[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 86 (Thursday, May 19, 2022)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2599-S2605]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                          LEGISLATIVE SESSION

                                 ______
                                 

   ADDITIONAL UKRAINE SUPPLEMENTAL APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2022--Resumed

  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Under the previous order, the 
Senate will resume consideration of H.R. 7691, which the clerk will 
report.
  The senior assistant legislative clerk read as follows:

       A bill (H.R. 7691) making emergency supplemental 
     appropriations for assistance for the situation in Ukraine 
     for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2022, and for other 
     purposes.

  Pending:

       Schumer amendment No. 5035, to add an effective date.
       Schumer amendment No. 5036 (to amendment No. 5035), to 
     modify the effective date.
       Schumer motion to commit the bill to the Committee on 
     Appropriations, with instructions, Schumer amendment No. 
     5037, to add an effective date.
       Schumer amendment No. 5038 (to (the instructions) amendment 
     No. 5037), to modify the effective date.
       Schumer amendment No. 5039 (to amendment No. 5038), to 
     modify the effective date.


                   Recognition of the Minority Leader

  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The Republican leader is 
recognized.


                               H.R. 7691

  Mr. McCONNELL. Madam President, today the Senate will approve more 
lethal assistance for Ukraine, and it is going to be a big bipartisan 
landslide.
  As a matter of moral principle, the United States is proud to support 
a sovereign democracy's self-defense. Innocent Ukrainians have been 
subjected to wanton cruelty. But aid for Ukraine goes far beyond 
charity. The future of America's security and core strategic interests 
will be shaped by the outcome of this fight.
  Anyone concerned about the cost of supporting a Ukrainian victory 
should consider the much larger costs should Ukraine lose. In Europe, 
close allies and trading relationships would suddenly be hundreds of 
miles closer to the territory of an aggressive, emboldened autocrat. 
Our own security requirements on the continent would grow 
substantially.
  And adversaries on the other side of the world would be tempted to 
follow Russia's lead. Communist China has already been stepping up its 
saber-rattling toward the free people of Taiwan: more tough talk, more 
airspace incursions, more evidence of their utter disregard for the 
rule of law.
  Our friends in the Pacific see this connection very clearly. As 
Japan's Prime Minister put it, ``We must show that there are 
consequences''--consequences--``to violence by Russia. Ukraine may be 
East Asia tomorrow.''

  Many of us are convinced that China is our most significant strategic 
challenge. Successful, long-term competition with the PRC will require 
having European partners firmly on our side. We will sorely need the 
trust and the relationships that abandoning Ukraine would exhaust. 
Turning our backs on Ukraine would harm our goals in Asia, not advance 
them.
  So I will be a proud vote for America's national interest and vote to 
approve this badly needed assistance today. I encourage every Senator 
on

[[Page S2600]]

both sides to join this bipartisan supermajority. The most expensive 
and painful thing America could possibly do in the long run would be to 
stop investing in sovereignty, stability, and deterrence before it is 
too late.


                                  NATO

  Madam President, now on a related matter, last weekend, I was honored 
to meet with the leaders of Sweden and Finland in their capitals and 
discuss their pursuit of membership in NATO. Senators Collins, Cornyn, 
Barrasso, and I visited Stockholm and Helsinki just as their elected 
governments were preparing to take the historic step of applying for 
NATO membership.
  It will be a further honor to cohost our friends President Niinisto 
and Prime Minister Andersson here in the Capitol later today.
  For 73 years, NATO's collective strength has preserved peace in 
Europe and security for the United States and for Canada. Even from 
outside NATO's membership roster, Sweden and Finland have long been two 
of our most capable and reliable partners. Each has invested seriously 
in the sort of modern weapons systems that can operate seamlessly 
alongside our own.
  While clearly part of the West, these countries have until now 
preferred a nonaligned posture. But Putin's aggression has changed 
everything. It is crystal clear which alliance supports basic 
international principles like sovereignty, stability, and human rights 
and which wannabe empires do not.
  Europe is rightly recognizing that even if Putin is stopped in 
Ukraine, he will remain dangerous. He will learn lessons and adapt. 
More importantly, President Xi will learn lessons as well.
  All our allies should take a hard look at their military requirements 
and invest in modernization. The accession of Sweden and Finland would 
be a strong step in that direction. Finland recently agreed to buy 64 
F-35 fighter planes. They already commit 2 percent of their GDP to 
defense, and Sweden is on pace to reach that target very soon. These 
nations are setting an example which current treaty allies would do 
well to follow.
  So I will be proud to continue amplifying their case for accession 
however I can, beginning with the meeting the Democratic leader and I 
will host later today.


