that this congress made very clear that we need to make government open and transparent while protecting the rights of individuals. i was wondering if you could just say a few words how you saw that dynamic as it was playing out? >> it's an eaier answer because senator kennedy was on the sidelines of the privacy act. the legislation was developed through senator irvin's subcommittee on a different committee. while we had conversations between the two, there was not this -- we didn't coordinate the drafting at all. that's one thing. the second thing is that as you know, the privacy act does have access to information for an individual for one's own file. notwithstanding the fifth exemption for--

>> we're leaving now for live coverage of the senate. you can watch it on c-span.org. and today the senate has a bill for provision that is would reduce social security benefits for those individuals who receive pensions from government. you're watching live coverage on c-span2. ... p the president pro tempore: the senate will come to order. the chaplain will lead us in prayer.

the chaplain: let us pray. most merciful god, help us to remember that the earth is yours. you established it, and you will sustain it. thank you that one day you will make a new heaven and a new earth. we long for a day when our broken bodies will be healed and our souls at rest. today give our senators clean hands and pure hearts to do your will. may they be men and women who seek after you. as they come together to make decisions on funding the government, may they have your wisdom to do what is best for the people they serve. we pray in your mighty name. amen. the president pro tempore: please join me in reciting the pledge of allegiance to the 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 president pro tempore: the clerk will report the unfinished business. the clerk: motion to proceed to calendar number 693, h.r. 82, an act to amend title 2 of the social security act to repeal the government pension offset and windfall elimitation provisions.

>> majority leader. >> in a few moments my friend senator peters will offer an amendment that responds e . and i think in force great work and leadership on this. i'm proud to be a a cosponsorf this bipartisan drone legislation. which the fbi, the dhs, faa and dod, department of defense also port. the senate should pass our bill without delay. our bill among other things explicitly authorizes state and local authorities to conduct drone detection and helps them better coordinate with federal law enforcement agencies to keep communities safe. the people in new york and new jersey have a lot of questions, and they're not getting good enough answers. the utter confusion surrounding these are drone sightings shows

that the fed's can't respond all on their own. they need help detecting these drones from local officials who have neither the resources nor the explicit authority to act and the bill fixes. we all know drones are a relatively new phenomenon. there are millions all over the united states. a lot of them are obvious, some of them companies doing legitimate work but the federal government doesn't have the ability or resources or if we were to say the federal government should look at this completely, they would be taken away from so many other important jobs. so the most logical thing to do is say let localities have some authority. these are law enforcement authorities. these are people we know and we trust. now for all we know the bill, for all we know the recent drone incidents are entirely benign but the people of new york and new jersey understandably still left questions and they deserve answers.

the problem is the widespread use of drones is relatively new in the eyes of federal law. and, therefore, the authority to detect drone activity near sensitive infrastructure is totally in federal jurisdiction. that should be fixed inappropriately. the federal government doesn't have the ability to go in every corner of america and see whether the drones are safe or not safe. local law enforcement is appropriate and they will work with the fed's in working on this. the bill is about giving local officials on the ground greater flexibility and proving technology to detect and track threats of jurisdiction. it's by giving people answers they don't have. directly from authorities on the ground. if this bill becomes law will have better clarity in the future. so i yield to my friends from michigan who is work hard in this issue for a long time. it has broad bipartisan support. i hope the senate can act. i yield. >> madam president?

>> the senator from michigan. >> more and more americans are using drones from everything from hobby flights the commercial applications as well as law enforcement activities. drones can offer important societal and economic benefits but they can also cause problems if they are not used appropriately. recently in new jersey we've seen reports of loud and menacing drones. while the department of homeland security, the fbi and other key agencies have assured the public these drones posed no immediate homeland security threat, they have certainly cause an ease and concern for many americans. rogue drones can interfere with commercial air traffic as we saw with the recent closure of of runways at a new york airport as well as large public gatherings like football games or concerts. the national football league, ,a key supporter of this legislation, has shared that at

recent seasons that scene more than 2500 drones violate the airspace around stadiums. edison cases leading to them stopping the football games to resolve potential threats to their fans as well as to their teams. we've also seen no drones operate by a bad actor can quickly become a quick, or very serious security threat. this summer and assailant used a drone to surveillance president elect trump's rally site in butler, pennsylvania, just hours, just hours before firing shots in the horrific assassination attempt. and that's why i've been working to pass bipartisan legislation that would address of these concerns by giving law enforcement the tools and the authorities that they need to detect, to identify, and track drones to ensure that they do not pose any risk to americans. mike legislation which passed

out of the committee that i chair, homeland security and government affairs, passed unanimously last congress out of committee, witty quip law enforcement agencies including state and local police like the officials currently dealing with the ongoing situation in new jersey with the tools to better detect and to track drones. and identify cases where they may pose a a security threat o large public gatherings, airports, critical infrastructure facilities as well as our community. most urgently this bill would ensure the law enforcement has a technology needed to quickly and clearly identify exactly what the reported sightings of drones across the country actually are. a drone is found to be a potential danger, our law enforcement agencies they must, they must have the tools to mitigate these threats effectively. that's why my bill would involve the department security and

department of justice to operate a pilot program so state and local law enforcement agencies can conduct drone mitigation activities to safely disable threatening drones before they cause serious harm. this legislation has strong bipartisan support here in u.s. senate. we can only have 28 cosponsors from both sides of the aisle. 14 democrats, 11 republicans and three independents. as a number of registered drones continue to grow so does they need to pass this critical legislation to ensure that our law enforcement agencies can address these potential threats. so i urge my colleagues to join me in passing this commonsense bill to safeguard our homeland and ensure that law enforcement can better protect our communities from the potential threats posed by recklessly or nefariously operated drones. so i ask unanimous consent that

the committee on homeland security and government affairs be discharged from further consideration of s1631 and the senate proceed to its immediate consideration that the peter's substitute amendment which is at the desk be considered and agreed to in the bill as amended be considered ready third time and passed and the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table with no intervening action or debate. >> is or an objection? >> madam president? >> the senator from kentucky. >> reserving the right to object. no one disputes that drones flying in airspace could be a danger. that drones flying over the super bowl could be a danger, that drones flying over military bases could be a danger. that's why it's illegal. it's currently illegal and the federal government has the capacity to investigate and stop drones that are in airspace over our military bases, following our ships.

we have that capacity, but what is disputed and what the biden administration is really telling us is they don't see a problem so if there's a problem that the biden administration be forthcoming. let us know the extent of the problem. let us know who is flying the drones and let us know what's going on. instead, this bill says well, we don't know, the biden administration doesn't know why do we give up our to the local officials to go after drones? but i rise today to object to this unanimous consent request because at the time public trust in government is in historic lows. this body must not rush to grant sweeping surveillance powers without proper consideration and debate by the committee's of jurisdiction. which is what i pledge to do beginning in january when we will be in charge of the committee's. yet what is going on is exactly what this legislation seeks to do now is to expand federal

authority to intercept communications and disrupt drone activity, powers that raise serious concerns for americans privacy come civil liberties and fourth amendment protections against unwarranted search and seizure. we are being told this legislation is urgent, that it is needed to address an imminent drones threat yet the government itself admits no such threat exists. so either there is a threat isn't a threat but the biden administration keeps saying well, , it's all normal stuff ad it is just playing. so it is or it isn't. why don't we get to the truth of the matter of what exists and what the threat is before we propose legislation? federal agencies including the department of homeland security and the fbi have stated clearly that there is no current national security risk, no public safety concern, and no unlawful drone activity requiring intervention. so there are either is a problem or that isn't a problem. if there is a problem let's

discuss how to do it while protecting the communications of innocent americans whose communications could be caught up in this legislation. until the assessment, federal assessment changes, the assessment that it isn't a a problem changes to that it is a problem and these are the malefactors, these are the people that orchestrating this, let's get that from the biden administration, tell us what the problem is, the extent of the problem. instead the biden administration is saying there's not a problem. so madam president, this pattern is all-too-familiar. history has shown us time and time again how fear and manufactured urgency are used as pretext to expand government power at the expense of freedom. after 9/11 congress passed the patriot act in the name of security. americans were promised the surveillance powers were necessary, it would only be directed towards foreigners,, they go be directed towards terrorists until we discovered that these powers being used on

americans. americans were promised these powers were necessary and temporary. instead they were abused, misused and weaponized. innocent americans had their privacy violated, their data collected and the rights trampled. the lesson is clear. when congress legislates in haste without careful scrutiny, without debate and accountability, it is the mac and people who suffer the consequences. today we are similar moment. the bill before us would grant law enforcement significant authority to intercept private electronic communications without consent. for example, the bill would allow the government to direct dragnets vince of the phones innocent americans traveling to use airports as long as the government claims they're doing it to neutralize a drone. so in order to look at information that might be coming to a drone and maybe you capture all the information everybody surrounding an airport or anybody who lives to an airport. once you have all that data what

are the assurances the government is looking at your data in addition to the data that may be related to find the drone? this is not just about security. the unchecked government overreach. it's up capitalizing on fear and media driven yesterday to jam through sweeping legislation that could violate the civil liberties of american people. congress has a a responsibilio serve as a check on executive power not as a rubber stamp. the federal government has the power to deal with the drones. the federal government has the power to stop any drones that are in airspace around airports at the federal government has the power to protect its airbases. so if a significant problem here the biden administration needs to come forward and let us know who are these drones, whose operating these drones? what is the federal government doing to protect either airport or bases from this? instead we're told by the biden administration there is no

threat to our national security. so let's first insist on truth and transparency from the biden administration before offering up legislation that is feel-good, pat summit on the bak and say we've done something about drones. we are strong on drones. congress has a constitutional responsibility to serve as a check on executive power, not as a rubber stamp. we owe it to the american people to the justification meaningful safeguards and full transparency before granting any new surveillance authorities. we are an nation of laws, not fear, not panic and not manufactured urgency. we do not trade away our freedoms, our privacy and a constitutional protections for vague promises of security. i will object to this bill today but i am open to talking with the authors of this bill about how we could have enhanced ability to interrupt drone activity but then while protecting all americans

constitutional right to privacy. madam president, i object. >> objection is heard. >> good afternoon. my colleagues and i remained squarely focused on achieving our dual mandate calls of maximum employment and stable prices for the benefit for the american people. the economy is strong overall and this made significant progress toward our goals over the past two years. the labor market has cooled from its formerly overheated state and remains solid. inflation has moved much closer to our 2% longer-run goal. we are committed to maintaining our economies strength by supporting maximum limit and returning inflation to our 2% goal. to that end today the federal

