John Thune

Mr. THUNE

Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, last week, President Biden visited the southern border--just his second such trip in his entire half-a- century-long political career. While I suspect his visit was motivated more by the thought of an election year photo op than by a desire to see the border crisis firsthand, the President should--should--be visiting the southern border. But more than that, the President should be taking action on the border, real action--the kind of action that will actually do something to help stem the crisis we are facing, because we are facing a crisis. The number of migrant encounters at our southern border in January was the highest January number in more than 20 years. That, of course, followed a recordbreaking and staggering, I would add, 301,983 encounters in the month of December--not only the highest December on record but the highest total for any month ever. And there is no end in sight. The first 4 days of March saw 7,000-plus migrant encounters each day, putting us on track for yet another month of 200,000-plus migrant encounters at the southern border. Of course, none of these numbers include ``got-aways,'' and those are individuals whom the Border Patrol saw but was unable to apprehend. There have been approximately 1.8 million known ``got-aways'' since President Biden took office and an untold number of unknown ``got- aways'' over the same period. Now, this is a crisis on many levels. It is a logistical and enforcement crisis, it is a humanitarian crisis, and it is a national security crisis. Our Nation is simply not secure as long as we have hundreds of thousands of unknown individuals taking up residence in our country. In fact, U.S. Border Patrol Chief Jason Owens, speaking about the number of ``got-aways'' at the border, told FOX News: [T]hose are the numbers that really keep us up at night, because if you know that all you need to do is turn yourself in to the Border Patrol and go through the process, what possible reason would you have for wanting to evade capture? Could it be that those are the folks that probably have criminal intent? Chief Owens was referring to the fact that under the Biden administration's lax asylum system, individuals who show up at the border claiming asylum are frequently released into the country with court dates as much as a decade into the future. His point, of course, is that when turning yourself in to the Border Patrol with a claim for asylum is likely to result in years of essentially legal permanent residence, it is especially concerning that we have hundreds of thousands of individuals choosing not to turn themselves in to the Border Patrol but escaping into the interior of our country. Given that, it stands to reason that many of these ``got-aways'' have more malign intentions. While there are always various factors that affect the flow of illegal immigration, we are on track for a fourth--a fourth-- recordbreaking year of illegal immigration under the Biden administration because of the actions President Biden has taken or failed to take. From the day he took office, when he rescinded the declaration of a national emergency at our southern border, President Biden made it clear that border security was at the bottom of his priority list. Over the 3 years since, he has turned our southern border into a magnet for illegal migration--from repealing border policies of his predecessor to misusing our asylum and parole systems, which are now providing temporary amnesty to hundreds of thousands of individuals who are here illegally. Recent news reports suggest that President Biden is thinking of taking new, more substantial immigration action aimed at helping to finally stem the flow of illegal migration. I hope that is true, although given his record, I am not holding my breath. The President helped create this crisis, and he should end it. For example, tightening the asylum claims, as President Trump did, could help weed out many of the specious claims that are being made that allow individuals to take up long-term residence in our country. With 75 percent of respondents in a recent poll describing the situation at our southern border as ``a very serious problem'' or ``a crisis,'' perhaps election-year politics will do what 3 years of recordbreaking immigration has not done, and that is, force the President to take his responsibility for our Nation's security seriously and finally shut down the flow of illegal immigration at our southern border. But, as I said, given the President's record, I am not holding my breath. I yield the floor. I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. THUNE

Mr. THUNE. The following Senator is necessarily absent: the Senator from Alabama (Mrs. Britt).

Mr. THUNE

Mr. THUNE. The following Senator is necessarily absent: the Senator from Alabama (Mrs. Britt).

Mr. THUNE

Mr. THUNE. The following Senator is necessarily absent: the Senator from Alabama (Mrs. Britt).

Mr. THUNE

Mr. THUNE. The following Senators are necessarily absent: the Senator from Alabama (Mrs. Britt), the Senator from North Dakota (Mr. Hoeven), the Senator from Mississippi (Mrs. Hyde-Smith), the Senator from Idaho (Mr. Risch), and the Senator from Utah (Mr. Romney).

