[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 133 (Friday, August 1, 2025)]
[Senate]
[Pages S5189-S5200]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
LEGISLATIVE SESSION
______
MILITARY CONSTRUCTION, VETERANS AFFAIRS, AND RELATED AGENCIES
APPROPRIATIONS ACT, 2026
Ms. COLLINS. Mr. President, in a moment, we will begin votes on an
appropriations package that includes the fiscal year 2026 Military
Construction and Veterans Affairs and the Agriculture, FDA, and Rural
Development appropriations bills. We will also have the opportunity to
consider the fiscal year 2026 Legislative Branch appropriations.
These bills were approved by the Senate Appropriations Committee in
overwhelmingly bipartisan votes.
I gave a longer floor speech last week on the Military Construction,
Veterans Affairs funding bill, so I will focus my comments now on the
Agriculture-FDA and Legislative Branch appropriations.
The Ag-FDA bill was approved unanimously by the Senate Appropriations
Committee earlier this month. It is a carefully crafted bill that
supports our farmers and rural communities; the safety of our food
supply; critical Federal nutrition programs like the WIC Program; and
medical research and advancements.
The bill invests in agricultural research that is vital to our
farmers as they work to improve the quality, safety, and affordability
of our food supply. The dollars invested in these programs, like the
potato and blueberry research lines that are so important to my home
State of Maine, have yielded significant improvements to the industries
they support.
The bill also invests in research facilities across the country, like
the University of Maine Forest Health Lab, to ensure that we can
continue to lead in agricultural innovation.
This legislation also supports the administration's request in the
areas of food safety and rural housing, and it provides much needed
investments in animal and plant health programs to protect our
agricultural and natural resources.
It also maintains support for our rural areas to ensure that
communities in Maine, and, indeed, across the country, have accesses to
the resources they need to continue to thrive in these challenging
times.
Turning now to the fiscal year 2026 Legislative Branch bill. This
legislation provides funding for Congress and the offices and agencies
that support our work.
It provides an increase for the Capitol Police to help them meet the
expanding mission requirements to keep Members safe and Members' staff
and visitors to the Capitol Complex safe. The number of threats against
Members of Congress has, unfortunately, increased significantly over
the past few years. This bill reflects a bipartisan commitment to
address these security concerns.
Again, I want to thank the vice chair; Senators Boozman and Ossoff,
the chair and ranking members of the MILCON-VA Subcommittee; Senators
Hoeven and Shaheen, the chair and ranking member of the Agriculture
Subcommittee; and Senators Mullin and Heinrich, the chair and ranking
member of the Legislative Branch Subcommittee, for their hard work and
dedication.
Finally, let me note that these are fiscally responsible bipartisan
bills, and I urge my colleagues to support them.
Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to execute the order with
respect to Calendar No. 121, H.R. 3944.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
Under the previous order, the Senate will resume legislative session
and resume consideration of H.R. 3944, which the clerk will report.
The senior assistant legislative clerk read as follows:
A bill (H.R. 3944) making appropriations for military
construction, the Department of Veterans Affairs, and related
agencies for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2026, and
for other purposes.
Amendment Withdrawn
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Under the previous order, the committee-
reported substitute is withdrawn.
Amendment No. 3411
(Purpose: In the nature of a substitute.)
Ms. COLLINS. Mr. President, I call up my amendment No. 3411 and ask
that it be reported by number.
[[Page S5190]]
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report.
The senior assistant legislative clerk read as follows:
The Senator from Maine [Ms. Collins] proposes an amendment
numbered 3411.
(The amendment is printed in the Record of July 31, 2025, under
``Text of Amendments.'')
Amendment Nos. 3070, as Modified; 3430; 3025; 3409; 3081, as Modified;
3082, as Modified; 3416; 3080, as Modified; 3208; 3073, as Modified;
3110; 3431; 3418; 3163, as Modified; 3433; 3200; 3190, as Modified, and
3220, as Modified to Amendment No. 3411
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Under the previous order, the managers'
package to amendment No. 3411 were considered and agreed to.
The amendments were agreed to en bloc, as follows:
AMENDMENT NO. 3070, As Modified
=========================== NOTE ===========================
On page S5190, August 1, 2025, first column, the following
appears: Amendment No. 3070
The online Record has been corrected to read: Amendment No.
3070, As Modified
========================= END NOTE =========================
(Purpose: To strike a provision relating to hemp)
Strike section 781 of division B.
AMENDMENT NO. 3430
(Purpose: To require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to submit to
Congress a report on the use of third-party contractors to conduct
medical disability examinations of veterans for purposes of obtaining
disability compensation)
At the appropriate place in title II of division A, insert
the following:
SEC. 2__. REPORT ON THE USE OF THIRD-PARTY CONTRACTORS TO
CONDUCT MEDICAL DISABILITY EXAMINATIONS OF
VETERANS FOR PURPOSES OF OBTAINING DISABILITY
COMPENSATION.
(a) Report Required.--Not later than 180 days after the
date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans
Affairs shall submit to the Committee on Appropriations and
the Committee on Veterans' Affairs of the Senate and the
Committee on Appropriations and the Committee on Veterans'
Affairs of the House of Representatives a report on the use
of third-party contractors to conduct medical disability
examinations of veterans for purposes of obtaining disability
compensation.
(b) Contents.--The report submitted pursuant to subsection
(a) shall include the following:
(1) The number of contractors used in each State to conduct
disability compensation examinations.
(2) Contract performance and quality measures.
(3) The average miles a veteran is required to travel to
attend a contract medical disability examination,
disaggregated by State.
(4) The average wait time for an individual to receive an
examination.
(5) A description of the process at the Department for
handling complaints of veterans about their experience with a
contracted medical disability examiner.
AMENDMENT NO. 3025
(Purpose: To require a report on veterans participating in the housing
choice voucher program)
At the appropriate place, insert the following:
Sec. __. (a) Not later than 180 days after the date of
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, in
consultation with the Secretary of Housing and Urban
Development, shall submit to the Committees on Veterans'
Affairs and Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs of the Senate
and the Committees on Veterans' Affairs and Financial
Services of the House of Representatives a report that
identifies, as of the date of the report, the total number of
veterans participating in the housing choice voucher program
under section 8(o) of the United States Housing Act of 1937
(42 U.S.C. 1437f(o)).
(b) In this section, the term ``veteran''--
(1) means a person who, regardless of length of service,
was a member of the armed forces (as that term is defined in
section 101 of title 10, United States Code); and
(2) does not include a person who--
(A) received a dishonorable discharge from the armed
forces; or
(B) was discharged or dismissed from the armed forces by
reason of the sentence of a general court-martial.
AMENDMENT NO. 3409
(Purpose: To allocate amounts for telehealth for veterans)
In section 250 of title II of division A, strike
``programs.'' and insert ``programs; and, $6,356,000,000
shall be made available for telehealth for veterans.''.
AMENDMENT NO. 3081, As Modified
=========================== NOTE ===========================
On page S5190, August 1, 2025, second column, the following
appears: Amendment No. 3081
The online Record has been corrected to read: Amendment No.
3081, As Modified
========================= END NOTE =========================
(Purpose: To provide for the continuation of National Cemetery
Administration surveys)
At the appropriate place, insert the following:
SEC. __. NATIONAL CEMETERY ADMINISTRATION SURVEYS.
(a) In General.--The Under Secretary for Memorial Affairs
of the Department of Veterans Affairs shall continue to--
(1) administer the customer service survey of the National
Cemetery Administration to veterans, families, and funeral
homes through ongoing survey activities; and
(2) publish the results of such survey.
(b) Submittal to Congress.--Not later than 30 days before
the date on which any change is made to the survey described
in subsection (a), including with respect to methodology,
participants, or scope, the Under Secretary for Memorial
Affairs shall submit a description of such change to--
(1) the Committee on Appropriations and the Committee on
Veterans' Affairs of the Senate; and
(2) the Committee on Appropriations and the Committee on
Veterans' Affairs of the House of Representatives.
AMENDMENT NO. 3082, As Modified
=========================== NOTE ===========================
On page S5190, August 1, 2025, second column, the following
appears: Amendment No. 3082
The online Record has been corrected to read: Amendment No.
3082, As Modified
========================= END NOTE =========================
(Purpose: To address interment schedule availability at cemeteries
under the control of the National Cemetery Administration)
At the appropriate place, insert the following:
SEC. __. INTERMENT SCHEDULE AVAILABILITY AT CEMETERIES UNDER
THE CONTROL OF THE NATIONAL CEMETERY
ADMINISTRATION.
(a) In General.--The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall
maintain, on the publicly accessible website landing page of
the National Cemetery Administration, a spreadsheet or
similar document displaying the most recent interment
schedule availability for each operational cemetery under the
control of the National Cemetery Administration.
(b) Implementation.--The Secretary of Veterans Affairs
shall--
(1) not later than 120 days after the date of the enactment
of this Act, make the spreadsheet or similar document
described in subsection (a) available as required by such
subsection; and
(2) once every 30 days thereafter, update such spreadsheet
or similar document.
(c) Definition of Interment Schedule Availability.--Not
later than 60 days after the date of the enactment of this
Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall submit to the
appropriate committees of Congress a proposed definition for
the term ``interment schedule availability'' that--
(1) generally means the number of business days between the
establishment of a case for a deceased individual and the
first availability for the interment of the individual; and
(2) takes into account the ability to meet the family's
preferred dates, days of the week, and times for scheduling
the interment.
(d) Report on Historical Data.--Not later than one year
after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of
Veterans Affairs shall submit to the appropriate committees
of Congress a report on data for interment schedule
availability during the five-year period ending on the date
on which the report is submitted.
(e) Appropriate Committees of Congress Defined.--In this
section, the term ``appropriate committees of Congress''
means--
(1) the Committee on Appropriations and the Committee on
Veterans' Affairs of the Senate; and
(2) the Committee on Appropriations and the Committee on
Veterans' Affairs of the House of Representatives.
