i'm switching gears with the time i have left to mr. bunce. i appreciated your testimony highlighting how technology can improve the aviation sector. there's a new pilot program for the mobility of clearances which advocated for along with several of my colleagues on this committee. can you talk about how this pilot program mobile clearance delivery with advanced technology and other essays doing in terms of imitation so far? >> when we try to take off in congested airspace will recall class b or class c airspace, you need to get a clearance to be able to enter into that airspace. airspace. what you do now is either use the radios but think about an advance air mobility aircraft that's not in the line of sight so they'll have to call on the phone, talk to the controller. the controller then tells them you can launch and here's a launch window. it's generally about two minutes

and yet to be airborne during that time. think about how inefficient that is and if a control is busy that aircraft babysitting speedy you can continue watching this on c-span now app. we believe it here to take you live now to use senate where lawmakers are expected to debate two nominees to the national labor relations board who if both are confirmed will maintain a a democratic majority on the board until 2026. live coverage of the senate is here on c-span2. the presiding officer: the senate will come to order. today's opening prayer will be offered by reverend lisa wink schultz. senate chaplain's office here in washington, d.c.

the guest chaplain: let us pray. almighty god, you have given us this nation for our heritage. today, we ask that you keep us mindful of your favor and glad to do your will. use the members of this body to labor for justice, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with you. give them the wisdom to use their power for the healing of our land. keep their goals high, vision clear, and minds keen. lord, do for them more than they can ask or imagine, according to your power working in and through them. we pray in your righteous name. amen. the presiding officer: please join me in reciting the pledge of allegiance to our flag. i pledge allegiance to the flag of the united states of america, and to the republic for which it stands,

one nation under god, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. the presiding officer: the clerk will read a communication to the senate. the clerk: washington, d.c, december 11, 2024. to the senate: under the provisions of rule 1, paragraph 3, of the standing rules of the senate, i hereby appoint the honorable john w. hickenlooper, a senator from the state of colorado, to perform the duties of the chair. signed: patty murray, president pro tempore. the presiding officer: under the previous order, the leadership time is reserved. morning business is closed. under the previous order, the senate will proceed to executive session to resume consideration of the following nomination, which the clerk will report. the clerk: nomination, national labor relations board, lauren mcgarity mcfarren of the district of columbia to be a member of the national labor

>> host: she's with the tax foundation serving as research director for federal tax policy joining us from kansas. ms. york, hacks for your time this morning. >> guest: thanks. good morning. >> host: a little bit about the organization and who funds it. can you tell our audience about that? >> guest: tax foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. we've been around since 1937s and our mission so the provide education about the tax system we have. we believe that the tax system should be simple, it should be neutral, it should be with transparent and it should be stable. but we've study thed taxes at the state and local level, at the federal level and at the global level, and we're funded by a variety of donors from the business community, from the foundation community and from individual donors. >> host: from the study that you do or some of the study that is

you cowhen it comes to taxes, the most latest one taking a look at federal taxes and who pays what. we're showing the audience your analysis. where do you get this data from? >> guest: this comes straight from the internal revenue if as much as. so each year the irs statistics of income division publishes day a that comes straight from the tax returns that we all fight pile during the tax season -- all file, and they provide analysis on who pays what, what average tax rates are. so we take that, and we put it in a more digestible format than the huge tables that are available for download on the irs web site. >> host: you take a look at how much wealthy americans pavement let's start with the details. what's the perception of what wealthy americans pay, and what is the reality? some. >> guest: i think there's a big perception about the tax system that we have now that it's unfair, and a big part of that is that the that tax system that we have is very complicated. i don't think anyone really enjoys filing their taxes each year. it can be a rot process, and

it's not always transparent who's paying what because of all of the different deductions and credits and exemptions available in the a tax system. so that gives a perception of you are you are. r -- unfairness. we also tends to see lots of stories about individual taxpayers who maybe don't have a large tax bill in a given year, and so it creates the perception that high income taxpayers are getting a special break that low and middle income taxpayers don't have access to. but, of course, the data tell a different story, and that data comes straight from the if internal revenue service. >> host: one of the things in your report is a breakdown from the data, and it breaks it down from the top% 1% and going down there from there. but just to to show the audience some details, about 1.5 million returns, their average tax rate about 26. when it comes to their total share of adjusted total gross income, 22 percent. and then the total, share of

total income taxes paid, 40. 4%. put that into context as far as what hay pay versus what others pay. >> guest: yeah. so if you look at the average tax rate paid by the top 1%, that's about 7 times larger than the average tax rate paid by the bottom half of americans. of american taxpayers. and if you look at the shares of taxes paid zooming out from just the top 1 1% mr. schumer: mr. president, later this morning the senate will vote to advance the nomination of lauren mcgarity mcfarren to serve another term as a member of the national labor relations board. ms. mcferran has served admirableably on the nlrb for many years where she's known for her fairness, expertise and

guiding the board to deal with the challenges of the contemporary workplace. she worked in the senate for tom harkin and the late-ted kennedy. if you truly care about working families, if you care about fixing income inequality in america, then you should be in favor of advancing today's nlrb nominee. you can't say you are for working families and then go and vote no today because the nlrb protects workers from mistreatment on the job and from overreaching employers. now, on the hearts act passage, last night in a great moment the senate finally reached the end zone of the hearts act, a bill i've worked on for months with demar hamlin of the buffalo bills to better prepare schools against heart emergencies. the hearts act is now on the way to president biden's desk. and by doing so we're ensuring that every school has access to

aed's and the ability to teach cpr. the hearts act will save lives, plain and simple. god forbid a child goes into cardiac arrest while in school or a young athlete suffers an emergency on the field. but thanks to the hearts act, there will now be more aed's nearby to save them. i am so proud to have worked with demar to get this bill passed. he is an amazing man and together i must say that demar and i, as unlikely as it may seem, have been a great team. after he suffered from a cardiac arrest in the middle of a football team, he came to visit me in washington and told me he wanted to, quote, make history, unquote, and ensure more kids in schools have access to the same aed's that saved his life. last night history was made when we passed this bill that demar and i proudly led. so thank you, demar hamlin.

thank you to the buffalo bills. thank you to the nfl and roger goodell. thank you to all who pushed this bill. they all made it happen. later today, mr. president, i will meet with the president-elect's pick to serve as the next secretary of commerce, howard lutnick of new york. i look forward to a fruitful and positive discussion. i've known howard lutnick for many years. he is an intelligent and capable man. and i think it is very important for new york and every other state, and for america, that the next commerce secretary is willing to build on the progress of the last few years and help the u.s. outcompete the chinese communist party on a.i., on chip manufacturing and many other areas as well. it is especially important for states like new york and many others where we're bringing

manufacturing back from overseas to strengthen domestic supply chains and our national security. i can assure howard lutnick and all of the president-elect's nominees that we will give them fair and thorough consideration in the senate. as i've said in my letter to senator thune last week, it's important everyone goes through the standard process nominees have always had, including access to a full fbi investigation materials, hearings with questions, and a vote on the floor. i look forward to my conversation with howard lutnick later today. on wrda, last night the house of representatives overwhelmingly passed the 2024 water resources development act, named this year in honor of our dear retiring friend, senator carper, who's been a champion of this bill for so long. wrda is one of congress's most important bills for water infrastructure projects carried out by the u.s. army corps of engineers.

the bill passed with resounding bipartisan support -- 399-18 -- in the house, with all democrats in favor. this year's bill also includes reauthorization of the economic development administration and several regional commissions, making critical investments in infrastructure, workforce, and supply chains that will help the u.s. outcompete the rest of the world. this bipartisan bill passed out of the epw committee earlier this year with unanimous support. the senate is now working on a path to get wrda and the eda package cleared through this chamber. it is my hope we can act on these bipartisan bills as soon as possible. reauthorizing wrda opens the floodgates to authorize all sorts of water-related projects for our economy. it helps improve our ports and inland waterways. it helps communities protect against flood damage. it safeguards our delicate ecosystems and it enhances

access to public water. wrda is also critical for new york, where it improves, among other things, shoreline resiliency and flood protections from the great lakes all the way to new york city. and the eda authorization part of the bill will also direct more federal investment to our distressed regions and help them rebuild from economic hardship and from disasters. wrda and eda are examples, great examples, of bipartisanship in action. so i hope we can reach agreement to get this important bill done as soon as we can. now, it about my dear friend senator carper. this week, two of our longtime democratic colleagues have delivered farewell addresses, senators tester and cardin. today, another senator, another dear friend, will deliver his farewell address, the senior senator from delaware, tom carper. when i say dear friends about these individuals, it's really

true, not just verbiage. we are really friends, as we have become in this caucus, and that is certainly true of tom carper. last night was the annual taste of delaware event, one of my favorite events of the year, where everything that is amazing about delaware is on full display. if you spend just a few minutes there, you notice something -- the state of delaware loves tom carper, and tom carper loves delaware. he hates being away from home, which is why half the time when i call him about all the issues that we can about together, he's on that amtrak, hopping home to be with martha and his family. he does it even on weekdays while we're in session. serving delaware is all tom knows. he did it first as state treasurer, then congressman, then governor, and then for the last two decades as senator. if you put all these elected offices together, it means that the people of delaware have

elected and reelected tom a record 14 times into office, and he never lost an ounce of fight. here in the senate, what a great ambassador he was for the first state. our caucus relied on tom's expertise not just about delaware, which of course we became quite familiar with due to his persistence, but also on testimony different -- also on many different issues, especially when it came to the environment. tom is a climate warrior, plain and simple. few senators have fought as long and hard on the climate crisis as tom has. he expertly negotiated climate and clean energy investments we secured in years, and had great input into the ira, the inflation reduction act. tom was both idealistic and practical. when he worked on environmental issues, he knew how important it was to maximize the amount of clean energy we produce. but at the same time, he knew how to talk to members on the

other side of the aisle, who might not agree with him on everything, and get them to support a coalition that would support that legislation. he was amazing in action. as the senate's last vietnam war veteran, tom was also an unflinching champion for our servicemembers and their families. tom will tell you that despite his time in elected office, his greatest privilege was serving in the navy for 23 years, and not a day goes by when tom isn't looking for ways to help our veterans in need. he's an amazing guy. i even had a nickname for him. tom and i loved old lyrics from the 50's, 60's and 70's, both songs, music, but tv shows. so his nickname, his initials, t.c., top cat. he and i are among the few in this chamber who remember the cartoon top cat. but tom carper was certainly a top cat in this body.

top cat, you're great. i'll miss you. a final testament to tom's willingness to go out of his was i to help others, he was so enthusiastic about his successor, lisa blunt rochester, she got her start in politics as an intern in tom's office. when he knew he wasn't going to run, one of the first things he said to me, make sure you help lisa blunt rochester. she'll be a great senator. we can begin to see that already. i can't think of a more appropriate way to conclude a long career in public service by making sure your successor can continue your legacy. senator moynihan did that in many ways with me. so to tom, mar -- martha, his two sons, thank you, thank you, thank you for your service. we'll miss you very much. and in the words a navy man can appreciate, we wish you fair winds and following seas.

i yield the floor and note the absence of a quorum. the presiding officer: the clerk will call the roll. quorum call: >> a national trone infrastructure. we must control our air space, and we must protect the american people. the unfortunate reality is that this current administration has allowed our nation to fall behind the rest of the world, and that is unacceptable. this congress tasked the faa reauthorization to promote if a strong and regulated drone industry. the bill included a mandate. we worked on this, my office as did other offices, including a mandate for the faa to develop rules, and you all know what

this means, for beyond visual line of sight operation. it's critical. it's only one of the many steps that we must take. we are already years behind the law. reauthorization equivocally directed the -- unequivocally directed the f ark a to advance the rulemaking process. we gave them, as many of you mow and this committee nose, until september 15th which is now three long months ago. but president biden's office of management has again delayed its release. frankly, this is not the only area of technology that we've heard this about that's failed to move from 5g, our mission's innovation -- nation's innovation is being hampered by big, nonif functional bureaucracy. we need a cultural transformation at the faa and our government as a whole to come to a reality in dealing

with this technology. we need an organizational structure at the faa that is bold, an organizational structure that is ambitious and advancing our american technologies so that we are number one. so i'd like to submit for the record statements from if robert rose, do to founder and ceo of reliable robotics. chairman, i'd like to submit this for the for the record. they are an advanced ea aviation safety technology company a this has endorsed the proposals i put forward to reform the faa. this committee must work with our new president, president trump, to make the united states of america the most dominant drone power in the world. we lead, we don't follow. that's america. this is the about our safety. it's about our national security. it's about a our future as a nation. the united states of america, the greatest country on the face of the earth. it is real. we have to get on the stick.

we have to do what's right. so there's, you know, there isn't a few seconds left. i thank you. i gave you my speech. i know some of you know and i've spoken to before, this is a big deal. this is a real big deal. it's happening right now in my state as we speak. and it's a serious threat whether anybody wants to admit it or not. mr. chairman, i yield back. >> thank you. without objection, so ordered. i now recognize mr. garcia for five minutes for questions. >> thank you, mr. chair. and i, too, want to express my gratitude to garrett grate -- graves for all his contributions and, of course, his role in shepherding the legislation that we're discussing today forward. and, of course, i'm glad to see that the fa a a bill contains a work force development programs component to it to include aviation manufacturing. pursuing a wired pool of talent,

if necessary, if we have to to, if we're to, indeed, move work force needed to support increased travel demand in the coming years. i'd like to to begin by thanking the witnesses here today and begin my questioning recognizing that the work force development program is awaiting funding. can you describe what the recruitment of aviation manufacturing workers and aerospace engineers looks like right now and why funding the federal aviation work force development programs is so important? >> sir, when we go and, you know, talk to to parents and, you know, think about when we fly today. very few people even look out the window. so that luster that we used to have in aviation, you know, has been tarnished just because it's ubiquitous. we do it all the a time. so what we have found is one of the things that you have helped

us with, this committee, is talking about this, what is probably the most exciting time in aerospace since the dawn of the jet age. because we're going to unmanned systems to be able to deliver medicine all over the world, to be able to go and have electric the aviation which, think about it, service to rural communities and that, we have the luxury of having a network of 5,000 public use airports that ring around our cities but also in all of rural america. no one on the planet has this. and so by having these grants and to be able to go and show young people that work -- if you go into any of our factories, especially the aaf company right now, you will are see young men and women, and i'm very proud of the fact that we have more and more women entering into aviation which has been a very a male-dominated profession up to this point. but it's just fascinating. and those, these fines of grantl

help us share that word not only to high schools and middle schools, but also in those tech centers and also allowing folks the take advantage of the great programs like nasa has for scholarships for engineers that supply both government and industry. so this is so important, and we really need the funding on the appropriations committees to be the able to go and actualize this program. >> thank you for. that's i strongly believe that the aviation work force to -- should reflect the diversity of of the country and that we work toward that. fully funding the brown aviation education programs which provides educational support opportunities in underrepresented communities would also help. next i'd like to focus on the workers who make the flying experience possible. finish mr. reagan, as you pointed out in your testimony, airport grant workers are faced with numerous hazards in their day-to-day. faa is currently reviewing ramp

worker safety with the goal of submitting a report to congress next year with recommendations. mr. reagan, why would addressing gaps many in training and risk -- in training and risks on the ramp help improve the safety and well-being of workers? >> thank you for the question. i, frankly, it cannot be overstated how important it is to have proper training and safety for these workers is. we've seen the consequences when things don't go well, and they're fatal. and we've had a number of workers who have, unfortunately, lost their lives at their workplaces, and that should never be an acceptable outcome in our country for our government, that we have people that are dying while doing their jobs. and so i think having the proper recommendations will be important. but then again i think we also need congress to con to hold them accountable -- continue to hold them accountable. too often we end up waiting for the big authorization years to attack problems, to address

problems. and when we do have the proper feedback from the f faa, congress needs to be prepared to act right away if not wait for the next big bill, the the next christmas tree to try to move it forward. it's incumbent to act on the best information that we have as it comes in. >> thank you for that. ramp workers play a critical role in guiding aircraft to and from their gates, loading and unloading luggage amongst other duties. my if good jobs for good airports bill would have insured minimum wage and benefits for ramp workers and other service workers. i look forward to to working with you in the next coming congress and thereafter to to improve the situation. thank you. mr. chairman, i yield back. >> thank you. i now recognize if myself if for five minutes for questions. if i could, if i could ask mr. woodward, you know, as you know, the u uav industry is new. there are challenges hard emerging. of course, when a new try is