open market committee decided to take another step in reducing the degree policy restraint and lowering our policy interest rate by a quarter percentage point. we decide to continue to reduce our security holdings. i'll have more to say about monetary policy after briefly reviewing economic development. recent indicator suggests economic activity has continued to expand at a solid pace. gdp rose at an annual rate of 2.8% from the third quarter about the same pace as in the second quarter. the growth in consumer spending has remained resilient and investment and equipment intangibles have strengthened. in contrast activity in housing sector has been weak. overall, improving supply conditions that support a strong performance of used economy over the past year. in our summit of the government projections the committee participants generally expected gdp growth to remain solid with a median projection of about 2%

over the next few years. in the labor market conditions remain solid your payroll job gains has slowed from earlier in the year averaging 173,000 per month over the past three months. the unemployment rate is higher than it was a year ago but at 4.2% in november it has remained low. nominal wage growth has these over the past year and the jobs to workers cap has narrowed. overall, , a broad set of indicators suggest conditions in the labor market are now less tight that in 2019. labor market is not the source significant inflationary pressures. the median projection for the unemployment rate is 4.2% at the end of this year and 4.3% over the next few years. inflation has eased significantly over the past two years that remains somewhat elevated relative to our 2%

longer-run goal. estimates based on the consumer price index and other data indicate that total pce prices rose 2.5% over the 12 months ending in november, and that excluding the volatile food and energy categories, cork pce prices rose 2.8%. longer-term expected to remain well anchored as reflected in broad range of surveys of households, , businesses and forecasters. as well as measures of financial markets. the median projection in the sep for total pce inflation is 2.4% this year and 2.5% next year, somewhat higher% next year, somewhat higher than projected in september. mr. schumer: madam president, this morning, thanks to republicans, we're less than 48 hours away from a christmas shutdown. unfortunately, it seems republicans are in shambles over

in the house, but as they try to piece things together they should remember one thing -- the only way to get things done is through bipartisanship. the only way. let me repeat -- the only way to get things done is through bipartisanship. now, on the sergeant at arms, today it fills me with immense gratitude to pay tribute and say thank you to the senate sergeant at arms, general karen gibson, sitting right here. none of us, no matter what we do, could get through the day without the individual responsible for maintaining order, enforcing security, and keeping everyone in the senate safe. that's what the sergeant at arms does. general gibson took on this role in march of 2021, in the painful aftermath of the january 6 insurrection. by no means did she need to take this job. it was the senate that needed

her. we needed her three decades of leadership as an army intelligence officer. we needed her steady hand and ability to change how organizations function. and to this day, i thank god she answered my phone call. general gibson helped us get through those difficult months after january 6. she was a breath of fresh air, a boost of morale, a jolt of much-needed confidence. she transforms how the sergeant at arms operates for the better. under general gibson's watch, her team revitalized how the senate approaches security and safety, from the top to bot. she increased how we share intelligence, communication and planning with the rest of the federal government and state and local partners. she transformed the way the senate handles moments of crisis. there is now a single senate operation center that stands watch at all times, and alerts us to potential threats or disruptions in real time. she was a godsend for other

senate staff across the capitol com complex, introducing new emergency preparedness applications, new training, new protocols staff could adopt to keep their offices safe and prepared. finally, she revolutionized how the senate approaches cybersecurity, conducting the most comprehensive cybersecurity assessment ever, and every step of the way she had a first-rate team by her side to help execute her vision. and, one other thing, a bit intangible, the morale of our capitol police force has dramatically improved after the horrible days of january 6, and much of that goes to what general gibson did. she made them feel needed and confident and loved and well-trained and prepared, and i can tell just from speaking to so many capitol police officers how much they appreciated her tenure and her caring.

so, i am forever grateful to general gibson for her four terms as our sergeant at arms. the senate today is far more secure and far more prepared than the day she entered the role. my congratulations to her on a job well done. and the senate thanks her, all of us, democrat and republican, for many years of service. ann berry, i also want to say thank you to our wonderful secretary of the senate, ann berry. of the many talented and exceptional officers i had the privilege to nominate, ann is one of the very best. the job of secretary of the senate is of the utmost -- is one of the utmost important and in indispensable jobs in the senate. in fact, days after the senate achieved its first quorum in 1789, one of its top priorities was to elect the very first

secretary of the senate. back then, the senate's responsibilities were merely a fraction of what they are today. there's virtually nothing that happens in the senate these days, legislatively, financially, administratively, that doesn't cross the secretary's desk. to hold such an extraordinary position, you need an extraordinary human being who brings life to the job. where is she? she's probably just so busy doing her job, she's not here. anyway, that is ann berry, to a t. from the moment ann was sworn in, she's carried out her responsibilities as secretary with unparalleled excellence, supreme professionalism, and she did it while making history as the first ever black woman to serve as secretary of the senate. of course, ann's success as secretary comes as little surprise to anyone who knows her background. she's a veteran of some of the most revered senators to pass

through the chamber, the likes of senator leahy, edwards, carper, jones, and my mentor, senator moynihan. for the last nearly four years, ann has been one of the most invaluable members of the entire senate operation. she made our days easier, our operations smoother and made the senate work better for the american people, and that, madam president, is perhaps the highest testament to a public servant. ann, on behalf of a grateful senate, a grateful democratic caucus and grateful majority leader, we say congratulations, thank you, job well done. now, to dan yoken, mo i will so dearly miss. is he here somewhere? where's dan? dan yoken. socrates said the only good is knowledge, and the only evil is ignorance. if that's true, and i think socrates was on to something, then this is going to be a

particularly difficult goodbye for me to get through. because it fills me with gratitude and sadness to bid farewell and thank you to dan yoken. he served in the position of rapid response, but in truth he is far more than that. he is in a word a brain, the knowledge base of our messaging and research operation, eggs the truth keeper, the go-to person when our team needs something figured out right away. what sets dan apart is he also sees the big picture. anyone who excels at these things by necessity must possess a love of details and dan certainly does that. but what makes him so effective is how fluidly and naturally he

connection the details to the main thrust of what our team tries to do every day and to where we're headed as a caucus and country. he is also a craftsman, there is no speech, tweet, press release that doesn't pass through his careful touch. a native of nevada he starred as a press assistance of the former leader harry reid. it was dan's job to wake up early, read all the news and brief senator reid. if he had a question, it was dan's job to answer. if there was a specific detail he wanted, it was dan's job to remember it. for most people right out of school that would be a baptism by fire. in no time he became leader reid's deputy communication's director and joined my teamingas

the research director of the ccp. when i became leader there was never a moment of doubt that i wanted dan to come with me. running our messaging operation is not easy, it is a round the clock task, i would call him at all hours to ask him about this or that. it is a thankless job, and on top of that, he has to deal with me. every day my team and i succeed because dan is always there as a steady and stabilizing force. his knowledge of the senate, history, operation gives our work shape and form, all of this is possible because dan loves this institution and this great democracy. anyone who knows dan understands he loves many other good things as well. ask him about the los angeles golden knights and the time they came to the white house to celebrate their championship. or ask him about the last roots

concert he went to or poker night or about the next time he's planning to organize a schumer-land to audi field. ask him, certainly about his wonderful family, his beautiful red-head 2-year-old, his wife and a person for -- partner for so many years as well and ask him about his dog daisy who is a regular here every friday. he is someone who leads a rich life, someone who has a gifted mind, someone who is loyal, kind, thoughtful to all those he comes across. having him on my team for so long has been a blessing to our office, to the senate, to the country, so, dan, where ever you are, he's probably woushg as well. thank you -- working as well. thank you, thank you, thank you, you know how much we will miss you. you know how much we love you. you know how much you'll always

be part of our schumer family. and we can't wait to see what the future holds in store for you. i yield the floor and -- i don't note anything. i yield the floor to the republican leader. the presiding officer: the republican leader.

mr. mcconnell: i've been calling the senate's attention to the -- who serve me, this institution and our nation so well. and for so long in the republican leader's office. today i've reached the end of the list. my one remaining task is to prepare our colleagues for a senate without sharon. to tell the story of my chief of staff, you might start in 2010 when she assumed that title or in 2007 when she joined my team, or perhaps back in 1999 when she set up in the republican leader's suite for the first time.

but if you want to make sense of the person i've been so fortunate to have at my right hand, the friend and counselor i've trusted so deeply for so long, it's worth starting at the beginning with the people who made sharon what -- who she is. sharon grew up in stony brook, new york, on the campus of a christian school where her father was a teacher and head master. in the house on campus where ca carlin jean raised sharon along with her brother mark and sister cheryl, faith and learning were unshakeable cornerstones. the windows of sharon's bedroom looked out to the chapel and on

the other side to the cla classrooms. when you hear about her upbringing about her the fers time, everything you -- first time, everything you know about her makes sense. she is a woman of integrity, a teacher who leads by example, and rather than reinvent the wheel, i think the best way to sum up her favorite service is to talk about some of what her dad taught in the same way. that's number one, do meaningful work for a long time among peers who become lifelong friends. a long time ago -- i won't tell quite how long, sharon began our meaningful work near the senate as a junior legislative aide to a freshman senator. the prospect of devoting her

life to this institution might not yet crossed her mind but the senate was beginning to reel her in and work its will all the same. sharon likely wouldn't have allowed herself to imagine that some day the senate's sharpest minds would bring their weightiest question to her or that eventually an entire institution would come to lean on her voluminous legislative knowledge, her true political analysis and her wise personal counsel. and if she had, her deep humility wouldn't have let it show. instead perhaps the sharpest and singularly most capable staff leader the senate has ever seen

chose to invest her time and talents in building teams, in mentoring colleagues, and making a series of high-profile principles -- principals look smarter than we deserve. she spent her time notching her consequence of the greatest issues on stage all while deflecting praise. what sharon hasn't been able to dodge is the admiration of colleagues pasts present who count her among the greatest honors of her career. it's no mystery while sharon's calendar fills quickly with invitations to weddings and birthdays and and she readily clears her schedule for friends

and colleagues in moments of grief. our friend, our chief has done meaningful work for its own sake, but she's got the admirers to prove it. i'll turn now to the second lesson from mr. soterstrom, decide to live as a servant and take every opportunity to practice. public service is right there in the name. yet the brand of gracious leadership that has become sharon's calling card and the thoughtful courtesy which comes naturally to her, these are exceedingly rare. i was reminded recently of an

