[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 166 (Wednesday, October 8, 2025)]
[Senate]
[Pages S7004-S7007]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
NATIONAL DEFENSE AUTHORIZATION ACT FOR FISCAL YEAR 2026--Resumed
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the pending business.
The legislative clerk read as follows:
A bill (S. 2296) to authorize appropriations for fiscal
year 2026 for military activities of the Department of
Defense, for military construction, and for defense
activities of the Department of Energy, to prescribe military
personnel strengths for such fiscal year, and for other
purposes.
Pending:
Wicker/Reed amendment modified No. 3748, in the nature of a
substitute.
Wicker (for Ernst) amendment No. 3427 (to amendment No.
3748), to require the Comptroller General of the United
States to conduct a study on casualty assistance and long-
term care programs.
Thune amendment No. 3863 (to amendment No. 3427), relating
to the enactment date.
Thune amendment No. 3864 (to the language proposed to be
stricken by amendment No. 3748), relating to the enactment
date.
Thune amendment No. 3865 (to amendment No. 3864), relating
to the enactment date.
Motion to recommit the bill to the Committee on Armed
Services, with instructions, Thune amendment No. 3866,
relating to the enactment date.
Thune amendment No. 3867 (to (the instructions) amendment
No. 3866), relating to the enactment date.
Thune amendment No. 3868 (to amendment No. 3867), relating
to the enactment date.
Federal Bureau of Investigations
Mrs. BLACKBURN. Mr. President, we know that under Joe Biden and Chris
Wray's leadership, the FBI, it turns out, was truly rotten to the core.
In many ways, they oversaw the worst political corruption of the
justice system in our Nation's history, and now we have proof.
They raided Mar-a-Lago. They indicted President Trump on baseless
charges and weaponized America's top law enforcement Agency against
conservatives, against parents, and against people of faith.
On Monday, we found out that this abuse of power had reached the
Halls of the Congress. Thanks to internal FBI documents provided by
Director Patel and Deputy Director Bongino to Chairman Grassley, we now
know that the Biden FBI tracked the private communications of eight
U.S. Senators, including me.
What we have in common is this: We are all Republicans, we all
support President Trump, and we all had questions about the 2020
election.
According to the documents that were given, the FBI tracked who we
were calling on our phones, who was calling us, where we were
physically located when the calls were made or received, and how long
each call lasted. This is an abuse of authority. It is despicable. And
we know that their abuses were far greater and more numerous than those
abuses toward us.
Earlier this year, Chairman Grassley released whistleblower
disclosures showing that the Biden FBI obtained the government-issued
cell phones of both President Trump and former Vice President Pence.
Last month, we learned that the Agency launched a political
investigation into nearly 100 Republican and conservative groups,
including the Republican National Committee, the Republican Attorneys
General Association, and Charlie Kirk's Turning Point USA.
We are only learning about this weaponization of government against
conservatives because the Trump administration is committed to total
transparency for the American people. The work that President Trump,
his administration, Attorney General Pam Bondi, Director Patel, and
Deputy Director Bongino are doing is so appreciated--not only by us but
by the American people.
It is time for the weaponization of government to stop. It is time to
make certain that these individuals who did this, who were part of the
CR-15 unit that worked with Jack Smith, who were working on Arctic
Frost--it is time for them to be fired from their positions. And I
appreciate that this work is taking place each and every day.
U.S. Department of Justice
Mr. President, yesterday, my colleagues and I who are on the
Judiciary Committee had the pleasure of hearing from Attorney General
Bondi, who has done so much to restore accountability and transparency
at the U.S. Department of Justice.
Instead of waging political investigations, the Department, under her
leadership, is focused on enforcing the rule of law, and that includes
enforcing the rule of law in Memphis, TN.
As we speak, the Justice Department and FBI are among the 13 Federal
Agencies that are on the ground working with local and State officials
to support the Memphis Police Department and to lock up violent
criminals.
In just over a week of operations, President Trump's Memphis Safe
Task Force has delivered tremendous results. As of Monday, authorities
have made 321 arrests. This includes 82 who were on ICE warrants, 41 on
gun charges, 18 for sex offenses, and 1 for homicide. This is on top of
the 503 gang members who were arrested by the FBI in their work from
July 15 to September 15.
