take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion, and that you will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office upon which you are about to enter, so help you god. mr. grassley: i do.

mr. thune: mr. president, before i begin my remarks, i want to mention the very well deadly terrorist attack that took place it in new orleans in the early hours of new year's day. this isis inspired attack took the lives of 14 innocent victims and injured at least 30 others. my prayers today along with the prayers of so many americans are with all those grieving the loss of a loved one and with the injured and their families. in vegas, law enforcement agents are working around the clock to understand the motivation of an army soldier who blew up a tesla truck in front much a trump hotel on the same day. we expect our federal, state, and local law enforcement to pursue every lead so that the american people understand what led to both of these attacks.

mr. president, i also want to mention the passing of former president jimmy carter who died peacefully on december 29 at his home in georgia at the age of 100. he was governor of georgia, president of the united states, but was perhaps even better known for the work tlae did after -- that he did after leaving office to promote peace and help those in need most notably through his decades-long work with habitat for humanity. i will have much more to say about president carter next week but today i want to extend condolences and prayers to his children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren as they mourn their father and great-grandfather. i want to welcome members to the 119th congress particularly those freshmen senators who took the oath of office this morning. congratulations to the new secretary of the senate, a greatly south dakotan and new snalt sergeant at arms -- new

senate sergeant at arms. ism grateful for their service. the words of the oath which we hear at the start of each new congress are a reminder of the profound responsibility with which we have been trusted, and that is to support and defend the constitution of the united states. 237 years ago representatives from the states gathered together in philadelphia, pennsylvania, and produced something essentially unique in human history -- a blueprint for our new country founded on history, not on history or conquest, but on a set of ideas. it was not a perfect document, as even our founders attested by making provisions for amendments, but it was and remains one of the greatest and most important political documents in the history of the world. it has made us as a country, it has made us a country that people around the world look to as a beacon of freedom, a shining city on a hill. it is the solemn responsibility of those of us here in congress

to preserve our constitution, to guard it against enemies both foreign and domestic, and to ensure that it continues to stand so that our nation continues to stand as a bulwark of freedom and human rights. mr. president, when it came time to draft the constitution, the founders established safeguards, checks and balances, throughout our government keep the government in check and ensure the rights of all americans were protected. one of those safeguards was the united states senate. in discussion of the senate in t "the federalist" 62 the author notes, distinct from and providing power with a first, must be in all cases a salutary check on the government. it doubles the security to the people by requiring the concurrence of two distinct bodies in schemes of usurpation or perfidy. as the improbability of sinister

p combinations will be in proportion of the dissimilarity of the genius of the bodies it must be politic to distinguish them from each other by every circumstance which will consist with the due harmony and all proper measures and with a gin win principles of republican government. end quote. and the founders did indpeed distinguish the house from the -- indeed distinguish the house from the senate. it made the senate smaller and senators terms of office longer with the intention of creating a moral thoughtful, more deliberative legislative body to check ill considered or intemperate legislation and protect the rights of the american people. as the past 237 years attest, it is a structure that has served this nation well. unfortunately today there are a lot of people out there who would like to see the senate turn into a copy of the house of representatives. and that, mr. president, is not what our founders intended or

what our country needs. one of my priorities as leader will be to ensure that the senate stays the senate. that means preserving the legislative filibuster. the senate rule that today perhaps has the greatest impact on preserving the founders' vision of the united states senate. it also means restoring the senate as a place of discussion and deliberation. that includes empowering committees, restoring regular order and engaging in extended debate on the senate floor where all members should have a chance to make their voices and voices of constituents heard. we have a lot to do in this congress. border secure, extending tax relief republicans delivered during the first trump administration, providing for our nation's defense in an increasingly unstable world, bringing appropriations bills to the floor for serious deliberations so we make the

best possible use of taxpayer dollars, an overdue farm bill to update farm programs for farmer and ranchers to reflect current agriculture needs. mr. president, the list goes on. mr. president, in past years i've listened to speeches delivered by leaders welcoming the new congress and discussing the agenda for coming months. i now find myself in the position of delivering that speech. republican lg colleagues trusted me to lead our part in the senate in the next congress and i will work every day to be worthy of that trust. my philosophy of leadership comes from my dad. he was a basketball coach at our high school and had very strong opinions about the right way to play. sports to him was not billion personal glory -- was not about personal glory. it was about elevating the team. he hated ball hogs. if someone else was in a better position to take the shot you always made the extra pass. you have didn't try to pad your own statistics. it's an attitude which i've

