[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 85 (Tuesday, May 20, 2025)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2983-S2988]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
LEGISLATIVE SESSION
______
GUIDING AND ESTABLISHING NATIONAL INNOVATION FOR U.S. STABLECOINS ACT--
Motion to Proceed--Resumed
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Under the previous order, the Senate will
resume consideration of the motion to proceed to S. 1582, which the
clerk will report.
The assistant bill clerk read as follows:
Motion to proceed to Calendar No. 66, S. 1582, a bill to
provide for the regulation of payment stablecoins, and for
other purposes.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Iowa.
Rural Community Hospital Demonstration
Mr. GRASSLEY. Mr. President, rural hospitals in America are under the
gun. Some of them are closing. We have about 90 rural hospitals in the
State of Iowa.
For a change, I have some good news for rural hospitals. For years, I
have been pressing the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services--CMS,
for short--to open applications for the 10 unfilled spots in a program
that we call Rural Community Hospital Demonstration. This program
allows Medicare to test innovative payment models to support rural
hospitals. It boosts the financial viability for rural hospitals that
are too large to be critical access hospitals and yet too small to
benefit from Medicare's hospital inpatient prospective payment system.
Currently, the program is helping four rural hospitals in Iowa--in Fort
Dodge, Grinnell, Newton, and Spirit Lake.
For years, I have heard excuses from the executive branch for why
they wouldn't fill the open spots with interested rural hospitals. So
earlier this year, I asked CMS Administrator Dr. Oz to fill the open
spots in this rural hospital program. Finally, on May 14, Dr. Oz
announced that 10 new hospitals will be added to the Rural Community
Hospital Demonstration Program. Also, hospitals that applied but were
not selected will be put on a wait list if other spots open up.
Until this time, CMS has been underutilizing this program and
ignoring interested rural hospitals. I appreciate the Trump
administration taking action to help rural America this way through
helping a few more rural hospitals.
I yield the floor.
Recognition of the Majority Leader
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The majority leader is recognized.
Clean Air Act
Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, this week, we are going to be moving to
take up Congressional Review Act resolutions to overturn Clean Air Act
preemption waivers the Environmental Protection Agency granted to
California that allow California to dictate emission standards for the
whole country, effectively imposing a nationwide electric vehicle
mandate.
Now, Clean Air Act waivers are nothing new. The Clean Air Act allowed
for waivers to address specific pollution problems, and over the
decades, a number of them have been granted.
But the waivers the Biden EPA handed to California on the Biden
administration's way out the door go far beyond the scope Congress
contemplated in the Clean Air Act. The waivers in question allow
California to implement a stringent electric vehicle mandate, which,
given California's size and the fact that a number of other States have
signed on to California's mandate, would end up not just affecting the
State of California but the whole country.
Under California's electric vehicle mandate, automakers around the
country would be forced to close down a substantial part of their
traditional vehicle production, with serious consequences: diminished
economic output, job losses, declining tax revenues. And that is just
the start.
[[Page S2984]]
Consumers around the country would face fewer choices, higher prices,
and reduced automobile availability, and our already shaky electric
grid would quickly face huge new burdens from the surge of new electric
vehicles--if, of course, automakers were able to ramp up production as
fast as California wants them to, and charging stations, which
typically take several years to approve, could be built in time.
Our Nation is already facing serious problems on the energy supply
front. We are, to quote a Washington Post headline from last March,
``running out of power,'' as the surge in demand and the premature
retirement of fossil fuel-fired powerplants push us to the brink. Our
electric grid is simply not in a position to absorb a huge surge in
electric vehicles.
Unfortunately, that didn't seem to register with President Biden, who
implemented a nationwide electric vehicle mandate that the Trump EPA is
currently working to undo.
But while the Biden EPA's EV mandate was bad, California's is much
worse. And if we don't act, the consequences to our economy, to
consumers, and to our electricity supply could be devastating.
The House has already passed a CRA resolution to repeal California's
mandate, and the situation is so grave that not just Republicans but 35
Democrats supported this repeal.
But here in the Senate, Democrats are attempting to derail a repeal
by throwing a tantrum over a supposed procedural problem. The
California waivers are not rules, Democrats claim, and thus the
Congressional Review Act cannot be used to repeal them.
Let's be very clear. The EPA has submitted the waivers to Congress as
rules, which is all that Congress has ever needed to decide to consider
something under the Congressional Review Act.
