John Thune

Mr. THUNE

Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to legislative session for a period of morning business, with Senators permitted to speak therein for up to 10 minutes each.

Mr. THUNE

Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, I move to proceed to executive session to consider Calendar No. 94.

Mr. THUNE

Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record.

Mr. THUNE

Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record.

Mr. THUNE

Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, I have six requests for committees to meet during today's session of the Senate. They have the approval of the Majority and Minority Leaders. Pursuant to rule XXVI, paragraph 5(a), of the Standing Rules of the Senate, the following committees are authorized to meet during today's session of the Senate: committee on armed services The Committee on Armed Services is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Thursday, July 24, 2025, at 9:15 a.m., to conduct a hearing on a nomination. committee on foreign relations The Committee on Foreign Relations is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Thursday, July 24, 2025, at 11:30 a.m., to conduct a business meeting. committee on health, education, labor, and pensions The Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Thursday, July 24, 2025, at 10 a.m., to conduct a hearing. committee on health, education, labor, and pensions The Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Thursday, July 24, 2025, at 11:45 a.m., to conduct a hearing on nominations. committee on homeland security and government affairs The Committee on Homeland Security and Government Affairs is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Thursday, July 24, 2025, at 9:30 a.m., to conduct a hearing on nominations. committee on the judiciary The Committee on the Judiciary is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Thursday, July 24, 2025, at 10:15 a.m., to conduct an executive business meeting.

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 ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today, it stand adjourned until 3 p.m., Monday, July 28; that following the prayer and pledge, the Journal of proceedings be approved to date, morning hour be deemed expired, the time for the two leaders be reserved for their use later in the day, and morning business be closed, and the Senate resume consideration of Executive Calendar No. 85, Sam Brown; that notwithstanding rule XXII, the cloture motions filed on July 24 ripen at 5:30 p.m.

Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, for the information of all Senators, Senators should expect one vote at 5:30 p.m. on Monday and two votes at approximately 8 p.m.

Mr. THUNE

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

Mr. THUNE. Madam President, during the month of June, U.S. Customs and Border Protection recorded a total of 9,306 encounters at our southern border--9,306 for the entire month of June. It is difficult to overstate just how much progress this reflects. Under President Biden, monthly encounters at our southern border were often well over 200,000 per month. During December of 2023, Customs and Border Protection recorded a staggering 301,981 encounters at our southern border or 32 times as many as were encountered last month. The previous three Junes under President Biden saw more than 130,000, more than 140,000, and more than 200,000 encounters. And now we are at 9,306--9,306--fewer individuals than the Biden administration sometimes saw in a day. It is really incredible, and this isn't a one-off. During President Trump's first full 5 months in office, monthly numbers at the southern border have never exceeded 12,500 encounters. What we are seeing here is a President committed to fulfilling his responsibilities; namely, enforcing the law. It is too bad the previous administration didn't see fit to try it. But it is a new day. And Republicans in Congress are committed to supporting and continuing the administration's good work, and that starts with a generational investment in border security that we made this July in the One Big Beautiful Bill. That includes funding for border barriers and technology, including finishing the border wall. It includes funding for additional patrol agents, for additional detention space, for additional Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents. The Acting ICE Director was on ``Face the Nation'' the other day, and he had this to say: Our ranks have really shrunk, and we really don't have enough to do the law enforcement mission. One of the big hampers for us is with the increase in sanctuary cities and sanctuary policies, we have to send more officers and agents out into the community, out on the street. Where it would only take us two agents, say, going into a secure facility or a police station, county jail to arrest a public safety threat, well, [now] we have to send out four to five agents, and with the increase of assaults on officers, we sometimes have to send out eight to ten just to provide security for those officers that are making the arrest. Leaving aside the intolerable fact that ICE agents are facing such hostility for carrying out their essential public safety mission, it is not acceptable that we don't have enough ICE officers to do the job that they need to be doing, and our bill goes a long way toward ending that problem. We also included Department of Justice funding to hire more immigration judges to address the massive backlog in immigration cases--a backlog made exponentially worse by the Biden administration's policies. Immigration cases should be decided in weeks or months--not years, and our bill will help move toward that goal. One of the most basic responsibilities of the Federal Government is providing for our Nation's security, and border security is an essential part of national security. The chaos at our southern border under the Biden administration was an invitation to terrorists, criminals, and other dangerous individuals to enter our country. It placed an incredible burden on our Border Patrol agents, many of whom were pulled off the essential work of guarding the border to process the flood of illegal immigrants. And it placed a big burden on border cities and nonborder cities as well who struggled to deal with an influx of migrants. President Trump has turned the situation around, and the One Big Beautiful Bill will ensure that his administration has the resources it needs to continue its work of enforcing the law and protecting our country. It will also ensure permanent improvements in our immigration system and border enforcement that will, I hope, last for long after President Trump leaves office. I yield the floor. I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. THUNE

Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, today I recognize Reagan Blackburn, an intern in my Aberdeen, SD, office, for all of the hard work she has done for me, my staff, and the State of South Dakota over the past several weeks. Reagan is a graduate of Aberdeen Central High School in Aberdeen, SD. Currently, she is attending Dartmouth College in Hanover, NH, where she is majoring in government and environmental studies. She is a hard worker who has been dedicated to getting the most out of her internship experience. I extend my sincere thanks and appreciation to Reagan for all of the fine work she has done and wish her continued success in the years to come.

