the insurance stuff because i to be done. one of the things we did in florida is nobody knows how much anything cost in healthcare. someone says you need a hip replacement, you have no idea what that means. whereas if somebody said you know what, you need to go get a new car, you would have a sense of what you're dealing with financially, right? ou the publisher prices. so if try price transparency. if you live in orlando you can type in every -- hip replacements you with the option the problem wit that is that's not enough if it's third party paying for everything. so we created insurance policies forur something cheaper, and you get a rebate on your premiums. so consumers now, it's beneficial for them to fin something that's more cost-effective to now these providers have to compete on the margins there and that creates a downward pressure. but it's only because the consumer benefit would lower prices, or lower premiums.

if the consumer is not benefiting than having the price is a good amount if it's all third-party payer. >> thank you for your service to work in healthcare. i'm a cancer survivor talk is ago i had state street hodgkinson folo. months old, my son was two years old. i got to that by wonderful support of the good lord and a great hospil i have a constituee four cancer. she's on obamacare. -- >> we will leave this and take your life toidential -- a senator: madam president. the presiding officer: the senator from missouri. a senator: thank you, madam president. i rise to bring to this body's attention 13 truly embody the best that the our great state has to offer.

they represent the inaugural class of my office's new champions of missouri barack i an honor missourians who have gone above and beyond the call of duty, selflessly served their community and achieved great things. mr. schmitt: these 13ourians co towns across the state. all of these honorees represent service,sacrifice, and and make me proud to be a missourian. the first missourian i want to honor today is detective sergeant mason griffith who was tragically killed in the line of duty in march of 2023. sergeant griffith and offic bk adam sulontrov respooneded to a call at a local gas station. when the shootout occurred, sergeant give fifth was shot and

sadly killed. he served his community with distinction and truly had a servant's■ heart. in addition to serving the herman police department for 12 years, he was the chief of police in his■& hometown of rosebud reserve deputy sheriff. sergeant griffith is described as one of e helpful people. his wife jennifer and son carson and friends are up in the senate gallery here today and it was my distinct pleasure toord honorin sergeant griffith to her and him earlier today. while this is merely a small token of mine and missourians' g gratitude for youtube husband's service and sack fibersing it is my hope tha his memory will continuement. thank you, sergeant griffith for your unwavering commitment for safety in your communi. you truly are a champion for missouri.

another honoree is officer adam s sum of ■nt was with sergeant griffith. officer inred in stand-off with the suspect. after spending seven months in a colorado rehab hospital to recover from his injuries, the officer was finally able to come home to his family right before thanksgiving. his community in washington, missouri, lined the highways to welcom him back home. a true testament to his character and his unwavering service to keeping his fellow missourians safe. my prayers are with him, his wife michelle and their entire family as he continues to recover. thank you, officer■h%y sulontro you are truly a champion of missouri. next up is captain fill lynn gregory. he proudly served with the missouri state highway patrol for over three decades working to keep his community safe.

before joining the missouri state highway patrol, captain gregor an emt and a paramedic. in his career, captain gregory has served as a zone supervisory, a criminal corpora sergeant, a lieutenant, aassistant division director and finally a captain. after 30 years of service and sacksing captain gregory retired in august of 2023. i wish him and his wife, tonya, all the hard-earned retirement. had you for your years -- thank you for your years of service to our great state, captain gregory. you areor our great state. nancy baumgartner hasnson saw a need in her community when her daughter, shelby, aecorat olymp graduated high school and needed

a safe space to start her adult life. nancy is leading the charge to put. a we-built in her communit that praise a save shelter for i had haves withlities. it would be missouri. additionally, nancy has hosted can bike in fulton, which teaches individuals with disabilityings how to ride a bike, fostering indepennce and confidence. as a father of son with disabilities, i know how important these programs are in giving those living with disabilities more for your gret work to support those who sometimes need it most. you are truly a champion of missouri.■á john meehan has a storied career and has been a mainstay in missouri for decades. throughout his career, john lrserved as vice president of third national bank from 1982 to

2009, served as pettus count commissioner, served as -- on the board of directors for the united way from 2008 to 2015, served as directors for the sed chamber of commerce and has served as county -- council chairman of thted methodist church since active mn civic organizations in the area. he spent a majority of aiming t community a better place. thank you, john, for your commitment to sedalia. you are truly a champion of missouri.next up -- kevin jeffr justin perick were driving along the highway when they noticedñ+ into a median. the driver was having ultimately a medical emergency. kevin and justin entering throu passenger car of the door,

administered cpr and saved the life of the driver. for their heroic actions, kevin and justin were both bestowed with the honorary award. while they both insist they aren't heroes, i think my fellow missourians would agree with me that they are. thank you, kevin and your swift thinking and decisive actions that saved a life. you are both truly sment. adam and melinda hendricks lost their son to a heroin overdose. in his honor, adam melinda started justin delivers hope, a charity that has done unbelievable work to combat opioid their hometown. the jdh has raised money for the fo narcan to family members and has worked with local police departments to

fund mork-9 uts drug-related founding, jdh has founded and has helped officers confiscate drugs. thank you, adam and melinda, for honoring your son, justin, by building a critical resource for those struggling with opioid abuse and you are champions of missouri. hana montgomery is an inspiration to her community. hana has been in a motorized wheelchair since 2020 due to a neurological disorder. she hasn't let that keep her down. she has been involved in her local 4-h program since she was showing her pigs. she was recently selecteded as a

spotlight recipient for kid hannah's positive attitude and perseverance is something we all can learn from. thank yo hanna hadment. you are truly a champion of missouri. jim chapel ran chapel's restaurant and sportsom 1986 to has become a kansas city legend -- or, sorry, and become city legend and has so has jim. for years and years, tre er, a beer, watch a chiefs or royals game than chapel's. jim's watering hole also featured rare sports memorabilia that jim himself curated. outs chapel's, jim demonstrated a tremendous spirit across civic and business

organizations. thank you, jim, for building ka city sports fans and for fostering a stronger, deeper community. you truly are a champio of missouri. the city of st. lou i guess recently welcomed the st. louis is city soccer club. we had an extraordinary inaugura of thousands of adoring fans. one city player, miguel perez, is an exemplary ambassador for st. state. two days after graduating from high school, miguel scored his firstoal for the city. miguel has demonstrated an intense demonstration to the sport he loves and represents that team with great work and hard work ethic. we're certainly happy to have him in st. louis. miguel,of missouri. last but not least is sheryl

lynette sheri has dedicated hee to empowering youth in missouri's boot hil and mentors. her work as a program educator at lincoln university in charleston, missouri, has been pivotal in implementing programs self-esteem and antidrug initiativesment. she has worked to improve the well-being of our youth. thank you, ms. sheri, for spending your time in investing in the well-being of our state's ch adults. you truly are a champion of missouri. she is 0 missourians have dedicated their time, energy, and efforts to improving the lives and for that, they should commended and honored. it is critical that we continue to honor ordinary missourians who do extraordinary things. these 13 individuals represent the best of the show-me state

and truly exemplify what it means to be a champion of missouri. i yield back, madam president.