occasion years ago about this time in december when one of the junior most members of our front office team brought a familiar concern to sharon. the cheapest flight she could find to get home for the holidays was nonrefundable and it was looking more and more like the senate might have to spend christmas at work. what should she do? sharon didn't hesitate is she told -- she told this young lady to keep her flight, get home safely and the team would make do. in fact, the team did make do, and sharon was the first to volunteer to cover her shift at the front desk. i'm certain that no one who knows her would be surprised to hear this, certainly not any of us who watched sharon summon the strength even when her enormous professional responsibilities weighed heaviest to be a loyal

sister, a loving aunt to her nephew carl, and devoted caregiver to both of her parents in their final years. may the record reflect that the senate's most influential staff leader chooses every day to live as a servant. the third lesson is to laugh often, and as i'm sure sharon's dad would add, not just when there's cause to be joyful. that means laughing even when you don't get the reference, as sharon does good nartly -- such references are meant as compliments. like when they compare her legislative and procedural chops

to may's speed and power or a colleague calls her staffing a -- as a -- with a job as demanding as sharon's laughing often means finding leavitty in -- levity in the most serious examples. after colleagues were leaving the white house after a fruitless negotiation in the middle of a shutdown, as i understand it, they were heading out of the wrong exit. she heard a police officer yelling stop, without missing a beat, she turned to a colleague and said, if we just keep walking, this can all be over. fortunately for me and the

entire country even in the bleakest of stalemates, sharon was just joking. heeding these lessons isn't some simple sure-fire formula for pro duesing -- producing a prolific public servant. if more people practiced servant leadership and learned to laugh more, the world would be a much better place. but let's be absolutely clear. sharon soderstrom is one of one. the unassailable integrity, unwavering conviction and unshakeable devotion that resides in my chief of staff is greater than the sum of its parts. one of sharon's former colleagues on my staff once described her office as an emergency room where colleagues would come wheel in stretchers heaped with big, torny problems

and a head doctor with nerves of absolutely steel would begin to set things right. invariably sharon's steady demeanor inspired confidence in others. her resolve bolstered morale and from the most niche institutional matters to the heaviest questions of national policy, her utter and complete competence cared the day. -- carried the day. i wasn't the first member of the body to recognize sharon's challenge. but dibs on sharon and managing to keep her for so long has been one of my proudest accomplishments. in january the 119th congress will bring a new slate of weighty business, new moments of

minor crises and new opportunities to better serve the nation that we all love. but in the most trying moments and the most triumphant ones, a great many of us will feel like something is missing. we'll miss sharon, the 101st senator, on the case and at our sides. sharon, you served the senate with honor. you are the greatest at what you do. you modeled the lessons of the ones you look up to most, and you've earned countless friends who look up to you. the proudest triumphs of my time in this office have been your doing, and i'm forever in your debt. a senator: madam president.

the presiding officer: the senator from north carolina. mr. tillis: i ask unanimous consent that any members or staff in the chamber at this time be allowed to applaud for a period of up to 30 seconds. the presiding officer: without objection. [applause]

>> madam president, this morning thanks to republicans we're less than 40 hours away from a christmas shutdown. unfortunately, it seems republicans are in shambles over

in the house but as a try to piece things together they should remember one thing. the only way to get things done is through bipartisanship. the only way. let me repeat. the only way to get things done is through bipartisanship. now on the sergeant at arms. today it fills me with immense gratitude to pay tribute and say thank you to the sergeant, the senate sergeant at arms general karen gibson. right here. none of us know matter what we do could get through the day without the individual responsible for maintaining order, enforcing security and keeping everyone in the senate safe. that's what the sergeant at arms does. general gibson took on the fall and march 2021. in a painful aftermath of the january 6 insurrection. by no means did she need to take this job. it was the senate that needed

her. we needed her three decades of leadership as an army intelligence officer. we needed her steady hand and ability to change how organizations function, and to this day i thank god she answered my phone call. general gibson helped us get through difficult, those difficult months after january 6. she was a breath of fresh air who boosted morale and joe with much-needed confidence. she transforms of the sergeant at arms operates for the better. under general gibsons watch her team are vital is how the senate approaches security and safety from the top to the bottom. she increased how we share intelligence, to make asians and planning with the rest of that are covered with state and local partners. she informed, she transformed the way the scented candles moments of crisis. there is now a single senate operations center that stands watch at all times. and alerts us to potential threats or disruptions in real-time. she was a godsend for other

senate staff across the capitol complex, introducing new emergency preparedness applications, new training, new protocols, new protocol staff, protocol staff to keep their offices safe and prepared. finally she revolutionize have said approaches cybersecurity, conducting the most comprehensive cybersecurity assessment ever, and every step of the way she had a first-rate team by her side to help execute her vision. and one other thing. the morale of our capitol police force has dramatically improved after the horrible days of january 6th. and much of that goes to what general gibson did. she made them feel needed and confident and loved and well trained and prepared. and i can tell just from speaking to so many capitol hill police officers how much they appreciate her tenure and her

care. so i'm forever grateful to general gibson for her four terms as are sergeant at arms. the senate today is far more secure and far more prepared than the date she entered the role. my congratulations to her on a job well done. and the senate thanks her, all of us, democrat and republican, for many years of service. and and i want to say thank yo and barry for the many talented and exceptional senate officers i have the privilege of nominating as majority leader, she is one of the best. the job a sector of the senate is one of our utmost, is of the utmost important, what is most utmost, important and indispensable jobs here in the senate. in fact, days after the senate achieved its first quorum in 1789, one of one of its top priorities was to elect the very first secretary of the senate.

back then this then its responsibilities were merely a fraction of what they are today. there's virtually nothing that happens in the senate these days legislatively that doesn't cross the secretaries of desk. so the to hold such an extra day position that brings life to the senate you need an extraordinary human being who brings life to the job. she's probably just so busy doing her job she's not here. but anyway, that is ann barry to a tee. from the moment ann was sworn in she carried out her responsibilities as secretary with unparalleled excellence, supreme professionalism, and she did while making history as a first ever black woman to serve as secretary of the senate. of course her success the second day comes as little surprise to anyone who knows her background. she is a veteran of some of the most revered senators to pass to this chamber, the likes of

senator leahy, edwards, carper, jones and my mentor senator moynihan. for the last nearly 40 years under four years she's been one of the valuable members of the entire senate operations. she made our days is your, operations smoother and made the senate work better for the american people and that, madam president, is perhaps the highest testament to a public servant. so ann on behalf of a grateful senate, grateful democratic caucus and grateful majority leader, we say congratulations. thank you. job well done. now to daniel who i will so dearly miss. is he here somewhere? where is dan? well, dan, socrates said the only good is knowledge and the only people is ignorance. ..

what sets them is not just looking anyone excels certainly does not. it's so effective naturally he connects details what our team tried to do every day.

and they will touch. former leader everyday. everyday it was his job was going on that day. detail he wanted remember. he belonged here in the senate and medications director and

sisi and there was never a moment. it's around-the-clock task. i call him all hours stressful everyday my team. e presiding of republican whip. mr. thune: mr. president, i rise today to pay tribute to the longest serving party leader in senate history, republican leader mitch mcconnell. over the course of a political career that began with a hard-fought race for student council president in his junior year of high school, a race i might add that he won with what would become his signature blend, hard work, intelligence, and determination, mitch has built a legacy that will long, long outlast his time here in

the united states senate. mr. president, the day he became the longest serving party leader in senate history, leader mcconnell delivered a speech discussing past senate party leaders and their charact characteristics, from the mastery of relationships demonstrated by lyndon johnson to the, quote, tackle football, end quote, of joseph taylor robinson. it got me thinking about some of the things that characterize mitch's tenure. there are three that stand out to me in particular. first, there's mitch's peerless knowledge of senate procedure. i suspect few who have served in this body have developed the kind of knowledge that mitch possesses of the most arcane det details, and they are arcane, of senate rules. but mitch recognized early on that knowledge of senate procedure could play a big part in success as a senator. it was right -- he was right.

so with his signature determination, he set out to acquire it, and became an undisputed master. second, mr. president, to that wealth of knowledge he lass added a fierce commitment to the senate as an institution, a commitment i hope to emulate when i take the reins as majority leader next year. there are a lot are of people out there these days who would like to see the senate turn into a copy of the house of represe representatives, but that's not what our founders envisioned or what our country needs. mitch has served our entire country by fighting to ensure that the senate maintains its institutional character. finally, mr. president, perhaps the aspect of mitch's tenure that stands out to me the most is the work he's done to protect the rule of law by filling the judiciary with judges and justices who understand what the role of a judge is, to interpret the law not make it, to call

balls and strikes not rewrite the rules of the game. during his time as majority leader, mitch oversaw the confirmation of 234 men and women to the federal bench. three of them as supreme court justices. the effects of that will be felt for a long time to come, in decisions up and down the judiciary that respect the law and the constitution. that, mr. president, is no small legacy. mitch can step down from his post knowing that no one has done more to preserve our legal system and the essential role that it plays in our republic. mi mitch, it's been a great honor to serve with you, and i'm grateful that while you're stepping down from your role as leader, you will still be here in the senate, bringing your mastery of senate procedure to leadership of the senate rules

committee. hope hopefully, hopefully you won't mind a few knocks on your door for advice. thank you for your long and faithful service to our party, to the senate, and to our country. i look forward to continuing to work with you in the years ahead. mr. president, i yield the floor. i suggest the absence of a quorum.

mr. cotton: mr. president. the presiding officer: the senator from arkansas. mr. cotton: last week, joe biden commuted the sentences of nearly 1500 convicted criminals, including drug dealers, fraudsters and corrupt public officials. these are not sympathetic figures. these are individuals who stole from the poor and poisoned the sick. they tore families apart and menaced communities. they were sent to jail. they belong in jail. with this action, joe biden didn't just reward 1500 criminals, he robbed hundreds of thousands of victims of the closure and justice they deserve. the cruelty of these commutations is only matched by the shameless incompetence of

the administration that issued them. this administration admitted -- it admitted that joe biden didn't individually review these cases, or for that matter anyone else individually reviewed the cases. yet he nullified the verdict of thousands of jurors and judges anyway. he also disrespected the countless man-hours that federal law enforcement and prosecutors dedicated to solving these cases. the whole purpose of the presidential pardon power is to correct individual and limited failures of the criminal justice system. it's in the nature of the power in government itself. we are a legislature. we make generally applicable, prospective laws for everyone. can those laws, in certain cases, yield unjust outcomes?

