[Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 75 (Tuesday, May 6, 2025)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2763-S2769]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
LEGISLATIVE SESSION
______
PROVIDING FOR CONGRESSIONAL DISAPPROVAL UNDER CHAPTER 8 OF TITLE 5,
UNITED STATES CODE, OF THE RULE SUBMITTED BY THE ENVIRONMENTAL
PROTECTION AGENCY RELATING TO ``NATIONAL EMISSION STANDARDS FOR
HAZARDOUS AIR POLLUTANTS: RUBBER TIRE MANUFACTURING''--Resumed
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Under the previous order, the Senate will
resume consideration of H.J. Res. 61, which the clerk will report.
The assistant bill clerk read as follows:
A joint resolution (H.J. Res. 61) providing for
congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United
States Code, of the rule submitted by the Environmental
Protection Agency relating to ``National Emission Standards
for Hazardous Air Pollutants: Rubber Tire Manufacturing''.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Iowa.
National Foster Care Day
Mr. GRASSLEY. Mr. President, beginning in 1988, the month of May has
been observed as National Foster Care Month. The first Tuesday in May,
which is today, has been recognized by many organizations as National
Foster Care Day.
The designations of this month and day have been used as a time to
raise awareness of the needs of, roughly, 370,000 American children who
are in our foster care system. It is also a good time to commend the
many organizations that serve children in the foster care system. These
children ought to have safe, loving, and permanent homes. I applaud the
organizations and the individuals who tend to the needs of these
children day in and day out.
For decades, I, too, have worked to support the needs of young people
who experience the foster care system. I found that, to get a
meaningful understanding of what the needs are, young people who
experience foster care ought to have the chance to inform us. So, in
2009, for the purpose I just expressed, I launched the bipartisan
Senate Caucus on Foster Youth. My work with the caucus has helped
inform me of the many challenges that children in the foster care
system face.
To give just one example, older youth who age out of the foster care
system without a permanent place to call home or to call family to
share life experiences with often aren't being set up for success.
These older youth desire and need a permanent connection with an adult
or family. They also need to be supported in ways that are beneficial
to their long-term independence.
Congress ought to continue to explore solutions that improve long-
term outcomes for every child in foster care. I am committed to
supporting the needs of children who experience foster care to help
them achieve their full potential.
On this Foster Care Day, I hope others are encouraged to do their
part to see that no child goes without the love, safety, and stability
that they deserve.
I got involved in the foster care issues because I hired a staff
person by the name of Sarah Gesiriech, now about 30 years ago. I didn't
hire her for anything dealing with foster care, but she came to me one
day and said: I have been adopted into this family in Urbandale, IA,
and I have observed the foster care system through my life, and I know
there needs to be a lot of changes to make sure that the foster care
system serves more of the needs.
So, as I usually do if a staff person comes to me with a special
interest in something, I encouraged her to pursue that. Now, that is
how I got involved in the foster care system.
Sarah Gesiriech worked on some reforms that we passed for the period
of time she worked for me. She has then gone on to work for nonprofit
organizations since then. We have been able to
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show some real progress because, 30 years ago, we had 700,000 kids in
foster care. I gave the figure of 370,000 who are still in foster care
today, but those 370,000 need our help as much as the 700,000 did
several decades ago.
I thank Sarah for getting me involved in this issue as to the reforms
that we have done, and she has the pleasure today of working on some of
these issues in the White House, under the auspices and directorship of
the First Lady of the United States of America, Mrs. Trump.
I wish her well, and I wish the First Lady well. In how I can help, I
would be glad to help.
I yield the floor.
I suggest the absence of a quorum.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
The assistant bill clerk proceeded to call the roll.
Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for
the quorum call be rescinded.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
Recognition of the Majority Leader
The majority leader is recognized.
Congressional Review Act
Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, as I said on the floor yesterday, when I
meet with South Dakota business owners, I often tell them to let me
know how we can help, even if that means getting out of the way,
because that is often what the government needs to do: get out of the
way.