The House, as I said, passed a Congressional Review Act resolution of
disapproval--a resolution that garnered 35 Democrat votes in the House
and was passed without objection from the House Parliamentarian. And
there can be no question that these waivers are rules in substance,
given their widespread effects.
But it is true that we are facing something of a novel situation
because, for the first time ever, the Government Accountability Office
has decided to insert itself into the process and affirmatively declare
that an Agency rule submitted to Congress as a rule is not a rule.
It is an extraordinary deviation from precedent for an Agency that
should be defending Congress's power instead of constraining it. And,
frankly, I think we need to act to ensure that this intrusion into the
Congressional Review Act process doesn't become a habit and that the
Senate doesn't end up transferring its decision-making power on CRA
resolutions to the Government Accountability Office. That is why this
week I intend to bring the question of GAO's unprecedented interference
to the floor.
But, in the meantime, I want to make one thing very clear: This
debate is not about destroying Senate procedure--or any other
hysterical claim the Democrats are making. And I have to say that my
colleagues' newfound interest in defending Senate procedure is
touching, if a touch surprising.
After all, it was only last year that the Democrats were planning to
destroy one of the bedrocks of the Senate, the legislative filibuster.
And, of course, the Democrats' concern about overruling the
Parliamentarian is a bit unexpected, given the Democrats' documented
history of attempting to do exactly that. But I am glad to see
Democrats demonstrating an interest in safeguarding the Senate.
However, the fact of the matter is that their purported concerns here
are entirely misplaced. We are not talking about doing anything to
erode the institutional character of the Senate.
In fact, we are talking about preserving the Senate's prerogatives.
And I would like to see Senators from both parties vote to uphold the
Senate's rights under the Congressional Review Act, even if Democrats
support the California Green New Deal rule in question.
The California waivers rules are an improper expansion of a limited
Clean Air Act authority and would endanger consumers, our economy, and
our Nation's energy supply, and I look forward to overturning these
rules in the very near future.
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.
Trump Administration
Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, on SALT--that is, the State and local tax
deduction--in the fall on the campaign trail on Long Island and in his
Truth Social account, Donald Trump said this:
I will turn it around, get SALT back, lower your Taxes, and
so much more. I'll work with the Democrat Governor and Mayor,
and make sure the funding is there to bring New York State
back to levels it hasn't seen for 50 years.
And on Long Island, Donald Trump went further. He promised to ``cut
taxes for families, small businesses, and workers, including restoring
the SALT deduction, saving thousands of dollars for residents of New
York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and other high-cost states,'' promising
that once he restored SALT, ``jobs and factories will pour back into
New York. I know how to do it better than anybody has ever known how to
do it, and we can do it so easily.''
This was obviously met with raucous praise. After all, it was he,
Donald Trump, who created this disaster when he put SALT caps in during
his first term in his tax bill that year.
I was incredibly skeptical about Donald Trump's promise on Long
Island; after all, this was the arsonist promising to put out the fire.
Since then, many New York House Republicans have made the same
promise, parroting then-Candidate Trump almost every week since he has
taken office. They even formed a little SALT Caucus in the House. So
some may be shocked--shocked--to hear that just a few moments ago,
right here in the Capitol, President Trump completely--completely--
reversed himself. Now, Donald Trump is against this proposal that he
and many New York House Republicans campaigned on. He reportedly said
this morning he will not raise the SALT cap because ``we don't want to
benefit Democratic governors.''
President Trump came to the Capitol apparently to send a message to
New York Republicans. He is reversing himself and breaking his promise
on SALT, just as I long warned he would do. Donald Trump apparently
says he now opposes SALT because it would only benefit Democratic
Governors. What about New York taxpayers? What about the police and
firemen and teachers who are paying higher taxes because of SALT on
Long Island and the Hudson Valley, throughout New York State, or the
millions of taxpayers across the country impacted by Trump's illogical
move to do this in his first term?
Does Donald Trump give a damn about middle-class New Yorkers,
particularly in the suburbs who are paying more taxes because of the
SALT cap? Apparently not.
When Trump came to Long Island and talked a big game about restoring
SALT relief, I called it a farce. It was actually a lie. And today, he
has proved himself a liar and has seemingly played New York Republicans
for fools.
If New York Republicans don't stand up to Donald Trump right now,
they will look like fools. They have said over and over again that they
are going to fight this horrible SALT cap, which hurts so many New
Yorkers, so many in their own districts. They have said they will fight
to the end. Will they stand up now to Donald Trump or cave while
disappointing millions of New Yorkers?