yes, of course. that is the nature of the legislative power, the reason an executive has the pardon power is to mitigate that injustice, in specific, particular cases. it's not to make generally applicable pardons in a broad set of parameters, as white house officials have called it. certainly not to blindly free hundreds of duly convicted crim criminals. these blanket commutations demonstrate a gross contempt for our legal system and its traditions. to put president biden's actions in context, he issued more commutations in a single day than donald trump, george bush and bill clinton issued in their entire presidencies combined. let's just talk about a few of

the beneficiaries of joe biden's jailbreak. jacqueline mills stole $3 million that was intended for hungry arkansas kids and low-income families. dr. mirra sachadava defrauded medicare by diluting chemotherapy drugs and reusing old needles on cancer patients. at least one patient, at least one, contracted hiv as a result. fraudster paul, but ran a nearly $1 billion ponzi scheme that robbed 900,000 vestors of -- investors of their money. drug dealer wendy heckman and her husband manufactured and distributed super deadly fentanyl unleashing an pandemic of drug overdoses in omaha. another drug dealer, daniel

filera killed a 31-year-old relapsing addict by selling her fentanyl, which is 50 times stronger than the heroin she thought she was buying. chukwan hemingway trafficking fentanyl, methamphetamine and guns for the vicious helesco new generation cartel. joe biden even commuted the sentence of a serial killer, virginia gray, who is known as the black widow, for murdering two husbands and a boyfriend and collecting insurance money. perhaps the president would have reconsidered this decision if he knew anything about mrs. gray, but he didn't, because yet again he and white house officials did not review individual cases on the merits. they didn't pick up the case file. they didn't talk to victims or families. then there's the parade of

corrupt public officials, the worst of whom is michael conahan, the so-called cash-for-kids judge, who accepted kick backs in exchange for his role in sending more than 2300 children to private detention centers, including an 8-year-old. again, a judge in pennsylvania sentenced more than 2300 children to private juvenile detention centers in return for cash kickbacks. one man he sent to jail later killed himself. he was just 23 years old. his mother said that she is shocked and hurt by joe biden's commutation. yet again, the president did not review the case individually. president biden also xhoouted the sentence of -- commuted the sentence of an ohio commissioner

who took $450,000 in bribes. he even commuted the sentence of rita crunwell a city comptroller from illinois who embezzled $54 million. crunwell was responsible for not only the biggest city embezzlement scandal in the history of illinois, she was responsible for the biggest embezzlement scandal in the hitched of america up to that time -- in the history of america up to that time. now, i understand that we have disagreements about criminal justice, and the democrats don't always share my view on these things, but for years we've heard lectures about the rule of law and how joe biden and democrats are the defenders of democracy. yet joe biden is the one commuting the sentences of the very public officials who most threaten the public trust in our democracy. the american people also know

that joe biden issued these commutations for a simple reason -- it helps cover up the corrupt pardon that he issued to his corrupt son, to protect his family. i think we should condemn all of these pardons, and certainly condemn the president for not individually reviewing the merits of the cases. but again, i understand my democratic colleagues don't agree with that, so i only offer a resolution to condemn one pardon, simply one, maybe the worst one, michael conahan, the cash for kids judge who took cash, kickbacks and bribes to sentence more than 2300 kids to private detention centers. the judge who put american children in jail for money.

surely the senate can condemn this single act of corrupt clemency. therefore, mr. president, notwithstanding rule 22, i ask unanimous consent that the senate proceed to consideration of senate resolution 935, which is at the desk. further, i ask unanimous consent the resolution be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, and the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table with no intervening action or debate. the presiding officer: is there objection? mr. durbin: mr. president. the presiding officer: the senator from illinois. mr. durbin: reserving the right to object. i would like to clarify the record on president biden's use of the pardon power which is established in the constitution in article 2, section 2. on december 12, president biden commuted the sentences of nearly 1500 americans who were placed on home confinement under a

bipartisan provision of the cares act. these individuals were all convicted of nonviolent offenses and have complied with the terms of home confinement for more than one year. this clemency is consistent with the long history of presidents using a categorical approach to exercise the constitutional power of pardon. example, president kennedy, pardoned all first-time offenders convicted of violating the narcotics control act of 1966. president truman paddoned those who -- president carter provided a parred orn for hundreds of thousands of man who evaded the draft during the vietnam war. now i understand that senator cotton is opposed to clemency in

an individual's case, but if he is concerned about undermining the rule of law and robbing victims of justice weeks should consider just a few of donald trump's pardons. for example, take president trump's decision to grant clemency to at least ten health care executives and doctors convicted on large-scale medicare schemes. these decisions wiped away years of prison sentences and restitution totaling hundreds of millions of dollars for some of the worst health care frau fraudsters. consider philip s. forms, who was sentenced to 20 years of prison for involving himself in the largest health care fraud scheme ever charged by the department of justice. he received more than $37 million in a scheme

involving $1.3 billion in fraudulent claims. following his commutation, he pleaded guilty to new medicaid fraud charges and in october was arrested for domestic violence, he was the seventh person pardoned by president trump. he pardoned his former campaign manager, paul manafort, michael flynn, his former advisor, steve bannon, and at least seven republican congressmen who have been convicted of crime. bannon was charged with defrauding donors of more than a million dollars as part of a fundraising campaign purportedly

aimed at supporting president trump's border wall. he solicited true loyalists and friends of donald trump saying he would raise money and build the wall donald trump spoke of so frequently. bannon tlaul used -- actually used the money to raise to cover hundreds of thousands of dollars of his own personal expenses. president trump has promised he will pardon the january 6 rye otters -- rioters. he calls them political prisoners. you remember that. these insurrectionests invaded this building and took control of the building. and then along comes president trump who says if i'm reelected,

i'll pardon them. i would like to ask the senator from arkansas if it is right to pardon david dempsey, convicted of assaulting police officers by using, quote, his hands, feet, pepper spray, broken pieces of furniture, anything else he could get his hands on, his weapons against the police. how about shane jenkins who used two tomahawk axes to break into the building and threw a wooden desk door and flagpole at police officers. how about a trump pardon for kyle fitssimmons, he was convicted of five separate assaults, including one that created life altering injuries to one police officer. and kenneth bonowitz, another

pardon, he was a mechl of the so-called proud boys. he assaulted six officers, including placing one officer in a chokehold and lifting him up by the neck. he injured one officer so severely, the officer was forced to retire from the police force. if you want to talk about misuse of a presidential pardon power, let's be fair, honest and balanced. i don't recall the senator from arkansas or any single republican colleague of his introducing similar resolutions to criticize any of president trump's pardons, i haven't her any senate republican urging president trump not to pardon the january 6 rye otters -- rioters. president biden's pardons are far more defensible than

president trump's pardons for what he is planning at the beginning the day of his dictatorial rule as he called it in the beginning of his second term. for these reasons i object. the presiding officer: the senator from arkansas. mr. cotton: i heard a lot of very troubling cases from the senator from illinois. it's true, i generally think presidents have given out improve demingsal parred -- pardons, and i will not defend jimmy carter pardoning a bunch of draft dodgers, mostly rich and privileged kids who didn't do their duty when poor kids from arkansas were doing their duty in vietnam like my father was. we're not here to talk about vietnam draft dodgers or who president trump pardoned or who he might pardon. there is a resolution pending that specifically condemns michael conahan who took cash

k kickbacks to sentenced children to private juvenile detention centers. i do feel strongly that president biden got it wrong and created a lot of pain. some children took their lives because of it. i thought the sentence that the judge got was too light. he deserved to be behind bars, not walking as a free man. those are the words of pennsylvania's governor who called joe biden's clemency decision absolutely wrong. the senior senator from minnesota joined senator shapiro, said she did not like that one. even the chairman of the west virginia democratic party publicly condemned president biden's pardons and pointed out judge conahan. this resolution is not partisan,

it's not sweeping, it's common sense. it's about a single egregious case that happened because of egregiously bad judgment. the president and his aides set broad par -- parameters and they didn't have the time and decency to say let's look at these cases and see if each one deserves a pardon. maybe one wasn't an elderly nonviolent offender who redeemed himself, whose victims had forgiven him. i could understand clemency in that case. not the cash for kids judge. it's only 1500 cases, they've got thousands of lawyers running around the department of justice. could they not look at these cases individually?

i guess not. it is an example of how democrats have accused donald trump doing this or that when they're doing much worse. we heard the senator from illinois talk about a pardon of a political loyalest, who could be more of a political loyalest than the president's own son? and that's what joe biden. his first big post-election pardon, pardoned his son, not just for specific crimes to which he had pleaded guilty or which he had been convicted, gun crimes and tax crimes, but for all crimes, all crimes that he committed or may have committed, may have committed for 11 years. that's almost twice the length of a similar pardon that president ford gave to president

nixon, i think most of that would view as an act of political courage. i don't think that anyone in retrospect is going to think that joe biden pardoning his son for every crime he might have committed against the united states for 11 years is ever going to be seen as an act of political courage or if he does the same thing for his brother or any other members of his family before noon on january 20. so starting next year, i really won't have time for crocodile tears about president trump's pardon decisions if the senate can't bring itself today to condemn, just one single egregious case of abuse of the pardon power, the cash for kids judge who sentenced 2300 children to private detention centers in return for cash

kickbacks. mr. president, i yield the floohan

.

democrats and senate republicans and bipartisan from the government covid shut down any of the american people. the bipartisan agreement that will help farmers my family some of the future will cost americans, veterans, men and women uniform all across the nation and the world. that bipartisan agreement detonated and house republicans

ordered to shut down the government and hurt the very working as american -- 1946, president harry s. truman of missouri invited the former prime minister of the united kingdom winston churchill to fulton, missouri, westminster college, to deliver a speech. the two men actually traveled to the speech together over land by train. it was a remarkable occasion. by this time, of course, churchill was in retirement or a brief retirement. he was to return to public office some sometime thereafter. churchill might have chosen at that speech in fulton at westminster college to talk about any number of things. he might have talked about his legacy as many people do in washington, d.c. these days. he might have told stories about the recently won world war. but instead he gave one of the most significant speeches of the

20th century, a speech that defined with moral clarity unparalleled the challenges of the second half of the 20th century. he called it the sinus of peace speech but became known as the iron curtain speech. it was in missouri that he so famously said an iron curtain has descended across the european continent and went on to say that the struggle against soviet communism would be the great moral challenge. and of course the national security challenge, the great cause of free peoples everywhere in the second half of the 20th century. he was absolutely correct. and that speech set the tone. it set the agenda. it set the moral framework for the decades that would follow. culminating of course with president reagan's own victory over soviet communism which he led this country to triumph and the fall of the berlin wall which would come over four

decades after churchill visited fulton. now, interestingly, when churchill came to fulton that day and to westminster college, they didn't have a space big enough for him other than the westminster college gymnasium. so churchill gave his speech in the gym there at westminster college. and then the years that followed, as the speech became progressively more famous, as churchill's prophetic insight became more and more recognized the residents felt it would be befitting to create a memorial on westminster college to commemorate that speech. they settled upon something interesting. in 1966, 20 years after the speech had first been delivered, the residents of fulton transported from london the bricks of a church, a parish church in london called st. mary alderman berry that had been destroyed in the blitz of 1940 when churchill was prime minister, when england stood alone against the nazi scourge.