operating in a new regulatory climate. what do you see the future of uavs, what do you see that looking like, the industry, 20 years from now? >> yeah. i think that one of the largest misconceptions about our try is that it is the thing -- our industry is that it is this thing that is super far off in the future, and i think the reality is that the technology is ready today and sort of large elements of that future are here right now. i think for us we're focused on primarily package delivery as our use case, and what that really means is, you know, right now, today you have multi-thousand pound vehicles driving around, small boxes, carrying people's meals, things like that, and it makes much more sense for the safety the of the general public to the transport those goods by a smaller, more efficient means. so my and our view of future is that you have a robust uaf

ecosystem in the united states. you have operations happening all across the nation around the clock and if that those operations are having a real, meaningful impact on the citizens of the u.s. >>, so so working backwards if that vision, certainly the regulatory climate right now was not crafted with uav operations in mind. one of recommendations, i've read your testimony, but what specific recommendations do you have that would improve structure, the framework that currently exists to allow it to be more robust? >> yeah. i think a big element of that hinges on what is in the rule. so, for example, things that that have been challenging to us over the last several years are the typesetterification, the topic of environmental impact assessments, a lot of things that are very much square peg, round hole problems for us where we're trying to fit into a set of airuation regular alations that were built for, you know,

aircraft that weigh many tens of thousands of pounds and were carrying around dozens or hundreds of people. i think that, you know, if key elements of the has rule position on solidify ifing the gains that have happened over the last year and a half or to and making those truly program mat ific and rule-based so that we can continue to build on the prosecution that's been made so far. >> so i think the big with chang, certainly, you're -- challenge, you're going to see big advancement over the next 5, 10, a 15, 20 years, and you'll have new platforms and new -- so how do we get beyond just having to do review every single time there's a new technology or a new platform? what advice do you have for congress? >> yeah. i think a big element which i think was in the rethere arization act and has been in the dialogue over the last year and a half has been making things performance-based. so focusing on sort of the true

risk assessment of the systems that you're operating, the true types of operations that they're performing and then making sure that the regulatory framework around that can support a whole bunch of different solutions. so if you go out to an airport today you look around the ramp, there's all sorts of different airplanes. and those airplanes are built more different use cases, but they all operate within the same framework. so i think for emerging technologies to take a similar approach where you focus on the outcome that you're trying to get to to rather than a super prescriptive method of to getting there. >> and do you think that culture, that mentality exists at the faa right now? do you think we're moving towards a performance-based approach, or do you think there's still challenges that we need to work through? >> i believe that we are moving toward that approach, but there's always the risk of sort of one step forward, one step back, one step to the side. i think that the rule making is an approach to solidify those perspectives and take it so that, you know, it can be applied for the years to come.

finish. >> let me ask then a broad question with just what you've outlined. what should this committee, what should congress be working on on the year ahead to support the efforts that you mentioned of having our country be more dominant in the uav space? >> yeah, i think it is it really is making sure that that rulemaking happens, making sure that it aligns with the intents that were written into the bill. and, you know, being willing to change it if it does not. i think that, you know, the reason that growth has been slower in the united states is because of the uncertainty of, you know, how long will it take to expand, is there a process that, you know, if i go through the ut objection. mr. durbin: thank you. mr. president, last week on the floor i thanked five of my colleagues in the senate who will be leaving at the end of this congress. today i'd like to thank three more. if you read any profile on senator sherrod proun of ohio,

there is a good chance you will see the word rumpled in that description of his presentation before the senate. a rumpled suit has become his trademark. in fact, george will once wrote that h sherrod, quote, radiates rumpledness even in a well-pressed suit. such characterizations have never seemed to bother sherrod because, you see, he didn't come here to be a clothes horse or pose for g.q. he wouldn't want to do with a custom-made clean suit every day at work. sherrod brown spent 50 years in public office. 50, including the last 18 years in the senate. he is the kind of person that comes to the senate ready to fight for people who don't have lawyers and lobbyists to speak for. sherrod grew up in mansfield, ohio, a town hit hard early by the decline of american manufacture.

his family was comfortably middle class, but many of his friends, seat mates in school weren't so lucky. when a factory in the town closed his friends' family struggled and worried. sherrod spent his life trying to make those families and others like them in a position to get a fair shake. it's a noble kind of service to feel the burdens of others and to work to ease their load even when you don't need help yourself. sherrod's solidarity with others who needed help was evident when for years he even refused to take congressional health benefits until we passed the affordable care act which made them available to almost every american. he didn't think it was right to accept that benefit as long as tens of millions of americans were unable to obtain quality affordable health care. sherrod spent his life working for an economy and government that cares about the working class and invest in towns,

factories, health care and the potential of working families. he fought for fair trade deals and opposed trade agreements that he thought shortchanged american workers. even when his opposition put him at odds with the president of his own party. he insisted that the historic bipartisan infrastructure bill include a buy america requirement, and he helped save the pensions of 1.5 million union members and retirees, so-called butch lewis act which i was proud to join in on. today two huge new intel computer chip factories are being built in ohio in new albany because sherrod brown helped pass the chips and science act. as a long time member of the senate banking committee, he's worked to prevent the kinds of wall street recklessness and greed that crashed the global economy in 2008. he's fought for affordable housing and consumer protection

and against predatory lending and exorbitant junk fees. he's worked to hold executives of failed banks accountable and make sure that a.i. and technology advances help consumers and aren't misused to rig the system in favor of the wealthy. he worked so hard and was so gratified by the child tax credit. i think it was one of his proudest achievements. in 2002 in the house he voted against the iraq war. i did too in the senate. there weren't many of us at the time and it wasn't a popular stand, but it was the right thing to do and sherrod knew it. i'm going to miss his gravelly voice in this chamber. i'm going to miss the stories he brought back about his wonderful wife connie. she is a great writer and recognized beyond the united states in many places around the world for her insight in her writing. i wish the best to both of them. their work here may be finished

for the time being but they left a positive mark on america. mr. president, the big man from big sky country, jon tester. before his election to the senate 18 years ago, senator jon tester had never lived more than two hours away from his family's wheat farm in the town of big sandy, montana, the same town his grandparents homestead more than a century ago. jon started his campaign for the u.s. senate traveling across the state on a farm tractor-trailer and with his seven fingers, flattop and size 12 cowboy boots. he is a prairie pragmatist that many depend on such as market fairness and rurm community development -- rural community investment efforts.

he voted for the act because it is right for farmers, rafrn ra ran ranchers who need access health care coverage. growing up jon played taps at the funerals of world war ii veterans. it taught him at an early age that many veterans continue to pay a price for their service for the rest of their lives. when he gave his speech on the floor of the senate a day or two ago, he pointed to that moment in the funeral service for former senator dan inouye, a recipient of the congressional medal of honor, where in hawaii, jon was called on to play taps for senator inouye. he said it was one of his proudest moments and i'm sure that's true. when i think of the giants of the senate like dan inouye, i think about those like jon tester who in his own way showed courage time and again. as chairman of the senate veterans' committee jon tester worked to strengthen v.a. health

care and protect disability benefits for all veterans. he pushed the senate to pass the pact act to provide health care for veterans who were sickened by exposure to burn pits and other toxins and the survivor benefits of spouses and young children. as of last week the v.a. approved more than 1.3 million claims under the pact act including more than 5 #,000 veterans in -- 51,000 veterans in illinois. lately we've been hearing about self-professed efficiency experts combing through the federal government. some have even called for the elimination of the veterans health administration. they're wrong. they should listen to jon tester, and you can't close without mentioning his wife sharla. it's a wonderful, loving,

caring, inspiring couple. i'm going to miss their physical presence but their memories will live on in the senate. mr. president, it was the evening of january 28, 2017, the early days of the first donald trump administration, airports in chicago throughout the nation were filled with people protesting the administration's early ban on travelers from majority muslim nations. among more than 100 protesters philadelphia airport one man stood out. he just attended a black-tie function when he heard about president trump's decision. that man was senator bob casey. he went directly to the airport. as we all know, senator casey isn't usually so flashy as to wear a tux, but his p principle guided him in everything he does. bob casey is one of the most decent people i've served in congress with. he is a bridge builder,

committed to creating dialogue and finding common ground. he is the only, the only pennsylvania democrat ever to serve three terms in the u.s. senate. he's been a strong voice for working families struggling to get by. he has a great family himself. poor mothers and children, coal miners at risk and others had finally an advocate here standing up for them in the united states senate. as chair of the senate special committee on aging, he has protected social security, medicare, and medicaid. he helped lower our seniors' cost for prescription drugs, a promise that was made years ago and finally kept thanks to bob casey. he's targeted scam artists who prey on seniors. bob's father was a popular two-term pennsylvania governor. while robert casey sr. may have embedded the name in political life, robert casey jr. added new

honor to that name. i want to say thank you to a departing senator across the aisle. on the evening of january 6, 2021, many senators in both political parties denounced the violent assault on this capitol, but i believe history will record that the truest, bravest words spoken that night were from senator mitt romney of utah. he said, and i quote, in light of today's sad circumstances, i ask my colleagues, do we weigh our own political fortunes more heavily than we weigh the strength of our republic, the strength of our democracy and the cause of freedom. senator romney is a man of deep faith, a successful businessman, rescuer of the 2002 olympics and his party's nominee for president in 2012. after he had been here a few months, i went up to him and i said the more i get to know you mitt romney the more i wonder

why i said those things about you in that presidential campaign. he's abconservative but he's a man of conscience with character. we would all do well to ponder his question and emulate his courage. i'll miss senators brown, tester, casey and romney and our other departing colleagues and i join a grateful nation in thanking them for all they have given, sacrificed and contributed to us. mr. president, i yield the floor and suggest the absence of a quorum. the presiding officer: will the senator withhold his request. a senator: mr. president. the presiding officer: the senator from virginia. mr. warner: thank you, mr. president. actually, i rise to the floor to follow, i think, the, one of the democratic leaders, my dear

friend from illinois, to make comments about some of our retiring members. the work we do in this body sometimes is frustrating. sometimes it's inefficient. it is critically important. but one of the things that makes it worthwhile is the relationships and friendships that we develop with colleagues all across the political spectrum on both sides of the aisle. i'm sure i'm going to echo some of the comments that have been already made by the senator from illinois, the senior senator from illinois. so, let me talk about some of these colleagues. i want to highlight their accomplishments, one by one. so let's take a quick trip across the country and start in big sky country, in montana, where my friend, jon tester,

oftentimes started his day as early as 2:45 a.m. just to make sure he'd be able to get back to d.c. in time for votes. now, on many dark, freezing montana mornings, he took an hours' long drive and then a plane and then another plane to get to the senate to fight for montanans and veterans across the country. most times it took 11 or 12 hours. and as the presiding officer knows, that was only the case when it wasn't snowing. but week in and week out or, he did it -- week out, he did it, and he fought hard for montanans in the senate and then reversed that same long commute at the end of the week to make it back to the farm with his wife

sharla, and amongst all of you i'm not sure there's anyone else in this body that still is operating as a citizen-legislator literally having another full-time job trying to farm his ranch in montana. i have been guilty, as i said the other day on the floor, of sometimes complaining about this job, and i have to always take a deep breath and realize there's the guy that lives 20 minutes away and was lucky enough to come into the job with some financial resources, not totally dissimilar from the presiding officer. when i think, though, about sacrifice, when i think of people who are here for all the right reasons, no matter how hard it is, no matter how long it takes, i come, first and

foremost to my mind, jon tester. when i think of public servants -- and i have had people ask me this not dozens of times but hundreds of times. who do you most respect? how do you put up with this, all of the vagaries of this job. i always tell them the story about jon tester. he's done it -- he's a man who's done it all to serve the people around him. a former band teacher, long before it was cool an organic farmer, and an incredible senator. he has lived a life of devotion, and all of it having fewer fingers than all of us. he led the passage of the pact act, one of the most significant expansions of benefits to veterans ever. he did it all without complaint, without asking for much

attention, and with enough time to travel home 12 hours at the end of the week, as i said, to be with family, and continuing to produce food that feeds america. jon is the consummate public servant. he's a phenomenal farmer, friend, and he will be deeply missed here in the senate. i can't think of anyone that, as we think about political activities these days, we often talk about who's authentic or not. the most outrageous criticism of jon tester never included any sense that he wasn't a real montanan, that he wasn't authentic, and he never strayed from what brought him here in the first place. now, let's move slightly on from montana to utah. where the senate is again losing an incredibly principled

leader in mitt romney. in his six years in the senate -- and senator romney, as he gave his farewell speech, again acknowledged that he's still just a freshman senator -- mitt led with an unshakable adherence to his values. it's not too hard to stand up for what you know is right if you agree with the rest of your team. but if you're bucking your part -- and i've done that more than once -- it requires bravery and sometimes enduring a deep loneliness and isolation. even when it was hard, even when it was lonely, even when he endured harsh critique, mitt never backed down from his principles, and i say this with deep admiration, even for the times when i disagreed with him -- and there were many. we worked closely together on

all of the bipartisan gangs. the effort to bring about the final covid package under president trump, the infrastructure bill, the chips bill, the notion of the electoral count act. time and again, mitt was right there fighting for his values but also realizing, you got to get to yes if you're going to actually make things happen. the infrastructure bill, in particular, is an incredible achievement that's going to bring millions of homes in utah to the broadband they deserve, the kind of road, rail, and other services that are essential. and during every step of these negotiations, as i've said before, mitt never wavered from his strong conservative beliefs. he can read a balance sheet. he's part of a very small minority -- i'll include the

presiding officer; probably less than double digits in this senate -- that can read a balance sheet. i count myself as one of those. he knows when numbers don't add up, and he'll fight to make it right. our nation is stronger because of his smart, principled leadership. and, again, while i understand that he and ann have got other things to do going forward, he will still be involved in our community, we're going to miss hum here in the senate. -- him here in the senate. i want to go a little bit further south to mitt's southern neighbor, to senator kyrsten sinema. senator sinema is also departing the senate after a storied six years. kiersten also worked together on all of these bipartisan efforts, particularly the infrastructure bill where she and our friend rob portman were leaders of our group and on so many other

notable compromises -- yes, compromises -- over her time in washington. she was a former social worker, an incredibly fast runner, and a tireless, independent advocate for arizonans. senator sinema always made a splash, and often at the end of the day won her battles. but for all the ink spilled on kyrsten, what i think a lot of people failed to see is her incredible ability to talk and build relationships with everyone. there have been so many times, not just on the big bills, but candidly not just at the behest of a democratic leadership but candidly on behalf of some of our republican friends, to say that this individual is being particularly challenging on this or that issue.

