John Thune

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 ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today, it stand adjourned until 10 a.m. on Thursday, December 4; 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, and the Senate be in a period of morning business, with Senators permitted to speak therein for up to 10 minutes each; I further ask that the previous order with respect to S.J. Res. 91 be vitiated and, at 11:30 a.m., the Senate proceed to the consideration of H.J. Res. 131, the joint resolution be read a third time, the Senate vote on passage of the joint resolution, and, if passed, the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table, and S.J. Res. 91 be indefinitely postponed; further, that notwithstanding rule XXII, following the disposition of H.J. Res. 131, the Senate proceed to executive session and the Senate vote on the motion to invoke cloture on Executive Calendar No. 3, S. Res. 520; finally, that at 1:45 p.m., the Senate execute the order with respect to the Rodriguez nomination, and if confirmed, the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table, and the President be immediately notified of the Senate's action.

Mr. THUNE

Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions be discharged from further consideration and the Senate immediately proceed to S. Res. 516.

Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the resolution be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, and that 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 the Committee on the Judiciary be discharged from further consideration and the Senate now proceed to S. Res. 518.

Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the resolution be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, and that 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 the Senate now proceed to the en bloc consideration of the following resolutions, which are at the desk: S. Res. 527 and S. Res. 528.

Mr. THUNE. I ask unanimous consent that the resolutions be agreed to, the preambles be agreed to, and that the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table, all en bloc.

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 Kennedy and Reed.