                               Inflation

  Madam President, now on one final matter, today, the average price 
that American families pay for regular unleaded set an alltime high for 
the 10th day in a row--10 straight days of recordbreaking gas prices.
  Getting to work, running errands, driving to church, visiting loved 
ones, hitting the highway for a modest family vacation--all of it costs 
88 percent more at the pump today than it cost when President Biden put 
his hand on the Bible last year. And it is not even Memorial Day yet. 
The unofficial summer driving season hasn't even begun.
  To be clear, this is not just Putin's price hike. The year 2021 saw 
the biggest 1-year gas price increase in three decades, and that was 
actually before Russia's escalation in Ukraine. Farmers and ranchers, 
truckers, and small business owners are struggling to keep their 
tractors, 18-wheelers, and other work vehicles full of diesel.
  So in addition to having to fill up their own tanks, working families 
are paying for high fuel prices again at the checkout counter. One 
constituent in Johnson County in my State wrote to my office to lament 
that ``rapidly increasing gas prices are making it difficult for 
everyday people like me to make ends meet.'' He said he is facing 
``rising costs'' but ``stagnant wages.''
  Another, in Ashland, described driving past a gas station on his way 
to work and seeing that prices had hit $4.25 a gallon. He said he is 
``fortunate to be able to pay those prices'' but worried ``others would 
have to start giving up other things just to put gas in their car.''
  A third, in Brandenburg, was dismayed that the Biden administration 
decided to kill energy lease sales while gas prices are raging. He 
noted how ``the timing and nature of this decision display a disturbing 
disregard'' for the situation facing American families.
  Since day one, from canceling Keystone XL to freezing leases for new 
exploration, President Biden himself has put American energy 
independence on the chopping block.
  But while Americans suffer, the far left just digs in deeper. Just 
yesterday, for example, Secretary Granholm said the ``volatility in 
prices'' was just more reason to ``accelerate'' the supposedly green 
energy transition that Democrats have tried to force on the country, 
literally, for years.
  Forget that their preferred energy sources aren't yet reliable or 
cost-effective. Forget that they would just be exchanging one kind of 
foreign dependence for new kinds of foreign dependence on Russian 
critical minerals and Chinese supply chains for solar panels and 
batteries. Democrats' proposals fall embarrassingly short.
  I understand the House is wasting its time to pretend inflation is 
all the fault of evil corporate profiteers--evil corporate profiteers. 
I guess the profit motive hadn't been invented yet in 2019 when 
Republicans had unemployment low and inflation low at the very same 
time.
  The liberal economist, Larry Summers, calls the House Democrats' 
bill--listen to this--``dangerous nonsense.'' ``Dangerous nonsense.'' 
Bill Clinton's Secretary of the Treasury.
  Jason Furman, another senior Obama adviser, has said the far-left 
claims about so-called ``greed-flation'' are, in fact, ``unequivocally 
wrong and confused.'' Both Summers and Furman were part of the Obama 
administration.
  The Biden administration has also drained our Strategic Petroleum 
Reserve to its lowest levels since 1987 in a frantic effort to lower 
prices. Predictably, this gimmick failed, and now we are much less 
prepared for a possible future crisis.
  You will recall that Senate Democrats gleefully blocked Republicans 
from refilling the Strategic Reserve to the top back in 2020 when oil 
was at rock-bottom prices. We tried to do that. These guys blocked it. 
We could have filled the Reserve to the top when crude was on a 
clearance sale, but Democrats blocked it and bragged about blocking it.
  Washington Democrats keep finding new ways to fundamentally 
misunderstand America's energy needs.
  I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The clerk will call the roll.
  The senior assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. DURBIN. Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the order 
for the quorum call be rescinded.
  The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Without objection, it is so 
ordered.


                       Tribute to Brad Middleton

  Mr. DURBIN. Madam President, it was over a half century ago that 
Senator Robert Kennedy delivered one of the most important speeches of 
his life. It wasn't in the Capitol. It wasn't even in the United 
States. It was in South Africa during the darkest days of apartheid.
  Senator Kennedy traveled to the University of Cape Town for the 
school's Day of Affirmation, a day to celebrate liberty and 
inclusivity. He told the students at that school that they had the 
power to change the world. He said:

       Each time a man stands up for an ideal, or acts improve the 
     lot for others, or strikes out against injustice, he sends 
     forth a tiny ripple of hope, and crossing each other from a 
     million different centers of energy and daring those ripples 
     build a current which can sweep down the mightiest walls of 
     oppression and resistance.

  For the past 15 years, I have had as a member of my staff a man who 
knows a great deal about ripples of hope. His name is Brad Middleton. 
This week, he is moving on, leaving my office, sadly.
  Over the years, Brad has worn many hats. For the last few years, he 
has been my top adviser on education. In that role, he has been my 
invaluable right hand in efforts to hold predatory for-profit colleges 
accountable.
  He has done a phenomenal amount of work in making college affordable 
for millions of students, recently with the Affordable College Textbook 
Act. Soon, he is going to be taking his talents to President Biden's 
Department of Education, where he will continue his advocacy for 
students and their families. He will be a Senior Advisor for Strategy 
for the Department to investigate bad actors that cheat students, their 
families, and the taxpayers. It is quite the accomplishment for a rock 
star from Rock Falls, but I know Brad is going to handle it well.
  He joined my office in 2006, a fresh-faced intern in Springfield. In 
the years