AMENDMENT NO. 3416
(Purpose: To allocate amounts for opioid prevention and treatment
programs)
In section 250 of title II of division A, strike
``programs.'' and insert ``programs; and, $709,573,000 shall
be made available for opioid prevention and treatment
programs.''.
AMENDMENT NO. 3080, As Modified
=========================== NOTE ===========================
On page S5190, August 1, 2025, third column, the following
appears: Amendment No. 3080
The online Record has been corrected to read: Amendment No.
3080, As Modified
========================= END NOTE =========================
(Purpose: To require reports on facilities at Fort Leonard Wood,
Missouri)
At the appropriate place in division A, insert the
following:
Sec. ___. (a)(1) Not later than 120 days after the date of
the enactment of this Act, the Director of the Defense Health
Agency shall submit to the Committee on Appropriations of the
Senate and the Committee on Appropriations of the House of
Representatives a report detailing the current and projected
capacity, patient load, staffing requirements, and
outstanding infrastructure needs at the General Leonard Wood
Army Community Hospital in Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri.
(2) The report required by paragraph (1) shall--
(A) assess the role of the hospital specified in such
paragraph in supporting medical readiness and emergency care
for active duty members of the Armed Forces, dependents of
such members, and retirees;
(B) evaluate potential impacts to access and quality of
care, including in the surrounding community, if the hospital
were to be realigned, downgraded, or have its scope of
services reduced; and
(C) assess how the hospital supports the functions and
mission of Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, including training
activities and programs.
(b)(1) Not later than 120 days after the date of the
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of the Army shall submit
to the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate and the
Committee on Appropriations of the House of Representatives a
report detailing the current condition of military family
housing at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, including ongoing or
planned renovation and upgrade projects, timelines for
completion, and any challenges affecting such improvements.
(2) The report required by paragraph (1) shall include--
(A) the total estimated cost of conducting all necessary
renovation and replacement activities for deficient family
housing units, the number of units in need of replacement,
[[Page S5191]]
and a detailed plan for carrying out those activities; and
(B) an assessment of the impact of housing conditions on
quality of life and readiness of members of the Armed Forces
and their dependents;
(C) recommendations for addressing any identified
shortcomings; and
(D) the findings from consultations with military families
who live in housing units at Fort Leonard Wood.
AMENDMENT NO. 3208
(Purpose: To require a briefing on the current status, path forward,
and timeline to construct a new medical center of the Department of
Veterans Affairs in Reno, Nevada)
At the appropriate place in title II of division A, insert
the following:
Sec. ___. Not later than 90 days after the date of the
enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs
shall provide to the Committee on Appropriations of the
Senate and the Committee on Appropriations of the House of
Representatives a briefing on the current status, path
forward, and timeline to construct a new medical center of
the Department of Veterans Affairs in Reno, Nevada, utilizing
in full the funds that have been previously appropriated for
such purpose prior to their expiration.
AMENDMENT NO. 3073, As Modified
=========================== NOTE ===========================
On page S5191, August 1, 2025, first column, the following
appears: Amendment No. 3073
The online Record has been corrected to read: Amendment No.
3073, As Modified
========================= END NOTE =========================
(Purpose: To require a report on New World screwworm readiness and
response)
At the appropriate place in division B, insert the
following:
SEC. ___. REPORT ON NEW WORLD SCREWWORM READINESS AND
RESPONSE.
Not later than 30 days after the date of enactment of this
Act, the Secretary of Agriculture shall submit to Congress a
report on the New World Screwworm domestic readiness and
response initiative of the Animal and Plant Health Inspection
Service, with a particular focus on--
(1)(A) domestic readiness, including the construction of a
domestic production facility in the event of a threat of a
domestic outbreak; and
(B) exploring partnerships with States and industry with
respect to that construction and other domestic preparedness
efforts;
(2) sterile fly production technology and other eradication
tools and technologies; and
(3) the benefits of and barriers, including timelines and
costs, to enhanced domestic, as compared to international,
sterile fly production.
AMENDMENT NO. 3110
(Purpose: To require an assessment of the feasibility of expanding the
agricultural quarantine and inspection program to products entering
Hawaii)
At the appropriate place, insert the following:
SEC. ___. ASSESSMENT OF FEASIBILITY OF EXPANDING AGRICULTURAL
QUARANTINE AND INSPECTION PROGRAM TO PRODUCTS
ENTERING HAWAII.
Not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this
Act, the Administrator of the Animal and Plant Health
Inspection Service shall conduct and submit to Congress an
assessment regarding the feasibility of expanding the
Agricultural Quarantine and Inspection program to products
entering the State of Hawaii, which shall include a
determination of the methods of transportation and the types
of commerce that are the most likely contributors of invasive
pests entering the State of Hawaii and recommendations on how
to begin implementing the expansion and an estimate of the
cost.
AMENDMENT NO. 3431
(Purpose: To allocate amounts for the Intimate Partner Violence
Assistance Program)
In section 250 of title II of division A, strike
``programs.'' and insert ``programs; and, $36,879,000 shall
be made available for the Intimate Partner Violence
Assistance Program.''.
AMENDMENT NO. 3418
(Purpose: To provide appropriations to expedite fiber research on
industrial hemp and expand cereal research into mycotoxin risk
mitigation)
At the appropriate place in division B, insert the
following:
Sec. ___. (a) For an additional amount for ``Agricultural
Programs--Agricultural Research Service--Salaries and
Expenses'', there is appropriated $500,000, to remain
available until expended, to expedite fiber research on
industrial hemp between the Cereal Disease Laboratory and the
Cotton Fiber Bioscience and Utilization Research Unit,
including cooperative agreements with qualified nonprofit
organizations.
(b) For an additional amount for ``Agricultural Programs--
Agricultural Research Service--Salaries and Expenses'', there
is appropriated $500,000, to remain available until expended,
to expand existing cereal research into methods to mitigate
mycotoxin risks.
(c) Notwithstanding any other provision of this Act, the
amount appropriated by this Act under the heading
``Agricultural Programs--Processing, Research, and
Marketing--Office of the Secretary'' in title I for the
Office of Assistant Secretary for Congressional Relations and
Intergovernmental Affairs shall be reduced by $1,000,000.
AMENDMENT NO. 3163, As Modified
=========================== NOTE ===========================
On page S5191, August 1, 2025, second column, the following
appears: Amendment No. 3163
The online Record has been corrected to read: Amendment No.
3163, As Modified
========================= END NOTE =========================
(Purpose: To fund activities relating to the suppression and control of
Mormon crickets and grasshoppers)
At the appropriate place, insert the following:
SEC. ___. SUPPRESSION OF MORMON CRICKETS AND GRASSHOPPERS.
Of the funds provided in this Act under the heading
``salaries and expenses'' under the heading ``Animal and
Plant Health Inspection Service'' under the heading
``AGRICULTURAL PROGRAMS'' under title I of division B,
$6,500,000 shall be for activities related to the suppression
and control of Mormon crickets and grasshoppers in Western
States, of which not less than $2,000,000 shall be for actual
treatment of landscape.
AMENDMENT NO. 3433
(Purpose: To limit the availability of funds for canceling large
contracts without prior notice and explanation to Congress)
At the end of title II of division A, add the following:
SEC. 2__. LIMITATION ON AVAILABILITY OF FUNDS FOR CANCELING
LARGE CONTRACTS.
None of the amounts appropriated by this title may be
obligated or expended to cancel a contract with a value that
exceeds $10,000,000 until the Secretary of Veterans Affairs
has submitted to the Committee on Appropriations and the
Committee on Veterans' Affairs of the Senate and the
Committee on Appropriations and the Committee on Veterans'
Affairs of the House of Representatives an advance
notification and written explanation of contingency plans to
replace the relevant service being cancelled, including any
necessary change in the Department's staffing levels.
AMENDMENT NO. 3200
(Purpose: To increase funding for rural decentralized water systems)
At the appropriate place, insert the following:
Sec. ___. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Act,
the amount made available in the second undesignated
paragraph under the heading ``rural water and waste disposal
program account'' under the heading ``Rural Utilities
Service'' in title III for--
(1) the rural utilities program described in section 306E
of the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act shall be
$6,500,000, of which not less than $1,500,000 shall be used
to provide subgrants to eligible individuals for the
construction, refurbishing, and servicing of individually
owned household decentralized wastewater systems; and
(2) grants pursuant to section 306(a)(2)(a) of the
Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act shall be
$238,900,000.
AMENDMENT NO. 3190, As Modified
=========================== NOTE ===========================
On page S5191, August 1, 2025, third column, the following
appears: Amendment No. 3190
The online Record has been corrected to read: Amendment No.
3190, As Modified
========================= END NOTE =========================
(Purpose: To increase funding for the Healthy Fluid Milk Incentives
Program, with an offset)
At the appropriate place in division B, insert the
following:
Sec. __. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Act,
the amount made available for--
(1) ``Domestic Food Programs--Food and Nutrition Service--
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program'' shall be
$118,140,341,000, of which $4,000,000 shall be for the
Healthy Fluid Milk Incentives Program; and
(2) ``Agricultural Programs--Processing, Research, and
Marketing--Office of the Secretary'' shall be $50,792,000, of
which not to exceed $5,000,000 shall be available for the
Office of Communications.
AMENDMENT NO. 3220, As Modified
=========================== NOTE ===========================
On page S5191, August 1, 2025, third column, the following
appears: Amendment No. 3220
The online Record has been corrected to read: Amendment No.
3220, As Modified
========================= END NOTE =========================
(Purpose: To require a report on funding for State homes for veterans)
At the appropriate place in title II of division A, insert
the following:
Sec. ___. (a) Not later than 180 days after the date of the
enactment of this Act, the Comptroller General of the United
States shall submit to the Committee on Appropriations of the
Senate, the Committee on Appropriations of the House of
Representatives, and each Member of Congress a report on the
current backlog in funding for construction and renovation of
State homes for veterans.
(b) The report required by subsection (a) shall include the
following:
(1) A list of all unfunded or partially funded applications
for construction grants for State homes, including those
identified on the priority lists for fiscal year 2024 and
2025.
