[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 113 (Monday, June 30, 2025)]
[Senate]
[Pages S4078-S4079]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
H.R. 1
Mr. BENNET. Mr. President, as the Senate debates H.R. 1, I would like
to state for the record several motions I have to address a range of
issues with the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBB) that I believe the
Senate must address.
The following are motions to commit in the jurisdiction of
the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry:
Mr. Bennet moves to commit the bill H.R. 1 to the Committee
on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate with
instructions to report the same back to the Senate in 3 days,
not counting any day on which the Senate is not in session,
with changes that--
(1) are within the jurisdiction of such committee; and
(2) would ensure that the Secretary of Agriculture
continues to pay States 50 percent of the administrative
costs incurred in operating the supplemental nutrition
assistance program established under the Food and Nutrition
Act of 2008 (7 U.S.C. 2011 et seq.) in order to prevent
overburdening States with those costs.
The proposal currently in the bill would force states to shoulder 75
percent of administrative costs, on top of a proposal that would shift
the responsibility for a portion of benefit expenditures onto States.
But in States like Colorado, where the Taxpayer's Bill of Rights
strictly limits state spending and revenue growth, taking on additional
costs of a major Federal program like SNAP, whether through benefit
expenditures or increased administrative costs, would be incredibly
difficult without cutting other essential services. And Colorado is not
alone. Every State faces its own budget constraints, and this kind of
cost shift would destabilize the program and put food access at risk
when State budgets fall short. SNAP reduces poverty, strengthens rural
economies, and generates $1.50 in local economic activity for every
Federal dollar invested. It is one of the most effective investments we
can make to keep families fed and local economies afloat. That is why
we should not be making it harder for States to afford to administer
the program. We should be focused on strengthening SNAP's delivery and
responsiveness, not destabilizing it.
Senator Adam Schiff also supports this motion.
Mr. Bennet moves to commit the bill H.R. 1 to the Committee
on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate with
instructions to report the same back to the Senate in 3 days,
not counting any day on which the Senate is not in session,
with changes that--
(1) are within the jurisdiction of such committee; and
(2) would rescind voluntary conservation funding provided
by the Inflation Reduction Act and reinvest the full amount
of those rescinded funds into the Environmental Quality
Incentives Program, the Conservation Stewardship Program, the
Regional Conservation Partnership Program, and the
Agricultural Conservation Easement Program.
Senators Cory Booker, Adam Schiff, and Peter Welch also
support this motion.
Mr. Bennet moves to commit the bill H.R. 1 to the Committee
on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate with
instructions to report the same back to the Senate in 3 days,
not counting any day on which the Senate is not in session,
with changes that--
(1) are within the jurisdiction of such committee; and
(2) would ensure that all rescinded voluntary conservation
funding provided by the Inflation Reduction Act is fully
reinvested in the Environmental Quality Incentives Program
(EQIP), the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP), the
Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP), and the
Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP).
These programs play a central role in the Department of Agriculture's
conservation support. Not only do these programs help farmers and
ranchers protect our natural resources, but they are also incredibly
popular and consistently oversubscribed. The programs are not just
about conservation either. They help producers stay afloat by giving
practical ways to manage climate risks while keeping their operations
running and providing financial stability. In Colorado, farmers and
ranchers are already doing the hard work of conserving water, improving
soil health, and protecting the land. These programs support their
leadership with voluntary, locally driven solutions. But too often,
producers ready to do more are turned away because funding runs out.
That is why we made historic investments in conservation through the
Inflation Reduction Act. The motion I am submitting today would ensure
that every dollar that is rescinded from those investments is returned
to these trusted and proven programs. Farmers and ranchers are already
stepping up to protect the land and water we all depend on. The least
we can do is follow through on the commitments we made to them.
Mr. Bennet moves to commit the bill H.R. 1 to the Committee
on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry of the Senate with
instructions to report the same back to the Senate in 3 days,
not counting any day on which the Senate is not in session,
with changes that--
(1) are within the jurisdiction of such committee; and
(2) would establish an emergency relief grant program for
migrant and seasonal farmworkers affected by federally
declared natural disasters.
The following are motions to commit in the jurisdiction of
the Committee on Finance:
Mr. Bennet moves to commit the bill H.R. 1 to the Committee
on Finance of the Senate with instructions to report the same
back to the Senate in 3 days, not counting any day on which
the Senate is not in session, with changes that--
(1) are within the jurisdiction of such committee;
(2) would strike any provision that forces more paperwork
on Medicaid enrollees every 6 months; and
(3) would ensure big corporations and the ultra-wealthy pay
a fair share in taxes.