Ashli Babbitt
Mr. President, on the Babbitt settlement, I am deeply disappointed
that the Republican leader did not condemn the Trump administration's
most recent attack on our beloved Capitol Police. I am appalled and
disgusted at the disrespect the Trump administration is showing to the
Capitol Police by awarding $5 million to the family of
[[Page S2985]]
Ashli Babbitt, who broke into the U.S. Capitol on January 6. And I am
appalled and disgusted at the thought that my colleagues on the other
side of the aisle support Trump's decision.
Awarding the family of an insurrectionist $5 million is an insult to
first responders, those who were in the Capitol, and those everywhere.
It sends a sickening message to police and all other first responders
throughout the country: When it matters most, Donald Trump will turn
his back on you.
Fentanyl
On fentanyl, Donald Trump promised on the campaign trail he would
hold the Chinese Government accountable to stop the fentanyl crisis.
Over 100 days into office, Donald Trump has failed on both accounts.
Meanwhile, Donald Trump has also handed over all leverage to China
through his stupid trade war. Now he is trying to gut key State
Department programs that curb the flow of fentanyl into America.
Today, I join three of my colleagues in demanding Secretaries Rubio
and Bessent use all possible diplomatic tools to push the People's
Republic of China to take immediate action to stop the flow of fentanyl
into America. This administration should also scrap the misguided 91-
percent cut--91 percent--to the State Department's international
narcotics control and enforcement programs included in the President's
budget proposal.
Instead of working to hold China accountable and stop this crisis in
its tracks, the Trump administration had to wage a destructive trade
war with China and blame allies like Canada for our fentanyl problem.
And now Donald Trump's budget is trying to gut key programs that could
actually do something about the problem.
Specifically, I urge the Trump administration to, first, push the
Chinese Government to do three things: Do a better job policing illicit
fentanyl and precursor chemical trafficking; increase precursor
scheduling; and stop the illicit financing of precursor chemicals in
China. We need commitments on all three points. Second, the Trump
administration must use every diplomatic tool available to stop the
flow of fentanyl into America. Finally, the Trump administration must
immediately end cuts to programs that actually address the fentanyl
crisis.
When I met with President Xi 2 years ago, I told him directly about
the devastating impact of the opioid crisis on American families. I
demanded to President Xi that the Chinese Government take immediate
action to cut off the supply of precursor chemicals that are fueling
this crisis.
Some steps were taken, some important steps, but much more is needed
from the Chinese Government, and the President and his team should be
working with the PRC to get these concessions and cooperation rather
than the current strategy: destroying our influence and competition
with the PRC abroad.
Tariffs
Mr. President, across the country, companies like Walmart and Mattel
and Target and Ford are starting to do exactly what many economists
feared in response to Donald Trump's stupid tariff policy: They are
raising their prices. And the American people are paying more.
But does Donald Trump listen? Of course not. He almost never listens
except to what he wants to hear. Instead of backing off his tariffs,
Donald Trump tells companies to ``eat the tariffs.'' Those are his
words. He tries to bully and berate companies simply when they want to
be transparent with their customers.
Of course, businesses will raise prices because of the tariffs. What
on Earth does Donald Trump expect? Donald Trump blaming businesses for
raising prices due to tariffs is like setting fire to a building and
then blaming the fire department.
For someone who fancies himself a shrewd businessman, Donald Trump
doesn't seem to understand the pain his trade war has created for
businesses. Perhaps it is hard for Donald Trump to hear their concerns
from inside his luxury Qatari jet.
Budget Reconciliation
On reconciliation, Donald Trump can meet with House Republicans as
many times as he likes, but he won't change the fundamental problem of
their bill. It kills jobs--U.S. jobs, explodes the deficit, and
overwhelmingly helps the rich.
First, on jobs. Donald Trump and Republicans want to reward
billionaires by taking an ax to clean energy investments America needs
to meet our energy demands of the future. Under Donald Trump, China is
overtaking the United States. Republicans' attacks on clean energy
investments mean the U.S. will cede our leadership on clean energy to
Chinese companies. Clean energy is the future. We need it to meet our
energy needs. And Republicans who squander the future will regret it.
They are letting China become No. 1 on one of the most important
industries in the world: energy.
Second, if Republicans make Trump's tax cuts permanent, they will add
over $50 trillion to the debt in the next 30 years. Our children, our
grandchildren will be condemned to a lifetime of higher interest rates,
higher costs, diminished potential.
Meanwhile, Republicans keep saying their tax scam will lift Americans
across the board. This is false, and we have the data to show it.
