[Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 102 (Wednesday, June 17, 2026)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2879-S2880]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                              S. RES. 616

  Mr. MORENO. Mr. President, I want to urge my colleagues, at 4:30 
today, to vote strongly in objection to S. Res. 616.
  This resolution, introduced by our Democrat colleagues, is a relic of 
a failed past approach to Central America, one that imposes a leftist 
ideology and a purity test and ties our hands, while cartels flood our 
streets with poison and chaos spills across our borders in the 
hemisphere. It demands a report dredging up old allegations against a 
former Honduran President, Juan Orlando Hernandez, focusing on events 
from his administration.
  The irony is striking. Many of these activities and challenges 
occurred during the Obama administration, when Democrats were asleep at 
the wheel in the Western Hemisphere. They allowed narcotrafficking to 
flourish and created the Western Hemisphere's worst migration crisis, 
without decisive action.
  This resolution also fails to mention the radical, leftwing Castro 
administration, which ravaged Honduras with policies that exacerbated 
migration and opened the doors to China.
  Yet this resolution remains completely silent on the Biden 
administration's foreign policy failures and the open borders agenda 
that poured fuel on that fire.
  Honduras suffered under the Biden and Castro era, but now it has 
absolutely turned a page. Under President Tito Asfura, who I had the 
chance to go visit in person a little less than 2 weeks ago, it is a 
new day in a bilateral relationship. He is aligned with the ``America 
First'' priorities. He is a key partner in the Shield of the Americas 
and the Counter Cartel Coalition.
  Honduras is working with us on intelligence sharing, going after the 
cartels, extraditions, and securing the hemisphere from Chinese and 
criminal influence.
  President Asfura is hyperfocused on fixing what Castro and Biden 
broke and restoring stability and prosperity for the Honduran people.
  This resolution singles out past issues under a previous government, 
while the current administration in Honduras and our own administration 
are focused on results: dismantling trafficking networks, ending the 
migration crisis, and building long-term prosperity.
  As a side note, as you just heard from the Senator from Virginia, 
this actually has nothing to do with human rights. This has to do with 
clickbait speeches that are all intended to embarrass the President 
about a pardon.
  Of course, it is ironic, given that President Biden pardoned tens of 
thousands of serious criminals.
  But, back to Honduras, this resolution risks undermining the very 
security assistance and cooperation we need to keep Americans and 
Hondurans safe.
  Section 502B is a tool, but in the hands of those who prioritize 
bureaucratic processes over results, it becomes a bludgeon against 
effective policy.
  President Trump's approach? Security coordination, economic 
incentives for partners fighting cartels, and putting the stability and 
prosperity of the Western Hemisphere first.
  It is delivering results: zero illegal border encounters this last 
12-month period.
  We are seeing deportations of criminals, revived extradition efforts, 
and a coalition that is actually confronting the cartels instead of 
studying the cartels.
  Colleagues, the American people are tired of hollow and ideological 
resolutions that achieve nothing but clickbait headlines. They want 
secure borders, safe communities, and a foreign policy that puts our 
hemisphere's stability ahead of nonsense reports.
  Objecting to this resolution isn't ignoring human rights. It is 
refusing to let the past paralyze the future.
  Let's come together. Let's support our Western Hemisphere allies, 
like President Tito Asfura.
  I urge my colleagues to reject S. Res. 616.
  Let's focus on advancing the Shield of the Americas, supporting 
vetted partners, and delivering real results against the drug cartels 
that threaten us.
  I will say one last thing. The Senator from Virginia has evidently 
another

[[Page S2880]]

resolution on Honduras that is intended to slow the process down of 
passing actually meaningful legislation here in the U.S. Senate. Let's 
take that one up, too, now because if not, what you just heard me say 
you are going to have to hear again for a second time. This is not why 
people elected us.
  I think that when the Presiding Officer travels to Missouri, people 
ask him: What are you doing? What are you doing to make the country 
better?
  Debating what happened a decade ago isn't making the country better. 
We should be talking about how to make our economy stronger, how to 
make our communities safer, and how to make our communities more 
secure. We should be talking about ensuring--ensuring--that we complete 
our duty and fund our government, not posturing months ahead of time to 
defund our government again.
  Again, colleagues, let's get this done. Let's deal with this 
resolution swiftly, quickly, and vote no.
  I yield the floor.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Nevada.

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