i think there was probably no one that was sent into these types of negotiations, can you work to get this senator to release their hold, and she worked with people across the political spectrum. when talks broke down, as they obvious do in these negotiations, she had an incredible ability to keep reaching out and engaging with everyone and anyone. i'll deeply miss her ability to reach across the aisle and get things done for arizonans. now, while we're on the topic of reaching across the aisle, i would be remiss if i didn't speak on the incredible career of my great friend joe manchin, and maybe the only person that i can say i had a direct role in personally bringing thumb to the senate. -- bringing him to the senate. joe and gail and lease -- lisa

and i have been friends since we were governor together. i know when senator byrd had passed and there was a vacancies. i encouraged him, come on up and we'll get things done. because of his ability to stick to his guns, i knew that he would get things done. much like mitt, joe is also a tireless defender of what he believes in. folks like to speculate how he'd vote on what he'd do -- or what he'd do. but i never thought it was all that hard to figure out what joe manchin was going to vote for or how he was going to come down. all you had to do is thereon what he said. and -- listen to what he said. he'd be for it no matter how much grief he took. it was always as simple as that. you know, it was a bit of a

common refrain in this town for a while that joe was one of the most powerful people in america. it worked as a joke because it actually had a lot of truth to it. bill after bill, joe got a lot done on the infrastructure how -- again, all these bipartisan deals. i remember his relentless fight for making sure that america would stand up and keep the promise made by harry truman to our farmers in terms of their pensions. i was very proud of being one of his wingmen on that. but what he's going to be at the end of the day remembered for -- and boy did he get a lot of grief on this as well -- is passing one of the most seismic energy bills in our country's history. it is not only about our energy in our own country but he literally helped move the rest of the world towards a cleaner

carbon-free environment. yes, believes there is going to be a transition. but without the ira, the fundamental movement that's already going to generate a trillion dollars of activity wouldn't have happened. the inflation reduction act -- and boy he paid a price for this -- in making sure that america becomes energy independent and moves toward more carbon-free, and at the same time also finally putting together an ability to start negotiating drug prices -- that law would not be law without joe manchin many. i believe it is a transformative piece of electricals. it is saving money for people in west virginia and across the country. it all was due to joe manchin. i could go bill after bill. lord knows there have been times i have disagreed with him. i hope you will realize after all this that coming here to the

senate, you got things done and our country and west virginia is better for it. i also with a want to make a comment -- i made a comment on this this morning. it's been a privilege to serve on the banking committee with my friend and adjacent state neighbor, sherrod brown from ohio. in sherrod's long career in the senate, he remained unchanged, he fought for dignity of workers, he fought against special interests that hurt americans, he fought always for ohio. deeply smart and principled, sherrod built an incredible record standing up for working families and leading the banking committee with strength and a vision for revitalizing the middle class. i particularly remember working with him back in 2016-2017 on a bitter fight to extend health care and pensions for thousands of miners. again, something we -- i talked

about that we worked together with joe manchin. we eventually secured a temporary fix and then a long-term one to protect the pensions and health insurance for american miners. tens of thousands of miners secured lifetime coverage because of that work. i was always glad to fight alongside sherrod onned our shared -- and our shared priorities. there are other things we had in common. sherrod's incredible wife, connie, is a phenomenal speaker who weigh brought down and honored at one of our women's conferences down in norfolk. i had the unenviable task of following her on the speaking lineup, and let me tell you -- and sherrod probably knows -- she is an impossible act to follow. she had a room of literally hundreds and hundreds of women of all races, ages, and backgrounds on their feet literally hooting and hollering, and sherrod, ever the supporter of connie, was there to cheer

her on. but then inspired by her performance, he brought that idea back to ohio, and i know over the last eight or niners would he's had -- eight or nine years, he's had his own women's conference. with accomplishments like that, sherrod's legacy of work for the middle class, for ohioans and americans will be a real tribute for him. which brings me to sherrod's neighbor, one of mine, that's bob casey. the true embodiment and spirit of pennsylvania, bob casey arrived every day in the senate, ready to fight for teachers, kids, workers, seniors. he led the charge in the senate to cut junk fees, and fought the greediness that emptied the pockets of americans. as chair of the intelligence committee, i've grown to know

and see his steadfast work at protecting america's national security firsthand. bob approached every hearing with a thoughtful and engaged perspective. neff partisan -- never partisan, dominating or destructive. bob casey asked decisive questions, advanced important priorities, and took on the work with seriousness and dedication. our committee was stronger for that. more than anything, bob casey will be remembered for being a fundamentally decent guy. he approached every problem and every interaction every day with kindness and respect for every person he encountered. not just other senators, but staffers, support personnel. you don't see that from a whole lot of us. we'll miss bob greatly in the senate, and i'll miss him particularly on the intelligence committee. my only regret is we never got a chance to play basketball. so for those senators, and some others, i know my time is

expiring, i'm come back to speak about other friends, like ben cardin and others who are leaving. the body will be lesser for that, but i'm hopeful because this is a place that, after the elections, you can't bear grudges, you got to go back and work with your new colleagues. i hope to develop the same relationships i've had with these senators, on both sides of the aisle. respect them all. i'll miss them. those of us who remain need to continue and fight on. with that, mr. president, i yield the floor. the presiding officer: the senator from hawaii. mr. schatz: i ask unanimous consent that the mandatory quorum calls be waived. the presiding officer: is there objection? without objection. mr. tillis: mr. president. the presiding officer: the senator from north carolina. mr. tillis: i ask unanimous consent that i be permitted to speak for up to five minutes, followed by senator thune for up to 15 minutes. is there objection? without objection -- the presiding officer: is there objection? without objection.

mr. tillis: mr. president, i'm going to be brief, because i don't want to stand in the way of the majority leader-elect. i come to the floor today because at 3:00 this afternoon in the house chamber in raleigh, there's a veto override. there was a veto by governor cooper for disaster relief bill that the people of western north carolina need. now, i understand there are provisions in there that have to do with the -- a legitimate disagreement about the scope and role of the executive branch, but this is not the time for us to rethink whether or not we should be sending every signal we can to the people of north carolina that help is on the way. i'm doing my part here in this chamber to make sure our members stay focused on providing $100 billion in relief before we get out of this congress. i need my colleagues in raleigh to vote to override that veto today so we can be sure that

north carolina knows that every republican, every democrat, we're not republicans and democrats, we're north carolinians, trying to provide desperate help to a landmass the size of massachusetts that has experienced more than 100 deaths, thousands of businesses impacted, thousands of people out of their homes. mr. president, i just come to the floor today to encourage any member who may have one reason or another to not sustain this veto override in the house chamber in raleigh to set that aside today and go do right by the people of western north carolina. thank you, mr. speaker -- oh, mr. president.

mr. thune: mr. president. the presiding officer: the republican whip. mr. thune: mr. president, yesterday, president biden delivered a speech on the economy, a last attempt to rescue his dismal economic record. incredibly, during the course of speech, he repeated a phrase he's often used about growing the economy from the bottom up and the middle out. i'm not sure how that phrase continues to get past white house fact-checkers, because if there's one thing that president biden has failed to do it's build an economy from the bottom up and the middle out. thanks to president biden's signature economic legacy, an inflation crisis of historic proportions, today a typical family has to pay an additional

$13,375 per year to maintain the same standard of living it enjoyed when the president took office. $13,375 per year. more than a thousand dollars per month. who do you think that affects the most? not billionaire democrat donors or hollywood stars. no, it affects the bottom and the middle the most, the people who don't have a spare $13,000 lying around and who had to cut back on extras or, in many cases, on essentials to survive in the biden economy. cbs news exit polling in november found that two-thirds of voters described the economy as bad, and 45% said their financial situation was worse than it was four years ago. mr. president, it's no wonder.

president biden likes to talk about giving families breathing room, but his economy took away breathing room for a whole lot of americans, working families paying 22% more for groceries, 38% for for gas, 28% for for lects, and 23 -- for lects, and 23% more for rent. the president likes to pretent, as he did in his speech yesterday, that he came in and saved the economy after covid. but the truth is the economy was already well on its way to a healthy recovery. his massive, ill-advised, supposed covid relief legislation helped kick off an inflation crisis whose reverberations are still being felt today in family budgets around the country. president biden can give all the speeches he wants touting his economic record, but his economy has been the very opposite of a boone to lower and middle -- a

boon to lower and middle income families. the good news is that the days of biden's disastrous economic policies are numbered. in january, president trump will take office and republicans will have control of the house and senate. expanding opportunity for increasing growth in americans' wages will be a top priority. that means taking action via reconciliation to preserve the tax relief republicans delivered during the first trump administration, tax relief that improved take-home pay for millions of hardworking americans. it also means targeting onerous regulations choking our economy, like the thousand-plus biden-harris regulations that cost americans well over $1.5 trillion. it means things like unleashing american energy and restoring american energy dominance, which will benefit both the economy and our national security. president biden's energy policies have jeopardized the

future of our already shaky electric grid and set us up for future supply problems. but his war on american energy ends next month. and a better future is in sight. it won't take long now, mr. president. mr. president, i yield the floor. the presiding officer: the clerk will report the motion to invoke cloture. the clerk: cloture motion, we, the undersigned senators, in accordance with the provisions of rule 22 of the standing rules of the senate do hereby move to bring to a close debate on the nomination of executive calendar number 783, lauren mcgarity mcferran, of the district of columbia, to be a member of the national labor relations board for the term of five years, expiring december 16, 2029, signed by 19 senators. the presiding officer: by unanimous consent, the mandatory quorum call has been waived. question is, is it the sense of

the senate debate on the nomination of lauren mcgarity mcferran, of the district of columbia, to be a member of the national labor relations board shall be brought to a close. the yeas and nays are mandatory under the rule. the clerk will call the roll. vote: the clerk: ms. baldwin. mr. barrasso. mr. bennet. mrs. blackburn. mr. blumenthal. mr. booker. mr. boozman. mr. braun. mrs. britt. mr. brown. mr. budd. ms. cantwell. mrs. capito. mr. cardin. mr. carper. mr. casey. mr. cassidy. ms. collins. mr. coons. mr. cornyn. ms. cortez masto. mr. cotton. mr. cramer. mr. crapo. mr. cruz. mr. daines. ms. duckworth. mr. durbin. ms. ernst. mr. fetterman. mrs. fischer. mrs. gillibrand. mr. graham. mr. grassley. mr. hagerty. mr. hagerty. we've been dealing with that, it's alarming that we are rushing to a transition at taxpayers expense without an

alternative of comparable performance. maybe we should minimize practiced at some things like that for practice with something less or just for the sake of practice but just running headlong into a less effective alternative and forcing everybody to pay for it, not providing the liability protection i think is shortsighted. you know how the airports planned plan to address the performance gap and what would you recommend be done to address concerns of the flying public that does want to burn a life in an aircraft when this alternative phone is not as effective? is just not as effective, right? do you have a recommendation? >> i think definitely with the new product there is training that is taking place that doesn't happen at the tech center along with the working groups to really understand how

this chemical in this component can be used and should be used in its application. it's different than a triple f the professional to look at to make sure any event it has to be deployed is that in a safe manner to protect anyone who's on that aircraft. >> do you believe we should be forcing the transition and ten we know what to reform its concerns and what all the potential alternatives might be to be as effective as the current firefighting applications? >> forcing, the faa having required -- >> you're the expert. your voice matters. we are saying we got that from over here we want to fix it but let's do whatever we got to do to deal with this problem, which might create a whole other

problem which includes people trying to get off of burning aircraft that can be put out because -- that's we are. you've got to set the weight is pure and is wondering if you agree with our current approach? >> i agree that with this new, the testing be done on the new product they could supply to the aircraft, that they a process and policy on how it is applied so it is an alternative. >> we are implement and enforcing the implications before testing is complete. is that good or not good? >> i have to know more about in the firefighting foam, the issue community differences, he really speaking to hear. i'm not an expert come firefighting chemical expert on extension agents. >> thanks. now recognize the gentleman from new jersey. >> thank you, mr. chairman. thank you to our witnesses for being here today. i want to thank chairman sam

graves, chairman garrett graves, ranking members in a work in passing this critical legislation. i'm pleased to work alongside them, all the members of this me to produce and pass this bipartisan faa reauthorization. now this many faces a critical task of conducting oversight on its implementation. we must ensure these important mandates addressing safety and passenger experience, spurring innovation and workforce and cementing our commercial general aviation sector is a place of the world gold standard are realized. as you may know, my district in central northwest new jersey have been the epicenter of unexplained drone sightings over the last number of weeks. what advice would you give to the faa to modernize and to adapt this comment to this emerging technology, , particularly with regards to airports and places of interest like stadiums and governmental

site? >> we were one of the five airports that were selected be part of the faa drone detection mitigation program. out of that the test of different technologies that could detect drone activity in and around airport. one of the things we've done is we have formed center for excellence for advanced air mobility what we call new era lines will be now have higher visibility and enhanced visibility on drug activity in and around the airport in syracuse. we hosted the advanced, , sorry, we have hosted the department of homeland security, the undersecretary. we signed in m.o.a. with the undersecretary to help, we're using our technology to do drone detection so that our systems that are out the can help detect. the challenge we have is if i detected drone over my airport i have no ability to do anything about it. the faa becausehi not as a techn

be in the tower. the faa doesn't have the same visibility we do as he airport on drones over airports. there's a couple things that can be done and it becomes a lot more coronation and collaboration of what we're seeing in the private sector into the faa to solve some of these. on the issue of enforcement, if an operator is off the airport, who's responsible for that? are not allowed to take a drone do any kind mitigation drone over our airport. there's nothing i can do about it. it's local law enforcement but who has the authority to mitigate the drones once you detect them? we can detect it. what you do with it? that's a question that needs to get answered. >> people across the country are asking that very question. thank you. thank you. mr. regan, as you note in your testimony, in 2024 2024 reauthorization took steps to address mental health procedures from among pilots and aviation

industry which is an issue about i've heard many concerns. however, the biden administration's interpretation of these sections is unclear. in your opinion what initiatives should the faa take to clarify this element of the law and to address mental health challenges for pilots, mechanics and controller? >> thank you for the question. the first step is starting in many industries including aviation were be a sensitive responsibility. the acceptance and treatment of mental health conditions is right behind the broader country when it comes to recognition, this is a health problem that can be addressed through treatment and with the right resources we can support people and see them through that challenge. until we acknowledge out, the people not held at fault at risking their jobs because they're seeking help for

something they're going through, then we're not going to build to adequately address the problem. we need to clearly establish the health aspect aspects ofd treated as such as opposed to the stigma, , stigmatization wheezing and passed around these issues. >> thank you. mr. bonds, this committee at the dress workforce challenges during our hearings and in the final reauthorization. particularly in terms of acquiring and maintaining the expertise necessary to certify new technology such as unmanned aerial systems and it is mobility technology. how is the faa progressing on ample mentation of these rules to help the aviation industry? >> continue on with the program that they have for the knowledge, basically the experience of being able to get industry and being able to share that knowledge.

again i think the faa has done a great job in trying to attract young people and, quite frankly, that's who you're going to attract at the wage level that you have available to the faa. we are always going to be able to pay engineers more than young people more but it's a great building ground for them to go into government and be able to learn how to be a regulator because they become very valuable to us. we have to give them the experience and the only way they will do that is if we have this knowledge sharing and get them on the road and learn about the new technologies and learn from experience we have in u.s. industry. that's probably the only way we can do it at the do complement the faa for taking this seriously going and making the budgetary moves within the internal budget to be able to get people on the road. a lot of times we will come to the faa also and provide

seminars for them on vista technology but that's the only way it will work and that's why it is vitally important to continue on to feed the faa and industry with young people through the work force to government grants we need appropriators to fund. >> thank you. i yield back. >> are there further questions from any members of the subcommittee who have not yet been recognized? seeing none, i do want to make a comment regarding my colleague mr. graves. one must take exception, let me just say this. i've always enjoyed our spirited conversations, especially the ones where i've been right, which is most of them when it concerns mr. graves but i do wish him all the best am sure we will see them more and the same thing for him and his family. all right. seeing no other questions, that concludes her hearing for today. i would like to thank each of her witnesses for your testimony and your time here today. the subcommittee stands

adjourned. [inaudible conversations]

the clerk: mr. merkley, aye. the clerk: mr. whitehouse, aye. mr. hoeven, no.

george will will once wrote radiates rumpled mess even in a well pressed suit. such characterization have never seem to bother him because he didn't come here to be a -- he would know what to do with the custom made clean pressed suit everyday at work. sherrod brown has spent 50 years in public office, 50, including the last 18 years in the senate. he is a kind of person that comes to the senate ready to fight for people who don't have lawyers and lobbyists to speak for them. he grew up in mansfield ohio a town hit hard early by the decline in american manufacturer. his family was comfortably middle-class but many of his friends come seatmates in school were not so lucky. when you factor in the town close to his friends families struggled and worried.

sherrod spin is like trying to make those families and others like them in position to get a fair shake. it's a noble kind of service to feel the burdens of others and work to ease their load even when you don't need help yourself. sherrod's solidarity with others who need help with evident when for years he even refused to take congressional health benefits until we passed the affordable care act which made them available to almost every american. he didn't think it was right to accept that benefit as long as tens of millions of americans were unable to obtain quality affordable health care. sherrod spend his life working for an economy and the government that cares about the working class and invest in towns, factors, healthcare and the potential of working families. he is fought for fair trade deals and opposed trade agreements he thought shortchanged american workers. even when his opposition put them at odds with the president of his own party.

