in chiron. that is a level, that is not a normal military act. bombing three? the - impact, the consequences f that. right now they are damage. they could be years kid is the groundwater affected. the impact of this, not just iran, but leaking into the world , thatt could be catastrophic. you do not do that. a code in the treaties. some things that are off limits in the u.s. military, i tell you , so disappointed. come on. i just do not understand, are there no m limits now see what e code that honors the military for the u.s. military.

>> what should be the u.s. goal right now in the wake of these attacks. >> i think that the u.s. goal right now is that the u.s., we really need some soul-searching back you can finish watching this on our website. we will leave it here to take you lifted the u.s. capital where the senate is dabbling in. considering the nomination of daniel zimmerman to the assistants defense secretary for international security affairs. we will take you live now to the senate floor. the president pro tempore: the senate will come to order. the chaplain, dr. black, will lead the senate in prayer. the chaplain: let us pray.

god most high, your faith fullness endures through all generations. hear our prayer. you desire truth and justice and you are true to your promises. you promised your children in isaiah 54:17 that no weapon formed against them will prosper. lord, let your presence be felt today on capitol hill. hope the hearts of our lawmakers to your guidance as you empower them to serve with faithfulness. dwell in them and those who support their work. making them fruitful for the glory of your name. may they hear your call to rise

and follow where you lead as you inspire them to be obedient to your perfect will. give them patience with those who oppose them, and may they trust in your perfect love which never fails. we pray in your mighty name. amen. the president pro tempore: will you please join me in the pledge. i pledge allegiance to the flag of the united states of america, and to the republic for which it stands, one nation under god, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

the presiding officer: under the previous order, the leadership time is reserved. under the previous order, the senate will be in a period of morning business with senators permitted to speak therein for up to ten minutes each. the senator from iowa. mr. grassley: recently we witnessed china peddling false claims as it continues to try and convince the united states that china is a good partner. so china has recently claimed this. quote, the chinese always honor and deliver what has been promised. end of quote.

what china asserted is nonsense. nobody ought to believe that the promises made are honored. so i want to give you one example. inner country adoptions. during covid-19 pandemic, china, they say temporarily, restricted travel into the country which stalled hundreds of families from completing their a -- their adoptions. today the families i mentioned continue to be separated from their adoptive child in china or are learning that the child they have been matched with for many years has been rematched with a different family in china. in this latter case, it's a case

for the robinson family of iowa. does that sound like china always honors and delivers what it promises? i think not. in september of last year, i wrote the chinese ambassador to the united states outlining my concerns about china's trepidation of its inner-country adoption program and urged china to not go back on its promises about -- but instead allow for matched adoptions to finally be completed. that has not happened. now, as a positive development, that chinese families have a stronger will and capacity to adopt orphans within their own country. children having a safe and loving home is always a good

thing. but my point of contention is that china left american families in the dark and didn't engage in good faith. american families were not given the same opportunity as families from other countries to be united with their children. real commitments were made, and they were dismissed. this brought disruption to families and needlessly left children orphaned. again, i suggest china doesn't honor its commitments, and i pray that the hearts of chinese leaders experience a transformation. i suggest the absence of a quorum. the presiding officer: the clerk will call the roll. quorum call:

the clerk: ms. alsobrooks.

mr. thune: madam president. the presiding officer: the majority leader. mr. thune: i ask unanimous consent that the quorum call be suspended. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. thune: madam president, before i begin my remarks this afternoon, i want to speak briefly about iran. for decades the regime in iran and its terrorist porxies have sought to sow chaos throughout the middle east. they threaten death to america and to wipe israel off the map.

all the time, the mullah's have a nuclear enrichment. iran can never be allowed to have a nuclear weapon. this has been the position of president trump and members of this body for years. since his reelection, president trump made clear that a peaceful resolution was possible if iran gave up its nuclear ambitions. iran's leaders refused. as a result on saturday the president ordered precise and limited sites to go after iran's nuclear program consistent with this national security imperative. i'm grateful for the professionalism of all of our servicemembers in carrying out this important mission. a few hours ago, iran launched an attack against servicemembers in qatar and iraq. president trump is clear he is not afraid to hold iran

responsible for any retaliation. it would risk going down a dangerous road with these attacks. i'm glad that the official reports indicate that no americans were killed in these strikes. if iran is considering any further attacks against u.s. forces or interests, it should think long and hard about the consequences. madam president, i look forward to hearing from the administration during tomorrow's all-senators briefing. madam president, we are getting closer to passing a bill that will help make america stronger and more prosperous. a bill that will ensure that working families can keep more of their hard-earned money, that will help small businesses grow and keep jobs, strengthen america's farms and ranches, rebuild our military, secure our border and of course unleash american energy. madam president, this bill is great news for our entire

country. for americans from everyplace and walk of life. but today i want to talk about how this bill will help make my home state of south dakota stronger and more prosperous. that starts with making tax relief permanent. in 2016, republican-led tax cuts and jobs act meant lower tax bills for south dakota, it doubled the child tax credit. but those tax policies are set to expire, madam president, this year if congress doesn't act, which would mean an average south dakotan would see a $2,500 tax hike next year. our bill will extend the tax cuts and jobs act lower -- tax rates. it will extend the doubled tax

credit. but not just extend them, madam president, make.they permanent so that no hardworking american has to worry about a looming tax hike down the road. i said we are going to make the $22,000 -- $2,000 tax credit further, and we will increase it by another $200. under republicans' bill the child tax credit will be $2,200 per child. we are delivering on campaign promises that will provide more relief for working americans. seniors will be able to reduce their taxes further with a $6,000 boost to their standard deduction, police officers, firefighters and hourly workers won't have to pay tax on overtime pay. waitresses and busboys will

benefit by not paying taxes on tips, and they -- they can use for their education to buy their first home, to start a business, in short, to get a running start on their american dream. madam president, i could go on, but the bottom line is this -- a bigger bottom line for hardworking americans for the long term. more money in their paychecks, more opportunity, and a brighter future ahead. madam president, the 2017 tax reform helped grow our economy by lifting the tax burden on businesses. small businesses, farms, and ranches all benefited by lower tax rates and incentives. tax reform freed up cash that they could invest in operations and workers. south dakota saw those benefits

on main street and on the farms and ranches that are the lifeblood of our state. now republicans are poised to make many of those reforms permanent. that includes full expensing for new equipment and domestic research development. it includes the raising the death tax exemption to 15 million and linking it to infl inflation, meaning countless family farms, ranches, and small businesses will be spared the threat of this fundamentally flawed tax and the headaches that come with trying to plan for it. speaking of farms and ranches, madam president, in addition to providing farmers and ranchers with tax relief, our bill updates the farm safety net to address some of the challenges ficheers and ranchers have been facing. it increases reference prices for every covered commodity and makes these prices more responsive to market conditions in coming years.

it increasing crop insurance coverage and affordabilities, including for farmers just starting out. supports livestock producers by making existing programs more responsive to drought and funding prevention of animal diseases that can devastate livestock. it invests in critical conservation programs, including those that support south dakota's wild bird populations. it supports a bright future for agriculture by funding grants for research at agriculture research institutions and promoting trade for commodities in foreign markets. madam president, america's farmers and ranchers have faced serious challenges in recent years, some of the toughest, in fact, in recent memory. i'm proud we are addressing their needs in this bill. i can assure america's ag producers that their priorities will continue to be a priority here in washington.

madam president, there's a lot more i could say about this bill and how it will help south dakota and our country. by before i close, i want to focus on how it makes america more secure. makes a down payment on strengthening our military by investing in the equipment our men and women need to keep america safe amid today's threats, and tomorrow's. that includes expediting production of the new b-21 long-range strategic bomber, the future backbone of the air force's bomber fleet. in the coming years, the b-21's will operate from several locations, includes ellsworth air force base testimony is emblematic of the types of investments this bill makes in our military futures. this bill makes significant investments in our border security, including finishing the border wall. last but not least, it unleashes american energy. it reverses course from the biden administration's hostility

to responsible, conventional energy production. and it will help guarantee a secure, stable, and affordable energy supply for american families and businesses and for our national security. madam president, a safer, stronger, and more prosperous america is within reach. we've made a lot of progress on this bill, and it's almost time to vote. i'm looking forward to finishing our work and getting these policies in place for the benefit of south dakota and of our entire country. madam president, i yield the floor, and i suggest the absence of a quorum. the presiding officer: the clerk will call the roll. quorum call:

