[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 5 (Thursday, January 9, 2025)]
[Senate]
[Pages S69-S76]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
LEGISLATIVE SESSION
______
LAKEN RILEY ACT--MOTION TO PROCEED--Resumed
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Under the previous order, the Senate will
resume consideration of the motion to proceed to S. 5, which the clerk
will report.
The legislative clerk read as follows:
Motion to proceed to Calendar No. 1, S. 5, to require the
Secretary of Homeland Security to take into custody aliens
who have been charged in the United States with theft, and
for other purposes.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The President pro tempore.
Mr. GRASSLEY. Mr. President, I would like to speak for 1 minute as in
morning business.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
National Law Enforcement Appreciation Day
Mr. GRASSLEY. Mr. President, January 9 is National Law Enforcement
Appreciation Day. Today, as well as every day, we should give our
thanks to the Nation's men and women in blue.
I make this a practice. Whenever I see a police officer, I always try
to stop and say two things: I am not for defunding the police, and I am
proud to back the blue, or I say it another way: Thank you for
maintaining the peace.
As chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, you can be sure that I
will continue my work to protect and support law enforcement in both
Iowa and nationwide. The Judiciary Committee always accomplishes issues
supporting police in a bipartisan series of bills, most often in the
month of May.
To our law enforcement friends, all Senators say: Thank you for your
selfless service. May God bless you, and may God protect you.
I yield the floor.
I suggest the absence of a quorum.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
The assistant bill clerk proceeded to call the roll.
Mr. THUNE. 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the quorum call be rescinded.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.
Nominations
Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, on November 5, President Trump was elected
to be the 47th President of the United States. By Thanksgiving, he had
announced all of his Cabinet Secretaries and several other senior roles
in his new administration.
All in all, it took President Trump just 18 days to name all of his
Cabinet Secretaries, a pace unprecedented in recent history. New
administrations typically take a few weeks to name their first
nominees, but President Trump has shown he wants to get to work quickly
in executing the mandate he has received from the American people, and
he deserves to have his team in place in order to help him do that.
That is going to require some work from the Senate, and we are ready to
get to it.
The Senate will provide each of the President's nominees with a fair
process. That process has been unfolding for the past several weeks as
Senators have met with many of these nominees in private. Next week,
Senate committees plan to begin holding public hearings with several
nominees. Senators will have the chance to ask them questions on the
record, and the American people will be able to hear directly from the
men and women President Trump has chosen for his administration.
Committees have begun noticing hearings with several nominees for
national security roles in the Trump administration.
The Armed Services Committee is preparing to hear from Pete Hegseth,
the nominee for Secretary of Defense.
[[Page S70]]
The Foreign Relations Committee has announced plans to hear from our
colleague Senator Rubio, who has been nominated for Secretary of State.
The Intelligence Committee has scheduled a confirmation hearing for
John Ratcliffe to be CIA Director.
And the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee plans to
hold a hearing with Gov. Kristi Noem, nominated for Secretary of
Homeland Security.
Other committees have also announced plans for confirmation hearings:
the Veterans' Affairs Committee for Doug Collins, nominee for VA
Secretary; the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee for
Russell Vought, nominated to return as OMB Director; the Energy
Committee for Gov. Doug Burgum to be Interior Secretary and Chris
Wright to be Energy Secretary; the Judiciary Committee for Pam Bondi,
nominated for Attorney General; and the Commerce Committee for Sean
Duffy, nominee for Secretary of Transportation.
That is just the start. Our goal is to keep up a steady pace of
progress in the coming weeks. In 2009, President Obama had 12 Cabinet
Secretaries in place within 15 days of taking office. It took the Trump
and Biden administrations roughly three times longer to get the same
number confirmed. We need to get back to the Obama standard, and we are
going to need Democrats to cooperate in order to do that.
Earlier this week, the Democrat leader said that his caucus's
approach to the Trump nominees would be ``fair but thorough.'' I hope
it will be fair, but we will be ready to proceed whether or not
Democrats choose to cooperate.
President Trump has chosen his team. We have a job to do to ensure
that each member of that team gets a fair process here in the U.S.
Senate, and that is what we are going to do. I look forward to the
committees getting to work.
I yield the floor.
I suggest the absence of a quorum.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
The assistant bill 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 Minority Leader
The Democratic leader is recognized.
Southern California Wildfires
Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, today, our prayers are with the people of
Southern California who have been impacted by the wildfires that have
spread over the past few days. The images of homes, schools, places of
worship burning are terrifying and almost surreal.
I have been briefed on the latest efforts by Federal and State
officials to contain these fires. Sadly, there is a lot of work left to
do before this crisis is over. Right now, it is vital that our
firefighters and medical workers and first responders have everything
they need from the Federal Government to combat the flames and rescue
people from danger.
The Senate just passed, fortunately, a sweeping disaster aid package
precisely for these kinds of emergencies, but now we must ensure all
necessary disaster aid goes out the door as quickly as possible and is
given to the people who need it and need it the most.
Finally, the fact that the worst wildfire in Los Angeles's history
should happen in the dead of winter is another warning of the dangers
of climate change. Extreme weather events will continue to happen
regularly and will get worse if we don't tackle the climate crisis
head-on.
We pray for the people of Southern California, and we thank all of
our brave first responders working without rest to keep people safe.
