John Thune

Mr. THUNE

Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, I send a cloture motion to the desk.

Mr. THUNE

Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record.

Mr. THUNE

Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record.

Mr. THUNE

Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record.

Mr. THUNE

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 President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.

Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, the Senate will soon vote on its 21st Cabinet nominee, Lori Chavez-DeRemer, nominated for Secretary of Labor. Ms. Chavez-DeRemer is a former Congresswoman from Oregon. She has been a mayor, a city councilor, and she and her husband spent 30 years building a small business. From her first job packing peaches at a California farm, Ms. Chavez-DeRemer has known the value of a hard day's work, and in her public service, she has put in the work to seek differing perspectives and to find common ground. Ms. Chavez-DeRemer's mother would always tell her ``When you know better, you do better,'' and we need the Labor Department to do better than what we saw from the Biden administration. Over the last 4 years, the Labor Department pushed out many mandates that were the very opposite of pro-worker. Americans lost their jobs because of the Biden COVID vaccine mandate. Many workers found the independent contractor status they valued threatened by a Biden administration rule. Then there was the Labor Department's attempt to allow 150 million Americans' retirement savings to be invested based on climate factors rather than just an investment's rate of return. President Trump has shown his commitment to the working people of this country. Making life better for working Americans was a priority in his first administration, and it will be a priority in his second. It is a welcome change in direction from the last 4 years. Joint Session of Congress Mr. President, speaking of a welcome change in direction, last night, the President came to Capitol Hill to address Congress and lay out his vision for the next 4 years--his vision and his record of accomplishment, because in just 6 weeks, President Trump has already accomplished an incredible amount. Chief among his achievements is the job he and his administration have done in securing our southern border and restoring respect for the rule of law. There were approximately 8,450 encounters at our southern border during the month of February--8,450. That is at least--at least--a 25-year low. To put that number in perspective, during the Biden border crisis, Customs and Border Protection was sometimes dealing with 8,000 or more attempted illegal crossings per day. In just 6 weeks in office, President Trump is overseeing an incredible turnaround. It just shows what happens when you have a President and an administration committed to securing the border and enforcing the law. Senate Republicans are committed to answering the President's call for additional funding to protect our borders, enforce our immigration laws, and get dangerous criminal aliens off of our streets. Another crisis the President has lost no time in addressing is the national energy emergency that we are facing. As the Washington Post reported last March, ``Amid explosive demand, America is running out of power.'' The Biden administration, of course, pursued policies guaranteed to make things worse, from restricting conventional energy development to forcing Americans into electric vehicles. Fortunately, we are in a new era. President Trump has already taken steps to roll back burdensome Biden energy regulations like the electric vehicle mandate and unleash American energy development, and the Republican Congress will support his efforts. For the sake of our security, our economy, and Americans' pocketbooks, we need to have a reliable, affordable, and abundant energy supply, and I am thankful to have a President who recognizes this. One of the signature accomplishments of the first Trump administration was the passage of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, legislation that put more money in hard-working Americans' pockets, and one of the top priorities of the second Trump administration is making that tax relief permanent. It is a priority for the President, and it is a priority for Republicans here in the Senate. We are hard at work laying the groundwork for permanently extending the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act this year. There were so many things to hear last night that were a welcome change from the last 4 years: President Trump's commitment to reversing burdensome Biden administration regulations and eliminating 10 regulations for every new one his administration proposes; the President's commitment to eliminating wasteful and unnecessary spending; his commitment to protecting children from radical gender ideology and ensuring that women and girls' athletic opportunities are protected and more. As always, Mr. President, I am grateful for President Trump's faith in America. It reminds us just how blessed we are to live in this great country and that in the United States of America, everything is possible. I yield the floor. I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. THUNE

Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record.

Mr. THUNE

Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, I send a cloture motion to the desk.

Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, I move to proceed to Calendar No. 18, S. 331.

Mr. THUNE

Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, I move to proceed to Calendar No. 20, S.J. Res. 28.

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

Mr. THUNE

Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, I move to proceed to executive session to consider Calendar No. 25.

Mr. THUNE

Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, for the 119th Congress, I ask that the Republican cochair of the Senate NATO Observer Group be Senator Tillis, and, at his recommendation, the following Republican Senators participate in the group: Senators Rounds, Barrasso, Ernst, Moran, Scott of South Carolina, and Curtis.