[[Page S2601]]

since, he has gone from answering the phones in our front office to 
counseling me on a wide range of serious policy questions. Before 
becoming my point person on education, he worked on my foreign policy 
team, and he helped pass the International Protecting Girls by 
Preventing Child Marriage Act. And he worked on the Judiciary team as 
well.
  Every step of the way, Brad's been guided by faith, a passion for 
public service, and an unshakeable devotion to the people of my State. 
Brad comes from a long line of proud Illinoisans and public servants. 
His dad Jay is a corn seed salesman like his father before him. His mom 
Lori was a State court reporter who retired last August after 40 years 
of service to Lee County. Lori's commitment to public service made a 
mark on Brad. From the moment he could walk and talk, Brad expressed a 
desire to get involved and to serve.
  His journey into politics started very young, in the first grade, 
when he was elected class president. Brad took his job very seriously, 
and he kept his ear to the ground on the issues facing the first grade 
in his day. While his friends were watching cartoons, Brad was sitting 
on the couch with his parents watching the news on the Gulf war and the 
election of President Clinton. That was the first Middleton 
administration.
  The second Middleton administration was inaugurated in the halls of 
the famous school Knox College. As student senate president, Brad 
banned plastic trays from the dining hall, a defining policy in his 
sustainability platform even in those days.
  Brad is remembered so fondly on the Knox College campus. Several 
years ago, I was invited to deliver the commencement address there, and 
I arrived with Brad accompanying me. When I arrived, it was clear that 
they were happy to see me; they were excited to see Brad.

  Illinois has no stronger champion than Brad Middleton. Let me give 
you one example. About 10 years ago, Brad left Washington, at my 
request, to open up our new Rock Island, IL, office, about an hour west 
of his hometown Rock Falls. Brad took it upon himself to make sure the 
community that raised him had the best representation in Washington. He 
always took it personally to deliver for the people of Illinois.
  For a while, it was just Brad leading the show in the Quad Cities as 
a solo act, with little more than a clipboard, folding chair, and a 
determination to get the office open and running. Now that office is a 
linchpin in our efforts to serve the people in the State and untangle 
the redtape of government.
  It is one of the many ``tiny ripples of hope'' that Brad has sent 
forth over the years.
  Here is one more. Back when Brad worked with my foreign policy team, 
he personally led the effort to award the Congressional Gold Medal to 
Dr. Muhammad Yunus, a Bangladeshi economist and personal friend of mine 
who pioneered the concept of microlending. He was awarded the 2006 
Nobel Peace Prize and is known as the ``banker to the poor.''
  Leading up to the vote, the walls in Brad's office were covered in 
sticky notes, each one listing the name of a lawmaker who had yet to 
voice support for Dr. Yunus's medal. Brad meticulously reached out to 
staff of every one of those lawmakers. One by one, he won their 
support, and the bill passed both Chambers of Congress. Thanks to Brad, 
Dr. Yunus became the first Muslim to receive the Congressional Gold 
Medal.
  Brad, from every Christmas tree you have carried into my office for 
the holiday season to every college student you helped find financial 
help, you have been an indispensable part of my team. You created those 
ripples of hope that continue to touch lives for years to come.
  I hope you get well-deserved time off in the cabin in the Shenandoah 
area with your girlfriend Claire, your brother Ben, who also serves his 
community as a police officer in East Peoria, your sister-in-law Katie, 
and little Theodore and Rorie, your niece and nephew.
  Be sure to kick back with the appropriate refreshment and a plate of 
piping hot fish because your next mission in public service begins 
immediately.
  I am confident you will do well. Thank you to all you have given me 
and the people in my State.