Laken Riley Act
Mr. President, on today's vote, this afternoon, the Senate is going
to hold its first procedural vote on the Laken Riley Act. I expect that
this bill will have enough votes from both parties to proceed. If we
get on the bill, Democrats want to have a robust debate where we can
offer amendments and improve the bill.
On the first day of the 119th Congress, my good friend the Republican
leader, Senator Thune, said he wants to make the Senate a place ``where
all members should have a chance to make their voices . . . heard.''
Well, this bill will be a fine place to start.
We should allow debate and amendments on the bill. This is an
important issue. We should have a debate and amendments, and that is
why I am voting yes on the motion to proceed.
To remind my colleagues, this is not a vote on the bill itself. This
is a motion to proceed, a vote that says we should have a debate and
should have amendments.
Democratic Legislative Priorities
Mr. President, now, on the GOP taxes and our Democratic agenda, each
day it is becoming clearer that the new Trump administration will look
a lot like the old one: chaos for Republicans, bad news for working
Americans. That is what this new Trump administration already looks
like, just like they did 4 years ago.
All week long, Republicans have tripped over themselves to try to
figure out how they are going to hurt everyday Americans through their
agenda. All this talk about ``one bill'' or ``two bills'' is
irrelevant. That is just Washington-insider machinations.
Americans need to know the real story: Republicans are united on
using their new majorities to cut taxes for the ultrawealthy at the
expense of working people. It doesn't matter if it is one bill or two
bills when they are doing so much to hurt working Americans and only
helping those who probably need help the least--the very least, by and
large.
All these promises we heard from Republicans about fighting for the
working class didn't even make it to Inauguration Day. They are back to
trying to cut taxes for the ultrawealthy and megacorporations.
Look, I have no problem against those who are fortunate enough to
have a lot of money. God bless them. But they need to pay their fair
share. Almost all Americans would agree with that. So it is truly
stunning--it is revealing--that Republicans are already spending so
much energy trying to figure out the best way to make taxes for the
very wealthy even lower.
We are already seeing a glaring contrast between how Republicans use
their time in power and what Democrats believe in. A little later this
afternoon, Senate Democrats will convene on the Senate steps for our
first major press conference, where we will outline our priorities and
where they lie in the 119th Congress.
We need to lower costs for working and middle-class people, not
reward the ultrarich and America's biggest corporations. If Republicans
want to work with us on real policies that lower costs for real working
Americans, we are glad to partner with them. But if Republicans try to
sell out our children's future with multitrillion-dollar tax cuts that
only help those at the very top, we will fiercely, fiercely oppose
them.
Nominations
Mr. President, now, on nominations, the American people have a right
to know if President-elect Trump's Cabinet nominees are going to fight
for them. Will they lower people's costs? Will they be loyal to the
country and the Constitution? Or will they cater to their wealthy
benefactors, like the first Trump administration? Will they try to undo
the wellsprings of democracy?
We can answer these questions through a robust nomination process in
the Senate. But when Republicans like the chairman of the Energy and
Natural Resources Committee try to rush nominees before Senators have
even received basic information, such as background reports, Americans
have to ask: What are Republicans trying to hide when they don't want
their nominees to have background checks and don't want to have full
information about them?
These nominees will have enormous power. Every American has to go
through a background check and is asked questions when they are
applying for a job. These jobs are so important. Of course, this should
happen here. But so far, some of the Republican chairs of committees
are resisting, and that doesn't speak well for the qualifications or
the confidence they have in their nominees.
In the last 2 days, the chairman of the Committee on Energy and
Natural Resources has noticed hearings on not one but two of President
Trump's nominees without minority consent:
[[Page S71]]
Governor Doug Burgum to be Secretary of the Interior and Chris Wright
to be the Secretary of Energy. These two positions--Secretary of the
Interior, Secretary of Energy--will be tasked with managing our natural
resources and our clean energy future. They will be responsible
for protecting the good-paying, clean energy jobs created under
President Biden. And I would remind my Republican colleagues: Those
jobs are in red States as much as they are in blue States.
The American people deserve to know if these Cabinet nominees will
protect good-paying, clean energy jobs; or will they kill these jobs
and put a lot of people out of work for some ideological thing they are
chasing?
Yet Senate Democrats on the committee have yet to receive basic
information about either of these nominees' backgrounds.
Republicans choosing to rush nominees is quickly becoming a pattern.
It is hard not to wonder: What are the Republicans trying to hide about
these nominees from the American people? What are they trying to hide?
What are they afraid of?
Tribute to Matt Fuentes
Now, finally, I want to end on a more personal but also a bittersweet
note.
Mr. President, I have had great staff through all my years in the
Senate and in the House. I owe everything to them. They work so damn
hard. They are so dedicated, and they are so smart and so creative and
so caring. So to say that this is one of the best I have ever had is
really high tribute. But Matt Fuentes, my top health policy adviser for
8 years, is one of the very, very, very best I have ever, ever, ever
had--8 years, amazing.
Matt, I want to thank you for your amazing work. I am so proud of
what you have accomplished for us, for New York, and for the country.
As I said before, I have the best staff in the world, and Matt was no
exception. He joined my team and immediately got to work helping defend
the ACA when Republicans tried to repeal it in 2017. He was
instrumental in passing COVID relief, which saved thousands of lives.
He led insulin reform policy. Now, people are getting insulin, and
Medicare recipients, for $35. I don't think it would have happened
without this guy sitting right here next to me. He figured out the ways
to get it done. It is not easy.
