John Thune

Mr. THUNE

Mr. THUNE. I ask unanimous consent that 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. THUNE

Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to executive session to consider the following nominations: Calendar No. 774; and all nominations on the Secretary's desk in the Coast Guard, with the exception of Jesse M. Millard (PN846) and Ronzelle L. Green and Tabitha A. Schiro (PN849); that the nominations be confirmed; that the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table with no intervening action or debate; that no further motions be in order to any of the nominations; that the President be immediately notified of the Senate's action and the Senate then resume legislative session.

Mr. THUNE

Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that notwithstanding rule XXII, the cloture motion with respect to Calendar No. 436, S. 4784, ripen following disposition of the Schwartz nomination on July 14.

Mr. THUNE

Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on the Judiciary be discharged from further consideration and the Senate now proceed to S. Res. 741.

Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the resolution be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, and that the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table.

Mr. 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.

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 President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.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, I spoke on the floor yesterday about the landmark bill Republicans passed last year, the Working Families Tax Cut bill, and I talked about how this bill fits into Republicans' efforts to turn things around in our country, turn things around by putting more money in Americans' pockets, helping small businesses grow, strengthening the agriculture sector, and giving a lifeline to rural healthcare. Any one of those things alone would have been a significant achievement, but the Working Families Tax Cut addressed all of them, all of them and more, much more, and this morning I want to talk about how this bill helps to make America more secure. That, too, is, unfortunately, a turnaround story. And I say ``unfortunately'' because the previous administration allowed our Nation's security to fall into a sorry state. Images of the chaos at the southern border during the Biden administration come to mind, so does the state of our military readiness. In recent years, our military readiness has not been where it needs to be to deter and counter threats. We had ships in need of maintenance, planes that can't fly. Meanwhile, China was investing in key military technologies. Yet the Biden administration showed little interest in making the type of investment needed to get our military back to where it needed to be. And so when Republicans took control last year, we didn't waste any time. As part of the Working Families Tax Cut, Republicans made a generational investment in America's military. It was a major investment to help get our readiness to where it needs to be quickly. It invested in shipbuilding, missile defense, defense manufacturing capacity, critical munitions, drones and counter-drone technology, an expanded Air Force fighter fleet, nuclear modernization, U.S. infrastructure in the Pacific and more. And alongside robust funding in the annual defense bill, these investments will help restore America's military strength and make our adversaries think twice before crossing us. As I mentioned, we also needed to address border security. When President Trump took office, he wasted no time implementing policies that restored order at America's southern border and put criminal illegal immigrants living in our country on notice, and we saw the results. Illegal crossings dropped precipitously. Border agents weren't being stretched so thin anymore and could spend more time stopping cartels and other criminals. That is how things should be at the border, and Republicans are making sure that it stays that way. As part of the Working Families Tax Cut, we made a generational investment in border security. We provided the resources necessary to finish the border wall and deploy additional barriers and technology to secure the border. There was funding to support the hiring of new agents and to bring on more immigration judges to address the massive backlog in immigration cases, and those resources are making a difference. Thanks to President Trump and the Working Families Tax Cut, as of the end of last month, apprehensions at the southern border are more than 90 percent lower than they were under the Biden administration. Border Patrol is seeing a few hundred border crossings on a typical day compared to as many as 10,000 in a single day, at times, under President Biden, and not a single illegal immigrant has been released from the border in more than a year. The American people support border security, and keeping America safe should be something that cuts across party lines. Unfortunately, our Democratic colleagues have repeatedly demonstrated zero interest in border security, and they consistently reaffirm their belief in open borders. First, there was their complicit silence as the Biden administration opened our borders to a flood of illegal immigrants. Then, every Democrat opposed our border security measures in the Working Families Tax Cut. And then this year--this year--Democrats took their radical open border beliefs to a new level and tried to defund Border Patrol and ICE. That is right. Democrats not only opposed giving these Agencies adequate resources to do their jobs, they opposed giving them any resources. Fortunately, Democrats' radical proposal did not carry the day, and Republicans were, once again, able to fund border security and immigration enforcement, unfortunately, without Democrats' assistance. The security of our country is one of our greatest responsibilities. Without it, nothing else matters. It is a responsibility that Republicans are taking seriously. The Working Families Tax Cut is a big step toward a more secure America. It invests in safer streets with funding for State and local law enforcement, safer skies by supporting air traffic control modernization, a secure border, and a strong military. We all watch the news and can see that the world is a dangerous place. There will always be bad actors and other dangers threatening the safety and security of the American people, but Republicans are working to ensure there are individuals standing ready to protect us and that they have everything they need to keep America safe. A stronger America is a safer America, and that is what Republicans are delivering. I yield the floor. I suggest the absence of a quorum.