>> good afternoon, everyone. the trump administration continues to unleash chaos and

corruption from the american people. donald trump and the mega republicans have been a complete and total failure. domestically and internationally donald trump promised that on day one of his presidency, he would and the war in ukraine. he promised on day one of his presidency he would free the hostages in the middle east. donald trump, set on day one of his presidency, cost would go down in the united states of america. none of it has happened. instead, cost in the united states of america are not going down. donald trump and extreme backup republicans are pressing the economy and real time and

driving us towards a possible recession. donald trump and house republicans have not done a single thing to lower the high cost of living in the united states of america. not a single thing. instead, republicans are trying to jam this one big ugly bail down the throats of the american people. representing the largest cut of medicaid in american history. it is an all-out assault on the healthcare of the american people. children, families, people with disabilities, seniors, veterans will all be heard. premium co-pays and deductibles will go up for tens of millions of americans. nursing homes will step out. community-based health clinics will be unable to operate.

more than 16 or more million people in america will lose seller healthcare people in this country. people will die. that is what republican governance has brought to the united states of america. they will also cut nutritional assistance from the american people. children and seniors and older americans will literally have food ripped away from them. it is all out assault on the assistants. it is being done by republicans so that they can provide their

billionaire donors with massive tax breaks that they do not need and do not deserve. the one big ugly republican bill will hurt americans. at the same time, donald trump and his actions, which do not appear to be consistent with the united states constitution, takes unilateral offense of military action without seeking the approval of the united states congress. the use of military force which is offensive must be approved by the house and the senate. that is according to the constitution. it is not optional, donald. it is not.

the framers of the constitution gave power to declare war for a reason so the american people through their elected representatives will have the opportunity to debate the issue. and make some decisions. as it relates to what is in the best interest in the national security of the american people. donald trump and the administration chose to ignore. they will have to come before congress and explain their justification. for an offensive military strike against iran. yes, we can never allow iran to become a nuclear power. of course, israel has the right to defend itself and we will support israel's security. in an ironclad manner.

but the trump administration intentionally decided to ignore the aggressive diplomacy that was available to try to address the nuclear threat and ignore the requirements of the constitution and now they've got to explain why. we expect that justification. not just as a classified grouping behind closed doors tomorrow be dispensed with. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. schumer: madam president, earlier today, we received reports that iran has targeted u.s. military bases and u.s. servicemembers in the middle east, putting their lives -- putting the lives of thousands of americans at immediate risk. i join americans -- i pray for their safety. this afternoon, i asked the trump administration to immediately provide a classified briefing, laying out the full threat picture, the intelligence behind iran's retaliation, and

the detailed scope and timeline of any u.s. response. more importantly, i've demanded they lay out exactly what measures they're taking, right now, to keep our servicemembers safe. as i said saturday night, congress and the american people are owed answers. no president should be allowed to unilaterally march this nation into war with erratic threats, no strategy, no explanation. that's why i've called on leader thune to hold a vote immediately to enforce the war powers resolution. the law requires the trump administration to consult with congress, the constitution demands it, and the american people, especially the families of those in harm's way, deserve nothing less. confronting the iranian regime's nuclear ambitions and stopping their campaign of terror demands

strength, resolve, and strategic clarity. on reconciliation, we've arrived at a pivotal week in the united states senate, a week where senate republicans have to make a choice, either stand up for your constituents, stand up to defend medicaid, stand up to protect millions of good-paying jobs, or stand with donald trump and his billionaire friends. that's the fundamental choice republicans face with their so-called big, beautiful bill. before the week is out, we expect republicans will bring their bill to the floor for debate. that means very soon the senate is going to have a long night of vote-a-rama. when vote-a-rama begins, democrats will be ready. we will pick the republicans bill apart. we will put republicans on record. we'll force republicans to explain in multiple ways, again and again and again, why they want to cut taxes for the rich

at the expense of working people. even now, many senate republicans know their own bill is poison. one reason is that their bill will decimate rural hospitals, even more than the house bill would, as bad as that was. it will do it by curtailing the provider tax many states use to funds medicaid. they know it's terrible. it sounds like senate republicans are trying to sweeten this bitter deal by adding a rural hospital fund in hopes of easing the worries of some members among their rank. but make no mistake about it, and the rural hospitals and the american hospital association know it, this won't work. whatever funding republicans would offer in a rural hospital fund would easily be overwhelmed by cuts the states would still face, by the difficulty rural hospitals would still be in.

a rural hospital fund would be like putting a band-aid over an amputation. again, it is not going to work. now, even before we get to vote-a-rama, democrats have already successfully pushed back against some of the nastiest provisions in the republican bill. this work is certainly not done. it will continue to be an ongoing process, but democrats will continue to use every tool available in the senate to fight back against the republican bill. today, i want to mention one important example. yesterday, i announced senate democrats successfully challenged a provision republicans tried to sneak into their bill that would have stripped federal judges of their ability to enforce their own rulings. now, we all know federal judges have ruled against the trump administration in the vast majority of cases that are currently in court. many of the administration's most harmful executive orders

have been temporarily halted through preliminary injunctions, restraining orders, and other emergency rulings by the courts. so, what did senate republicans try to do? they tried to write a work-around into their reconciliation bill. by preventing judges from even being able to -- from being able to even issue preliminary injunctions or restraining orders unless plaintiffs paid for the bond up front. it goes even further than what the house republicans tried to do. it meant if the courts want to put a stop to donald trump's freezing of funds or stop doge from rummaging through people's private data or any number of abuses, there are so many, they would have to pay up before the court could issue a court order. that's not justice, my republican friends. that's pay to play. it's antithetical to our checks and balances.

once again the wealth -- they'll be able to afford the bonds but middle class people, poor people, many groups will not. i'm pleased, very pleased that we democrats have successfully pushed back against this lawless provision. now, to be sure not every decision has gone our way. but we will keep fighting until the last possible moment to strip the worst parts of the big ugly bill that have flown under the radar. none of this has been easy to do. and i want to thank all the ranking members, their staffs involved in this long technical process. my staff has done a great job. i al absolute them. so has senator merkley, the ranking member. i thank them for their continued good work. let me close, madam president, by looking forward for a moment. the debate that will take place here on the floor in the coming days will be one of the very

most consequential the senate has seen in years. at stake is the health care of tens of millions of americans. at stake over two million jobs in red states and blue states alike which could throw our country into a recession there are so many job cuts, all for tax cuts for the wealthy. but today i want to leave my republican colleagues with this. it will also if they proceed -- if they proceed with their big, ugly bill, they are push our nation's debt to a point of no return. if senate republicans try to make donald trump's tax cuts permanent, as they're trying to do, they will add tens of trillions of to the national debt -- trillions to the national debt in the coming decade. not a few trillion. tens of trillions in the coming decades. senate republicans know this. so what do they do? they try to use a budgetary

gimmick called current policy baseline to pretend as if these trump cuts, taxes won't cost anything. this has never been done before in this way, but they're sort of desperate. look, republicans can use whatever budgetary gimmicks they want to try to make the math work on paper, but you can't paper over the real life economic consequences of adding tens of trillions to the debt. they're adding the money to the debt, that's for sure. they just try to do as a paper trick so that it doesn't look like it, but it does. and interest rates will go sky-high no matter what parliamentary gimmick they use to use. higher borrowing costs for all americans, for cars, for homes, for credit cards. americans are going to feel these higher costs because interest rates will go up because they're making the debt so deep and americans are going to feel this everywhere they

look. american household wealth will permanently be hobbled. our economy will fail to reach its full potential. that is what will happen if republicans proceed. again, there aren't enough budgetary gimmicks in the world to change that fact. and for what? for what? why are republicans doing all of this? so billionaires can pay less in taxes. while tens of millions lose their health care benefits and pay more for everyday expenses. i urge the republicans not to move forward. it's abundantly clear the bill is deeply flawed. and if they do, senate democrats will continue to expose the republicans' bill for the debt busting mess that it truly is. i yield the floor. the presiding officer: the senator from south carolina. a senator: thank you. mr. graham: i'd like to be recognized and make some comments about the conflict

we're watching unfold on our television between iran, israel, and now the united states. someone asked me what is this talk all about? i think a good title would be is what is this all about? to the american people, what is this all about? let me tell you what it's all about. it's all about religion. a fanatical strain of sheism is now in charge of iran and they have three gills. to purify islam and about 80% of islam is sunni. saudi arabia is the center of that part of the religion. to purify islam in the image of the ayatollah, to destroy the jewish state, drive us out of the middle east because we're infidels. it's not a democracy. it's a theocracy.

if you have any time on your hands, go on the internet and check out the theological bases of this regime. you would understand why israel has to get this right as well as we do. but it was not always that way. iran is not inherently a radical group of people. a radical place. as a matter of fact, it is a very cultured place. used to be one of the real pearls of the mideast. so before 1979, iran shared intelligence, had economic ties to military cooperation with israel and the united states. this is 1950. the founder of the first -- the first president of israel is talking to an iranian diplomat in jerusalem. iran had a very vibrant jewish population. it's not always been this way. what happened?