ms. ernst: madam president. the presiding officer: the senator from iowa. ms. ernst: thank you, madam president.

th a the faces of the six americans who have been at the mercy of iran-backed hamasover . they are brothers, sons, husbands, fathers, and grand fas. they range in age from 18 to their families have been sick with worry. they have been sick with fear day after day, not knowing whether their loved ones are even alive. as they cry out for answers and once again returned to congress looking for hope and looking for leadership. these requests should go, not go

unanswered. during hamas's october 7 terrorist assault on israel, i was in the middle east leading bicameral, bipartisan delegation to bring a message of peace and optimism normalization in the region. but hamas shattered this dream for millions in thez< rdeg and beyond. we woke up to this terrible news on october 7, knowing that the world5g■was altered and plans h changed. the delegation unanimously agreed that into israel immediately as the first dprup on the ground to stand with our ally in the face of this devastation. in israel, we met with families in anguish after hamasad

our citizens, american citizens hostage, and had killed over americans in the initial assault. since then i have remained in constant contact with these hostage fa heard their calls onf their loved ones, bring them bring them home now. the response has only been words. where is the action from this administration? and where is the outrage from ? still over 100 days later, do not know the status of their loved ones. that's why i with the

same delegation from october, one, to the region at the beginningth year, to build upon our work and press for the release of our american. to tell the families and the heads of state in the region that the safe return of hostage. back in israel, we saw firsthand the impacthamas' brutality at kibbutz niraz, a place near october 7 could be described as an oasis in the desert, a gentle farmingom peace-loving people. we were guided through the wreckage by a gentleman kibbutze

own son is an american beinghos. in this community of peace lovers, hamas burned hey terrorized children, they killed the innocent, put bullets into bedrooms the very foundation of peace that the kibbutz stood for. armed w■wh heartrending stories from each of the hostage families, our delegation traveled to w jgqatar, and bahrain. our message was clear americans home. this was the message i delivered to the senior leaders and

hostage negotiators in each of those countries. it is a message backed by the entire■p bicameral, bipartisan delegation. wethe region to bring hamas back to the negotiating tableizens immediately. still we must do more. these hostage families deserve clear they are desperately looking for action team. shockingly, we are witnessing the absolutero action from the biden administration' staff. as american hostages sit in gaz

some of the biden administration s staging walkouts and demanding a cease-fire with it is unbelieva standing up for terrorists our . without a doubt, these staff mee fired. where is their outrage against hamas? where is the protest that hamas release their fellow citizens? in the face of the vacuum created by this administration, congress has a role to play in bringingme

that's a role that i have stepped into. and congressional pressure is t some of the effects of this call to action. afr leaders in qatar, qatari negotiators reportedly paved the way■- for hostages in gaza for the first time 7. i am glad to see qatar has responded to our calls to action. however, this is only a first and a very modest step. mo required, and i will continue to fight to get americans home immediately.

after all, every day that hamas hold americans captive i evil. that is why i will continue to hold our partners' feet to the fi reunite these families. i encourage every member in this bodyn to join me in pressuring hamas to free our citizens. aman lives are on the line, and, folks, now is a time for as■t hostage families call out for the strength of america to reunite them with■) their ones, there should be only one response -- bring our hostages

home now. madam presiden i ge l ÷q ■á

>> now, both sides continue working in good faith we can have the cr passed by tomorrow. if both sides continue working avoid a shutdown withoutas so many americans. there's every reason in the world to make this an easy, uncolicate a urge my colleaguesh sides of the aisle to do just that. work in good faith. we are willing to cooperate as always with the process moving. butepublican members need to be realistic and practical about how much time we have left before the shutdow deadline. what the senate cannot do right now is mimic the chaos in the house where vocal minority of hard right into making the shutdown happen. amazingly, the hard right thinks

are madrasah house freedom caucus suggested a few days ago. mr. president, only in the bizarre the hard right is it a surrender to keep the government opened. only in the twisted logic of mao extend funding so that va offices remain open, food inspectors remain on the job, nutrition funding remains in place. all of these programs will be at risk if the government shuts down on friday. but to the hard right, aoint. they want to create pain and chaos for the american people in order to bully their way into getting what they want. t in the house are exhausted by the hard rights bully tactics. the republican majority can't house because the hard right keeps sabotaging things on the floor. even their own appropriation bills, the hard right and the house republicans leadership all

-- the hard right and the house republicans leaderships all too often willingness is perhaps tht reason why this republican majority is one of the least impres and least competent in modern history. but for all their bullying and bluster, all their attempts at in■çtimidation, the hard right efforts are going to end in failure. if the majority of senators and representatives keep working good faith, democrat and give the government opened. we will continue on the appropriations process. so i urge my colleagues once again let's work together, let's work together to pass a cr quickly so avoid a shutdown with time to spare. now on the supplemental. mr. preside, i will join with congressional leaders from both sides of the aisle in both houses to meet at the white house with president biden and discuss the national security

supplemental. i expect a meeting with president biden will reinforce something evidencing allf highet national emergency urgency, that both parties keep working together to pass the supplemental. the vast intuitive members on both ses ukraine. the eyes of history are upon this chamber. we've made a lot of good progress over the past two week. reaching agreement on the soap and, of course, is very complex. border provision be included in exchange to ukraine. everyone knew that was never going to be easy. nevertheless, president biden has made clear that he's willing to work with republicans on border security. but as everyone leadership, this to be bipartisan. the hard right, typical of them in the house, partisan bill h.r. two, word for word.

that is not bipartisanship. any agreement on issue with complex and is conditioned on the board will have to have support from both sides of the aisle. the work is not done on the very hopeful negotiations continue heading in the right direction. democrats are trying very hard to keep this process going and i want to acknowledge the efforts of my senate colleagues who have been at this per week. passing the supplement is one of the hardest things that the said as done in a very long time. but we must do everything in our power to finish the job. at stake is a security of our country. the survival of our friends in ukraine. the safety of a friends in israel, and nothing less, nothing less than the future of western democracy. we cannot come short at this pivotal moment. we must stay the course until the job is done. on the bipartisan tax agreement,

yesterday senate finance chairman wyden and houseand comh announced a bipartisan, bicameral tax agreement with important wins for working families and for main street i'm proud to support the bipartisan tax agreement because it will provide much needed relief from low income families and keep americans businesses competitive against the chinese communist party. the child tax credit alone will benefit as many as 60 million en in low income households. and lift nearly half 1 million kids out of poverty, half a million kids out of poverty. that's a really significant achievement a a credit to chairman wyden and all the negotiators. now most democrats myself certainly included wanted tohe . this framework does go a a god part of the way towards restoring full refund ability. and t best part is that the biggest tax credits under this

expanded will go to low income families helping to afford basic diapers, baby four, clothing, toiletries and so much more. and second i'm really happy that this fme tax credit. i've made it clear to the negotiators from the beginning that any housing. i couldn't support it. i want to thank senator cantwell for all the work she make sure that strong affordable housing provisions were included in the bill. she's a very influential member of the finance committee and she tax credit issues for a while. right now housing is one of the biggest problems in our country in states like mine, and yours, mr. president, particularly struggle with increasing supply for affordable homes. the housing shortage affects everyone everywhere urban, suburban, rural.