he insisted the historic bipartisan infrastructure bill includes a a buy american requirement and help save the pensions of 1.5 million union members and retirees come so-called butch lewis act which i was proud to join them on. today two huge new intel computer chip factories are being built in ohio in new albany because sherrod brown helped pass the chips and science act. as a longtime member since 20121 chairman of the senate banking committee, he's worked to prevent the kinds of wall street recklessness and greed that crashed the local, , the global economy in 2008. he's fought for affordable housing and consumer protection and against predatory lending and exorbitant junk fees. he's worked to hold executives of failed banks accountable and to make sure ai and technology advances help consumers and are not misused to rig the system in

favor of the wealthy. he worked so hard and is so gratified by the child tax credit, i think is one of his proudest achievements and he said as much. in 2002 in house he vote against the iraq war. i did, too, in the senate. the were not many of us have the time and it wasn't a popular stand, but it was right thing to do and sherrod knew it. i'm going to miss his gravelly voice in this chamber. i may miss the next was he brought back about his wonderful wife connie. she is a great writer and recognized beyond the united states in many places around the world for her insight into writing. i wish the best to both of them, the work year maybe finish for the time being but they left a positive mark on america. mr. president, the big man from big sky country, jon tester come before his election to the

senate 18 years ago senator jon tester had never lived more than two hours away from m his famils wheat farm in the town of big sandy, montana. the same farm his grandparents homestead more than a century ago. john start his campaign from your senate found across the state on a farm tractor trailer and with his seven -- roger mares flattop and scope size 12 cowboy boots, he cut a singular figure in the holes of congress. he's a defender that will americans depend upon such as market fairness for family cattle ranchers and rural community development efforts. john voted for the affordable care act because it was right and because it's a lifeline to rural hospitals, farmers and ranchers, small business owners who need affordable, accessible health care coverage. he's been a strong voice for native americans. growing up he played taps at

funerals of world war ii veterans. todd in at an early age many veterans continue to pay a price for the service for the rest of their lives. we gave a speech on a 4% a day or two ago, he pointed to that moment in the funeral service for former senator dan in a way, where an ally john was called on to play taps for senator in the way. he said is one of his proudest moments and of sure that's true think of john anderson, i think about those like jon tester who in his own way showed courage time and again. as chair of the senate veterans committee jon tester worked to strengthen the health care and protect disability benefits for all veterans. he pushed the senate to pass the historic pact act to provide healthcare for veterans who were sickened by exposure to burn pits and other toxins and a

survivor benefits from a specification as a last week the v.a. has approved more than 1.3 billion claims under the pact act including more than 51,000 veterans in my state of illinois. by the way, when we been hearing about self-professed efficiency experts combing through the federal budget some of them have even called for the administrative elimination of the veterans health administration. they are wrong. they should listen to jon tester. a patriotic -- like you as a friend and you can't close with john without ms. ginning his wife who's been his partner and wife in politics and every step that they have been together. it's a wonderful loving, caring, inspiring couple. i'm going to miss their physical presence but their memories will live on in the senate. mr. president, was evening of

january 28, 2017, the early days of the first trump administration. airport in chicago and throughout the nation were filled with people protesting the administration's early band on travelers from majority muslim nations. among more than 100 protesters at the philadelphia international airport, one man stood out. dressed in a tuxedo and tales come here just attended a black-tie function function would hurt about president trump's decision. that man was senator bob casey. he went directly to the airport. as we all know senator casey so flashy but his principle guided him in everything he does. bob case is one of the most patient people i've ever serve in congress with. he's a bridge builder, committed to creating dialogue and finding common ground. he is the only the own the pennsylvania democrat ever to serve three terms in the u.s. senate. he's been a strong voice for working families struggling to

get by. he has a great family. poor mothers and children, comb blinders at risk and others have finally had an advocate here standing up for them in the united states senate. as chair of the senate special committee on aging, , he has protected social security, medicare and medicaid. he helped lower cinders cost for prescription drugs, a promise that was made years ago and finally kept thanks to bob casey. he's targeted scam artist who prey on seniors. his father was a popular two-term pennsylvania governor and while robert casey senior may have invented vacation in an pennsylvania political actor robert casey junior through his decades of service has added new honor to that name. finally i want to say thank you to a departing senator from across the aisle. eating of january 6, 2021, many senators in both political parties denounced a violent assault on this capital.

but i believe history will record that the truest bravest words spoken that night were from senator mitt romney of utah. he said and i quote, in light of today's a a sad circumstancesi asked my colleagues, do we wait our own political fortunes more heavily than with by the strength of our republic? republic? the strength of our democracy and the cause greater? senator mitt romney is a man of deep faith and considerable accomplishments. a successful businessman, a rescue of the 2002 olympics, republican governor and in a deep blue state, and his parties nominee for president 2012. after he been a few months i went up to monitor and assist the more i get to know you, mitt romney, the more i wonder what i said all those things about you in the present your campaign did he laughed and i did, too. he's a conservative but he's a man of conscience and character. we would all do well to ponder his question and emulate his courage.

i'll miss senator brown, senator casey, tester indication of the departed colleagues and adjoins a grateful nation in thanking them for all that all , sacrificed and contributed to it. mr. president, a i yield the r at six suggest the absence of a quorum. >> with a senator withhold his request? >> mr. president? >> the senator from virginia. >> thank you, mr. president. actually, i rise to the floor to follow i think a lead of one of the democratic leaders my dear friend from illinois to make pretty similar comments about some of our retiring members. the work we do in this body sometimes is frustrating.

sometimes it inefficient. it is critically important that one of the things that makes it worthwhile is the relationships and friendships that we develop with colleagues all across the political spectrum from both sides of the aisle. and ensuring i echo some of them, comments that event already made by the the senm illinois, the senior senator from illinois. let me talk about some of these colleagues. i want to highlight their accomplishments one by one. so let's take a quick trip across the country and start in big sky country in montana where my friend jon tester oftentimes started his day as early as 2:4e would be able to get back to

d.c. in time for votes. now, on many dark, freezing montana mornings he took an hours long drive and then a plane and then another plane to get to the senate to fight for montanans and veterans across the country. most time it took 11 or 12 hours, and as the providing office and those those on the case when it wasn't snowing. but week in and week out he did it and he fought hard for montanans in the senate, and then reversed that same long commute at the end of the week to make it back to the farm with his wife charlotte. i'm not sure that anyone else in this body that still is operating as a citizen legislator literally having

another full-time job trying to farm his ranch in montana. i have been guilty and he said the other day on the floor come sometimes complaining about this job. i have to always take a deep breath and realize the guy that lives 20 minutes away and was lucky enough to come into the job with some financial resources. not totally dissimilar from the presiding officer. when i think about the sacrifice, what i think of people who are here for all the right reasons, no matter how hard it is, though matter how long it takes, i come first and foremost in my mind my friend jon tester. when you think of public servants, i've had people ask me this dozens of times, hundreds of times, had he put up with

this? all of the reasons of this job. i always tell the story about jon tester. he's done it, he's a man who has done it all to serve the people around him. a former band teacher, long before it was cool, , an organic farmer, at incredibly effective senator. john has lived a life of service and devotion to the country all while having fewer fingers than any of us. he helped us to negotiate the infrastructure law. he single-handedly led the passage of the pact act one of the most significant expansions of benefits to benefit veterans ever. he did it all without complaint, without asking for much attention, and with enough time to travel home 12 hours at the end of the week. and as i said, to be with family and continuing to produce food that feeds america.

john is the consummate public servant. he's a phenomenal farmer, friend, and he will be deeply missed here in the senate. i can't think of anyone as we think about this political activities the days we often talk about whose authentic or not. the most outrageous criticism of jon tester never included in the sense that he wasn't really montana, that he wasn't authentic and he never strayed from what brought them here in the first place. now let's move slightly down from montana to utah where the senate is against losing an incredibly principled leaders in mitt romney. in his six years in the senate, mitt romney gave his farewell speech, again his knowledge, he still just a freshman senator

here mitt lead with an unshakable tireless adherence to his values. it's not too hard to stand up for what you know is right if you agree with the rest of your team. but if you are bucking your party, and i have done that more than once, it requires tremendous bravery and sometimes enduring a deep loneliness and isolation. even when it was hard, , even wn it was lonely, even as he entered harsh critique, mitt never back down from his principles. and i say this with a deep admiration even from a times when he disagreed with him, and there were many. we worked closely together on all of the bipartisan gangs. the effort to bring about the final covid package under then president trump, the infrastructure bill, the chips bill, the notion of the electoral count act.

time and again mitt was right there fighting for his values but also realizing you've got to get to yes to actually make things happen. the infrastructure bill in particular is an incredible achievement is going to bring millions of homes in utah to the broadband they deserve, kind of road, rail and other services that's essential. and during every step of these negotiations, as i said before, mitt never wavered from his strong conservative beliefs. he can read a balance sheet. he's part of a very small minority. i will include the presiding officer, probably less than double digits in the senate they can read a balance sheet. count myself as one of those. he knows when numbers don't add up. and he will fight to make it

right. our nation is stronger because of his smart principled leadership, and again while i understand he and and have other things to do going forward, he will still be involved in her community. we will miss him here in the senate. i want to go further south to his southern neighbor, senator kyrsten sinema. senator sinema is also departing the senate after a storied six years. kiersten also work together on all these bipartisan efforts, particularly the infrastructure to which she and my friend rob portman were the leaders of our group and also many other notable compromises, yes compromise is, over time in washington. kirsten was a former social worker, at incredibly fast runner and a tireless

independent advocate for arizonans. senator sinema always made a splash and often at the end of the day one her battles. but for all the ink spilled on kyrsten, what i think a lot of people failed fail to ser incredible ability to talk in the relationships with everyone. there have been so many times not just on the big bills, not just at the behest of the democratic leadership but candidly, on behalf of some of our republican friends to say this is being particularly challenging on this bill or on this issue. i think that was probably no one that got sent into those kind of negotiations to work to get this senator or that senator o release their hold, she work with folks all across the political spectrum. and when talks broke down as it

often do in these negotiations she had an incredibly ability to keep reaching out and engaging with everyone and anyone. i was deeply miss her ability to reach across the aisle and get things done for arizonans. now, while were on the topic of reaching across the aisle, i would be remiss if i didn't speak on the incredible career of my great friend joe manchin. and maybe the only person i can say that i had a direct role in presley bring him to the senate. joe and i and come joe and gail and i and lisa and i have been friends since we were governors together. and i remember how when senator byrd had passed, fill the vacancy and thought about running, i encouraged him like, what up, joe, we can get things

done. and he knew because of incredible position of putting points on the board, for west virginians and his ability to stick to his guns, that he would get things done. and much like mitt, joe is also a tireless defender of what he believes in. folks like to speculate on how he would vote of what he would do but i never thought it was all that hard to forget what joe manchin was going to vote for or where he was going to come down. all you had to do was listen to what he said. and if he thought it was in the best interest for the folks in west virginia he would be for no matter how much grief he caught. it was always a simple as that. it was always, it was a bit of a common refrain in this town for a while, joe was one of the most powerful people in america. it worked as a joke because it had a lot of truth to it.

joe got a lot done on infrastructure law and all these bipartisan deals. i remember his relentless fight for making sure that america would stand up and keep the promise made by harry truman to our miners in terms of their pensions. i was really proud of being one of his wingman on that. but what he's going to be i think at the end that they remembered for an boy did get a lot of grief on this as well, was passing was a most psychic energy loss in our country's history. by getting that build on that only about her energy or own country by definitely helped move the rest of the world for cleaner carbon free private. yes, he believes the skull to be a transition. yes, he believes you can't get rid of some of our existing sources, but without the ira,, the fundamental movement that's already going to generate a trillion dollars of activity,

wouldn't have happened. the inflation reduction act and boy he paid a price for this, and making sure america becomes energy independent and move towards more carbon free and at the same time also finally put in place to go shooting drug prices. that law would not be lost without joe manchin. i believe it's a transformative once in the century piece of legislation. it's a saving money for seniors in west virginia and for seniors across the country. and it all was due to joke i could go bill after bill and lord knows there's been times i've disagreed with him. i hope joe manchin after all this will realize the coming here to the senate he did make things happen. you got things done. our country and west virginia is better for it. i also want to make a, on this, this morning, it's been a tremendous privilege to serve on the banking committee with my

friend and adjacent state neighbor, sherrod brown from ohio. sherrod's long career in dissent he remained unchanged. he fought for the dignity of workers. he thought against special interests that hurt americans. he fought always for ohio, deeply smart and principled. sherrod build an incredible record stand up for working families and leaving the banking committee with strength and a vision for revitalizing the middle class. i take remember working. with hm back in 2016-2017 on a bitter fight to extend health care and pensions 4000 miles, again something a talked about we work together with joe manchin, that risk of losing coverage. we threaten to block all bills being passed by unanimous consent to get it done. but we eventually secured the temporary fix and a long-term one to protect the pensions and

health insurance for american miners. tens of thousands of miners sutured lifetime coverage because of that work. i was always glad to fight along sherrod and/or shared priorities. but in addition to any up for miters we had not covered. sherrod's incredible wife connie is a phenomenal writer and speaker who we brought down and honored down at one of our women's conferences down in norfolk. i had the unenviable task folder on the speaking planet. let me tell you, and sherrod bobby knows she's in a possible act to follow. she had a room of literally hundreds and hundreds of women of all races, ages and backgrounds on their feet literally hooting and hollering. and sherrod ever supportive of connie was there to cheer her on but then inspired by her performance, he brought that idea back to ohio and they know the less it or nine years he's had his own women's conference. with events like that and a long

record of floods that encompasses both in the senate and the house, a whole lot of working folks, sherrod's legacy of work for the middle class, for ohioans and americans will be a real tribute to him. one of my neighbors as well, somebody who's worked on so many by person feels as well and that's bob casey. the true embodiment and spirit of pennsylvania, bob casey arrived every day in the senate ready to fight for teachers, kids, workers, seniors pick you lead the charge innocent to cut junk fees and fought the greediness that it did the pockets of americans. and as chair of the intelligence committee i voted no to see a steadfast work of protecting america's national security firsthand. bob approach every hearing with a thoughtful and prospective come never partisan or

dominating or destructive. bob casey asked decisive questions, advanced important priorities, and took on the work of seriousness and dedication. our committee is stronger for that. and more than anything, bob casey he remembered for being a fundamentally decent guy. he approached every problem, every interaction everyday with kindness and respect for every person he encountered. not just other senators but staffers can support personnel. you don't say that from a whole lot of us. we will miss bob greatly in the senate and i will miss him on the intelligence committee. my only regret is we never got a chance to play basketball. so those senators and some of the others come under my time is expiring, i will come back and speak not of the friends like ben cardin and others who are leaving, the body will be lesser for that but i am hopeful this is a place that after the

elections you can't have graduated yet to go back and work with you and your colleagues. i hope to develop a new kind of relationship i found with the senator both sides of the outfit i respect them all. i will miss them but those of us who remain you to continue and fight on. with that, mr. president, i yield the floor. >> mr. president, i i come toe fore today to say goodbye as difficult as this may be. marylanders have trusted me to represent them for 20 years in the maryland general assembly, eight years as speaker of the house, 20 years in the house of representatives, an 18 years in the united states senate including now chairing the senate foreign relations committee. let me start by thanking marylanders for giving your trust to represent you in this august body. you have supported me in 18 elections. the hebrew letter for a team is high, also means light.