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 have fourteen requests for committees to meet during today's session of the Senate. They have the approval of the Majority and Minority Leaders. Pursuant to rule XXVI, paragraph 5(a), of the Standing Rules of the Senate, the following committees are authorized to meet during today's session of the Senate:

Mr. THUNE

Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Foreign Relations be discharged from further consideration and the Senate now proceed to S. Res. 267.

Mr. THUNE. I ask unanimous consent that the resolution be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, and the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table.

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 24; 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 proceed to executive session and resume consideration of Calendar No. 131, Matthew Lohmeier, postcloture; further, that notwithstanding rule XXII, the Senate vote on confirmation of the Lohmeier nomination at 11:30 a.m.; and if cloture is then invoked on Executive Calendar No. 87, Richard Topping, all postcloture time be expired at 1:45 p.m. and the Senate vote on confirmation; finally, if cloture is invoked on the Bove nomination, all postcloture time be expired and the Senate vote on confirmation at a time to be determined by the majority leader in consultation with the Democratic leader no earlier than Monday, July 28.

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 ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of H. Con. Res. 39, which was receive from the House.

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

Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, on Friday, President Trump signed the first major digital assets bill in American history into law. The GENIUS Act opens the door for digital assets to come into the mainstream, and it sets us up for sustained American leadership and financial innovation. Thanks to the work of Senators Lummis and Hagerty and Chairman Tim Scott, the GENIUS Act will help, as President Trump said, make America the crypto capital of the world. The GENIUS Act creates a first of its kind regulatory framework for stablecoins, an important part of the digital asset ecosystem. Now, $250 billion in stablecoins is in circulation today, up 22 percent just this year. On an average day, around $100 billion in transactions is executed using stablecoins, and the vast majority of those stablecoins are backed by the U.S. dollar. Stablecoins have an important role to play in payments. While digital asset advocates generally believe in holding Bitcoin because of its price fluctuations and growth in value over the last several years, stablecoins offer both the speed and security of the blockchain and the stability and usability of a dollar bill. And since most stablecoins are backed by the dollar, this represents an opportunity to strengthen the dollar and, by extension, the economy. When it comes to digital assets, in many ways, the future is already here. The question is whether we welcome that future. The GENIUS Act offers an emphatic ``yes'' to that question. After years of stablecoins operating in a legal gray zone, the GENIUS Act finally lays out a clear regulatory framework. That includes consumer protections so Americans can trust who they are doing business with when they purchase stablecoins. The bill's light touch and tailored standards will provide consumers with confidence, while promoting continued innovation right here in the United States. And its enforcement provisions offer clarity to stablecoin issuers and ensure accountability for violations. The GENIUS Act also protects against bad actors using stablecoins for malicious purposes. It holds stablecoin issuers to the same standard as other financial institutions, subject to the Bank Secrecy Act. That means issuers will need to monitor and report suspicious activity, comply with U.S. sanctions, and block transactions that violate State and Federal law. What is at stake here became clear last week when the Wall Street Journal reported that China seems to be concerned about stablecoin solidifying dollar dominance in the global financial system, spurred in no small part by the GENIUS Act. It is clear that the GENIUS Act is already helping our country secure American leadership in this important space. We want stablecoins to be made in America. We want digital assets to take root and to flourish in our country. We want America to lead in financial innovation, and the GENIUS Act will help us get there. It won't be the last word on digital assets, though. There is still much more work to be done in this space, including on market structure. Senators Lummis, Hagerty, and Scott are once again leading on this issue, releasing the Senate's market structure framework today, and I thank them for their important work. And I want to say that the next steps on digital assets should look to the GENIUS Act as a model, both for its light touch and pro- innovation approach and for the bipartisanship that characterized the process. Digital assets are the future, and we are going to continue working to make sure that that future is American made. 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. Mr. President, I send a cloture motion to the desk.

Mr. THUNE

Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, I ask that the Senate execute the order of July 21 in relation to Calendar No. 121, H.R. 3944, and that the mandatory quorum be waived; further, that following the cloture vote, the Senate execute the order of July 17 in relation to the Lukas and Hansell nominations.

Mr. THUNE

Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, I move to proceed to executive session to consider Calendar No. 292. Vote on Motion