Mr. THUNE

Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, the Democrat leader was just talking about healthcare, and obviously there has been a lot of conversation around that here in these past few weeks and months. In fact, the Democrats shut down the government for 43 days, the longest shutdown in history, allegedly, for healthcare; although, I think we all know that it was Trump derangement syndrome more than anything else that led to the government shutdown. But I would just say because there is a--you know, sometimes you have to take a walk down memory lane to remind people that facts are stubborn things, and facts are stubborn things. The Democrat leader implied Republicans are not interested in lowering healthcare costs and that somehow they are. The contrary is actually the truth. If you look at what has happened since the ObamaCare exchanges went live over 10 years ago, healthcare premiums on the exchange have gone up, on average, 221 percent--a 221-percent increase in healthcare premiums in the individual marketplace on the ObamaCare exchanges. Now, you might ask, why is that? There are a lot of reasons behind it. When they put the law in place in the first place, it was flawed structurally. But then he referred to these so-called Biden COVID bonuses, which were the enhancements that the Democrats now want to lock into place. Now, remember, this was done in 2021 with a Democrat majority, Democrat in the White House, under reconciliation. So there wasn't a single Republican who voted for these enhancements in the first place. But, remember, they were enhancements designed to be responsive to the pandemic. They were COVID bonuses, only supposed to be temporary. And then, in 2022, they extended them again and set them up to expire at the end of this year. This is a problem of Democrats' making, pure and simple. So to suggest for a moment that Republicans somehow aren't interested in lowering healthcare costs when, in fact, it is Democrat policies that have led to the runup, the rampant increase--221 percent increase in premiums since the exchanges went live over 10 years ago. You find me anything else in our economy that has seen that kind of an increase over that same time period, Mr. President. That is a staggering increase. The Biden COVID bonuses that were enacted with all Democrat votes in 2021 and then extended again in 2022 and are set to expire at the end of this year were, again, designed to be a response to a COVID emergency which no longer exists. So what has happened? They locked in the Biden COVID bonuses that are set to expire at the end of this year, and they expect Republicans now to bail them out. Well, frankly, Republicans are interested in things that will drive down and lower healthcare costs. The other thing they did in 2022, which is sort of interesting, is that the base ObamaCare policies covered people up to 400 percent of the poverty level. Well, today, that is about, for a family of four, $128,000. So in the exchanges, you could get coverage, and if your healthcare insurance premiums hit a certain percentage of your income, anything above and beyond that was covered by a government subsidy. That is, in fact, the way it worked prior to 2021. The Biden COVID bonuses took that cap off. There is no cap--no cap. So now you have people making $500,000, $600,000 a year who are getting subsidies from the Federal Government to buy insurance. The other thing they did is they did away with--there are what are called zero-dollar policies or zero-dollar premiums. In other words, there are people out there who pay nothing for coverage. Their coverage is entirely covered by the Federal Government through the subsidy. Well, what that has done and because of the way the program is structured--they structured it--is to provide the subsidies directly to insurance companies. This is called, falsely, a premium tax credit. It is not a tax credit. A tax credit would be something that would lower tax liability dollar for dollar when you file your income taxes. This is a subsidy, a direct subsidy. So you have literally millions of people--millions of people--who have no idea they are covered because they aren't paying anything for it, and the insurance companies are getting the payment. So the insurance companies are incentivized to go out and autoenroll all these people across the country. So what you have today are literally millions of people of the 23 to 24 million people who get their coverage in the exchanges--millions of those have no idea that they are even covered because the insurance company is getting the subsidy, autoenrolling them, which might explain why last year 40 percent of the people who get their insurance coverage through the exchanges didn't file a claim. Now, you could say that maybe they are healthy; maybe they are younger. That is all partially true, but do you think 40 percent of the people in the exchanges didn't file a claim? I mean, think about that. That means there are literally millions of people out there--millions of people who don't know they have coverage, and the insurance companies are getting the payments and making bank at the expense of everybody else in this country. And those who are paying premiums are seeing those premiums go up, as I said, 221 percent since these exchanges went live 10 years ago. So this is not something the Republicans--they blame the Republicans for the healthcare crisis. The healthcare crisis was created by Democrats with all Democrat votes in 2021 and then again in 2022, setting them up to expire at the end of this year and with no income limits and zero-dollar premiums and the subsidies going directly to the insurance companies instead of into the pockets of the American people. Now, there is a better way to do this, but it is going to take cooperation from both sides to do that. It seems to me, at least, that what the Democrats would rather have than a solution is an issue. They want a political issue, and they want to blame Republicans. But you have to come back to the basic premise that facts are stubborn things. These are the facts: In 2021, these Biden COVID bonuses went into effect. Lifted the cap, so there is no cap, so you can have unlimited amounts of income and still get coverage in the exchanges; zero-dollar premiums, so some people are paying nothing for their health insurance premiums; and insurance companies that are incentivized to autoenroll those very people. In many cases, those people have no idea they are covered. That is a pretty amazing contraption, if you will, and, some would argue, scam on behalf of the insurance companies in this country but certainly to the detriment of the American people, who do need more affordable coverage. They need to be able to afford healthcare along with the other things they buy on a daily basis. People need access to healthcare in this country, and they need affordability when it comes to healthcare in this country. I would say there is a path forward here. It can't happen unless there are significant reforms because you can't have people who are making unlimited amounts of money being able to qualify for government subsidies in these exchanges. Nor should you have, in my view, people who pay absolutely nothing--not one dollar--for coverage getting coverage and insurance companies being incentivized, because they get a subsidy for doing it, to cover these very people who don't even know they are covered. That is a really, really bizarre business model. I mean, you couldn't make this stuff up. Now the Democrats are saying: Oh, we created this, but it is your problem. Please, please fix it. If you don't, if you don't do something that will extend this program that has premiums that continue to go up like this for the American people, we will use it against you in a political campaign as a political issue. That is the state of play right now, which is why we need a solution and a solution that brings us back to where the American people have options, where there are some sort of income limits, where there are people at least paying something for their coverage, where the insurance companies aren't being enriched at the expense of the American people, and where the American people have choices and options to get the plan they want that works for them and for their families. That is a business model that works. Competition, optionality, market forces, driving down prices, giving the American people more choices to buy the insurance they want at a price they can afford--that is a business model. The business model we are operating under today was created by the Democrats, and now there is some expectation that somehow Republicans are supposed to come here and fix the problem they created.