thankfully this tax package will support the construction of up to 200,000 new homes by bolstering allegations and providing greater financial flexibility, financing flexibility for affordable housing construction. in an era of the buttock of it when you have house republican majority constantly trying to put housing funding on the choppingike text is the best tool available to increase the supply of a formal housing. so proud of the expansion with security agreement. of course l ent that the quorum rescinded. the presiding officer: we're not in a quorum call. nk you. i rise today with my friend and colleague senator colleague to recognize justin smith who was fatally wounded in the line of duty on january 2, 2024. it takes a special person to

ware a law enforcement's universe, being a select person to protect was a dreamer come true. he was a distinguished member of the law enforcement community for years and served in jackson and independence counties and con sta bull -- deputy smith loved his job, he his family, friend, and neighbors. he was so proud to be in a position to make a difference in the lives of the]r arkansans an took advantage of that opportunity on countless occasions. those who served alongside him recognized his compassion and the helpful influence he had on the youth he worked with. two marks of any special public servant. stone county sheriff brandon long described deputy smith as a

team player who was always willing to go the extra time he called to come in that he didn't show up the sheriff said. by living his life dedicated to instilled that passion in his family. his sons have taken up roles with a higher calling as vetera currently serving active duty in the air force and another who followed directly in his father's footsteps by pursuing a career in law enforcement. they all benefited from the love of their dad, not only forthem, but for others, and the faithful way he went about showing it in every asp■tf life. as deputy smith knew, we depend on law enforcement officers to keep us safe. his death is a tragic reminder of the risks these men and women face each day and it prompts us to ensure that we will always

offer the gratitude and respect they deserve in exchange for the tremendous sacrifices that they make. i join all arkanns asñ5 we deat i ask my colleagues to lift up deputy smith's wife laurie and his family and the stone county law enforcement personnel and all who loved him as a friend. we will ae was. i yield to senator cotton. mr. cotton: i mourn the death o he was shot an killed in the line of duty. has lost a s refe best of our state. heor law enforcement for 24 years. first as a corrections officer, and then at thef's department w worked for the past 14 ye and ad

beyond the call of duty. ■8 cou long said of deputy smith, there was never a time he was called to come in that he didn't show up. wperson, when the shift ended, if you needed him to stay over, he didn't ask. he made friends andmiled easily. he enjoyed hunting and spending time with his large family. deputy smith is survived by his wife ur three sons, two daughters in law, two stepchildren, uren, along with many nieces, fews and -- nephews and cousins, our prayers and the prayers of alljfrkansans are with him during their time of pain. one of his sons reflected that perhaps the hardest part of thi member i ris -- memories and

photos and that's all that we have left. families of those in blue endure every single day, it is one of the reasons why our police deserve the lasti gratitude and support of their communities, state, and nation. that gratitude was on full display at deputy smith'squ funeral where leaders across the state attended, including the honoreputy smith's life that the service had to be simulcast into a second church. on behalf of a grateful e, want thank deputy smith and his whole family for his service to stone county and toarkansas. god bless them and god bless

>> these are the faces of the six americans who have been at the mercy ofra days. they are brothers, sons, husbands, fathers and grandfathers. they range in age from 18 to 62. their families have been sick with worry. they had been sick with fear day after date not knowing whether their loved ones are alive. as they cry out for answers and

action, the families have yet once again returned to congress, looking for hope, and looking forrship. these requests should go -- not go unanswered. during hamas assault on israel, i was in the middle east leading a bicameral, bipartisan to brinf peace and optimism for further normalization in the region. but hamas shattered this dream for millions in the region, and beyond. woke up to the terrible news on october 7, knowing that the world was altered, and planscha. the delegation unanimously agreed that we needed to go into

israel immediately, as the first group on the ground to stand with our allies in the face of this devastation here in israel, we met with families in anguish after hamas had taken our citizens american hostage. and it killed over 30 americans in the initial assault. since then i have remained in contact with these hostage families. of their loved ones, bring them home. bring them home now. the response has only been words. where is the actio from this administration? ..

>> why i returned with the seam delegation from october, plus one, to the region at the beginning of this year, to build upon our work and press for the release of our american hostages. to tell the■vam the region that the safe return of hostages is our number one priority. back in israel we saw firsthand the impact of hamas' brutality at a place that pre-october 7th could be described as an desert.

a gentle farming community of peace-loving people. wreckage by a gentleman who called this kibbutz home and whoseon is an american being held hostage. ty of peace lovers, hamas burned homes, they terrorized the innocent, put bullets into bedrooms and violated the very foundation of peace. that the kibbutz stood for. arm ad with heart-wrenching stories from each of the hostagn traveled to egypt, to qatar and

bahrain. our message was clear, bring americans home. this was the message i delivered to the senior leaders and hostage negotiators in each of those countries. it is a message backed by the entire delegation. we pressed our partners in the region to bring hamas back to the negotiating table and release our citizens immediately. stil wore. if these hostage families deserve answers immediate cleare desperately looking for action from president biden and h■o■p:s

team. shockingly, we are witnessing the absolute wrong action from the biden admg2intratio@;n staf. as american hostages sit in gaza in tunnels, captives of hamas, some of the biden administration staff are staging walkouts and h hamas. ceasefire with hamas. it is unbelievable. they are standing up for terrorists torturing our american brothers and without a doubt, these staff members should be fired. where their outrage against hamas? where is the protest demanding that hamas if release their

fellow citizens? in the face of the vacuum created by this administration, congress has a role to play in bringing americans home, and that's a ole that i have role te stepped into. and congressional pressure is working. already the world is witnessing some of the effects of this call to action. after meeting with leaders qatar, qatari negotiators reportedly paved the way for israel to send medicine to the hostages in gaza for the first time since october 7th. i am glad to sica a tar has responded -- see qatar has responded to our calls to action. however, this is only■s a very .