(2) The estimated total funding required to fully fund all
projects under such pending applications.
(3) A description of the key hurdles to clearing the
backlog of construction grant applications, including
administrative, regulatory, and funding-related barriers.
(4) Any recommendations for administrative or legislative
action to reduce delays and accelerate the approval and
completion of State home projects.
(5) An exploration of potential options for interim or
alternative sources of funding to sustain or advance priority
projects currently awaiting Federal support, including an
evaluation of such options for feasibility and potential
impact.
(c) The requirement under subsection (b)(5) shall not be
construed as relieving Congress of its responsibility to fund
State homes fully and in a timely manner.
(d) In this section, the term ``State home'' has the
meaning given that term in section 101 of title 38, United
States Code.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Oregon.
Amendment No. 3114 to Amendment No. 3411
Mr. MERKLEY. Mr. President, I call up my amendment No. 3114 and ask
that it be reported by number.
[[Page S5192]]
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report.
The senior assistant legislative clerk read as follows:
The Senator from Oregon [Mr. Merkley] proposes an amendment
numbered 3114 to amendment No. 3411.
The amendment is as follows:
(Purpose: To limit rescissions of funding)
At the appropriate place in the matter preceding division
A, insert the following:
SEC. __. RESCISSION LIMITATION.
No amounts may be rescinded from amounts provided under any
division of this Act or any other appropriation Act for
fiscal year 2026, unless the rescission is made through an
appropriation Act (as defined in section 3 of the
Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control Act of 1974 (2
U.S.C. 622)).
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Under the previous order, there will be 2
minutes of debate, equally divided.
Mr. MERKLEY. Mr. President, this amendment protects the work that we
are doing today from a future rescission happening in a partisan basis.
Now, realize this only affects FY 2026 and therefore only bills that
have been both passed here and in the House and signed by President
Trump.
But here is why this is important: The work that we have done on a
bipartisan basis has never been undone, until this last month, in the
history of the Senate since the Congressional Budget Act of 1974 was
passed.
Why? Because we agreed that the rescissions--that is, to repeal
existing spending already in law--would be done in a bipartisan way,
just as the initial bill was done in a bipartisan way.
This is important for us to work together, no matter who is in the
White House in the future.
I must say, this bipartisan work is so important to preserve our
responsibilities under the Constitution here in the Senate and the
House, where the Constitution assigns the responsibility for the power
of the purse.
I reserve the balance of my time.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from South Carolina.
Point of Order
Mr. GRAHAM. Mr. President, I will oppose this and will make a point
of order here in a second.
This amendment would prevent Congress and the President from using
the congressional Budget and Impoundment Control Act's fast-track
process for considering rescissions in fiscal year 2026 and beyond.
Under the Merkley amendment, rescissions can only be included in
appropriations bills, which would need 60 votes. And the law in
question allows a fast-track provision for rescissions. Senator
Merkley's amendment would do away with that.
This amendment is subject to a point of order for violating Section
306 of the congressional Budget and Impoundment Control Act of 1974,
which requires legislation dealing with the Budget Committee's
jurisdiction to be reported or discharged from the Budget Committee.
Point of Order
The pending amendment No. 3114 contains matters within the Budget
Committee's jurisdiction. I, therefore, raise a point of order against
the amendment pursuant to Section 306 of the Congressional Budget Act.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Oregon.
Mr. MERKLEY. Mr. President, how many seconds do I have left?
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator has no seconds left.
Mr. MERKLEY. In that case, Mr. President, my--
Mr. GRAHAM. In the spirit of the endeavor, I will give you 15
seconds.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. You don't have 15 seconds.
Mr. GRAHAM. Well, I will one day get 15 seconds, and I will give it
to you when I do.
Mr. MERKLEY. I ask unanimous consent for 15 seconds for my colleague
and 15 seconds for myself on why this should or should not be waived.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
Mr. MERKLEY. Please go ahead.
Mr. GRAHAM. I don't have anything else to say.
Mr. MERKLEY. Thank you.
I will borrow his 15 as well as mine.
Motion to Waive
Mr. President, we do have the power to waive this. It does take 60
votes, but this would be all of us together saying we should defend the
bipartisan work here now, just as we have through the entire history
since 1974. We are talking about a half century of bipartisan strategy
being undone with the possibility of partisan rescissions.
Let's do our rescissions in a bipartisan way, in committee. And for
that reason, unless there is a rebuttal from my colleague, I will make
the formal request to waive.
OK, continuing.
Pursuant to section 904 of the Congressional Review Act of 1974 and
the waiver provisions of applicable budget resolutions, I move to waive
all applicable sections of that act and applicable budget points of
order for the purposes of the pending measure.
Vote on Motion
I ask for the yeas and nays.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The question is on agreeing to the motion.
Is there a sufficient second?
There appears be to a sufficient second.
The clerk will call the roll.
The senior assistant legislative clerk called the roll.
Mr. BARRASSO. The following Senators are necessarily absent: the
Senator from Louisiana (Mr. Cassidy), and the Senator from Kentucky
(Mr. McConnell).
Mr. DURBIN. I announce that the Senator from Illinois (Ms.
Duckworth), the Senator from Arizona (Mr. Gallego), and the Senator
from Vermont (Mr. Welch) are necessarily absent.
The result was announced--yeas 44, nays 51, as follows:
[Rollcall Vote No. 472 Leg.]
YEAS--44
Alsobrooks
Baldwin
Bennet
Blumenthal
Blunt Rochester
Booker
Cantwell
Coons
Cortez Masto
Durbin
Fetterman
Gillibrand
Hassan
Heinrich
Hickenlooper
Hirono
Kaine
Kelly
Kim
King
Klobuchar
Lujan
Markey
Merkley
Murphy
Murray
Ossoff
Padilla
Peters
Reed
Rosen
Sanders
Schatz
Schiff
Schumer
Shaheen
Slotkin
Smith
Van Hollen
Warner
Warnock
Warren
Whitehouse
Wyden
NAYS--51
Banks
Barrasso
Blackburn
Boozman
Britt
Budd
Capito
Collins
Cornyn
Cotton
Cramer
Crapo
Cruz
Curtis
Daines
Ernst
Fischer
Graham
Grassley
Hagerty
Hawley
Hoeven
Husted
Hyde-Smith
Johnson
Justice
Kennedy
Lankford
Lee
Lummis
Marshall
McCormick
Moody
Moran
Moreno
Mullin
Murkowski
Paul
Ricketts
Risch
Rounds
Schmitt
Scott (FL)
Scott (SC)
Sheehy
Sullivan
Thune
Tillis
Tuberville
Wicker
Young
NOT VOTING--5
Cassidy
Duckworth
Gallego
McConnell
Welch
The PRESIDING OFFICER. On this vote, the yeas are 44, and the nays
are 51.
Three-fifths of the Senators duly chosen, not having voted in the
affirmative, the motion is rejected.
The point of order is sustained, and the amendment falls.
The Senator from Connecticut.
Mr. BLUMENTHAL. Mr. President, the Veterans Crisis Line is a
critical--
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Does the Senator wish to call up his
amendment?
Amendment No. 3432 to Amendment No. 3411
Mr. BLUMENTHAL. Mr. President, I call up my amendment No. 3432 and
ask that it be reported by number.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report.
The legislative clerk read as follows:
The Senator from Connecticut [Mr. Blumenthal], for himself
and Mr. Padilla, proposes an amendment numbered 3432 to
Amendment No. 3411.
The amendment is as follows:
(Purpose: To prohibit the use of funds to reduce services under the
Veterans Crisis Line)
At the appropriate place in title II of division A, insert
the following:
Sec. ___. No funds appropriated by this title shall be
used to reduce staffing, limit hours of operation, decrease
training opportunities, curb access to relevant information
technology systems, or otherwise reduce the capacity of the
Veterans Crisis Line established under section 1720F(h) of
title 38, United States Code, to respond to and provide
resources to veterans in crisis.
Mr. BLUMENTHAL. Mr. President, this amendment seeks to protect the
victims crisis hotline, a critical lifeline for veterans who may take
their own lives from the kind of cuts that we have seen during these
first 6 months
[[Page S5193]]
of the Trump administration. Incredibly, the Trump administration fired
the 24 crisis line employees without warning or cause. This staff
coordinates the on-ground emergency response when veterans call and
they feel they have no way to go on.
It directly conflicted with the assurances we were given by Secretary
Collins that he would not fire frontline employees, and veterans'
benefits and care would remain untouched.
Fortunately, we have bipartisan support for the Veterans Crisis Line,
and I want to thank the chairman of the committee, Senator Moran, for
his support on this measure. Now, the damage--some of it has already
been done, as we have heard in our hearing of June 25. Firsthand
witnesses told us about the confusion and chaos that has resulted.
We need to invest the resources, now more than ever, and, in fact,
more resources than we have devoted so far, more staff, and make sure
that we keep faith with veterans when they are in crisis as a result of
the service and sacrifice that we have asked of them.
It is critical to their mission and ours, and I ask for my colleagues
to support this measure. I believe that a voice vote will be
appropriate.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Arkansas.
Mr. BOOZMAN. Mr. President, we want to thank Senator Blumenthal and
Senator Moran for their hard work on the Veterans' Affairs Committee.
We all support the mission at the Veterans Crisis Line. Preventing
veteran suicide is a common goal shared by everyone in this Chamber.
The VCL has taken more than 7.16 million calls since it was
established. The VA reports that veterans who contact VCL are 10 times
more likely to receive mental health care than those who do not.
I support this amendment and urge its adoption and would be glad to
scream out ``yes'' with a voice vote.
Vote on Amendment No. 3432
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The question is on adoption of the amendment.
The amendment (No. 3432) was agreed to.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Connecticut.
Amendment No. 3447 to Amendment No. 3411
Mr. MURPHY. Mr. President, I call up my amendment No. 3447 and ask it
be reported by number.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report.
The legislative clerk read as follows:
The Senator from Connecticut [Mr. Murphy], for himself and
Mr. Kelly, proposes an amendment numbered 3447 to Amendment
No. 3411.
