[Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 105 (Tuesday, June 23, 2026)]
[Senate]
[Page S3028]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      WORKING FAMILIES TAX CUT ACT

  Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, I spoke on the floor yesterday about the 
landmark bill Republicans passed last year, the Working Families Tax 
Cut bill, and I talked about how this bill fits into Republicans' 
efforts to turn things around in our country, turn things around by 
putting more money in Americans' pockets, helping small businesses 
grow, strengthening the agriculture sector, and giving a lifeline to 
rural healthcare.
  Any one of those things alone would have been a significant 
achievement, but the Working Families Tax Cut addressed all of them, 
all of them and more, much more, and this morning I want to talk about 
how this bill helps to make America more secure.
  That, too, is, unfortunately, a turnaround story. And I say 
``unfortunately'' because the previous administration allowed our 
Nation's security to fall into a sorry state. Images of the chaos at 
the southern border during the Biden administration come to mind, so 
does the state of our military readiness.
  In recent years, our military readiness has not been where it needs 
to be to deter and counter threats. We had ships in need of 
maintenance, planes that can't fly. Meanwhile, China was investing in 
key military technologies. Yet the Biden administration showed little 
interest in making the type of investment needed to get our military 
back to where it needed to be.
  And so when Republicans took control last year, we didn't waste any 
time. As part of the Working Families Tax Cut, Republicans made a 
generational investment in America's military. It was a major 
investment to help get our readiness to where it needs to be quickly.
  It invested in shipbuilding, missile defense, defense manufacturing 
capacity, critical munitions, drones and counter-drone technology, an 
expanded Air Force fighter fleet, nuclear modernization, U.S. 
infrastructure in the Pacific and more.
  And alongside robust funding in the annual defense bill, these 
investments will help restore America's military strength and make our 
adversaries think twice before crossing us.
  As I mentioned, we also needed to address border security. When 
President Trump took office, he wasted no time implementing policies 
that restored order at America's southern border and put criminal 
illegal immigrants living in our country on notice, and we saw the 
results.
  Illegal crossings dropped precipitously. Border agents weren't being 
stretched so thin anymore and could spend more time stopping cartels 
and other criminals. That is how things should be at the border, and 
Republicans are making sure that it stays that way.
  As part of the Working Families Tax Cut, we made a generational 
investment in border security. We provided the resources necessary to 
finish the border wall and deploy additional barriers and technology to 
secure the border. There was funding to support the hiring of new 
agents and to bring on more immigration judges to address the massive 
backlog in immigration cases, and those resources are making a 
difference.
  Thanks to President Trump and the Working Families Tax Cut, as of the 
end of last month, apprehensions at the southern border are more than 
90 percent lower than they were under the Biden administration. Border 
Patrol is seeing a few hundred border crossings on a typical day 
compared to as many as 10,000 in a single day, at times, under 
President Biden, and not a single illegal immigrant has been released 
from the border in more than a year.
  The American people support border security, and keeping America safe 
should be something that cuts across party lines. Unfortunately, our 
Democratic colleagues have repeatedly demonstrated zero interest in 
border security, and they consistently reaffirm their belief in open 
borders.
  First, there was their complicit silence as the Biden administration 
opened our borders to a flood of illegal immigrants. Then, every 
Democrat opposed our border security measures in the Working Families 
Tax Cut. And then this year--this year--Democrats took their radical 
open border beliefs to a new level and tried to defund Border Patrol 
and ICE.
  That is right. Democrats not only opposed giving these Agencies 
adequate resources to do their jobs, they opposed giving them any 
resources.
  Fortunately, Democrats' radical proposal did not carry the day, and 
Republicans were, once again, able to fund border security and 
immigration enforcement, unfortunately, without Democrats' assistance.
  The security of our country is one of our greatest responsibilities. 
Without it, nothing else matters. It is a responsibility that 
Republicans are taking seriously. The Working Families Tax Cut is a big 
step toward a more secure America. It invests in safer streets with 
funding for State and local law enforcement, safer skies by supporting 
air traffic control modernization, a secure border, and a strong 
military.
  We all watch the news and can see that the world is a dangerous 
place. There will always be bad actors and other dangers threatening 
the safety and security of the American people, but Republicans are 
working to ensure there are individuals standing ready to protect us 
and that they have everything they need to keep America safe.
  A stronger America is a safer America, and that is what Republicans 
are delivering.
  I yield the floor.
  I suggest the absence of a quorum.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
  The senior assistant bill clerk proceeded to call the roll.
  Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for 
the quorum call be rescinded.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The Democratic whip.

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