more action a is required, and i will continue to fight americans home immediately. after all, every day that hamas holds americans captive is a win for evil. that isill continue to hold our partners' feet to the fire to reunite these famils. i encourage every member in this body and every american to join me in pressuring hamas to free our citizens. american lives are on the line and, folks, now is a time for choosing. as these hostage families call a

to reunite them with their loved ones, there should be only one response; bring our hostages home now. madam president, i yield back. t biden once again refused to describe the situation at the southern border as a crisis. apparently, according to the commander in chief, 10,000 illegal border crossin in a day and the busiest month and year on record at the border is somehow not a crisis. needless to say is, i'm glad that senator lankford and our colleagues working on meaningful borderurity policy don't

share that view. i'm glad that we may soon be able to address an urgent is with urgent action. toward the most significant border enhancements in almost 30 years. they're getting closer to delivering serious, lasting solutions, the unprecedent canned national security and humanitarian catastrophe that's unfolded on president biden's watch. that's certainly good news. of course, our colleagues' work is also the linchpin ofts to ade national security challenges we face around the world. from russian aggression europe to iran-backed terror in competition with china, an

increase creasingly aggressive china represents the greatest strategic challenge of the in the indo-pacific remind us exactly what's at stake. the prc is an expansionist, revisionist and repression pressive -- repressive power all at the same time. it wants to impose its will on its neighbors regardless of their views or values just like just consider free, fair and hotly-contested elections that took place6%■c i past saturday. the people of taiwan resisted beijing's blatant efforts to interfere in their politics. and the prc is clearly unhappy with the outcome of the election. which saw the dpp maint its

hold on the presidency. but it wasn't just the results of taiwan's prc views as a threat, it's also the basic process itself, the idea of self-determination. of citizens actually getting a choice. it terrifies the leaders in4u beijing. of course it's the impossible to watch taiwan's defiant if self-expression without thinking how this autonomy can be. just remember how swiftly the prc has acted to enough out the forces of democracy■f■/ in hong kong. right now o old friend jimmy lye, prolific publisher and proud hong konger is facing thef

life in prison simply for committing the crime of journalism of seeking to publish the truth at variance with the party's definition of it. see, chinese communist party doesn't just fear its own people, it fears the pursuit of truth. and on both cause with fellow authoritarians in moscow, tehran and pyongyang. these regimes and would-be imperialists who lead-f them understand they're most -- their most precious currency isn't truth or legitimacy, and fear. the prc subjects its citizens to extensive surveillance, censorship and representation.

repression. and in the case of ethnic minorities like the eagers -- uighurs, beijing has employed detention, sterilization and outright genocide. beijing fears fears dissent. and not just at home, prc and appearance in taiwan's democracies is emblematic of the shadow of intimidation beijing hopes to cast further a across that region. prc is building a military with the capacity to bend beijing's . it's putting u.s. islands like the philippines directly in its crosshairs. it's aiming to improve direct prohebbtive policy on -- prohibitive policy on the united states, and it isn't -- [inaudible] to achieve those things.

for more t two decades, these investments in new military equipment and capabilities have grown an average of 10% per year with. so it's become quite to talk abw we're not taking competition with china seriously enough. but the resource this competition the demands most urgently is not a stern lecture from a climate diplomat, but america and our allies need to race to outcompete our top strategic adverry■w [inaudible] hard power. at its essence, winning the competition means c beijing's wt impulses. which for us means investing in outcompeting the prc with far

greater investments in our military pa capabilities and in our industrial capacity to produce them. the west cannot be caught unprepared for this. we the cannot afford to neglect the lessons of history. the senate has opportunities ahead to demonstrate we understand what's at sta■#.■p we'l have take -- madam preside before i begin, i'd like to take a moment to acknowledge the degaornia mayors that are here in the gallery to today. madam president, i rise today with gratitude■éhr, honored to member of this esteemed body. i rise having never imagined that this opportunity to serve would be a part of my journey. but i am grateful to so many who have helped it tr. appointed by

gavin newsom to serve the people of cif passing of senator feinstein. no one could ever fill senator feinstein's shoes, but there are so many of us who stand onf the gra grateful. i also know that my presence in these halls is made possible by senator carol moseley-braun and now kamala haf whom were historic members of this great chamber. and to stand on their shoulders, as the only black this chamber today, i am eternally grateful. ireciate the s friends and family, the leadership of emily's list who allowed me to turn their lives inside out andt

in our nation's story. to my partner, and my daughter who are in the gallery, i am especially grateful. madam president, i know that i this chamber. and while i may be new to this and to this institution, io th the work of justice. you see, i'm the proud daughter of the south, born in magnolia, ss of three children. i'm the granddaughter to cary, a sharecropper from louisiana, crippled at a young age by polio. the granddaughter to letty ruth, a maid who had to take her children to the homes of the white families for whom she cleaned and children she cared for, even as she worked to get r nursing assistant. my grandparents were patriots

isir 11 to be urgent about the children, the promise that if they worked hard and played by the rules, that their children would never have to see share cropping as their destiny. my mother, sarah, was number six. she hade behind. she was born in 1953, one year before the brown v. boa of education decision. yet, madam president, it would be 13 years before she and her classmates saw an integrated school or had any semblance of equal. as an ulmeet by sometimes worki jobs in the same day, working as a classroom assistant for mostly special needs children. she worked as■nursing assistant mom before her.

she was a security officer, a cashier at a gas station, but her fullim unpaid. for more than a decade, she causes the primary caregiver for my father who died after attacks, an crow plasty -- angioplasty, receiving a heart transplant in a motorcycle accident. my father passed when i was 15 years old. colleagues, my mother, too, needed to bent about the future of her three children. she knew she had to be and do everything and anything ensure opportunities to break beyond the barriers of poverty, and to chase educated at the jackson state university in jackson, mississippi. i had■4s who were scholars and organizers in the civil rights

movement, who were urgent about the young minds and lives that they were educate. leaders like dr. mary coleman who chaired our political science department and ato a litigation team that sued the state of mississippi for equal funding for its hoss torically -- historically black colleges. professors like dr. leslie borrow who served as a model of leadership becoming the president of our beloved jackson, mississippi, a83 years first black elected officials in hisometown of walls, mississippi. they and others taught me the urgency of opportunity inherent in the pic but they also were clear that the

arc of our moral universe justie keep our heart and our hands pushing it in that workers, the families, and other leaders at sciu was also formative because we builtlitions to win, to win health care benefits for■c health care workers who had never been able to see a doctor. we built a■q win to raise the minimum wage in california to $15 an hour when the average californian was spending 40% of their disposable income on housing and on food. together we fought for environmental justice and restore redemption and rehabilitation to ourjustice sy. we knew that we urgently build that our children deserved.