                                  NATO

  Madam President, I had a visit yesterday from a group of 
parliamentarians from Lithuania.
  Lithuania has a special place in my heart. It is where my mother was 
born, and I have been fortunate enough to visit there several times 
over the last 40 years. I saw Lithuania in its darkest days as part of 
the Soviet Union, and I watched their heroic struggle against the odds 
to win independence from the Soviet Union.
  I have been there to see a free government installed again and to 
watch this amazing little country grow into a powerhouse, not just 
economically but culturally and spiritually. I say that because I 
believe that, time and again, Lithuania has stepped up to the 
international challenge.
  It was my honor to work to bring NATO alliance status to the Baltics 
and certainly to Lithuania. It has made all the difference in the 
world. When I think of Vladimir Putin's unprovoked attacks on Ukraine, 
I can't help but believe that the Baltics would have fallen to Putin 
and his aggression long ago if he had his way. What held him back was 
not just the courage of the people who live there but the fact that 
they had many friends willing to stand behind them--members of the EU 
and certainly members of the NATO alliance.
  Lithuania has taken their role in the alliance so seriously. They 
have pledged soldiers and military support, time and again, when the 
NATO alliances picked a targeted strategy. They are always part of the 
answer and glad to be.
  They have dedicated 2.5 percent on their annual budget to the 
military. I believe they rank third in the NATO ranks in percentage of 
budget that they are dedicating to the defense of the country. They may 
be small, but they are mighty.
  Yesterday, the group who came to see me, led by the new Lithuania 
Ambassador, Audra Plepyte, including Lukas Savickas, deputy chairman of 
the Committee for the Future; Vydas Gedvilas, Deputy Speaker of 
Parliament; and Mr. Zygimantas Pavilionis, deputy chairman of the 
Committee on European Affairs.
  We talked about the current situation in Ukraine. They feel it 
personally, but they also feel personally the aggression of Vladimir 
Putin. Not far from Lithuania is a part of Russia to the west of 
Lithuania known as Kaliningrad. Kaliningrad is a military fortress 
established by the Russians on the doorstep of Lithuania and Poland. It 
is a source of growing concern because of the armaments which we 
believe were placed there as a threat to the region.
  That is why NATO has made special plans for the Baltics to reinforce 
a commitment--a commitment which includes German troops who are now 
helping out in Lithuania, Canadian troops in Latvia, and British troops 
in Estonia. That sort of commitment is one that needs to be reinforced.
  I am going to ask that our government consider strengthening that 
commitment in the future or working on the details now. But the Baltics 
are a critical element in the region, not only in our friendship and 
our alliance but in the future.
  I support the accession of Finland and Sweden to NATO. I hope that is 
agreed on at the NATO summit in Madrid in just a few weeks.
  I believe that will help the Baltics as well to have that solid 
neighbor in Finland as part of the NATO alliance. It is interesting to 
note that what has happened since the invasion of Ukraine is exactly 
the opposite of what Vladimir Putin expected.
  He thought Ukraine would be a pushover. It is far from that. The 
courage and bravery and resilience of those Ukrainian people have 
fought back the mighty Russian military machine time and time again. 
They were no pushover and they never will be, and the day will come 
when they have their peace and sovereignty restored from this 
aggression.
  Secondly, I am sure Putin thought when this was all over, his dream 
of restoring the Russian empire would mean that they would be stronger 
than ever, but daily reports tell that the sanctions are taking their 
toll on the economy of Russia, and not just in the short term.
  I was in Moscow. I remember the early days and the arrival of the 
first

[[Page S2602]]

McDonald's restaurant. It was in Soviet times, and it was an amazing 
event to think that this western corporation would locate a restaurant 
in Moscow in the middle of the Soviet Union, and they did.
  I can remember the dreary, dark-gray scenes in Moscow interrupted and 
punctuated by those golden arches as a reminder that the West was going 
to show to the people of Moscow what was available under a free 
economic policy in a free society.
  Sadly now, the McDonald's Corporation has made the right decision to 
pull out of Russia. Hundreds of restaurants will be closed as a result 
of it. It is an indication to the people of Russia that they have to 
make a choice about their future, do they want to go down the dark and 
perilous road with Vladimir Putin, or do they want to emerge as a 21st 
Century free country that is inspired by democracy and not by 
authoritarianism?
  I thank my friends in Lithuania who time and again have stood by us, 
and we by them, and make sure that they continue to, whether it is 
making certain that the legitimate Presidential candidates in Belarus 
have safety and refuge in their country or making certain that they 
speak up for human rights in places around the world where others fear 
to tread.
  They have done that time and again, and they will continue to. I am 
looking forward to returning to that country soon. I have been there 
many times, and I hope to be back soon.
  Just this weekend, Sweden and Finland declared their intention to 
apply for rapid NATO membership. Who can blame them? At the Munich 
conference, I spoke with Finnish President Sauli Niinisto--what an 
amazing person. He enjoys an 80 or 90 percent approval rating, a dream 
of every politician, and they are talking about waiving the 
constitutional limitation on terms in office so he can serve another 
term.
  He was an appellate lawyer, which doesn't sound like a very exciting 
lot in life, but when he became President, he really understood the 
people of Finland and has led them with wisdom and thoughtful 
leadership.
  He has attempted to maintain a constructive relationship with Putin. 
If you read the history of Finland, you can understand how they managed 
to stay somewhat neutral during the Cold War when many countries 
couldn't even imagine that possibility, and, despite their proximity to 
the Soviet Union, they managed to pull it off. Their relationship with 
Putin, though, has been shaken, if not destroyed, when Putin decided to 
invade Ukraine. The Finnish President Niinisto said when he spoke to 
Putin on the telephone that he should ``look in the mirror''--those 
were his exact words--if he wanted to know why Finland was now 
considering membership with the NATO alliance.
  A few months ago when I spoke to former Lithuanian President Valdas 
Adamkus, about his historic efforts to bring Lithuania into NATO in 
2004, he talked to me about the courage it took for him and for 
President Vytautas Landsbergis--who I guess was the originator of the 
Sajudis movement that made such a difference in the pursuit of freedom 
and democracy in Lithuania. They knew the importance, both of them, 
Landsbergis and Adamkus, in solidly building their nation in that 
defensive alliance and never again running the risk that they would 
lose everything overnight to the onslaught of Soviet and Russian 
aggression.
  Is it any wonder that these small but mighty Baltic States are some 
of the most vocal in defending democracy in Ukraine? They have lived 
it. They have been under the shadow of Russia and the Soviet Union for 
so many years and now finally stand proudly with their own sovereignty 
and their own human rights' record.
  So I applaud Sweden and Finland's decision and hope we can approve 
their entry into NATO with haste.