And he helped us lower drug prices for millions of other Americans,
because, as you know, as of January 1, there is a cap on how much any
senior citizen can pay for all the drugs they use, as well as
negotiations that would have been now allowed so that Medicare can
negotiate with the drug companies, and 10 of the most popular drug
prices are going way down.
Anyone who has worked with Matt would agree on one thing: He
possesses a rare gift. It is true. It is amazing. He can translate the
most complex policy into clear and direct essentials, while grasping
the core, difficult political issues at play.
I can recall many times--probably more than either of us would want
to admit--when I called Matt at 7 in the morning, at midnight: Matt,
what about this? What about that?
He never got mad. He was always very factual and matter of fact and
would answer and solve the problem.
So he is amazing. And despite all the stressful situations that the
job put him in, Matt always radiated calmness and confidence. He never
wavered under pressure. In fact, that is when he was at his best. When
everyone else in the room was trying to prove they were right and
others were wrong, he had the special ability to bring people together
on both sides of the aisle. So much of what we did was bipartisan, and
that is the reason right here. It was a sight to behold to watch Matt.
Again, I just have to say, with all the pressure and everything going
on and having a new family--a new young family, a beautiful child; now
there are two--he stayed cool as a cucumber. I don't know if they use
that expression these days. My mother uses that one. It is probably out
of date.
Have you heard it, Mr. President, from your mother, too--``cool as a
cucumber''?
Matt was cool as a cucumber throughout all of it--thoughtful, kind,
generous. He knows when to be serious but doesn't take himself
seriously. He is always seeking to help but is never afraid to hold
strong for what he believes is right.
You know, my wish for every Senator, regardless of our ideology, is
that you have a Matt Fuentes--sometime, someplace--on your staff,
working on some important issue.
I do want to say one thing. I hate seeing Matt leave. He is one of
the best, as I said, I have ever had, but we have a new successor to
Matt, who is his deputy, who I know will fill his large shoes.
So thank you very much.
Matt, from the bottom of my heart, thank you, thank you, thank you,
not just for me but for everything you have done for America and
Americans. Your legacy, no matter what else you do in life, is there.
There are literally going to be huge numbers of people--tens of
thousands, hundreds of thousands, maybe millions--who are alive, who
are healthier because of you. What an amazing legacy.
God bless you, Matt. Good luck. Good luck to your nice wife, to your
great little kids. I know you will do other great things, but forever,
forever, forever, you will be part of the Schumer family and one of the
best members of it.
I yield the floor.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Republican whip.
Laken Riley Act
Mr. BARRASSO. Mr. President, something unexpected is happening in the
early days of this new Congress, right here in the Senate, and that is
we are seeing some bipartisanship. Republicans and a number of
Democrats have now agreed that violent criminals who have entered our
country illegally and are a threat to the safety and the security of
the American people shouldn't be here and we need to do doing about it.
A headline in POLITICO this week tells the story. The headline reads
``Democrats make a right turn on immigration.'' This is an encouraging
start to our new Senate year, and now it is time for the Democrats to
prove that they really do want to work with us.
The Senate is going to vote today on this bipartisan Laken Riley Act.
Now, just to remind those who are unfamiliar with the situation, Laken
Riley was a young woman. She was a student at Augusta University in
Athens, GA. She was studying to be a nurse. Tomorrow would have been
her 23rd birthday. She was murdered by an illegal immigrant. All she
was doing was out taking a jog. That illegal immigrant was in America
because of Joe Biden and the Democrats' open border policies.
The Laken Riley Act has been sponsored and is now cosponsored by
every Republican in the Senate, and there are also several Democrats
who have recently signed on to this legislation and now support it. I
was happy to hear the Democratic leader saying that he was going to
vote to get on the bill as well.
The Laken Riley Act presents the Senate a simple choice: Are we
willing to allow illegal immigrants to roam free in our country or do
we want to save American lives? Protecting Americans from the dangers
of a broken border makes sense to, I believe, most, if not all, of our
citizens.
Earlier this week, Senator John Fetterman of Pennsylvania was asked
about the Laken Riley Act. This is what he said. He said: If you are
here illegally and you are committing crimes, I don't know why anybody
thinks that that is controversial.
Well, not too long ago, his party certainly thought this point of
view was controversial. That is what we saw happen here in the Senate.
Last Congress, Republicans tried to bring up the Laken Riley Act. The
Democrats blocked us. They wouldn't even let us debate it.
So I am happy to hear that Democrats are now open to debating this
important bill. It is nice to see that the results of the election in
November have changed the thinking of some of my colleagues on the
other side of the aisle.
Debating the Laken Riley Act isn't enough; the Senate must go on to
pass it. The House has already passed this exact version of the Laken
Riley Act this past week, and that vote was overwhelmingly bipartisan.
The Senate now has an opportunity to make a real difference--a
difference to protect American citizens from illegal-immigrant
criminals.
[[Page S72]]
There are some Democratic Senators who say that they support the
Laken Riley Act but they want to weaken it. Well, to be clear, Senate
Republicans are not weakening this lifesaving legislation. We will not
allow that to happen. We must ensure that what happened to Laken Riley
does not ever happen again.
When the time comes to vote on the Laken Riley Act, I encourage all
of my colleagues to vote yes. If Democrats join us, the Laken Riley Act
will actually become the law of the land, but more importantly than
that, it will meet an urgent need of the American people. That is what
we are really trying to do here--solve a problem, come up with a
solution.
