John Thune

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 ``nay.''

Mr. THUNE

Mr. THUNE. The following senators are necessarily absent: the Senator from North Dakota (Mr. Cramer), the Senator from Idaho (Mr. Crapo), the Senator from Nebraska (Mr. Ricketts), the Senator from Idaho (Mr. Risch), 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 Senator is necessarily absent: the Senator from Wyoming (Ms. Lummis). Further, if present and voting: the Senator from Wyoming (Ms. Lummis) would have voted ``nay.''

Mr. THUNE. The following Senator is necessarily absent: the Senator from Wyoming (Ms. Lummis).

Mr. THUNE. The following Senator is necessarily absent: the Senator from Wyoming (Ms. Lummis).

Mr. THUNE

Mr. THUNE. The following Senators are necessarily absent: the Senator from Indiana (Mr. Braun), the Senator from North Dakota (Mr. Cramer), the Senator from Wyoming (Ms. Lummis), the Senator from Idaho (Mr. Risch), the Senator from Florida (Mr. Scott), and the Senator from Ohio (Mr. Vance). Further, if present and voting: the Senator from Florida (Mr. Scott) would have voted ``yea,'' the Senator from Wyoming (Ms. Lummis) would have voted ``yea,'' and the Senator from Ohio (Mr. Vance) would have voted ``yea.''

Mr. THUNE. The following Senators are necessarily absent: the Senator from Indiana (Mr. Braun), the Senator from North Dakota (Mr. Cramer), the Senator from Wyoming (Ms. Lummis), the Senator from Idaho (Mr. Risch), and the Senator from Florida (Mr. Scott). Further, if present and voting: the Senator from Florida (Mr. Scott) would have voted ``nay'' and the Senator from Wyoming (Ms. Lummis) would have voted ``nay.''

Mr. THUNE

Mr. THUNE. The following Senators are necessarily absent: the Senator from Wyoming (Mr. Barrasso), the Senator from Indiana (Mr. Braun), the Senator from North Carolina (Mr. Budd), the Senator from Texas (Mr. Cornyn), the Senator from Texas (Mr. Cruz), the Senator from Montana (Mr. Daines), the Senator from Iowa (Ms. Ernst), the Senator from Tennessee (Mr. Hagerty), the Senator from Mississippi (Mrs. Hyde- Smith), the Senator from Wisconsin (Mr. Johnson), the Senator from Louisiana (Mr. Kennedy), the Senator from Oklahoma (Mr. Lankford), the Senator from Wyoming (Ms. Lummis), the Senator from Kansas (Mr. Marshall), the Senator from Kansas (Mr. Moran), the Senator from Idaho (Mr. Risch), and the Senator from Florida (Mr. Scott). Further, if present and voting: the Senator from Florida (Mr. Scott) would have voted ``nay.''

Mr. THUNE

Mr. THUNE. The following Senator is necessarily absent: the Senator from Wyoming (Ms. Lummis).

Mr. THUNE

Mr. THUNE. The following Senator is necessarily absent: the Senator from Wyoming (Ms. Lummis).

Mr. THUNE. The following Senator is necessarily absent: the Senator from Wyoming (Ms. Lummis).

Mr. THUNE

Mr. THUNE. The following Senators are necessarily absent: the Senator from Wyoming (Mr. Barrasso), the Senator from Indiana (Mr. Braun), the Senator from Wyoming (Ms. Lummis), 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 Indiana (Mr. Braun), and the Senator from Wyoming (Ms. Lummis).

Mr. THUNE

Mr. THUNE. The following Senators are necessarily absent: the Senator from Wyoming (Mr. Barrasso), the Senator from Indiana (Mr. Braun), and the Senator from Wyoming (Ms. Lummis).

Mr. THUNE

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

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, an early report suggests that the Biden administration may have set yet another record at our southern border-- and not the good kind. If this early report is accurate, the number of migrant encounters at our southern border in January is the highest January number ever recorded. That, of course, would follow December's recordbreaking number of migrant encounters, which was a staggering 309,034. That is not only the highest December number ever recorded but the highest number for any month ever recorded. Before that, of course, there was September's recordbreaking number, and the list goes on. The Biden administration has presided over a truly unprecedented crisis at our Nation's border. We have had 3 years of recordbreaking illegal immigration under the Biden administration. Fiscal year 2021 saw a recordbreaking 1,734,686 migrant encounters at our southern border. Then fiscal year 2022 broke that record, and then fiscal year 2023 broke that record. They didn't break that 2021 record by a small margin, either. Fiscal year 2023 exceeded fiscal year 2021 by a staggering 740,000-plus encounters. If the current trajectory continues, it is likely that fiscal year 2024 will break the record yet again. All told, since President Biden took office, there have been more than 7 million--million--migrant encounters at our southwest border, and that is just counting the individuals who were stopped by Customs and Border Protection. Since January 2021, when President Biden took office, there have been more than 1.7 million known ``got-aways,'' and those are individuals the Border Patrol saw but was unable to apprehend. We have no idea how many unknown--unknown--``got-aways'' there have been over the same period. I could keep throwing out numbers all day, but needless to say, my point is this: The situation at our southern border is a disaster, it is unprecedented, and it is untenable. We have to get this crisis under control. I am thankful for Senator Lankford's efforts to address the chaos at our southern border. Senator Lankford has spent months now working to develop serious border security reform, and his work has further highlighted the ways the Biden administration has invited illegal immigration and undermined security at our Nation's border. The worst border crisis on record will be a defining feature of President Biden's legacy, in addition to the high cost of inflation imposed on American families and the weakening of America's standing on the world's stage.

Mr. THUNE

Mr. THUNE. The following Senators are necessarily absent: the Senator from Wyoming (Mr. Barrasso), the Senator from Tennessee (Mrs. Blackburn), the Senator from Indiana (Mr. Braun), the Senator from North Carolina (Mr. Budd), the Senator from West Virginia (Mrs. Capito), the Senator from Louisiana (Mr. Cassidy), the Senator from Texas (Mr. Cornyn), the Senator from North Dakota (Mr. Cramer), the Senator from Texas (Mr. Cruz), the Senator from Montana (Mr. Daines), the Senator from Missouri (Mr. Hawley), the Senator from Wyoming (Ms. Lummis), the Senator from Kansas (Mr. Moran), the Senator from Nebraska (Mr. Ricketts), the Senator from Idaho (Mr. Risch), the Senator from Utah (Mr. Romney), the Senator from Florida (Mr. Rubio), the Senator from Alaska (Mr. Sullivan), and the Senator from North Carolina (Mr. Tillis). Further, if present and voting: the Senator from North Carolina (Mr. Budd) would have voted ``yea'' and the Senator from North Carolina (Mr. Tillis) would have voted ``yea.''

Mr. THUNE

Mr. THUNE. The following Senators are necessarily absent: the Senator from Wyoming (Mr. Barrasso) and the Senator from North Dakota (Mr. Hoeven). Further, if present and voting: the Senator from North Dakota (Mr. Hoeven) would have voted ``nay.''

Mr. THUNE

Mr. THUNE. The following Senator is necessarily absent: The Senator from Wyoming (Mr. Barrasso).

Mr. THUNE

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

Mr. THUNE

Mr. THUNE. The following Senator is necessarily absent: the Senator from Wyoming (Mr. Barrasso).

Mr. THUNE

Mr. THUNE. The following Senator is necessarily absent: the Senator from Wyoming (Mr. Barrasso).

Mr. THUNE

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