John Thune

Mr. THUNE

Mr. THUNE. I ask for the yeas and nays on the motion to commit with instructions.

Mr. THUNE. I have an amendment to the instructions.

Mr. THUNE. I ask unanimous consent that reading be waived.

Mr. THUNE. I ask for the yeas and nays on my amendment.

Mr. THUNE. I have a second-degree amendment at the desk.

Mr. THUNE. I ask unanimous consent that the reading be waived.

Mr. THUNE

Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, my Democrat colleagues are at it again. They are on their second shutdown in 6 months, and in a few short days, a lot of government workers will be missing part of their paychecks again thanks to Senate Democrats. Well, let's just briefly review the 2026 fiscal year. At the start of the fiscal year, which is October 1 for the Federal Government, Democrats shut down the entire government for a staggering 43 days--the longest government shutdown in history--and by the time a handful of Democrat Senators agreed to end the shutdown, air travel was in chaos, essential programs had been affected, and many government employees had turned to loans, credit cards, and food banks to make ends meet, but even the worst government shutdown in history wasn't enough for Senate Democrats. Fast-forward now to January of this year. Democrats and Republicans in both Houses of Congress had agreed on a final Department of Homeland Security spending bill that included deescalation training for Immigration and Customs Enforcement, as well as $20 million for body cameras for ICE officers. But Democrats decided that wasn't enough, so Republicans and the White House agreed to reopen negotiations. Knowing that negotiation takes time, we suggested a temporary funding extension for several weeks, but Democrats insisted on no more than 2 weeks. When 2 weeks, predictably, wasn't enough, especially since Democrats were in no hurry to put together a legislative proposal, Democrats shut down the entire Department, and now, a whole lot of Department of Homeland Security employees are starting to miss pay thanks to Senate Democrats. That includes TSA agents--the people tasked with the safety of air travel in this country--as well as Coast Guard civilian employees, members of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, who do so much--I might add--essential disaster response work here at home, and many others. Let's be very clear. This isn't a principled stand by Democrats against Republicans who refuse to negotiate. That is not the case. The White House has not only made a lot of reforms to ICE procedures on its own, it has shown a clear willingness to legislate reforms and has made more than one substantial offer to Democrats. Democrats could have recognized this and chosen to extend DHS funding while negotiations finished up or we could be considering an agreement right now. Instead, it is becoming abundantly clear that what Democrats really want is to keep this alive as a political issue. If Democrats really wanted to put reforms in place, they would be doing everything they could to get a bill. Of course, the White House isn't going to sign off on every Democrat demand--no side gets everything it wants in negotiations--but Democrats could be on the verge of having substantial reforms signed into law if they were at all serious about actually implementing solutions, but they are not. They are interested in politics, not policy, and a whole lot of essential government employees are suffering as a result, to say nothing of the essential government work--the work of government--that is suffering. The deployment of cyber security measures to Federal Agencies has been delayed. States are having to wait for disaster reimbursements. FEMA training centers are closed, affecting 45,000 students per week, and the list goes on. I mentioned the air travel chaos that ensued as a result of Democrats' first fiscal year 2026 shutdown. Well, the longer this DHS shutdown drags on, the more likely it is that we will start to have staffing problems at airport checkpoints, which will lead to compounding flight delays and other problems. Now, it shouldn't need saying that it is always a terrible idea to use the Department of Homeland Security as a political pawn. There are always threats to the homeland that have to be addressed, and that is exactly the work that is done by the Department of Homeland Security. But above all, right now, with an enhanced terror threat from Iran and Iran-funded terrorist groups, it is vital that we ensure the Department of Homeland Security is fully funded and fully functioning. It is 2 more days until the Department of Homeland Security employees start missing part of their paychecks. I hope that my Democrat colleagues will finally decide to come to the table and bring their second shutdown in under 6 months to a close. I yield the floor. I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. THUNE

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

Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to waive the mandatory quorum call in relation to the motion to proceed to Calendar No. 343, H.R. 6644.

Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, over the weekend, American forces took action against the longtime threat posed by the mullahs in Tehran. For decades, Iran has fomented terror throughout the Middle East, endangering U.S. servicemembers, U.S. citizens and personnel in the region, and many of our allies. In addition, Iran has relentlessly pursued the development of its own nuclear program, despite repeated violations identified by the international atomic watchdog, the IAEA. Iran is also aggressively growing the range and inventory of its ballistic missiles and launchers, an inventory that is already the largest in the region. Combine that with a Navy that aims to threaten a key shipping channel, and it is clear that Iran poses a serious risk to America's national security interests, as well as those of our allies and partners. President Trump and his administration relentlessly pursued a diplomatic solution to the threat posed by Iran, but the Iranian regime refused diplomatic off-ramps, so now the President is taking action. My prayers are for the success of the mission and, above all, for the safety of U.S. personnel in harm's way. Four U.S. servicemembers have lost their lives as a result of Iranian attacks. My thoughts and prayers today are with their families and loved ones and with their fellow servicemembers. Affordable Housing Mr. President, ask a group of people what they think of when they think of the American dream, and home ownership is pretty likely to come up: a house, a neighborhood, a yard for the kids or pet to play. Getting the keys to a place of your own, that is a part of the American dream for a lot of Americans, but it is a part of the American dream that has been out of reach for many. A lot of Americans, particularly younger Americans, are simply being priced out of the housing market. Home prices have risen sharply in the past few years, surging roughly 50 percent since the pandemic, according to the New York Times. A 2025 report from the Joint Center for Housing Studies at Harvard reported: The US median existing single-family home price hit a new high of $412,500 in 2024, according to the National Association of Realtors. . . . This is a shocking five times the median household income and significantly above the price-to-income ratio of 3 that traditionally has been considered affordable. With numbers like these, it is no wonder that the age of first-time home buyers has risen sharply as well--to an alltime high of age 40. The American people have been through a lot over the last few years, notably the historic inflation crisis that defined the Biden administration. And since we took office last January, Republicans' priority here in Congress has been easing the burden on hard-working Americans. That started with preventing a massive $2.6 trillion tax hike that was scheduled to hit Americans making less than $400,000 a year. And it continued with a slew of new tax relief for hard-working Americans in the Working Families Tax Cuts, which Republicans passed last summer. There is nothing like having more money in your pocket to make it a little easier to deal with financial challenges and unexpected bills. In January of this year, we took aim at healthcare costs with a bill that included multiple measures to lower the price of prescription drugs at the pharmacy counter. And this week, we are tackling the challenges of home ownership and beginning work on the most significant housing bill in a decade or more. The ROAD to Housing Act, the product of extensive work from the Senate Banking Committee, particularly from its chairman Tim Scott, packages together a number of bills focused on lowering housing costs and increasing housing supply, and it takes aim at these goals in multiple ways. One primary focus of the bill is removing unnecessary regulatory barriers that drive up the costs of housing or complicate construction. The bill's Housing Supply Expansion Act, for example, which is the product of Senators Britt, Tillis, Crapo, and others, removes the outdated chassis requirement for manufactured housing. This will not only lower the cost of manufactured homes, but it will also allow for more innovation in the manufactured home design process, such as two- story houses. Manufactured homes are already substantially less expensive than site-built dwellings, and removing the outdated chassis rule will further increase their affordability and create more manufactured options that suit more families. And that is just the tip of the iceberg. Senator Rounds has multiple bills in the ROAD to Housing Act that will increase supply by streamlining the environmental review process. The Choice in Affordable Housing Act--the work of Senators Cramer, Sullivan, Moran, and Curtis, as well as others, will streamline inspection requirements for affordable homes financed by multiple government programs. And I could go on. There are a lot more measures in the ROAD to Housing Act to eliminate or streamline regulations. And with regulations accounting for around 25 percent of the costs of constructing a single-family dwelling and for roughly 40 percent of the costs of multifamily projects, anything we can do to streamline and simplify can go a long way toward making housing more affordable. But the ROAD to Housing Act does a lot more than simply targeting unnecessary regulations. The act is also designed to unleash private sector investment in more affordable homes. ROAD Act legislation from Senators Scott, Moreno, McCormick, Cassidy, and Crapo, for example, will increase the statutory cap that limits banks' ability to invest in more affordable housing and other community development projects. The Build Now Act from Senator Kennedy creates a pilot program to incentivize a wide variety of housing development in communities that participate in the Federal Community Development Block Grant Program. There is a lot more in the ROAD to Housing Act than I can discuss in one speech. There is much more I could say on the way these bills will streamline regulation and unleash investment, and I haven't even mentioned the bill's provisions to help veterans or increase the supply of housing in rural communities or help Americans living in government- assisted housing build the savings that they need for home ownership. There is a lot in this bill. And I want to extend my thanks to Banking Committee Chairman Scott and Ranking Member Elizabeth Warren for putting in the work to assemble so many good pieces of legislation and to get the final product to the floor. The ROAD to Housing Act doesn't spend a single taxpayer dollar. But by removing barriers to affordable housing construction and unleashing investment, this bill stands to open the door to affordable homes for hard-working Americans around the country. I look forward to passing this legislation in the very near future. I yield the floor. I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. THUNE

Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of H. Con. Res. 72, which was received from the House.

Mr. THUNE. I ask unanimous consent that the resolution be agreed to and the motion 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 when the Senate completes its business today, it stand adjourned until 10 a.m. on Tuesday, March 3, 2026; 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 the motion to proceed to H.R. 6644, postcloture; further, that the Senate recess from 12:30 p.m. until 2:15 p.m. to allow for weekly conference meetings; finally, that all time during recess, adjournment, and leader remarks count postcloture on the motion to proceed to H.R. 6644.

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 following the remarks of Senators Cruz, Baldwin, Van Hollen, Duckworth, and Welch.

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, last July, Republicans passed the landmark Working Families Tax Cut Act into law. This is a bill that is full of wins for the American people. It delivers safer streets, puts more money in Americans' pockets, and it creates new opportunities to get ahead. As they file their taxes this year, hard-working Americans are beginning to see just how significant the tax relief is for them. Last week, I was home in South Dakota, and I heard directly from South Dakotans about the impact the Working Families Tax Cut Act is having in our State. I visited manufacturing facilities. I talked to business owners. I even met with some accountants about what they are seeing as they file returns for their clients. And one thing is clear, the Working Families Tax Cut Act is working for South Dakota. Last week, I joined a roundtable at Montgomery's in Sioux Falls by the South Dakota Retailers Association. I heard from a number of local businesses, from our car dealerships to a cupcake shop, and business owners from around South Dakota had positive things to say about the Working Families Tax Cut Act. Todd Pharis, a Pizza Ranch franchisee in Sioux Falls, hailed the much needed certainty provided by the new tax law. Pro-growth provisions like bonus depreciation, research and development expensing, and the 199A small business deduction are now permanent, meaning businesses like Todd's can plan for the future and invest in their operations and in their employees. Jim Lake, who owns car dealerships around South Dakota, said that 100 percent bonus depreciation enabled them to build a large addition to one of his dealerships and hire 10 new employees. The owner of Harms Oil also talked about the significant reinvestment from bonus depreciation that benefits South Dakota businesses and the communities they serve. Paul Forst from Agtegra Cooperative talked about how the 199A small business deduction is directly helping South Dakota farmers. He said his cooperative has opted to pass more than $100 million in 199A benefits directly to South Dakota farmers since the deduction was created in 2017, and the farmers have invested that savings in new equipment, infrastructure, and jobs. Then there is the death tax relief that we passed. The death tax relief that we passed--I mentioned that this roundtable was at Montgomery's furniture store in Sioux Falls. And I think it is worth noting that Montgomery's has been a family-owned business since 1888, the year before South Dakota became a State. It is currently run by the fourth and fifth generations in South Dakota. The sixth generation is learning the ropes. Family-run businesses like Montgomery's aren't unique in our State. South Dakota is home to a number of family-owned businesses and family farms and ranches that have been passed down from one generation to the next. Thanks to the working families tax cut, hard-working Americans who run their own businesses are breathing a sigh of relief because this landmark bill protects a lot more family-owned businesses from a potentially devastating death tax bill when the business passes to the next generation, as well as costly estate planning expenses. That is something that matters to a lot of folks who came to the roundtable last week and for business owners, farmers, and ranchers across South Dakota. I have talked this morning about how the working families tax cut provides tax relief to South Dakota businesses. Those benefits are significant, but I should note what most excited the business owners at last week's roundtable wasn't the tax benefits for themselves; it was the benefits that their employees and the customers are going to see. Todd Pharis, the Pizza Ranch franchisee said this: The two that are going to help us the most, or at least our employees, are the no tax on tips and the no tax on overtime, which will give our employees more money, and . . . we'll actually be able to give them more overtime. Melissa Johnson who owns Oh My Cupcakes! in Sioux Falls said of her employees: With the no tax on tips and no taxes on overtime, it has already resulted in [my employees] having higher tax refunds so they can buy things they need for their families. My head chef just bought a baby crib because of a higher refund . . . It's really affected my team in positive ways. And Eric Sinclair who owns Montgomery's had this to say: Anytime the general consumer can get more back in their pocket with tax cuts, we hope they come into our stores and maybe buy something nice for their home, make their surroundings even more beautiful. By all accounts, those bigger tax refunds are beginning to land in hard-working Americans' bank accounts. The IRS is reporting a significant increase in the average refund this year. And just recently, I got this message from a retiree in South Dakota who wrote: Just did my income taxes. Putting more money in my pocket than last year . . . I am not a billionaire or a millionaire or even a hundreds of thousands thousandaire--just a retired senior citizen who appreciates that the middle class gets a break once in a while. That is what the working families tax cut is all about. Whether you are a small business owner, a farmer, a rancher, or a senior citizen, or someone just trying to make ends meet and provide for your family, the working families tax cut puts more money in your pocket empowering Americans to spend, invest, and save their money how they see fit. And it is setting our country and the American people up for a much brighter future. I yield the floor. I suggest the absence of a quorum.