According to a study by Wharton, under the Republican plan, the top 10
percent of Americans will get 65 percent of the benefit of the value of
the tax breaks. Many Americans making less than $51,000 a year would
see their incomes go down. Many working families in the first income
quantile will take a $1,000 hit. The national debt will increase by
$4.6 trillion over the next decade. That is in addition to, again, the
potential $50 trillion over the next three decades if these tax
giveaways are made permanent.
That is the formula for the Republican's ``big, beautiful bill'':
billionaires win; working families lose.
Equinor
Finally, on Equinor, yesterday, after weeks of fierce backlash, the
Trump administration backed off its unjustified work stop order for
Equinor's Empire Wind off the coast of Long Island.
I am really glad the administration backed off. For weeks, I worked
with Governor Hochul and Equinor and pushed Secretary Lutnick to
release their report explaining the work stop order. They told Equinor
they must stop. They said, you didn't meet environmental assessments
and they wouldn't tell them why. They couldn't even answer. They were
so frustrated, they were ready to leave, even though we invested
billions and billions already in the ground to build these turbines
which could provide up to 800,000 families with cheaper electricity.
Well, the reversal is good. It will save more than 1,000 good-paying
New York jobs on Long Island and on Staten Island, and it will preserve
billions in private investment.
What kind of country encourages companies to invest in America and
then, all of a sudden, makes them lose $4, $5 billion they have already
sunk into the ground without giving a reason for it?
A few days later and this project could have been scrapped entirely--
a disaster for New York's economy and for the entire wind and energy
industry.
The work stop announced was rotten the moment it was issued. The
administration never gave a real explanation for its many claims that
Equinor permits were rushed. This order seemed more like a broadside
against the wind industry than anything else.
This episode should serve as a warning to other industries: Donald
Trump may try to push you, but if you push back, he will back off. I
say that to all the wind and solar folks who are producing and about to
produce good, clean, low-cost energy. Donald Trump and the Republicans
in the House, and maybe in the Senate, are threatening them by cutting
off tax breaks we were able to get done in the IRA.
Now that this order is lifted, billions of dollars in private
investment will once again flow into New York. Thousands of New Yorkers
and offshore wind supply chain workers across the country can get back
to work. Construction can continue on a project that will power half a
million homes and proceed on one of the biggest, most significant
offshore wind projects in the country.
I yield the floor.
The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Sheehy). The majority whip.
Electric Vehicles
Mr. BARRASSO. Mr. President, first, I would like to associate my
remarks
[[Page S2986]]
with those made earlier today by the majority leader Senator Thune.
That is because Democrats have this delusional dream of eliminating
gas-powered vehicles in America. They want to force-feed electric
vehicles to every man and woman who drive in this country.
Well, Republicans are ready to use the Congressional Review Act to
end this Democratic electric vehicle fantasy. The California EV rules
that we are going to be voting on are expensive and economically
destructive to our Nation. EVs currently make up 7 percent of the
market of vehicles in this country and sales are plummeting.
What the Democrats want to do--want to happen to this country--is
impossible to meet. They want 35 percent of all lightweight vehicles
sold in America next year to be electric vehicles--35 percent. And by
year 2035, they want it to be 100 percent of all vehicles.
Well, the House of Representatives, including 35 Democrats, including
some from California, have voted to say no, they wanted to end this
mandate. They were right to do so. That is what the Senate is going to
be taking up.
Democrats in the Senate continue to cling onto the pillar of their
Green New Deal. That is a deal that the American people rejected in
November and rejected by electing a Republican President, a Republican
House, a Republican Senate; and we are here to do the will of the
American people.
Russia
Mr. President, on another matter, I come today to call for an end of
Russia's war in Ukraine. President Trump is committed to peace. He has
repeatedly said his mission is to stop the killing. Yesterday's phone
call with Vladimir Putin, I believe, was a decisive step to do just
that.
After 3 years of bloodshed, Russia and Ukraine have now begun
necessary talks for a cease-fire that will end the war. This
breakthrough wouldn't be possible without President Trump's strength
and leadership. President Trump is a master dealmaker. We know that. He
has united our allies in Europe and Ukraine behind his vision for
lasting peace. Real leadership ends wars. Real leadership saves lives,
and that is what we are seeing today from President Trump.
Yet as President Trump forges peace, Putin continues to sow chaos.
Putin is a brutal dictator. That is who he is. He lies, he cheats, he
disregards the lives of his own country's citizens, and the attacks of
war continue.