The amendment is as follows:
(Purpose: To require a report on veterans who would have been reported
to the national instant criminal background check system and who die by
suicide with a firearm)
In section 412 of division A, before the period at the end,
insert the following: ``Provided, That, the Secretary of
Veterans Affairs shall publish quarterly on a publicly
available website of the Department of Veterans Affairs a
report on the number of veterans who would have been reported
to the national instant criminal background check system
established under section 103 of the Brady Handgun Violence
Prevention Act (34 U.S.C. 40901) if such reporting by the
Secretary was permitted but for this section, and of those
veterans, the number of suicides by firearm that occurred in
the previous quarter''.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Connecticut.
Mr. MURPHY. Mr. President, every year, there are 6,400 veterans who
die by suicide. This is an urgent crisis that I know matters to
colleagues on both sides of the aisle.
A few years ago, we made a change in law that restores gun rights to
veterans who have been deemed mentally incompetent. These are veterans
who can't manage their financial affairs, can't balance a checkbook--
about 35 percent of them are diagnosed with schizophrenia.
All this amendment seeks to do is to collect information to see what
the rate of suicide has been amongst that population of veterans, many
of them deeply mentally ill, who now are able to purchase a gun. This
is just an amendment seeking to get that information so that we can
make our best determination on a bipartisan basis as to how to best
protect veterans who are at moments of crisis in their life.
If it were up to me, we would restore the previous policy for 30
years. Democrats and Republicans agreed that those veterans diagnosed
with schizophrenia should not be able to buy a gun, but all I am asking
for here is an amendment that would seek to get information on the rate
of suicide for this population of veterans.
I would hope that my colleagues would support the amendment.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Arkansas.
Mr. BOOZMAN. Mr. President, veterans who are found by competent
judicial authority to be a danger to themselves or others are reported
to NICS under current law. There is no evidence to suggest that
individuals who require a fiduciary are inherently more prone to
violence.
Under the terms of current law with this amendment in place, veterans
who are found to be a danger to themselves or others by a judge,
magistrate, or other judicial authority are reported to the NICS
system, as is entirely appropriate.
Needing help with your finances doesn't make you mentally
incapacitated or mentally incompetent.
For this reason, I urge a ``no'' vote.
Vote on Amendment No. 3447
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The question now occurs on adoption of the
amendment.
Mr. MURPHY. Mr. President, I ask for the yeas and nays.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there a sufficient second?
There appears to be a sufficient second.
The clerk will call the roll.
The senior assistant legislative clerk called the roll.
Mr. BARRASSO. The following Senators are necessarily absent: the
Senator from Louisiana (Mr. Cassidy) and the Senator from Kentucky (Mr.
McConnell).
Mr. DURBIN. I announce that the Senator from Illinois (Ms.
Duckworth), the Senator from Arizona (Mr. Gallego), and the Senator
from Vermont (Mr. Welch) are necessarily absent.
The result was announced--yeas 44, nays 51, as follows:
[Rollcall Vote No. 473 Leg.]
YEAS--44
Alsobrooks
Baldwin
Bennet
Blumenthal
Blunt Rochester
Booker
Cantwell
Coons
Cortez Masto
Durbin
Fetterman
Gillibrand
Hassan
Heinrich
Hickenlooper
Hirono
Kaine
Kelly
Kim
King
Klobuchar
Lujan
Markey
Merkley
Murphy
Murray
Ossoff
Padilla
Peters
Reed
Rosen
Sanders
Schatz
Schiff
Schumer
Shaheen
Slotkin
Smith
Van Hollen
Warner
Warnock
Warren
Whitehouse
Wyden
NAYS--51
Banks
Barrasso
Blackburn
Boozman
Britt
Budd
Capito
Collins
Cornyn
Cotton
Cramer
Crapo
Cruz
Curtis
Daines
Ernst
Fischer
Graham
Grassley
Hagerty
Hawley
Hoeven
Husted
Hyde-Smith
Johnson
Justice
Kennedy
Lankford
Lee
Lummis
Marshall
McCormick
Moody
Moran
Moreno
Mullin
Murkowski
Paul
Ricketts
Risch
Rounds
Schmitt
Scott (FL)
Scott (SC)
Sheehy
Sullivan
Thune
Tillis
Tuberville
Wicker
Young
NOT VOTING--5
Cassidy
Duckworth
Gallego
McConnell
Welch
The amendment (No. 3447) was rejected.
The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Curtis). The Senator from New Mexico.
Mr. LUJAN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that we go to 10-
minute votes.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
The Senator from Maryland.
Amendment No. 3115 to Amendment No. 3411
Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Mr. President, I want to thank the Senator from New
Mexico for that.
I call up my amendment No. 3115 that I offer on behalf of myself and
Senators Alsobrooks, Kaine, and Warner and ask that it be reported by
number.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the amendment by number.
The senior assistant legislative clerk read as follows:
The Senator from Maryland [Mr. Van Hollen] proposes an
amendment numbered 3115 to amendment No. 3411.
The amendment is as follows:
[[Page S5194]]
(Purpose: To prohibit funds from being used for reorganization of the
Department of Agriculture and to require a benefit-cost analysis on
that reorganization, a public comment period, and a report)
At the appropriate place, insert the following:
SEC. ___. LIMITATIONS ON REORGANIZATION OF DEPARTMENT OF
AGRICULTURE.
(a) In General.--None of the funds made available to the
Department of Agriculture in this Act or any other Act may be
used to implement the Department of Agriculture memorandum
issued on July 24, 2025 (relating to the Department of
Agriculture reorganization plan) (referred to in this section
as the ``Memorandum''), or any similar plan relating to
reorganization of the Department of Agriculture.
(b) Benefit-cost Analysis.--Not later than 90 days after
the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of
Agriculture shall--
(1) conduct a benefit-cost analysis on the Memorandum and
any similar plan relating to reorganization of the Department
of Agriculture; and
(2) submit to the Office of Inspector General of the
Department of Agriculture an unredacted report that
contains--
(A) the findings of that benefit-cost analysis; and
(B) such other information as the Office of Inspector
General determines necessary for that benefit-cost analysis.
(c) Public Comment; Report.--Not later than 120 days after
the date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of
Agriculture shall--
(1) carry out a public comment period on the Memorandum and
any similar plan relating to reorganization of the Department
of Agriculture to solicit public comment from agricultural
producers and other communities on the impact of that
reorganization; and
(2) submit to the Office of Inspector General of the
Department of Agriculture a report that contains--
(A) a description of how that reorganization will retain
sufficient staff expertise to carry out Department of
Agriculture mission areas and result in greater efficiencies
and customer service for agricultural producers and other
communities; and
(B) such other information as the Office of Inspector
General determines necessary for the report.
(d) Submission to Congress.--The Office of Inspector
General of the Department of Agriculture shall submit to the
Committee on Appropriations of the Senate and the Committee
on Appropriations of the House of Representatives, and make
publicly available, the reports received under subsections
(b)(2) and (c)(2).
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Maryland.
Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Mr. President, USDA has proposed a massive
reorganization plan having done absolutely no due diligence. They have
not talked to families or to farmers or to rural communities about it.
They have not backed up their estimates of cost savings, and they have
not provided the information needed to assure that this reorganization
will not harm the critical work that USDA does.
This amendment directs USDA to take a step back and provide a
transparent, informed, carefully considered plan for any such
reorganization before implementing it. In other words, look and aim
before you shoot.
It requires a vetted benefit-cost analysis and review of how this
reorganization would impact USDA's staff expertise and ability to
provide customer service. It requires a public comment process so our
constituents and stakeholders can weigh in. Once USDA takes those
steps, Congress can assess the need for that reorganization in fiscal
year 2027.
I urge a ``yes'' vote on this amendment.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from North Dakota.
Mr. HOEVEN. Mr. Chair, I rise in opposition to this amendment.
The Secretary of Agriculture has put forth a proposal to move some of
the people that work in the DC area, to move those functions out to the
country to be closer to the farmers and the ranchers they serve. I very
much support this effort. We are at the front end of this effort.
She has testified in front of our Agriculture Approps Committee that
she will work with us on it. The Ag-authorized committee is working on
it as well. In fact, yesterday, I met with the Deputy Secretary of
USDA. He committed to work on it.
We have a good process. We do not need to overly handcuff the USDA as
they work to make this transition, which is a transition that we should
make. We are working on it in the right way. We are at the front end of
the proposal, not the back end.
I ask for a ``no'' vote on this amendment.
Vote on Amendment No. 3115
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The question now occurs on adoption of the
amendment.
Mr. VAN HOLLEN. I ask for the yeas and nays.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there a sufficient second?
There appears to be. The clerk will call the roll.
The legislative clerk called the roll.
Mr. BARRASSO. The following Senators are necessarily absent: the
Senator from Louisiana (Mr. Cassidy) and the Senator from Kentucky (Mr.
McConnell).
Mr. DURBIN. I announce that the Senator from Illinois (Ms.
Duckworth), the Senator from Arizona (Mr. Gallego), and the Senator
from Vermont (Mr. Welch) are necessarily absent.
The result was announced--yeas 42, nays 53, as follows:
[Rollcall Vote No. 474 Leg.]
YEAS--42
Alsobrooks
Baldwin
Blumenthal
Blunt Rochester
Booker
Cantwell
Coons
Cortez Masto
Durbin
Fetterman
Gillibrand
Hassan
Heinrich
Hirono
Kaine
Kelly
Kim
King
Klobuchar
Lujan
Markey
Merkley
Murphy
Murray
Ossoff
Padilla
Peters
Reed
Rosen
Sanders
Schatz
Schiff
Schumer
Shaheen
Slotkin
Smith
Van Hollen
Warner
Warnock
Warren
Whitehouse
Wyden
NAYS--53
Banks
Barrasso
Bennet
Blackburn
Boozman
Britt
Budd
Capito
Collins
Cornyn
Cotton
Cramer
Crapo
Cruz
Curtis
Daines
Ernst
Fischer
Graham
Grassley
Hagerty
Hawley
Hickenlooper
Hoeven
Husted
Hyde-Smith
Johnson
Justice
Kennedy
Lankford
Lee
Lummis
Marshall
McCormick
Moody
Moran
Moreno
Mullin
Murkowski
Paul
Ricketts
Risch
Rounds
Schmitt
Scott (FL)
Scott (SC)
Sheehy
Sullivan
Thune
Tillis
Tuberville
Wicker
Young
NOT VOTING--5
Cassidy
Duckworth
Gallego
McConnell
Welch
The amendment (No. 3114) was rejected.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Georgia.