This isn't comprehensive immigration reform. To be very clear, there
is much more that needs to be done to fix our broken open border.
Today, I reintroduced a bill called the Build the Wall Act. That will
certainly go a long way. We know that border walls work. My proposal
finishes the wall, and it pays for it with unspent COVID money--money
that is available to be used and should be used for that productive
purpose.
We have already built more than 450 miles of border wall between the
United States and Mexico. We know that it worked. Under President
Trump, illegal crossings were at a record low. But now, after more than
10 million illegal immigrants have poured into our country during the
last 4 years, we need to finish the wall. The need to do it is greater
today than it has ever been before. The moment has come for safety and
for security and, now, for serious action.
Joe Biden and the Democrats broke the border, opened the border,
allowed and actually invited into this country people who are part of
criminal cartels, drug dealers, terror suspects. This action turned
every State, including my home State of Wyoming, into a border State.
It is time for even more Democrats to join Republicans today in
securing our border, saving our lives, and passing this important piece
of legislation that is coming before us today.
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.
Mrs. BRITT. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for
the quorum call be rescinded.
The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Budd). Without objection, it is so
ordered.
Laken Riley Act
Mrs. BRITT. Mr. President, on January 10, 2002, Laken Riley was born
into this world to her loving family. Tomorrow would have been her 23rd
birthday. She should be celebrating with her family, blowing out
candles on her birthday cake, and filling her loved one's lives with
the joy she spread so effortlessly.
But instead of celebrating another year around the Sun with friends
and family, instead of figuring out what her next steps in life would
be--which had limitless potential--instead of achieving her dreams of
becoming a nurse, tomorrow, we will mark the first day she isn't here
with us on this side of Heaven.
Nobody knew Laken and the light she shined on all those around her
like her family, so I would like to read a statement from Allyson and
John Phillips, Laken's mother and stepfather:
It's impossible to fully describe what was taken from Laken
and from our family on February 22, 2024. Laken's life was
abundantly and exceptionally full of promise. She was a
beautiful, shining beacon in the life of everyone who knew
her. Not only did the people who knew and loved her lose a
beautiful soul, but so did our world.
Laken shared her love for Jesus with everyone she
encountered. Laken's passion for sharing her faith through
acts of kindness were felt by everyone she met. Laken was
selfless, hard-working, and made those around her feel
special. Laken did not just talk about her faith, she led by
example.
A truly special person.
Laken Riley was, as we can hear in Allyson and John's heartfelt
words, just incredible.
There was no reason--no reason at all--that she should no longer be
with us. Her killer, who came to this country illegally, should have
never been in the United States. And once he had been arrested for
multiple crimes before committing this heinous, unimaginable crime, he
should have been detained by ICE immediately. Had that been the case,
Laken's family and Laken herself would have faced a very different
reality. They would be celebrating a birthday, not approaching the 1-
year anniversary of her murder.
The Laken Riley Act will help prevent other families from
experiencing this unimaginable heartache.
I was proud to introduce this bill in the Senate with Senator Ted
Budd of North Carolina, with his support and leadership, along with
Majority Leader John Thune and the entire Senate Republican conference,
along with support which came from across the aisle from Senators John
Fetterman and Ruben Gallego.
I am grateful for the tremendous leadership of Georgia Congressman
Mike Collins, who originally introduced and led this piece of
legislation through bipartisan passage in the House--not once but
twice--literally lapping the Senate. When you look at Representative
Collins, that is a true servant leader. He saw an issue that occurred
right there with his constituency. His heart broke alongside theirs.
And then he didn't just talk about it; he did something about it.
Representative Mike Collins put pen to paper. He said: We are going to
create a solution. We are going to make sure that no family has to
experience the heartbreak that Laken's family is enduring. That type of
leadership is what every Member of this body should strive for.
As is already the case under current law for various types of
criminal activities, our bill would require U.S. Immigration and
Customs Enforcement to detain illegal aliens who commit theft-related
offenses and would mandate that these illegal aliens are detained until
their removal from the United States before they get the opportunity to
commit further, graver crimes.
I want to be very clear. The only individuals that would be subject
to this bill are criminal illegal aliens. These individuals crossed our
border illegally, and then they committed a crime after getting here.
That is who we are talking about.
Our bill would also ensure that States have standing to bring civil
action against Federal officials who refuse to enforce mandatory
detention and enforcement provisions of our current immigration laws,
as well as statutory limitations on grants of immigration parole, or
officials who violate those laws.
I know and my colleagues know that our bill is as necessary as it is
straightforward. The House, as I mentioned, has lapped us in the Senate
by passing this twice, under the leadership of Representative Collins.
Unfortunately, when we tried to move it here, Democrats repeatedly
blocked our attempt. Senate Democrats actually didn't even give this a
committee hearing or a markup. Let's learn from those mistakes.
To my Democratic colleagues, I implore you to see reason, to see
Laken's face, and to think about the potential consequences if you
choose to block this again.
I once again want to read the words of Laken's mother and stepfather,
Allyson and John Phillips:
The Laken Riley Act has our full support because it would
help save innocent lives and prevent more families from going
through the kind of heartbreak we've experienced. Laken would
have been 23 on January 10th. There is no greater gift that
could be given to her and our country than to continue her
legacy by saving lives through this bill. Every single member
of Congress should be able to get behind this purely
commonsense bill that will make our country and communities
safer.