Russian soldiers continue to attack Ukrainian citizens. This
weekend's massive drone attack--one of the largest of the war--was a
deliberate attack on innocent people--not combatants, but innocent
people. We cannot forget Vladimir Putin's brutality.
Russia faces a stark choice: peace or crippling sanctions. President
Trump has spoken forcefully of swift and severe consequences if Russia
fails to honor a cease-fire. There is a bipartisan group in this
Senate. We agree--over 70 have already signed onto a bill to expand
sanctions and tariffs on Russia, crippling sanctions, crushing
sanctions.
Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and Richard Blumenthal of
Connecticut are leading the charge. It includes 500-percent tariffs on
anyone who buys oil, gas, or uranium from Russia. Energy is the cash
cow of Putin's war machine. Cut it off, the Russians cannot continue to
fight.
Russia's biggest customer is communist China. The next is India. They
will be hit very hard. Europe, too, must act. Last year, Europe spent
$23 billion on Russian oil and gas. It is more than Europe sent in aid
to Ukraine. Europe has somewhat reduced their dependency on Russian
energy projects, partially buying American. They must do better; they
must do more. Europe must go further faster to take back its security
and its future.
So America stands ready. Energy security is national security.
Affordable, reliable American energy is a source of our strength as a
nation. We in America are an energy superpower; and under President
Trump's leadership, we are actually acting like it. Vladimir Putin
doesn't respond to statements. He only responds to strength.
If Russia stalls, the Senate will act decisively to move to bring
lasting peace. It is time to end the killing. It is time to end the war
in Ukraine.
I yield the floor.
I suggest the absence of a quorum.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
The senior assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for
the quorum call be rescinded.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
GENIUS Act
Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, yesterday, the Senate voted to begin
consideration of the modestly named GENIUS Act, a bill that would
regulate stablecoins, a form of cryptocurrency.
Crypto is known as a volatile investment and more unpredictable than
traditional financial assets like stocks and bonds. Last month, the
value of Bitcoin, a type of crypto, dropped to $76,000, but it shot up
to more than $100,000 last week.
Supporters of the GENIUS Act say that is where stablecoins come in.
They argue that stablecoins are tied to the value of the dollar, for
example, so they never lose their value.
The name ``stablecoin'' makes it sound secure, doesn't it? But the
name is misleading. In 2023 alone, stablecoins deviated from their
underlying asset more than 600 times. That does not sound like
stability to me.
While I agree with supporters of the GENIUS Act that crypto and
stablecoins need to be regulated, I have genuine concerns about the
bill.
One is the amount of illicit finance that stablecoins could support.
A recent report found that crypto facilitated $51 billion in illicit
transactions, and stablecoins accounted for 63 percent of all illicit
crypto transactions.
Many illegal crypto transactions involve crypto ATMs. You might have
seen one at your grocery store or gas station, although you may not
realize it. They allow you to trade in cash for cryptocurrency. But
they also are a frequent tool of scammers and fraudsters who prey on
Americans, especially senior citizens. We receive phone calls in our
offices back in Illinois on a regular basis from senior citizens who
have been scammed out of thousands of dollars.
Here is how it works: A scammer will call an unassuming victim,
pretending to be from the government or the victim's bank.
Let me stop right there and say what I tell people over and over
again. The government is not going to call you on the phone. If anyone
calls you on the phone and represents that they are part of Social
Security or some other Federal Agency, it is most likely a scam. That
is the starting point.
A scammer calls this unassuming victim and creates a scenario--an
emergency scenario--in their mind. The scammer tells the victim that
they owe money for skipping jury duty or unpaid taxes or that their
bank account is frozen. The scammer warns the victim they have to pay
urgently or else the fines will escalate or the victim may face jail
time if they don't move quickly.
The scammer tells the victim not to worry; they can simply drive to
the nearest crypto ATM, make their payment, and everything will be just
fine. The scammer walks them through the steps of inserting cash in the
machine, purchasing cryptocurrency, and sending it to the scammer's
digital wallet. Once that happens, the money is gone, with no way to
get it back and little hope of tracing the transaction to the scammer.
All throughout the scam, the fraudster will stay in constant contact
with the victim to keep them from ever getting a moment to take a
breath, calm down, consult a trusted friend, or maybe realize what is
really going on.
In 2023, scammers used crypto ATMs to cheat victims out of $114
million, mainly senior citizens.