                               H.R. 7691

  Mr. President, here in the Senate we have another immediate need as 
well: to pass this supplemental funding package for Ukraine. It is 
embarrassing to say that we had to wait a full calendar week in the 
midst of a bloody war where innocent people are dying and a nation has 
been driven and reduced to rubble to sit here for a political purpose 
and wait for this week for the approval of U.S. aid to Ukraine. It 
should have happened immediately last week. No excuses.
  I applaud the House of Representatives for taking quick and decisive 
action. This bill shouldn't be delayed in the Senate any longer. It is 
time for us to stand up once and for all and make it clear we are 
standing by Ukraine and the defense of democracy.
  I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Murphy). The Senator from South Dakota.


                        Ellsworth Air Force Base

  Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, this Saturday will be Armed Forces Day, a 
day set aside to honor the members of the U.S. military.
  I first came to know the military through my dad Harold, a fighter 
pilot who flew Hellcats off of the deck of the USS Intrepid during 
World War II. From him, I learned the patriotism and selflessness and 
humility that characterized the ``greatest generation'' and that 
continue to characterize our military members today.
  As a Member of Congress, I have come to know our military through the 
men and women of the South Dakota Army and Air National Guard and 
through the airmen of Ellsworth Air Force Base.
  As I have said before, I may be biased, but I am convinced that South 
Dakota has the most outstanding Guard troops in the entire Nation. As 
usual, they have been busy over the past year.
  On Saturday, the National Guard welcomed home guardsmen from a 
deployment in Djibouti, where our Guard has had a heavy rotation to 
support operations in the Horn of Africa, and honored Guard members who 
were headed to deployment in Europe. Guard members helped with the 
response to last week's severe storms in South Dakota. They deployed to 
the border to reinforce an overstretched Border Patrol. They deployed 
to Guantanamo Bay. The 114th Fighter Wing at Joe Foss Field completed a 
Noble Eagle deployment across the country to hone their alert mission. 
Just a few weeks ago, 30 National Guard members traveled to Suriname, 
where they trained military personnel and provided support to local 
communities. And the list goes on.
  South Dakota National Guard members play an essential role in 
military and humanitarian operations both here at home and abroad, and 
I am tremendously grateful for their service.
  My acquaintance with Ellsworth Air Force Base began during my time in 
the House of Representatives, but I really got to know the base shortly 
after I became a Senator.
  Just a few months into my first term in the Senate, Ellsworth found 
itself targeted for closure by the 2005 Base Realignment and Closure 
Commission, and the South Dakota congressional delegation and State and 
community leaders immediately mobilized to defend the base. I am pretty 
sure I attended every single BRAC hearing in DC that summer, whether 
Ellsworth was on the agenda or not. I just wanted to make sure that I 
was there in case the chance to advocate for Ellsworth arose.
  Many thought that South Dakota might not have the clout to make this 
stand, that we didn't wield enough influence. We were only given about 
12 percent odds of pulling through. But we were determined that we 
weren't going to lose Ellsworth, and in August, we succeeded in having 
Ellsworth removed from the closure list.
  But we didn't stop there. We got right to work on building up the 
base so that we would never again find ourselves in the same position. 
In 2007, we saw the Air Force Financial Services Center open at 
Ellsworth, and 2011 saw the arrival of the 89th Attack Squadron and its 
command and control stations for MQ-9 Reapers.
  In 2015, a decades-long effort paid off with the expansion of the 
training airspace for the base. The Powder River Training Complex is 
now the largest training airspace in the continental United States. It 
is undoubtedly partly thanks to this airspace that Ellsworth received 
the news last June that we had officially been named Main Operating 
Base 1 for the future B-21 bomber--``Home of the Raider.''
  This designation not only means that Ellsworth will be the first base 
to host the B-21 Raider but that it will also host the formal training 
unit and the first operational squadron. Once operational, the B-21 
Raider will be a critical part of our Nation's long-range

[[Page S2603]]

strike capabilities and nuclear deterrent well into the future.
  I am incredibly proud South Dakota and Ellsworth were chosen to serve 
as the first base for the B-21s. My focus now is on ensuring that 
Ellsworth gets everything it needs for that new mission so that it can 
continue to serve as one of our Nation's most essential military assets 
for decades to come.
  To that end, I worked to ensure that last year's National Defense 
Authorization Act contained not only full funding for B-21 development 
but full funding for the first of many equipment support facilities 
that will be needed for the B-21 mission at Ellsworth, including a low 
observable coating restoration facility, a wash rack and maintenance 
hangar, an expanded flight simulator facility, and more. Ellsworth is 
well on its way to becoming ``Raider Country.''
  There is more new construction on the way. Currently, I am working to 
secure additional funding for the low observable coating restoration 
facility as well as funding for two additional construction projects--a 
weapons generation facility and a radio frequency facility. Both will 
be needed to ensure that Ellsworth is able to fully conduct the nuclear 
and stealth B-21 missions.
  I am also working to ensure that the Air Force is able to invest in 
unmanned systems to complement the mission of the B-21. And I continue 
to work to enhance the Powder River Training Complex.