they had a revolution. in 1979 to 1981, there's uprising in iran that led to the installing of the ayatollah as the leader of iran, the first ayatollah humane any and now we're on the second one khamenei. what is this all about? these are students pouring over the u.s. embassy. our embassy personnel, 50 american host annuals were held for -- hostages were held for 144 days by these nut jobs. they were subjected to intense physical and psychological torture throughout their captivity such as mock executions, beatings, solitary confinement, and very bad living conditions. so, this is what they did when they took over. they came after us, held our people hostage, and treated us

very brutally. in 1984, the united states made iran a state sponsor of terrorism under u.s. law because of the way the iranian regime under the ayatollah was conducting himself. they were wreaking havoc throughout the region and doing things against israel and the united states that justified their designation in 1984 as a state sponsor of terrorism. and that has not changed. now, why are they a state sponsor of terrorists? because they're terrorists and they supporter irses. hezbollah -- support terrorists. hezbollah, $700 million we project was given to iran by hezbollah. it's almost their entire budget. they're a terrorist group mainly in lebion of the thee yit -- lebanon of the shiite branch of the tree.

hamas who conducted the october 7 attack against israel, israel projects that 93% of hamas's military budget came from iran. and we have the houthis. all of their missiles and rockets came from iran. we've got shiite groups in iraq funded by iran. why are they a state sponsor of terrorism? because they sponsor terrorism all over the world and they did it with petro dollars from the iran nuclear deal and other sources of revenue, which was a really bad idea. and that's why trump pulled out. here's the reporting over the period here. hamas-iran alliance, captured documents expose decades-long terror funding. so when israel began to liberate gaza from hamas and drive out hamas terrorists, they found a treasure trove of documents

showing the history between hamas, hezbollah, and iran, institute cases stuffed with cash. u.s. flow of funds to yemen to help the houthis. what else have they done other than funding terrorist groups? they threatened to kill american officials. president trump, brian hook, general mcxen decide. robert o'brien. mike pompeo, farmer secretary of defense mark esper. all of these people involved in the soleimani attack. why did we go after soleimani? because he was the leader of the more radical elements of their military that had been targeting americans and was planning to attack our forces in iraq and trump took him out. 1983, beirut barracks bombing. hezbollah supported by iran.

khobar towers bombing in saudi arabia. terrorist group supported by iran. that's why they're terrorists. they have been coming after our interests. they've attacked our shipping in the red sea, the houthis have and they couldn't fire one missile without iranian support because that's where all the rockets come from. some cast of characters here. the recent new president was sworn in in iran. during the swearing in of the iranian president, the crowd started chanting death to america, death to america. during the swearing in of the new president not long ago. july 30, 2024. not quite a year ago. so people wonder when they're up to. let me tell you what they're up to. they're up to enacting a religious agenda that has no

place for anybody but them. if you're a christian, they want to destroy your faith. if you're jewish, they want to wipe you off the planet. if you're a muslim and don't agree with them which most don't, they want to take over the entire faith and make you bend a knee to their view. these people are religious fanatics. what is this all about? religion. do you want any of these people to have a nuclear weapon? i don't. they're religious nazis. now, what -- are there any telltale signs that may tell us when they're up to? do you really have to be sherlock holmes to figure this out? this is missile in iran in hebrew. it says death to israel. this is the missile. they took a photo of in he bring that said -- in hebrew that said death to israel. what do they want to do with the missile? if you're confused about this regime, you should not be

allowed to drive because you're a danger to yourself and others. if you think this is not a conflict, you've missed a lot. you've been like asleep at the switch since 1979. you don't know anything about these people. you're talking gibberish. if you don't think this is our concern, look what they've done. they've attacked americans. they have american blood on their hands. they're trying t a nuclear bomb. and we're the targets. how do i know that? because that's what they say. last july they were chanting death to america while they were swearing in the president. we don't do that here. why? because we're not crazy. these people are crazy. the iranian people are not but the people ruling the place are fanatical religious nazis. and if you don't think it's our concern, you really have missed a lot. you need to study before you talk. if that's not enough, the missile that says death to israel -- let's see.

when was this. 2015. amid nuke talks, ayatollah says death to america. this is during the negotiations. that obama had. in 2022, they had 95 pounds of highly enriched uranium. at 60%. is there a commercial purpose for uranium enriched at 60%? no. in 2025, three years later, they are have 900 pounds of this stuff. so clearly, they're not stopping their enrichment program. they're accelerating it and they're enriching it at a level that has no commercial purpose. they actually have one reactor in iran. the fuel for that reactor comes from russia. they haven't taken one gram of their enrichment program to run the peaceful reactor they claim they want. and to run a reactor, you need to enrich between three and a

half -- #.5% and 5%, not 60. weapons grade -- 60 to 90 is like walking a i cross the street. if you can't figure out what they've been up to again, you should not be allowed to drive. they're trying to build nuclear weapons, they're making material consistent with a bomb, not a peaceful nuclear power plant. they chant death to america. they chant death to israel. they kill their own people. they're the largest sponsor of terrorism on the planet. they've been that way since 1979. wonder what they want to do. the ayatollah's nuclear ambitions have been spread and said for decades now. i take him serious. hitler wrote a book. nobody believed he wanted to kill all the jews. they should have.

hitler wrote a book about a master race. people should have taken him seriously. they wrote it off as just talk. they excused hitler's provocative behavior saying he's just saying these things. well, we know that didn't work out too well. last month was the 80th anniversary of the end of world war ii, the nazi regime. one of the centerpiece of the nazi regime was to kill the jewish people. they put the jewish people in concentration camps, gas chambers, and they tried to extinguish an entire race of people, killing 6 million. just years ago the jewish people got back to the numbers before the war. 80 years later we're having a discussion about what should we do as civilized people regarding iran? i tell you what we should do. we should do something different than we did with hitler.

because if we do the same ol'd thing, there goes israel and eventually us. so their -- their enrichment program is designed to make bombs. they intend to use these bombs because they're religious fanatics. does anybody doubt if adolf hitler had a bomb he would have used it? if you doubt the ayatollah would not use a bomb against the state of israel, you don't understand his religion. what drove hitler? a sick, twisted, distorted view of the master race. these people want a master religion, not a master race. they want to dominate the world religiously. that's what they're all about. they export terrorism in the name of religion.

they support groups that want to take down secular regimes. they want a master religion like the nazis wanted a master race. and let me tell you what our friends in israel are saying. hell no. once is enough. so what should israel do? here's what israel should do. they should fight back. to the american people, what would our country do if there was one missile shot into south carolina or alabama from a foreign power that killed our citizens in everybody in south carolina or lee myung-bak would be wanting to end the terror and go after the people who did it, and it would be the entire nation. why should we expect israel to tolerate what we wouldn't tolerate? there's been over a thousand

missiles shot into israel. since their founding, people have been trying to kill them all. hamas, hezbollah, the houthis have one anyoning in common? the they're funded by the iranians. it's about i will killing the jews and eventually us and dominating the world religiously. if you think that's weird, then you need to get on the internet and listen to what they're doing. er you need to watch their behavior and they mean what they say and don't be like the people of the 1930's that got it wrong. israel is not going to get it wrong the second time. donald trump -- god bless president donald j. trump. i am so glad he won. what is he trying to do? make peace, not war. he gave the ayatollah 60 days to find a peaceful settlement regarding their enrichment program. they could have nuclear power,

but they can't enrich. there are 20 nations that are nuclear power that get the fuel from their reactors outside their country. we would have done that for iran. they were tapping him along. 61 days go by and the rest is history. they're not interested in peace. they're interested in fulfilling a religious agenda that has no place for us or the stave of israel. hitler didn't want peace. there was not a part of a country you could give him to stop him from enacting his sick and twisted agenda. he didn't want german-speaking populations. he wanted the entire world to speak german a he wanted the entire world to full under his nazi regime. he was nuts. and it took a bunch of people from all over the world -- particularly america -- to destroy the third reich and about 60 million people died because we got it wrong in the

1930's. six million jews. we're not going to let that happen again, as long as i'm around, the presiding officer, president trump, and the people of israel. we're not going to let that happen. we're going to stick with israel because sticking with them is helping us. they're fighting the people that want to kill us as much as they want to kill all the jews. their fight, in my view, is our fight. operation midnight hammer, after day 60 all the negotiations went nowhere because the iranians didn't want them to go anywhere. president trump acted. and it was brilliant. it was bold. and it will live in history. to all those who took part in this, god bless you. we have the finest military on earth. we proved that yet again. but you can have the best military if you don't have the -- we have the strongest commander in chief married up

with the strongest military in hoefrment we're not look to invade iran. we're look to make sure the fanatics who run iran can't destroy us and our friends in israel. and president trump did something about t he sent b-2's to guam. what's that all about? well, they missed the other b-2's that went to guam. to everybody involved, well done. i spent 30-something years in the air force. i've never been more proud. fly, fight, win. now, what next? they shot missiles at our air base in qatar, the iranians did, today -- about 16 or 19. one may have gotten through. i think they called us. but just remember what i said. they shot missiles at us today. they shot missiles at israel last night.