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, I send a cloture motion to the desk.

Mr. THUNE

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

Mr. THUNE

Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, I move to proceed to executive session to consider Calendar No. 776.

Mr. THUNE

Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, today I recognize Erik Gunderson, an intern in my Washington, DC, office, for all of the hard work he has done for me, my staff, and the State of South Dakota over the past several weeks. Erik is a graduate of Bishop Ireton High School in Alexandria, VA. Currently, he is attending the University of Notre Dame in Notre Dame, IN, where he is pursuing degrees in global affairs and political science. He is a hard worker who has been dedicated to getting the most out of his internship experience. I extend my sincere thanks and appreciation to Erik for all of the fine work he has done and wish him continued success in the years to come.

Mr. THUNE

Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, today I recognize Natalie Kelley, an intern in my Washington, DC, office, for all of the hard work she has done for me, my staff, and the State of South Dakota over the past several weeks. Natalie is a graduate of Berkeley Preparatory School in Tampa, FL. Currently, she is attending New York University in New York, NY, where she is pursuing a degree in psychology. She is a hard worker who has been dedicated to getting the most out of her internship experience. I extend my sincere thanks and appreciation to Natalie for all of the fine work she has done and wish her continued success in the years to come.

Mr. THUNE

Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, today I recognize Benjamin Lust, an intern in my Washington, DC, office, for all of the hard work he has done for me, my staff, and the State of South Dakota over the past several weeks. Benjamin is a graduate of Stevens High School in Rapid City, SD. Currently, he is attending Vanderbilt University in Nashville, TN, where he is pursuing degrees in political science and human and organizational development. He is a hard worker who has been dedicated to getting the most out of his internship experience. I extend my sincere thanks and appreciation to Benjamin for all of the fine work he has done and wish him continued success in the years to come.

Mr. THUNE

Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, today I recognize Nicholas Maas, an intern in my Washington, DC, office, for all of the hard work he has done for me, my staff, and the State of South Dakota over the past several weeks. Nicholas is a graduate of Roosevelt High School in Sioux Falls, SD. Currently, he is attending the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis, MN, where he is pursuing degrees in criminal justice and political science. He is a hard worker who has been dedicated to getting the most out of his internship experience. I extend my sincere thanks and appreciation to Nicholas for all of the fine work he has done and wish him continued success in the years to come.

Mr. THUNE

Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, today I recognize Lavin Maddox, an intern in my Washington, DC, office, for all of the hard work she has done for me, my staff, and the State of South Dakota over the past several weeks. Lavin is a graduate of Sioux Falls Christian High School in Sioux Falls, SD. Currently, she is attending Vanderbilt University in Nashville, TN, where she is pursuing a degree in human and organizational development. She is a hard worker who has been dedicated to getting the most out of her internship experience. I extend my sincere thanks and appreciation to Lavin for all of the fine work she has done and wish her continued success in the years to come.

Mr. THUNE

Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, today I recognize Elena Rossi, an intern in my Washington, DC, office, for all of the hard work she has done for me, my staff, and the State of South Dakota over the past several weeks. Elena is a graduate of Georgetown Visitation Preparatory School in Washington, DC. Currently, she is attending Boston College in Chestnut Hill, MA, where she is pursuing a degree in economics. She is a hard worker who has been dedicated to getting the most out of her internship experience. I extend my sincere thanks and appreciation to Elena for all of the fine work she has done and wish her continued success in the years to come.