58 years of my life. my grandparents came to this country over 100 years ago to escape europe and they settled in baltimore and build a life for the family. their grandson now serves in the united states senate. this is a great country. marylanders have allowed me to pursue my ambition of public service to help others whose voices and needs are often ignored in the halls of power. and my family i i was taught m a young age that it's our responsibility to make the world a better place, to prepare the world and help those who are less fortunate and are in need, charity. these principles were demonstrated to me by the communal activities of my parents. these principles, these values have been my north star that have guided my public service as a legislator.

of course the work of legislator is not always easy. it requires perseverance, patience, a sense of humor and optimism that can make the world a a better place even in the face of often horrible insurmountable challenges. as as a look back at my time h, it's the hardest battles that were some of the most rewarding. each one reflects the values i cherish, and collective will to help make the world around us and our communities a better place to live. on the senate finance committee i have had a front seat advancing health policy. i was fortunate to serve with the champion of healthcare, senator ted kennedy. he was a mentor to me so all americans have access to affordable, quality healthcare. healthcare should be a right for everyone in this country and not a privilege only for those who can afford it. i was badly part of the congress the past the affordable care act.

that will include my legislation that elevated the national institute for minority health and health despairs and it acted in a hp as much progress, , the struggle for healthcare equality continues. today medicare coverage includes legislation i offered for screening and preventive care saving lives and dollars. and all health insurance now covered pediatric dental care with legislation i authored after the tragic death to monte driver, 12-year-old marylanders whose life could've been saved by simple tooth distraction. i parted with senator rob portman in both the house and in the senate to expand retirement security particularly for lower wage workers. thanks the legislation we co-authored and has been enacted into law, more employers are provided opportunities for their employees to dissipate in retirement plans. our legislation included a

saver's credit for lower wage workers and automatic enrollment provisions that have dramatically increased anticipation by employees pick in the last ten years participation in retirement savings to the lowest income of americans is increased by 135%. and in a formal housing economic development and underserved communities, i've worked store campbell on improvements to the low income housing tax credit. i have authored successful legislation expands the new market tax credits come historic tax credits which when used for economic development in a formal housing opportunities. examples include the justice thurgood marshall center in baltimore, diwali bates legacy center in annapolis, and yes just yesterday senator van

hollen i wet the southern street health and wellness center that use tax credits bishop hickman which is energizing and revitalizing the communities in east baltimore. and if i would've public works when i've had the opportunity to expand the federal governments commitment to our infrastructure. infrastructure. the recently enacted bipartisan infrastructure law included many of my priorities. for example, it included funding for reconnecting communities that have been divided to ill-conceived transportation projects. the poster child for this condition is a franklin library in baltimore. it's a surprising baltimore received funding in the first round of federal grants. i'm equally proud of the expansion the transportation alternative program. i i was author of the tap progrm that allows governments to make their own decisions when the use of part of federal highway

funds. that has been a favorite source of funds to provide trails for local committees that connect neighborhoods for walkers and bikers. including for example, the rehabilitation in washington frederick montgomery county. we take advantage of these tubes or the beauty of our communities that are now connected through pass and trails. older communities still have lead pipes bringing great water into their homes. schools threatening the health of our children. bipartisan infrastructure law provides significant help to eliminate this public health threat. including $82 million of federal grants for maryland. it provides an president increases in transit funding, a priority of mine which is particularly important to traditionally underserved and underrepresented communities. this law allows maryland to move forward again and enchanted redlined in baltimore, funding

for amtrak to enable baltimore to begin construction of the frederick douglass toddled to expedite travel along the northeast corridor. one of my top priorities is a live center has been to vote the health and of the chesapeake bay and the federal partnership has been essential in this cause. the bay bay is a national t, the largest estuary interhemispheric, and iconic to maryland. it is in our dna particularly important to our economy and our way of life. our first test i first started fighting for the bay in the maryland general assembly when i was speaker of the house, i parted with governor harry hughes to stop the multistate effort to save the bay. it led to the partnership with six states and the district of columbia and the federal pay program. maryland senators have taken the federal lead, starting with senator mack mathias, then senator pulsar sorbets and

barbara mikulski and no, senator chris van hollen and myself. in my years as in the so i've worked to increase funding for the bay including the epa, noaa, army corps ventures, wastewater treatment funds, watershed grant funds, agricultural land preservation funds, restoration funds, removal of invasive species to the blue catfish and many, many more. i particularly want to note with pride funding for popular midday. location for dredging disposals that of use for environmental restoration and noncontroversial locations necessary to keep our channels commercially competitive. i worked dash of our work on the chesapeake bay is working his become a global model of multijurisdictional cooperation. the environment of public works committee helps each region of our country the service of a catastrophic event that destroys infrastructure. i think the leadership of the committee for reaching out to

maryland after the tragic loss of the freight to scott key bridge. the biden administration has been there every step of the way to help maryland, , and i'm confident congress will provide the resources and authority to move forward on the construction of the new bridge as quickly as possible. i have been both the chair and ranking member of the small business and entrepreneurship committee. i am so proud of the bipartisan work of the committee working with senator rubio particularly during covid. the historic relief packages we designed that only saves many small businesses that truly help to save our economy during the pandemic. ..

in addition, maryland opened its first veteran business outreach center. because of these programs, small businesses are thriving in maryland, especially those led by women, particularly women of color. my service in congress built on my record of inclusion starting with my service in the maryland general assembly. i fought for equalization of the state educational funds, the favor of poor property wealth jurisdictions such as baltimore city. i helped develop the maryland hospital all-payer rate system for equal health care access regardless of economic circumstances. under this system maryland has avoided having charity hospitals. as a member of the house of representatives and the united states senate, i've helped preserve and strengthen the maryland hospital rate system.

i was the leader in the state of maryland for the development of the circuit breaker property tax credit program that allows seniors to to remain in their home. and as speaker of the house, i appointed the first woman, the first african-american to the chair a standing committee. one of my proudest accomplishments as a legislator came in the united states senate. it was the passage and ena actment of the rule of law accountability act. this law was inspired by the death of sergei mitt anytime sky who was murdered 13 years ago a last month for uncovering corruption. the story had been told to the world by his client, bill browder, and came to my attention at the the -- as the chair of the helsinki commission. when i was first elected to congress in 1987, my family was deeply involved in the cause of getting soviet jews out of the

soviet union. my wife was the leader of the committee p. a close friend, representative steny hoyer, chaired the u.s.-helsinki commission that took up the cause of soviet jews and gave me the opportunity to come involved. steny and i traveled together to several countries behind the iron curtain to give hope to those who were lead -- leading in countries that denied civil rights. so when sergei was killed, it was clear to me that those who violated his basic rights needed to be held accountable, even if the russian government refused to act. the sergei mitt anytime sky accountability act targeted those individuals who were complicit in his jailing and murder. blocked these individuals from enjoying benefits of america, from traveling the our country and using our banking system. it put their reputation, ability to travel and access to their assets at risk. these policies were influenced

by senator scoot jackson's legislation, the jackson-vanek, law, that denied trade privileges to countries that block their cities from emigrating. when it was repealed, the purpose had been accomplished. it was appropriate that that legislation was used as the vehicle to replace jackson-vanek with mitt anytime sky. the original law focused on human rights abuses in russia. in to 16 -- 2016, i authored the global accountability act which expanded the legislation around the world. these laws have given birth to a whole new international legal framework for upholding human rights and deterring corrupt actors. the european union and other governments around the world have replicated the system. as of this year, the u.s. program has sanctioned more than 650 foreign persons and entities. but i have to underline a really porn if -- important point. these laws were not easy the

pass. the pushback from russia alone was historic and continues to this day. but it was the bipartisan support that allowed these bills the make it through the process. i want to act a knowledge if senator dick luger, john mccain and roger wicker, my partners in getting the laws enacted. as a result, they've not only been enacted, but they have been very effective. despite setbacks and op to decision, we never gave up -- opposition, we never gave up hope, and today the corrupt leaders fear the sanctions. the safety of human rights defenders have benefited from these laws. over and over again my work as a legislator i've seen the importance of never giving up. across my years in congress i've seen what i thought would be a dream come come i there. i've seen the soviet jews liberated prosecute former

soviet union, the berlin wall torn down, former commune if us-criminalled countries now nato the allies and political prisoners released to freedom. it's the great to see my friend free from being imprisoned in russia. the former czech republic said there's only one thing i will not concede, that the it might be meaningless to strive toward a good cause. each of us can make a difference. never give up hope. dr. martin luther king jr. said everybody can be everybody can serve. if as my friend and classmate in the house of representatives along with representative john lewis said we should all be willing to get into good trouble. and as that famous philosopher from baltimore, babe ruth, stated: never let the fear of

striking out keep you from playing the game. i often speak about the need for value-based approach to policy making. this has rung true in health care and the environment, promoting a dignified retirement and creating economic opportunities for all. perhaps nowhere has this been more fundamental than when it comes to foreign policy and national security is. president biden got it right when he spoke about our international engagement. he said we must start with diplomacy rooted in america's most cherished democratic values, defending freedom, championing opportunity, upholding universal rights, respecting the rule of law and treating every person with dignity. as chair of the senate foreign relations committee, i made pronosing value based foreign priority -- promoting. i'm especially proud of my work on combating global corruption that was enacted in to 2023.

that legislation requireds each of our 'em baa -- 'em baa is the world. the model used for legislation is similar to the trafficking of person, tier rankings and reports with consequences against countries that are not making acceptable progress to improve their rankings against human trafficking. meeting globally against human trafficking and corruption is an american value-based foreign policy at its finest. america's strength is in our values. we need the lead globally with our strength. my ability to promote legislation and policies that uphold core universal values was made possible because of my incredible partners. because of their deep values and commitment, there is no way i could have achieved what i've been able to achieve if it weren't for my incredible staff.

their dedication to public service and their talent made the carden team. in -- cardin team. in 38 years in congress, i've only had two chiefs, dave and chris lynch. both led by example and recruited the very best to public service. for over 25 years, debbie yam if a ata has attempted to manage the impossible, me. mr. president, i ask convent sent -- consent, i incorporated a complete list of staff i've been blessed to have during the my term. >> without objection. >> my staff works long hours for less compensation because of their commitment to public service. to my staff, you have made team cardin a championship a team. i also want to saw lite the people who make this institutioe who make this institution work, committee staff, floor staff, and all those who work behind the scenes to make the senate

work. i recognize and salute your dedication. as i said in the beginning, i don't want to say good-bye. s this is especially true of my colleagues, my senate family. you are family. these past 18 years have been the honor of my life. you have my undying gratitude for partnering many -- with me to serve our country. and i started in the senate in 2007 with a class of 10 new senators. senator webb, mccaskill and corker are in longer in the senate. i regret that senators tester, brown and casey will be leaving with me at the end of this term. to the ore maining three, senators klobuchar, sanders and white house, we -- whitehouse, we count on you to carry on our class tradition. i was blessed to have two seat mates who are rust thed friends, senator barbara mikulski who welcomed me to the senate and made my transition so productive and senator chris chris van

hollen and i have worked in unity for the people of maryland. i know that he will continue to serve the people well as senior senator along with newly-elected senator. with the partners that made public service poem possible for me inmy family. myrna and i met in elementary school. last month we celebrated our 60th wedding anniversary. amazing that she's put up with me all those years. [laughter] finish she's my strongest supporter, and i could not have had the career that i had without her unconditional support and confidence. myrna shares my commitment the giving back to the community, and she end keeps me properly grounded. when i became speaker of the house, she sent me a card to remind me of this, the card read: to the rest of the world you may be a roaring lie, on, but in this house you're just a pus i cat. [laughter] if -- pussy cat.

i put that card on my desk as a constant reminder. my son and my daughter never complained about the sacrifices they had to make x i know there were many. finally, some parting advice. i know that many people across this country and around the world are concerned about the direction of the united states. but i'm optimistic we will get through these challenges. now, some people might might say optimistic? how can that be? we read the news and say what about our justice system? what about the rule of law? what about democracy? what about the threats of awe tock racies around the world and here at home? if what about corrupt politics? i are recognize these threats, and i'm not naive to the dangers and challenges as we all look ahead. there are many challenges ahead of us, but we must not give up hope. the senate, this body of 100

members in a nation of 335 million americans, sustains my hope. with a 6-year term representing constituents across the entire state, you have the time and resources to engage each other. we have the time to constructively work across the aisle to find areas of common agreement. there is no institution like this in the world. it's a great honor to be a senator, but it comes with responsibilities to debate and vote on important issues of our times. over the last 18 years, i've seen firsthand how the senate works best when we work together. i've cited many of these examples of successful efforts that do just that, working across the aisle on pension reform, small business covid relief, advancing value-based foreign policy and many more. we don't have to agree on every single issue, and we never will. but we, but when we defend constitutional powers of this institution and the prerogatives

of the legislative branch together, we create positive results for the country. the senate is where the rubber meets the road. it's the dividing line between democracy and awe tock rah a city. to my colleagues in the senate, you play an important role in our democratic checks and balances system. never has it been more important to fight to protect our democracy, to defend the rule of law and to stand up for our common values. as senators, we need to demonstrate to the american public by your reactions that the you can practice civility, that differences can be resolved constructively without harsh terms. you need to remember that compromise was how the nation was formed. it can be a good thing, to bring people together. compromise on policy but never on principles or values. treat people with respect even when you disagree. i made that the guiding principle of my office. my staff calls it cardin-esque.

finally, let us all a make it a priority to promote better knowledge and understanding of history, civic engagement and, again, civility. whether promoting american values or investing in domestic priorities here at home, i ask you the let your values guide you to lead our world and our community -- leave our world and our community in a better place, a more peaceful and prosperous place for all to benefit. let that be our north star. with that,s mr. president, i yield the floor. [applause]

>> we're waiting for a senator to come to the floor to speak. members are working on judicial nominations. also ham today, lawmakers are continuing negotiations on government funding with the shutdown deadline coming on december 20th. live senate coverage here on c-span2.

>> mr. president? >> [inaudible] >> mr. president, on behalf of the maryland congressional delegation, i pay tribute to our incredible senior senator and thank him for his service to our

state and our country and, in fact, all he has done around the world. and i want to recognize the fact that steny hoyer, congressman hoyer, is with us on the floor as well. thank you, mr. leader, for being here. for those of you who don't know, when ben cardin was speaker of the maryland house, steny hoyer was president of the maryland senate. so they've gone way back together, and thank you, steny if, for being here. so, colleagues, i think all of us here kno ben cardin for -- know ben cardin for his many, many achievements and accomplishments. and the fact that he is a wonderful colleague to to work with. he has gone over some of those major highlights, and so i'm not going the repeat them all a, but i do just want to flag a number of them. because the magnitsky act is the legislation that said the united

states not only says we're going to stand up and protect fighters for human rights around the world, but we're going to create an enforcement mechanism to do exactly that. we had a hearing just the other day in the senate foreign relations committee reviewing that legislation are. that legislation would not exist but for the fact that ben ben cardin made it happen. first, the original sergei magnitsky act and then the global magnitsky act as a hon of human rights. -- champion of human rights. this is why senator cardinen is known not only for his accomplishments in maryland and in the united states, but, indeed, around the world. as true with his service op on the helsinki commission. his partner now, of course, senator roger wicker, which has been standing up for human rights fighting against hate and anti-semitism around the world and doing more here at home to fight against discrimination.

so i want to thank him for his global reach but also for all he's done here in the united states when it comes to health care. he recounted the story of a marylander whose maim was the monty driver who died because he did not get the dental care he needed. senator cardin worked the make sure that never happens again. and whether it's housing or protecting the chesapeake bay or many other areas that are so important to our national life are, ben cardin has been a leader. now in maryland we're very proud of all of those achievements, but in maryland senator cardin is known as our friend ben. if you look at his tv commercials when he runs for re-election, you can find everyday people whether it's a water aman on the chesapeake bay, whether it's a construction worker mere the port of baltimore and others -- near the

port of baltimore and others saying thank you so my -- thank you to my friend ben. and because of his great length and quality of service, many people around the state of maryland have had a chance to the meet their friend bench -- ben. and he began to serve the state of maryland when he was 22 years old. when he ran for the state delegate, he was still a law sunt at the university of maryland-baltimore -- student at the university- of maryland-baltimore. and for 58 consecutive years, he has a served the people of our state. and he didn't just dream of winning elections. that not the goal. that was the means to achieve his efforts in public service. and that efficacy, he has said, began in the cardin family long before he first ran for office. he's the son of dora, a schoolteacher, and meyer, a tate

legislator and judge. his wife myrna and his late cousin shoshana made their names as champions of -- [inaudible] the family believes in the beacon of liberty and human right, the beacon that first inspiredded ben's grandparents to immigrate here from russia at the turn of the last century. i think it's fair to say that ben cardin did not fall far from the cardin tree of public service, but he has taken that family's commitment the public service to new heights, becoming at 35 years old the youngest ever speaker of the maryland house of delegates. and i want to talk a little bit about his role here in the united states senate on beif half of team maryland. behalf of team maryland with. because he is a dear friend, there are many congressional delegations that don't have the spirit of unity that we have in the state of maryland, and that's a tribute to ben cardins'

leadership. of he's been the quarterback for team maryland bringing us together to make sure we work on behalf of the priorities of our state, all parts of our state from the baltimore area to the washington suburbs, eastern shore and western maryland. i could not ask for a better partner and a better friend in the united states senate, somebody who welcomed me here after i served in the house of representatives. i do want to relay briefly to our colleagues in the democratic caucus something that's not as well known, but when ben cardin first arrived in the senate from the house having served previously as the speaker of the house of delegates in maryland, he was interested in what the rules are of the democratic caucus. it turned out at the time that the rules were not publicized among the democratic members of

the caucus. former democratic leaders clearly viewed it as in their interest to keep it secret, to keep the members of the caucus in the dark. and so when ben cardin asked for the rules, it took a little search to find them. but it is an indication both of his attention to detail but also his understanding of his respondent to his colleagues and to the body that every member whether they're a long-serving member or a new member has a chance to participate in the process. and we have since used the good work of senator cardin as rules. as the chairman of the senate caucus rules committee to to help expand democracy, little d, in the democratic caucus. finally, i just want to say that while much has changed over those 58 years, that senator

cardin has served our state, one thing has remained constant, bedrock, and that is the character of ben cardin. you will not find a person of greater decency, a person of greater integrity than ben cardin. and whether you agree or disagree with him on any particular issue, you always know that the position he's taken is one that is based this in values and principles that he brings to the debate. and for that, we should all be eternally grateful. so i know that he will with leave -- will be leaving this body. i have said as i've traveled around the state and just been marveling at the fact that while senator senator cardin announced he wasn't running for re-election over a year ago, he

is running so hard through the finish line. it's the hard the keep up with him. he just mentioned that we were at one of the baptist churches in baltimore, and we've been all over the state. so i want to thank him for that deep commitment he has to our country and the state of maryland. i want to thank his beloved partner and wife myrna cardin for giving him all that strength. over many years. and while he will be leaving the senate, both myself and our incoming senator angela alsobrooks know he's only a phone call quay. -- away. don't turn off your phone too often, ben cardin. thank you all for being here to celebrate an incredible united states senator, someone we're so proud of in the state of maryland. our friend, my friend, ben cardin. [applause]