and i was able to continue that work during my time atemily's list supporting proho enhanced of leaders. madam president, todayr that mye can be no different. and i rise today urgent about the f■zuture of our nation's children. i rise carrying the urgent hopes of my grandfather and my grandmother, the deferred dreams of my mother. i rise bearing witness to the urgent sense of action of my professors who were determined to show that next generation of leaders that changed is possible only when we choose to do it together. there the greatest test of our

democracy is coming this november. i w happening. it's happening in our high schools and on our college campusesd the country. that's where my sense of urgency really comes from today. impati listening to my own child who at my staff holiday celebration just last year shared the story of her elementary school lockdown as if it were commonplace. my sense of urgency comes from the facts amplified by the america psychological association that 13% of hig att suicide while 30% had considered it. these numbers rose to 20% for

lgtbq-plus students and amongst black girls, the s rate rose 36.5%.■@ my impatience was formed on june and girls across the country just like my little girl came home less free than grandmother morning of the final dobbs decision. my urgency was affirmed this home in california -- home in california celebrating theend d luther king jr. i had the opportunity to visit with some of our state's best, brightest, and youngest minds. one of them is jesus jr. he goes by paco. paco is going to turn 22 years old a week from today. firstoll student at loyola mayor mount university and from south

central los angeles. he wanted me to make sure that watts. his father is a member of ufcw local 770 and he was the primary income earner in their house when he was working full time for over 20 years at a processing and meat cutting facility. paco's mother was often too sick to work as she suffered from■ú complex diabetes condition as well as hin paco shared with with m had grown up watching and knowing that his family was not going to have -- not going to be ableh= secure housing month to was ends meetnd that - he knew sometimes they couldn't afford the rent. the stress that this

to his gruelling responsibilities and then two years ago his younger sister had a psychotic episode that was later diagnosed as schizophrenia. and as her condition progressed, she became violent in her behavior add once had to have the police come and take her away. as he had to be the translator for his spanish-speaking penout home that day, he said that he learned then watching his sister be taken away to deal with peop with mental health disorders. the challenges and h paco's life are enough to set anyone back. instead he has chosen to live and torward. so my commitment to paco, my urgency about the future of my

children, my service of califor start with democracy and freedom. protecting andvery ideals, dete preserve it for those who must carry it forward. and i look forward to working with my colleagues to pass the n lewis voting rights advancement act. freedoms once thought to be protected by our constitutiones health care, abortion access, and equal opportunity are being stripped away right in front of us. i am with my colleagues to pass legislation, to restore these protections, and do today what cannot unfinished business of generations tocome. my commitment to generation now includes a focus on their mental well-being. i am impatient to work with my

others to impro a padilla and mental health and eager to work with senator brown and senator scott to advance the act■. to sp the spread of fentanyl in our communities and the killing of our children. according to recent data gathered by the afl-cio, 88% of workers under 30 want to be in a union. i am urgently ready to stand with those workers and with my colleagues who are committed to taking on the corporations who would stand in their way. must the pro act and the home andz xcommunity basedvices act to i provide the care in our communities. advancing economic opportunities for generation now who will lead and work in t economy of do all can to ensure the tools

necessary to believe in the dream again. in closing, madam president, while i'm urgent, i am also filled with abing pe now may be but they are not sitting it out. even as they had to -- have had to question whether government coul even as they have seen dysfunctional and bitterehalf of themselvesve own recognition. the world watched as students from stoneham douglas high school in florida organized the march for our lives rally, bringing together almost two million people across the world n gun safety legislation. that rally became one of the largest student-led organizations since t v women's black lives m globe, the most

racially anderse generation of our time has shown up time and time again demanding that we do movements for gun reform, environmental protection, racial justice, or join a union, young people are demonstrating their willingness to be the force, the energy, and the face of change. true across nation, it is especially true in my home state of california. the state home to the of gen z' country. one is brown, a 20-year-old student at carmen college who discovered a passion for education equity. ■the fstale ever to , she was ■■ be selected to the student seat on the los angeles county school board.

the second largest school district in our nation.'s thank. have access to greater resources that they need to thrive. she secured unanimous s for resolutions that leveraged district funding to improve communities around her the walls of crinshaw high school. it's young leaders like kamari who don't sit on their hands and stand idle while the passes them boy by. it's the generations now that believe their lives can add up to something more tha■$t truly inspires me. madam president, as i take my seat, i offer again the clarion call that was shared with this body and the world almost three years a t on january 20, 2021, amanda, thr to serve as the inaugural poet werepolished, far

from pristine, but that doesn't mean that we are striving to forge a union that we are■i form a union with purpose. tossed. propose a country committed to all conditions of man and we lift our eyes, not to -- we lift our gazes not to what stands between us but to what stands before us.■ we close the divide because we know to put our futures÷é we must first put our differences aside. if our children are our future, promise of america. it must be that we put future first because their lives are depending on us today. madam president, i yield the floor.

[applause] lovv ■a■w■c ■#■v /4 vm■? ■x v 6

>> l of

california mayors that are here in the gallery today. madam president, i rise today with gratitude, honored to be a member of this esteemed body. i rise having never imagine ifed that this -- imagined that this opportunity to serve would be a part of my journey. but i am grateful to so many have helped it become true. i was appointed by governor gavin newsom to serve the people of california after the passing of senator no one could ever fill senator feinstein's shoes, but there's so many of us who stand on her . i also know that my presence in these hallowed halls is only made possible by senator carol mossly brawn and now vice harri.

both of whom were historic members of this great chamber. and to stand on their shoulders as this chamber today, i am eternally grateful. i appreciate the sacrificepporty family, the-up of emily's list who allowed -- the leadershipo o turn their lives inside out and upside down to meet this moment's in our nation's story. to my partner and m grace, who e gallery, i am especially grateful. madam president, i knowha am the newest senator to join this chamber, and while i may be new to this title the struggle and the work of justice. you see, i'm the proud daughter of the south born in

mississippi, the youngest of three children. i'm the to carey, a sharecropper from louisiana crippled at a young age bynddaua young maid who had to take her children to the homes of the white families for whom she cleaned and whosen as she workeo get her certificate as a nursing assistant. my brand parents were pate trote patriots who had to be urgent about the promise of america for their 11 children. the promise that if they worked hard and played by the rules, that their children would never have to see sharecropping as their destiny. my mother sarah was six. she was born in 1953, one year before the b

education decision. yet, madam president, it would be 13 years before shend mates d school or had any if semblance of equal. as an adult, my mom made ends meet three jobs in the same day working as a classroom assistant for mostly special needs children. she worked as a certified nursing assistant just as her mom before her. she was a security officer, a cashier at a gas station, but fs unpaid. for more than a decade, she was the primary caregiver for my fa suffering six heart attacks, angie yoplasty, receiving a heart trlant from in a motorcycle accident. my father passed when i was 15 years old. colleagues, my if motr my moth trgent

about the future of her three children. she knew she had to be and do everything andcould to insure te opportunities to break beyond the barriers of poverty and to chase our i went educated at the jackson state university in jackson, mississ■%ippi.lawyers d organize ors in the civil rights movement who were urgent about they were there to educate. leaders like dr. mary coleman who chaired our political and ae same time was a part of the litigation team that sued the state of mississippi for equal funding for its historically blackofessors like dr. leslie burrellclemoret in our lecture halls but also

served as a model of leadership becoming the president of our beloved university, the mayorh f jackson, mississippi. and today, at 83 years old, one of the first black elected officials in his hometown of walz, mississippi if. they and others taught me the urgency of otu but they also were clear that the arc of our universe bends towards justice only when people keep our heart and and our hands pushing it in that my time with workers, their families and other leaders at because we built can coalitions to win -- built coalitions to win,■0 to win health care benefs for health care workers who had never been able a coalition to o

raise the minimum wage in california to $15 an hour when the average californian was spending 40 percent of their disposable million on housing and on food. for environmental justice andore red rehabilitation to our criminal justice system. we knew if that we to build the deserved. and i was able to continue that work list e supporting pro-choice women who advanced the values that united their communities at every level government. we were intent on creating that new generation of leaders. todam clear that my time in the senate can be no different, and i of c.