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

Mr. THUNE

Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, I move to proceed to Calendar No. 343, H.R. 6644.

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

Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to waive the mandatory quorum call in relation to the McCormack nomination.

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 order for the quorum call be rescinded.

Mr. THUNE

Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, before I begin, I want to mention Special Agent Eden Holguin, a member of the Capitol Police's Dignitary Protection Division, who passed away last week following a brief illness. It is men and women like Special Agent Holguin who allow us to complete our work here each day in safety. I am profoundly grateful for his service and for that of our other Capitol Police officers. My prayers today are with Special Agent Holguin's loved ones and his family.

Mr. THUNE

Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, today I recognize the selection of South Dakota's Adam Vinatieri as a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame's Class of 2026. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest kickers in NFL history, scoring 2,673 career points and winning four Super Bowls during his 24-year career. He is the third kicker and the second South Dakota State University--SDSU--Jackrabbit to be enshrined in the Hall of Fame. Adam's rise to fame began in my home State of South Dakota. He was born in Yankton, SD, and attended Rapid City Central High School where he earned All-State honors in football in 1989 and 1990. Continuing his punting and kicking career, he then attended SDSU in Brookings, SD, where he finished his collegiate career as the school's alltime leading scorer. In his senior year at SDSU, Vinatieri earned NCAA Division II All-America recognition after setting the school's single-season punting record of 43.5 yards per attempt. Additionally, he set SDSU's then-record for career field goals, 27; extra points, 104; points by a kicker, 195; and longest field goal, 51 yards. Adam initially went undrafted by the NFL, but he did not let the adversity stop his passion and love for the game. He spent a season playing internationally with the Amsterdam Admirals, and the New England Patriots signed Adam in 1996 as a free agent. He set a rookie franchise record at the time with 120 points. He went on to play 10 consecutive seasons with the Patriots, and he helped the Patriots claim three Super Bowl Championships in four seasons--2001, 2003, and 2004--kicking off one of the longest dynasties in NFL history. He had a long list of accomplishments during his run with the Patriots, and perhaps his most notable was kicking the NFL's first-ever Super Bowl winning field goal in Super Bowl XXXVI and returning to do it again in Super Bowl XXXVIII. As a free agent in 2006, Adam signed with the Indianapolis Colts, where he went on to play for another 14 seasons, win Super Bowl XLI, and establish records for the franchise, including 44 consecutive field goals and 37 field goals made from 50 yards or beyond. Both of these records have yet to be broken. Adam holds the NFL's record for career points, 2,673; career field goals, 599; postseason points, 238; consecutive field goals made, 44; most seasons with more than 100 points, 21; and overtime field goals made, 12. His four Super Bowl wins are the most of any NFL kicker. Additionally, he was a member of the NFL 100th Anniversary All-Time Team and the NFL All-Decade Team for the 2000s. I congratulate Adam for his remarkable career as a professional athlete and applaud his well-deserved induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame. He represents the best of South Dakota's values: grit, determination, humility, and fortitude. He defined excellence in the game, overcoming unimaginable pressures and delivering record-breaking accomplishments. From his start as a Rapid City Central Cobbler to helping two NFL franchises to Super Bowl victories, Adam's leadership and legacy will continue to inspire generations of South Dakotans to come.