>> mr. president. >> senator from maine. >> thank you, mr. president. after senator ben cardin announced his retirement in the spring of 2023, he and his wonderful wife myrna recorded an extraordinary video reflecting on a life in public service neas of marriage. touching on the highlights of a career that ranged from enacting the magnitsky sanctions about which we've heard so much today to protecting maryland's precious chesapeake bay, ben said the unifying force behind his work has always been saw dhaka, the jewish tradition of

helping wherever and whenever help is needed. observing ben for the past 18 years, i have seen a statesman of keen intellect and profound decency. he is always guided by the ideals of america, his service to maryland and by his faith. he consistently has demonstrated the character that earned him the trust of the people of maryland from the house of delegates to the 3rd congressional district, to the united states senate. ben's hometown the newspaper, the baltimore sun, described him this way: he is a man of substance who understands complicated issues and the art of compromise. having partnered with ben on

initiatives the move our nation forward, i heartily agree with that description. for example, follow following the tumultuous aftermath of the 2020 the election, ben was an essential leader in a bipartisan working group that crafted the electoral count reform and presidential transition act to better ensure smooth transfers of power between presidential administrations. i remember, for example, in one meeting ben bringing up a legal question that was absolutely essential that we resolve. it was indicative of the kind of careful legislating in which he engages.

as members of the can co-author task force, we -- helped so many impacted by the covid pandemic. from expanding medicare, access to improving home health care services to addressing opioid use disorders, ben has been a strong and effective leader in health care. one of ben's most enduring legacies will be the example his leadership as a champion of how many rights around -- of human rights around the world and his fearless, persistent dedication to fighting anti-semitism. and one of my most enduring memories of ben will be standing by his side many tel aviv last -- in tel aviv last october

following the horrific hamas attack the on israel. in the aftermath of that incomprehensible evil, ben offered words of consolation and peace as he made crystal clear that the united states will always stand shoulder to shoulder with the state of israel. it is significant that just before our bipartisan delegation traveled to israel, ben was presented with the anne frank award for human dignity and tolerance from the kingdom of the netherlands. well deserved. mr. president, it has been such an honor to serve with senator

ben cardin, a leader of integrity, intelligence and civil i. i am -- civility. i am so grateful for his efforts to strengthen our institution, to elevate our national discourse and to to bring people together to find common if ground and solve problems. i wish be ben and myrna much happiness in the years to come. you will be missed, ben. thawpg, mr. president. d thank you, mr. president. >> mr. president. >> the senator from new jersey. >> i would like to rise and join some of my colleagues in speaking about ben cardin, but i perhaps want to take a little bit more of a personal approach sharing my thoughts about my departing colleague. i don't know what -- if he remembers this, but i was

elected in a special election, and i came here plopping down, sworn in on the auspicious day of halloween. and i knew if i had to meet my colleagues, so i started the process of going to their offices that took me to meet everybody from john mcif cane sitting in his office, obviously, to harry reid who was hear then. but my journey to to go see bencarden was different than any of my other meetings because we sat down, and he asked me about myself. before i knew it, we were talking about judaism. now, it was an amazing conversation to me, because i did not realize how deep his faith was, how knowledgeable he was of the torah, something aye been studying for decades as a non-jew, and i found this incredible connection to him around the principles that he spoke about at the temperature of his speech -- top of his speech. this idea of living a good and more life. moral life. but what was amazing to me over

these last 11 years that i've been in the senate is that maybe some joking from time to time about judaism, but we really haven't had as much of a torah discussion as we did on that very first day. he has never invited me the a minion,, he and i have never prayed together. i've traveled around the whole world, but that first conversation was the most we ever talked about his religion and his faithfulness. but what's amazing to me is even though we haven't spoken about it, as someone who knows and loves the religion, i will say i have seen it in him every single day. in my faith there's a theologian who says everywhere you go, preach the gospel but only sometimes use words. i'm a big believer that before you tell me about a your religion, first show it to me in how you treat other people. before you preach to to me how much you love your god, show it

to me in how you love all offed god's children. before you tell me about your passion for your faith, show it to me in your compassion if for other people. this has been the beauty of serving with my colleague, ben cardin. it's because i have seen through the work and the dedication and the labors and the attention to detail and the leadership how deep his integrity is and his alignment between his beliefs and how he conducts himself in the world. and so in honor of that, ben, i'm going to to try to do something that i'm sure has a never been cone in the history of the senate -- done in the history of the senate, is i am going to say good bye to you in a -- [speaking in native tongue] maybe there has been on the senate floor, i am confident there's never been on the senate floor given by a big black boy. [laughter] if so here it is.

there's a moment in the torah where moses, this great leader, has been given the ten commandments, but the jewish people are worshiping a golden calf. we all know the story of him crumbling, smashing the tablets. but what i didn't know until i started studying judaism and doing torah study on pretties, i didn't know there was -- fridays, i didn't know there was a moment where god says, okay, i'll destroy these people and give you new people to the lead. and what was astonishing about this story from the torah was you would think this devotion, whatever god says go, but judaism is this strange faith that all of these major figures get into fights with god whether it was the incredible story of abraham arguing with angels about defending a city, solid.com and go mora, but in this moment what moses said e to god was -- speak seek tongue --

[speaking in native tongue] if you destroy these people, then erase me from your book. i want no part of you. god. i've watched you for 11 years. and like that ideal of moses, despite all of the imperfections of humanity, despite our faults and our foibles, despite the tragedies we have wrought unto ourselves, you have shown that leadership of mosts. not accepting the world's happenings as god's will, but standing up and standing in the breach. you have through your work both here in america and across the globe, you have been one of those people who has defended the weak, who has protected the vulnerable and who has championed the best of humanity. yes, you have preached gospel, my friend, but you have more

profoundly dedicated your life to its work. there's an ideal in judaism that we should all be dedicated towards -- [speaking in native tongue] to healing this world. i believe there is a god in heaven. i share your sense of faith, and i believe at the end of this chapter of your life, god is saying well done, my good and faithful servant. and i know god's not done with you yet. so as you go on into the world, i simply say as your brother -- [speaking in native tongue] thank you. >> mr. president -- [applause] >> senator from mississippi. >> mr. president, i'm tempted to the simply say amen and amen and to yield back. [laughter] but i didn't want to, i didn't want this moment the pass -- to pass without rising on behalf of

my wife gayle and me to say how much we have appreciated friendship of ben and myrna cardin and the leadership that they have shown to us as we have represented the united states of america to citizens around the world. and particularly to our friends in europe. myrna has been a wonderful friend to gayle. she is deserving of all of the accolades that she has received and will receive. i've had an opportunity in this city several times in the last few weeks to make remarks on behalf of ben cardin. he suggested the me almost that he was, that he had heard enough and that i needn't say anymore, but i do want to say how much i appreciate his leadership.

and the list of accomplishments that he has listed, and to say how grateful i will always be for ben housing me to be a -- allowing me to be a part of the magnitsky struggle and getting the magnitsky act passed and global magnitsky which is renowned around world as an effective tool against, against totalitarianism and corruption. and so i would simply say that people in the audience may have happened by, i know a number of people here came for this particular purpose. but if you happened simply if to be in the gallery at particular time, you have been -- these people, mr. president, have been

subject to the testimony of a magnificent public servant. and if i serve decades more, which i do not feel that i will, if i live to be 100, i will in the see a finer -- i will not see a finer leader in terms of intellect, talent, in terms of savvy, in terms of accomplishment, in terms of leadership and statesmanship than i have known in the person of ben cardin. and i am grateful to have been his colleague and his friend. and i yield. >> mr. president? >> senator from maryland. >> first, incredibly grateful

for the kind comments that the my senate family has said. i said that my colleagues are my family, and they were certainly a lot less objective than my real family has been about some of my legislative actions. so, first to senator van holland. he pointed out that we worked together, we trust even other, and we've been able to get more done because of it. that trust has never been broken. and the two of us have been able to share information. we share common vision of what we want for maryland and the nation, and it has made my service in the united states senate so much more rewarding. knowing that my colleague is a person who shares the burden withs of our a office -- burdens of our office of representing the people of maryland and takes equal responsibility to make sure we get things done in a a unified way.

so, senator van holland, thank you for those the very kind comments, and it's mutual. your leadership here has made it much -- it's benefited you are state to an incredible degree. and to senator collins, i've been at several bipartisan groups with senator collins. he has a way of just reaching out and bringing people together. finish and i must tell you, she sort of gloss ed to other -- glossed over what we did in response to january 6th and the passage of the electoral college reforms. that was not an easy task, to get that to the finish line. and senator collins was the leader on that effort and allowed me to have input where it was needed in order to bring people together. but that's what she the because all the time. she always looks for common if ways. it's the reason why our appropriators seem to be able to get along through the leadership of senator murray and senator collins are. i think it's a real example for all of us. and then to rabbi booker --

[laughter] i want to know when he's going to start synagogue, because i'm going to join that synagogue, i just want everybody to know. his concern is a lot better than a lot of rabbis'. he's just an incredible addition to our senate family, and i'll follow him anywhere. and to senator wicker, you know, what we've been able to do together, it's been an incredible run. aye been with you around the world. we have stood up to dictators, and we've helped friends. we've stood by people who had no other help around so that their rights could be heard, and we've gotten a lot done together. there is no question that we would not have had the victories on the magnitsky bills without your personal involvement. working within your caucus to make sure that it was not

politicized, that we got it to the final line. and you took a lot of arrows for us, and i very much appreciate that. more importantly, human rights do defenders appreciate your gallantly in the united states senate to get that bill to the finish line. and bills that don't have your name on it, you were responsible that we had the vehicles to get them completed. i thank you for your friendship, i thank you for gayle. and it's been, as i said, a real pleasure to have that type of relationship. i'm often asked by my colleagues, do you ever talk to republicans? they think that we're so divided here. and this is a fam i. >> -- family. and that's why i said in my parting comments i really see the hope of our future in the relationships that have been developed here in the united states senate. we can work together. we can resolve to these issues. we know what our responsibilities are about. we know we have challenges in this country. but we also know we need to listen to each other, and and that's what i think we do here

in the senate. we've got to do it in a more effective way. and if my colleagues that are with me today have been champions in listening to each're to get -- each other get the work done for the american people. mr. president, i'm deeply honored to serve in this body, and i thank you for your with attention. i yield the floor. vote:

♪ ♪ >> distinguished guests, the the president of the united states and dr. biden. ♪♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ [cheers and applause] >> you're so quiet, it's like a classroom. [laughter] [cheers and applause] so in the intermission, were you all, like, dancing and everything? [laughter] get a little movement, you know? you've been sitting for a while,

so thank you for standing. but, you know, i'm glad you get a little, like you said, robin, a little movement, right? that's what it's all about. oh, please sit down, please. [laughter] laugh if you feel all stretched out by now. so before i begin, i just want to say i'm so glad that you got to come here today because the white house is decorated. a. [cheers and applause] and the theme this year is peace and light. so i hope that you all feel that sense of, you know with, peace and light and that just for a moment when you leave here today, that you feel, i don't know, a little -- a sense of joy. because i think we all need, like, this, you know, we all need to feel joy now during this time of the season, the presiding officer: on this vote, the yeas are 49, the nays

are 50. the motion is not agreed to. the senator from hawaii. mr. schatz: i ask unanimous consent to withdraw the cloture motion with respect to the dietleberg nomination and the senate resume consideration of the marzano nomination. the presiding officer: is there an objection? without objection. the clerk will report. the clerk: nomination, nuclear regulatory commission, matthew james marsan of illinois, to be a member of the nuclear regulatory commission. mr. schatz: madam president, we're running out of time. we have just over a week left before congress goes home for the holidays, and we cannot leave town without passing long-term disaster relief. people have waited and waited and waited and waited for help to arrive. every day we don't get this done is another day survivors can't start to get back to life as

they knew it, going to work, going to school, dropping their kids off at basketball practice, getting together with friends and neighbors. for the people in lahaina, help cannot come soon enough. almost a year and a half after the tragic fires, it's hard as ever to make ends meet. housing is scarce. prices are going up. jobs are hard to come by. and people are doing everything they can to get by and to help each other out. it's not for a lack of trying. it's that they were never meant to confront this recovery alone. when you've lost everything, when you're still mourning friends and loved ones, when you're 16 months into a recovery and normalcy still feels so far away, you need help, and getting that help is the difference between people being able to stay on maui or leaving.

people are leaving the only place they've ever called home. those are the stakes. they're not theoretical. this is happening to hundreds of families in west maui, and lahaina is not the only community devastated by a disaster. communities in 40 states are building back from a disaster of some kind -- a flood, a wildfire, a hurricane -- and more than 25 states are relying on long-term federal assistance to get survivors back on their feet. no one is asking for charity. what they're asking for is the kind of aid that has helped to restore so many communities across the country, over many, many years. this is what congress is supposed to do. louisiana after hurricane katrina, new york and new jersey after hurricane sandy, puerto rico after hurricane maria, california after the 2018 wildfires, and more than a dozen

states nationally as recently as three years ago. the community development block grant disaster recovery program, known as cdbg-dr, it works. of it has supported millions of americans struck by disaster over the last 30 years, by giving them flexible, long-term assistance, and so to fail to do this now, for people in lahaina and across the country, would be quite unusual and shameful. we have a simple task here, to help our fellow americans in their hour of need, and i want to be perfectly clear -- we cannot, and we will not, leave town without passing disaster aid.

>> host: our first guest is erica york, serving as senior economy and research director for federal tax policy, joining us from kansas. ms. york, thanks for your time this morning. >> guest: thanks. good morning. >> host: a little bit about the organization and who funds it. tell our audience about that. >> guest: tax foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. we've been around since 1937, and our mission is to provide education about the tax system we have. we believed that the tax system should be is simple, it should be neutral, it should be transparent and it should be stable. but we've studied taxes at the state and local level, at the federal level and at the global level, and we're funded by a variety of donors from the business community, from the foundation community and from individual donors. >> host: from the study that you do or some of the studies that you do when it comes the taxes, the most latest one taking a

look at federal taxes and who pays what. we're showing the audience your analysis. where do you get this data from? >> guest: this comes straight from the internal revenue service. so each year the irs statistics of income division publishes data that comes straight from the tax returns that we all file during the tax season, and they provide analysis on, you know, who pays what, what the average tax rates are. so we take that, and we put it in a more digestible format than the huge tables that are available for download on the irs web site. >> host: when it comes to the who pays what, you took a look at how much wealthy americans pay. what's the perception of what wealthy americans pay and what is the reality? >> guest: yeah. i think there's a big perception about the tax system that we have now, that it's unfair. and a big part of that is that the tax system that we have is very complicated. i don't think anyone really enjoys filing their taxes each year. it can be a rot process. and it's not always transparent

when's paying what because of -- who's paying what because of all the different deductions and credits and exemptions available in the tax system. so that gives the perception of unfairness. we also tend to see lots of stories about individual taxpayers who maybe don't have a large tax bill in a given year, and so it creates the perception that high income taxpayers are getting a special break that low and middle income taxpayers don't have access to to. but, of course, the data tell a different story, and that data the comes straight from the internal revenue service. >> host: one of the things in your report is a breakdown from the data, and it breaks it down from the top 1% and going down from there. but stopping on the top 1% just to show the audience some details, 1.5 million returns on that one, their average tax rate about 26%. when it comes to their share of total adjusted gross income, 22%. and then the total, share of total income taxes paid, 40.4%.

that's a lot of numbers. put that into context as far as what they pay versus what others pay. >> guest: yeah. so if you look at the average tax rate a paid by the top 1%, that's about 7 times larger than the average tax rate paid by the bottom half of americans, of american taxpayers. and you look at the shares of taxes paid, the top half of taxpayers, they're responsible for paying about 97 of the individual income tax while the bottom half a pays the remaining 3%. so what this tells us is that the structure of the income tax overall is highly progressive, and that's what we should expect gibb the graduated income -- given the graduated income tax structure that we have under the income if tax system where when you earn higher income, that higher income is subject to a higher rate within that rate threshold. >> host: erica york, is are there a difference twat federal government establishes as a tax rate for the top 1% and what

they actually pay? >> guest: yes. so for every taxpayer there's a difference between your marginal income tax rate, the rate you face on your next dollar of income, say you're in the 10% bracket so each additional dollar faces that bracket or say it's the 37% rate. because earlier dollars of income that you earned were tax thed at lower rates because there are tax credits like the child tax credit, because we provide deductions, either the standard deduction or for higher income taxpayers they often itemize so they take various deductions that are permitted for itemized deductions, the average rate that you pay overall can be different from the rate that you are, the statutory tax a rate that a you're n. >> host: erica york, is there a way to establish a profile, so to speak, of who live ares in this top 1%? who are these the people generally as far as how they

make that money? >> guest: yeah. if you look at a breakdown of sources of income by different income if levels, you do see variation. so for most taxpayers, hair biggest source of income is wage and salary income. but when you get to higher income levels, you see a different profile there. their tends to be more business income, so half spotter reported on the -- pass-through income is from partnerships, llcs, full proprietorships, that's taxed at the individual level. so you see a greater share of business income. you also see a greater share of investment income, dividends, capital gains also make up a greater share of income for those in the top 1%. >> host: and so back to, put that into per spent i of what the government takes in overall. ..

