[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 110 (Thursday, June 24, 2021)]
[Senate]
[Pages S4744-S4747]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



             Unanimous Consent Request--Executive Calendar

  Mr. PETERS. Mr. President, I rise once again in support of Jen 
Easterly's nomination to be Director of the Cybersecurity and 
Infrastructure Security Agency, commonly referred to as CISA.
  Yesterday, I came to the floor to urge my colleagues to swiftly 
confirm Ms. Easterly to lead CISA so she can get to work in 
strengthening our Nation's response to the recent onslaught of online 
attacks that have literally wrought havoc to our critical 
infrastructure, businesses, and even government.
  With her more than three decades of service in the public and private 
sectors and her critical role in crafting vital cyber security 
recommendations as a member of the Cyber Solarium

[[Page S4745]]

Commission, Ms. Easterly is more than qualified to lead this critical 
Agency. Her leadership is needed now more than ever, after the damage 
and the chaos that recent cyber attacks have caused. We urgently need a 
qualified and Senate-confirmed leader in place before the next major 
breach, which could be even worse.
  Yesterday, when I called on the Senate to immediately confirm this 
critical nominee, the Senator from Florida objected, not because he 
opposes Ms. Easterly's confirmation, and, in fact, he actually helped 
advance her nomination out of my committee just last week. Instead, he 
blocked the swift confirmation of this critical cyber security leader 
because he wants to extract a completely unrelated political concession 
from the Biden administration.
  As we now know, Vice President Harris has announced that she will 
travel to El Paso tomorrow, along with Homeland Security Secretary 
Mayorkas, to assess the situation on the southern border. The Biden 
administration and Secretary Mayorkas have worked hard to address our 
border challenges, and, as a result, we have seen a reduction in the 
number of unaccompanied children who are in DHS custody.
  But this nomination is not about the border, as much as my Republican 
colleagues try to conflate these issues. This nomination is about cyber 
security. This nomination is keeping American families safe and our 
economy secure. That is what this nomination is all about. My 
Republican colleagues are continuing to stall the confirmation of Ms. 
Easterly at a time when we desperately need strong cyber security 
leadership.
  The Senate is preparing to adjourn for Independence Day, which is a 
major travel weekend. As we have seen from recent cyber attacks, our 
transportation networks are vulnerable. Criminal organizations and 
foreign adversaries will continue their efforts to compromise our 
networks. We must be prepared for attacks that could disrupt trains or 
flights over the holiday weekend.
  We must confirm Ms. Easterly as the CISA Director now, not in 2 weeks 
and not in 2 months. We must have a qualified Senate-confirmed leader 
in place to help us address these attacks.
  If our Republican colleagues won't consent, they risk weakening and 
slowing our cyber defenses at a time when attacks could cause serious 
disruptions. These attacks risk the lives and livelihoods of countless 
Americans. Safeguarding against them should not be a partisan issue. 
Putting in place highly qualified cyber leadership should not hinge on 
whether Republicans in the Senate approve of the Vice President's 
travel schedule.
  I urge the Senator from Florida to withdraw his objections so that we 
can do our job, confirm Ms. Easterly today, and help protect the 
American people from this grave national security threat.
  Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that notwithstanding rule 
XXII, the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of Calendar No. 
176, Jen Easterly, of New York, to be the Director of the Cybersecurity 
and Infrastructure Security Agency, Department of Homeland Security, 
and the Senate vote on the nomination without intervening action or 
debate.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection?
  The Senator from Florida.
  Mr. SCOTT of Florida. Mr. President, reserving the right to object, 
before I address this issue, I will take a moment of personal privilege 
to talk about the horrific tragedy that occurred in Surfside, FL, when 
an apartment building collapsed earlier this morning.
  Miami-Dade fire and rescue, Miami-Dade police, and our other brave 
first responders rushed to the scene and have been working nonstop to 
rescue those trapped in the rubble. It looks horrible. I have talked to 
quite a few people down there, and we know of one confirmed death, and, 
hopefully, there won't be no more. But I know they are still trying to 
get people out of the rubble.
  So I join all my Floridians in praying for strength for these first 
responders and all those impacted by this disaster.
  First, I want to thank my colleague for giving me a few moments to 
speak on this difficult moment for my State.
  My colleague raised this same issue yesterday. I am here fighting for 
accountability for the American people. So I will say the same in 
return.
  I voted to support Ms. Easterly's confirmation in committee last 
week. If Senator Schumer filed for cloture, like he has done for dozens 
of other nominees this year, I would vote to support her confirmation 
here on the Senate floor. In fact, I don't understand why Senator 
Schumer didn't file for cloture on Tuesday night when my office first 
learned of my colleague's intention to raise this. We could be voting 
on her confirmation right now.
  As my colleague has said, this isn't about Ms. Easterly, in my mind. 
This isn't about cyber security. Remember, we announced and confirmed 
the National Cyber Director last week. Just yesterday, the Senate 
confirmed the Administrator of the General Services Administration, 
which is a key Agency for modernizing and protecting the Federal 
Government's IT infrastructure. I am here today because families in my 
State of Florida and across our Nation deserve accountability, and 
President Biden has shown a total lack of accountability when it comes 
to addressing the border crisis. That is why I announced last month 
that I will be holding all of President Biden's nominees for the 
Department of Homeland Security from being approved through our 
expedited process until he and Vice President Harris visit the border 
and see for themselves the crisis their failed policies of open borders 
and the amnesty have created.
  As we all know, yesterday, the White House announced that the Vice 
President will be visiting the border tomorrow, and absolutely, I think 
we all hope that is true. The administration made a lot of promises 
they haven't kept. They promised not to raise taxes. They promised to 
reopen schools quickly. They promised to be tough on Communist China. 
There is quite a list.
  So trust me--I am glad the Vice President seems to be taking my 
advice and finally listening to the American people and visiting the 
border. I truly hope she gets down to the border to see the crisis that 
this administration's failed policies have created.
  I hope she meets with the National Border Patrol Council to hear from 
them what our brave CBP agents are going through every day to keep us 
safe.
  I hope she meets with border community sheriffs who are responsible 
for keeping our families safe.
  I hope she meets with our ICE and CBP section chiefs.
  I hope she takes an aerial tour like I did and sees the gaps in the 
wall. I took a tour with Governor Ducey. You have the wall, and then 
all of a sudden, there are these openings where the fences weren't put 
up or the gates weren't put up.
  A lot of people up here said: Oh, we don't need the wall; we need, 
you know, technology.
  Well, there are the lights and cameras. I saw places where it just--
it wasn't electrified. It just doesn't make sense.
  I hope she meets with families who have been victims of trafficking 
and hears their horrific stories, what this has put people through.
  I hope she visits some of the border communities and talks to the 
mayors and talks to people down there about how they are housing and 
caring for this historic number of people illegally crossing our 
borders. This is a tough crisis that has been created.
  I hope she talks to families who have lost loved ones from massive, 
massive amounts of fentanyl that now our cartels are moving across the 
border.
  I hope she talks to ranchers who are impacted by people illegally 
crossing the border onto their property.
  I think all of us would hope that it is not just a political stunt. I 
hope she actually says: I want to see the crisis. I want to understand 
exactly what happened here.
  When she does, I am going to lift all of my holds, as I told my 
colleague.
  What is happening at the border is a crisis, and I don't think there 
is another word for it. You can look at this chart. Look at how many 
people have come across. This is the number of people who have been 
apprehended. We don't know how many people there are who haven't been 
apprehended.