It is a foreign concept to the government-knows-best crowd. But what
my Democratic colleagues frequently fail to realize is that while
government can sometimes be a help, it can often be a hindrance,
especially under Democratic administrations, which tend to load down
Americans and American businesses with burdensome regulations for
extremely dubious gains. The Biden administration certainly did that.
One of our priorities this Congress has been taking advantage of the
Congressional Review Act to repeal burdensome Biden administration
regulations. We have passed 10 CRA resolutions so far, and this week we
plan to add 4 more to that total. We will kick things off with Senator
Tim Scott's resolution on the Biden administration's rubber tire
manufacturing rule, an excellent example of a burdensome and
unnecessary regulation.
The Biden EPA's rubber tire rule set new emissions standards for tire
manufacturers. Why? Well, that is a good question. Tire manufacturers
are already subject to strict emissions rules, and the Biden EPA--that
is right, the Biden EPA--found the rule was not necessary to protect
public health or the environment. And as for the rule's effect on
emissions, while it will reduce the emission of certain air pollutants,
it will increase emissions of carbon dioxide and methane. And then
there is the cost. The Biden EPA estimated that this rule would cost
tire manufacturers $13.3 million per year, and there is reason to
believe that that number could go much higher.
So we have costly new standards for tire manufacturers, justified by
no public health benefit--including, as I said, by the Biden
administration--and estimated to produce extremely dubious, if any,
environmental gains. You might say we have the poster child for a
burdensome and unnecessary government regulation, and we are going to
repeal it this week.
We are also going to take up Senator Curtis and Senator Lee's
resolution to overturn a Biden administration regulation limiting
access to public lands in Glen Canyon National Recreation Area for
those with off-road vehicles. Senator Curtis has noted that he hopes
this measure will be a step toward ensuring that public lands remain
accessible to Americans instead of being closed off by Washington
bureaucrats.
A third CRA measure that we will take up this week is Senator Cruz's
resolution to block an unlawful Biden-era Federal Communications
Commission regulation that allows a Federal program to subsidize
unregulated, off-campus Wi-Fi hotspots for schoolchildren. The problems
with this regulation are myriad. It is, as I said, unlawful. It
violates the Communications Act, which clearly limits the use of the
funds in question to classrooms and libraries, and it effectively
extends a program that Congress chose not to renew. Then there is the
fact that this rule endangers children by giving them unsupervised
access to a whole host of potentially dangerous or unhealthy content.
Add to that the fact that it creates the potential for duplication of
government efforts to deploy broadband, and you have a whole host of
reasons to repeal this Biden regulation.
Finally, this week, we intend to take up Senator Kennedy's CRA
resolution to repeal a Biden administration rule adding unnecessary
redtape to bank mergers. This rule would delay approval of bank mergers
that increase competition, potentially restricting choice in banks for
consumers.
I am grateful to all of the Senators I have mentioned for their
efforts to lift burdensome Biden-era regulations and for all those who
sponsored earlier CRA measures. Senate Republicans will continue to
work to lift unnecessary government burdens and get government out of
the way of American families and American businesses.
I yield the floor.
I suggest the absence of a quorum.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
The assistant bill clerk proceeded to call the roll.
Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order
for the quorum call be rescinded.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
Recognition of the Minority Leader
The Democratic leader is recognized.
FAA
Mr. SCHUMER. Mr. President, the closer you look at the troubles at
Newark Airport, the more alarming the story gets. For months,
especially over the past week or so, operations at Newark Airport have
been mired by chaos, delays, and crippling system outages.
It was recently reported that on Monday, April 28, air traffic
controllers overseeing Newark lost all communications with planes in
the air for up to 90 seconds--``unable to see, hear, or talk to them.''
That is 90 seconds of a wholly filled up sky of planes literally flying
blind over one of America's busiest airports. Thank God nothing
happened, but we tempt fate if no changes are made. If during 90
seconds, the system goes down and so many airplanes are flying so close
to each other at a congested airport, that is really sounding a five-
alarm fire.
