It would also terminate any unobligated funding for the American Rescue Plan Act and any previous stimulus bills, sending it back to the Treasury General Fund for deficit reduction to reduce our debt. Finally, it would ensure that any bill reducing the Federal debt by at least 5 percent over 10 years is fast-tracked through the legislative process. Everyone can get behind these commonsense measures. That is why my bill is already endorsed by the National Taxpayers Union, the Council for Citizens Against Government Waste, Americans for Tax Reform, Americans for Prosperity, FreedomWorks, and Club for Growth. I am also proud to have the support of Senators Cruz, Braun, Blackburn, Johnson, Barrasso, Ernst, and Tuberville as cosponsors of this important legislation. With President Biden's budget proposal--and just to put that in perspective, his budget proposal is $6 trillion. This year, our Federal receipts are only going to be $3.5 trillion. How can we expect to run trillions and trillions and trillions of dollars of deficit year after year? With his budget proposal, we see how important the need is to get Washington's awful spending habits under control and start paying down our debt. I did it before. I did it as Governor of Florida. I walked in with a $4 billion deficit. I started reducing taxes my first year. We reduced it every year in 8 years, and we cut over a third of the State debt. We did it by being responsible, by holding government accountable for watching how we spent every dollar. It can be done. So getting back on track is possible, but it takes discipline. It takes accountability. It starts with taking concrete steps, like rejecting bloated budgets and passing commonsense legislation like the Federal Debt Emergency Control Act. We have the chance to do this. We know the vote over the debt ceiling increase is a tough vote for everybody. Let's take this opportunity to have real structural reform so we can start paying down our debt and not leave this debt to future generations

Mr. SCOTT of Florida

Mr. SCOTT of Florida. Mr. President, as if in legislative session, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources be discharged from further consideration of H.R. 49 and the Senate proceed to its immediate consideration.

Mr. SCOTT of Florida

Mr. SCOTT of Florida. Mr. President, I want to thank my colleague from Florida for participating in this with me. It was a devastating day 5 years ago for all of us in Florida and around the Nation. Today, I am requesting all my colleagues join us to honor the memory of the 49 lives lost and come together to say their nation will always stand against hate and evil in this world. I will be asking consent for the Senate to pass a resolution honoring the memory of the victims of the heinous attack of the Pulse nightclub, cosponsored by my colleague from Florida, Senator Rubio, and legislation designating the location of the Pulse nightclub in Orlando as the National Pulse Memorial to serve as a tribute to the victims and a reminder for us to always stand for love and kindness over hate and evil in this world. It is also cosponsored by my colleague from Florida, Senator Rubio, and my colleague from California, Senator Padilla. I hope my colleagues join us in the effort today.

Mr. SCOTT of Florida. Madam President, nearly 5 years ago, our State, Nation, the city of Orlando, and Hispanic and LGBTQ communities were attacked, and 49 innocent and beautiful lives were lost. It was an evil act--an act of terrorism--designed to divide us as a nation and strike fear in our hearts and minds but instead we came together; we supported each other; and we persevered. We proved to the world what we in Florida already knew: Floridians are resilient. The days I spent in Orlando following the shooting will always be with me. I talked to many parents who lost their children. I went to funerals and wakes. And I sat in hospital rooms. As a father and grandfather, it was one of the hardest things I have ever had to do. It was heartbreaking. But in this horribly dark time, the selfless courage of so many, from community members to law enforcement, to healthcare workers, provided a sense of hope. This incredible strength, love, and bravery lifted up Orlando and the State of Florida and helped us begin to rebuild. This week, on the fifth anniversary of this unthinkable tragedy, the State of Florida comes together to honor the lives lost too soon. And we vow to always stand up and fight against evil and hatred in this world. Now I yield the floor to my colleague from Florida, Senator Rubio.