the residents of fulton transported those bricks from that church that had been destroyed to fulton, missouri, to the westminster campus, and they rebuilt the church. right there on the campus of westminster. here it is now as it stands today, and there is a statue of churchill right next to it. the thing about this church is, it was first built in the 11th century, the first mention that we have of it is in 1181 when it was a parish church in the city of london. it was actually destroyed once before in the great fire of london in 1666 and then it was rebuilt by sir christopher rin before it was gutted again by the blitz in 1940. so here it stands today in fulton, missouri, on the campus of westminster college, a monument to winston churchill, yes, but also a monument to the great bonds between the united

states and the united kingdom, to our shared struggle to free the world of tyranny in the 20th century and to our shared victories together across that great century. and today, mr. president, i'm here on this floor to ask consent to pass legislation to designate this memorial as a national historic landmark to make sure that from now on, the ame americas churchill museum as it's called in fulton will stand recognized by this country as a national historic landmark and that the national park service will continue to help maintain it and to study future potential designations for the site. so, mr. president -- we're going to pause. i understand for one moment and then i'll ask permission to pass the bill.

the presiding officer: the senator from new york jib jib i ask unanimous consent for the quorum call to be vitiated. the presiding officer: there's no quorum call at this time jib jib thank you, mr. president. forward, ontario was the only u.s. shelter for people fleeing the holocaust. fort ontario was the only refugee shelter for people fleeing the holocaust. it gave them a safe haven. it gave them strength.

it gave them hope that when they needed it the very most we were there. jill jill it was one of the first places where american residents would ever hear firsthand accounts about what happened during the holocaust. in fact, there are still residents in this and other communities today who remember the experiences of living in or outside fort ontario at a time when nearly a thousand holocaust refugees were living there and receiving medicare, food, and education. mrs. gillibrand: locating in new york, the fort ontario holocaust refugee center was supposed to be the first of many temporary relief camps across the united states during world war ii. but it was the only one that came to fruition. for years i've been working with the local community members to honor and preserve it. i have visited them. i have heard their stories. i have learned about the importance of the fort ontario

holocaust refugee shelter to them and their families, and the larger community. this site has long played an extraordinary role in our nation's history, and its story deserves to be part of the national park system. establishing the fort ontario holocaust refugee shelter national historic park would give this site permanent protection. and it would help to make sure it is preserved and enshrined in the site's legacy of hope, compassion, and resilience for future generations. i want to thank congressman tenny and former congressman cacko for helping lead this effort and also want to thank senator hawley for his partnership and the senate for passing this bill. mr. president, i where -- i suggest an absence of a quorum. the presiding officer: the clerk will call the roll. quorum call: the clerk: ms. baldwin.

mrs. gillibrand: i request vitiation of the quorum call. the presiding officer: without objection.

mrs. gillibrand: mr. president, notwithstanding rule 22, i ask unanimous consent that the senate proceed to the immediate consideration of the following bills en bloc, calendar 630, s. 4607. calendar 589, s. 2742. the presiding officer: is there objection? without objection. the senate will proceed to the measures en bloc. mrs. gillibrand: i ask unanimous consent that the committee-reported substitute amendments where applicable be agreed to, the bills as amended if amended be considered read a third time and passed, and that the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table all en bloc.

the presiding officer: without objection. mrs. gillibrand: mr. president, i yield the floor. mrs. gillibrand: mr. president, i suggest the absence of a quorum. the presiding officer: the clerk will call the roll. quorum call: the clerk: ms. baldwin. the clerk: ms. baldwin.

oh well so long in the leader's office. today the end of the list in one remaining task prepare for senate. the story of mine in 2010 and when she joined my team or perhaps and 99 when she served in the republican leaders week but if you want to make sense of this, friend and counselor, it's

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meaningful work more people learn to laugh more, the world will be much better place. and unwavering conviction and devotion. and an emergency room. each with big problems and begin to set things right.

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[applause] [applause] >> wrister president, i rise today to pay tribute to the longest-serving party leader in senate history. republican leader mitch mcconnell. over the course of a political career that begin with hard-fought race for student council president in his junior year of high school, race i might add that he won with what would become his signature blend, hard work, intelligence and determination. he has built a legacy that will long, long outlast his time here in the united states senate.

mr. president, the day he begin the longest-serving party leader in senate history, , leader mcconnell delivered a speech discussing past senate party leaders and their characteristics from the mastery of relationships demonstrated by lyndon johnson to the quote tackle football end quote of joseph taylor robinson. and it got me thinking about some of the things that characterizes his tenure. there are three of them that stand out in particular. first, there's his peerless knowledge of senate procedure. i suspect few who have served in his body have developed the kind of knowledge mitch possesses of the most arcane details, and they are arcane, of senate rules. but mitch recognized early on knowledge of senate procedure could play a big part in success as a senator. and he was right.

so with his signature determination he set out to acquire it and became an undisputed master. second, mr. president, in that wealth of knowledge is added a fierce commitment to the senate as an institution. a commitment i hope to emulate when i i take the reins as majority leader next year. there are a lot of people out there these days who would like to see the center into a copy of the house of representatives but that's not what our founders envisioned or what our country needs. and mitch has served our entire country by fighting to ensure that the senate maintains its institutional character. finally, mr. president, press the aspect of mitch's cannula stands up to me the most is were keys done to protect the rule of law by filling the judiciary with the judges and justices who understand what the role of the judge is, to interpret the law not make it. to call balls and strikes, not

rewrite the rules of the game. during his time as majority leader mitch oversaw the confirmation of 234 men and women to the federal bench. three of them as supreme court justices. and the effects of that will be felt for a long time. the decisions up and down the judiciary, the respect the law and the constitution. that, mr. president, is no small legacy. and mitch can step down from his post knowing that no one has done more to preserve our legal system and the essential role that it plays in our republic. mitch has been a great honor to serve with you. and i'm grateful that while you're stepping down from your role as leader you will still be here in the senate bringing your mastery of senate procedure to leadership of the senate rules

committee. hopefully, hopefully you won't buy a few knocks on your door for advice. thank you for your long and faithful service to our party, to the senate, and to our country. i look forward to continue to work with you in the years ahead. mr. president, i yield the floor and suggest the absence of a quorum. >> it took a lot of time, dei, second want to examine the nature of the threat as it pertains to the cartel to determine what we should focus on. and third, the legislative solutions we can realistically past and what policy changes

also need to occur at the executive level. realistically pass with bipartisanship is very important. as -- here's what we found. a lot of agencies doing a lot of things. they're working really hard. but those efforts are largely disjointed. there's no lead agency and it begs the question we get to answer on the task force, which is is this a law enforcement question or is it a national security question? this is a question which answer as as a government, as the doj beaverhead? bill barr, he thinks the attorney general should be the head. he makes a good argument for that. then again were dated with a terrorist organization and get to that in a second. should be more of a national security focus? should this be a dod's led effort? these are questions we still yet to answer. the reality it's all of the

above. the truth is every enemy we have fought in the last, forever, has always been a completely -- i don't think this will be different. we do see a lot of success in energy coordination in one place and that's the embassy in mexico city. that's great coordination from all different agencies, incredible operation but it's very -- that'll happen every tactical level. there is no strategic ordination anywhere in the u.s. government. that's a problem. i think we are basically the one place where it is -- [inaudible] when it comes to the problem of threat poseable be focused on, if one thinks this is easy. when asked to tweet about the cartel, everyone who's been working on and what method is its complex. the solutions we came across our complex. the cartels op-eds multinational businesses. money launderers, cocaine

produces, american traffickers and distributors and mexican -- bankers and lawyers look at the financial legal affairs human trafficking, extortion and a lot of legitimate businesses. same time there and it's urgency. that would a key finding that i want to define. they are an insurgency. they operate with terrorist tactics but fun a moment there an insurgency. they want power of government institutions. that will integrate into mexican culture and government. the operate in out of government. in some states they basically control the state government. they seize it or they bribed them. they have a military, the military three well-equipped and very well-funded. there not afraid use on on each other or mexican citizens or us. they do conduct terrorist acts when necessary but they don't have the same exact

characteristics to set isis or i'll cut it. not ideologically motivated. we begin by looking at the cartels through two lenses and i would categorize that in the short term the long-term. short-term when you do save american lives by stopping fentanyl. nearly 80,000 americans here. it's why american public and politicians have focus more on cartels because of the fentanyl problem. the cartels been around a long time but fentanyl problem has changed. and a short-term when to stop that. that's an achievable goal. it's largely controlled by two cartels, sinaloa cartel, c. j. that's helpful. that meets will have a couple dockets to focus on. we can take advantage of their business operations as they could, -- the cost not worth the reward. that is an achievable goal. there's evidence of that.

we can trace an seize crypto transaction, expander intelligence collection kit builders builds to increase penalties on falsified manifests come into our country. we can increase penalties for fentanyl dealers on her own street. make the cost bigger than the reward for them. there's a longer-term goal. we have an interest in basic of being a safe and prosperous country. i posed this question can if you could choose one country outside of the training to make ten times more prosperous and safer, what country would you choose? mexico. our biggest trading partner, our southern border, we need they seem to be a safe and wonderful place. we need the mexican government to cooperate and understand that. in the long-term with address the insurgents. that's more difficult. you need mexican cooperation to do that. a lot of it. that's not something they have

been willing to do. this is a big challenge because historic and political dynamics that include 1840 as if they were yesterday. i grew up in latin america. have a pretty good understanding of latin america culture. even i was surprised by how big of a deal this was in mexican political culture. they remember this like it was yesterday. they have a strong political populism that drives their stiff arming of american diplomacy and cooperation. it's not us. it's of them but a hopeful with the next administration and made with some approaches by the next trump administration we might be able to surpass some of those obstacles. they are willing, we could commit to bilateral security cooperation, i would model that on columbia where we provide mexican with tools and resources and on the uorum call? the presiding officer: yes. mr. cornyn: i'd ask consent that the quorum call be dispensed

with. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. cornyn: mr. president, last week i came to the floor to speak about a new acronym that we're becoming more and more familiar with, doge or the department of government efficiency that will be led by elon musk and very vikram s swam -- vivek. one of the things i'm working on is to accomplish as a founding member to reform and hopefully revitalize the pentagon. as i've said repeatedly, we're living in one of the most dangerous times since world war ii. so it's absolutely critical that our systems at the pentagon are operating in a topnotch shape. but as we know, as of now many of the acquisition processes depending on follows are similar if not identical to those followed by the soviet union back in the day.