Mr. THUNE

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

Mr. THUNE. Madam President, we are approaching 1 year since the Working Families Tax Cut became law. For nearly a year now, the American people have been seeing the benefits of this bill, from a more secure border to a stronger military, larger paychecks and bigger refunds, support for farmers and ranchers, and a lifeline for struggling rural healthcare providers. For the past year, the story of the Working Families Tax Cut has been unfolding across the country in different ways. And this afternoon, I want to talk about how Republicans' landmark bill has strengthened our economy and put more money in America's pockets. When this Republican majority took over last year, the American people were reeling from the pain of the Biden economy. They had suffered through an inflation crisis, during which the cost of living increased by more than 20 percent in just a few years. And without action from Congress, they were looking at a $4 trillion tax hike in the not-too-distant future. For folks from my home State, that would have meant paying $2,500 more in Federal taxes this year, and that was completely unacceptable to Republicans. And so we set out to prevent that tax hike and not just prevent it, we made our 2017 tax reform permanent so that that tax hike would never come. And then we provided additional tax relief to lower and middle-income Americans so they would be able to keep more of their hard-earned money. Thanks to the Working Families Tax Cut, 97 percent of Americans that filed this year got a tax cut. Let me repeat that. Republicans prevented a tax hike for 97 percent of tax filers, collectively saving them $82 billion on their Federal taxes just this year. We made lower tax rates permanent, raised the standard deduction, and made that permanent as well. We increased the child tax credit to $2,200 and linked it to the cost of living so that it never loses its value. Then we created a number of new tax-relief provisions. The new senior deduction helped 35 million Americans over age 65 reduce their tax burden this year. No tax on tips meant that 7.5 million workers' income from tips landed in their pockets instead of going to the IRS. And 29 million workers--from nurses to police officers and factory workers--took advantage of the new overtime deduction. All told, Americans earning between $100,000 and $200,000 last year who took advantage of the new tax relief saw an average tax cut of $1,250. A bakery owner in Sioux Falls said her head chef got a bigger refund this year and that she was able to put that extra money toward a crib for her new baby and she is not the only one. Hard-working people all across the country have additional money to put toward their expenses or their savings thanks to Republican tax relief. The good news doesn't stop there. The Working Families Tax Cut also delivered meaningful pro-growth tax reforms for Americans' small businesses, farms, and ranches, enabling them to invest more in their operations and in their employees. Small businesses have benefited from lower tax rates, and the 199A small business deduction is now a permanent feature of the Tax Code. One agricultural co-op in my State estimates the impact of that one provision helped its co-op members reinvest more than $100 million into our local economy in the last 10 years. Then there is 100 percent immediate expensing for new equipment, which allows small businesses, farms, and ranches to deduct the whole cost of any piece of equipment the year they start using it. The owner of Montgomery's Furniture Store in Sioux Falls, SD, called bonus appreciation a ``huge, huge deal'' for his furniture store. And a car dealer in my State said this enabled his business to build an addition and to hire 10 new employees. And then our permanent research and development tax credit is making a similar impact on small businesses in my State and on our farm economy. In fact, our former colleague, a neighbor to the north in North Dakota, former Democrat Senator Heidi Heitkamp has said: For many producers and ag-related businesses, this is more than a tax break; this is a real opportunity to reinvest, innovate, and stay competitive. She is right, and the same could be said for a good number of provisions in this bill. I have already talked a little bit about how tax relief we passed benefits farmers and ranchers. And although I haven't mentioned the higher estate tax threshold that protects a lot more family farms and ranchers from the death tax, not to mention the costly estate planning that comes with that unfair tax, but this bill went further than tax relief; it strengthened critical programs that producers depend upon. It raised reference prices for every covered commodity so that they more closely reflect the actual market conditions that farmers are dealing with. It bolstered crop insurance, and it supported livestock producers by making existing programs more responsive to drought. We still have more work to do to strengthen the ag sector, but the Working Families Tax Cut delivered meaningful relief to farmers after a challenging few years, defined by higher input costs, higher interest rates, and national disasters--all while many farm programs were inadequate to meet the circumstances that farmers were living in. So helping our ag producers was a priority for Republicans when we came in last year, and it will continue to be a priority for us moving forward. Rural Healthcare Madam President, I have spent a lot of time this afternoon talking about how Republicans aim to turn things around with this bill, and there is one more thing I want to discuss before I finish, and that is rural healthcare. For all the challenges in healthcare today, it is even harder for rural providers. More than 100 rural hospitals have closed in the last two decades, and doctors in rural areas can be hard to come by. So last year in the Working Families Tax Cut, Republicans did something to address the rural healthcare crisis. And in the last year, every single State has applied for funding from the $50 billion Rural Health Transformation Program created by our landmark bill. Rather than a top-down, Washington-based approach, we are giving States the resources and freedom to find solutions to their unique challenges and to find sustainable ways of ensuring access to healthcare in their rural communities. And as I said, the response has been robust. Every single State--red, blue, and purple--is planning to take advantage of this much needed support, and they have big plans for folks in rural parts of their States. And I can't wait to see just how transformative the Rural Health Transformation Program is across this country. It is fair to say that things weren't going great in a lot of ways the last few years before President Trump and Republicans took control in Washington, but we have been working to address those issues and implement solutions to the problems facing the American people. And far from patting ourselves on the back, we are keeping our foot on the gas. Later today, we will pass a housing affordability bill. The Agriculture Committee is continuing to work on a farm bill and additional agricultural relief, and we continue important legislative efforts on issues from cryptocurrency to artificial intelligence, to reining in waste, fraud, and abuse in the Federal Government. One year ago, Republicans delivered major wins for the American people in the Working Families Tax Cut, and we are working every day to build on that success and to deliver again and again. I yield the floor. Madam President, 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. 777.

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.