  I intend to introduce a measure for this year's National Defense 
Authorization Act to establish a pilot program that would develop 
``dynamic airspace,'' the more efficient scheduling of airspace and 
airspace boundaries that evolve as exercises or other flights progress.
  I believe dynamic airspace will better enable the Pentagon to meet 
training requirements for fifth-generation aircraft like the B-21, 
which need larger volumes of airspace to accommodate longer engagement 
distances. However, dynamic airspace should benefit all users of the 
National Airspace System, from commercial planes and general aviation 
to unmanned aircraft systems and space launches.
  I look forward to working with the leaders of the Armed Services and 
Commerce Committees to advance this proposal.
  I am also focused on ensuring that Ellsworth has the resources it 
needs to take care of our military families, particularly as more 
families move into the area with the impending arrival of the B-21 
mission. That includes making sure that ample housing is available and 
that Douglas School District is able to support Air Force members' 
children and provide sufficient classroom space.
  These are critical--critical--quality-of-life issues for our military 
men and women, matters that heavily influence whether they want to stay 
in the service or move to the private sector, where many of their 
skills are in high demand.
  I am committed to ensuring that our military families are able to 
thrive at Ellsworth.
  Finally, as always, I continue to focus on making sure that our B-1s 
have the resources they need. We still have a ways to go before our B-
1s are fully replaced by the B-21, and I am committed to ensuring that 
our B-1s remain a responsive and lethal component of Global Strike 
Command until their mission is over.
  On Armed Forces Day and every day, I am more grateful than I can say 
for our Ellsworth airmen, our South Dakota Army and Air National Guard, 
and all the men and women of the U.S. military. It is because of them 
that we live in peace and safety, and the freedom we enjoy is secured 
by their sacrifice.
  May God bless all our military men and women and keep them safe as 
they stand on watch for us.
  I yield the floor.
  I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Booker). The clerk will call the roll.
  The senior assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. LEAHY. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for 
the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.


                               H.R. 7691

  Mr. LEAHY. Mr. President, in just a few moments, the Senate is going 
to pass H.R. 7691. It is an emergency supplemental to provide funding 
to Ukraine and to stem the global hunger crisis exacerbated by Vladimir 
Putin's unprovoked war.
  It is something, of course, that has been followed very closely in 
the Senate Appropriations Committee, and I am strongly in favor of this 
bill as chair of that committee. It is a shame that, because of the 
actions of one Senator, we could not pass this urgently needed bill, 
which is going to receive overwhelming bipartisan support, last week. 
To confront Vladimir Putin on the global stage, we have to stand 
united.
  Later tonight, I am going to be leading a delegation to Brussels. 
Tomorrow, we will receive an update from NATO Secretary General 
Stoltenberg on Ukraine and why the new resources provided in this bill 
are urgently needed. It will be a bipartisan delegation I am leading, 
and I am going to be proud to tell the NATO Secretary General that we 
came together in the U.S. Senate and the House to pass this 
appropriation.
  The bill provides $40.1 billion in critical military and humanitarian 
assistance for Ukraine to help defend Ukraine's sovereignty and 
democracy abroad and address the rising global hunger crisis. This 
includes $8.5 billion in additional Presidential drawdown authority for 
critical weapons transfers, $8.5 billion for the Economic Support Fund 
to respond to emerging needs in Ukraine, and over $5 billion for global 
food aid, for which the distinguished Presiding Officer has argued for 
some time.
  As chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee and, proudly, as 
President pro tempore of this body, I strongly support its passage.
  With that said, it is frustrating once again that we have failed to 
provide the needed funding to address the ongoing COVID pandemic. 
Public health experts warn us every day that the virus is not done with 
us; a new wave of cases is expected to crash over our country in the 
fall. For months, the administration has warned that we do not have the 
necessary vaccines, therapeutics, tests, and other resources to stay 
ahead of this virus.
  Today, countries around the world are already placing orders for the 
next generation of vaccines, and they are going to be better suited to 
the variants we face now but also to the variants we will face in the 
future. The United States is not one of those countries, and without 
the necessary resources, we are going to fall farther back in line, and 
more Americans will die needlessly. We will also run out of needed 
funds for testing and therapeutics before the next wave.
  After more than 2 years and 1 million American lives lost to this 
disease, time and again, we have been caught flatfooted because we have 
refused to prepare for the worst. As chairman of the Senate 
Appropriations Committee, I will continue to fight for these urgently 
needed resources in the coming weeks, and I hope both Republicans and 
Democrats will join me on that.
  It is for the good of the American people, the people we represent. 
If you get COVID and are hospitalized or get one of the variants and 
face possible death, nobody cares whether you are a Republican or a 
Democrat; you are an American, and we should be doing what we can to 
protect you.
  The people of Ukraine and the millions facing acute food insecurity 
require the funds in this bill today. I strongly urge the Senate to 
pass it without further delay.
  I yield the floor.
  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. SCHUMER. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order 
for the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.


                   Recognition of the Majority Leader

  The majority leader is recognized.