if you know your history, the united states beat the soviet union when the wall fell and when the soviet union collapsed. so it's obvious that their model doesn't work very well and neither did their system of military procurement. but as i mentioned last week, where and how we spend our money is just as important as how much we spend. we seem to be fixated on the how much but not how and where the money is spent. preparing for the strategic competition we are in the midst of is not as simple as just increasing the percentage of spending of gdp. we need to make sure that the money that is spent is spent efficiently and accurately. meeting the needs of the world, the dangerous world we live in. the end of the cold war bought us a peace dividend but one

consequence of that victory was the overwhelming consolidation of the defense industrial base and weakening of our supply chains. in the early 1990's, we had several hundred companies participating in our national defense industrial base. today we have five. the lack of competition in this area combined with our penchant for requiring unique defense systems has hampered our bargaining power and led to waste and abuse. the use of plus contracts shifts the risk of costs overrun to the government. as a result, it's not unusual to find projects delayed by years and running hundreds of millions of dollars over budget. take, for example, under sea autonomous vehicles. boeing was contracted to deliver five orca vehicles for $379

million in 2022. yet here we are $620 million later with anticipated delivery date of 2025. if we keep going at this rate, we simply will not be prepared for the confrontation from the authoritarian axis that is quickly coming our way. but the good news this story doesn't have to end the way the soviet union did. we are, after all, the united states of america. and i'm optimistic we can learn from our mistakes other countries have made in the past to win this strategic competition with the axis of authoritarians. i'm hoping by implementing reforms we can pivot from the path we're on to one of peace through strength. ultimately the goal should be deterrence, preventing the next war. the pentagon should move away from cost-plus contracts towards

reliance on fixed-price contracts. under a fixed-price model, cost overruns are borne by the contractor instead of the buyer, which in this case is the pentagon. this is just a commonsense business practice that should be the standard model to incentivize productivity and efficient operations. newer, nontraditional nondefense companies like andril and palantir as well as spacex in my home state of texas have made a strong case for this commonsense approach. these companies have leveraged billions of dollars in our capital markets, perhaps our greatest strategic advantage compared to our adversaries to produce quality defense items at unmatched scale and speed. they also provide important and critical jobs across a variety of skill levels, often in a

low-cost-of-living area. this helps revitalize our cities. their model underscores the need to transition from our old model of acquisition process first created in the 1960's which leverages the private sector to strengthen our national defense. in addition to shifting our model of procurement and aquestion decision -- acquisition, we need to change the risk-averse culture at the department of defense. i don't mean taking unnecessary risks. i mean taking calculated risks where called for and where indicated. newer entities such as the defense innovation unit or the office of strategic capital are willing to assume greater risk since they understand the need for rapid acquisition. ary ability to -- their ability to identify to adopt

technologies is one area where procurement and contracting offices should be emulating. rather than having the dod create elaborate requirements with multiple overlays of bureaucracy and review, our officials should be looking for existing products and technologies that substantially meet the needed requirement. the federal acquisition streamlining act of 1994 actually requires these officials to do that. the fact that they're reluctant to do so underscores the need to reform the culture of acquisition and procurement. while these are all needed updates that must happen, i'm optimistic that the pentagon can and will with our help and encouragement make progress on all of these fronts in order to be prepared for the challenges that our country faces ahead. one reason i'm optimistic is because of some of these reforms

that are already under way, as they haven't been included in the national defense authorization act. and i'm proud to have championed several of them. two of my bills included in the ndaa would enhance our procurement capabilities. one, the capability-based trade and unconventional resource engagement -- or capture -- act will create a pilot project allowed -- to better determine the value of products by nontraditional defense contractors. and then my encouraging qualitative upgrades or equip act will permit combatant commanders to use the defense modernization fund to procure commercial technologies. lastly, my enable i.c. partnership acts will encourage public-private partnerships.

this will help address the lack of competition in innovation within the government and within the country. these reforms i believe are a start but our work is not yet complete. i'm confident that under new leadership, including that of secretary-designee hegseth, in collaboration with people like elon musk and vivek ramaswamy, win tech to make additional needed reforms at the pentagon. again, with the goal of preventing the next war, of reestablishing deterrence, something we have not done so, as evidenced by all of the hot spots around the world ranging from the middle east to north korea to china to russia. i look forward to working with all of my colleagues and with each of these individuals to help them rebuild our military into the powerhouse that has long defined american strength.

mr. president, i yield the floor. mr. tuberville: mr. president. the presiding officer: the senator from alabama. mr. tuberville: thank you, mr. president. mr. president, today's farmers across the country are facing significant financial losses for most commodities planted during the 2024 crop year. it's a dire situation. basically, they're in trouble. and i've been significant this for a while now. for the sake of american food security, national security, and rural prosperity, congress must pass economic assistance for our farmers before the end of this year. that is why i'm asking congress to pass a stand alone economic

assistance package for our farmers. no strings attached. this isn't for the lobbyists, special interests, or liberal pet projects. it would go directly to the people who feed, clothe, and fuel the united states of america and the world. it's for the american farmers who are desperate -- they're in desperate need of help to survive. this economic assistance certainty -- certainly won't make -- won't help farmers make a profit. they have no chance. it won't even help them break even. right now many farmers won't be able to secure financing and renew their operating loans to keep their farms running for another year. begin, they're in trouble. -- again, they're in trouble. this funding would only help

farmers cover part of the 2023 and 2024 losses for american producers. for crops grown in my state of alabama specifically, the expected losses this year are over $200 per acre. cotton producers are in worse shape with losses -- with approximately $373 per acre. peanut farmers, losses are next at almost $198 per acre. other crops such as corn, soybeans, rice are also facing devastating financial losses. these losses are occurring after farmers have produced bumper crops, which have yielded some of the best crops producers have seen in many, many years. this indicates that a major economic disaster is looming for our producers and our country. if this dire situation

continues, the american agriculture industry will face permanent -- permanent damage. american farming as we know it could cease. i repeat, cease to exist. regardless of the region, state, crop, or weather pattern, there is one thing every farmer is subject to -- that's the law of economics. and right now it's an economic disaster for our farmers across this country in all states. the math is simple -- with production costs and interest rates at an all-time high, farmers' expenses are exceeding their profits. under president biden's leadership, costs for feed is up 22%. fertilizer, up 34%. fuel, up 30%.

on top of that, labor is up 40%, and interest, up 54% on crop loans. 54%. you can't make these numbers up. input costs are skyrocketing, while commodity prices have plummeted, absolutely plummeted, and are expected to continue falling. according to the 2022 usda agriculture census, our nation has lost over 25,000 producers in just the last few years. according to the usda net farm income, this year it is projected to decline 4.1% from 2023. this follows a shocking -- listen to this, a shocking 22.6% decline from 2022 levels. these figures represent over $40

billion in lost revenue for america's hardworking producers. no business -- not one business in this country can survive like this. our farmers and our farms are no different. this is the largest two-year decline in farm income in the history of this country, the history of the country. in alabama alone, we have lost nearly 2,000 producers, over 3,200 farms in just the last few years. this will cause farms to get bigger, not smaller. economies of scale will continue to push out small and medium-sized growers, resulting in further consolidation of the agriculture industry. the little guys, in other words, they can't compete. we cannot allow these terrible trends to continue.

american farmers are rapidly approaching a steep financial cliff. many will go off the ledge, never to recover, unless congress throws them a lifeline and pulls them back to safety. this supplemental funding needs to happen in addition to a long extension of the farm bill. it has to be extended. i continue to stand with senate agriculture committee ranking member boozman in emphasizing the need to pass a strong farm bill with an adequate farm safety net in the upcoming congress. however, the truth is that even if we did pass a new farm bill, which would be improved hopefully, containing increased reference prices for title 1 commodities, assistance would not reach farmers until

october 2026. it will be a little too late for the farmers this year, for thousands of them. most farmers who wish to plant crops in 2025 need renewed access to credit before the end of this month. with many balancing checkbooks in the red, some for the second, third, and fourth year in a row, farmers will have a difficult time securing financing without improved certainty within the agriculture sector. so, while a one-year farm bill extension is important, it does not provide the needed certainty for bankers, creditors to extend farm loans for this coming planting season. by failing to extend the adequate financial lifeline to farmers now, our farmers will -- and i repeat -- will not survive until the fall of 2026.

it will be over. it's a sad reality, and at the end of the day, it's not their fault. they work 365 days a year, set offen days a week -- seven days a week and put their hard-earned money as well as barn money into their farms. the supplemental assistance i am advocating for today will only serve as a band-aid to slow the bleeding until they get a farm loan and plant next season's crop. i'm hearing from producers all over alabama and across the country about the dire state of the farm economy. producers can't pay employees or their bills for seed, chemicals, fertilizers. they can't pay it. i've never seen it this bad, never. lawsuits have already started, suing farmers for something that they don't have.

farmers have bumper crops of cotton, peanuts, corn and beans, yet they are still on the brink of bankruptcy. something is wrong. this isn't about commodity versus commodity or region versus region. it's about the survival of the american farmer and the communities that rely on them. it's about saving the hardworking men and women who play a critical role in feeding and clothing and fueling not only the united states, but folks the entire world. congress cannot defy the laws of economics, but it can pass a stand-alone economic assistance package for our farmers to help them survive another year. this is perfectly within our power. there will be no funny business with this economic assistance, just a straight up-or-down vote

to see who stands with our farmers. the food for this country and the world. democrats always try to hold emergency funding for farmers hostage, like we have this year, and thement projects to go along -- and they want projects to go along with the projects. basically holding this hostage, farmers who have put their sweat and blood into this crop they have had. farmers from every corner of the country need us now more than ever. there's not going to be another chance for a high percentage of this farming group that are farming this year. it's not going to happen, which is why i'm calling on the house and senate to put politics aside. i'm begging, put politics aside. i wish i could have farmers standing up here today. they would be telling you the same thing. they don't like handouts. they like to work for the money they make. they always have.

that's why they're special. but they need a no-strings-attached economic plan i. know president trump will do everything he can in his power when he is sworn into office. our next secretary brook rollins will go into action as soon as she's sworn in. until then i ask the senate to stand up and stand with an economic assistance package to throw our farmers a lifeline. they deserve it, they need it. and it's not just for them. it's for the entire country. i yield the floor.

the presiding officer: the clerk will call the roll. quorum call: the clerk: ms. baldwin.