i rise carrying the urgent hopes of my are grandfather and grandmother, the deferred dreams i rise bearing witness to the urgent sense of action of my professors who were deter show n of leaders that change is possible only when we choose to there are those who believe thar democracy is coming this november. i■■fr" would submit that it's ay happening. the presiding officer: the senator from west virginia. mr capito:ham president. do we need to call to vitiate the quorum call? the presiding officer: we are not in a quorum call. mrs. capito: thank you. madam president, i rise today in light oth john kerry, america's climate czar, will soon be leaving his mr. kerry's exit presents, us wn

comprehensively reexamine the biden administ environment. for three years now while mr. kerry has been there, we had ener regulation after energy regulation. climate mandate after climate mandate. and president biden has clearly american people last. his cabinet secretaries and unelected staff members from the state department to the epa, from the white house to the u.s. department of transportation have followed his lead. they've phed unworkable, untenable agenda meant to appease the global climate tivist alike.nvironmental the problem is that these goals and proposals are completely start with mr. kerry's

recent comments. i'm quoting him -- there shouldn't be any coal-powered plants permitted in the world, end him signing an international pledge to do just that. position, yet he has outlined no plan to replace this baseload energy source t c really critical around the world, especially in these winter months, on days like we see today and this past week where we'vead freezing and below freezing temperatures. he but wledge that states like mine, west virginia, or states like michigan, minnesota, kentucky, and colorado all rely heavily on coal-fired power plants for our electricity. acknowledging this realty would not beisry because decimating the entire

electric grid of dozens of states across theousands, tens s of jobs that go with it would not be a good look for the administration, so they never quit get of what would happen if we actually followed what he's saying. but not to fear, the epa has mr. kerry's back when it comes toer grid with policies that are just not based in realty. despite the the obama administration's previous attempt to close down coal and gas-fired power plants in west virginia versus the epa, the biden administration has doubled down on this reckless poli. cle again designed to prematurely force the retirement of these power plants and require the us nearly ready for prime time.

unfortunately for the american people, by the time the courts catchup, befo,t of damage is do. jobs are lost, the electric grid is undetermined, and the lives of entire communities are disrupted. believe me, i know this through virginia during the obama administration, and i would not wish it on any other parts of this the biden administration i not stopping there. in a mind-bog delling display -- boggling display of irony the epa is asylum tan why yously pushing -- is simultaneously pushing■/ to electric vehicles. that would mean more electricity. in iowa we saw how cold it was during the caucuses, below zero everywhere. ma faced a cold snap this week across the country,

because, number one, the e.v.'s couldn't hold a charge in the cold weather. a rapid but unreasonable transition to the vicles -- and i'm not anti-electric vehicle at all -- with serious liability concerns would also e the agency works to shut down reliable energy baseloads of power.■9 it makes no sense. and again ignoring realty, the biden administration carries on. the epa announced a tax on energy companies through a methane fee using the democrats' really disastrous inflation reduction act to target and penalizeme producers. and currently aom cases is winding through the courts on the topicepa's so-called good neighbor air

regulation. this policy wouldake away the stes, mine included, to determine how best to regulate ozone and reduce emissions in their own borders, which is what the air act calls for, an a large consolidation of power for washington bureaucrats. the the cooperative federalism framework of the clean air act and deprives the states of their rights t regulate first. our states know our states better than from the federal government. 12 states have been convincing program has serious legal challenges and issuews and that the courts have issuedrule. and this was all followed then by the epa's disastrous waters of the u.s., better known in these6: hal wotus, which illegally expanded the

jurisdiction of the federal government at the expense of american farmers, private landowners. unsurprisingly, this was roundly rejected by the supreme court, includg9-0 agreement that the scope of the proposal went way too far. yet evensighest court in the land send clear warning signals that president biden's those downenvironmental ■5 the street at 1600 pennsylvania. we've seen the resounding themet departments and agencies, but also directly from the white house. as thedm made in our nation's infrastructure, a bill that i roundly and soundly supported and also helped to create, the white house council

of environmental quality has actively proposed making itu■. harder to build and complete these projects. on the one hand, we're going to create a huge program for infrastructure. on the other hand, we're you bu you build, how much it costs to build, and if you can build it all. burdensome permitting rules and red tape regulations none of which, none of which were agreed to by this congress. and the white house office of management and budget, better known as omb, published a government wade mandate on agencies to consider flawed, quote uncoat social costs of greenhouse metrics. isk numbers becauw how these nu developed and used and have gotten no substantive answers in response. crickets over the wn iquestions. all we received are broad public pronouncements that these

numbers are to be used by departments and agencies when in this time of high inflation and supply cost issues and when reviewing any proposed energy or infrastructure projects as they see fit. again the irony is astounding for those of us looking at this from a reali■e poifr. the same white house boasting about infrastructure investments and growth is simultaneously me impact millions of workers, families, and employers acrossl the american people. after three years there's a clear message that mr. biden, k need to hear. regulations meant to signal climate action that don't follow theawaá aren't based in realty are not the answer.