                           Order of Business

  Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent the vote be 
delayed for a little bit--10 minutes--so I can give my opening remarks 
and so the Senator from Hawaii and I can do a quick UC.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there an objection?

[[Page S2604]]

  Without objection, it is so ordered.


                               H.R. 7691

  Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, today, the U.S. Senate will keep its 
promise to stand with the people of Ukraine. In a few moments, we will 
begin voting to finally pass $40 billion in military, economic, and 
humanitarian aid that President Biden has called on Congress to 
approve. This is a large package, and it will meet the large needs of 
the Ukrainian people as they fight for their survival.
  As President Zelenskyy has said, the Ukrainians are caught up in a 
fight for democracy--the very democracy we love--itself. It is a fight 
we should not and cannot turn away from.
  By passing this emergency aid, the Senate can now say to the 
Ukrainian people: Help is on the way--real help, significant help, help 
that could make sure that the Ukrainians are victorious.
  Help is on the way in the form of Javelins and Stingers and howitzers 
and other tools that are critical for victory on the battlefield.
  Help is on the way in the form of food and shelter and supplies for 
the 6 million Ukrainians who fled to neighboring nations because of the 
brutal, brutal, nasty, horrible bombardment by Putin, who I believe is 
a war criminal.
  Help is on the way in the form of economic aid and food aid and the 
assistance necessary to rebuild what Putin and Russia have sought to 
tear down but never can. They can't tear down the hearts, the minds, 
and the strength of the Ukrainian people.
  Now, given how important this is, I wish I could say this vote will 
be totally unanimous. Every single Democrat in the House voted for this 
emergency aid package for Ukraine, and every single Democrat in this 
Chamber, the Senate, is ready to support the Ukrainians as they defend 
their young democracy, but unfortunately, once again, with MAGA 
Republicans, who seem to be way out of line in so many ways, the story 
is different on the Republican side.
  While most Senators in both parties want this package done, it is 
beyond troubling to see a growing circle of Senate Republicans proudly 
opposing Ukrainian funding. Two days ago, 11 Republicans voted against 
merely debating this legislation. It appears more and more MAGA 
Republicans are on the same ``soft on Putin'' playbook that we saw used 
by former President Trump. We all knew how President Trump reacted to 
Putin. Sometimes it was flattery. Sometimes it was just fear--he was 
fearful--but he always seemed to go along and bow down to Putin. Now we 
have seen Putin's brutality, and we have seen how wrong Trump was, but 
these 11 MAGA Republicans voted against even debating.
  Around the world, our enemies are watching what we do right now. What 
do you think they are going to conclude if they start seeing more and 
more U.S. Senators oppose aid to democracies under attack by 
authoritarianism? Our adversaries might conclude that we are divided, 
that America is divided. They might conclude that we lack purpose. The 
MAGA influence on the Republican Party is becoming all too large and 
all too dominant.
  We Americans--all of us, Democratic and Republican--cannot afford to 
stick our heads in the sand while Vladimir Putin continues his vicious 
belligerence against the Ukrainian people, while he fires at civilian 
hospitals and targets and kills children and innocent people. But when 
Republicans, in a significant number, oppose this package, that is 
precisely the signal we are sending to enemies abroad.
  Still, I am glad that, for the most part, this Chamber is united in 
supporting Ukraine; and I am also glad, Mr. President, that yesterday, 
on the same day that American diplomats and marines raised Stars and 
Stripes over the American Embassy in Kyiv, this Chamber unanimously 
voted Bridget Brink as the U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine. It is the first 
time we have an ambassador to Ukraine since 2019, and her confirmation 
is terrific news that comes at a critical moment for both our 
countries.


                                  NATO

  Mr. President, finally, later today, Leader McConnell and I will host 
a bipartisan meeting with the leaders of Finland and Sweden. Their 
application to NATO will soon come before this Chamber. And just as we 
quickly worked to confirm Ambassador Brink, I hope we will be able to 
act swiftly and in a bipartisan way on the resolution admitting these 
nations into the ranks of the NATO alliance.


                Small Business COVID Relief Act of 2022

  Mr. President, now on another matter--restaurants--later today, the 
Senate is going to vote to move forward to give America's restaurants, 
local gyms, minor league teams, and other small businesses a much 
needed lifeline to get back on their feet after 2 years of pandemic. I 
thank Senators Cardin and Wicker for their efforts on today's 
legislation.
  Every single component of this bill was drafted with bipartisan 
input. The benefits would help businesses in every single State in 
America, particularly those left out of earlier rounds of emergency 
funding. We should be leaping into action--leaping into action--to help 
these places get back on their feet in times of recovery.
  Restaurants, gyms, teams, and small venues are all in the business of 
providing for their communities. Today we should be in the business of 
providing for them. Some say that 2 years after the start of COVID, our 
restaurants don't need as much help as they once did. They think that 
because lockdowns are over, because people seem to be out and about 
again, it must mean things are going great for small businesses.
  That is dead wrong for too many of our businesses, especially small, 
family-owned places. Many can't stay open a full day because they are 
short of labor, don't serve lunch, close Monday and Tuesday, don't have 
people at the bar. So they can't get their full income. And at the same 
time, many of these undertook big loans when they were closed during 
COVID.
  Those big loans are coming due. To have banks foreclose on these 
ongoing businesses that are growing once again, that are employing 
people once again would be a huge mistake. This bill is a lifeline to 
prevent that from happening and keep jobs coming in and keep prosperity 
coming in.
  So that is true for restaurants; it is true for other businesses; and 
we must pass this legislation to keep these vital parts of America's 
economy and America's social and community life going. When minor 
league teams close, entire towns have fewer options for coming 
together. When theaters can't open because businesses they rely on 
close down, it disintegrates the fabric of our communities. 
Restaurants, gyms, sports venues, theaters--these are places where 
Americans have always come together, and they still need our help.
  I urge all of us who have heard from small business owners imploring 
us to take action to support moving forward on today's bill, and, once 
again, I thank my colleagues Cardin and Wicker for their work.