Having the additional Agencies there is support that has truly been
needed in Memphis to sustain this work that is rooting out gangs and
criminals.
Last year, the city of Memphis saw the highest crime rate in the
country. In some parts of the city, shootings, robberies, and murders
were a daily occurrence.
Memphians have long demanded action to address the city's crime
crisis, but the Memphis Police Department is short 500 officers, with
just over 20 people in their current recruitment class. With Federal
law enforcement helping to keep the peace, Memphis police are now
empowered to track down repeat violent criminals, including gang
members who have terrorized city residents for too long.
At the same time as the Memphis operation, the Trump administration
has surged Federal resources to other crime-ridden cities to restore
law and order. In Portland and Chicago, ICE agents have had to overcome
obstruction efforts by Democrat elected officials. They have had to
push back on Democrat elected officials to enforce the rule of law and
to detain criminal illegal aliens.
To preserve the hard-fought wins of the Memphis Safe Task Force and
Federal law enforcement across the country, we need to make certain
that these violent criminals are behind bars. Yet, in too many cases,
soft-on-crime prosecutors and judges have allowed violent criminals
back on the streets without bail to continue their criminal activity.
Last year, in Memphis, an 18-year-old who was released without bond
after stealing multiple vehicles went on to murder a man in an
attempted robbery. Just days earlier, a man released without bail after
being charged with auto theft and unlawful possession of a
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weapon killed a Memphis police officer in a shootout.
During a Judiciary Committee hearing that I chaired last week on
blue-city chaos and tragedy, State Senator Brent Taylor, who represents
parts of Memphis, told me that soft-on-crime prosecutors are the weak
link in the work Memphis is trying to do and the work that Memphis law
enforcement is trying to do. Their DA is the weak link. After years of
senseless violence, we cannot allow the hard work of the Memphis Safe
Task Force to go to waste.
To ensure that the rule of law is enforced, I recently introduced the
Keep Violent Criminals Off Our Streets Act. This legislation is backed
by the White House, and it would ban the award of certain Federal funds
to States and localities that limit the use of cash bail.
There must be consequences for these leftist officials who put
criminals ahead of law-abiding citizens. There have to be consequences
for these prosecutors, these DAs, that continue to practice cashless
bail policies. So banning these jurisdictions from having those Federal
funds is a way that we can say: Enforce cash bail and get these violent
criminals off the streets.
I yield the floor.
I suggest the absence of a quorum.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
The legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
Mr. KELLY. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for
the quorum call be rescinded.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
Government Funding
Mr. KELLY. Mr. President, in just a few weeks, millions of Americans
will start the process of picking new health insurance plans, and I
believe a number of them are going to see the cost of their health
insurance double. This is, unfortunately, not a mistake. It is the
price of Washington failing them. And it is not just a number on a
bill. It is the first sign for these families that their lives are
going to be much harder.
We are now 8 days into a government shutdown, but, make no mistake,
this debate isn't about something happening here in this building. It
is about the price Americans pay for their healthcare--because if we
don't work together to extend the Affordable Care Act's premium tax
credits, millions of families will see their health insurance costs
skyrocket overnight.
Last year alone, 309,000 Arizonans used these tax credits, saving
them an average of more than $400 per month. Many of them would need to
pay hundreds of dollars more per month. Some will see their costs more
than double.
That is money that a lot of families simply do not have. That means
cutting groceries, skipping a car payment, or saying no to the next
time that their kid asks to join a school activity, like a Little
League team.
For a lot of folks, it will mean losing coverage altogether because
they just cannot afford it. So, now, these families are going to be one
accident or one illness away from financial ruin.
This uncertainty could also mean that insurers exit the marketplace,
leaving people with limited coverage options.
These are not hypotheticals. Over the last week, I have spent time on
the phone with Arizonans who have reached out to my office to share
what these tax credits mean for them and what also happens when they go
away. I want to share a few stories from these folks, who are already
bracing for the worst--because if anyone here is still wondering what
this debate is about, this is it.