>> host: this is erica york joining us if you would ask about this breakdown of who pays what in taxes in the united states, 202-748-8001 for republicans. 202-748-8000 for democrats. independents 202-748-8002. if you want to text us it is 202-748-8003. this data from 2002 as much changed in the two years that we live in today? >> guest: that much has changed. this is the latest information with available. the irs releases these data sets with quite a a bit of a light because they have to clean and analyze the data and get into a

usable format. nothing major has changed in the income tax system. we provide in the analysis these trends over time going back a couple of decades, so you can see a tax rates have changed over the time, and what you see is there's not a lot of variation unless there is a tax reform law that congress enacts that significant changes things otherwise the tax system generally hums along without major changes in the average tax rate the people of different income levels face. >> host: you talked about the top 1%. let's go down to the top 5%. what changes from what we know about that top 1%? >> guest: you are capturing a greater share of taxpayers who on average have a little bit lower income levels they see a slightly lower average tax rate over all. generally as you stepped down

from a different percentiles is he a pattern that emerges that as income grows so does the average tax rate. overall the structure that emerges is one of a progressive tax system. i would characterize it as a highly progressive tax system when you see the differentials between what those in the top half pay on average and in terms of the share of taxes paid compared to those in the bottom half. >> host: you use the term progressive tax system, also the term regressive tax system. what's the difference? >> guest: progressive is where as income increases your average tax rate increases. a regressive taxes would be the opposite. it would place a higher percentage burden on low income taxpayers than it did on higher income taxpayers. >> host: we will talk more through the morning but all of

this comes as they're said to be a debate on the future of taxes in the united states. how does this information informed that debate? >> guest: what you see is in the support, got a chart that compares tax rates from 2018 onward to pre-2018. 2018 being the first year tax cuts from the tax cuts and jobs act of 2017 took effect. what you see is not law lord average tax rates for taxpayers of all income levels. since a lot we need to place tax rates have remained below the 2017 levels. so the take away is that if those tax rates expire, if the tax cuts expire and the system reverts back to what it was prior to the new law, that's scheduled to take place in 2026, we would expect tax burdens on taxpayers across the income spectrum to rise. we have estimated at least 62%

taxpayers with the significant tax increases if that law is allowed to expire. >> host: your first call comes from jeffrey in florida, republican one. you're on with our guest. good morning. >> caller: i i was wanting to know who defines what qualifies as income and how that definition has changed since the income tax was initiated in 1913? >> guest: so the definition of income for this report is adjusted gross income. that's the number you calculate on your form 1040 and that's with irs uses in this data set what is are the definition fr adjusted gross income was in that given year. since the inception of income tax it has changed significantly. in scope as well as in the types of deductions and credits and exemptions that are permitted.

you can find debate amongst economists about what should count as income, do we counted on an annual cash flow basis, do we count on an accrual basis? for the purposes here that the irs uses it's just that adjusted gross income number from the form 1040. >> host: a follow-up, explain the difference between income and assets and the tax liability of each. >> guest: income tends to be your wages and salaries. it's realize capital gains, interest income, dividends, this is income like a mention and it's captured in a year. the irs operates on a tax year and for a given year we pay taxes on income earned within that year. assets are the entire holdings, if you own stocks, if you own your home, it's the value of all of that and the tax system generally doesn't apply to

someone's total wealth and it doesn't apply to the assets and tell you sell asset and realize a gain. at that point then it would face a capital gains tax. >> host: valley in michigan, democrat's line. >> caller: i would like to know, are we still under the trunk tax cuts? i think he just said that. if it the expire will poor and working class and middle class people have a lower tax rate untran-based debate? or will the taxes go up until he passes his new taxes, and do you know if he has plans for the working middle class for the pay more taxes for their earned money? >> guest: the 2017 tax law is still in effect. it cut taxes beginning in 2018 and those individual tax cuts last to the end of 2025.

as i mentioned what you can see from the irs data is this tax law has lowered average tax rate for people across all income levels. the bottom 10%, the top 10% on average taxpayers of all income levels saw attacks get. if this tax law expires which it scheduled to do starting in 2026, those tax cuts would reverse and people would pay higher taxes on income. recall the major changes of the tax law were lowering the rates and widening the bracket, increasing the standard deduction, increasing the child tax credit, zeroing out the personal exemption, the effect of which boosted the benefits of having children from low and middle income families by replacing an exemption with the credit. lots of other moving pieces but altogether resulting in a reduction in average tax liabilities. trump campaign on extending those tax cuts.

there's a desire and congress to extend those tax cuts. what exact it looks like will play out in 2025 as congress and white house work together to legislate on taxes. >> host: what you think of the questions that have to be asked by congress as they consider what comes next? >> guest: the same question is what you do about the deficit impact? continuing all of the tax cuts would reduce revenue by more than $4 trillion over the next decade. would add more when you consider interest cost. we would be on a path of much higher deficits, higher interest payments, higher debt. the big question what you did offset the cost? do you look at other base broadens and build on the reforms of the first taxol, the first edition made? do you look at reforms on the spending side? i don't think there's an answer in congress to the question yet but the fiscal pressure of

extension is going to be one of the big questions weighing on lawmakers might. >> host: erica york their ceo put a report the looks of the possibly of the expiration of tax cuts and what would happen if that did happen. they found the expiration with models reduce labor supply by raising taxes to tracks rates on an individual income. the tax of reduces federal deficit for borrowing but on that those affects large offset each other resulting very small changes to gross domestic product. what do you think about those results? >> guest: it's absolutely right that when the taxes go up that will reduce peoples incentives to work, whether that's in at the labor force or to change their hours worked. it makes since we see at net labor supply effect. the expiration will increase federal tax revenue. we can question how big the effect that's occurring here in

cbo model is called a crowd out effect. they assume when the federal deficit goes down that provides more capital for businesses to be able to invest. there's a question of to what extent does that affect really play out in the real economy? because the u.s. is an open economy, so if our deficit goes up and went to some more treasuries, there are also foreign buyers not just domestic buyers for those treasuries. i would discount a little bit the crowd out effect that is assumed but it's a useful analysis to see that yes deficits and how we offset an increase in the deficit really matters for america in income and for the potential economic effect of extension. >> host: here is eric in connecticut, independent line. >> caller: thanks for taking my call. my concern mainly is everything looks pretty on paper but every

time we hear in the news about loopholes and lawyers, that's my main question. the lawyer aspect and the corruption. if i was to go and fill out my taxes on their website to pay my taxes, within a week they are emailing me and telling me we made a mistake. that's the whole thing that my question is about. thank you. >> guest: one of the things i mentioned earlier is we do have a very complicated tax system and it's not transparent. lawmakers absolutely have an opportunity to reform the tax system, make it simpler and a lot exemptions and credits available that ten to be mostly utilized by height in income taxpayers. angrily that type of base broadening is one of the best ways to raise revenue because it doesn't require you to significantly increase marginal

tax rates. instead you can broaden the tax base, get rid of some of these exemptions and credits and raise revenue that way which also aids in making the texas in simpler and more transparent. >> host: you probably remember house speaker paul ryan when he was house speaker wanted to reduce the tax system to a small one sheet of paper. whatever happened to that effort? getting income out of that? >> guest: they made some strides in doing that. for instance, it placed limitations on itemized deductions. it significantly reduced the bite of the alternative minimum tax. it's a good aspirations want to have such a simple tax code that is not hassle for people to file it but that often means trading off provisions that taxpayers enjoy, taxpayers like having an attack system. it creates this political obstacle to clean up the tax code because doing so means getting rid of preferences that

benefit different constituencies which can be a a tough left. we've done simulations at the tax foundation looking at the tax system in the country of estonia which ranks number one in our international tax competitiveness index and has for about a decade now. on average it takes tax filers they are about three minutes to complete their tax returns. we found that adopting a system like what estonia uses with significantly cut compliance cost, time and would boost economic growth and raise sufficient revenue. but again it's that political challenge of can we really clean up the tax code? >> host: this is erica york of the tax foundation joining us. john in virginia, republican line. >> caller: thank you for taking my call. i would like to see if you can clip something for me.

since donald trump's tax cuts, democrats have been saying that they add to the debt. but on television when i see people talk about tax, we are getting the united states treasury is getting record high revenue. how does the record high revenue equate to adding to the debt? i don't understand. >> guest: the idea is revenue would be even higher if we didn't have a lower tax rates in place, and i think there's some truth to that. when we score tax plans we can do a conventional analysis and that says we're going to hold the economy constant, which is going to look at how this would cut revenue. you can do a dynamic analysis that says we know when you change the tax system you change peoples incentives for working and for investing and so you grow the economy. what you fight is on a dynamic analysis, tax cuts are not as

expensive as you look on a conventional basis of tax cuts rarely fully pay for themselves. if you significantly cut tax rates, if you significantly boost tax credits, give people more of their money back, then the government is left with less revenue at the end of the day. that's that we've seen play out. congressional budget office report we were just discussing, cbo talks to why our revenues are hard. some of it is economic growth can some of it is inflation, some of it is unexpected source of revenue like the highest octave higher tariffs trump about on his first term that a broader more customs revenue collection. it's a complicated question and the competition analysis to sort out what is moving where buddy think it's fair to say tax cuts to reduce the revenue that the federal government brings in. >> host: we have a few were in michigan who directs his comments to corporations.

this is just same corporations are not people regardless of what republican say at the are not paying their fair share. >> guest: a corporation is a legal entity, a legal entity cuts the checks to pay corporate taxes. but the burglar economically of that falls on various people and they can fall on corporate shareholders in the form of lower returns and they can fall on workers in the form of lower wages. this is what the nonpartisan congressional budget office, nonpartisan joint committee on taxation find in their analysis that when you raise corporate taxes, the burden falls on the one middle income households both the form of lower corporate returns if they're invested, to have a pension, if they have a 401(k) wages. remembering that economic burden of the corporate tax is important for when we call for higher corporate tax because it's not just going to fall on some wealthy shareholders. it's windfall on workers at

corporations. mr. brown: it's been an honor of my lifetime to represent hoosiers here in the u.s. senate. when i said i was going to do this pack in 2017, it didn't have much of a political legacy to leave my business that i had spent 37 years running and that i wanted to run for the u.s. senate. everybody said fools, it couldn't be done. but there were a lot of hoosiers wanting the system to be shaken up a little bit. what i interpreted, i think, what politics was doing back in 15 and 16, i crafted that unusual idea that it could be don't even when you've made most of your life in the trenches in the real world. i was told when i got here,

freshmen senators are not to be heard, maybe seen. sit back, learn the ropes. well, that wasn't going to work for me because i had already put myself into a corner because i said i wouldn't do it more than two terms. that's unusual. everyone says it. they get amnesia and you know the rest of the story. i've been so proud of what we've done here in these six years. what we've done for hoosiers and what i tell you about some of the things that can be done, i think you're going to be amazed. i put together a staff that came here mostly from indiana and their goal was to get things, get it across the finish line.

and, sure, proud to have been named the most effective first-term republican senator. sixth most effective in our caucus, generally in the last congress, probably close to that again in this one. but all of us here know that we get the credit for it and it's your staff that does all the heavy lifting. 2021, freshmen senate office gets more bills across the finish line than any other. it's amazing. 37 in a span of six years. again that's why the center for effective lawmaking singled out our office as being most impactful in areas like health care, education, and agriculture. all stuff i've bumped into in so

many i was in the real world before i got here. i want to tell you about a few of those wins. any incoming senators hopefully get inspired by it. imagine as a republican when one of your biggest pieces of legislation has the word climate in it. so i'll get to how that happened in the first place, but being a conservationist, one that knows that's an issue that we as republicans and conservatives have to be involved with, we actually crafted a bill called the growing climate solutions act, which was a landmark bill for farmers that matched up their good stewardship with offset markets that were already there but government was making it too difficult for them to take access of it, especially

small farmers. imagine it passing in the u.s. senate 92-8. that is a darn near miracle. how did that happen in the first place? i was here maybe six or seven months of senator chris coons from delaware had been trying to find one republican to engage in the discussion which we know how big of a discussions that been. -- that's been. of course we're always going to disagree on policy. but he probably asked so many others over the past two years, he's going after a rookie senator. he didn't realize that he ran into somebody that had to think on his feet a lot in the real world, made decisions fairly quickly based upon what you really know, and i said i'll do it. i think the rest of the conversation was will it be more than a committee of two of us? give me a month. i've got six other republicans. and it's still an issue of

contention in terms of what it's about, where it's going. some are absolutely certain about it. some have put no credence to it. obviously it's somewhere win between. that, to me, was the first moment being here after just six months that said, if you do certain things, think out of the box, you can get a lot done, and that has probably put me in front of more discussions now that energy is the biggest issue at the state level. demand for it was flat up until two years ago, and now in indiana, one of the best places to have a business, all the data centers want to come there. and we only produce 20 giga watts of electricity, each one of them needs one gigawatt. and what's going to be the right next between baseload, intermittent, green, conditional, i intend to have

indiana at the leading front of that discussion. veterans, that's an issue in many different ways, those that serve our country still have trouble getting basic benefits, especially as it relates here in the federal government where most of them come from. they told us back home in indiana that to get claims information through the mail or driving to a regional location was clumsy even through the mail logistically impossible when you had to travel sometimes two hours to get basic checkup. that was a real burden for disabled veterans. we wrote the wounded warriors access act to streamline the claims process signed into law last year. i came here most proud of fixing

health care back in my own business in 2008. a small business for half of the time i was there, over 37 years, 20 employees or so. by 2008, we had grown to 300 employees. you don't know how lucky i was that it was only going up 5% to 10% each year. after hearing that for about nine years, i got involved in the h.r. meeting back in 2008. here was the first question i asked of the insurance companies, since we hardly had any claims, what profit margin did you make on our plan? i was thinking 10%, 15%. they were honest, 25%. turned to the agent, what was your commission? 7%. we were stroking a million dollar check back then. do the math. that wasn't going to work for

me. i said, what can we do to fix it? he said, well, you can maybe self-insure. i said, you didn't tell us that last year, and i did that. and self-insured and made it a cost center. and then the critical question was, with we need to all start asking these kinds of questions, how do you really lower costs and make hoosiers and americans healthier? they said we've got a probingen system built upon mediation. sounded abstract. so i said, let's flesh that out a little bit. well, you got your deductible. i had to raise that each year to moderate increases, change moderators every year, that was a pain in the rear. they said if you really push wellness and prevention, it will be the start of how you lower health care costs. then they said something that really surprised me.