What was the culprit of this blackout? It was a burnt copper wire
that shut communications down. This is unacceptable. We can't keep
America's planes safe in 2025 if we rely on copper wires and floppy
disks. Air traffic controllers and America's travelers deserve far
more. Copper wires and floppy disks in 2025? When it comes to safety,
the FAA is way behind the eight ball.
Yesterday, I called on the Office of the Inspector General at the FAA
to conduct a full investigation into the deteriorating conditions at
Newark Airport and to examine how we can prevent these problems from
spreading to other airports around the country.
When Newark alone gets backed up, it affects other airports because
it is such a busy hub, but if this starts happening at other airports,
our air traffic is in real trouble--even more trouble than it is in
now.
Donald Trump's FAA has failed spectacularly this year in showing the
American people that the Trump administration is up to the task of
keeping people safe. We need to get to the bottom as to why. The public
deserves answers to some very important questions.
Why have the staffing shortages at Newark and other critical airports
been allowed to continue? What role has DOGE's cuts played in
aggravating the chaos? What is the plan to fill the vacancies of
critical leadership at the FAA? Some of the top positions are not
filled because some of the people there who are very capable resigned
in disgust at what the administration was trying to do to the FAA.
We have seen chaos throughout the administration, and clearly it's
here at the FAA, an Agency that cannot afford any chaos whatsoever
because lives are at stake. The longer the FAA and the administration
slow-walk these troubles, the greater the risk of a true catastrophe.
Trump Administration
Mr. President, now the Trump agenda, a few months into Donald Trump's
second term, Americans are getting a clear look at what Trump 2.0 is
all about.
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Last week, Americans got a good look at Trump 2.0 when the White
House released its so-called skinny budget. Trump's days of pretending
to be a populist are over. His budget is an all-out assault on
healthcare, education, public safety, and programs that help small
businesses. They want to ax domestic programs that help tens of
millions of people--hundreds of millions, really--by nearly a quarter.
It is radical to its rotten core.
The budget is proof positive that the Emperor has no clothes. Donald
Trump is a con man who does not care one iota about the struggle of
everyday Americans. He would rather listen to his billionaire buddies
than to the American people in terms of what the country needs.
Few things crystallize Trump's 2.0 as much as Republicans' signature
bill--a massive tax break for billionaires financed by the biggest cuts
to Medicaid ever. For months, Republicans have tried to muddle their
way forward on their agenda with magic talk totally severed from
reality. Republicans say they want trillions in tax giveaways for the
wealthy, trillions in spending cuts, but somehow claim these drastic
changes won't hurt average Americans. Cut Medicaid, they say, but
nobody will lose benefits. That is totally illogical.
Even the worst studies I have seen show that the percentage of
``waste, fraud, and abuse'' is much, much less than the $880 billion
they say they are going to cut. They really want to slash Medicaid to
the bone. Waste is something of a pretext for them.
Reality is now coming back to bite our Republican colleagues. In the
House, Republicans are at total loggerheads about how to move forward.
Now, mind you, there is zero disagreement among Republicans when it
comes to the big goal: massive tax giveaways for the wealthy. They
agree on axing poplar programs like Medicaid, like Social Security, and
like veterans. What Republicans disagreed on is simply the method for
screwing Americans over, which is the better way to screw Americans
over. That is what they disagree on. That is what they are fighting
about--but not on the goals, which are pernicious.
Why do Republicans face such a conundrum, where they are so at odds
with one another? Simple answer: because their agenda is so unpopular
with the American people, and neither House--and no Republican
Senator--wants to be left holding this hot potato.
The backlash Republicans are getting from the public, whether it is
at townhalls or in the streets or through dismal polling data, should
serve as a warning to our colleagues on the other side: If they proceed
with their agenda, the political outcry will be enormous.
The idea that some of the Republicans are saying, ``Well, we are
going to our leadership to make a request''--if that request is not
granted, if Medicaid is still slashed, for instance, it is how they
vote that is going to matter, what they put into effect, not going to
constituents and saying, ``Oh, I agree with you. I will go to my
leadership.''
