John Thune

Mr. THUNE

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

Mr. THUNE

Mr. THUNE. The following Senators are necessarily absent: the Senator from Wyoming (Mr. Barrasso), the Senator from West Virginia (Mrs. Capito), the Senator from Mississippi (Mrs. Hyde-Smith), the Senator from Wyoming (Ms. Lummis), and the Senator from Alaska (Ms. Murkowski). Further, if present and voting: the Senator from West Virginia (Mrs. Capito) would have vote ``yea'' and the Senator from Mississippi (Mrs. Hyde-Smith) would have voted ``yea''.

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 executive session to consider Calendar No. 47.

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 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 seven 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. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the consideration of S. Res. 153, which is at the desk.

Mr. THUNE. Madam President, 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 with no intervening action or debate.

Mr. THUNE

Mr. THUNE. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today, it stand adjourned until 10 a.m., Wednesday, April 2; that following the prayer and pledge, the morning hour be deemed expired, the Journal of proceedings be approved to date, 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 Calendar No. 46, Dean Sauer; and notwithstanding rule XXII, the Senate vote on the motion to invoke cloture on the Sauer nomination at 2:15 p.m.; further, that following the cloture vote on the Sauer nomination, the Senate vote on cloture on Executive Calendar No. 47, Harmeet Dhillon; finally, that if cloture is invoked on the Sauer and Dhillon nominations, at a time to be determined by the majority leader in consultation with the Democratic leader, during Wednesday's session of the Senate, the Senate vote on confirmation of the nominations; finally, that if any nominations are confirmed during Wednesday's session, 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. Madam 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. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that with respect to the Whitaker nomination, 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. Madam President, I move to proceed to executive session to consider Calendar No. 53.

Mr. THUNE

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

Mr. THUNE

Mr. THUNE. Madam 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. Madam 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. President, broadband deployment has long been a priority of mine. It is something that is important to my home State of South Dakota where many rural communities still lack access to reliable internet connection. And it is something I have worked extensively here on in the Senate. More than 3 years ago, Congress created the $42.5 billion BEAD Program to bring broadband services to unserviced parts of the country like those in my State. It was the single largest Federal investment in broadband expansion ever made, but to date, it has not connected a single household to the internet. That is right, not $1 of this $42 billion program has gone to connect even one household to the internet. Now, you might ask why. Well, because the Biden administration chose to add a host of conditions to the funding that made it unworkable for many providers like those serving rural areas in my home State of South Dakota. They added union labor and climate requirements. And despite the law itself banning rate regulation, the Biden administration tried to add that too. The Biden administration took a program that promised to advance an important bipartisan priority and overburdened it with rules and mandates. The administration added so many requirements that the program couldn't fulfill its core function, which is connecting households to the internet. So we are in a situation today where you have a $42 billion program that hasn't connected a single household to the internet after, I might add, 3-plus years since its enactment. Think about that, $42 billion 3 years ago authorized, not a single dollar spent, not a single household connected. Why? Because the Biden administration weighted it down with so much of their liberal wish list agenda that the providers in this country are unable to even use it. Well, now we have a new administration in the White House, and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick is committed to finally getting this program off the ground and beginning to connect unserved Americans to the internet. This morning, I am sending a letter to Secretary Lutnick with several of my colleagues in the Commerce Committee urging his Department to remove the Biden administration's extraneous requirements that are preventing this program from doing what it was designed to do. We are asking Secretary Lutnick to look at the restrictive labor requirements in the program that disadvantage rural communities and States with few union workers, right-to-work States like mine in South Dakota. We are urging the Commerce Department to remove provisions that favor government-owned networks over private investments and guidelines that prioritize certain technologies over others, which contradict, again, Congress's direction for the program to be technology-neutral. And we are urging the elimination of climate change mandates and rate regulation that create unnecessary barriers that slow deployment and increase costs. These regulations undermine the very purpose of the BEAD Program, and by reviewing and ultimately eliminating these unnecessary requirements, we can ensure that this funding is finally deployed to expand broadband access to unserved areas quickly and efficiently. I appreciate that President Trump and Secretary Lutnick are both focused on ensuring that this program lives up to its goal, and I look forward to continuing to work with them to eliminate the redtape that has undermined its effectiveness and meant that not a single dollar spent or single household connected in 3-plus years since its enactment. That, frankly, is staggering. The National Telecommunications and Information Administration, or NTIA, which is responsible for administering the BEAD Program, will need to be a partner in that effort. This afternoon, the Commerce Committee is holding a hearing with Arielle Roth, a staffer for the Commerce Committee and President Trump's nominee to lead the NTIA. Ms. Roth is very familiar with the burdens that have weighed down the BEAD Program, and I am looking forward to working with them to remove these barriers to broadband deployment after she is confirmed. Many parts of our country have waited a long time for broadband deployment, and the unnecessary and extraneous rules the Biden administration imposed on the BEAD Program have only prolonged that wait. It is time--it is high time--to remove these barriers and start getting households connected to the internet. I yield the floor. I suggest the absence of a quorum.