  More than 180,000 illegal aliens tried to cross our southern border 
last

[[Page S4746]]

month--the highest number in 21 years--threatening our national 
security and the safety of American families.
  President Biden's immigration policies are putting unaccompanied 
minors at risk of human trafficking, violence, sexual abuse, and 
separation from their families. I mean, it is horrible. They are 
leading to an alarming increase in human trafficking and drug smuggling 
by cartels.
  FBI Director Wray said there is ``no question'' that the cartel 
activity from Mexico is ``spilling over'' to the United States. We are 
seeing it in Florida. I talk to our sheriffs, and what they are telling 
me is that they are seeing a lot more deadly fentanyl coming into their 
counties, and it is showing up in their labs.
  But instead of securing the border and finishing the wall 
construction projects--I don't get it. Why did President Biden 
terminate all the border wall projects? No one can--he has never had an 
explanation.
  So this inaction of not going to the border by President Biden and 
Vice President Harris doesn't make any sense. Why can't they 
acknowledge that we expect and we deserve a secure border that is good 
for our Nation? Why can't they stand up against the radical left and 
say that open borders are dangerous for our families?
  It should make every American furious. It is not something to laugh 
about. People are dying. Children are being exploited and abandoned in 
the desert.
  This is a picture of two young 3- and 5-year-old Ecuadorian girls. 
You can see it. They were just dropped. Anybody who has been around 
little children, 3 and 5 years old--think about it. They were just 
dropped over the wall and just abandoned, just abandoned, hoping 
somebody was going to take care of them. Abandoned in the middle of the 
night. I mean, I have grandkids. I just can't imagine--I can't imagine 
anybody doing this.
  The White House claims that Vice President Harris's last trip was to 
talk about the root causes of immigration. It doesn't make any sense. 
It seems like it was just a political stunt to me.
  President Biden and Vice President Harris need to stop avoiding the 
crisis, stop laughing about the threat, get down to the border, and 
actually take real steps to really secure the border.
  So if either of them goes to the border, I am lifting my holds, but 
as long as they refuse to help those risking their lives every day to 
keep us safe, as long as they refuse to visit the border and put an end 
to the humanitarian crisis they have created, I am going to keep my 
holds on.
  Those two little girls, they deserve better. The millions of 
immigrants going through the legal immigration process, they deserve 
better. Our Border Patrol agents deserve better. Our local law 
enforcement agents deserve better. ICE deserves better. American 
families deserve better. Therefore, I object.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The objection is heard
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Louisiana.