But when leadership says no, are they going to vote against the bill?
We will see. I doubt it. I very much doubt it. Unfortunately, it
doesn't look like it is going to happen. And they--each Republican who
votes for reconciliation and bad budgets--will be left holding that hot
potato.
Nomination of Frank Bisignano
Mr. President, on the Bisignano nomination, as Republicans press
forward this week axing Medicaid and other popular programs, today,
Senate Republicans will turn their attention to attacking Social
Security in the name of voting on Frank Bisignano to lead the SSA. It
is literally putting a fox in the henhouse.
If confirmed, Mr. Bisignano would be one of the greatest threats to
Social Security in its 90-year history, one of the greatest threats we
have ever had. He will accelerate the closures, the rollbacks, the
risky practices that DOGE has already set in motion, and the anxiety
Americans feel about their benefits will only get worse.
I am proud that every single Democrat will vote no on Mr. ``Slash-
and-Burn'' Bisignano. The last person we need overseeing senior
benefits is a DOGE fanatic. He says he is a proud DOGE guy whose claim
to fame was overseeing mass layoffs in the private sector. Yes, that is
his claim to fame.
During his testimony, Mr. Bisignano lied to Senators about his ties
to DOGE and about his role in executing cutbacks at the SSA, the Social
Security Administration. If he lied about that, what is stopping him
from lying about cutting benefits down the line?
Donald Trump and Republicans can't say directly that they want to
kill Social Security outright, so instead they are choosing another
method of killing it: strangulation--office closures, delays, mass
layoffs, trouble over the phone, trouble over the email.
Every single Republican Senator that votes yes on Bisignano will be
complicit in strangling Social Security, plain and simple. If Mr.
Bisignano is confirmed, Republicans will own all of the chaos he
creates because, again, they are letting the slash-and-burn fox into
the Social Security henhouse.
A yes for Mr. Bisignano is a vote for delayed benefits, for longer
wait times over the phone, even more layoffs, and office closures. So
today, Senate Republicans will have to make a choice: Vote no on
Bisignano and protect the millions of Americans who rely on Social
Security or vote yes on Mr. Bisignano and side with Donald Trump and
Elon Musk and DOGE as they tear Social Security apart.
I yield the floor.
I suggest the absence of a quorum.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
The bill clerk proceeded to call the roll.
Mr. BARRASSO. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order
for the quorum call be rescinded.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
The majority whip.
Mr. BARRASSO. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that during my
speech, I have the opportunity to display some of my father's
remembrances from World War II.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
Military Appreciation Month
Mr. BARRASSO. Mr. President, I rise today to honor Military
Appreciation Month. It is a time to renew our commitment--our Nation's
commitment, our individual commitment--to those who defend our Nation.
They defend our freedom. They have done it in the past, they are doing
it today, and they will continue to do it into the future. Most
importantly, it is a time to say thank you.
In Wyoming, our pride in the military runs very deep. This Saturday
in Wyoming, there will be welcome home ceremonies. They will actually
be in a number of communities throughout the State. This originally
began as a welcome home to Vietnam veterans, who were never given the
proper welcome home when they came home from the war. This weekend, all
Wyoming veterans will be honored and welcomed home.
Tens of thousands of servicemembers, veterans, and military families
live in Wyoming. Our airmen at F.E. Warren Air Force Base maintain our
Nation's nuclear deterrent. Our Wyoming National Guard--they are ready
to serve, and they are ready to serve at a moment's notice.
All of them embody America's spirit. It is a privilege to represent
each and every one of them here in the U.S. Senate.
Let me take you back a moment to the changing world happening in
1945--May 8, 1945. It was Victory in Europe Day--VE Day. On that day,
the world celebrated the triumph of liberty over tyranny. That triumph
of liberty was paid for by the blood and the bravery of 16 million
Americans who served, and one of those was my father.