Mr. THUNE

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

Mr. THUNE

Mr. THUNE. So let me get back to my remarks here and start by saying that last month, the incoming mayor of New York City, who is a leading voice in today's Democratic Party, promised New Yorkers: We will prove that there is no problem too large for government to solve, and no concern too small for it to care about. No problem too large and no concern too small for government to get involved. That was the quote. That is a dangerous way of thinking. It is a license for government growing unbounded, and it is a recipe for expanded bureaucracy and greater frustration for Americans who are just trying to live their lives. But growing government is the driving philosophy of the Democratic Party, and you can just look at the Biden years. We had the Federal Government mandating masks for 2-year-olds outside--not in a building, outside for 2-year-olds; the EPA regulating puddles and saddling farmers and ranchers with massive compliance laws, which we experienced in my State of South Dakota; electric vehicle mandates. If they had their way, by next year, 35 percent of the vehicles on the highway would be EVs. Thirty-five percent. Do you know what that number is today? It is about 10, 11, maybe 12. There is no way--no way--that could have been complied with. And there was a reckless tax-and- spending spree that caused a yearslong inflation crisis. Inflation got up in the double-digit range--something we haven't seen in several decades. Republicans have spent the last year cleaning up from the consequences of Democrats' Big Government philosophy. President Trump has repealed a number of burdensome regulations and rules, and here in Congress, we have used the Congressional Review Act to repeal rules, regulations, and mandates that were creeping into seemingly every facet of Americans' lives. That includes four separate rules on appliances. That is right--last year, appliances became the latest focus of Democrats' radical environmental agenda. One rule applied expensive, unnecessary, new standards to commercial fridges and freezers, the kind used in restaurants and grocery stores. The Energy Department estimated that it would take 90 years for a business to see savings from these more expensive appliances. Another rule sought to take gas water heaters off the market, raising costs for homeowners and imperiling American manufacturing jobs. Then there were the Biden administration's proposed reporting and certification requirements for everything from light bulbs and dishwashers to dehumidifiers and air-conditioners. Reporting and certification requirements may not sound like much, but those requirements mean a lot of front-end work that has to be done-- work that costs time and money and places a huge burden on businesses and drives up prices for consumers. In its public comments on the Biden administration's appliance standards, Carrier, an appliance manufacturer, said that the Department of Energy failed to adequately account for ``the cost and burden . . . to comply with updated requirements.'' A manufacturers association said that the proposed reporting standards had ``no practical utility.'' Another objected to what they called ``burden without benefit.'' Thanks to Republicans' efforts, hard-working Americans and small businesses have been spared these costly regulations. We have also been able to dismantle Democrats' regulatory assault on Americans' cars. President Trump repealed the Biden administration's electric vehicle mandate, and here in Congress, we approved legislation to repeal waivers that would have allowed California to impose a de facto electric vehicle mandate on the whole country. We also passed a CRA resolution repealing the Biden rubber tire manufacturing rule--a gross example of unnecessary regulation. The Biden administration proposed new emissions standards for tire manufacturers--an industry that is already subject to strict emissions rules. The Biden rule, while it would have reduced the emissions of certain pollutants, would have actually increased--increased--emissions of carbon dioxide and methane. That is right. You can't make that up. It would have increased emissions of carbon dioxide and methane, and it would have cost tire manufacturers $13 million per year and possibly more than that. Unfortunately, these are not the only examples of the overreach of the Biden administration's Green New Deal-style regulations. No, the Biden administration also went after energy production, heaping additional costs and restrictions on energy producers that would have driven energy costs higher and higher. Earlier this year, Republicans repealed the Biden administration's marine archaeology rule. Energy producers are already required to submit an archaeological report before drilling in areas that are thought to include things like shipwrecks, settlements, and other archaeological sites, but the Biden administration wanted energy producers to submit reports even when there is no reason to suspect a project will be near an archaeological site. It was just another way to slow down production and heap more costs on energy producers--costs that would eventually have been paid by American consumers. Republicans repealed that rule. Then there was Democrats' natural gas tax. In 2022, Democrats enacted a tax on methane emissions from natural gas producers--a tax that would have driven up energy prices and destroyed jobs in the energy sector. Republicans repealed this regulatory implementation through the CRA-- the Congressional Review Act--process and then blocked this misguided tax in the One Big Beautiful Bill this summer. Our efforts continue. A few weeks ago, the Senate passed a resolution blocking the Biden administration's restriction on energy development in the National Petroleum Reserve in Alaska--an area established specifically--specifically--for the purpose of providing the United States with energy resources. The Biden administration tried to close a significant portion of it, but when President Trump signs this resolution and repeals these restrictions, we will once again be able to leverage these abundant natural resources for the benefit of the American people. Regulations have consequences. Democrats may believe there is nothing that couldn't be improved by a little government intervention, but Republicans and I think the American people know what too often happens when government decides to get involved. Reagan said 40 years ago: [T]he nine most terrifying words in the English language are: I'm from the government, and I'm here to help. When I am talking to business owners in South Dakota, I often tell them to let me know how we can help, even if that means getting out of the way. And, Mr. President, that is often the right answer. While some regulations are necessary, too often regulations do more harm than good. And regulations mean costs--costs that are almost always passed on to the consumer. Republicans are continuing our efforts to get government out of the way and to bring down costs for the American people. I yield the floor.

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 Executive Calendar No. 3, S. Res. 520.

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.

Mr. THUNE

Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, I move to proceed to Calendar No. 136, H.R. 4016.

Mr. THUNE

Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, before I begin, I want to profess my profound sorrow for National Guard member SPC Sarah Beckstrom. Sarah was one of two National Guard members shot in a targeted attack here in Washington, DC, on the day before Thanksgiving. The other Guard member, SSgt Andrew Wolfe, is hospitalized in grave condition. My prayers are with him and his family, as well as the family of Specialist Beckstrom. Sarah Beckstrom was just 20 years old. Andrew Wolfe is just 24. They are both at an age when many are quite naturally figuring out their path in life. But Sarah and Andrew chose early, and they chose service--service up to and including the sacrifice of their lives for their country and their fellow citizens. It is a remarkable thing, and may we never forget how much we owe men and women like Andrew Wolfe and Sarah Beckstrom. Again, my prayers are with the family of Specialist Beckstrom, and I am praying for Staff Sergeant Wolfe's full and swift recovery.

Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, Thanksgiving is one of the busiest travel seasons of the year. More than 80 million Americans traveled for the holiday last week. And while most of them packed up the car and hit the road, about 6 million Americans boarded planes to spend the holidays with relatives and friends across the country. I am sure all of them were breathing a sigh of relief that the government shutdown was over and air traffic control had resumed normal operations before their trips. The impact on air travel was one of the most visible aspects of the chaos that ensued during the Democrats' 43-day shutdown. Flights were snarled throughout the shutdown, but it got progressively worse as the shutdown dragged on. By the time Democrats' shutdown entered its second month, the FAA was forced to order cutbacks in air traffic as a matter of safety, and more would have been required if we hadn't been able to finally reopen the government when we did. I am relieved that air traffic was able to get back to normal levels before the holiday travel surged. I am grateful to the thousands of air traffic controllers who were on duty during the shutdown without pay and who work hard every day to keep planes moving quickly and safely. They have an important job, and I know that every controller shares a commitment to putting safety first, whether it is a normal day, the middle of a snowstorm, or a government shutdown. Even before the shutdown, our air traffic control system was facing challenges, and modernization efforts had been a priority for both the Trump administration and for Congress this year. Before the holiday, the Commerce Committee's Aviation Subcommittee held a hearing that examined operations during the shutdown, as well as the challenges that existed prior to the shutdown and that still exist today. I appreciate Chairman Moran's attention to these important issues. I am grateful that my colleagues are taking the time to delve into the challenges facing air traffic control. At least our Republican colleagues are taking the time. The lead Democrat on that panel called the hearing ``political theater,'' and the Democrats' witness for the Aviation Subcommittee talked only about--get this--ObamaCare. That is right--ObamaCare. A hearing to examine air traffic safety and air traffic control, and that was the only witness the Democrats asked to come and testify. I am hoping that this was a one-time political stunt and not an indication of the attitude Democrats are going to take going forward, because we have a lot more work to do on this issue. Republicans remain focused on improving air travel and safety, and that hearing was just one part of our continued efforts. Earlier this year, Republicans took a major step forward in air traffic modernization with the One Big Beautiful Bill, which made a significant investment in technology improvements for the air traffic system. The systems being used in air traffic control towers today are in desperate need of an update. This funding will help to deploy state- of-the-art technology to towers across America. One example of the need for modernization is what happened at the Newark airport--one of the busiest airports in the country--earlier this year. In April and May, Newark experienced equipment outages that led to major flight delays and significant disruptions in air travel. The Trump administration moved quickly to address these issues and bring Newark back to full strength, but the underlying issue is aging technology across the air traffic control system--issues that are only exacerbated when adverse conditions strike, such as severe weather or the recent government shutdown. The investment from the One Big Beautiful Bill will go a long way toward solving the underlying technology problems and will strengthen the entire system. Another challenge is the shortage of air traffic controllers. We are almost 4,000 controllers short of full strength, which means that controllers at a number of airports need to work longer hours and more shifts to keep the system going. Addressing the shortfall has been a priority for the Trump administration, which has devoted attention to hiring and training additional controllers. I appreciate that the administration managed to keep hiring and training operations going throughout the shutdown, which lessened the potential long-term consequences for America's skies. Republicans and Democrats here in Congress are focused, too, on supporting hiring and training efforts, and this year's transportation funding bill, which I hope to take up in the near future, supports sustained hiring and training to add 2,500 new controllers next year. Upgrading outdated technology and adding new air traffic controllers will make a big difference for the traveling public and for supply chains that rely on air cargo, and it will help deliver a more modern air traffic system, capable of providing more efficient and safer skies for all Americans. Things won't be fixed overnight, but thanks to the Trump administration and our continued efforts in Congress, we are making progress toward a state-of-the-art air traffic control system for America. I am glad that the system is back at full strength after the shutdown, and we are working to make it stronger every day. I yield the floor.

Mr. THUNE

Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that notwithstanding rule XXII, all postcloture time be expired and the Senate vote on confirmation of the Bragdon nomination at 11:30 a.m. tomorrow; further, that the cloture motion with respect to the Freeman nomination ripen following disposition of the Bragdon nomination; further, that if cloture is invoked on the Freeman nomination, the Senate vote on the nomination at 2:15 p.m. tomorrow; finally, that if any nominations are confirmed during Tuesday's session of the Senate, 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. 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. 474.

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. 475.