Amendment No. 3466 to Amendment No. 3411
Mr. OSSOFF. Mr. President, on behalf of Senator Duckworth, I call up
amendment No. 3466 and ask that it be reported by number.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report.
The senior assistant legislative clerk read as follows:
The Senator from Georgia [Mr. Ossoff], for Ms. Duckworth,
proposes an amendment numbered 3466 to amendment No. 3411.
The amendment is as follows:
(Purpose: To require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to submit to
Congress a report on the plan of the Secretary for Department of
Veterans Affairs workforce reduction in fiscal year 2026)
At the appropriate place in title II of division A, insert
the following:
SEC. 2__. REPORT ON PLAN OF SECRETARY OF VETERANS AFFAIRS TO
REDUCE WORKFORCE OF DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS
AFFAIRS.
(a) Report Required.--Not later than 90 days after the date
of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans
Affairs shall submit to Congress a report on the current plan
of the Secretary to reduce the workforce of the Department of
Veterans Affairs in fiscal year 2026.
(b) Contents.--The report submitted pursuant to subsection
(a) shall include the following:
(1) The analysis used by the Secretary to determine what,
if any, workforce reductions are necessary to provide timely
care and benefits for Veterans and why.
(2) How that analysis ensures that wait times will not be
adversely affected by such reductions, but rather, assisted.
(c) Lessons Learned.--The Secretary shall ensure that
analyses submitted pursuant to subsection (b) incorporate
lessons learned from terminations and reinstatements
occurring in fiscal year 2025.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Georgia.
Mr. OSSOFF. Mr. President, Senator Duckworth has an amendment that
warrants bipartisan support.
Secretary Collins had announced earlier this year his plan to fire
80,000 personnel at the VA. Amidst public outrage, he has backed off
that plan. We still don't know his intentions for mass firings in this
coming fiscal year. All this amendment does is ask for a report on what
the impact will be on the
[[Page S5195]]
provision of timely care and benefits for our veterans. So this is not
a partisan or a political matter. If there are going to be significant
reductions in force at the VA, we should know how it affects veterans'
benefits.
I urge a vote for Senator Duckworth's amendment.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Arkansas.
Mr. BOOZMAN. Mr. President, I understand Senator Duckworth's concern.
However, Secretary Collins publicly announced that, through normal
attrition, early retirements, and deferred resignations, the VA staff
would be properly sized by the end of fiscal year 2025. The rumored
large-scale reduction in force is not necessary, and the VA has no
plans to seek any further staffing reductions. Mission-critical
positions at the VA are exempt from a hiring freeze and are not
eligible for early retirement or deferred resignations.
To quote Secretary Collins:
A department-wide RIF is off the table.
Senator Tuberville has an amendment that does not focus on rumored
RIFs that will not take place but instead focuses on VA staffing
reviews, the new staffing models it is pursuing, and the methodology
underpinning these efforts.
For that reason, I ask for a ``no'' vote on this amendment.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Georgia.
Mr. OSSOFF. I would just note, if that is the case, the Department
can make that clear in their report.
Vote on Amendment No. 3466
Mr. President, I ask for the yeas and nays.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The question is on adoption of the amendment.
Is there a sufficient second?
There appears to be a sufficient second.
The clerk will call the roll.
The senior assistant legislative clerk called the roll.
Mr. BARRASSO. The following Senators are necessarily absent: the
Senator from Louisiana (Mr. Cassidy) and the Senator from Kentucky (Mr.
McConnell).
Mr. DURBIN. I announce that the Senator from Illinois (Ms.
Duckworth), the Senator from Arizona (Mr. Gallego) and the Senator from
Vermont (Mr. Welch) are necessarily absent.
The result was announced--yeas 45, nays 50, as follows:
[Rollcall Vote No. 475 Leg.]
YEAS--45
Alsobrooks
Baldwin
Bennet
Blumenthal
Blunt Rochester
Booker
Cantwell
Coons
Cortez Masto
Durbin
Fetterman
Gillibrand
Hassan
Heinrich
Hickenlooper
Hirono
Kaine
Kelly
Kim
King
Klobuchar
Lujan
Markey
Merkley
Murphy
Murray
Ossoff
Padilla
Peters
Reed
Rosen
Sanders
Schatz
Schiff
Schumer
Shaheen
Slotkin
Smith
Sullivan
Van Hollen
Warner
Warnock
Warren
Whitehouse
Wyden
NAYS--50
Banks
Barrasso
Blackburn
Boozman
Britt
Budd
Capito
Collins
Cornyn
Cotton
Cramer
Crapo
Cruz
Curtis
Daines
Ernst
Fischer
Graham
Grassley
Hagerty
Hawley
Hoeven
Husted
Hyde-Smith
Johnson
Justice
Kennedy
Lankford
Lee
Lummis
Marshall
McCormick
Moody
Moran
Moreno
Mullin
Murkowski
Paul
Ricketts
Risch
Rounds
Schmitt
Scott (FL)
Scott (SC)
Sheehy
Thune
Tillis
Tuberville
Wicker
Young
NOT VOTING--5
Cassidy
Duckworth
Gallego
McConnell
Welch
The amendment (No. 3466) was rejected.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Alabama.
Amendment No. 3413 to Amendment No. 3411
Mr. TUBERVILLE. Mr. President, I call up my amendment No.
3413 and ask that it be reported by number.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the amendment by number.
The senior assistant legislative clerk read as follows:
The Senator from Alabama [Mr. Tuberville] proposes an amendment
numbered 3413 to Amendment No. 3411.
The amendment is as follows:
(Purpose: To require the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to submit a
report on the efforts of the Secretary to review and implement staffing
models at the Department of Veterans Affairs that will ensure timely,
high quality delivery of health care, benefits, and other services
furnished by the Department)
At the appropriate place, insert the following:
SEC. ___. REPORT ON REVIEW AND IMPLEMENTATION OF STAFFING
MODELS AT DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS.
(a) Definition of Appropriate Committees of Congress.--In
this section, the term ``appropriate committees of Congress''
means--
(1) the Committee on Appropriations and the Committee on
Veterans' Affairs of the Senate; and
(2) the Committee on Appropriations and the Committee on
Veterans' Affairs of the House of Representatives.
(b) Report Required.--Not later than 90 days after the date
of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans
Affairs shall submit to the appropriate committees of
Congress a report on the efforts of the Secretary to review
and implement staffing models at the Department of Veterans
Affairs that will ensure timely, high quality delivery of
health care, benefits, and other services furnished by the
Department. Such report shall describe the methodology and
review process the Secretary is using to create the staffing
models for the Department.
Mr. TUBERVILLE. Mr. President, as a son of a World War II veteran, I
have seen firsthand the critical role that the VA plays in caring for
those who have served our country. Unfortunately, under President
Biden's leadership, it was a dumpster fire.
Some of my Democratic colleagues seem to have forgotten about these
failures, so let's take a trip down memory lane.
It was Department of Veterans Affairs under President Biden that
rehired and gave full backpay to hundreds of VA employees who had been
fired for failing to do their jobs. These employees were not let go by
mistake; they had been fired for poor performance.
But, apparently, the Biden administration didn't care about that. The
Biden VA decision to rehire these bad employees cost us $134 million.
Or my colleagues have forgotten that, magically, the VA had a
multibillion-dollar budget shortfall last year. How does that even
happen? There is zero accountability, unfortunately.
Thank goodness President Trump and Secretary Collins are in charge
now. They are working around the clock to right-size the VA. The Trump
administration is singularly focused on making sure veterans have
timely access to quality care and benefits.
We need to support Secretary Collins and this administration in
achieving the core goals for our veterans, not waste our time playing
politics.
I yield the floor.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Georgia.
Mr. OSSOFF. Mr. President, the Senator from Alabama offers an
amendment that would require the VA to submit a report on the
implementation of staffing models, and that is sorely needed. And I
rise in support of this amendment.
We saw Secretary Collins initially say he wanted to fire 15 percent
of the VA workforce--80,000 people--with no explanation. Then he
demolished morality at the VA so that 30,000 people quit. Now he says
he is not going to fire 80,000 people. He fired most of the new hires,
probationary workers, many of them veterans, until that was held up in
court. None of this is supported by any kind of analysis or assessment
of how it would impact wait times or the provision of service for
veterans.
So I appreciate the Senator from Alabama for wanting to hold the
administration accountable.
I urge a ``yes'' vote to the amendment.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Alabama.
Mr. TUBERVILLE. I accept it, and I ask for a voice vote.
Vote on Amendment No. 3413
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The question is on adoption of the amendment.
The amendment is agreed to.
The amendment (No. 3413) was agreed to.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Louisiana.
Amendment No. 3414 to Amendment No. 3411
Mr. KENNEDY. Mr. President, I call up my amendment No. 3414 and ask
that it be reported by number.
[[Page S5196]]
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the amendment by number.
The senior assistant legislative clerk read as follows:
The Senator from Louisiana [Mr. Kennedy] proposes an
amendment numbered 3414 to amendment No. 3411.
The amendment is as follows:
(Purpose: To reduce the Agriculture discretionary appropriations by 2
percent across the board)
On page 219, after line 25, add the following:
Sec. 783. Each discretionary appropriation made under this
division is reduced, on a pro rata basis, by the amount
necessary to reduce the amount of discretionary
appropriations made available under this division, but for
this section, by 2 percent.