Mr. THUNE

Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, later this evening, we are going to hear from Trump in the State of the Union Address. In a little more than a year, President Trump and Republican majorities in Congress have delivered on our promises to the American people, from a secure border to more money in Americans' pockets. As the American people will hear tonight, we are just getting started. The Department of Homeland Security has been shut down for 11 days now. It is the second time in less than 6 months the Democrats have needlessly shut down all or part of the Federal Government. Senators will have another opportunity today to vote to proceed to the Department of Homeland Security funding bill. Democrats have previously opposed getting on this funding bill. They opposed a continuing resolution that would have temporarily funded Homeland Security Agencies while negotiations continued on immigration enforcement. All signs suggest that our Democrat colleagues will once again vote against moving to DHS funding this afternoon. The Department of Homeland Security houses a number of critical Agencies, and shutting down this Department has real consequences. Democrats are threatening the work of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, of the TSA, of key cyber security offices. FEMA training centers, like the National Fire Academy in Maryland, are closed. Roughly 45,000 Americans who are in training at one of these centers can't go to class right now. We are hosting the World Cup in a few months, and some security training for that event is on hold right now because of the shutdown. Civilian Coast Guard employees won't get a full paycheck at the end of this week, and thousands more Americans, from disaster response personnel at FEMA to TSA agents, are worried about potentially missing pay as soon as next week. As I said, this is the second time in 6 months the Democrats have shut down all or part of the Federal Government. The Department of Homeland Security employs thousands of Americans. We should want the most talented and most dedicated individuals serving in these roles. But when these Americans and their families are routinely used as political pawns, morale suffers. Think of what that means for these Agencies' ability to recruit and retain the very best. But I guess none of that matters to Democrats. Republicans want to get to an agreement on Homeland Security funding. So does the White House. And we have acted in good faith throughout these negotiations. The Trump administration has taken a number of actions on its own in Minneapolis, including deploying body cameras, tailoring its mission to criminal illegal immigrants, and requiring identification for officers. On top of those actions, the White House put forward a very serious offer to legislate reforms almost 2 weeks ago. It took Democrats 5 days to respond, and when they did respond, it was with a counteroffer that was essentially the same as their first, which raises a question, and that is, are Democrats actually interested in a solution here or are they just interested in a political issue? There is room for compromise here but only if both sides give room. Democrats aren't doing that. I shouldn't need to remind my Democrat colleagues that the Department of Homeland Security does critical work. Border security and immigration enforcement are one part of its mission. And it is an important mission. We need to have a secure border, and we need to deport criminal illegal immigrants. Now, we can have a debate about how these tasks are undertaken, but we are not going to support anything that makes it impossible for law enforcement to carry out its job. We are not going to support anything that makes it more dangerous for officers to do their jobs. Unfortunately, that is what some of the Democrats' proposals would do. Old habits die hard, and, unfortunately, the party of ``defund the police'' seems to be slipping back into calls to defund law enforcement. I hope that is not the position of the Democrats' here. I hope our colleagues are actually willing to come to a solution, but if they are, it is time to show it. This shutdown is already hurting hard- working Americans and impacting efforts to preserve both public safety and national security, and it is time to end it. I yield the floor. I suggest the absence of a quorum.