>> call the sentence attention -- served me, this institution and our nation so well. and for so long in the republican leader's office. today, i've reached the end of the list. my one remaining task is to prepare our colleagues for senate without sharon. to tell the story, you might start in 2010 when she assumed that title, or in 2007 when she

joined my team, or perhaps back in 1999 when she set up and republican leaders suite for the first mr. daines: i ask the quorum call be vitiated. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. daines: madam president, with only days left in the 118th congress, i come to the floor to fight on behalf of my rural montana communities. senate bill 4444, the crow revenue act is a win for montana and is win that cannot wait any longer. the bill is pretty simple. it swaps minerals between the crow tribe, the federal government, and the hope family and ensures that both the crow tribe and muscle shale county

will continue to receive much-needed revenue from mineral development. let me be clear, if this bill does not pass and is not signed into law this year, there will be dramatic consequences for montana communities. if we don't act before the end of the year, there will be 100 high-paying mining jobs lost in roundup, montana. and unlike the show "-yellowstone," where it looks like everybody has got helicopters and fancy barns and fancy houses, this part of our state, and most of montana, fights every day to make ends me meet. and, by the way, these 100 jobs that will be lost is after 700

jobs were lost at the stillwater mine in columbus, montana, a few months ago. we can't afford another layoff of hardworking miners. furthermore, both muscle shale county and the crow tribe will see cuts in their revenues leading to less services for the communities. the crow revenue act is a long-term fix to a real problem that's happening in my state. it has the strong support of community leaders, county commissioners, the governor, other locally elected officials, and, very importantly, the crow tribe. i ask my colleagues to stand with me and support our rural and our tribal communities. notwithstanding rule 22, i ask unanimous consent that the

committee on indian affairs be discharged from further consideration of senate bill 4444, and the senate proceed to its immediate consideration. further, that the daines substitute amendment at the desk be considered and agreed to, the bill as amended be considered, read a third time and passed, and the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table. the presiding officer: is there objection? a senator: madam president, reserving the right to object. the presiding officer: the senator from hawaii. mr. schatz: i'm all for considering bills that have gone through the regular process for consideration in the past month alone, i've been on the floor several times to pass 12 bipartisan bills which advanced out of the senate committee on indian affairs with unanimous bipartisan support. the difference with this bill is it's not ready. it's just not ready for that consideration. and senator daines knows that.

the bill has not cleared the committee and it's not for our lack of trying. it was only introduced a few months ago, and when it was fast-tracked to a hearing at the senator's request, it was clear that there remained several open questions. and as of today, many of those questions have still not been answered. and yet, we're trying to pass this bill unanimously. this is -- what's happening is that this would be recorded on the senate floor as a 100-0 vote. this bill is not ready for that. the only circumstances under which, especially in indian affairs, but mostly in any other jurisdiction, the only way we pass something by unanimous consent is if it has been fully vetted and it is either so meaningless, right -- a congratulatory resolution or something and people just tlement go -- or it's been so thoroughly vetted and it's

really ready and there are no objectors. that is not the case for this bill. the indian affairs committee has had its most productive years in history this past congress and we've done this through good-faith work, the bipartisan tradition of the committee itself. we don't have one rule for some bills and another for others. every bill that has made it through this process is scrutinized by the committee with feedback from tribes and others. and if it can be considered, it generally passes out on a bipartisan basis, and actually our standard is to try to pass these things unanimously, not just one member of one party and all the members of the other party. we try to get zero no votes. if there are any no votes, it won't pass by consent on the floor. we've done everything we can to oblige senator daines and accelerate the consideration of this bill, but we cannot pass a bill that is still going through

the process. the bill has no score. the bill has no score. something that has been required, sometimes to my chagrin, of every single bill that comes out of the senate committee on indian affairs. i don't love that standard, because sometimes i just want to pass a bill, and sometimes the score is so i did min muss i think it's a -- di mim for -- that's not the case for this bill. it's going to score. we don't have that score yet. i'm not making an exception for one bill. it hasn't had a committee markup, and there is no path in the house. the senate hotline ran barely a day ago, and offices are still reviewing it. i want people to understand what that means. that means that offices that are not on the senate committee on indian affairs are just getting e-mailed about this bill, and for them it's an issue of first impression, and they're being asked to ask their boss, do you vote yes on this bill that you haven't even analyzed?

do you vote yes on this bill, amendment there's maybe two days, maybe more, but let's assume two days left in the actual congress? this is an attempt to circumvent our normal procedures. that is not how we do things here. and for that reason, i object. the presiding officer: objection

>> republicans seem to be going nuts and so we will see what it is they decide to do for the

country. but mike main question is if elon musk is kind of cosplaying copresident of the white trump just as hand in the over office or speaker johnson should hand elon musk the gavel if they want him to run the country. >> okay. do you expect were headed for a shutdown? >> my observation is the republicans are ending the way they began. they began chaos, unable to elect their speaker, and their ending the same way. they're part of this deeply divided and dysfunctional and it's bad for the country. it's bad for the congress and it's a shame. >> will democrats help avert a shutdown? [inaudible question] we don't know yet. >> do you think were going to

shut down? per click, billions of years of running the show. what i want to say as you thought you voted for trump. you didn't actually. you voted for billionaires to run the show be. who's taking order from whom? elon musk is calling the shots,, and the house gop is falling in line. these billionaires don't care about us. better care about american spirit elon musk once a big massive tax break in the next administration. that's what this is about, folks. it's about a big freaking tax break for billionaires. that's what it's about. don't be confused about what's going on. >> you think will be in a shutdown? >> i do. i did because they don't care. they don't care. johnson is so worried about his speakership that is going to cave. he's going to cave like republican colleagues are going to cave because they are too afraid of being primaried to do the right thing. that's what this is about.

>> do you believe were headed toward a shutdown? >> while, as republicans insist on this lunacy, then yes, i suppose we will. it will be their fault that americans don't get disaster relief, that americans don't get their social security checks. that is on the republicans. mike johnson negotiated a deal with leader jeffries, and chuck schumer and joe biden. and now he's reneging on the deal because the shadow president elon musk said we shouldn't be doing this deal. this is on them. they're going to have to figure the way out of this. >> problematic -- [inaudible question] >> yes. [inaudible question] >> yes. i mean, the people that get really hurt in a government shutdown are working americans across the country, , poor americans across this country. and the hypocrisy of a billionaire who never has to worry about what his next rent

check is coming from, where his next food check is coming from, two , to make billionaires, trump and musk, who are calling the shots on this and not recognizing that they do not control government right now. they do not. now, when they're in control of the house and the senate and the white house, americans are going to see exactly who they work for. and i think we're going to see that the work for their interest. already the trump cabinet has come of the people have been named, their net worth totals $360 billion. so the question is, are they going to work for themselves or are the actually going to work the american people? i think with the shutdown you are seeing the pattern we're going to see over and over again, which is that they have no concern for regular americans across this country who are waiting other social security checks or waiting for the disaster relief, or waiting for the farm aid which by the way is the reason that mike johnson didn't want to do a clean see our original because he wanted

the farm aid in. so let's see. this is on them. they have to figure it out. >> can you let us know what the message from the leader was on government funding? >> unity and serve the american people. i don't know who's going to win the shutdown but i know who loses, and that's the american people. we know who caused it. we had a deal. we negotiated a deal, and then musk decided to change the deal. do i call him president musk? >> there's a circumstance in which democrats -- on something that was changed from the deal -- >> i read that. there's a place where they add a semicolon why think it should be a period and if they make that case will go forward. [inaudible] >> there might be some of the

punctuation in there as well. >> thanks. appreciate it. >> can you tell us what the message was from leader jeffries. >> is look, we negotiated a bipartisan deal. the republicans have walked away from it. you know, so -- the american people, there were things in this bill that the american people were going to have to just -- republican certificate what were going to do. >> to answer your question, nothing -- [inaudible] congress has to be organized which means we have to elect a speaker before he can, before we can count the electoral votes on january 6th. if we are not organize, if they have elected a speaker by january 6th, we can't count the electoral votes.

>> are democrats done really republicans out? >> we are done. we made the deal and the deal was made, total agreement of republicans and democrats in both houses. it's a good deal for the american people, provide funds for disaster relief. it provides fund for agricultural relief. everything in it is justified as you will see when you see the details. and for the republicans, for president musk come in at the last moment and blow up the deal is just -- you have to negotiate and you have to be able to enforce what you negotiated. and what was negotiate was a very good deal for the american people. they will see when they see the details. >> there's some talk about i continued cr, disaster relief, farm funding and that's

basically it. >> that's mostly what, that's 90% of existing cr. >> so was at occasionally getting -- >> no. we negotiated the deal, and there are all kinds of things and it that benefit various constituencies, farmers, homeowners, victims of disasters. and we are not going to start taking that away. >> thank you.

a senator: mr. president. the presiding officer: the senator from utah. a senator: i ask unanimous consent that the -- h.r. 8666 and the senate proceed to its immediate consideration. the presiding officer: the clerk will report. the clerk: h.r. 8666, and act to amend title 28, united states code, and so forth. the presiding officer: is it there objection to proceeding to the measure? seeing no objection, the committee is discharged, and the senate will proceed. mr. lee: i ask unanimous consent that the bill be considered read a third time and passed and the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon

the table. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. lee: mr. president, i ask unanimous consent that the armed services committee be discharged from further consideration of s. 4511 and the senate proceed to its immediate consideration. the presiding officer: the clerk will report. the clerk: s. 4511, a bill to provide for the crediting of fund to the national guard bureau as reimbursement from states. the presiding officer: is there objection to proceeding? without objection, the senate will proceed to the discharge. mr. lee: i ask unanimous consent that the lee substitute amendment at the desk be agreed to, and the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table. the presiding officer: oeb without objection.

bill among other things state and local authorities helps them better coordinate if there law enforcement agencies to keep communities safe.

and they are not getting enough answers the feds can't respond on their own. neither resources nor authority fact. there are millions around the united states but the federal government doesn't have the ability or resources. the most logical thing to give multis our law enforcement authorities. people we know and trust.