Mr. THUNE

Mr. THUNE. The following Senators are necessarily absent: the Senator from Wyoming (Mr. Barrasso), the Senator from Alabama (Mrs. Britt), the Senator from Louisiana (Mr. Cassidy), the Senator from Montana (Mr. Daines), the Senator from Kansas (Mr. Moran), the Senator from Idaho (Mr. Risch), the Senator from Utah (Mr. Romney), the Senator from South Carolina (Mr. Scott), and the Senator from Ohio (Mr. Vance).

Mr. THUNE. The following Senators are necessarily absent: the Senator from Wyoming (Mr. Barrasso), the Senator from Alabama (Mrs. Britt), the Senator from Louisiana (Mr. Cassidy), the Senator from Montana (Mr. Daines), the Senator from Kansas (Mr. Moran), the Senator from Idaho (Mr. Risch), the Senator from Utah (Mr. Romney), the Senator from South Carolina (Mr. Scott), and the Senator from Ohio (Mr. Vance).

Mr. THUNE. The following Senators are necessarily absent: the Senator from Wyoming (Mr. Barrasso), the Senator from Alabama (Mrs. Britt), the Senator from Louisiana (Mr. Cassidy), the Senator from Montana (Mr. Daines), the Senator from Kansas (Mr. Moran), the Senator from Kentucky (Mr. Paul), the Senator from Idaho (Mr. Risch), the Senator from Utah (Mr. Romney), the Senator from South Carolina (Mr. Scott), and the Senator from Ohio (Mr. Vance). Further, if present and voting: the Senator from Ohio (Mr. Vance) would have voted ``yea.''

Mr. THUNE. The following Senators are necessarily absent: the Senator from Wyoming (Mr. Barrasso), the Senator from Alabama (Mrs. Britt), the Senator from Louisiana (Mr. Cassidy), the Senator from Montana (Mr. Daines), the Senator from Kansas (Mr. Moran), the Senator from Kentucky (Mr. Paul), the Senator from Idaho (Mr. Risch), the Senator from Utah (Mr. Romney), and the Senator from South Carolina (Mr. Scott).

Mr. THUNE. The following Senators are necessarily absent: the Senator from Wyoming (Mr. Barrasso), the Senator from Alabama (Mrs. Britt), the Senator from Louisiana (Mr. Cassidy), the Senator from Montana (Mr. Daines), the Senator from Kansas (Mr. Moran), the Senator from Kentucky (Mr. Paul), the Senator from Idaho (Mr. Risch), the Senator from Utah (Mr. Romney), and the Senator from South Carolina (Mr. Scott).

Mr. THUNE

Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, yesterday, we learned that Leader McConnell, the longest serving party leader in Senate history, will be stepping down from his leadership role next January. There will be time later for a fuller discussion of all his contributions to our party and to this institution, but for today, I just want to express my gratitude for his service. Had he done nothing else, his successful efforts to build up the judiciary with judges who are committed to the rule of law and to the Constitution would secure his place in the history books. I am grateful to have had the opportunity to serve with him.

Mr. THUNE

Mr. THUNE. The following Senators are necessarily absent: the Senator from Wyoming (Mr. Barrasso) and the Senator from Kansas (Mr. Moran).

Mr. THUNE

Mr. THUNE. The following Senators are necessarily absent: the Senator from Wyoming (Mr. Barrasso) and the Senator from Kansas (Mr. Moran).

Mr. THUNE

Mr. THUNE. The following Senators are necessarily absent: the Senator from Wyoming (Mr. Barrasso), the Senator from Alabama (Mrs. Britt), the Senator from Louisiana (Mr. Cassidy), the Senator from Montana (Mr. Daines), the Senator from Kansas (Mr. Moran), the Senator from Utah (Mr. Romney), and the Senator from South Carolina (Mr. Scott).