So I talked to a guy named Rusty, from Tucson. He is a cancer
survivor. He runs his own small business in Tucson. He also takes care
of his mother, who is in memory care. He told me:
I've been using the Marketplace for years. Last year, I
paid $277 a month for my plan. I've now been told my premiums
could jump to between $450 and $600 a month.
That will not be sustainable short term or long term.
The premium tax credit has made it affordable for those of
us who need health insurance but can't go out to the general
market.
I have to have health insurance--
He said--
but [there's] really no way I can afford what is about to
happen.
Rusty is not asking for anything extraordinary. He is asking to keep
what is already working for him: the ability to afford care while he
works hard and contributes to his community.
Robin, who is 60 years old, lives in Northern Arizona and is trying
to save for retirement. She said--and this is a quote from Robin:
These subsidies have been crucial in making health
insurance affordable. I am struggling to pay for my living
expenses as is.
My work has not been enough to provide me with a full-time
salary, and although I do have some other form of income, it
is still not enough for me to live on should my healthcare
subsidy disappear.
I feel like many of us, middle class Americans--
This is Robin--
who are caught up in a trap of helplessness because we do not
qualify for other benefits, and yet we do not make enough in
order to sustain a healthy quality of life, considering how
everything that we need to live on has increased in price.
The expiration of these subsidies could lead to significant
increases in healthcare costs and potentially make it
difficult to maintain coverage.
Now, Robin doesn't qualify for Medicaid, but she does work hard. She
just wants to be able to afford health insurance until she reaches
Medicare eligibility. And Robin said she is not looking for a handout;
she is looking for a hand up.
Cricket, who is 63, is a realtor from Phoenix. She is self-employed
and not yet eligible for Medicare. So for the past 8 years, she has
relied on the Affordable Care Act for her health coverage. And if the
tax credits go away, her coverage will become unaffordable. She told
me--this is a quote from Cricket:
Without it, I would have faced bankruptcy.
If premiums rise or these subsidies go away, I could lose
my home and everything I've worked for.
Health care shouldn't be a privilege, it's a right.
Daylene--this next story should remind all of us of what is at stake
in this fight. Daylene, from Casa Grande, was diagnosed with congestive
heart failure 20 years ago, when she turned 40. Doctors told her that
she might live 1 or 2 years. She said, because of these credits, she
has been able to afford her insurance and medication that literally
keeps her heart beating. She wrote to us:
My monthly cardiac drug costs alone would be over $2,000
without my insurance from ACA.
She continued to tell me that these credits gave her more than
healthcare. It gave her freedom to leave an abusive marriage because,
before that, she relied on her husband to afford her healthcare.
That is what this is about. When people can't afford healthcare, they
stay in situations they shouldn't stay in just to keep their coverage:
a job they don't want; a city they do not want to live in, maybe
farther from family; and, in the worst case, an abusive relationship--
because they need affordable coverage.
Survival, dignity, and freedom--that is what we are talking about
here when we talk about affordable health insurance and care.
In Arizona, people like Rusty and Cricket and Daylene and Robin, they
do not have lobbyists. What they have is faith that when they write
their Senator, someone will listen. I am not just listening, I am
fighting for them and thousands more across my State who are in the
same exact position.
These are hard-working people. They are doing everything right. They
are not asking for special treatment. They are small business owners
who have to purchase their own plans. They are older Americans who
aren't yet eligible for Medicare and folks who live in rural Arizona
and don't get healthcare through an employer.
There are hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of these people
across the country. They are asking for all of us here in this body to
work as hard for them as they do for their families. And what makes
this so frustrating is how simple the solution is. We can vote today to
extend these tax credits and reopen the government. But so far, Donald
Trump and my Republican colleagues would rather use people's healthcare
as leverage than sit down and work with us to protect it.
Arizonans are counting on us to do what is right, not for political
points but for people's lives. That is our job, and I am here ready to
work on this with my Democrat and Republican colleagues across the
aisle in this Chamber and in the House of Representatives and in the
White House. So let's get this done.
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I yield the floor.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Alabama.
Islamic Extremists
Mr. TUBERVILLE. Mr. President, I come to the floor today to talk
about one of the greatest threats facing our country today: Islamic
extremism.