I have his dog tags with me. I carry them whenever I travel overseas,
whenever I visit our veterans, and whenever I visit our men and women
in uniform. I did it earlier this year in Jordan and in Syria. I did it
at Thanksgiving in the Middle East. I did it last spring in Djibouti
where we had members of our Air National Guard serving there.
I also have his prayer book called ``My Military Missal.'' These were
given out in World War II in the Battle of the Bulge. They used them,
and the back was a rosary, the beads printed in there as if in braille,
with a crucifix. And this rosary has been well-worn, used by his thumb
because he was walking and had it in his pocket on patrol.
He signed up 3 days after Pearl Harbor, my father did. He fought
through
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the war, through the bitter cold of the Battle of the Bulge, didn't
come home until the war was over. My dad called the men who were with
him in uniform at the time ``ordinary men with extraordinary courage.''
Their lessons endure today. Weakness provokes, but strength deters.
Here we are 80 years later, and we face a dangerous world. Our
enemies are aggressive, menacing, and powerful. Very few of those men
who fought in World War II are alive today--very few. We celebrated the
Battle of the Bulge and had ceremonies with those few in Bastogne this
past December. They are gone. There is a next generation today and a
generation after that. And under the bold leadership of President
Trump, our military is rising to meet the challenge that we are facing
today. And we are today restoring peace through strength.
In 100 days, President Trump and Secretary of Defense Hegseth have
made our military stronger and, of course, more respected around the
world. Recruiting is soaring. The last month was the best month in
almost 40 years.
I was in Mills, WY, for a pancake breakfast for the Lions Club on
Saturday morning. I met two young men who were helping to volunteer
serving pancakes. One is going to go to the Naval Academy and one to
West Point. The next generation: Ready to serve, ready to defend, ready
to protect.
So what we are seeing today is maintaining military strength at a
time where investment is needed, and that is what this Congress is
debating--because the ``greatest generation'' built the arsenal of
democracy and we carry that on by modernizing our military.
Under unified Republican government, America is embracing the new
technology, such as artificial intelligence, to outpace our
adversaries. We are rebuilding our industrial base. We are expanding
shipbuilding so our Navy remains the world's finest. And, boy, what a
reputation the Navy SEALS have, and the Presiding Officer's long and
distinguished history of service to our Nation--now in the Senate but
prior to that in the military and your wife, as well.
We are improving the quality of life of servicemembers and their
families because a supported military is a strong military. We are
creating an Iron Dome for America so our Nation is safe from danger. In
all, we are investing more than $150 billion in peace through strength.
These efforts, backed by bold leadership, equip our military to deal
with life in a dangerous and menacing world.
Military strength is not enough. VE Day reminds us that defending
freedom also demands moral clarity. That means championing the values
of liberty and justice, the values that Americans have always stood
for.
The minutemen of Lexington and Concord stood for them, the
paratroopers of Normandy stood for them. Wyoming's troops serving
around the world today continue to stand for them.
I visit with Wyoming troops every year overseas at Thanksgiving. I go
wherever they are. It started in 2007, my first year in the Senate,
when I visited troops in Iraq, outside of Baghdad, Andar province.
I try to visit every deployment of our National Guard. I just got
back from visiting the troops in the Middle East in March. I go for the
purpose of thanking them for their service and bringing a little piece
of Wyoming today to wherever they are in the world. And when you go
visit with them you ask: Do you have everything you need? Is there any
way we can be helpful? But they want to talk about home. They want to
talk about how the hunting was, how the weather is, how the football
team has done. They want to talk about their families, which community
they were from, and then their mission to make sure that the folks at
home are protected so they can return to Wyoming and be with them once
again.
Those currently deployed overseas are eight time zones away. You
know, you want to make sure they have everything they need, and they do
in terms of what they are getting in terms of supplies; they just miss
a little bit of home in Wyoming.
We are blessed to have these soldiers. We are blessed to have
soldiers from all of our States serving like this. People from all
different backgrounds come to serve, and today I just want to be here
to remember our history and think about the sacrifices that so many
continue to make.