the strikes a couple of days ago were designed to shut down the enrichment facilities used to make this weapons-grade uranium. i think we were substantially successful. i have never been more proud of president trump and our military, and i think we set back their nuclear program substantially. but here's what we didn't do. we didn't change their desire for a nuclear weapon. we changed the capability to make one. here's my goal, is to have people in charge of iran who don't want a nuclear weapon to destroy israel, who will not be the largest state sponsor of terrorism but live in peace and have a good relationship with the united states. if you don't want that, there's something wrong with you. how do you get that? two ways.

the religious fanatics reject their agenda. they change their behavior. maybe that'll happen. i don't know. or you change the people and you replace the religious fanatics with people in iran who do not want to destroy the world, who do not want to create a master religion, who want to live in peace. and i think that's the vast majority of the iranians. if we get this right, stick with israel, stand up to this bully, this religious fanatical regime, let israel do what they need to do, then i think peace is coming. the presiding officer and myself went to saudi arabia and israel to talk about saudi arabia recognizing the jewish state under certain conditions. before the attack of october 7, we were very close to expanding the abraham accords to include a deal between saudi arabia and israel that basically would end

the arab-israeli conflict, an amazing moment in history. october 7 comes along. a vicious, brutal attack on israel which hamas which is fully funded by iran, raping women, killing children in front of the parents and doing things we don't need to be talking about on the floor. that was designed to stop reconciliation between saudi arabia and israel because for the iranian fanatical regime the worst nightmare is for the arab world to make peace with israel and move toward the light. these people want darkness for the world. so what do we do now? israel has had it. i've talked to the prime minister yesterday before i went on television, and i asked him, what would you like me to tell america, bibi? he said, three things -- we're profoundly grateful to the

american people for what you do to help the jewish state. we couldn't be here without you. we're profoundly grateful to president trump for his strong leadership. he also wanted me to urge the people of iran to seize the moment, to end the nightmare you've been living. and the third thing he wanted me to tell the american people is israel is not going to live this way anymore. they're not going to raise their children in bomb shelters. they're not going to have their life interrupted daily by ballistic missiles coming from religious nazis who want to kill all the jews like hitler. they're not going to put up with that. regime change is coming to iran, one of two ways. the regime renounces what they've been doing since 1979 and change course or it's replaced. to expect israel to do anything

else is offensive to me. you're asking israel to accept normal being attacked every day and every night by over 500 ballistic missiles. over 24 israeli citizens have been quilled. the attacks by the israelis are designed to shut down the regime's nuclear capability. but the targets are changing. they're now going after the police force that keeps the ayatollah in power. the intelligence services that scare people into submission. the prisons that house dissidented. israel has made a fateful decision to go to the heart this regime, to take these religious nazis down one way or the other. reject naziism in the form of religion or get new people. and i am with them.

i'm with them to the bitter end. i'm with them because being with them is in your own interest if you're an american. being with them is in your own interest if you believe in religious tolerance. being with israel means you reject the regime that would take a 16-year-old girl off a bus and beat her to death because she didn't have a head cover. this is evil we're fighting. these are -- it's as evil as the nazis. 80 years later we're having a debate about what the jewish people should do to a group that wants to kill them all? really? we're debating among ourselves what is too much? against a regime trying to build dozens of nuclear weapons to blow people off the planet they don't like or agree with? what kind of world are we living in? to all those who want to hold

israel back, what would you do if it were our country? would you hold us back? if you tried to, we'd run you over. we're not going to live this way as americans. so what is this all about? i'm going end to where i began. it's about a fanatical regime that took over the country by force, that started out imprisoning americans, been trying to build nuclear bombs, multiple nuclear bombs, has been the largest state sponsor of terrorism since 1984, has american blood on its hands, has attacked israel over and over and over again, has suppressed its own people. it's about a religious agenda. why do they do what they do? religious fanatical beliefs, a

master religion for the world. and if you don't believe that, you have missed a lot. that's what they want, and the only way they're not going to get there is for somebody to stop them. what did hitler want? to take over the entire world. and create a master race. anybody that didn't fit his definition of the right kind of person was in prison or killed. the ayatollah and his hench men have that same view, but it's religiously driven. so what happens in the next few days is going to determine the course of history for the state of israel and the region for decades to come. to our friends in israel, finish the job. do what you have to do to bring about the regime change that will allow your children to sleep through the night. to the american people, wake up.

understand what we're fighting. the ayatollah is not normal. these are not normal people. stand with israel. standing with israel, you're standing by your -- you're helping your own self, you're helping your own families. i'll make a prediction. israel is going to win, and this regime is going to fall. this regime is going to fall of its own weight. the people in iran are going to have a chance as the regime gets weakened, to rise up and take back their own lives. i don't know when that day is coming, but it's coming soon. i believe that. i believe the day of reckoning is here for the religious nazis running iran, that their terrorism is coming to an end and it's going to be replaced by a region that moves together, where sunnis and shias and israelis and all different groups, christians, work

together to l build economies. we live in a time of choosing. i choose to stand up to evil. thank you, madam president. i yield the floor. the presiding officer: the clerk will call the roll. quorum call: the clerk: ms. alsobrooks. mr. graham: madam president. the presiding officer: the senator from south carolina. mr. graham: i ask unanimous consent to waive the mandatory quorum call with respect to the zimmerman nomination. the presiding officer: the senate is in a quorum call. mr. graham: yes. to waive it, please. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. graham: i ask unanimous consent to waive the mandatory

quorum call with respect to the zimmerman nomination. the presiding officer: without objection. the clerk will report the motion to invoke cloture. the clerk: cloture motion, we, the undersigned senators, in accordance with the provisions of rule 22 of the standing rules of the senate do hereby move to bring to a close debate on the nomination of daniel zimmerman of north carolina to be an assistant secretary of defense, signed by 17 senators. the presid under the previous order, the question has been waived. the question is is it the sense of the senate that debate on the nomination of daniel zimmerman of north carolina to be assistant secretary of defense shall be brought to a close. the yeas and nays are mandatory under the rule. the clerk will call the roll. vote: the clerk: ms. alsobrooks. ms. baldwin. mr. banks. mr. barrasso. mr. bennet. mrs. blackburn. mr. blumenthal.

ms. blunt rochester. mr. booker. mr. boozman. mrs. britt.

the clerk: mr. budd. ms. cantwell. mrs. capito. mr. cassidy. ms. collins. mr. coons. mr. cornyn. ms. cortez masto. mr. cotton. mr. cramer. mr. crapo. mr. cruz. mr. curtis. mr. daines. ms. duckworth. mr. durbin. ms. ernst. mr. fetterman. mrs. fischer. mr. gallego. mrs. gillibrand.

mr. graham. mr. grassley. mr. hagerty. ms. hassan. mr. hawley. mr. heinrich. mr. hickenlooper. ms. hirono. ms. hirono. recess. will begin recognized. our witness in the 26 the budget. the lyrics.

the senate that have their and that gathers the best and brightest to discuss ways are nation contact will be opioid addiction crisis. at this year's summit received encouraging news from the cdc that overdose deaths by nearly 30%. unfortunately, we still lost 80 pounds and 24 and recent data suggests the congress coming to

an end. more work to be done to curb opioid addiction including the precursor chemicals manufacturing labs in mexico through our nation's children and the top of their priority list. it will not be counting on you address the dangerous. fentanyl and immigration and violent crime supporting local law enforcement department of

justice needs to of rule of law and people just. for efficiency and effectiveness. the budget request totals under 34 billingti dollars and about 1 billion to target violent crime that transnational.

the operations. for many families discuss neighbors reminding kentucky. for violent crime and our minds we have seen much progress, free

from crime and abuse. the 26th budget and we go from there. there are important decisions ahead of us and your priorities so we can make the best decisions. the director for any remarks.