Mr. KENNEDY. Mr. President, this is an amendment to the Ag
Appropriations Subcommittee budget. Our chair of that subcommittee is
able, he is talented, and he exercises power maturely, in my judgment.
I just think we ought to reduce spending. It is clear to me that to
do that, we are going to have to do it by baby steps.
This amendment would reduce fiscal year 2026 Agriculture
discretionary spending appropriations, if you will, by 2 percent--2
percent. That would take us from $27.1 billion to $26.55 billion--a
reduction of $542 million. That represents 0.007 percent of the total
that the Federal Government is currently spending on an annualized
basis.
Not to put too fine a point on it, but if the Federal budget were a
24-hour day--
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator's time has expired.
Mr. KENNEDY.--this reduction represents about 7 seconds.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from North Dakota.
Mr. HOEVEN. Mr. President, this amendment would be an across-the-
board cut. We made targeted cuts, and we had to fully fund WIC, which
was a significant increase. So our cuts are actually more than the 2
percent that the gentleman is talking about.
I support his desire to reduce spending, but, overall, we are up a
little over 1 percent with that significant increase of about 7 percent
in WIC.
Again, I think we have done this the right way. We still have to go
to conference with the House. They are about 5 percent below where we
are. So I would ask for a ``no'' vote on this amendment and defer to my
colleague.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from New Hampshire.
Mrs. SHAHEEN. I want to agree with Chairman Hoeven. This amendment
would apply an indiscriminate cut across a carefully negotiated
bipartisan bill. It would create a funding shortfall for the WIC
Program, threaten the ability of the FDA to collect user fees,
undermine farm loan programs, shortchange the Nation's food safety
enterprise, and hamper our ability to fight animal and plant diseases
like bird flu and New World screwworm. I bet you didn't know what that
was.
I urge my colleagues to join Senator Hoeven and me in opposing this
amendment.
Vote on Amendment No. 3414
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The question is on adoption of the amendment.
Mr. BARRASSO. I ask for the yeas and nays.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The yeas and nays have been requested. Is
there a sufficient second?
There appears to be a sufficient second.
The clerk will call the roll.
The legislative clerk called the roll.
Mr. BARRASSO. The following Senators are necessarily absent: the
Senator from Louisiana (Mr. Cassidy) and the Senator from Kentucky (Mr.
McConnell).
Mr. DURBIN. I announce that the Senator from Illinois (Ms.
Duckworth), the Senator from Arizona (Mr. Gallego), and the Senator
from Vermont (Mr. Welch) are necessarily absent.
The result was announced--yeas 14, nays 81, as follows:
[Rollcall Vote No. 476 Leg.]
YEAS--14
Banks
Barrasso
Budd
Cruz
Curtis
Hagerty
Johnson
Kennedy
Lummis
Moody
Paul
Schmitt
Scott (FL)
Tuberville
NAYS--81
Alsobrooks
Baldwin
Bennet
Blackburn
Blumenthal
Blunt Rochester
Booker
Boozman
Britt
Cantwell
Capito
Collins
Coons
Cornyn
Cortez Masto
Cotton
Cramer
Crapo
Daines
Durbin
Ernst
Fetterman
Fischer
Gillibrand
Graham
Grassley
Hassan
Hawley
Heinrich
Hickenlooper
Hirono
Hoeven
Husted
Hyde-Smith
Justice
Kaine
Kelly
Kim
King
Klobuchar
Lankford
Lee
Lujan
Markey
Marshall
McCormick
Merkley
Moran
Moreno
Mullin
Murkowski
Murphy
Murray
Ossoff
Padilla
Peters
Reed
Ricketts
Risch
Rosen
Rounds
Sanders
Schatz
Schiff
Schumer
Scott (SC)
Shaheen
Sheehy
Slotkin
Smith
Sullivan
Thune
Tillis
Van Hollen
Warner
Warnock
Warren
Whitehouse
Wicker
Wyden
Young
NOT VOTING--5
Cassidy
Duckworth
Gallego
McConnell
Welch
The amendment (No. 3414) was rejected.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Florida.
Amendment No. 3113, as Modified, to Amendment No. 3411
Mr. SCOTT of Florida. Mr. President, I call up my amendment No. 3113
and ask that it be reported by number.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the amendment by number.
The senior assistant legislative clerk read as follows:
The Senator from Florida [Mr. Scott] proposes an amendment
numbered 3113 to amendment No. 3411.
The amendment, as modified, is as follows:
(Purpose: To reduce funding for certain programs under the division
making appropriations for Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug
Administration, and Related Agencies)
At the appropriate place in division B, insert the
following:
Sec. __. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Act,
the amount made available for--
(1) ``Agricultural Programs--National Institute of Food and
Agriculture--Research and Education Activities'' shall be
$487,510,000;
(2) ``Agricultural Programs--Economic Research Service''
shall be $80,000,000;
(3) ``Agricultural Programs--National Agricultural
Statistics Service'' shall be $185,000,000;
(4) ``Agricultural Programs--Agricultural Research
Service--Salaries and Expenses'' shall be $1,700,000,000;
(5) ``Agricultural Programs--Agricultural Research
Service--Buildings and Facilities'' shall be $42,500,000;
(6) ``Farm Production and Conservation Programs--Natural
Resources Conservation Service--Conservation Operations''
shall be $112,259,000;
(7) ``Farm Production and Conservation Programs--Natural
Resources Conservation Service--Watershed and Flood
Prevention Operations'' shall be $36,360,000;
(8) ``Farm Production and Conservation Programs--Farm
Production and Conservation Business Center--Salaries and
Expenses'' shall be $214,000,000;
(9) ``Farm Production and Conservation Programs--Farm
Service Agency--Salaries and Expenses'' shall be
$950,000,000, of which no amounts shall be required to be
used for the hiring of new employees to fill vacancies and
anticipated vacancies at Farm Service Agency county offices
and farm loan officers;
(10) ``Rural Development Programs--Rural Development--
Salaries and Expenses'' shall be $265,008,000;
(11) ``Rural Development Programs--Rural Housing Service--
Rural Housing Insurance Fund Program Account'' for--
(A) gross obligations of the principal amount of section
523 self-help housing land development loans shall be $0; and
(B) the cost of section 523 self-help housing land
development loans, including the cost of modifying such
loans, shall be $0;
(12) ``Rural Development Programs--Rural Housing Service--
Rural Housing Voucher Account'' shall be $0;
(13) ``Rural Development Programs--Rural Housing Service--
Mutual and Self-Help Housing Grants'' shall be $0;
(14) ``Rural Development Programs--Rural Housing Service--
Rural Housing Assistance Grants'' shall be $0;
(15) ``Rural Development Programs--Rural Housing Service--
Rural Community Facilities Program Account'' for the cost of
loans, loan guarantees, and grants, including the cost of
modifying loans, shall be $204,436,000, of which no amounts
shall be available for community facilities grants, as
authorized by section 306(a)(19) of the Consolidated Farm and
Rural Development Act, or grants to tribal colleges as
authorized by section 306(a)(25) of such Act;
(16) ``Rural Development Programs--Rural Utilities
Service--Rural Electrification and Telecommunications Loans
Program Account'' for--
(A) cost-of-money rural telecommunications loans made
pursuant to section
[[Page S5197]]
305(d)(2) of the Rural Electrification Act of 1936 shall be
$0; and
(B) guaranteed rural telecommunications loans made pursuant
to section 306 of that Act shall be $0;
(17) ``Domestic Food Programs--Food and Nutrition Service--
Commodity Assistance Program'' shall be $91,070,000, of which
no amounts shall be available for the Commodity Supplemental
Food Program; and
(18) ``Foreign Assistance and Related Programs--Foreign
Agricultural Service--McGovern-Dole International Food for
Education and Child Nutrition Program Grants'' shall be $0.
Mr. SCOTT of Florida. Mr. President, first and most importantly, I
want to thank my colleagues for their work on these appropriations
bills and the support of our agriculture community in this bill.
Our Nation is $37 trillion in debt and running $2 trillion deficits
after years of Democrats grossly expanding Federal spending. We have to
start somewhere to get our out-of-control spending in check, and the
President's budget is a great place to start.
President Trump made a promise to the American people that he would
bring fiscal sanity to our Nation and turn the economy around. He wants
to balance the budget, and so do I. The President put forward a budget
proposal that works toward that goal. We should be passing
appropriations bills that respect his requests and the will of the
American people.
My amendment would put us closer to the President's budget request
for the ag budget as he delivers on his promise to the American people.
I encourage my colleagues to support my amendment and restore fiscal
sanity.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from North Dakota.
Mr. HOEVEN. Mr. President, I support my colleagues' efforts to find
spending reductions. He does make a number of changes that go in line
with the President's budget, but he does a number of things that
absolutely will not work.
For example, cuts ag research by more than 40 percent. Let me repeat
that. He cuts ag research by more than 40 percent. Cuts the FSA. That
is most important Agency for our farmers. That is out in farm country
where they are--cuts that Farm Service Agency by 20 percent; rural
development, cut 20 percent; technical assistance at NRCS by 80
percent.
So, again, we did make reductions. We actually reduced about 2
percent, but then we do fully fund WIC, which caused the increase to 1
percent. I ask for a ``no'' vote on this amendment.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from New Hampshire.
Mrs. SHAHEEN. Mr. President, I agree with Senator Hoeven. This
amendment really would undermine the serious bipartisan work that went
into crafting a strong bill within the confines of our allocation, and
I think Senator Hoeven made that point very well.
It would slash a host of things that are critical to farmers,
producers in rural communities, hamstringing research and extension
programs at land-grant universities, cutting funding for the Farm
Service Agency, gutting rural development programs, eliminating the
Commodity Supplemental Food Program that would rip away nutrition
assistance for 700,000 seniors.
I would urge my colleagues to join Senator Hoeven and me in opposing
this amendment.
Vote on Amendment No. 3113, as Modified
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The question now occurs on adoption of the
amendment.
Mr. ROUNDS. I ask for the yeas and nays.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there a sufficient second?
There appears to be a sufficient second.