We honor them by doing what we need to do here to make sure that they
are equipped to fight the modern threats that they face. We honor them
by uniting as a nation to support them. We honor them by making sure
that they have veterans healthcare available to them in their
communities. I talked to Veterans Affairs Secretary Doug Collins about
making sure that the veterans have what they need, and he as a veteran
is committed to that.
Today we celebrate Military Appreciation Month, so let's thank our
heroes who fought for our liberty. Thank them who served today; thank
their families; thank them who have sacrificed as the Presiding Officer
and his family have done. That is a commitment. Because of their
courage, America remains safe; it remains free. And with bold
leadership like we have today, it will stay that way.
I yield the floor.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Democratic whip.
Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, before I make my remarks, I want to join
my colleague, Republican colleague from Wyoming in a salute to our
military and appreciation for all they have given to America.
It is a touching story. I know he spends so many holidays visiting
with Wyoming Guard troops stationed around the world, and I didn't know
he carried his father's World War II dog tags with him. That is an
indication of his love and respect for his dad, and I want to join in
those sentiments.
But though the military commitment that people make is a unique
commitment because you say that you will risk your life for this
country, there are many other commitments that can be made in public
service which make this a greater Nation too.
AmeriCorps
Mr. President, for more than three decades, AmeriCorps has
strengthened communities across the United States. From rebuilding
homes to providing rural healthcare, tutoring kids after school,
cleaning up after natural disasters, AmeriCorps supports our most
underresourced communities. My Republican colleagues represent
communities that benefit from AmeriCorps whose members serve in their
State.
For decades, AmeriCorps has had bipartisan support, which it
deserves, but last week, unfortunately, the Trump administration pulled
the rug out from under these community organizations by eliminating
their funding--eliminating. Organizations like the Lessie Bates Davis
Neighborhood House in East St. Louis, IL, my hometown, which provides
meals to members of all ages of the East St. Louis community--they were
left scrambling after the President's announcement eliminating
AmeriCorps.
Right after the funding cuts were announced, Reverend Gaston, the
CEO, met with workers who serve as drivers for the center's Meals on
Wheels program.
For many of the senior citizens in that town and around the country,
Meals on Wheels is literally the only physical contact they have with
the outside world. It is a moment in the day that they look forward to
with great anticipation. It is more than just food.
The night before the drivers were set to deliver meals, Reverend
Gaston had to tell them, ``There [is] nowhere to go.'' He added that
those workers would not get paid, even though they had worked earlier
in the day.
The East St. Louis community is located in a food desert, which means
members like Ayshia, who takes care of her grandfather, have come to
rely on the center's food pantry for healthy options like fruits and
vegetables. I know; I was just there 2 weeks ago.
Last month, eight dedicated AmeriCorps members worked in the center's
cafe to offer a safe place for the community to eat a hot meal. Today,
because of Trump's cuts, the tables are empty.
Camille, who is Lessie Bates Davis' program director for AmeriCorps
shared that she has 120 days to close out the program. After that, even
she will be left without a job.
While Camille is concerned about her own future, she has also shared
how overwhelming it is to tell people that
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she doesn't know the path forward, especially because she is a leader
in the community.
Other programs across Illinois are feeling similar impacts. Take
Lukas, an AmeriCorps member who has worked at the Boys and Girls Club
in Livingston, IL, providing students with a safe place to learn and
play after school. He won't get paid because of the Trump cuts, but he
plans to continue to volunteer unpaid because of the impact on his
community without people like him. He is feeling very bad for the young
kids he knows so well.
Another constituent Ann is an AmeriCorps program director at Severson
Dells Nature Center in northern Illinois in Rockford. Ann shared that
one alum of AmeriCorps was inspired to serve this country by joining
the U.S. Coast Guard after working in his community as an AmeriCorps
volunteer and member in the nature center.
To use Ann's words:
AmeriCorps members are the best of us and have collectively
served this country.