Mr. THUNE

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

Mr. THUNE

Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, this evening, President Trump will come to the Capitol to address Congress. I am looking forward to hearing the President discuss his accomplishments so far and outline his vision for our country. President Trump may have been in office for a matter of weeks, but he has already built a considerable record of success. Chief among his successes, of course, is the work he has been doing to confront illegal immigration and restore order to our southern border. Over the weekend, it emerged that there were just 8,450 encounters, approximately, at our southern border for the entire month of February--at least a 25-year low. That is a stunning turnaround. To put that number in perspective, under President Biden, the Border Patrol sometimes saw that number in a single day. It is incredible what President Trump has accomplished in just 6 weeks. I haven't even mentioned how his administration has been making our communities safer by arresting and deporting criminals here illegally. In just 6 weeks, they have taken a lot of dangerous people off of our streets. It all goes to show what is possible when you have a President committed to protecting our border and our Nation's security. Of course, that is not all the President has accomplished during his first 6 weeks in office. Among other things, he has also been laying the groundwork for unleashing American energy. While Democrats may not like to admit it, the United States is rapidly heading toward an energy crisis where we simply don't have the supply to meet the demand. The Washington Post noted last March: Vast swaths of the United States are at risk of running short of power as electricity-hungry data centers and clean- technology factories proliferate around the country, leaving utilities and regulators grasping for credible plans to expand the nation's creaking power grid. That is a pretty serious situation. Instead of taking steps to increase our energy supply, the Biden administration pushed us further toward crisis with measures designed to restrict conventional energy development and force Americans to adopt electric cars, putting a vast new burden on our electric grid. Fortunately, President Trump recognizes the precarious situation we are facing, and he is already demonstrating his commitment to increasing our Nation's supply and promoting a secure and affordable energy future. I look forward to hearing from him as he discusses the work he has been doing tonight. Here in the Senate, we have been working to support President Trump's agenda first and foremost by getting his Cabinet in place. I am proud to report we have confirmed 20 of the President's 22 Cabinet nominees-- a substantially faster pace of confirmations than in any of the three previous administrations. In addition to Cabinet nominations, we have also been laying the groundwork for making the tax cuts we passed during the first Trump administration permanent as well as delivering a transformational investment in our border, national, and energy security. Of course, we are currently working to overturn burdensome Biden administration regulations using the Congressional Review Act. This week, we are taking up two rules that infringe on Americans' financial freedom. First, we will vote on Senator Cruz's resolution to stop the Biden administration's digital asset broker rule, which puts at risk the privacy and security of tens of millions of Americans who trade digital assets. This rule could also mean forfeiting American leadership in financial innovation by giving the advantage to foreign companies that do not have to comply with the rule and driving innovation overseas. Later this week, we will vote on Senator Ricketts' resolution to prevent an unnecessary expansion of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, or CFPB. The Biden administration made a last-ditch effort to increase government supervision of nonbank payment apps like Venmo and PayPal by expanding the CFPB's authority. But these types of apps are already regulated, and they accounted for just 1 percent of the CFPB's consumer complaints in 2023. Why add another layer of bureaucracy? Apparently, Democrats can't help but see innovation as an opportunity for regulation. All told, the Biden administration saddled Americans with $1.8 trillion in regulatory burdens. That is a big weight on the economy and on crucial industries like American energy, and we will continue our work to alleviate these burdens. The Biden administration left our Nation facing a lot of challenges, but we are turning the page on the Biden administration's failed policies, and I firmly believe there is a brighter future ahead. I look forward to hearing from President Trump tonight as he outlines his vision for American greatness. I yield the floor. I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. THUNE

Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, I send a cloture motion to the desk.

Mr. THUNE

Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, I move to proceed to legislative session.

Mr. THUNE

Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, I move to proceed to executive session to consider Calendar No. 29.

Mr. THUNE

Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, I send a cloture motion to the desk.

Mr. THUNE

Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, I move to proceed to legislative session.

Mr. THUNE

Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate recess until 8:20 p.m. today and proceed as a body to the Hall of the House of Representatives for the joint session of Congress provided under the provisions of H. Con. Res. 11; that upon the dissolution of the joint session, the Senate stand adjourned until 10 a.m. on Wednesday, March 5; that following the prayer and pledge, the Journal of proceedings be approved to date, the morning hour be deemed expired, the time for the two leaders be reserved for their use later in the day, morning business be closed, and the Senate resume consideration of Calendar No. 20, S.J. Res. 28; further, that if cloture is invoked on the Blanche nomination, all time be expired at 3:45 p.m. and the Senate vote on confirmation; that following confirmation of the Blanche nomination, the Senate proceed to legislative session and resume consideration of S.J. Res. 28 and that all time be expired and the Senate vote on passage of the joint resolution; finally, that if any nominations are confirmed during Wednesday's session, the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table and the President be immediately notified of the Senate's action.

Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, for the information of all Senators, Senators should expect one vote at 11 a.m. on cloture on the Blanche nomination and two votes at 3:45 p.m.: confirmation of the Blanche nomination and passage of S.J. Res. 28, Senator Ricketts' digital consumer payments CRA.

Mr. THUNE

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

Mr. THUNE

Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Presiding Officer of the Senate be authorized to appoint a committee on the part of the Senate to join with a like committee on the part of the House of Representatives to escort the President of the United States into the House Chamber for the joint session to be held at 9 p.m. on Tuesday, March 4, 2025.

Mr. THUNE

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