The clerk will call the roll.
The bill clerk called the roll.
Mr. BARRASSO. The following Senators are necessarily absent: the
Senator from Louisiana (Mr. Cassidy) and the Senator from Kentucky (Mr.
McConnell).
Mr. DURBIN. I announce that the Senator from Arizona (Mr. Gallego)
and the Senator from Vermont (Mr. Welch) are necessarily absent.
The result was announced--yeas 15, nays 81, as follows:
[Rollcall Vote No. 477 Leg.]
YEAS--15
Banks
Barrasso
Budd
Curtis
Ernst
Hagerty
Johnson
Kennedy
Lee
Lummis
Moody
Moreno
Paul
Schmitt
Scott (FL)
NAYS--81
Alsobrooks
Baldwin
Bennet
Blackburn
Blumenthal
Blunt Rochester
Booker
Boozman
Britt
Cantwell
Capito
Collins
Coons
Cornyn
Cortez Masto
Cotton
Cramer
Crapo
Cruz
Daines
Duckworth
Durbin
Fetterman
Fischer
Gillibrand
Graham
Grassley
Hassan
Hawley
Heinrich
Hickenlooper
Hirono
Hoeven
Husted
Hyde-Smith
Justice
Kaine
Kelly
Kim
King
Klobuchar
Lankford
Lujan
Markey
Marshall
McCormick
Merkley
Moran
Mullin
Murkowski
Murphy
Murray
Ossoff
Padilla
Peters
Reed
Ricketts
Risch
Rosen
Rounds
Sanders
Schatz
Schiff
Schumer
Scott (SC)
Shaheen
Sheehy
Slotkin
Smith
Sullivan
Thune
Tillis
Tuberville
Van Hollen
Warner
Warnock
Warren
Whitehouse
Wicker
Wyden
Young
NOT VOTING--4
Cassidy
Gallego
McConnell
Welch
The amendment (No. 3113) was rejected.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Wisconsin.
Amendment No. 3428 to Amendment No. 3411
Mr. JOHNSON. Mr. President, I call up amendment No. 3428 and ask it
be reported by number.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report.
The senior assistant legislative clerk read as follows:
The Senator from Wisconsin [Mr. Johnson] proposes an
amendment numbered 3428 to Amendment No. 3411.
The amendment is as follows:
(Purpose: To limit disclosures regarding earmarks)
On page 2, after line 13, add the following:
SEC. 4. LIMITATION ON DISCLOSURE OF EARMARKS.
(a) Definitions.--For the purposes of this section--
(1) the term ``congressional earmark'' has the meaning
given that term in clause 9 of rule XXI of the Rules of the
House of Representatives; and
(2) the term ``disclosure'' means a mention or reference in
any communications sent from the official office of a Member
of Congress, any debate of a bill other than this Act in a
congressional committee or on the floor of the Senate or the
House of Representatives, any media interview or appearance,
any public speaking engagement, or any public communications
pursuant to a political campaign.
(b) Limitation.--Funds provided under any division of this
Act for a congressional earmark shall be rescinded if a
Member of Congress who requested and received the
congressional earmark makes a disclosure of the congressional
earmark outside of official debate of this Act in the
Committee on Appropriations of the Senate or the Committee on
Appropriations of the House of Representatives or on the
floor of the Senate or the House of Representatives.
(c) Notice.--Not later than 15 days after the date on which
funds provided for any congressional earmark are rescinded
under subsection (b), the head of the Federal agency to which
the funds were made available shall notify the Committee on
Appropriations of the Senate and the Committee on
Appropriations of the House of Representatives about the
rescission.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Wisconsin.
Mr. JOHNSON. Mr. President, the late great Senator Tom Colburn
referred to earmarks as the gateway drug to runaway spending.
In testimony before the House in 2018, he stated: I have witnessed
earmarking up close and know it is inherently corrupt. Earmarks are
abused as a form of currency to buy and sell votes of politicians and
to reward political supporters.
Convicted superlobbyist Jack Abramoff affectionately called the
earmark system ``the favor factory.''
I am sad to report that the favor factory is up and running about
$1.3 billion worth of earmarks in this bill alone.
My amendment acknowledges the reality that those of us who are
opposed to earmarks are grossly outnumbered, so as hard as we try to
ban them, we won't be able to. So my amendment simply tries to prevent
earmarks being used as a quasi-campaign contribution. So members can
talk about the earmarks in official Senate proceedings, subcommittee
hearings, committee hearings, on the floor, in official Senate
publications, but if they go on media, if they set up press releases,
if they use them in ads, those earmarks are automatically rescinded.
[[Page S5198]]
If people really don't believe that this is a favor factory, this
amendment should pass 100 to zero.
I urge a ``yes'' vote.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Washington.
Mrs. MURRAY. Mr. President, the Appropriations Committee takes very
seriously the oversight and accountability of every CDS request. The
project and certifications for each item are posted on both the
committee website and Members' official website. Senators have to
certify that neither they nor any immediate family member has a
financial interest in the item request, and GAO, which is Congress's
nonpartisan auditor, conducts an analysis of select projects every
year.
The Johnson amendment would prohibit virtually any public
communication about CDS and make the process less transparent.
This amendment states the remedy for breaking that new rule, for
telling our constituents what we are doing is to rescind that CDS.
This is an important way for Senators to advocate for their States
and communities through investments in local projects like improving
transportation, drinking water infrastructure, workforce programs,
childcare centers.
This amendment would take away your ability to be responsive to your
communities. We absolutely should be letting our constituents know what
we are doing here and what we are advocating for.
I strongly urge you to oppose this amendment.
Vote on Amendment No. 3428
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The question is on adoption of the amendment.
Mr. JOHNSON. I ask for the yeas and nays.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there a sufficient second?
There appears to be a sufficient second.
The clerk will call the roll.
The bill clerk called the roll.
Mr. BARRASSO. The following Senators are necessarily absent: the
Senator from Louisiana (Mr. Cassidy) and the Senator from Kentucky (Mr.
McConnell).
Mr. DURBIN. I announce that the Senator from Arizona (Mr. Gallego)
and the Senator from Vermont (Mr. Welch) are necessarily absent.
The result was announced--yeas 21, nays 75, as follows:
[Rollcall Vote No. 478 Leg.]
YEAS--21
Banks
Blackburn
Budd
Crapo
Cruz
Curtis
Daines
Ernst
Hagerty
Hawley
Johnson
Kennedy
Lankford
Lee
Lummis
Marshall
Moody
Moreno
Paul
Risch
Scott (FL)
NAYS--75
Alsobrooks
Baldwin
Barrasso
Bennet
Blumenthal
Blunt Rochester
Booker
Boozman
Britt
Cantwell
Capito
Collins
Coons
Cornyn
Cortez Masto
Cotton
Cramer
Duckworth
Durbin
Fetterman
Fischer
Gillibrand
Graham
Grassley
Hassan
Heinrich
Hickenlooper
Hirono
Hoeven
Husted
Hyde-Smith
Justice
Kaine
Kelly
Kim
King
Klobuchar
Lujan
Markey
McCormick
Merkley
Moran
Mullin
Murkowski
Murphy
Murray
Ossoff
Padilla
Peters
Reed
Ricketts
Rosen
Rounds
Sanders
Schatz
Schiff
Schmitt
Schumer
Scott (SC)
Shaheen
Sheehy
Slotkin
Smith
Sullivan
Thune
Tillis
Tuberville
Van Hollen
Warner
Warnock
Warren
Whitehouse
Wicker
Wyden
Young
NOT VOTING--4
Cassidy
Gallego
McConnell
Welch
The amendment (No. 3428) was rejected.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Maine.
Amendment No. 3411, as Amended
Ms. COLLINS. Mr. President, first, let me announce to our colleagues
that we are on the verge of an accomplishment that we have not done
since 2018, and that is, pass appropriations bills across the Senate
floor prior to the August recess.
(Applause.)
That is exercising our constitutional responsibility for the power of
the purse, and it would not have happened without the extraordinarily
hard work of the members of the Appropriations Committee. My colleague
the vice chair, Patty Murray--Senator Murray has been determined to
reach this goal.
I also want to commend the leadership of the Military Construction,
Veterans Affairs, Agriculture, and I hope Legislative Branch
Subcommittees for their work on the fiscal year 2026 bills.
Again, I think we can all be pleased that the Senate lived up to its
responsibilities tonight.
Let me just end by thanking Leader Thune for bringing these bills to
the Senate floor.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Washington.
Mrs. MURRAY. Mr. President, I echo the thanks to all of our
subcommittee and committee members and especially to the chair of our
committee, Senator Collins, all of our staff--everyone who has worked
really hard to get here.
These are good, bipartisan bills--bills that make crucial investments
to help all of our farms and families and veterans and servicemembers
thrive.
I urge a ``yes'' vote. I believe Congress should decide how to spend
taxpayer dollars. This is how we do it. Vote yes.
Vote on Amendment No. 3411, as Amended
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The question now occurs on adoption of the
amendment.
Ms. COLLINS. I ask for the yeas and nays.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there a sufficient second?
There appears to be a sufficient second.
The clerk will call the roll.
The senior assistant legislative clerk called the roll.
Mr. BARRASSO. The following Senators are necessarily absent: the
Senator from Louisiana (Mr. Cassidy) and the Senator from Kentucky (Mr.
McConnell).
Mr. DURBIN. I announce that the Senator from Arizona (Mr. Gallego)
and the Senator from Vermont (Mr. Welch) are necessarily absent.
The result was announced--yeas 87, nays 9, as follows:
[Rollcall Vote No. 479 Leg.]