health care consumers are non nonexist -- are nonexistent because they aren't involved in actually shopping around for health care. you depend on the insurance company and your company or the government to do it. that's the driver in most markets. it ended up after that meeting throwing every wellness tool in the -- and the kitchen sink at it, turned my employees into health care consumers, cut costs by over 50%, pt haven't had -- 50%, haven't had an increase in 16 years. i ask the question, is that always the case? no one does. that is the kind of thing that we have to do here and back home and in the states. here being on health, education, labor and pensions, i told the chair of that committee, senator sanders, if you want to lower health care costs, start

incentivizing the industry to be transparent. that created the most transformational bill called the health care price transparency act. when you're getting someone like bernie sanders and mike braun, the two louders voices in the -- loudest voices in the senate on health care reform, that is a modern miracle. there is a template already bipartisan, some of the procedures could be dropped into even during this year. during the pandemic, josh haley and i passed through a bill that would declassify all of the intelligence of the wu hon lab. the fbi confirmed that they found the lab leak to be the

most likely theory of origin. when the current administration announced a vacancy -- vaccine mandate for businesses that would vaccinate all employees for all businesses if you had 100 or more employees, after it was in the rear-view mirror, we dusted off an old law called the congressional review act that hadn't been used in years. we used that, got bipartisan support on it and lo and behold when the supreme court struck down the vaccinate mandate, they side us as the most infl -- infw engsal. influential. i want to talk about a few of the lighter moments being in the u.s. senate.

never forget when i got here and we have great lunches, kudos to the staff that prepares them, and it said, lunch time starts at 12:30. it's over at 2:00. well, that seemed like a lot of time. and i show up at 12:30. even the staff wasn't fully -- had the meal there ready to go. i said what's going on? they said, well, 12:30 is the official time. no one shows up until after 1:00. so there's senate time and real time. you've got to get adjusted to that. the pace is maybe a little different when you come from the field of being a scrappy entrepreneur. the only other senator that did the same thing was of course a guy named rick scott, you know, who ran a business, ran the state of florida. we didn't make that mistake another time. was able to host a lunch and i'm in the logistics business. and you've got to come up with

something that's unique to your community. we're probably the most german catholic community in the state of indiana. we wanted to have schnitzel and brats. the plan was drive them from indiana to d.c. i actually had a volunteer do that because believe it or not, it was the only way that was practical and least expensive to host a lunch. here is one of the most unusual moments. we all get involved in media, probably far too much of it but part of this job is having the pulpit to say -- the middle of covid. can't remember which network but all of a sudden a minute into a seven-minute interview and the cameraman goes down. mr. braun: literally. i thought the camera or the light stand was coming at me. and the interview continued.

my wife was watching it at home and thought we had a mini earthquake here. so i remember one of the other cameramen said i've never seen anything like that in the u.s. senate. and the story wasn't over. about a minute before the interview was over, it starts to dust himself off. he had been out for four minutes. grabs the camera stand or light and i thought this time it's coming at me. i didn't know what i was going to do although he went down again and we completed the interview. of course, i was worried about what happened. ambulance came and we were lucky in that case it was dehydration. but imagine being in a pickle like that. we got through it. other memories, first state of the yuan address, walking -- union address, walking back. i live east of the supreme court building. star lit evening, moon silhouetted the capitol. i said to myself how can you be

so lucky. now the other side of being a senator. constituent services. customer service was always my priority and my business. believe me, you don't have to pay consultants for them to tell you what's wrong with your business. just listen to your employees and to your customers. free advice doesn't cost a penny. if you get it fixed, you've actually corrected and issue you've got with your company. so i told them i wanted to run constituent services back home, just like customer service in my business. we put together a team just as good there when you listen to these stats as the one that enabled me to do so much here on the legislative side. closed 13,775 constituent cases in six years. assisting hoosiers with problems

that were really impacting their lives of the there are many ways you can get entangled with the federal government. my team returned $21.6 million that were owed to hoosiers back to them, mostly from the irs. that money had an immediate impact. one woman in columbus was at risk of losing her home and we were able to recover $10,000. that again was owed to her by the irs. the team handled $2,381,813 e-mails, phone calls. believe me, there are a lot of ways if people just do it to get a hold of who represents you here in d.c. but then what do you do with it? we put a metric in that if those weren't handled within a certain number of days, it set off an alarm. unbelievable constituent services. 1500 hours of mobile office

hours. when they reached out, we found the solutions. one hoosier's family, their mother's ashes were lost at a post office facility. couldn't be located. we secured an inspector general audit of the post office to make sure that that never happens again. family of an indiana soldier killed in vietnam didn't get the silver star. been a long time. we recovered that for them. my team cut through the red tape and delivered that medal to its family. it had been 50 years they were trying. as proud as i am of the legislation passed and the constituent services that we gave, i'm also proud of sounding the alarm for what i think is our biggest issue impacting our country. to be honest it's been like to talking to the side of my barn back home. i learned what it was about to make ends meet because your tail

was on the line running a small business. i'm optimistic since we do so many great things in this country, but the incentives have been so strong to go the opposite way that hopefully we can change the direction that my mind will bankrupt the country, and it's been from both sides of the aisle. it's been where we just expected too much out of this place. we need to focus on doing a few things better. show me the magnitude. six years ago, $18 trillion in debt. in six years we've doubled it. we borrow a trillion dollars every six months, and that's the interest that we pay on our debt now every six months as well. we actually borrow $2 trillion a

year. the spending spree has had a real effect on the american people. we've got inflation, rising interest rates, and a projected debt that's going to be $56 trillion in ten years. any of you good at math, that gets geometrically more difficult to get out of that hole being dug that deep. i had a business the first 17 years where the office was in a mobile home. got introduced out here. had his office in a double wide. i said it was a used single wide. take was my first and only opportunity of doing what i wanted to do. well, the overhead was so low, you almost had to stoop to get in the door figuratively speaking. but i learned a lot of valuable lessons. in the real world you've got to live within your means. borrowing money from our kids and grandkids is not a business plan that's going to work.

how do we turn things around? the best thing we are not flying blind here. there's an instruction manual. it's called the constitution, especially the 10th amendment. as the federal government has struggled, the states have been a laboratory for how you fix things. that's where the innovation is going to come from in the next decade. i'm so excited to lead that charge back home in indiana. it was so hard to get here in the first place. the question i get asked most, why wouldn't you stay? well, i kind of explained that a little bit earlier that i believe in term limits, and it was an either/or choice. either run for governor or serve another term here. i'm not going to lose sight of what i've been a part of. but i do feel i've made the

right choice. and on this entire journey, couldn't have done it without my life partner, maureen. married 48 years ago. never get that number wrong, even if it's off by a year. at our wedding, i'll never forget everyone as they passed me and got to her, i was trying to listen if anyone said that she was lucky. because i was first and everyone without exception said how lucky i was. well, i just couldn't resist. after we got out of the line there at church, maybe later that evening, i said dear, were there any people that told you you were lucky? and in a very diplomatic way she said there were a few.

i've been blessed beyond all measure there. i've had a family that's been great. three of the four kids work and run the business i ran for 37 years. three of my seven grandkids are right up there. michael, kate, and julia. jason, one of my four kids. you know, i've been blessed beyond measure when you look at all of that. and, man, the thing i talk most often about is faith, family, and community. and in that broader scope, how we were so lucky to be dropped into a place called jasper, indiana, that to me is something you'll never figure out. i'm just thankful when i ended up having one of the best mba's in the country and was headed to wall street and we talked about

do we want to do it, when we wanted to raise a family, i took the first entrepreneur's course there. she already wanted her own business. didn't seem like wall street was going to work out. well, we moved back home. best job i could find, it was over an 80% pay cut. if we hadn't done that, almost certain wouldn'ts be here -- wouldn't be here this afternoon doing a farewell speech in the u.s. senate. i tour all 92 counties each year. i've offered open office hours, schedule into it on fridays. hoosiers, i'll be doing that as your next governor as well. hoosiers are some of the most good hearted, hardworking people in the world. and it's been my honor to serve you here. and to all my colleagues here in the senate, thank you for your friendship and the honor of serving alongside you in this

esteemed body, not to mention all the precious memories i'll take back to indiana. and i'll part on this, because i've spent so much time sitting in that sit as the presiding officer at the most unconvenient time each week, thursday afternoon from 3:00 to 6:00. well, you're pretty well the lone soldier by then. you're going to get into wrap-up. rick scott was the only one who had poorer seniority than me. i'll never forget we were all interested in wrapping it up. well, the first thing i did was figured out a way to where i'd only have to do it every other week. we took a little risk. it paid off so i didn't have to do it every week. and then when i found there were some senators that liked to linger around a little later on thursdays and maybe what they -- than maybe what they needed to and one that did it every

thursday and had flexibility. and my friend, senator dan sullivan. you need to tune in because he doesn't the alaskan of the week. all i said was dan, could you move it up about an hour and a half. and he did. and that enabled me to get home late on a thursday instead of a friday. so i was even doing some entrepreneurial work right there. and you can ask anybody in the well now, we were all wanting to see that happen together. and finally, i tried to bust the dress code here by not wearing a tie. and there was a time or two where i barned in -- barged in here without one and almost got tackled by senator lankford once. but i got in and out. that's one thing i'm not going to change. i keep a tie in the cloakroom.

and thank you again for keeping me dressed correctly when i need to be on the floor on occasions like this. it's been quite a run. it would be bittersweet -- it will be bittersweet to leave the place. thank you all for the enjoyment i've had here. madam president, i yield the floor. mr. young: madam president. the presiding officer: the senator from in. young up-madam president -- mr. young: madam president, i wanted to address senator braun, his family, members of his staff and others who may be watching these proceedings today. congratulations to senator braun for a great run here. to his family, just wonderful people -- i see maureen in the

gallery and other members of the family, and i know they're incredibly proud of mike at this moment, and they are looking forward to the next step in his professional journey and, therefore, their journey, so thank you for your service. i know that this is every bit as much of a sacrifice and a period of service for members of one's family as it is for us, and sometimes it's more challenging for family members because we lose ball control over what people are saying and what not, but great to visit with you, and i'm looking forward to this next step. and then members of the team. i think it was right and appropriate that senator braun spent so much time talking about your great work on behalf of the people of indiana, the bills that he has shown leadership on, multiple bills and successes would not have happened, as he said, but for your work.

the phone calls received and the e-mails responded to, all the meetings. i mean, it's really important. many people call their u.s. senator only once. most people don't call, but they'll talk to someone who has talked to a united states senator and those interactions are just so essential. they shape people's views of what government can be, and they help people be rheessured during times like these -- reassured during times like these that they're represented. so i appreciate you very much. and for many of you, i know that you will return to the great hoosier state and keep working in some sort of service capacity, and i'll look forward to working together. mike, i have to say, the senate's loss is indiana's gain. you have certainly served with distinction here, but i know you've always prided yourself appropriately so on your

executive responsibilities and ass chievements over the years -- and achievements over the years, and now the people of indiana will benefit from a different type of service, and we're all very much looking forward to seeing what's next. it's already started. i know. and i have to say, the hunting is better. the hunting is a heck of a lot better whether you're shooting with faces or mushrooms. and there's no better place to do that sort of thing that indiana, dubois county, preferably. now, this moment right here, remembering the great service and achievements, but when you reflect on the experience that you bring to this next step, running -- building and running a large organization and yet you still have, supposure to and -- exposure to and experience in government to the local school

board level, state legislature for a brief period of time and then the united states senate. what better perspective could one have? and so i am really excited about this step. your commitment i know will be enduring to fiscal responsibility and economic freedom. those have been hallmarks of your freedom here. they are, frankly, expectations that people have of you and of our state, and caring on that tradition of fiscal responsibility and effective management is, i think, one of the reasons you were elected, despite some strong and talented opponents you faced in that recent election. so here we are. here we are parting ways in the united states senate. but as you leave this chamber, i'll have the opportunity to call you governor-elect and then

we can keep working to the on the one hand -- working together on veterans issues, on budget issues, on expanding health care access to more people, on ensuring that hoosiers and people across the country have access to affordable, quality housing near where the jobs are. all of these issues that make normal life possible in this country. government can be maddening. government can be inefficient. government can be unresponsive. but government is necessary. and if it's necessary, let's make it good government. let's do what we can to instill some measure of confidence in this system, as imperfect as it may be. i think that this is something in this new capacity that you can help deliver at a time when so many people are pessimistic

about the state of affairs. again, you're the guy to make it hamilton -- to make this happen. so godspeed, senator braun. godspeed too members of your -- godspeed to members of your family and to members of your team. if you're successful, senator, then the state of indiana is successful. thank you. madam president, i yield the floor. mr. kaine: madam president. the presiding officer: the senator from virginia. mr. kaine: madam president, i

rise today to discuss a fundamental question -- who is citizen of the united states? who is a citizen of the united states? my comments are inspired by an interviewgien recently by -- interview given recently by the president-elect in which he announced that he would try to end birthright citizenship on day one of his presidency. in the same interview, he claimed that the united states was the only nation on earth offering birthright citizenship. what is birthright citizenship? is the united states the only nation that has it? let's start with the constitution. the 14th amendment enacted a by congress in 1866 and ratified by the states in 186 contains a --

in 1868 contains a clear definition of citizen. section one states, all persons born or naturalized in the united states, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the united states and of the state wherein they reside. a very straightforward definition. if you're born in the united states or naturalized by law -- and that's covered in article 1 of the constitution that congress may set up a process for naturalizing -- you are a u.s. citizen as long as you're subject to the jurisdiction of this country. and there is no equivocation -- all persons in either category are u.s. citizens. the constitution was first adopted, as we all know, in 1787. why was this definition of

citizen added to the constitution in 1868? 90 years later. surprisingly, there was no definition of citizen in the constitution as originally issued. the word citizen was used once without definition. article 2 defines the qualifications to be president as follows -- no person except a natural-born citizen or a citizen of the united states shall be eligible to the office of president. but the word citizen was not defined. the records of the constitutional convention show that the framers considered defining the term citizen, but they had disagreements and they couldn't reach a definition that satisfied them. and so they left the term citizen undefined in the constitution as originally promulgated. this definition was added in the 14th amendment in 1868 to fix a

problem, a grievous problem -- america's embrace of slavery. dred scott was born enslaved in virginia in 1799. his parents were also enslaved. and his family had likely resided in this country for generations. scott's owner took him first to alabama and then to st. louis and finally sold him to army surgeon john emerson when he was about 18 years old. dr. emerson then took dred scott first to oil i will, a free state -- to illinois, a free state, and then to the wisconsin territory, where slavery was prohibited. dred scott worked as an enslaved laborer for the emerson family for 16 years after they purchased him. and he attempted over the course

of those years to purchase his own freedom and also the freedom of his wife, harriet. but the emerson family refused to allow him to purchase his own freedom. so he eventually filed a freedom suit in st. louis seeking to be released from slavery on the grounds that when he resided in illinois, a free state, and then in wisconsin, a free territory, that residence distinguished his slavery and rendered him a freed man. the court ruled in his favor granting him his freedom. but the missouri supreme court reversed the decision. the matter was then appealed to the united states supreme court, was dred scott free or enslaved? the u.s. supreme court rendered one of its most notorious

decisions -- dred scott v. sanford. under the guidance of the chief justice, roger taney, the court didn't simply confront the issue, whether a person travelling from a free state to a territory thereby gains freedom. the court went much further, finding that no person of african descent, no matter how long they or their family had lived here, could ever be considered a citizen of the united states. and without being a citizen, dred scott did not even have the right to seek relief in an american court. the heart of the dred scott opinion is very, very chilling. justice taney in writing about african descenario the dances

living in the united states said this -- we think that they are not included, and were not intended to be included, under the word 'citizens' in the constitution, and can therefore claim none -- none -- of the rights and privileges which that instrument provides for and secures to citizens of the united states. even though the constitution contained no definition of citizen, the court declared broadly that no one of african descent could ever -- could ever attain that status. the dred scott v. sandford decision was immensely controversial. it went far beyond dred scott's situation and held that all four million enslaved black americans in 1857, as well as hundreds of thousands of free men and women, were not and could not, nor ever

be citizens of the only country they had ever known. two of the justices of the court descented from the ruling and one resigned partially to protest it. the backlash over dred scott v. sandford became one of the precipitating causes of the civil war a few years later. as the civil war came to a close, with hundreds of thousands dead, with much of the south in ruins, with president lincoln asasassinated and with slavery abolished by the 13th amendment, the reunited nation realized it needed to fix the damage done by the dred scott case. and to do so, it needed to finally add a definition of citizen to the american constitution.