I first found out about these scams after reading an article in the
Illinois Times, a newspaper publication in Springfield, IL. The article
told the story of a vape shop owner in Springfield who was being paid
$300 a month to have a crypto ATM machine on his premises. One day, the
owner noticed a panicked elderly woman enter the shop and hurriedly
feed thousands of dollars into the crypto ATM while talking on the
phone the whole time. The vape shop owner learned that the woman was
scammed out of $5,000 before he stepped in to stop her from putting
more money into the machine.
Later, the owner removed the crypto ATM from the store, but there was
no
[[Page S2987]]
way for the woman to get her money back. That owner said: I just
couldn't in good conscience allow more and more senior citizens to come
in and use that machine after being scammed.
This same story has repeated itself countless times across the
country. An 80-year-old man in Texas lost thousands of dollars to a
scammer who claimed he needed to pay bail to get his son out of jail.
The man claimed:
I was scared, I hit the panic button and I let my panic
take control of my good judgment.
In South Carolina, a retired couple lost $320,000 over several months
to a scam involving crypto ATMs.
Last month, a retired woman in Wisconsin lost $24,000--her entire
life savings--when scammers convinced her to use a crypto ATM, claiming
it was the only way to protect her bank account from fraudulent
activity. Since the scam, the woman has said:
Sometimes I wake up and I shiver because I can still hear
[the scammer's] voice. It is probably something I will never
get over.
Just this month, the sheriff's office in Walton County, FL, reported
that a resident was cheated out of $129,000 by a scammer claiming to be
from their bank.
Crypto ATM operators will claim that their kiosks give banking and
crypto access to the ``unbanked''--often those in minority and low-
income communities who have historically been locked out of the banking
system--but in reality, the elderly and the unbanked are the most
vulnerable to scams involving crypto ATM fraud.
The crypto ATMs charge high fees, ranging from 7 percent to 20
percent, and have fewer consumer protections, if any, for the users.
States such as Nebraska, Arizona, and Connecticut have passed
legislation to crack down on these scams. It is time for Congress to do
the same.
It has been predicted that the result of the so-called GENIUS Act
will be a dramatic increase in crypto activity. That means a dramatic
exposure to fraud.
Let's make sure this amendment which I am going to offer to the
GENIUS Act is adopted to protect innocent victims. I can tell you for
sure, you are going to hear from senior citizens and others who have
lost their life savings. That is why I am pushing for a vote on my
amendment to the GENIUS Act. It creates commonsense guardrails to
prevent crypto ATM fraud and empower law enforcement to combat these
scams. My amendment, based on the Crypto ATM Fraud Prevention Act,
would require crypto ATM operators to warn consumers about scams,
provide live customer support, and develop comprehensive anti-fraud
policies. With my amendment, fewer Americans will be cheated out of
their entire retirement savings in just a few days, and ATM operators
will no longer be able to simply turn a blind eye to the fraud at their
kiosks.
These scams have already harmed thousands of Americans and cheated
them out of their life savings. Enough is enough.
I urge my colleagues on both sides of the aisle: Listen to the people
you represent, particularly the senior citizens, who are losing their
life savings to these scams, and realize that with 30,000 crypto ATMs
across the country, more and more of this will occur. We need to
support this amendment that provides commonsense guardrails to stop
scammers in their tracks and protect hard-working Americans.
I yield the floor.
The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Curtis). The Senator from Indiana.
Memorial Day
Mr. YOUNG. Mr. President, the worth of a nation can be measured by
what it honors and what it neglects. In a quiet spot among the rolling
hills of Monroe County, IN, the statue of a young soldier keeps watch
over a lonely cemetery. The Doughboy stands at parade rest, campaign
hat atop his head, canteen and trench digger on his cartridge belt,
Springfield rifle by his side. Nearby, a wreath, ringed with red white
and blue flowers, rests on a grave.
It was Americans like Private Thomas Forest Riddle who helped win the
Great War but not without terrible, terrible sacrifice.
As we prepare to observe Memorial Day this year, we honor all
Americans who have risked their lives and, in many cases, given their
lives for our liberty. In April 1917, America formally entered what we
now call World War I, after votes in this building--in this building.
And 2 months later, Private Riddle, a 21-year-old farm boy from
Unionville, IN, reported for duty. He visited a recruiting station
right down the road in Martinsville, next door to where I live today.
The first doughboys deployed in the summer of 1917, but it wasn't
until the following year that the hastily mobilized and inexperienced
American Expeditionary Force, known as AEF, arrived in numbers, and
Private Riddle was assigned to Company D--Delta Company--of the 12th
Machine Gun Battalion, Fourth Division.