>> tens of thousands of public service department of justice historically worked hard and work hard and uphold the rule of law and our country. a must the opportunity to express strong concern about the current administration and lack of respect the law. outright breaking the law to legally withhold billions of dollars in funding congress appropriated recently to terminated plants deviously awarded through open processes.

in the justice department has begun restoring the right. and mask united states more numerous and deadly. more than 1600 individuals involved in the january 6 attack of the capital granted and the president appointing defense the most violent of these individuals.

and for other times. likely and violation of. this president issued a series of illegal, unconstitutional executive orders, several of which are being challenged in court right now. highly rated investigations against law firms and individuals. and we can enforcement and prosecute corruption by government officials.

and for the 22 invasion of ukraine to enforce and target and ended the fbi's foreign influence task force and furthermore dozens of federal prosecutors and litigators since the start of this administration including the highly effective leader northfield office. i'm concerned about what happened department of justice based on budget request. the proposed budget weakens the country's effort to fight crime. fbi. minnesota aided in the capture

and a representative and nearly killing another. functional and other dangerous drugs reducing the budget cutting the high intensity areas by more than a third and eliminating funding for the drug enforcement task force program. the administration is a cut 5% atf which will further weaken the ability to fight illegal trafficking in the budget proposal for the pressure on state and local budgets at a time of great economic the policy. proposal cuts by more than $800 million funding grants to local and state and law enforcement for fighting and reducing time including a cut of $37 million

in the formula grant to help local law. at the same time reporting hate crimes are at historic highs and the administration budget was emanating elation of his rated by the civil rights act of 1964 to prevent and result. the don't demonstrate a commitment to the rule of law equal rights for all americans. you, mr. chairman and i yield back you are not recognized.

>> thank you, mr. chairman, and thank you for holding this budget hearing and linking to our witness for appearing before the subcommittee today and welcome to the house of representatives. a well-functioning well-funded, well lit department of justice is the safety and security of the american people the department of justice dedicated settings miles off the street but the department of justice has become a tool political retaliation.

pressure from the white house investigate the president's opponents from the department of foundation on which nation stands and that is the rule of law. attorney general shield the little fall from political pressure. not act as an instrument for implementing presidents hitless. not the president's personal law firm. loyalty or disloyalty or even the president's agenda is not a valid measure of the for appropriate together criminal

investigation president trump is focus on revenge, retaliation for everyday essentials and the american people are bearing the cost. he put billionaires like elon musk in charge and they are attached civil service not loyal to him, but the constitution will and they are stealing funding america's communities. deliberately undermining,

frozen, stolen from the community counting their own law enforcement and hate crimes and provide services support underserved. it makes american people less safe what have become victims crime. it is illegal and vomit, there is no local authority. continue to say there is authority over and over but it's not true and are going to correct the over and over and over again.

how many times can the court and government accountability office tell you, the department is responsible for upholding the law? money appropriated by congress in violation of the law and eager to learn how the department of justice will continue to fill its mission our law enforcement agency. the president's proposed budget defund core law enforcement agencies that keep our community safe. his the bureau of alcohol to

come back on violence organized crime and civil rights enforcement national security. department's mental which would only make it to avoid prosecution for pay with a zero the office of general. this is administration want to eliminate, fraud and abuse

critical nonpartisan for american people to eliminate and prevent fraud and corruption should this administration undermined and remove over a dozen ways, fraud and abuse are not for the target of the trumps white house, they are the primary objective. it puts white-collar criminals while it's pretty the department of justice to uphold the law american people deserve everyone to the treated equally. the administration makes the law. american follows the law the law

and we must understand why your department is lawbreaking from highest office. >> i want to say congratulations. we are proud of you and you are recognized for an opening statement you, chairman rogers. members of the subcommittee i'm

honored to appear before you today for fiscal year's budget department of justice and look forward to working with all of you to ensure critical missions. president trump fiscal year 2026 budget proposal total 34 billion department of justice. turn the department american safe.

operation and executed the largest and history across the state. investigate thousands committed against an alaskan native people. we led the charge for the immigration law immigration system with four years to pay off secure our nation's border. law enforcement at all levels to

investigate increasing the criminal system. the security task force enhancing law enforcement cooperation to destroy criminal cartel and transnational criminal organization throughout our country. human trafficking in the network while our border was wide open. the bureau suffered lack of funding and low morale throughout my confirmation every

single meeting. enhance top retention and deliver positive changes for long needed improvement. made available for the proposal, the war on fentanyl. january of 2025 already the one.1 million fentanyl pills and 4470 of fentanyl. it's great but is not enough. we will not rest until it's all off our streets. the 2026 budget the department and reduce to deliver to the

american taxpayers. work and overlapping areas and law enforcement we will emerge from this work better equipped the american people safe. determine roger, it is my pleasure to highlight our efforts .... ... mrs. gillibrand, no. mr. schatz, no. i also would ask all of us to pray for our troops. >> amen. quick to look for to working

with you and i am now happy to take any questions you might have. >> we will proceed under the five minute rule. i will yield myself for the first five minutes. as you know madame attorney general, rural america, many parts of the country including my district continue to suffer from the lethal effects of illicit drug use and overdose events. how is your 26 budget address crimes such as trafficking and the influx? what are you doing differently than in the past? >> chairman, but we are doing is focusing all of our law enforcement agencies on getting these drugs off of our streets. since i was a state ag i focus

on the opioid crisis i focused with all of our agencies word hand in hand on the drug crisis securing our border i believe was the first step. we will continue to do that. on may 22, i believe, charmingly announced the success of operation rapture the fbi led d.o.j. operation that targeted fentanyl trafficking on the dark web. that can become a huge problem with added technology now, we have seen drug trafficking increased not only across our borders, not only did the mail, but also on the web. that is something i believe we can all work together on. i believe that crosses party lines. that something we all need to work together on. we received 144 kills a fentanyl, 180 firearms over

$200 million in currency and digital assets working with nine international partners and arresting 270 drug traffickers across four continents. that's all because of operation rapture. on may 6 we executed the biggest fentanyl boston dea's history. we dismantled a cartel that trafficked across five states new mexico, arizona, utah, oregon, and nevada. we seized 412 kilos of fentanyl pills 11.5 kilos a fentanyl power and 49 illegal firearms we arrested 16 accused drug traffickers. these cartels, these gangs are so organized they insulate their

leader. the leader of this particular cartel was living yet none of the drugs are with him. this was incredible by oliver agencies working hand in hand to track them down. i met in conference rooms. we had charts. i would invite any of you members on both sides of the aisle to come in and see these investigations of what we are trying to do to get these drugs off our streets. they are so complex. they are so complicated. what our law enforcement has been doing is really second to none and i'm so proud. there are some of the bravest in the world and i'm so proud of what they have been doing, working with our state and local partners to eradicate these drugs. my point to that organ was a leader of this particular gang.

and again he insulate himself. but we were able to catch him thanks to great police work and we will continue to do that. >> congratulations for. >> thank you for thank you for the invitation we hope we can take you up on that. during this hearing before a test fbi director patel indicated a lot of precursor chemicals that originated in china are now going to terrorist organizations. that reroute the precursors into our country through the northern border. what can you say about that? procurement that is accurate i've been citing this a fentanyl sins of the state ag in it first came on the market. ironically i was recently at poland with my counterparts

around the world and i will never forget so that they said to me. my counterpart in poland said fentanyl is not here yet, yet. because they protect the borders that northern border is now great concern to all of us. i would think to everyone on this committee. beth is a great concern but we will continue to do that. we are fighting to protect those precursors from coming in. what they keep doing as they are changing the precursors and they continue to change them. they continue to send them through mexico, through canada on ships to our port of entry that is something we all have to work together on to stop. i went to rda lab and met with our dea. that takes almost two grains of salt i had them put sodium chloride and a little bottle so i could show people.

that is what it takes to kill you that's what our kids are taking. they don't realize it's a mixed living thing taking xanax or adderall or they think they're buying something else in this junk is being a waste with this poison into these pills throughout our country. i feel that something we could all work together to try to stop it. there was a very long answers to yes it's coming toward northern part but we are doing everything we can to secure that. we are work with homeland security very closely and they're doing incredible job of that as well. >> madame attorney general at which ask about a topic that's great importance to many americans and especially my constituents about hate crimes. i'm really troubled your budget proposals to end the programs

that may help prevent some these hate crimes. as you may know i was the author of one of these programs seek community-based approaches to advance a justice program which was created in fiscal year 2022. this program supported local groups working to increase hate crime reporting, give community members resources and languages other than english. when to improve relationships between local law enforcement and the community. i was a direct response to the rise in hate crimes targeting targeting asian-americans in the cove would pandemic. you might remember in 2010 went six women of asian descent were tragically murdered in atlanta, georgia hate crimes act passed through congress in may of that your bipartisan support including from several of my colleagues on the other side of the dais. for years they've been here for my constituents how scared they felt and have been hearing for members of the community as well