YEAS--87
Alsobrooks
Baldwin
Banks
Barrasso
Bennet
Blackburn
Blumenthal
Blunt Rochester
Boozman
Britt
Budd
Cantwell
Capito
Collins
Coons
Cornyn
Cortez Masto
Cotton
Cramer
Crapo
Cruz
Curtis
Daines
Duckworth
Durbin
Ernst
Fetterman
Fischer
Gillibrand
Graham
Grassley
Hagerty
Hassan
Hawley
Heinrich
Hickenlooper
Hirono
Hoeven
Husted
Hyde-Smith
Johnson
Justice
Kaine
Kelly
Kennedy
Kim
King
Klobuchar
Lankford
Lee
Lujan
Marshall
McCormick
Merkley
Moody
Moran
Moreno
Mullin
Murkowski
Murray
Ossoff
Peters
Reed
Ricketts
Risch
Rosen
Rounds
Schatz
Schmitt
Schumer
Scott (FL)
Scott (SC)
Shaheen
Sheehy
Slotkin
Smith
Sullivan
Thune
Tillis
Tuberville
Van Hollen
Warner
Warnock
Whitehouse
Wicker
Wyden
Young
NAYS--9
Booker
Lummis
Markey
Murphy
Padilla
Paul
Sanders
Schiff
Warren
NOT VOTING--4
Cassidy
Gallego
McConnell
Welch
The amendment (No. 3411), as amended, was agreed to.
(Mr. HUSTED assumed the Chair.)
The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Curtis). On this vote, the yeas are 87,
the nays are 9.
The 60-vote threshold having been achieved, the amendment, as
amended, is agreed to.
The amendment (No. 3411), as amended, was agreed to.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will read the bill by title for the
third time.
The amendments were ordered to be engrossed and the bill to be read a
third time.
The bill was read the third time.
Vote on H.R. 3944, as Amended
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The bill having been read the third time, the
question is, Shall the bill pass?
Mr. PETERS. I ask for the yeas and nays.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there a sufficient second?
There appears to be a sufficient second.
The clerk will call the roll.
The bill clerk called the roll.
Mr. BARRASSO. The following Senators are necessarily absent: the
Senator from Louisiana (Mr. Cassidy) and
[[Page S5199]]
the Senator from Kentucky (Mr. McConnell).
Mr. DURBIN. I announce that the Senator from Arizona (Mr. Gallego)
and the Senator from Vermont (Mr. Welch) are necessarily absent.
The result was announced--yeas 87, nays 9, as follows:
[Rollcall Vote No. 480 Leg.]
YEAS--87
Alsobrooks
Baldwin
Banks
Barrasso
Bennet
Blackburn
Blumenthal
Blunt Rochester
Boozman
Britt
Budd
Cantwell
Capito
Collins
Coons
Cornyn
Cortez Masto
Cotton
Cramer
Crapo
Cruz
Curtis
Daines
Duckworth
Durbin
Ernst
Fetterman
Fischer
Gillibrand
Graham
Grassley
Hagerty
Hassan
Hawley
Heinrich
Hickenlooper
Hirono
Hoeven
Husted
Hyde-Smith
Johnson
Justice
Kaine
Kelly
Kennedy
Kim
King
Klobuchar
Lankford
Lee
Lujan
Marshall
McCormick
Merkley
Moody
Moran
Moreno
Mullin
Murkowski
Murray
Ossoff
Peters
Reed
Ricketts
Risch
Rosen
Rounds
Schatz
Schmitt
Schumer
Scott (FL)
Scott (SC)
Shaheen
Sheehy
Slotkin
Smith
Sullivan
Thune
Tillis
Tuberville
Van Hollen
Warner
Warnock
Whitehouse
Wicker
Wyden
Young
NAYS--9
Booker
Lummis
Markey
Murphy
Padilla
Paul
Sanders
Schiff
Warren
NOT VOTING--4
Cassidy
Gallego
McConnell
Welch
The PRESIDING OFFICER. On this vote, the yeas are 87, the nays are 9.
The 60-vote threshold having been achieved, the bill, as amended, is
passed.
The bill (H.R. 3944), as amended, was passed.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Oklahoma.
Amendment No. 3412
(Purpose: To improve the bill.)
Mr. MULLIN. Mr. President, I call up my amendment No. 3412 and ask
that it be reported by number.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report.
The senior assistant executive clerk read as follows:
The Senator from Oklahoma [Mr. Mullin] proposes an
amendment numbered 3412.
The amendment is as follows:
(The amendment is printed in the Record of July 31, 2025, under
``Text of Amendments.'')
Mr. MULLIN. Mr. President, I come to the floor to ask my colleagues
to support this fiscal year 2026 Legislative Branch bill.
This is a solid, bipartisan bill that meets the needs of Congress and
supports our Agencies, especially the Sergeant at Arms and the Capitol
Police, in a very fiscally responsible manner.
I commit to my colleagues to continue working in a bipartisan manner
to address the best path forward for all of our security needs for the
Members, for our families, and for the friends who may be around us. It
is challenging, and I understand that. I commit to you guys--all--that
I will work to meet those needs. We have had a bipartisan commitment
from both sides, and I hear y'all's concerns. We will get those
addressed, but this amendment moves us in the right direction.
With that, I urge all of my colleagues to vote for this amendment.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from New Mexico.
Mr. HEINRICH. Mr. President, thank you to Chair Collins and Vice
Chair Murray.
The legislative branch bill is the smallest of the bills produced by
the Senate Appropriations Committee, but it is really one of the most
important because it helps to make sure that the legislature maintains
its role as a separate and equal branch of government. It is no secret
that this balance of power enshrined by the Founders in the
Constitution could not be more important than it is today.
To be an effective check and balance to the executive branch,
Congress and our support Agencies need adequate resources to carry out
our responsibilities. This bill allocates those resources, allowing us
to do the jobs that we were elected to do for the people of this
Nation. Like most bills, each side got some of what they wanted and
some of what they didn't, but like any good legislation, we continued
to find common ground across the aisle on so many important points.
This includes a continued focus on investments, constituent services
and security, oversight, and campus operation.
It also includes placeholders for several important, security-related
activities that Chair Mullin and I have collectively agreed to further
develop and appropriately fund in conference based on additional
information that we expect to receive from the Sergeant at Arms and the
Capitol Police.
I want to especially thank Chair Mullin and his clerk Molly McCarty
for their incredible work with us on the Legislative Branch bill and
report and demonstrating their commitment to continuing to work with me
to provide the resources necessary to protect all of us. I also want to
thank Richard Braddock and my team for their work to develop this
bipartisan bill.
I believe this legislation provides a bipartisan package supporting
our most critical needs, and I would really urge all of our colleagues
to vote in favor.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Louisiana.
Mr. KENNEDY. Mr. President, I am the reason we are voting on this
bill separately. I am going to vote no, and I would like to explain
why.
I am not telling any of you to vote no, I am just telling you to
follow your heart but take your brain with you.
As best I can tell, every bill that has come out of the
Appropriations Committee has represented an increase in spending. This
bill, which is our bill, funds the legislative branch, has the largest
increase in spending. I think we can do better.
That is not a reflection of the conscientious and thoughtful work
done by my colleagues, both of whom just spoke. I just think we need to
set an example. When we are increasing our spending 6 percent and
others less, we are sending a message that we are special, and I don't
think we are.
Vote on Amendment No. 3412
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The question is on adoption of the amendment.
Mr. MULLEN. Mr. President, I ask for the yeas and nays.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there a sufficient second?
There appears to be a sufficient second.
The clerk will call the roll.
The senior assistant executive clerk called the roll.
Mr. BARRASSO. The following Senators are necessarily absent: the
Senator from Louisiana (Mr. Cassidy) and the Senator from Kentucky (Mr.
McConnell).
Mr. DURBIN. I announce that the Senator from Arizona (Mr. Gallego)
and the Senator from Vermont (Mr. Welch) are necessarily absent.
The result was announced--yeas 81, nays 15, as follows:
[Rollcall Vote No. 481 Leg.]
YEAS--81
Alsobrooks
Baldwin
Barrasso
Bennet
Blackburn
Blumenthal
Blunt Rochester
Booker
Boozman
Britt
Budd
Cantwell
Capito
Collins
Coons
Cornyn
Cortez Masto
Cotton
Cramer
Crapo
Cruz
Curtis
Daines
Duckworth
Durbin
Ernst
Fetterman
Fischer
Gillibrand
Graham
Grassley
Hagerty
Hassan
Hawley
Heinrich
Hickenlooper
Hirono
Hoeven
Hyde-Smith
Justice
Kaine
Kelly
Kim
King
Klobuchar
Lankford
Lujan
Marshall
McCormick
Merkley
Moran
Moreno
Mullin
Murkowski
Murray
Ossoff
Peters
Reed
Ricketts
Risch
Rosen
Rounds
Schatz
Schmitt
Schumer
Scott (SC)
Shaheen
Sheehy
Slotkin
Smith
Sullivan
Thune
Tillis
Tuberville
Van Hollen
Warner
Warnock
Whitehouse
Wicker
Wyden
Young
NAYS--15
Banks
Husted
Johnson
Kennedy
Lee
Lummis
Markey
Moody
Murphy
Padilla
Paul
Sanders
Schiff
Scott (FL)
Warren
NOT VOTING--4
Cassidy
Gallego
McConnell
Welch
The amendment (No. 3412) was agreed to. (The bill (H.R. 3944), as
amended, will be printed in a future edition of the Record.)
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Democratic leader.
Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, so we have now passed three
appropriations bills--helping our farmers, helping our
[[Page S5200]]
veterans, helping our security. It shows that when both sides want to
work together, we can get things done.
We hope we can make the same kind of progress on further
appropriations bills that we have made on these.
I yield the floor.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The majority leader.
Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, I want to just congratulate Chair Collins,
Vice Chair Murray, members of the Senate Appropriations Committee, and
the committee sub chairs this evening--I know, at least on our side,
Chair Boozman, Chair Hoeven, Chair Mullin--in getting a package of
appropriations bills across the floor. It is a major accomplishment and
something that I hope is a pattern for things to come. And so I would
say thank you to all who worked so hard to get us to this point,
including the many members of your staff who have worked night and day
these last several weeks.
And the committee continues to report out, with big bipartisan
margins, appropriations bills, and I hope we can get some more of them
on the floor soon. So, again, congrats to the members of the committee,
and let's vote.
____________________