In June 1918, the battalion packed into the Aquitania, and it sailed
for France. That spring, the Germans determined to split the allied
lines and make one final push toward Paris. Private Riddle helped halt
the enemy's march and proved the AEF's mettle.
When the American Army launched its largest offensive on the front,
running from the Argonne Forest to the Meuse River, it was Private
Riddle among the 1.2 million soldiers who broke the German Army's
spirit and forced its government to surrender.
The Americans initial arrival at the front was greeted with joy from
civilians and soldiers alike. A British nurse recalled the dignity of
their march, the self-assurance on their faces. They were, she said,
``so God-like, so magnificent, so splendidly unimpaired in comparison
to the tired, nerve-wracked men of the British Army.''
But make no mistake, they were not gods. They were hurriedly trained,
untested boys, asked to accomplish the seemingly impossible. And they
did so at enormous cost.
During that offensive, over 26,000 of them laid down their lives--the
single deadliest campaign in our Nation's history. The survivors
suffered terribly too. You see, the sheer devastation of World War I
and the trauma faced by those who fought it was unprecedented. We
forget today: miserable trenches and never-ceasing artillery assaults,
the terror of tanks and aerial bombardments, battle through barbed
wire, at the point of a bayonet, and the mental and physical trauma
that accompanied it all--the exhaustion, the confusion, the tremors,
the nightmares.
Private Riddle survived Chateau Thierry and Meuse-Argonne, but he was
a casualty still. Gassed, shellshocked, he returned to Unionville, IN,
in February 1919, weakened, in the midst of an influenza epidemic, and
he was immediately stricken by the virus.
Sick, he laid in bed delirious, reliving the horrific battles in
broken sentences, recounting the shock of exploding shells. He passed
on February 21, 1919. In an incredible tragedy, Thomas's younger
brother Raymond had died the day before, also taken by influenza. They
were preceded in death by a sister Amanda a month before.
It was their grandmother who paid $500 for a sculptor to create the
likeness of Private Riddle in limestone to stand near his and Raymond's
graves in the cemetery behind Pleasant View Baptist Church in
Unionville. She did this, no doubt, so her grandson's sacrifice for our
Nation, which landed his name in the Indiana Gold Star Honor Roll,
would never be forgotten.
So today, we resolve to never forget. Whether they be in country
churchyards or on the National Mall, we build tributes to our soldiers
for the same reason we celebrate Memorial Day. Monuments and a day of
national reflection are reminders of our enduring debt. But they are
more than that. They are warnings, too. If we should ever forget our
fallen, we will, in time, cease to be free.
Sadly, that warning is not always heeded. In the summer of 2004,
vandals snuck into Pleasant View Cemetery and smashed the statue of
Private Riddle to pieces, breaking it at the knees, severing its head.
It wasn't simply the destruction of a piece of art; knowingly or not,
it was the desecration of a promise.
We don't glory in war, but we do honor the glorious deeds of the men
and women who, at the last resort, are called to defend our liberties.
The memory of those who do so is as sacred as our flag.
We stake our Republic on our promise to honor them always and, of
course, to care for those they leave behind and to do everything in our
power to prevent future Americans from joining their ranks.
[[Page S2988]]
It has been alleged throughout history that republics are ungrateful,
self-obsessed, self-absorbed, selfish, self-regarding. America has
subsequently proven otherwise. If you ever doubt this, visit Pleasant
View Cemetery in Monroe County, IN. You see, the people of Unionville
were heartbroken when the monument of Private Riddle was knocked down.
So Edith Clark, the cemetery's caretaker, paid $600 to have the
sculpture restored and resurrected. Then the community held a bake and
yard sale to help her recover the cost.
Patriotism--never forget.
Today, he shows wear. The brim of his hat is broken; the bayonet from
his rifle is lost; part of his ear is missing; so are a few fingers.
But Private Thomas Forest Riddle stands once more, and his memory
remains. His watch continues, and America's gratitude goes on.
So today, we remember Private Riddle and all who have given their
lives for our freedom on this grand Memorial Day.
I yield the floor.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Alabama.
Mr. TUBERVILLE. Mr. President, the first stanza of the national
anthem ends with:
O say does that star-spangled banner yet wave o'er the land
of the free and the home of the brave?
We sing this part as a declaration, but if you read the lyrics of the
Star-Spangled Banner, the sentence actually ends with a question mark.
