John Thune

Mr. THUNE

Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to resume Executive Calendar No. 182.

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 the Senate proceed to the consideration of S. Res. 349, which is at the desk.

Mr. THUNE. I ask unanimous consent the resolution be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, and 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 Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs be discharged from further consideration of S. 901, a bill to amend the Small Business Act and the Small Business Investment Act of 1958 to increase the maximum loan amount for certain loans, and for other purposes, and be referred to the Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship.

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, July 31; 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 that the Senate proceed to executive session and resume consideration of the Executive Calendar No. 271, Cheryl Mason; further, notwithstanding rule XXII, at 11 a.m., the cloture motions filed on Tuesday ripen and the Senate vote on the motion to invoke cloture on the Mason nomination; if cloture is invoked on the Mason nomination, the Senate then execute the order of July 30 in relation to the Clarkson nomination; further, at 2:15 p.m., the Senate execute the order in relation to the Serralta nomination, and following the disposition of the Serralta nomination, the Senate vote on confirmation of the Mason nomination, and if confirmed, the Senate vote on the motion to invoke cloture on Executive Calendar No. 254, Andrea Lucas, and if cloture is invoked, the Senate then execute the order in relation to the Kozma nomination; finally, if any nominations are confirmed during Thursday'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. For the information of all Senators, Senators should expect two votes at 11 a.m., four votes at 2:15 p.m., and further votes throughout the day.

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 understand there is a bill at the desk, and I ask for its first reading.

Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, I now ask for a second reading, and in order to place the bill on the calendar under the provisions of rule XIV, I object to my own request.

Mr. THUNE

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 Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.

Mr. THUNE

Mr. THUNE. Madam President, the last few years have been some of the most challenging in recent memory for America's farmers and ranchers. Agriculture is already a challenging way of life, but in the past few years, it has been made more difficult by higher input costs, higher interest rates, disease, and natural disasters; and it has left more than a few producers wondering about the future of their operations. Earlier this year, I promised that farmers and ranchers would be a priority for the new Republican majority. Thanks to Senator Boozman's leadership and the work of the Agriculture Committee, we have addressed some of the farmers' and ranchers' challenges head-on in the One Big Beautiful Bill--and not just with short-term patches to get through the season. We made lasting reforms to help get American agriculture firing on all cylinders again. Madam President, that starts with the farm safety net. The One Big Beautiful Bill reauthorizes commodity programs through 2031 and raises reference prices for every covered commodity. In recent years, reference prices haven't even covered increases in input costs. But thanks to this bill, commodity program reference prices will more closely reflect the actual market conditions that farmers are dealing with. We also included a voluntary base acre update for these programs--the first in a number of years--making 30 million acres available so these programs are based on current planted acres. That is just on commodity programs. The One Big Beautiful Bill also bolsters crop insurance, the cornerstone of the farm safety net. And it includes my bill to extend crop insurance support for beginning farmers from their first 5 years of operation to their first 10 years. We also addressed the needs of livestock producers. We improved the Livestock Indemnity Program, covering 100 percent of losses for animals lost to predation and 75 percent for those lost due to weather or disease, plus a supplemental payment for loss of unborn livestock, all of which will provide peace of mind for ranchers and other livestock producers when losses strike. We also reduced the number of weeks of drought necessary to trigger payments from the Livestock Forage Disaster Program. Now those payments can begin after 4 consecutive weeks of drought, and they continue if the drought persists into a second month. Our bill makes critical investments in disease prevention and preparedness efforts, an issue that has been national news as things like the bird flu, the New World screwworm, and African swine fever have threatened livestock. There is a lot more in our bill to support agriculture and promote a strong and secure food supply for our country. The One Big Beautiful Bill bolsters the Dairy Margin Coverage program for our dairy farmers. It improves support for honeybee producers when they suffer losses; invests in conservation programs that support wildlife habitats, like those that support South Dakota's wild bird population. And it supports research and agriculture research institutions and promotes trade opportunities for agriculture commodities. This bill enables farmers and ranchers to make critical investments in the future of their operations. Agriculture producers will benefit from the individual and small business tax relief in this bill. Our bill makes permanent the lower tax rates from the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, increases the standard deduction and the child tax credit, and adds a bonus deduction for seniors, which means lower tax bills permanently. Many farmers and ranchers will be able to claim the 199A small business deduction, which frees up more cash for them to invest in their operations. Plus, full expensing--now a permanent feature of the Tax Code--will allow them to deduct the full cost of new equipment the year they start using it. That is good news, whether you need a new tractor or combine or working to build a farm of the future with precision technology. Madam President, farming and ranching is more than just a job; it is a way of life. And most farmers and ranchers I know dream about the next generation keeping that way of life going. Thanks to the One Big Beautiful Bill, more farmers and ranchers are going to be able to stay in the family. Our bill raises the death tax threshold, which protects a lot more farmers and ranchers from this flawed tax. It means farmers and ranchers won't have to worry about the death tax eating up what they spent a lifetime building. It means they won't have to spend time and money on complicated estate planning to ensure their operation stays intact after they die. And it means their kids won't have to sell all or part of their family farm just to settle a tax bill. Madam President, agriculture is a tough way of life. It is filled with uncertainty and risk. But we depend on the men and women who work hard every day to produce the food, fuel, and fiber for America and for the world, and we owe them support through the challenges that come with this work. I am proud that the One Big Beautiful Bill delivers for them. I yield the floor. I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. THUNE

Mr. THUNE. Madam President, I ask that the Senate execute the order of July 23 with respect to the Bove nomination.

Mr. THUNE

Mr. THUNE. Madam President, I move to proceed to executive session to consider Calendar No. 271.

Mr. THUNE

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

Mr. THUNE

Mr. THUNE. Madam President, I move to proceed to legislative session.

Mr. THUNE

Mr. THUNE. Madam President, I move to proceed to executive session to consider Calendar No. 254.

Mr. THUNE

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

Mr. THUNE

Mr. THUNE. Madam President, I move to proceed to legislative session.

Mr. THUNE

Mr. THUNE. Madam President, I move to proceed to executive session to consider Calendar No. 59.

Mr. THUNE

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

Mr. THUNE

Mr. THUNE. Madam President, I move to proceed to legislative session.

Mr. THUNE

Mr. THUNE. Madam President, I move to proceed to executive session to consider Calendar No. 118.

Mr. THUNE

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

Mr. THUNE

Mr. THUNE. Madam President, I move to proceed to legislative session.