So to my colleagues, please listen to Allyson and John. Understand
their pain. Hear their pleas for action. They need us to pass the Laken
Riley Act. Every American family needs us to pass the Laken Riley Act.
And they deserve it.
Today, on the eve of what should have been Laken Riley's 23rd
birthday, let's honor her legacy and advance a bipartisan bill that
will help us save American lives.
I yield the floor.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Iowa.
Mr. GRASSLEY. Mr. President, I am here to support the Laken Riley
Act. This legislation comes within the jurisdiction of the Judiciary
Committee, which committee I will chair this Congress.
[[Page S73]]
We all know that the result of the last election was a mandate for
the President to carry out his agenda. In that agenda was the
deportation of people who illegally enter our country. Everybody knows
you can't come to the United States without our permission. One of
those things that President Trump prioritized was his pledge to detain
and deport criminals who are in this country illegally.
Laken was a young woman who lost her life at the hands of a violent,
illegal immigrant with a criminal history. Laken's killer robbed a
business before he robbed Laken of her life. He should have either been
in prison or deported immediately after committing his first crime of
robbery. This bill would ensure that thieves are detained by our
immigration authorities.
Sadly, we know from experience that some administrations willfully
refuse to enforce our immigration laws. This bill protects our citizens
against any future administrations that want to let criminals stay in
the United States illegally. It allows States to sue the Federal
Government if and when it refuses to detain an illegal immigrant who
has harmed a person in that State.
Over the past 4 years, a countless number of criminals have crossed
our borders and hurt Americans. No American should be harmed by those
who shouldn't be here in the first place. The Laken Riley Act will
empower the President and his administration to remove the dangerous
criminals that currently roam our streets and threaten our citizens'
safety.
I would like to thank my colleague Senator Britt for taking the lead
on the Laken Riley Act. Thanks to her leadership, we have supporters
and cosponsors from both sides of the aisle backing this legislation. I
urge my colleagues to move to and support this bill.
The primary role of the Federal Government is to protect its
citizens. We owe it to Laken Riley and others who have fallen victim to
crimes by illegal migrants to ensure that the Federal Government never
fails to protect other Americans like it failed to protect them.
I yield the floor.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Democratic whip.
Mr. DURBIN. I ask unanimous consent that we begin the rollcall vote
immediately, the 3 o'clock rollcall.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
Cloture Motion
Pursuant to rule XXII, the Chair lays before the Senate the pending
cloture motion, which the clerk will state.
The senior assistant legislative clerk read as follows:
Cloture Motion
We, the undersigned Senators, in accordance with the
provisions of rule XXII of the Standing Rules of the Senate,
do hereby move to bring to a close debate on the motion to
proceed to Calendar No. 1, S. 5, a bill to require the
Secretary of Homeland Security to take into custody aliens
who have been charged in the United States with theft, and
for other purposes.
John Thune, Katie Britt, Markwayne Mullin, Bernie Moreno,
Eric Schmitt, Jim Banks, John Curtis, Pete Ricketts,
Cynthia M. Lummis, Rick Scott of Florida, John Cornyn,
Mike Rounds, Tom Cotton, Shelley Moore Capito, Roger
Marshall, Dave McCormick, Tommy Tuberville.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. By unanimous consent, the mandatory quorum
call has been waived.
The question is, Is it the sense of the Senate that debate on the
motion to proceed to Calendar No. 1, S. 5, a bill to require the
Secretary of Homeland Security to take into custody aliens who have
been charged in the United States with theft, and for other purposes,
shall be brought to a close?
The yeas and nays are mandatory under the rule.
The clerk will call the roll.
The senior assistant legislative clerk called the roll.
Mr. DURBIN. I announce that the Senator from New Hampshire (Ms.
Hassan), the Senator from Connecticut (Mr. Murphy), the Senator from
Washington (Mrs. Murray), the Senator from California (Mr. Padilla),
and the Senator from California (Mr. Schiff) are necessarily absent.
Mr. BARRASSO. The following Senator is necessarily absent: the
Senator from Alaska (Ms. Murkowski).
Further, if present and voting: the Senator from Alaska (Ms.
Murkowski) would have voted ``yea.''
The yeas and nays resulted--yeas 84, nays 9, as follows:
[Rollcall Vote No. 1 Leg.]
YEAS--84
Alsobrooks
Baldwin
Banks
Barrasso
Bennet
Blackburn
Blumenthal
Blunt Rochester
Boozman
Britt
Budd
Cantwell
Capito
Cassidy
Collins
Coons
Cornyn
Cortez Masto
Cotton
Cramer
Crapo
Cruz
Curtis
Daines
Duckworth
Durbin
Ernst
Fetterman
Fischer
Gallego
Gillibrand
Graham
Grassley
Hagerty
Hawley
Heinrich
Hickenlooper
Hoeven
Hyde-Smith
Johnson
Kaine
Kelly
Kennedy
King
Klobuchar
Lankford
Lee
Lujan
Lummis
Marshall
McConnell
McCormick
Moran
Moreno
Mullin
Ossoff
Paul
Peters
Reed
Ricketts
Risch
Rosen
Rounds
Rubio
Schmitt
Schumer
Scott (FL)
Scott (SC)
Shaheen
Sheehy
Slotkin
Sullivan
Thune
Tillis
Tuberville
Van Hollen
Vance
Warner
Warnock
Welch
Whitehouse
Wicker
Wyden
Young
NAYS--9
Booker
Hirono
Kim
Markey
Merkley
Sanders
Schatz
Smith
Warren
NOT VOTING--6
Hassan
Murkowski
Murphy
Murray
Padilla
Schiff
The PRESIDING OFFICER. On this vote, the yeas are 84, the nays are 9.