as experts who told me one the best ways to combat hate in this program is prevention programs not just prosecution but prevention. i have a letter hear from hate crime survivors and family members wrote you in may expressed in their strongest concerns about the termination of these grants. signed by people like family members of jamesburg junior, matthew shepard and survivors of the pittsburgh sin synagogue shooting i asking them's consent to enter into the hearing record this letter from the survivors and attorney members to for the grant related program. >> thank you at chairman. attorney general bondi i absolute show your support for

our law enforcement and prosecution of hate crimes and adjust way. we must combat all forms of hate on all fronts bring together law enforcement and community leaders and members of the public. these grant programs that help many communities do exactly this. i went to ask and hear from you why there is a proposal to eliminate the three largest sources of d.o.j. funding for hate crime prevention programs? >> ranking member can you list those three for me again. i'm sorry i've not received your letter yet. but i would welcome working with you and any issues regarding hate crimes in the asian-american community in any community. i woke up working with you on them. that topic. >> i would love too. this letter was sent may 15 i will make sure you and your team have received it. the program, one of them for

example is named based approaches to community justice three programs have been cut. one of these programs literally help support our law enforcement department locally like our nypd to train and respond to hate crimes. >> we have 1500 grants, chairman ranking member excuse me, that come through my office. 365 have been cut so far that is approximately 6%. what i will tell you is we have turned back on 13 of those of our because people have reached out to me. i'm going to reach out and talk to me directly i'll give you my cell phone i would love to sit down with you and see if we can work that out i'm sorry i'm not familiar with those three directly. ife you haven't either side of the aisle any grants you believe

should be back on, i would love to meet with you and work with you on that. we are doing that on a case-by-case basis. going to pl country into trillions of dollars of new debt. now, what is this all for? is it to improve our schools and roads? is it to make housing and child care more affordable? is it because we're in the middle of a crisis that just has to be paid for? or we're going to pay down the national debt? no, it's none of those things. it's because they want to cut taxes for the richest people to ever exist. if that means you can't see your doctor or you have to pay hundreds of dollars more every month to pay for your health care, tough luck. now, here's the thing, republicans actually know what they are walking into, because people in their own states are

telling them what's about to happen. quote, we can't sustain serving our community the way we are with these cuts, one hospital leader in kansas said. a health executive in texas wrote, cutting billions of dollars from medicaid would have widespread and devastating consequences for texans. beyond the obvious impacts to people enrolled in the program, the collateral damage to the program will be felt across the board. hospitals will do everything they can to weather the storm, but some may not survive. others will have to increase their reliance on state or local support or reduce services, access to care will decrease, especially for high-cost service lines like maternal health care and behavioral health. jobs will be lost. the impacts on communities which rely on hospitals for employment and growth will be profound. a utah father who credited

medicaid with saving his own son's life, said, without medicaid, these lifesaving treatments would have been financially impossible. there is absolutely no way we would have covered the costs on our own, and in this way our story is not unique. so many families insured by medicaid could have to make difficult life-altering decisions if congress slashes funding. a former republican elected official in georgia warned, quote, cuts to medicaid are not only fiscally irresponsible, but they could threaten the livelihoods of our fellow georgians and the economic opportunities that consistently make our great state a top state for business. so, the stakes are clear. it's people's health. it's people's hard-earned money. it is people's lives. whether you're in a red or blue state, you will absolutely feel the weight of this terrible

piece of legislation. more than a quarter of nursing homes may close. hundreds of rural hospitals will shutter. and for what? to pay down the debt? because we're a nation at war? because we want to invest in infrastructure or schools or health care? no. the reason they are making these cuts to food assistance, the reason they are making these cuts to rural hospitals, the reason they are making these cuts so that people have to pay several hundred dollars more per month for their own health care is to create enough revenue for the biggest tax cut, the biggest wealth transfer from working people to wealthy people in the history of the united states of america. even if you're not on medicaid yourself, you likely know someone who is, a friend, a neighbor, a relative, a coworker. more than that, kicking tons of

people in your community off health care will drive up costs for everybody else and mike high quality care hard to find. you're going to pay more for less care. all for the biggest tax cut in american history for the people who need it the least. and i have no problem with the people who need it the least, but the truth is they need it the least. if you are financially successful and you make $4 million a year, god bless. it's the american dream. it does not mean you need a tax cut and it does not mean you need a tax cut paid for by reducing services, especially in rural communities. now, the good news is this. we actually don't have to do this. there is no rush to do this. there is no clamoring among constituents in red or blue states to do this. this is an add-on. what they wanted to do is extend the original trump tax cuts.

now, i opposed those tax cut, but i can understand republicans as sort of an article of faith want to extend the tax cuts that their president enacted two terms ago. fair enough. good, solid, old fashion policy disagreements. but then they just larded it up with stuff. giveaways to special interests. and cuts and cuts and cuts to things that people care about, left, right, and center. so we don't actually have to do it this way. you're going to pay more for less care all so that billionaires just have a little more money sitting in their accounts. it's going to require four republicans saying enough is enough. and i've heard a number of my republican colleagues talk about how essential medicaid is to their rural communities. and it's not just the people who are on medicaid. obviously those are the people you've got to be primarily concerned with. but a lot of us go home and

visit both urban and rural hospitals, and they all say the same thing, which is that if you blow out like 30% of your revenue, you can't function as an institution. so it's not just a question of whether you personally are on medicaid or you personally care about medicaid. it's about does your rural hospital even survive after this bill is enacted. nobody wants this. and there is still time to kill this bill. i yield the floor. a senator: mr. president. the presiding officer: the senator from vermont mr. welch: there is time to kill this bill and i hope we do.

mr. welch: what's happening in this bill is the infliction of bipartisan suffering. whether it's in the state of vermont or the state of west virginia or the state of tennessee, folks who are depending on medicaid are going to lose it. let me just give a couple of examples. when i was in the house, my good friend david mckenly, republican, vfted me to west -- invited me to west virginia. and we went to the harrison coal mine. and i was very deeply moved because the only people i know who work as hard as coal miners are dairy farmers. so we have a lot in common. hardworking folks in vermont. hardworking folks in west virginia. but what this bill is going to do is threaten the access to health care that those west virginia folks need just like

those folks in vermont need. just like those folks in tennessee need. it is not about whether you're a republican or democrat. it's not about whether you're from a red or blue state. it's actually about real people who work in coal mines, who work on dairy farms, who work in factories. seniors who need the help of nursing homes. two out of three nursing home beds are paid for by medicaid. parents and disabled children so depend on health care, especially through medicaid. and that's true in west virginia. it's true in nebraska. it's true in tennessee. it's -- just as it is in vermont. let me just give a few numbers. in vermont, 32,000 people, 32,000 people are going to lose health care if this bill is

passed. in west virginia, 76,000 people will lose their health care coverage. in tennessee, it's going to be 290,000 people who are going to lose their health care. it's not just those individuals who are going to lose health care. this budget reconciliation bill, the big, beautiful bill. the big, bad betrayal. there's real consequences to this that are going to be devastating to rural america. and we have a lot in common in vermont with so many other parts of rural america like west virginia and like tennessee, rural hospitals will close. and people will be forced to travel for their care so far that they oftentimes won't be able to get it. and the sad reality, you take

away people's health care, they're going to get sick and stay sick. you take away people's health care, and people are -- people are going to die. you know, the american hospital association showed that this bill will likely close 338 hospitals in rural communities across the entire country. in your state and in mine. in vermont, the fear is three out of 14 hospitals are at risk of closure with the passage of this bill. in west virginia, seven hospitals are at the risk of closure. and in tennessee, nine hospitals will be immediately at the risk of closure. you know what happens, too -- it's like we don't even debate this. we don't even discuss it. when this reality is about to strike a hammer blow to folks in rural america.

if people lose their health care, it doesn't mean they don't need health care. it just means they can't pay for health care. so folks in vermont who were depending on medicaid are going to show up at our rural hospitals. our hospitals are under a legal requirement to provide care. by the way, they would provide care even without a legal requirement because that's what we do in rural america. we hope folks who need help. but those hospitals already on a thin margin are not going to be able to afford it, and that's what threatens to have them go out of business. and then we know the spiral.

this bill in vermont is going to result in over $200 million -- pardon me -- in uncompensated care in the next ten years. in west virginia, it's $1.4 billion. in tennessee it's over $3.5 billion. these rural hospitals, they provide critical care to people in need. we've got to protect the people first. we take away their hospitals, they have no protection. we've got to protect the struggles that communities in rural america have to keep a strong community sense against the enormous pressures that they face. there's a cruelty in this bill. there's an irresponsibility in the senate if we don't acknowledge explicitly what the impact of this bill will be on

the people we represent -- pardon me -- on the hospitals that are dependent on us and on the future of community strength in all of our rural communities. let's kill this bill. mr. president, i yield back.

the presiding officer: the senator from vermont. a senator: i would note the absence of a quorum. the presiding officer: the clerk will call the roll. quorum call: the clerk: ms. alsobrooks.