tried to carry with me throughout my life. it's an attitude i intend to carry with me to the leader office. my job is to be of service to my colleagues and to our country. mr. president, i'm here today addressing the senate in this role combauftd my colleagues -- because of the confidence my colleagues placed in me but i'm here first of all because of the confidence placed in me by the people of south dakota. without the trust given me i would not have had the opportunity to serve at all, much less have had the opportunity to serve as the majority leader of the united states senate. my first priority here in congress is always, always to serve the people of my state. mr. president, i grew up in a small town in south dakota, the town of myrtle, population today roughly around 500 people. we didn't even have a traffic light when i was growing up there and i wouldn't have had it any other way. life in myrtle had a beautiful simplicity. sure it had one or two

drawbacks. with a population that small we thune kids could be sure that our parents would have heard all about any of our misdemeanors before we even made it home. but small town was wonderful. we had a sense of community and belonging that we carry to this day. i remember the day i told my mom i was going to run for congress. she was excited, obviously and confidently told me, i know that you'll carry myrtle. in myrtle i learned the character of south dakotans, the work ethic coupled with the relief of responsibility to the broader community. growing up we knew that if a roof collapsed under the weight of snow or a wind storm came through or lost a friend or family member, the whole

community would help. that same attitude is reflected in towns across our state. this helped to shape my belief that government should be limited and that it's best when it's closest to the people. if a matter can be handled at the state or local level, it should be. that the legacy of the past is something to be cherished and preserved while leaving room for change and adaptation when needed. freedom is a sacred gift, one that must be defended and that with freedom comes responsibility. finally, while government is necessary, government is not where we should look for salvation. mr. president, none of us gets where we are alone. and i owe thanks to many people. to my parents, pat and harold, who gave us thune kids undying love and commitment, and the most precious gift of all,

faith. to my brothers and sister, to my beloved wife kimberly who is here with me today. let he say, i married up. i'm grateful for her support and her endless patience, it's not easy to be married to a member of congress. it's not easy to have a member of congress for a dad. i'm grateful for the support of my daughters brittany and larisa, they are here with their husbands and with all of our grandchildren, john mark, henley, lucy, haven, and one yet to be named, one on the way, who have brought me and kimberly an immense amount of joy. not one of us here in congress could last a day without our staffs. and so i want to thank all of those who spend and have spent

long days and long nights in my office serving south dakotaians and the american people. finally, mr. president, i thank god who has richly blessed me in every way. as it says in the scriptures, from him, through him, and for him are all things to him be the glory forever. amen. mr. president, i yield the floor. [applause] mr. schumer: mr. president. the presiding officer: the senator democratic leader. mr. schumer: first, let me concur on the remarks made about the tragedies made in minority leaders and on the -- in new orleans and the west coast. i also want to say a word about jimmy carter. last week america mourned the loss of one of the most decent

public servants we have ever seen. he was a living embodiment of leadership through compassion and through a thursday for -- thirst for just for all. we will have have much to say about this inspiring american. it is rare someone leaves the presidency only to build his legacy to even higher levels as president carter did. that is a testament to how rare a person he was, he had tireless efforts alongside his wife for habitat for humanity. we pray for his family. we pray for his loved ones. and may his memory be a blessing and enduring reminder of with what it means to truly serve. now, mr. president, first, welcome to all of my colleagues to the 119th congress.

i hope everyone had a blessed and happy start to the new year, full of families and loved ones. i was lucky enough to have just that. today, the senate begins a new chapter in its distinguished history. we begin our work at a moment of crossroads for our country. we convened at a time of uncertainty for american democracy, for america's economy and for the future leadership of america on the world stage. these challenges we face as a nation are great and so must be our resolve. when we first begin -- let me begin by acknowledging my friend and colleague, the former republican leader, senator mcconnell, for as long as i have served as leader, he sat across from me. it was nice to see him from there where he didn't have to get up all the time. i would like to thank him for

those important occasionings when we worked together. i want to congratulate our new republican leader, john thune. we have served in the chamber for a long time. i know he is a good and decent american. someone who loves his country as we all do. i know he just became leader a moment ago so i hope he doesn't mind if i offer some unsolicited advice. the majority leader sets the tone and that tone determines, to a large extent how successful we'll be moving forward. if we look back at all the bills we passed in 2021 and 2022, most of them originated in the senate because both parties found ways to reach across the aisle. i want to work with the new republican leader to keep that bipartisan streak going in the new year. i don't expect we'll agree on everything or even many things, but there will be opportunities