Three-fifths of the Senators duly chosen and sworn having voted in
the affirmative, the motion is agreed to.
The motion was agreed to.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from North Dakota.
Recognizing North Dakota State University Bison
Mr. HOEVEN. Mr. President, I rise today, along with my colleague from
North Dakota, Senator Kevin Cramer, to honor the 2024 NCAA FCS national
champions, the North Dakota State University Bison--and, yes, it is
pronounced ``buy-zuhn.'' Anyone from Bison Nation, which is the ardent
fan base that supports this great program, will tell you that.
On Monday night, the Bison finished another impressive football
season by winning their 10th FCS national title--correct, their 10th.
The Bison broke their own record for the most FCS titles of all time,
including their wins in 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2017, 2018, 2019,
2021, and now 2024. They have won, actually, 19. That is just 10 since
2011. They have actually one 19 NCAA football championships.
The game was on national television, with more than 3 million people
watching as it neared its exciting conclusion. I had the opportunity
last night to talk to President Trump about it, and right away, he
said: You guys have a great team. Senator Cramer was there as well, and
as a matter of fact, I think Senator Cramer texted him either during or
right after the game. I am not sure. He will tell us. But, needless to
say, I waited until Wednesday night to talk to the President. But he,
right away, said: You have a great team, a great program, and of course
we want them back at the White House.
We had them there, Kevin, I think it was 5 years ago.
Mr. CRAMER. Yes.
Mr. HOEVEN. To say it was a great visit would be an understatement. I
mean, it was unbelievable. The President took time to talk to all of
the football players, and he had them come to the Oval Office, and I
think he had a great time. It was a great experience, and so we are
very excited about going back and truly, truly appreciating President
Trump's hospitality and willingness to have this great team back.
Also, you realize that President Trump is a real sports fan.
Mr. CRAMER. Yes.
Mr. HOEVEN. He really is. He knows about our Bison team and, of
course, about everybody else's team too. He knows his sports.
It was a hard-fought game. I have to say it was a hard-fought game.
We played a truly worthy opponent, the Montana State University
Bobcats. The Bobcats actually had an unbeaten season going at that
point and really had steamrolled a lot of very good teams, and they are
to be commended as well.
As a point of interest there, their coach, Brent Vigen, is an
outstanding coach and a class guy. You saw that in the way he handled
the game. Obviously, it was very--you know, they played their hearts
out. It was a tough
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loss for them, but they showed absolute class, starting with their
coach and their fan base and certainly the team. Actually, he was a
player for the North Dakota Bison. He was a tight end on our football
team a number of years back and was an offensive coordinator. So he was
a coach at North Dakota State University.
He has turned that Montana State program around. They are a tough,
tough program and will continue to be. He is an outstanding coach.
So the championship capped off a great season for the Bison. They
ended 14 and 2 and proved once again that they really are a dominant
force when it comes to FCS football.
I just want to take a minute now to recognize and congratulate the
players and the coaches who are so vital to this success.
Quarterback Cam Miller just had an incredible game. He had an
incredible year, but he really showed his mettle in this final game. He
led the team. He was, of course, named the most outstanding player. He
rushed 18 times for 121 yards. So he rushed 18 times, 121 yards, and 2
touchdowns, and he completed 19 of 22 passes for almost 200 yards. Now,
those are the kinds of stats that are just off the chart. But his
leadership all year long and certainly in the playoffs was just
unbelievable.
I also want to acknowledge Marty Brown. He is a freshman running back
who won the Jerry Rice Award as the freshman of the year and obviously
just had an incredible year. It is a very prestigious award. He rushed
for more than 1,000 yards and scored 14 touchdowns during the year.
Also, I want to recognize wide receiver Bryce Lance, a tremendous
young receiver. He tied the record on Monday for the most single-season
touchdowns in Missouri Valley Conference history, which is the
conference that the Bison play in, and he had a total of 17 touchdowns.
We honor the whole team, though. It takes a team of incredible
players, incredible senior leadership, a number of whom are going to be
drafted--no question about it. There will be high draft choices. It was
well-coached by Tim Polasek, who is a first-year coach. He is a former
Bison as well. He was a coach under Craig Bohl for the Bison. He came
back, and this was his first year as head coach, so obviously it was
exciting for him to win the title in his first year.
There are also some other coaches I want to mention. I specifically
want to mention Coach Randy Hedberg, who is a longtime friend of mine.
He is the quarterback's coach, and this guy is a quarterback whisperer.
He coached quarterbacks who are in the NFL now--Carson Wentz, who is
with the Chiefs; Easton Stick, who is with the Chargers; and Trey
Lance, who is with the Dallas Cowboys.
This guy was actually a professional quarterback himself. Amongst
other teams, he played for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. In the first game
the Tampa Bay Buccaneers won--John McKay was the coach--in the very
first game they won as an expansion team, Randy Hedberg was the
quarterback. He has the gift.
So we get these great players, and we have a string of players who go
to the NFL, and no doubt Cam Miller will as well.
Coach Devin Klieman, who is the son of former Bison Head Coach Chris
Klieman, who is now at Kansas State--you know, the legacy goes on, and
Chris Klieman's son Devin is with us.