our seizure of firearms that 33% from last year. plan to add that thank you. >> thank you. is going to ask you about the merger of dea and the atf and if you would elaborate on that party talked a little bit about

it already. one thing that i think is very important is the atf and federal farm licensees work together. what comes to illegal purchases and the information that's out there. we can help each other. the songs we have a good relationship with each other. during the last administration was a terrifying relationship. i mean you had zero tolerance against federal farm's licenses we are all human everybody makes mistakes, okay? they are not intentional they are just mistakes. when you use your livelihood and lose your business your employees can lose their job over simple mistakes, that's a real problem. especially when if you think about federal farms licensees they are the path to the second amendment of the constitution. they enable individual participation in the protection of liberty. that's what federal farm licensees do it's really

important to have that critical relationship between atf and the licensees. when the inspectors when atf went from the treasury to the department of justice and the inspection side of it when industry operations inspectors may begin industry operations investigators come to investigate crimes you inspect records. that was concerning to me. my thought was maybe we could move to the department of commerce but will get your thought on that. >> congressman comp that's the first tape i have heard about that i would love to meet with you and learn more about that. thank you for is about the atf dea merger. the world in which we live has been around for a very long time. just because things have been done one away for decades and decades does not mean it's the

most efficient way to do them in the future i am a career prosecutor. i went to atf memorial service. we are doing to do everything we can to put the atf agents on the street where they want to be. anyone in modern day history, the years of prohibition are over atf wants to be on the street working hand in hand with dea trade that is what they do no redundancy, no a repeat of investigation. they are going to be working together and that is what this reorganization does. they are all going to be it's going to be a great marriage between those two agencies. they are working hand in hand already now that we will be working under one umbrella it's going to be great for our country for. >> and give her much i yield back. >> thank you, mr. chairman. i wanted to follow up on what congressman gonzales raised with

you with respect to the new environment that we are in since we are essentially at war with iran. a few weeks ago your fbi director sat in the same chair and said that he thought in the budget that has been proposed about 11-point to billion dollars shorts you wanted an additional 1100 positions that were lost to attrition and 1300 he wanted to have failed. that is before the scenario with iran. now, i know you submitted the budget already and you want to stick with it but please take another look. this is a new environment the points the congressman made are very invalid with sleeper cells and threats domestically here. taking fbi agents off the street now there is not a worse possible time you could do it. so please reconsider that and move in a different direction on

that because we need more of them on the street not fewer. was raising issues with respect to your budget. the agents are going to be cut too. they concern i have on that front i note they say they want to be on the streets but atf on the street for example is critical like you used to be a lot of them do not have the resources to track it down. and the information they can get they can turn it around in 48 hours paid the man who attempted attempted to assassinate now president trump the connection made was through this apparatus, this approach. that's an area you cannot afford to have that kind of cuts at

this time. the performance of fewer regulatory inspections, and gundealers in my district who needed those inspections to take place. important findings have been made and certainly respect to tracking crime in tracking down on gun dealers who are working illicitly but i'm not saying they all do. many of them operate in the right way. the only way to track down mr. inspections that have two be-by the way even earned that previous regime for every 10 years or so. that some folks in the corner of the hearing room from our district. the mothers like me, women's missionary society. i met with him a few weeks ago. the concern was issue of gun violence on our streets on the

desire to make sure the federal presence continues to make hard to make sure he closed those cases and reducing resources you are reducing the number of asians as mr. patel said. that is moving in the opposite direction. what response would you give to them with the response of the steps you are taking to make sure nutley we stay safe but we get even safer into even more to get violent offenders off the street and get the guns off the street before the violent offenders get them? >> first, congressman your former prosecutor i'm smiling because i can see that in some of your questions. thank you for those questions. you asked about the fbi, our budget and director patel clarified that in front of the senate our budget includes $10.1 billion, 12926 agents for the fbi >> clarification will be

gentle it's a complete flip flop on what you said when he was here he was asked just to make sure he was right just as right and is testify for the realignment of personnel to the field to carry out national security, which you just talked about intelligence criminal law enforcement promote justice missions. can i keep, i only have 34 seconds. i really went to answer this paragraph questions request you are asking three questions. you haven't allow me too answer one. >> quick question when you were the attorney general in florida, can i answer the question? >> after the parkland shooting. i believe this is my time under the rules. [inaudible] can we stop the clock? >> let's be respectful. >> mr. chairman, mr. chairman

what i just said was if you could submit your answers in writing, that would be great but i do not think i'd make any kind of statement has been accusatory with respect to her or her professional reputation. there's been no attack on her. these are questions that were asked and i am seeking the answers in writing. which will be great but i have a couple others i would like to ask. general time is expired but no it hasn't you cut me off when there's 30 seconds left. that's true to a couple of you all went over a minute and a half. [inaudible] i would just like my 30 seconds back. and then she could submit answers in writing, that will be fine. but i want to get these questions in while she is here. >> go-ahead precooked snow. >> on to ask the question she can submit this is it my five

minutes i get to do with the way i want to do it under the committee rules and of the house rules these are my five minutes. and as i said i've not been disrespectful to this witness i have not. [inaudible] okay, when you are the attorney general in florida, after the parkland shooting my understanding is you moved to ban and gun sales to people under 21. is that a position you would take now is the attorney general question have a bill hr 2368 which does something like that. i was wondering if you be you'de willing to support that bill. you moved to enact red flag laws allowing a judge should temporarily confiscate weapons when he or she viewed the person was at risk of hurting himself or someone else. it's at a position you would

continue to support now? and the last wood as a ghost guns. i don't think you took a position on it back when you're the ag in florida. but we have had two bills come through here in congress. all democratic cosponsors for there is no argument ghost guns have any appropriate use on the street they'll help criminals avoid prosecution would you support legislative and ban on ghost guns? and with that he yelled back. >> think you chairman rogers, ranking member for having this hearing today out also that like to thank the subcommittee staff and their hard work. attorney general body thank you for being here today. i commend you for your efforts to prioritize president trump's america verse agenda and commitment to make america safe again. as you know i represent alabama the fifth congressional district which includes huntsville and redstone. i'm support fbi director patel's

plan for the continued movement of fbi personnel to north alabama. my district has repeatedly answered the call to support our law enforcement agencies with asecond to none workforce cutting-edge facilities and room for growth. attorney general body do you support the fbi's plan to move additional personnel and programs and out of the beltway? >> thank you, congressman, for your question. yes, we are moving 500 additional personnel from d.c. to alabama to redstone. redstone is a state of an art facility. it will enhance everything we do. training for fdi, trading for other employees. and huntsville provides the most cost-effective location with a distinct partnership opportunities. we support all that that is happening. could i have a couple minutes to answer a couple of the

congressman's questions? >> what gentleman yields because he asked me about he did not want to hear in my answer. the both sick enforcement network. i'm very aware of that we are not cutting that it's receiving $66 million it is an important program. i know he would not add potential he and mislead anyone by saying i'm not i'm cutting that i'm not i am a career prosecutor i've used that i'm sure he has used that as a prosecutor it's an important program that provides critical support to 7200 state and local partners we work with it is a key element to combat violent crime. and firearms. so i'm huge supporter and we will continue to do that. you asked me too talk to moms i will always speak to moms in my

office and in any environment and yes i was at the parkland should i still talk to and meet with all of those families both democrats and republicans alike. i will continue to do that as a career prosecutor. speaking's of moms i'm sure you met with patty moral. patti moran. she is the mom of a murdered woman in your district. i'm sure you met with her. i'm sure he met with tammy noble, kayla hamilton, that was her daughter who got murdered. so yes, i am a willing to myth in the mom from of the aisle and thank you, congressman, for letting me have time to cook for the judgment yield? as i want to move my questions appeared in my district we have the fbi, dhs working together to address phonic incidents and use of explosives for the fbi has

terrorist explosive device analytical center, affectionately known as tdec. atf national center for explosives training and research at the u.s. bombing data center are all located at redstone arsenal praise you mention atf national center for explosives training, research is a world-class facility located at redstone for the center provides remarkable training facilities and specializes and life saving explosives and arsons training. can you discuss how emerging atf with dea will streamline their activities while ensuring their critical and unique capabilities are maintained? >> yes, absolutely yes that national for explosives training and research it's pretty remarkable what they do they oversee the canine operations i believe as well as the criminal profiling, the explosives, the arson investigation. i look forward to working with you i look forward to visiting that, i really want to go to that facility. there are no cuts planned for