I urge my Republican colleagues to fight against this
administration's senseless attempts to eliminate such small amounts of
funding that have such incredible positive impact in their communities,
as well as my own. Don't sit by in silence.
As if cutting funds from AmeriCorps wasn't enough, last Thursday, in
the dead of the night, President Trump signed an Executive order trying
to end Federal funding for National Public Radio and Public
Broadcasting. As it currently stands, only 1 percent of Federal funding
goes directly to NPR and PBS.
It is a marginal expense in comparison to the amount of good it does.
They provide news coverage, lifesaving emergency alerts, and
educational programming for our kids. While President Trump falsely
claims that the public media is ``biased and partisan,'' he is wrong.
Public media provides local communities with unbiased and nonpartisan
news coverage, especially in rural and smalltown areas where a newsroom
often is working off limited resources.
The Corporation for Public Broadcasting is a private, nonprofit
corporation authorized by Congress since 1967. For more than 50 years,
Congress has provided funding on a bipartisan basis for Public
Broadcasting. By doing so, we have ensured the independence of the
public media system and provided an opportunity for a longstanding
public-private partnership in service to all Americans.
President Trump's attempts to silence the media he does not deem
acceptable should be responded to on a bipartisan basis. We must be
united to let this President know that silencing a reliable news source
is unacceptable in modern America. We have come to expect this kind of
censoring by dictators and fascists, but we don't expect it in the
United States.
Countries like Russia and China spend billions of dollars trying to
undermine our news and spread disinformation; and cuts to free,
untampered public news are not the way to fight off their advances.
As soon as I learned about the proposed cuts, I spoke out on the need
for Congress to respond, to save these important institutions. And what
was the response of my Republican colleagues? Silence. Crickets. It is
the ``Silence of the Lambs.''
My Republican colleagues cannot afford to stay silent any longer. We
must work in a bipartisan manner, continue to work to stop these
funding cuts and prove to the American people that we care about our
local communities and everyone's access to free, unbiased broadcasting.
We must continue to allow NPR and PBS to provide essential news,
information, and lifesaving services to the American public. Democracy
cannot survive in silence.
I yield the floor.
I suggest the absence of a quorum.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
The bill clerk proceeded to call the roll.
Mr. WHITEHOUSE. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order
for the quorum call be rescinded.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
H.J. Res. 61
Mr. WHITEHOUSE. In yet another of many attempts to unravel
protections for human health and the environment, and in their endless
quest to accommodate the country's biggest polluters, Republicans in
the Senate are seeking congressional disapproval for EPA's final rule
setting national emissions standards for hazardous air pollutants for
rubber tire manufacturing.
A little history here. Since the 1970s, the Clean Air Act has
required EPA to set emission standards for facilities that are major
sources of hazardous air pollution. For over 50 years, these standards
have allowed us to expand our industry and grow our economy while also
making major improvements in air quality for the American people. Yet
some toxic pollution remains unregulated, even at regulated facilities.
And so, in 2020, the DC Circuit, the Federal court, directed EPA to
regulate all unregulated hazardous air pollution from major sources. In
response, EPA finalized long-overdue protections for the rubber
processing stage of tire manufacturing.
Before then, this process was entirely unregulated by the Federal
Government. But faced with new emissions data showing that rubber
processing releases large quantities of hazardous air pollutants, EPA
was obliged under the Clean Air Act to act. The rule is expected to
significantly reduce toxic air pollution, nominally a goal of this
administration. Pollutants include heavy metal like mercury, organic
chemicals, and particulate matter--the little stuff that floats in the
air, and this gets into people's lungs.
These pollutants, even in low doses, can cause significant harm to
human health. Children, babies, and developing fetuses are at
particular risk, vulnerable to the effects of these pollutants. So this
rule protects the communities which house these rubber processing
facilities, communities like Des Moines, IA; Topeka, KS; Social Circle,
GA; Anderson, SC; and Findlay, OH. People living in those communities
will be protected by this rule from an increased risk of cancer, heart
disease, respiratory disease, and even cognitive impairments. This is
dangerous pollution.