Carlton Littlejohn is a standout linebacker. I remember watching him
play.
Then also there is Coach Grant Olson. He is a former player, and Amy,
his wife, is a professional golfer. So this is an athletic family.
Those kids are going to be something else, I will tell you that. He was
selected to the 2025 class of the American Football Coaches
Association's 35 Under 35 Coaches Leadership Institute. He did a
tremendous job with the defense.
To all of them--to all of the coaches and, of course, most of all, to
these incredible young student athletes--they were just awesome this
year. They did an incredible job. So I want to congratulate all of them
and congratulate Athletic Director Matt Larsen and another individual
who is a good friend of both of ours, Dave Cook, the president of the
university--a class act. Big kudos to him.
I have to conclude on Bison Nation. Oh, I forgot. Here are my
posters. I will show them quickly.
Here they are celebrating after the big win in Frisco, TX. We kind of
like to refer to Frisco, TX, as Fargo South.
Mr. CRAMER. Yes.
Mr. HOEVEN. One of the high schools in Fargo is called Fargo South.
Maybe that is how it got started. But we love Frisco. We love Frisco,
TX. Having won 10 championships there may have something to do with it,
but it is a marvelous place. Here they are celebrating afterward, and
then here is the coach. Here is Coach Tim Polasek holding up the trophy
there. I think you can see Kevin Cramer in the back. Oh, I guess not. I
guess we were here.
Mr. CRAMER. I was not there.
Mr. HOEVEN. So we weren't there, but we would have loved to have been
there.
Bison Nation really supports this team, and you can't do it without
that kind of fan base, although I have to tell you that the Montana
State Bobcats were there in force, because I talked to players or I
talked to some of the folks who were there, some of the alumni and fans
who had gone to the game, and they said that Montana State really
supported their team well.
So with that, I am going to turn to my colleague Senator Cramer, who
is going to offer some more remarks. Like I said, we are excited
because our work is not done. We will continue working with the team
and look forward to a White House visit.
Senator Cramer.
The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Ricketts). The Senator from North Dakota.
Mr. CRAMER. Mr. President, I am going to do what I do so well and so
often and agree with John Hoeven. How is that?
Mr. HOEVEN. That is good.
Mr. CRAMER. I won't bore you with a lot of the same information. But
he did set up--I think, John, you set up a perfect opportunity to dig
into the dynasty a little bit when you went through every year.
Remember, we have been in Congress every year that they won one of
these FCS championships. Somebody reminded me of that yesterday. So we
have given a lot of these speeches. I have made several in the House.
Webster says that a dynasty is ``a succession of rulers of the same
line of descent''--``a succession of rulers of the same line of
descent.'' So when Senator Hoeven went through the names of those
coaches in these last 14 years, they are in the line of descent.
Craig Bohl, who went to Wyoming from NDSU, was the coach when NDSU
became eligible for the FCS championship series.
Just to put a little bit more meat on that, NDSU was a Division II--
NCAA Division II powerhouse for years, winning several national
championships. They switched over to Division I and then became
eligible. They didn't become eligible to even be in the tournament
until 2008. So just imagine that. They were, basically, the junior
varsity until 2008, when they became eligible for the playoffs. And in
2010, they got to the quarter finals.
So we got these ten championships, but let's not forget, they--and
one of the other times, one of the other 4 years that they didn't win
the national championships, they were in the quarter finals. And 2 of
the years of those 4, they were in the semifinals. And the other year,
they were the runner-up. So what are they, then, 9 and 0 in Frisco. No
wonder we like Fargo South.
I might also point to this little tidbit--and maybe the NCAA is doing
this to us on purpose: Next year's game and the next couple of years
are going to be in Nashville. So Marsha and Bill are going to have to
host this. But, anyway, we will wait for that to happen.
So 10 championships since 2011. That is a dynasty. Everybody is using
the word ``dynasty.'' ESPN is using the word ``dynasty.'' You can't
help but use the word ``dynasty.''
Senator Hoeven, you are correct to compliment the Bobcats. My gosh, I
mean, the two quarterbacks in this game, Tommy Mellott from Montana
State and Cam Miller from NDSU, played each other in the same game when
they were freshmen. Both of them started for their respective teams
when they were freshmen, and NDSU prevailed in that game as well. But
what a program and what a great group of guys that created.
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One of the things that I wanted to throw out there is--by the way,
this poster, this is what I texted to President Trump about 30 seconds
after the game. NDSU posted this image on their X or their Twitter
feed, so I forwarded it to President Trump and said: Does this mean we
get to come to the White House? He said yes, with an exclamation mark.
He loves the program. He loves the program.
But NDSU is a really good football program, the best football
program, but there are a lot more. NDSU is a research institute. It is
a land grant university. John and I and anybody in ag country knows how
valuable, how important they are to our economy, to our farmers, the
research that they do. They are an R-1 research university, one of the
top 100 research universities in the United States, with about 12,000
students, about 100 majors, and, of course, graduate programs and
doctoral programs--all kinds of opportunities for young men and women
who are looking for an education and a fun place to get one.
So we are just so proud of North Dakota State University. We are
proud of all of our universities, the private ones and the public ones.
They stand out in so many ways. But this is NDSU's day.
We are just honored to be able to celebrate with them in this sort of
special way.
And I look forward to going to Nashville about a year from now and
watching another one, John.