Mr. THUNE

Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, America needs farmers and ranchers. We need the men and women--and often entire families--who are willing to do the hard work to feed our country and the world. In places like my home State of South Dakota, farming and ranching are just part of our way of life. But this important work involves a great deal of risk. Few jobs, for example, are as subject to the whims of the weather and fluctuations of the market. So, for almost 100 years, Congress has regularly passed a farm bill to back agriculture producers with programs and policies that mitigate risk and help them to keep going through the tough times. And with the 2018 farm bill expiring last year, Congress needs to take up this important task once again. And while I am glad Congress passed an extension of critical farm bill programs through the 2024 growing season, a temporary extension is no substitute for a full, updated bill. I have been able to help craft four farm bills during my time in Congress, and, for me, the process always begins and ends with farmers and ranchers. In addition to my regular discussions with farmers and ranchers as I travel around our State, I have held a number of roundtable discussions across South Dakota, focused on the next farm bill, to receive direct input from our State's agriculture producers, and most of my priorities for the farm bill come directly from the conversations that I have had. One thing I consistently hear from farmers and ranchers is the importance of a farm safety net. Crop insurance, commodity, and livestock programs play a critical role in helping producers manage risk in their operations. Crop insurance is the cornerstone of the safety net, and we need to strengthen it wherever possible in the next farm bill. And while crop insurance has historically supported row crop production, I am pleased with the progress we have made in recent years to improve and expand insurance options for livestock producers. But commodity programs like Agriculture Risk Coverage and Price Loss Coverage need to be improved so that they sufficiently mitigate producers' losses. And livestock programs like the Livestock Forage Disaster Program and the Emergency Assistance for Livestock Program need to be modified to improve the assistance that they provide and make them workable for producers. So one of my top priorities for the next farm bill is improving commodity and livestock programs so they provide the support that farmers and ranchers need during tough times. As I said, while I am glad we have extended key provisions of the 2018 farm bill through this growing season, we are overdue for a full, updated, multiyear farm bill, and Republicans on the Agriculture Committee are ready to get to drafting a bill. I am disappointed, however, that some of my Democrat colleagues don't seem to share our sense of urgency. The Biden administration and congressional Democrats have put funding their climate and nutrition priorities ahead of helping farmers and ranchers, which has stalled what has traditionally been--traditionally been--a bipartisan farm bill process. With an expected $1.5 trillion pricetag for the next farm bill-- thanks in part to the Biden USDA's SNAP Thrifty Food Plan update, which is expected, by the way, to cost more than a quarter of a trillion dollars over the next 10 years--there needs to be some give and take when it comes to meaningfully funding the farm safety net and other components of the farm bill. Since the last farm bill passed in 2018, farmers and ranchers have faced a number of challenges. Inflation has driven up farm production expenses by $100 billion since the last farm bill. USDA is forecasting another decrease in net farm income this year, following last year's drop. And farm input costs are projected to stay near record highs this year. The Biden administration's failure to promote trade and new market access opportunities will continue to negatively impact farmers and ranchers in their bottom lines. This year, the United States is on track to post a record-high agriculture trade deficit, and recent disruptions to shipping in the Middle East could have impacts on global markets that negatively affect American farms and ranches. Our focus needs to be on helping farmers deal with these challenges. Simply put, we need to put more farm in the farm bill, and we need to get moving now. America's farmers and ranchers can't afford more unnecessary delays or partisan exercises. It is time to get the farm bill done and done right. 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. The following Senator is necessarily absent: the Senator from North Carolina (Mr. Tillis). Further, if present and voting: the Senator from North Carolina (Mr. Tillis) would have voted ``nay.''

Mr. THUNE

Mr. THUNE. The following Senators are necessarily absent: the Senator from Kansas (Mr. Marshall) and the Senator from Alabama (Mr. Tuberville). Further, if present and voting: the Senator from Kansas (Mr. Marshall) would have voted ``nay.''