new york and new jersey is and deserve and is. relatively new and the other the technique productivity and federal jurisdictions and they don't have the ability in the corner of america. they will work with the fed working on this. in their jurisdiction giving answers they don't have directly from authorities. they were part of this issue and

bipartisan support and i feel. >> everyday more and more americans are using drones everything from wheat to commercial application to as well as law enforcement activity. drones offer importance of economic benefit cause problems if not used appropriately. loud drones. moment security and fbi and other key sure the public because no immediate threat and can cause unease and concern. we saw with the recent closure of roadways at the airport as well as for large public

gatherings supporter they've seen more than 2500 grams violate the airspace and in some cases empty stopping football games to resolve the threats for fans in the team. it's a very serious security threat. an assailant used a drone to israel trumps rally site and bullet points of venue hours before firing a shot. legislation to address these concerns law enforcement tools visibility they need to detect and identify drones to make sure

they do not pose any threat to americans. it looked law enforcement agencies including state and local police with the ongoing situation with tools to better detect and track drones introduce like close critical infrastructure facilities if a drone is found dental danger law enforcement agencies must pass

the tools effectively in my bill would allow security and department of justice operate a pilot program to state and local law enforcement agencies can safely disable drones before they cause serious harm. eleven democrats and three republicans. in short law enforcement potential threats. i urge my colleagues to pass this common sense bill to safeguard our homeland and ensure to better serve our communities protect from drones.

the committee on homeland security and government affairs for further consideration of of 1631 and immediate consideration of the amendment be considered and agreed to and read a third time and past made and laid upon the table with no convening action or debate. >> reserving the right to object, no one disputes drones flying in airspace could be a danger. over a super bowl could be a danger and military bases and that's why it is illegal in the

federal government has the capacity to investigate and stop drones in airspace but what is disputed, they don't see a problem so let us know the extent of the problem and what is going on. the biden administration does know, get the power to local officials but i rise to object this unanimous consent request because public trust in government is in historic lows without proper consideration and debate which is what i pledge to do beginning january in charge

of the committee's. what is going on is exactly what this legislation seeks to do an intercept communications and drone activity raising serious concerns for american privacies. we are told this legislation is urgent to address an eminent drone threat but the government itself admits no such thing exists. get to the truth of the matter of what exists before we propose legislation. there is no current national security risk to public safety

concern and no unlawful drone intervention so there is a problem or there isn't a problem. let's protect the communication of them innocent americans and these are the people orchestrating this. this pattern is too familiar and fear and manufactured urgency is used to expand government power and freedom. congress passed the pager act in the name of security americans were promised surveillance route

necessary they were abused, misused and recognized. the data collected and rights trapped. without careful scrutiny debate and accountability, the american people suffer consequences the bill would allow the government to track surveillance of the phones as long as the government claims they are doing it such a look at the information it may

be that you capture the information surrounding an airport everybody near an airport. this is not just about security, it's overreach capitalizing on. and sweeping legislation that could violate civil liberties of american people in the federal government already has the power to stop drones and the power to protect airbases. there is a significant problem biden administration is to let us know, who is operating the drones?

what are they doing to protect our basis? weird folders no threat. feel good, possibly in the back and we are doing something about drones. a constitutional responsibility on executive power and justification and full transparency. a nation of laws, not fear of panic and open to talking with the authors of the bill how we could have the ability to

interrupt activity.

i may have some comments at the end but i will say that. thank you very much and thank

you for endeavoring to be honest. >> let's start with syria. what is the latest and how you see things? >> we have been contact in the private diplomatic channels but

we will continue on everybody and bringing them home. ongoing somatic engagements including women and minorities.

an obligation to make sure they are security and our our. >> thank you for making it accessible. of course and diplomacy

yesterday. not going to get into this program working in the north and i would certainly be. the husband a top authority. and the immediate hospitalization negotiation the

majority is grounds maintaining. the end is that. specific in the effort an american citizenand it remains

a focus. i will note that the russian federation is and have the opportunity to help the whereabouts and the information.

and everything that we can do. >> i will head that have anything to offer. they don't have any other updates on that. and these things in the past. >> it's been no secret in the

middle east region the whereabouts they have known that it is a of hours. and responsibility in the russian federation was going one regime and interlocking a lot regards yet to see that.

>> locating these robots. >> something that i never gave in this measure. and u.s. officials.

>> whether your have the whereabouts and it is possible. >> as a relates u.s. government agencies and announces time beyond the north.

and you may be trying to make this. >> to keep saying and they are not them. >> you look at the trajectory and what we have and what is required time and time again

there will always be income, israel and hamas and they are hopeful.

and i have a community on what hamas strategy is. across the finish line. and it is very clear and the regional conflict on the half of the united states and that is what the secretary is alluding to. there and life and again the

bill and it is.

and i know we are pushing more. >> is a conversations we need to have. and they have been taken by others get on the right track. and pursue that.

and the supporters and the response. in break those into two questions. and they don't have authority with got malcolm. and the form in this conflict.

and we are work tirelessly to bring hostages home and get on it had to endure resolution. and conflict but also other conflicts. not valid we do not believe that applies here. the national security found best

idea the conflict in gaza. the rest.

they get the product. the does not learn to fail. there are so many in gaza.

single genocide. the organization is not affiliated with that to draw any conclusion that they want to welcome is what we. large included in that and agree

with it. it conversations of nationality and that is not the case. investing. the findings reported largely.

report or not and make a personal decision. during this is before. relates gaza level these varying by the end of the day we are working tirelessly to do everything by this across like.

>> a question? >> i just wanted to make sure someplace where they can live our rest.

they have this diplomacy engaging. >> let me make broad points. and the biden administration. united states was forward to partnering with this progress but the most important thing is these are ongoing and they have demonstrated that something we strongly support throughout this process it is clearly laid out

are continuing to be ready to work with government. in united states north korea. and what i can say the rights and it has triggered to much not just in the region also other

areas. >> one hundred casualties in the builders and that's what we are seeing it. they are current. >> a timeline to take back

issues that. i have plenty. and on top of that the facilities take further steps.

on george's minister of affairs. and involved in the lockdowns on media including demonstrations in 2024. on individuals responsible for undermining in georgia and immediate family members. ultimately this is something the united states has done in the

majority of the party. and in this vision and remain committed. mayo clinic e-mail on ministers. and by medicaid.

this interaction one day. and it is a little long ways. the incoming illustration in the priority.

investigation and/or there will any analog literally now will see. >> brutalized and tortured and killed 400,000 people and now the regime has fallen e. one will it is offering better thank you may know i and with our partners in stakeholders and syria.

and in that regime respect the right and that humanitarian law and infrastructure to support the neighbors. iding officer: we not. ms. murkowski: mr. president, i rise today to speak about commitment, commitment across our nation, in each our states and towns and cities and villages in alaska, and men and women who have made a commitment to their neighbors and to strangers and to the broader community. these are our teachers, they are our nurses, they are our firefighters, emergency responders, police, public servants who manage applications like snap, they ensure our elections are well run. they get our streets paved and

plowed and made a commitment to serve. for many of these public servants, their states have opted out of social security, and so they're not paying into the system. but many of them have had other jobs in the past or will have other jobs in the future. these are jobs that will require them to contribute in to social, and in many cases they contributed to social security for an entire career before taking on a job in public service. and then when they retire, when folks retire, you assume that the social security benefits that you've paid into, that you're going to receive them. these are benefits that people are entitled to receive, benefits that they are entitled to as the spouse or the survivor, or both. but for decades now, the commitment to these public servants have given their, have given to their communities and to our nation has been returned

with two acronyms that have had devastating consequences for, unfortunately, far too many americans. gpo, wep. for many in my state of alaska, these are like swear words. gpo and wep, government pension offset and windfall elimination provision. the social security benefits of spouses, widows, and widowers were first cut by the gpo in 1977, and then in 1983 congress went after the benefits of the retirees themselves with the wep. these two provisions have been responsible for reducing social security benefits from hardworking americans who have earned them, and then from their spouses, widows, widowers. and it is in alaska where the highest number per capita of teachers and public employees are impacted. so when you look it the map of

the united states and those areas where you have the highest, the highest negative l impact from the wep provisions and gpo provisions, it is unfortunately from my home state of alaska. it may not sound like a lot, 15,156 alaskans impacted by p gpo or windfall taxes or both, these are individual alaskans like the retired teacher who is one step away from homelessness because after serving as a teacher loss two-thirds of social security benefits because of the wep or the widow in dire financial straits following her husband's recent unexpected death simply because of gpo or

wep. or the senior citizen who taught for over 25 yeeshgs then turned to commercial fishing, then worked for blm and the u.s. forest service -- this is a career track you see with a lot of alaskans -- his social security was cut by over 30%. so now at 82 years old, he's still working to make ends meet. this is not retirement, folks. mr. president, these aren't hypotheticals. these are real stories from alaskans who have reached out to me, asking me as their senator to help them. and i've been hearing from these folks for the entire tenure that i've been here in the united states senate, hearing about the disparate impact on alaskans, hearing about the inequity, unfairness. i've earned these benefits and yet i'm not able to receive the full benefit. where is the fairness in that? and so i have not just listened to my constituents, i responded,

stepped forward and every congress since i've been here in the united states senate i have sponsored legislation to eliminate gpo and wep and proudly so, but it's been very frustrating because over these 22 years now i've got constituents that are saying this is happening to me in real time right now, and i have to say this is hard. this is, this formula is not right. we get it. we've got to address it. but this is going to be expensive. until we're able to do more wholesale reforms, i don't know how we're going to be able to help you in the senate. and that's not a satisfying answer to that teacher, to that fire fighter, to that widow. so i was so pleased to be able to cast my vote yesterday to move to passage of the social security fairness act, and i'm proud that 72 of us here in the senate joined together. and i'm truly looking forward to

final passage of this important measure before i return home. and when i get home, i'll be able to tell school districts that you're going to have a better chance. it's going to be a little bit easier for you to recruit reasoned retain -- retain good teachers and principles because of a state impacted by gpo wep will be gone in alaska. i'll also be able to tell firefighters and police they're not going to have the burden of knowing their retirement is going to be less secure or their spouse's retirement will be less secure after years of putting themselves on the line in service to our communities. and i'll be able to tell my neighbors and the folks i meet in the grocery store and the community meetings that their service is not more of a sacrifice than it should be. so, mr. president, i'm proud of the work that we have been able to do on behalf of alaskans and

for over 800,000 americans in over states that are affected by gpo and over two million people in the states impacted by wep. next congress it's going to be up to all of us to look at social security solvency from the larger perspective, to work on it, debate on it, vote on ways to ensure this vital retirement program is going to continue to ensure that americans are able to retire with dignity and security. with that, mr. president, i yield the floor. a senator: mr. president. the presiding officer: the senator from connecticut. mr. murphy: thank you, mr. president. i'm on the floor today to talk to my colleagues about something that is happening right in front of our eyes. it's a set of events that are not random. they are connected to one another, that threaten to destroy this country that we love. everybody can seep ,