there is a better way, one that will unite us andion and world an stronger. i've said so many times that our energy and policies■ do not have to be at odd. so instead of targeting natural gas production, the major reason america reduces its emissions in the last 20 years, we should continue to support it. do s w■aoogy, make for a cleane environment and better environment and help our allies abroad all at the same time sup expansion of nuclear energy which hold great promise. it is emissions-free. it's aerica's energy grid. by enacting these policies that will drive development here on our shores and help us grow. andh permits for carbon capture, use and storage in states who want

to harness innovative technologies, like mine, create at the same time and use natural gas, coal, as long as because it's abundant in this country. there's room for all that if we would just stop the hyperbole and encountered when discussing this issue. when i and so many americans hear somebody say shut it down comments from the climate czar that are then mirrored in actual regulations from the federal government, it jusl. and i believe that history will show and has shown that it only hurts us. so as mr. exits the administration, let's take stock of the path the biden administration has taken us down. and it's we mus reverse course. we must leave behind the unworkable proposals and

job-killing together t allow realistic solutions that can thrive right here in america. with that, i yield back, madam president. a senator: madam president. the presiding officer: the junior senator from north carolina a senator: l thank you, madam president. i want toest issues facing work families today and that is the cost of energy in america. offif energy has skyrocketed by almost 35%. when you dig down into the numbers, individual sources of energy, the news doesn't t . fuel oil is up nearly 50%. gas prices are up over 40%. natural gas is up over 27%. in real terms everyday americans

are spending an extra uel their heat their home. businesses of all sizes are having to snd thousands of dollars more to produthe country. so what's causing all of this? if you ask president biden, trots out talking points blaming foreign conflicts for the rise in prices. but to be fair, turmoil in the middle east and russia certainly plays a part. but the real question is why is the united states so dependent on foreign nations in the first place. whare we at ■=the mercy of petty despots and dictators for the fuel that we need right here? it's because presi■9 orchestrated an all-out assault on american energy starting on its first day in office. the biden admate keystone pipeline. they canceled all remaining oil and gas leases and from the

donald trump and the a and shut exploration on federal lands. make no mistake, this is a crisis of president biden's own in response, president biden has grasped for a political solution to a policy problem. the u.s. strategic petroleum reserve. now, the spr is designed for times of war, national a true n. president biden, on the other hand, he's used it over and over o bail himself po anti-energy crusade. the result? the spr has)sp1 by nearly 287 million barrels of crude oil since president biden took office. our nation's emergency energyt t level since president reagan's, president reagan's first term.

our country is no longer well positioned to dealis because ths tilting at windmills and pursuing a radical green new deal agenda. for this president's epa is mandating that 67% of new car sales in the u.s. in 20 the only problem is in roughly sales w it's clear that consumer demand is nowhere near sufficient to satisfy his big-government mandate. even e're going to push such a drastic increase in electric vehicles, president biden has to get serious about ways to produce enough affordable energy. hee to rely on our own emergency reserves to meet the supply. it's time for us to g■s drill on our shores, refill our emergency reserves for a real

crisis and lower gas and americans. in order to be a strong nation, we have to be a self-sufficient what to do.nergy dominant. all we need is the right leadership to get it done. i yield the floor.

test. test test. test.

a senator: madam president. the presiding officer: the senator from nebraska. mrs. fischer: thank madam president. last week the biden administration announced over half a billion dollars in subsidies for electric vlee.v. that half billion follows two million more that's already been hand fact that only 4% of americans own e.v.'s. this is a common trend administration for seeing untested solutions on to the american peo climate change. but according to "the wall street journal," only two federally funded e.v. charging stations have■5 been built sinc biden became president. even though billions of taxpayer dollars are subsidizing those

projects. and americans remain hesitant to drive these expensive last 84% of americans said they're not considering buying one. the e.v. m the past few days of this winter weather that we've been having across my part of the country only serve to confirm their choices. the administration's plan for massive e.v.'s over the next eight years is a pipe dream. but there are realistic, can ma that would benefit the environment without limiting freedom or harming our economy. one of them is approving the sale of gasoline blends 15%

ethanol or e-15. my legislation, the nationwide consumer and retailerhoice cut roadblocks to the sale of e-15. today, madam president, california is that hasn't approved the sale of this partially renewable fuel,o an■" unusual stance for a state that styles itself as a leader in protecting the environment. should the■v9 other 49 states in approving e-15, that economy, and our energy independence. emissions from ethanol-81]■é 46 lower than from traditional gasoline. one study found that corn ethanol contributed to action on

emissions between 2005 and2019. studies show that if all the gas in california had been e-15 bee that switch, it would have resulted in greenhouse gas savings of 2.2 billion metric tons, and that's in calor alone. these environmental benefits in country. notnl doigher ethanol blends of gasoline emit less greenhouse gases, but the corn used in soaks up

massive amounts of additional co2. this is a doubly positive effect that should please even the most skeptical of our environmental friends. it's been proven by nasa. by the scientists at nasa with the data they have gathered from thr summer, the corn belt in the united states of america has more activity than even the amazon rain forest. family farmers in the corn are helping our climate by producing cleaner fuel and they don't have to own an e.v. to do it. e.v. subsidies, e-15 is a sensible way to advance environmental goals that doesn't

weigh down our economy. this fuel does not require taxpayer money. it's cheap enough to be market the average price of e-15 during the 20um $0.16 less per gallon regular gas. in an age of record inflation, that makes a difference. it benefits retailers who can profit off of e-15, and it benefitsers who can switch to ae affordable fuel. ande-15 will free retailers and c from a dependence on energy that's prode will be relying on producers here at home. this is the way that can

unleash american energy, prioritize our domestic produc take advantage wonderfu resources that we have. california's approval would make e-15 a nationwide fuel option. and my billliminates f to the year-round nationwide sale of e-15, a lower cost, fuel. congress and president biden must come together to pass legislation that will an all-of approach to energy. one that uses many resources that we produce right here in america. e-15, the approval of that, it is a a family farmers

that produce ethanol, it's a wi and it is a win for our environment, which makes it a win also for american energy security. thank you, madam es yield t■]he.

test: ■om ■g ■c ! ■■=

9kack for 100 days. eg brothers, sons, husbands , fathers andgrandfathers. they range in age from 18 to 62e

middle east,a

october. the region of the beginning of this year to build upon our work and our american hostages.■÷ the familiesnde in the region ae return of hostages is our number one in israel saw the impact of hamas is■ñ fertility. a place pre-october 7 could be e desert, gentle farming community, peaceloving p

gentleman home a-nd whose own son -- ficer: the senator from nebraska. mr. ri mr. ricketts: thank you, madam president. my home state of nebraska has been hit by bitter storms. we've had temperatures, snow, and high winds that have closed many roads across the state of nebraska. tim nebraskans step up tohelp. i want to thank all■■ responders, whether they were snowplow drivers, firefighters, person :#monstrated their grit and service this last week to be able to helpeopliaa state patro

the over 1400 drivers they assisted winter weather.hospitals saw a frostbitepa injuries. our farmers and ranchers continued to work to ensure our food supplhome. and i want to thank my federal delegation as well, and will work with them to that is neede appreciate that governor declar emergency and will also assist with any federal assistance that may be needed for this as we recover from these storms coll colleagues. it's also an opportunity for us

to be able to think about how government can do better. many times a storm like this will create situations that we need to tease out for the next . however, in this case, one of the lessons has become clear right away know, the epa has a mandate that they want all new cars and trucks sold the year 2032 -- i shouldn't say all, but two-thirds of all trucks and electric vehicles. ar this weekend we saw why this is just a dumb idea. burdensome and do not work in places like the upper midwest, where we can see bitter cold temperatures.