John, he is a little more--you know, he doesn't like to set the bar
too high and get disappointed. But we are almost never disappointed. So
I am getting my tickets for Nashville.
With that, I yield the floor.
Mr. HOEVEN. Just a final comment, just so the folks can see our ties,
because I really want to commend you on your outstanding choice of the
green and yellow NDSU--North Dakota State University--tie.
I have the weak version of the tie, Mr. President. I know in
Nebraska, you understand how important agriculture is.
So we are proud of our school for our football teams but also because
it is one of the leading schools of agriculture in the country, and for
so many other reasons as well.
Mr. CRAMER. If I might reclaim a moment.
I think there are two Montana Senators who should be wearing those
ties. But, anyway, we will find them later.
I yield the floor.
Mr. HOEVEN. Thank you, Mr. President. We yield the floor.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Kansas.
Haskell Indian Nations University
Mr. MORAN. Mr. President, I rise this afternoon to address my
colleagues about a circumstance in Kansas and, really, in the country,
the pressing need for reform at Haskell Indian Nations University
following serious allegations and finding of wrongdoing by the Bureau
of Indian Affairs and Indian Education.
Haskell University is a university located in Lawrence, KS. Haskell
is the sole Tribal Nations University in the country and was
established by the Department of the Interior for the purpose of
maintaining the Federal Government's trust responsibilities and treaty
agreements to the Native Americans.
Haskell University serves as a custodian of Tribal culture, offering
students the opportunity to receive tuition-free higher education in an
environment that understands and prioritizes indigenous values.
Yet despite its critical importance, Haskell has faced significant
challenges. Haskell's campus, which once served as a sanctuary for
Native American art and history, has for years been neglected by the
Bureau of Indian Education. Various buildings on campus, many which
serve as U.S. National Historic Landmarks, are in disrepair or no
longer in use.
Many of the residential buildings on campus are not equipped with
heating, ventilation, or air-conditioning, and the campus is not--not--
compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act.
It is the responsibility of the Bureau of Indian Education, as
described in the Indian Education Act of 1972, to ``insure continued
and expanded educational opportunities for Indian students.''
Yet the BIE has failed to maintain Haskell's infrastructure or to
provide a safe campus for students and employees.
Since 2017, I have been working to bring attention to the BIE's
mismanagement of the university, and on multiple occasions, I have
called on leadership at the Department to address the wide array of
problems and challenges at Haskell.
In 2022, serious allegations were reported to my office regarding
improper treatment of students and the wrongful termination of an
employee at Haskell Indian Nations University.
In response, I contacted the Director of Indian Education, urging the
BIE to address these issues. Although the BIE, of course, assured me in
March of 2023 that changes would be made to alleviate my concerns, we
continued to hear and continue to hear from students and staff
reporting the problems and reporting that those problems that were
reported back then were not being addressed adequately.
In October 2023, I was informed of a confidential, on-campus
investigation into the issues at Haskell. In April of 2024, a report
was released due to an investigation by a government watchdog Agency,
which revealed serious problems, including failures to adequately
establish and follow policies regarding sexual assault, wrongful
termination of employees, and intimidation of faculty and students.
With these findings, I called for a systemic overhaul within BIE, but
as has almost always been the case, the Department of the Interior
chose to delegate the responsibilities to an Assistant Secretary and
refused to directly address the issues at hand.
Since April 2024, I have made repeated requests to meet with Deb
Haaland, the Secretary of the Interior, to discuss these issues. Every
attempt for a discussion was rebuffed.
This ongoing neglect is unacceptable. It is past time for real change
at Haskell.
To address these issues, last month I released a draft piece of
legislation to provide a Federal charter for Haskell Indian Nations
University and to remove the Department of the Interior and the Bureau
of Indian Education from direct oversight of the university.
The legislation will empower Haskell with self-governance, providing
an organizational structure that reflects its mission, community, and
needs of its students.
The marker bill calls for the establishment of a new governing body
at Haskell, a board of regents composed of Native American leaders,
educators, and community members who will be directly accountable to
the students, staff, and to the Tribes that Haskell serves.
The board would manage the university's budget, make decisions
regarding academic programming, faculty, and facilities, ensure that
the institution is providing a high-quality educational experience for
students that attend Haskell University--an educational experience that
they deserve.
I appreciate the support from the Haskell Board of Regents, the
president of the board, Brittany Hall, said this:
These challenges underscore the critical need for a more
tailored governance model empowered by a U.S. Congressional
charter--one that enables the University to thrive while
better serving its students and communities.
By moving Haskell outside the purview of BIE, we remove the
bureaucratic ambivalence that has hindered the university's growth and
damaged in significant ways its potential.
I would like to request that members of the Native American,
Lawrence, KS, and higher education communities submit feedback to my
office or to my colleague who is leading this effort in the House of
Representatives, Congressman Tracey Mann, on the proposed legislation
to ensure this bill effectively addresses key issues. We are looking
for comment and input.
The history of the Federal Government's treatment of Native Americans
is filled with broken promises. We should not allow Haskell, a
cornerstone of Native higher education, to become another promise we
fail to keep.
The students who walk through the doors of Haskell deserve better
than the inefficiency and mismanagement and the neglect they have faced
under the current governance system.
I look forward to working with all stakeholders to refine the draft
legislation and request my colleagues join me
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in my efforts to secure a prosperous future for Haskell University.
I yield the floor.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The majority leader.
____________________