You know, 24 years ago, September 11, 2001, nearly 3,000 innocent
Americans were murdered in a coordinated terroristic attack carried out
by radical Islamic extremists. Those of us who lived through that day
remember exactly where we were when those planes hit the buildings.
That day changed this country forever.
We were smacked in the face with the reality that there are people
who are so hell-bent on destroying America that they will kill
themselves just to try to harm us. That is reality. It sends shivers
down your spine, but it is true, and it happened.
In the aftermath of 9/11, we created the Department of Homeland
Security. Basically, we went to war. We spent the following two decades
unsuccessfully attempting to westernize the Middle Eastern countries
most responsible for this attack. We strengthened surveillance and gave
up personal freedoms in the hope of preventing another large-scale
attack.
But 20 years later, we have to ask: Have we made any progress at all
in rooting the evil of radical Islam out of this country? Have we done
it?
Let's be honest. Radical Islamic terrorism didn't go away after 2001.
In 2009, 13 people were killed in a mass shooting at Fort Hood by an
Army psychiatrist who was radicalized by Islamic teachings.
In 2013, three were killed and hundreds injured when two brothers
detonated bombs at the finish line of the Boston Marathon. They were
inspired by their radical Islamic beliefs.
Then, in 2015, an ISIS-inspired couple killed 14 people and injured
22 at a party in Southern California.
In 2016, Omar Mateen killed 49 people and injured 53 more at a
nightclub in Orlando, FL. Mateen pledged allegiance to ISIS during this
attack.
It continued in 2019, when a Saudi military trainee opened fire at
the Pensacola Naval Air Station, killing three Americans, including one
young man from my home State of Alabama.
Earlier this year in Louisiana, a deranged person drove a truck into
a crowd on Bourbon Street in New Orleans, killing 14 people. To no
one's surprise, he said he was ``inspired'' by the Islamic State.
These attacks, they weren't just against people, they were an all-out
assault on Western culture, freedom, and the values that we hold dear
to our heart. But it doesn't stop there.
Thanks to Joe Biden, thousands of people on the suspected Terror
Watchlist were allowed to enter this country over the past 4 years.
Islamic extremism and Sharia Law openly call for the destruction of
America and Western culture.
Let's be clear about this: The thousands of terrorists we have
allowed to enter our country have brought their anti-American rhetoric
and ideology with them. We are seeing this in cities like Minneapolis,
Dearborn, Portland, Chicago, and even New York City.
You know, the leading candidate for mayor of New York City is a far-
left socialist who sympathizes with extremist groups like Hamas.
But this insanity sadly isn't limited to New York. We have elected
Members of Congress who openly support the radical Islamic terrorist
organization Hamas.
Just yesterday, we paused to remember the more than 1,200 innocent
people, including 40 Americans--40 Americans--who were slaughtered by
Hamas terrorists in Israel on October 7, 2023.
Hamas literally means ``Islamic Resistance Movement.'' It has been 2
years, and two U.S. Congresswomen, Omar and Tlaib, they still refuse to
condemn these heinous crimes in Israel. These two Members were elected
to represent American citizens, and they are sympathizing with Islamic
terrorists instead. It is almost hard to believe, but it is true. And
they don't hide it.
You know, we are allowing people with extremist ideologies, people
who hate American values, to not only live here but to hold positions
of power and influence in our government. It is un-American, and it is
an insult to the millions of Americans who have sacrificed their lives
for this country and its freedom.
You know, if you think this poisonous ideology won't affect your way
of life, just look at Europe. The United Kingdom, once a proud nation
that helped save the world from Nazi tyranny, has essentially lost its
identity. It is gone.
Mass migration has destroyed their society. There is no freedom of
speech; crime is through the roof; and openly Anti-Semitic, pro-Hamas
riots have become a regular occurrence. This is in Europe; this is the
UK.
The UK Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, recently appointed a person with
extreme pro-Palestinian views as Home Secretary. In the UK, the Home
Secretary is in charge of protecting national security, ensuring law
and order, and overseeing immigration. What a surprise.
So the person who is in charge of immigration and national security
is openly a pro-terrorist. If we aren't careful, the United States will
look like Europe in 10 years or less. It is coming.