that. and that is were atf and dea again can partner together the drugs and the guns go together. those agents will be working hand in hand read the bureaucracy at the top will be gone. there will be no redundancy. they will be working hand in hand at that facility and many others throughout our country. thank you. ask mr. attorney general i want to thank you how you represent yourself in this country. what you have done as mr. chairman i yield back thank you for holden's important hearing thank you attorney general body for appearing before us today. i served it to the appropriation committee's rank near the committee on house administration. i sent you a letter last week

along with my republican counterpart chairman brian style increase in federal prosecutorial resources to address the threat against members of congress in the wake of what's happening and minutes of that tragedy. they identified and identified eight convictions so far the heightened threat environment demands an all hands on deck approach but we'll commit to assigning assistant u.s. attorney or special assistant to each of the 94 federal districts at least on a part-time basis to prosecute cases against congress? >> thank you for bringing that up. i take that very seriously. not only what happened at minnesota was horrible i have spoken with amy klobuchar about that. it is horrible. we are involved in that the fbi was involved at u.s. attorneys

are involved. many of these are district to district. the way we are doing that i will tell you my national security division is involved in all of those and assisting in those. we need meat every single morning and discuss that. minnesota will be handled in the state in which it happened. i'm sorry if i could keep going i'm sorry. >> quickly though plexus i did not mean to filibuster. governor shapiro and what happened in pennsylvania with governor shapiro. i've spoken to governor shapiro we are working hand in hand our u.s. attorney with the district attorney there hand in hand just like in minnesota. i made sure our u.s. attorney and her district attorney there were working hand in hand. political party does not matter when something like this happens. i also want to make sure all members of congress are safe as well. >> i would reiterate chairman

and i agree at least a part time in each of the 94 districts to be appropriate. let me change topics for just a moment to pick locks really quick on that were during that to the national security division. i think that's already in the works and i'll be glad to meet with you and a secure facility to talk about that pic looks very good, thank you. continuing. in addition to my role here, the committee i serve on as an authorizer overseas capital securities will federal elections. it's found in the aftermath of january 6. recently several defendants received presidential pardons related to that day are now arguing in court departing covers crimes. like france's illegal firearm possessions discovered in the search of an individual's home in california months after generally six. what's your position whether the pardons covered the separate offenses? >> the pardons are with the president not the department of justice and some that is pending litigation i cannot discuss pending litigation appear.

>> i cannot ask u.s. the right to a pardon. as the department of justice in a february wrote the part is an act of grace which removes the punishment from a crime a person has committed it. it further said and it's effective granting of a pardon is in no sense the overturning of a judgment of conviction. as an executive action that mitigates or set-asides punishment. as a chief law enforcement officer what is your opinion of the president's power whether he can offer a pardon that's pretty clear in the constitution. but for crimes committed unrelated to january 6, would you suggest the pardons will cover activities or crimes potentially committed outside of that by the same person? >> i do not know if you are referring to joe biden pardoning his son after he said he would not pardon hunter biden. >> i'm talking generally six piglets are all the sentences like the people on death row i've met with those families. all the sentences were commuted

to pair not going to comment on pardons on either side of the aisle. >> i'm not asking but either side. you are the chief law enforcement officer of the united states. you have a responsibility directly to the constitution of the president want to know what your views are on the extent to which pardons cover potential crimes committed by individuals who have been pardon but unrelated to january 6. >> you mean the ones on the auto pen? i am not going to discuss anything pick i write mr. chairman i respectfully you know, accuse you of filibustering i think that's a height of filibuster and this is serious serious topic free to suggest you don't have an opinion or to divert to other things that have nothing to do generally six pardons i is frankly demeaning to responsibilities in your job and i will yield back. >> think you mr. chairman.

attorney general, thank you for being here today. when i'm home in my district talking to my constituents they are concerned about their safety per they are concerned about safety of their communities, the safety of their neighborhoods and as we have spoken many times the earlier ship the d.o.j. with steps to restore the rule of law and hold those foreign and domestic bad actors accountable. i read your opening statement and i just want to give you an opportunity to go back again and talk about in light of four years of open borders the drugs that are coming in and paid the sex trafficking, the gangs that have moved in. the terrorism has infiltrated the united states. the sleeper cells that may or may not be present in this country. the political prosecutions we saw over the four years of the biden administration. the fact we are restoring integrity to the office and the rule of law. can you restate for my constituents how the actions of the department of justice and

your agencies are keeping them safe? >> thank you congressman. we have also been working hand in hand on a task was with the governor. we started a task force with the governor and that is something that we would like to take to every single state both democrat and republican. that is how we have been able to fight the gangs, these transnational cartels by these organizations these criminal organizations and it was really remarkable one of the top members of tda was living 28 minutes from where we are sitting right now in virginia. working hand in hand regardless of political party with the state and local law enforcement officers throughout the state of virginia. we were able to dismantle a major major gain. and there are so many gang

members and he was another one was living there i think when he was arrested he had multiple-atf was involved in that. multiple guns when he was arrested. but he did not have any of the drugs on him. yet insulate himself because he was one of the leaders of the criminal organization. and so these task force working together the state of virginia have been remarkable. so that's only to break it down but we have done. we are just so proud of the partnership that we have had with your state's comment dismantling the gangs, that drugs, the guns and we will continue to do that very quick soon you have that partnership you can get a lot done right and clutching it so much done pick what you can secure a safer community for the people living there. when you have century states like california who are preventing you from actually getting in there and actually getting the gangs off the streets. getting the drugs and human trafficking off the streets. that hurts the people of those

states. when the streets of los angeles descended into scenes more fitting of a failed state then a major american cities a mob setting fire to police cruisers and looting entire city blocks of videos online showing american flags being burned in the flags of foreign nations being flown. some carried by rioters proudly waving them through smoke filled streets. the department of homeland security revealed new data sync ice law enforcement is now facing a five to 2% increase in assaults while carrying out enforcement operations. can you describe what actions you've taken to hold the century jurisdictions accountable? then have a couple questions after that. >> thank you. to california specifically and we have made it very clear at you spit a blues and ice officers and spit on them we will charge if you spit on a law enforcement officer if you loot under the act that is not robbery we will charge you with

the robbery. we are going after the maximum penalty federally for anyone who touches a federal agent but weare also going to protect our state and local law enforcement agencies. and officers. the men and women every day around this country whether it is blue, red, purple seder out there fighting crime. that is what they care about. they care about keeping every single one of us safe. nd be in period of morning business with senators permitted to speak therein for up to ten minutes each. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. moreno: i ask unanimous consent that when the senate completes its business today, it stand adjourned until 2:15 p.m. on tuesday, june 24. that following the prayer and pledge, the morning hour be deemed expired, the journal of proceedings be approved to date, the time for the two leaders be reserved for their use later in the day, morning business be closed, and the senate proceed to executive session and resume consideration of calendar number 138, daniel zimmerman,

postcloture, and the senate vote on confirmation of the nomination at 2:45 p.m. and following disposition of the zimmerman nomination, notwithstanding rule 22, the senate resume consideration of calendar number 140, paul dabbar, and senator husted be recognized to speak. further, that the senate recess from 4:00 to 50:00 p.m., and the senate vote on the motion to invoke cloture on the dabbar nomination at 5:45 p.m. and if cloture is invoked, the senate vote on confirmation at a time to be determined by the majority leader in consultation with the democratic leader on wednesday, june 25. following confirmation of the dabbar nomination, the senate vote on the nomination to invoke cloture on calendar number 93, kenneth kies. finally, if any nominations are confirmed during tuesday's session of the senate, the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table and the president be immediately notified of the senate's action. the presiding officer: without objection. mr. moreno:

if there is no further business to come before the senate, i ask that it stand adjourned under the previous order. the previous order. the senate today advance the nomination of daniel zimmerman to be assistant defense secretary for international security affairs. tomorrow lawmakers will vote on president trump's nominees for top positions of the commerce and treasury department but later in the week we expect the senate to begin work on the gop tax and spending cuts bill. majority leader john thune had said centers will say in washington until the bill is passed in order to get it to the president's desk by july 4. watch live coverage of the senate here on cspan2. looking to contact your members of congress? c-span is making easy for you 2025 congressional directory get essential contact information for government officials, all in

one place this compact spiral-bound guide contains a bio and contact information for every house and senate member of that 119 congress. contact information congressional committees the president's cabinet, federal agencies and state governors the congressional directory cost $32.95 plus shipping and handling it every purchase help support c-span nonprofit operations. scan the code on the right or go to cspanshop.org to order your copy today. >> earlier tonight senate judiciary committee ranking member dick durbin house judiciary committee ranking member jamie raskin let a panel discussion alleged constitutional violations by the trump administration that include a group of democratic state attorneys general who are currently suing the administration. you can wash and fold tonight starti at 8:00 p.m. eastern on cspan2 but also on c-span and now are free at mobile app or online at c-span.org.

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