to improve the lives of the american people if we're willing to work together. today i congratulate leader thune and look forward to serving alongside him in the 119th congress. let me also congratulate all of our returning colleagues who have just taken their oaths of office. it's a great honor to serve in this chamber with you. our work has a potential to create prosperity for millions of americans people if we do our jobs right. i challenge our new members, as our new colleagues to make the mogs of the -- most of the next six years, it will go faster than you think. on the democratic side, it brings me joy and excitement to welcome our new colleagues. i spent the last year or so getting to know every single one of them as candidates and see them raise their hands and take the oath fills us with pride.

every time democrats welcome new members to our caucus, it is an exciting day. i'm particularly excited to get to work with this uniquely talented new class. i expect we will accomplish many good things for the american people. this class is distinct in two ways, they are not only experienced, but many of them are making history by taking the oath of office. i would like to welcome senator rubin gallego, he arrives as a legislator, he served our country as a member of the u.s. marine corps, served the people of arizona as a long-time member of the house. now the people of arizona have a hispanic senator representing them for the first time ever. from the state of delaware, i would like to welcome lisa blunt rochester.

many of us know her well because like many of our new colleagues she was a member of the house. five of the six new members were in the house. she climbed up the house to become assistant whip while serving on centering and commerce. like other history making members of our class, she is the first woman and first person of color ever to represent delaware in the senate. let me welcome our new colleague from maryland, senator alsobrooks, she was the first woman elected as the top law enforcement officer in the county where she grew up in. she has stood up for victims of abuse and violence and helping americans. and she is now the first african american senator ever to serve from the state of maryland frment the state of -- from the state of michigan, we are excited to welcome alyssa

livestock inn, she -- liveslock she served in the cia under president bush and in the department of defense under president obama. i would like to acknowledge two more colleagues who have taken their oesdzs because -- oaths because serve special recognition, senator schiff and senator kim. senator schiff is a well-known hered to many of us -- well known here to many of us. finally, last, but not least, i would like to congratulate our newest colleague from new jersey, senator kim. he was a long-time leader in the house, top expect in diplomat. so to our new colleagues, we say

welcome. we're excited to work with you. we're ready to help you. as you find your bearings, we urge you never to lose sight of the great responsibility you carry as a member of this body. now, the election is behind us. it's time to look to the future. now begins the hard work, the important work, the solemn work of rewarding the trust the people have placed in us. soon the new administration will be sworn into office, but for the first time in a long time, the next president will be someone we've seen before. president-elect trump will return to the oval office. in the first day of the 119th congress, i'd like to take a moment to talk about how senate democrats will approach the next two years. it can be summarized like this. democrats stand united, not because of who we fight against but because of who we are

fighting for, the american people. we are here ready to fight for the american people. we are here to fight for the working class of this country. we are here to build ladders of opportunity to the middle class. democrats aren't monolitsdz. we come from many different states and have different opinions. but we grew up in places -- we grew up in places as varied as brooklyn, new york or atlanta, ga or the west coast and everywhere in between. we sometimes disagree as every tight-knit family disagrees. but democrats are united when it comes to fighting for working americans and working families. in the months to come, democrats will show where our values lie, through our actions and words

and through the policies we push in this chamber. democrats are here to tackle the biggest problems that face our country. democrats are here because we need to make housing more affordable for the millions struggling to keep a roof over their heads. make sure that americans make higher paychecks. democrats are here because we want to lower the cost of child care, outrageously high expense for many american families. democrats are here to defend a woman's right to choose, to defend our fundamental liberties, to defend the well spring of democracy. we want to help our small business owners thrive. we want to help americans save more money when they go to the grocery store, when they go to the pharmacy, when they pay their cable and internet bill. we want to make sure americans aren't ripped off by giant

corporations through hidden fees. democrats stand ready to make lives better for the american people. we want to work with anyone and hold the line when necessary to achieve that goal. mr. president, the time to get to work is now. it's a new day, a new congress and democrats stand united and ready to fight and deliver for the american people. i yield the floor and note the absence of a quorum. the president pro tempore: the clerk will call the roll. todayy

address, but in another away the topic is what a speech? great is that eloquence or is