we saw that e.v.'s don't work well when the temperature drops soprecipitously. turns out they're just not reliable when the weather turns this fox 32 in chicago had a story, which i'm going to quote from here. they reported public charging stations have turne into yards e of days. the story goes on to describe, and i quote, e.v. owners trying to desperately power up their cars at super charging stations in oakbrook. it was a sceneir lines and aban around thehi area. end quote. also in the story, there was a driver who referred to all these stalled electric vehicles as dead robots. graveyards and d t want? i don't think so.

this happened in chicago, whereg stations. what about my home state of nebraska, where we don't have as many? president biden's own department of energy map shows no e.v. chargers on a 244-mile setch broken bow to scotbluff. there is not a charging station within, nebraska. many rural communities are more than an hour's drive away from a charging■, station. towns like hyannis, kill gore and thetford. the beef sta. i guarantee you electric trucks are not practical when hauling livestock. one cannot afford to pull over an start for two hours or even longer when the temperature is below zero.

cattle cannot tolerate then think about not being able to charge at all. or imagine e.v. ambulances that br get to a rural hospital. or e.v. buses breaking down trying to connect people to their jobs. these are verions in states lik mine. nebraskans tell me over and over again that east coast washington bureaucrats what their policies will do in the midwest of the united states. guess what -- they're right. just as it ture.v.'s don't work in cold weather, these bureaucrats on the east ■ coast have no idea the implications of what their in midwest. these major winter storms are a reminderxa that right now e.v.' reliance, or range in cold

weather to be able to work in the midwest.■ an te on american states like nebraska is foolish, unworkable, and it's wrong and i urge reconsider thi policy. until he does i will continue t. with that, madam president, i yield back. thank you. a senator: senator from north dakota. mr. hoeven: i'm pleased to join my colleague from nebraska and■ otrs discussing the develop our energy resources here in north dakota. we have the most abundant energy

resources in the world, and we ka,ineed them to develop and continue to build an all-of-the-above energy policy. muchf the nation continues to experience ver temperatures, in some cases really record cold temperatures. in my state of north dakota coal typically provides 35% to 40% of the %j24!base loadratione but to other states in the region. we supply the power pools with energy for our region that they can count on 24-7, base load energy that in the coldest times, hottest times, peak energy times they know that those base load power plants are going to be there to keep the lights 24-7

energy wind needed at peak times, but according to the energy information office, thei@ october 23 report, north dakotans paid the lowest electricity prices in the country, the lowest in the country. let's compareexample, let'say california. california paid four times as much for electricity during the same time period. so ma just talked about electric vehicles. well, you need charging stations for those electric vehicles. where is that electricity going to come from? an going to come from at times when you have peak power needs? you still need that electricity for all these different. so we have to recognize it even as we develop new technologies and do all these things that people want, we've got that baseload power coming from somewhere. we simply can't take our base

load energy, coal-fired electric and our other sources have to be there. again, we continue to develop new technologies and continue to press for the best possible en stewardship but we've got to recognize that we need more energy, and we've got to continue to use all of our resources to5k generate that energy. access to affordable and reliable energy is not only a quality of life issue but also a public safety issue. seen that record cold temperatures. that includes keeping our homes warm, our businessesuns keeping on forfor hospitals, schools, fire departments and many, many other public services that we

depend on every single day. but is our electric grid only works when there's sufficient power generation available to meet demand in rea when you need it and expect the grid to keep working and of course those met. in its 2023 long-range reliability assessment, the north american energynerc as it's commonly referred to, is warning that our grid, our power great continues to face of clac because -- blackouts andk think electric vehicles, computers, data processing, whatever it may be, we can continue to develop all these new all these things we want to do, but you've got to have the power to run them. when you go in the house and

that electricity coming from? people take it for granted. but if we don't have the base load out there, you can't take it for granted because iwo commissioners emphasize these concerns in testimony before our senate energy committeyear of w that included commissioner christi who noted that the ited states is headed for a christi, one of the commissioners said specifically in front of our energy committee that the united states is heade of lack of base load generation. we need to take this seriously.. sabout might these warnings, the biden administration's green new deal approach and regulations continue tohe problem. this includes the epa's proposed

clean power an unworkable match standard, new rules that seek to drive up the cost of operations for our power plants and at some point those power plants are no longer economic and that forces them to shut down. in addition to regulations, the epa is proposing a new methane regulation, including just this past wee a new tax on methane wd again, a tax that is going to drive up -- not only reduce supply but drive up costs for consumers. somebody has that. it gets passed down the line. consumers pay for it. that means higher electricity costs. not only less electricity, lesc continues to restrict access to our taxpayer-owned energy■%

reserves which also drives up the cost of energy production because we produce energy on federal lands as well lands pror costs but also makes us dependent on sources of energy from other parts of the world in many cases parts of theorld thatre unstable and have environmental standards that are vastly interior to our own here in this country. once again we've got to find ways to make american energy production less expensive and more reliable, and that means producing the energy here at home. that means an environment that encourages energy development, not more regulation and more produce energy and drive up costs. all sources, right? traditional and renewable, all sources with the latest

okay.ology. so again, if we're going to continue to develop all these wonderful new things that we want utilize, we're growing to have to -- we're going to have to have the energy to make sure we can power them. we're going to hre that on the coldest day, we're comfortable in our homes for our families and all those that we care we have over 700 years of coal supply alone, and we are developing the latest, greatest and do it so that we have base load electricity, dependable, low cost and the -- environment stewardship and we continue to do that. america leads the world in this kind of innovation. let's empowerat. it is again all about our country producing electricity here at home so that we are onl

independent but energy dominant. and in fact developing resources like our natural gas a■ñur allie not dependent on countries like russia or adversary yal us and our allies. working with our allies on important things like energy development. we canúq do that and that's the kind of thing that we should be doing. a little over a decade ago, we cracked the code on shale production like in my state of north dakota, the permian in texas.■■8roduced incredible amo of energy as a result. again that's not only important in terms of our economy, it maavewú', places like opec and we all know the incredible problems that's created for us through the years when we can't prode that energy at home and have to look at players like opec. so the fact remains that coal, oil, and naturalas remain econo

and to our national security because these resources are reliable and energy cases■ó rene energy which only provides energy part of the time. what do you do whenen you're on solar energy? what do you do when you need energy and you're relying on wind power and blowing? we've got to have this base loa electricity. and so again,■) this is common sense. this is about truly empowers th country to produce more energy, to do it with the environmental stewardship, to make it reliable, dependable, affordable, to make sure it's there■24-7 on the coldest day, the hottest day, whatever those growing needs are. let's make sure we have that energy here at home.

les just energy independent but energy dominant. we can do that in this country and we need to do it in this country. with that, madam president, i yield the floor and note -- i yield the floor.you. a senator: madam president. the presiding officer: the senator fromthis friday is goine