Francis Scott Key intended the line to be sung as a question rather
than a statement. That is fitting because while our freedom may seem
concrete, it is never a guarantee. Our freedom depends on brave men and
women who are willing to answer the call to defend our great country.
Over the years, our national anthem took on a feeling of confidence
and assurance rather than uncertainty. That is thanks to the millions
of men and women who have answered the call to serve, some of whom made
the ultimate sacrifice.
Next week, we recognize Memorial Day. It is not just another long
weekend, but it is time to honor our fallen soldiers and reflect on
their sacrifices. Today, I would like to recognize two such heroes from
my State of Alabama: Michael Hosey and Jason Barfield and their
families.
For U.S. Army SSG Michael Wesley Hosey, there was never a question in
anyone's mind as to what he wanted to do when he grew up. Every career
day, he would always dress up as a soldier. Michael loved reading about
history, and he loved our country, so much so that his friends and
family gave him the nickname ``Merican,'' with an ``m.'' That is
``American'' without an ``a.''
Because Michael was only 17 when he graduated from Clay-Chalkville
High School, his dad, also named Michael, had to sign his permission
for him to enlist in the Army. As a Vietnam veteran, the elder Michael
knew all too well what his son was signing up for. Yet the Hosey family
supported Michael's decision to serve his country. There is no question
that this courageous young man also came from a courageous family.
Michael graduated from boot camp 3 days after 9/11. He had a gift for
learning languages quickly and planned to use this talent to become a
communications intelligence specialist. This ability to quickly pick up
on a new language, combined with his outgoing personality, made Michael
a favorite with the local Afghans.
Members in Michael's unit recall him quickly receiving a dinner
invitation from one of the local families shortly after moving into the
area. Michael had a giving heart and continued to earn the trust of the
locals, especially all the kids.
His sister Laurie recalls him always asking his family to send candy
when they sent him a package. At first, she found this odd because
Michael wasn't a big candy eater. But they would always send Skittles
or gum. She later realized Michael wasn't asking for candy himself but
to share with all the kids in the country.
Sadly, Michael lost his life on September 17, 2011, during Operation
Enduring Freedom, 1 week before his 28th birthday.
When sharing the story, Laurie wants us to remember that freedom is
not free. It is a reality that her and Michael's parents--Condi and the
older Michael--still carry with them every single day.
For Marine LCpl Jason Barfield of Ashford, AL, he also was born with
a strong desire to serve his country.
His father Ray is a disabled Army veteran and Jason's great-
grandfather, also named Jason, was killed in World War II.
Jason lived his life with the goal of making a difference. His mom
Kelli says that Jason believed that there was good in everyone. Even if
you couldn't find it at first, that just meant to dig a little bit
deeper.
Jason lived by the motto that ``Every day is a good day.''
He also had a gift for music and was in the band at Ashford High
School. He enjoyed singing in church, playing the saxophone, and was
teaching himself to play the piano. Jason's hard work and talents
earned him a 4-year band scholarship to Huntington College. He chose to
forgo the scholarship to enlist in the Marines because he wanted to be
part of the best.
Kelli remembers asking Jason's recruiter about the dangers that he
was signing up for and the sinking feeling when the recruiter replied:
No, ma'am, I can't guarantee that he'll come home.
Jason surprised his family for Christmas in 2010 and spoke about his
new goal to reenlist in the military and become a chaplain. The
Barfields didn't know this would be their last holiday that they would
spend together. Jason was killed in action on October 24, 2011, at the
young age of 22.
Sensing the danger that was ahead of Jason, he pushed eight of his
fellow marines, a native translator, and a K-9 out of the way from the
booby trap explosion that would claim his own life.
Jason's platoon Sergeant Gunney Thrash said:
His name and his actions for his fellow Marines will
outlive all of us.
Jason was a hero. He makes all Alabamans proud.
Michael Wesley Hosey and Jason Barfield are two young men who never
got to start a family or fully pursue their dreams. We are forever
grateful and indebted to them for their sacrifice that gives us the
assurance to sing the national anthem, not with a question mark, but
with a declaration that we are the ``land of the free and the home of
the brave.''
I am reminded of the words in John 15:13: Greater love has no one
than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends.
We may never have met Michael or Jason, yet they courageously were
willing to give their lives for their fellow Americans. We will
continue to share their stories to ensure their sacrifices are never,
ever forgotten.
As Memorial Day approaches, I hope we take time to honor Americans
that have fallen, along with the great families who have been left
behind. May we never forget that freedom is not free.
I yield the floor.
____________________