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. 40.

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 order for the quorum call be rescinded.

Mr. THUNE

Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, there is not much in our lives that doesn't depend in some way on agriculture: the food on our table, the gas in our car, the cotton in our shirts. Agriculture is the lifeblood of our country. I am grateful for the men and women who rise before the dawn for a hard day's work on farms and ranches across America. Agriculture is a difficult way of life. It is filled with uncertainty. Storms, drought, or an early freeze can wipe out entire crops or herds, sometimes in an instant. There is market volatility, processing and transportation challenges, and the list goes on. The last few years have been especially challenging for America's farmers and ranchers. They face declining commodity prices, higher input costs, and higher interest rates, not to mention the natural disasters that have struck many parts of the country. Farm Bureau President Zippy Duvall recently told the Agriculture Committee that ``in 2025, farmers will plant one of the most expensive crops ever.'' Many commodity producers are bracing for the prospect of serious financial losses this year. These challenges are real. That is why last December Congress approved relief funding for agriculture producers hit by economic headwinds as well as those affected by natural disasters. Secretary Rollins committed to getting these funds out the door quickly during her confirmation hearing. Last week, USDA announced that farmers could now apply for direct payments from the Emergency Commodity Assistance Program through their local farm service agency, and additional assistance for those affected by natural disasters will be available soon. Programs like the Emergency Commodity Assistance Program are designed to help farmers weather the current storm, but let's be clear: They are only temporary measures, and they are no substitute for an updated farm bill that provides the resources that farmers and ranchers need to face current conditions. When I became majority leader, I made it clear that a full and updated farm bill would be a priority for the new Republican majority. Secretary Rollins has been clear that this is a priority for the Trump administration as well. I appreciate the work that the Agriculture Committee is doing under Chairman Boozman to respond to the needs of farmers and ranchers. During my time in Congress, I have had a role in crafting four farm bills. This will be my fifth. It is a difficult task at any time, and it is harder when the situation is as dire as it is today. But Senate Republicans remain committed to finishing this important work and delivering a farm bill that ensures farmers and ranchers have the resources they need to face today's challenges and tomorrow's as well. I hope that our Democrat colleagues will join us in working productively to deliver this important legislation. Farmers and ranchers need certainty so they can plan for the future, and providing that certainty is a priority of mine. I have introduced a number of bills that I will work to see incorporated into the farm bill, including the Crop Insurance for Future Farmers Act and the Livestock Disaster Assistance Improvement Act, among others. Strengthening the farm safety net is an important priority of mine, as is a stable biofuels policy, including year-round access to E15 and timely and meaningful updates to the renewable volume obligations that matter to ethanol producers in America's heartland. I continue to advocate for eliminating the death tax once and for all so that no farmer or rancher has to worry about whether the family farm or ranch will be able to stay in the family after they pass. Life on a farm or ranch isn't easy, and I am grateful to all of our farmers and ranchers, including in my home State of South Dakota, for the remarkable job they do day in and day out feeding not only our country but the world. We have a responsibility to the men and women who work hard every day to deliver food, fuel, and fiber for America and the world. I look forward to continuing to work with my colleagues to deliver the updated legislation that farmers and ranchers need. I yield the floor. I suggest the absence of a quorum.