                 Unanimous Consent Request--No. S. 2216

  Mr. KENNEDY. Mr. President, I think we are all aware President Biden 
has decided to withdraw American troops from Afghanistan in September. 
Now, some agree with his decision; some disagree with his decision. The 
bill that I am about to talk about has nothing to do with the merits of 
his decision.
  There are about 18,000--not 1,800, 18,000--interpreters and members 
of their immediate families who helped our troops fight the war in 
Afghanistan against the Taliban and against ISIS. They are at risk.
  There was an article in a leading newspaper yesterday. I will read 
you the headline. It says: ``Afghan government could collapse 6 months 
after US withdrawal.''
  These 18,000 interpreters and their immediate families, who have 
helped American troops, would like to get out. We have a visa process, 
which is going very, very slowly. We will not be able to get all of 
those 18,000 human beings out before the withdrawal in September. That 
much is clear.
  Again, my bill has nothing to do with the merits or lack thereof of 
the war. My bill would direct the Secretary of Defense and the 
Secretary of State to develop a plan to relocate the Afghan 
interpreters and their immediate families who want to get out and bring 
them to America.
  Now, obviously, before we bring them to America, those who want to 
come, we have to vet them. That is part of the problem. The vetting 
process right now is very slow. Rather than try to put together a bill 
that would set forth a specific plan to address this--I consider it a 
crisis if you are 1 of those 18,000 human beings--my bill will just 
direct the Defense Department and the State Department to come up with 
a plan to present to us within 30 days.
  Now, my guess, and it is only a guess, is that State and Defense are 
going to come up with some plan to move those of the 18,000 who want to 
leave Afghanistan to a safe third place other than America so that we 
can continue to properly vet folks before they come into America. And I 
suggest we do need to properly vet them, but I also suggest that, No. 
1, this is about right and wrong. These people helped Americans, and 
they helped American troops. And we owe them. And we don't want to see 
them massacred. And, No. 2, if we allow them to be massacred, I think 
it is going to send a message to many people throughout the world that 
loyalty to America means nothing, absolutely nothing.
  So, in a nutshell, this bill would ask our Defense Department and our 
State Department, in the next 30 days, to give a plan to Congress to 
properly vet and allow any of these 18,000 interpreters and their 
families who helped American troops come to America.
  With that, Mr. President, as if in legislative session, I ask 
unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate 
consideration of S. 2216, which was introduced earlier today; further, 
I ask unanimous consent that the bill be considered read a third time 
and passed and that the motion to reconsider be considered made and 
laid upon table the table.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. King). Is there objection?
  The Senator from Kentucky.
  Mr. PAUL. Mr. President, reserving the right to object, in the first 
two decades after the Revolutionary War, America was under siege and 
our Capitol was ransacked, but I don't recall in reading history that 
any of our Founding Fathers said that they would flee the country or 
leave and give up on the quest for liberty.
  The quest for liberty requires fighting by the people who have been 
given their liberty, the people whom we have helped to get their 
liberty. You can say the people in Afghanistan helped us or you can 
also say we helped liberate them as well.
  They have been free for 20 years. It seems like it might precipitate 
the overcoming of the Taliban if you take 18,000 of the most 
westernized, those who speak English, and you say: Flee, flee, flee. 
The end is coming. Well, guess what. The end comes quicker if they all 
leave. So I would encourage them, rather, to stay and fight. I think it 
would be good to have many English speakers in Afghanistan. The future 
of Afghanistan could be a bright future, but they are going to have to 
fight for it. And, ultimately, it is their fight. And if we offer easy 
escape and easy plans to leave the country, we are assuring the defeat 
of the people who are our friends in Afghanistan. So I object to this 
piece of legislation.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The objection is heard.
  The Senator from Louisiana.
  Mr. KENNEDY. Mr. President, I respect my colleague, and I certainly 
respect his right to object. I disagree.
  We are all aware of what is going on in Afghanistan. The Afghan 
Government is in a bitter fight to the end with the Taliban. And the 
Taliban is winning. And the Taliban is ruthless. And they are going to 
murder these people. They are going to murder them. And the blood is 
going to be on American hands if we don't do something to help.
  My proposal would not have required any of these 18,000 Afghans who 
stood with American troops to beat back the Taliban and to beat back 
ISIS--they stood with us at their own risk, at the risk of their own 
kids, and their own spouses.
  Now, we decided to leave. I am not saying that is right or wrong. I 
have my own opinion, but that is not what this bill is about. And we 
owe it to these 18,000 people to offer them a chance to live. And if we 
don't do something, they are going to be butchered. They are going to 
be gutted like

[[Page S4747]]

a deer--like a deer--and the blood is going to on American hands. And 
the whole world is going to take notice.
  There is right and wrong in this world. There is politics. There is a 
time for it. But there is a time to do the right thing, and the right 
thing is to help save these human lives who fought for America and 
their families and their children.
  I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. COTTON. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for 
the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The Senator from Arkansas.