Mr. THUNE

Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, President Biden's war on American energy continues. Last month in a move apparently made, in part, to satisfy climate activists on TikTok and win a few votes in the upcoming election, the administration announced a pause on liquefied natural gas export approvals, threatening both domestic energy projects and the energy security of our allies. It is difficult to count all the ways in which the President's export approval pause is a terrible decision. But let's start with the national security concerns that it presents. At a time when Russia and Iran are flexing their power--with Russia now entering the third year of its unjustified war of aggression with Ukraine and with Iranian-backed militia threatening shipping and security in the Middle East--the President's action threatens to enrich these two countries by increasing demand for their natural gas, and Russia and Iran are ready to oblige. Russia is currently constructing a new liquefied natural gas export facility, and Iran is working on one as well. It is ironic that, as the President talks about the importance of opposing Putin, he is taking a step that could actually strengthen Putin's hand by increasing global dependence on Russian energy. Europe, of course, struggled to wean itself off of Russian energy when Russia invaded Ukraine, and American exports played a significant role in replacing Russian imports. Now, President Biden's decision is calling American reliability as an export partner into question and, as a recent article noted, ``is spooking Europe's fragile energy industry.'' And let's be very clear. The President's export pause, ostensibly taken for climate-related reasons, will do nothing to reduce global emissions. In fact, it runs the risk of increasing global emissions by pushing other countries to import natural gas from less environmentally friendly exporters or to continue to rely on other forms of energy like coal. Russian natural gas production, for example, is nowhere near as environmentally responsible as American natural gas production, and we have nothing to gain and much to lose environmentally by pushing countries to import gas from places like Russia. Finally, of course, there is the risk that the decision will undermine the strength of the U.S. energy sector, something we should be seeking to build up, both for the jobs it provides Americans and because of its ability to strengthen U.S. influence globally. President Biden's decision to pause liquefied natural gas export approvals is, of course, just one in a string of decisions he has made throughout his Presidency that imperil future domestic production and threaten our Nation's energy security. Since the day he took office, President Biden has pursued an agenda that is hostile to conventional sources of energy--namely, oil and natural gas--and he has done everything he can to push our Nation into a Green New Deal regime that our current energy system simply cannot cope with. At the top of the President's agenda has been a determination to force Americans to adopt electric vehicles on a broad scale within the next decade, a deeply concerning move because our supply chain and electric grid are nowhere near capable of supporting that kind of a widespread transition to electric vehicles. In fact, our Nation's energy grid, which has been stretched by increased demand and the move away from conventional energy sources, is already in serious trouble. We are rapidly approaching a situation in which we simply won't have the ability to keep up with current electricity demand. Add charging for hundreds of thousands or millions of electric vehicles on top of that, and we could be looking at a future of widespread blackouts and brownouts--to say nothing of soaring electricity prices. Just look at California, which has been a leader in implementing the kind of Green New Deal policies the President wants to impose nationwide. A recent article noted: There is intensifying political pressure on state lawmakers to do something about utility bills that have shot up by as much as 127 percent over the last decade. And let me just repeat that, Mr. President: There is intensifying political pressure on state lawmakers to do something about utility bills that have shot up by as much as 127 percent over the last decade. Americans have already faced a substantial increase in energy prices under President Biden. Gas prices alone are up 33 percent since President Biden took office. But if the President succeeds in fully implementing his Green New Deal visions, today's gas and utility prices may look cheap compared to the energy prices Americans will face in the future. In his 3 years in office, President Biden has built an energy record that threatens to do long-term damage to America's energy security, and with 8 months to go until the election and more environmentalists on TikTok to attempt to satisfy, I am worried that the President's liquefied natural gas decision won't be the last terrible energy decision we see from the White House in 2024.

Mr. THUNE

Mr. THUNE. The following Senators are necessarily absent: the Senator from Idaho (Mr. Crapo) and the Senator from North Carolina (Mr. Tillis).

Mr. THUNE

Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, also, I would ask unanimous consent that I be allowed to complete my remarks prior to the scheduled rollcall votes.

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

Mr. THUNE

Mr. THUNE. The following Senators are necessarily absent: the Senator from Idaho (Mr. Crapo), the Senator from Nebraska (Mr. Ricketts), and the Senator from North Carolina (Mr. Tillis). Further, if present and voting: the Senator from North Carolina (Mr. Tillis) would have voted ``yea.''

Mr. THUNE

Mr. THUNE. The following Senators are necessarily absent: the Senator from Idaho (Mr. Crapo), the Senator from Nebraska (Mr. Ricketts), and the Senator from North Carolina (Mr. Tillis). Further, if present and voting: the Senator from North Carolina (Mr. Tillis) would have voted ``yea.''

Mr. THUNE

Mr. THUNE. I yield the floor.