My motion to commit would cut bureaucratic redtape in the
reconciliation bill under consideration today, and I thank Finance
Committee Ranking Member Ron Wyden for his support of my motion as
well. Among the many egregious Medicaid policies in this bill is a
requirement that Medicaid expansion adults must prove their eligibility
every 6 months--twice as often as they do today. Like the other
Medicaid cuts, this is being disguised as cutting waste, fraud, and
abuse. But we know that is not what is going to happen. We know that
qualified people are going to get inappropriately dropped off Medicaid
for administrative reasons. Putting aside whether we think people
deserve health insurance regardless of where they live or how much
money they make, which incidentally I do, this policy will lead to more
people being uninsured, more uncompensated care for hospitals and
health clinics, and worse health outcomes. This seems in contradiction
to the administration's supposed commitment to Making
[[Page S4079]]
America Healthy Again, which is why I oppose this provision, along with
all of the Medicaid cuts in this bill. My motion to commit will strike
this unnecessary and harmful requirement, and I urge my colleagues to
support it.
Mr. Bennet moves to commit the bill H.R. 1 to the Committee
on Finance of the Senate with instructions to report the same
back to the Senate in 3 days, not counting any day on which
the Senate is not in session, with changes that--
(1) are within the jurisdiction of such committee; and
(2) would increase the amount and availability of the Child
Tax Credit to match levels of the expanded Child Tax Credit,
adjusted for inflation, by ensuring big corporations and the
ultra-wealthy pay a fair share.
Senators Raphael Warnock, Cory Booker, Catherine Cortez
Masto, Richard Durbin, and Ron Wyden also support this
motion.
The following are motions to commit in the jurisdiction of
the Committee on Judiciary:
Mr. Bennet moves to commit the bill H.R. 1 to the Committee
on Judiciary of the Senate with instructions to report the
same back to the Senate in 3 days, not counting any day on
which the Senate is not in session, with changes that--
(1) are within the jurisdiction of such committee; and
(2) would ensure the definition of `affected area' in
downwind states includes the States of Arizona, Colorado,
Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, South Dakota, Utah,
Wyoming and the territory of Guam due to the catastrophic
amounts of radiation exposure in these areas after U.S.
testing above ground nuclear weapons during World War II and
the Cold War.
Senators John Hickenlooper, Ben Ray Lujan, Ruben Gallego,
Jacky Rosen, Catherine Cortez Masto, Martin Heinrich, and
Mark Kelly also support this motion.
Mr. Bennet moves to commit the bill H.R. 1 to the Committee
on Judiciary of the Senate with instructions to report the
same back to the Senate in 3 days, not counting any day on
which the Senate is not in session, with changes that--
(1) are within the jurisdiction of such committee; and
(2) would--
(A) establish child-appropriate procedures in immigration
court;
(B) expand access to legal representation for unaccompanied
children;
(C) create dedicated children's dockets within immigration
courts; and
(D) protect the due process rights and safety of children
in federal custody.
Mr. Bennet moves to commit the bill H.R. 1 to the Committee
on Judiciary of the Senate with instructions to report the
same back to the Senate in 3 days, not counting any day on
which the Senate is not in session, with changes that--
(1) are within the jurisdiction of such committee; and
(2) would--
(A) streamline the work authorization process for asylum
seekers and DACA recipients;
(B) reduce USCIS application backlogs through staffing and
modernization;
(C) ensure timely adjudication of employment-related
benefits; and
(D) strengthen legal pathways to support economic growth
and reduce strain on cities like Denver.
Mr. Bennet moves to commit the bill H.R. 1 to the Committee
on the Judiciary of the Senate with instructions to report
the same back to the Senate in 3 days, not counting any day
on which the Senate is not in session, with changes that--
(1) are within the jurisdiction of such committee; and
(2) would--
A. create a path to legal status for long-time agricultural
workers; and
B. modernize the H-2A visa program to stabilize the farm
workforce and protect U.S. food security.
The following is a motion to commit in the jurisdiction of
the Committee on Foreign Relations:
Mr. Bennet moves to commit the bill H.R. 1 to the Committee
on Foreign Relations of the Senate with instructions to
report the same back to the Senate in 3 days, not counting
any day on which the Senate is not in session, with changes
that--
(1) are within the jurisdiction of such committee; and
(2) would--
(A) support international efforts to disrupt firearms
trafficking networks;
(B) enhance firearm tracing capabilities and cooperation
with Mexico and Central America;
(C) prevent U.S. weapons from fueling regional violence and
forced migration.
The following is a motion to commit in the jurisdiction of
the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs:
Mr. Bennet moves to commit the bill H.R. 1 to the Committee
on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of the Senate
with instructions to report the same back to the Senate in 3
days, not counting any day on which the Senate is not in
session, with changes that--
(1) are within the jurisdiction of such committee; and
(2) would increase funding for fentanyl interdiction
technology and border screening.
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