We can't bury our heads in the sand about this any longer. The Quran
openly calls for violence against non-Muslims--openly. Radical
Islamists take these instructions literally and use them to justify
terror.
It is not politically correct to say this, but it is the damn truth,
something you won't hear from the deranged leftists who run cover for
Islamic extremism is about the inhumane and disgusting ways that they
treat women.
In Muslim countries that follow Sharia law, it is considered normal
for women to be raped, trafficked, and forced to marry as young as the
age of 6. Pedophilia is rampant, and women are lucky if they are
allowed to drive.
I am old enough to remember when Democrats championed the #MeToo
movement, which was self-described as a ``global, survivor-led movement
to end sexual violence.''
But these same Democrats who championed the #MeToo movement have been
radio silent when it comes to the way women are regularly treated in
countries that practice radical Islam. I have yet to hear my Democrat
colleagues who are siding with Hamas talk about the brutal ways Hamas
has abused the women they have held hostage since October 7, nor have I
heard Democrats who claim to be feminists talk about the fact that some
Muslim countries that practice Sharia law require women to be
completely covered from head to toe.
These women, they are not allowed to get an education, work a job,
or, in some cases, even leave home. They are barred from gyms, parks,
and beauty salons. They are forbidden from traveling without a male
relative and forced to wear certain covering that covers everything but
their eyes.
But meanwhile, the men in these countries are allowed to abuse women,
have sex with children, or have multiple wives--no problem. Everyone,
but especially feminist groups, should be outraged about this horrible
abuse of women, but that doesn't fit the left's narrative. So you won't
hear a peep from liberal so-called feminists about the disgusting
treatment of women in radical Islamic countries.
You also won't hear from Democrats about how radical Islamic
terrorists are currently carrying out a mass genocide of Christians in
Nigeria. Think about this, more than 62,000 Christians have been
slaughtered since 2000 by radical Islamic terrorists in Nigeria. You
heard that right, 62,000.
In just this year alone, more than 7,000 Nigerian Christians have
been murdered because of their faith alone.
You can't turn on the TV without hearing about Israel's so-called
mass genocide of Palestinians--every day. Yet, when it comes to 62,000
Christians being slaughtered by radical Muslims, it is radio silence.
This extreme ideology is straight from the pit of Hell, and it has no
place in American society.
We are blessed that freedom of worship is a constitutionally
guaranteed right in this country. That is what our forefathers fought
for. If you want to come here legally, practice a peaceful version of
Islam, and blend into our society life by adopting the treasured values
of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, you are welcome to do
so.
But if you believe that Sharia law supersedes American law, you
should be
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deported immediately. If we don't take a stand now, our way of life,
our Christian values, our freedoms, and our national identity will
disappear. There is only room for one law in this country, and that is
the Constitution of the United States of America. Sharia law is anti-
American and has no place in a free society.
Texas has already taken action to ban Sharia law, and I commend it.
Other States should follow. We must protect American values, not
apologize for them. I truly believe we are at a crossroads in this
country.
For too long, people have tiptoed around this issue, afraid to hurt
somebody's feelings or make people uncomfortable. But the time for
being politically correct is over. The truth is that radical Islamic
extremists want every single freedom-loving American dead--bottom line.
They have proven over and over again that they are willing to do
whatever it takes to kill just one American citizen, whatever it takes.
It doesn't just happen overseas. It has been allowed to fester and is
alive and well in our very own country, just waiting for the right
opportunity to attack. It is coming.
Just yesterday, thousands of extremists gathered in New York to
champion radical Islam; it is scary. So the question is, Will we
continue down this path and end up like Europe or will we honor the
sacrifices made by the millions of Americans who have given their lives
for our freedoms by standing up against people like the radical Islam?
Now is the time to act because if we don't, we will lose this country
as we know it. It will be gone. This isn't about a Republican or
Democrat issue; it is an American issue.
I hope my Democrat colleagues will join me in sending a loud, clear
message that we will not tolerate Sharia law in this country--not now,
not ever.
I yield the floor.
The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Banks). The Senator from Alaska.
____________________