                           Domestic Terrorism

  Mr. President, now on domestic terrorism, my home State of New York, 
as everyone knows, is still grieving from the horrendous violence that 
took place in Buffalo Saturday. The people I met in Buffalo on Tuesday 
are with me almost every moment: the families, the survivors, the 
community. It was the worst shooting in Buffalo's history. Ten innocent 
people were killed, all of them Black Americans.
  What happened in Buffalo was clearly a result of domestic terrorism--
terrorism fed from the madness of conspiracy theories like ``White 
replacement theory,'' which is increasingly finding a home with MAGA 
Republicans and cable networks like FOX News. Yesterday, I announced 
that the Senate will move forward on legislation championed by Senator 
Durbin to fight back against the rise of domestic terrorism in America.
  In the light of the shooting in Buffalo, in the light of the rise of 
racist conspiracies like the ``great replacement,'' we--all of us--have 
an obligation to protect Americans by treating these incidents of 
violence like the terrorist acts they are. I hope that, given 
everything that is happening across the country right now, our 
Republicans will join us to pass this bill swiftly.
  Taking a stand against White supremacy and domestic terrorism should 
be the easiest thing in the world. When any single community is 
targeted by racism, it affects every one of us.

[[Page S2605]]

  So we are going to take action next week on domestic terrorism 
legislation, and I hope both sides send an unmistakable message against 
the ascension of White supremacy that threatens the fabric of this 
Nation.


                              Baby Formula

  Mr. President, one final note on baby formula, yesterday, President 
Biden invoked the Defense Production Act to respond to the shortage of 
baby formula that is hurting parents and caretakers of newborns across 
the country. The President is taking the issue seriously. Invoking the 
DPA was exactly the right response.
  I cannot imagine how hard the shortage is for families who have been 
impacted. There is already such a burden on a mother of a newborn 
child; we can't let this formula shortage be another stressor for 
mothers in this country.
  The Senate should likewise take action to help our Nation's parents. 
Yesterday, the House passed a pair of bills to address the baby formula 
shortage--including one with over 400 votes--that will make sure that 
parents who rely on the Federal nutrition programs can continue to 
access baby formula in the face of supply chain shortages. I hope the 
Senate will pass both of these bills.
  Here in the Senate, Senator Stabenow and Senator Boozman are 
championing nearly identical legislation to the bipartisan WIC bill 
that overwhelmingly passed the House. I hope the Senate can consider 
this bill immediately and send it to the President so we can send swift 
and tangible assistance to working parents feeling the brunt of this 
shortage.


  commission to study the Potential Creation of a National Museum of 
             Asian Pacific American History and Culture Act

  Mr. President, on one additional very happy note, today, my colleague 
Senator Hirono, in a few minutes, will ask consent to pass important 
legislation to create a congressional Commission on the creation of the 
first national Asian-American history and culture museum right here in 
the Nation's Capital.
  I am elated and thrilled to support bringing to the floor and voting 
for this long-overdue step that will help establish one of the greatest 
museums dedicated solely to telling the story of Asian Americans 
throughout history. It is a story that is long overdue.
  Asian Americans, from the country's founding, have played a giant 
role in shaping our country. Much of that history is unknown. And we 
see the growing and vibrant Asian community, from so many parts of the 
world--from the Middle East, from South Asia, from East Asia, from 
Southeast Asia, and everywhere else--all coming to America and working 
hard and growing families and establishing businesses and making 
America great.
  With all the bigotry that we have seen and the increase in violence 
now on Asian Americans, we have to rebut that nasty view that some 
people have. And forming a museum that will show the greatness of this 
community--past, present, and future--will be so important because, 
from the beginning of our founding, Asian Americans have played a great 
role in shaping the country.
  Too much of the history is unknown. Students never even come across 
these stories and lessons in school. That is disappointing. But it is 
also why this Asian-American history and culture museum is so 
important. An Asian-American history and culture museum would celebrate 
the achievements with all Americans and all the world and exalt our 
wonderful, growing, strong, beautiful Asian-American community.
  I thank Senator Hirono for her work and yield the floor to her.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Hawaii.
  Ms. HIRONO. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to speak up to 5 
minutes.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

                          ____________________