[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 159 (Monday, September 29, 2025)]
[Senate]
[Page S6814]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]



                   Unanimous Consent Request--S. 2851

  However, Mr. President, in understanding that my colleague has made 
his arguments in believing that my legislation goes too far, I also 
have a narrower piece of legislation tailored specifically to three 
groups of people who face elevated risks of violence, doxing, and 
stalking that is similar to Members of Congress and our staffs.
  This bill is also modeled on the bipartisan Commerce Committee bill 
and protects Members of Congress and staff. Additionally, it protects 
State and local officials, including State judges who were left out of 
an earlier judicial privacy bill. The threat to State and local 
officials has not gone away. Earlier this month, a gunman fired a 
bullet directly into the home of a State senator in Illinois. This 
legislation also protects survivors of sexual assault and domestic 
violence who deserve the strongest possible safeguards against being 
stalked or harmed.
  Even if a Member objects to protecting all Americans, surely, the 
people doing our jobs in State capitals across the country and those 
who have suffered assault and violence deserve the same protection as 
the Presiding Officer and I.
  Therefore, as in legislative session and notwithstanding rule XXII, I 
ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Homeland Security and 
Governmental Affairs be discharged from further consideration of S. 
2851 and the Senate proceed to its immediate consideration; that the 
bill be considered read a third time and passed; and that the motion to 
reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table with no 
intervening action or debate.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection?
  The Senator from Texas.
  Mr. CRUZ. Reserving the right to object, for the same reasons I 
articulated a minute ago. I am quite sympathetic to the concerns raised 
by the Senator from Oregon. He is right. There are threats against 
State and local officials. Those threats are serious, and they deserve 
to be dealt with seriously.
  In my view, violence is never acceptable, and that is whether I agree 
with you politically or I disagree with you politically. We should 
debate civilly, with respect, with decency, and violence should never 
be the answer.
  So just as I did with his previous amendment, I extend my offer in 
the hearing we convene to consider the issue of State and local 
officials to consider how best to expand the protection. I am 
interested in expanding the protection to as wide a universe as is 
feasible, as is practicable, but that answer is not yet worked out.
  State and local officials is a universe that comprises tens of 
thousands, if not more people than that. We should have hearings and 
consider the effect before passing legislation that, if the bill got 
expanded, would engender an objection to this bill and kill the entire 
bill altogether.
  Because I don't want this body to do nothing and to fail to take a 
reasonable, commonsense step to protect the security of Members of 
Congress and their staffs and because I very much want to pass Senator 
Klobuchar's legislation--which I might note, Senator Klobuchar is a 
Democrat; I am a Republican. This is bipartisan legislation. Because 
this amendment at that time, I believe, would imperil the Senate doing 
anything right now, I object.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The objection is heard.
  The Senator from Oregon.
  Mr. WYDEN. Mr. President, I want to tell my colleague from Texas I 
look forward to the hearings on legislation that would ensure that all 
Americans have these protections because, as you and I have talked 
about, I think it is critically important there not be a double 
standard in America. I thank my colleague for the offer of the 
hearings.
  I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Michigan.