So make no mistake, this resolution to undo the clean air rule would
deny clean air protections to the American people, with particular harm
to American children whose lungs and brains, still developing, are most
vulnerable to the effects of these pollutants.
My Republican colleagues have argued that the energy needed for the
pollution controls will increase carbon emissions. Well, two things on
that. First, it just ain't true. EPA found that secondary air impacts
are minimal and do not outweigh the health benefits from reduced toxic
pollution. It is also a bit laughable that my Republican colleagues now
purport to care about carbon pollution after every single step they
have taken in this arena has been to make carbon pollution worse, to
help their big donors from the fossil fuel industry, and to lead us
ever more rapidly into the climate crisis with its insurance meltdown
component that is now so widely predicted--predicted even by the
Chairman of the Federal Reserve here in the Senate Banking Committee,
saying that in 10 to 15 years there will be whole regions of the United
States where you can't get a mortgage anymore. Why can't you get a
mortgage anymore there? Because the insurance has made it untenable.
The insurance is untenable because the climate risk is both much worse
and more unpredictable.
So what is widely predicted, including recently by a board member of
the biggest insurance company on the planet, is that uncertainty and
added risk in the natural systems caused by fossil fuel pollution makes
insurance--particularly property insurance--untenable, which makes
mortgages unavailable, which crashes housing prices, and that is
predicted to lead to a 2008-style economic meltdown to the entire
economy.
You may not want to hear this, but it is widely--widely--predicted by
expert sources, many under a fiduciary obligation to get this right,
unlike the fossil fuel industry which lies with impunity.
Anyway, given the record of this body and this administration on this
issue, the idea that there is a sincere concern about carbon emissions
happening on the other side of this aisle verges on the preposterous.
The full story here is that the economic effects of this rule are
minimal. EPA found during its rulemaking process that facility owners
affected by this rule will
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incur less than 1 percent of their revenue in compliance costs--1
percent. That is too much, obviously, for our friends on the other
side.
The rule even offers flexible compliance options that could further
reduce the burden if a company were to make an honest effort to come
into compliance with air rules that protect the safety of their own
communities.
In any event, that minimal 1 percent or less financial burden ought
to be outweighed by the substantial public health costs that Americans
will face if Congress and the Trump administration continue their mad
quest to eliminate clean air protections. More doctors' appointments
and emergency room visits, more inhalers and prescriptions, more lost
school and workdays--that will be the cost of passing this resolution.
I urge all of my colleagues to protect the health of Americans and
vote no on this misguided resolution.
I yield the floor.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from South Carolina.
Unanimous Consent Requests--Executive Calendar
Mr. SCOTT of South Carolina. I rise in support today for two strong
nominees: Luke Pettit and Marcus Molinaro, who were moved out of the
Banking Committee with broad bipartisan support.
Luke Pettit has been nominated to serve as Assistant Secretary of the
Treasury for Financial Institutions. Luke brings a wealth of experience
and a deep understanding of our financial system, honed through his
service of the Senate Banking Committee and in his role as senior
policy adviser for Senator Hagerty. And he has worked in the private
sector. Luke is a servant leader who understands the difficult
challenges facing American families and businesses.
Marcus Molinaro has been nominated as Federal Transit Administrator.
His extensive experience, from his tenure in Congress to his
outstanding leadership as Dutchess County executive, underscores his
unwavering commitment to improving transit infrastructure and enhancing
the lives of all Americans.
Marcus is a proven leader who understands that effective transit
systems are the backbone of vibrant communities. Under his leadership,
I am confident that the Federal Transit Administration will excel in
its mission to connect communities, ensure safety, and promote new
opportunities, including much needed housing initiatives, across this
great Nation.
I urge my colleagues to join me in confirming both of these nominees.
I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to executive session
to consider the following nominations en bloc: Calendar Nos. 63 and 65;
that the Senate vote on the nominations en bloc without intervening
action or debate; that the motions to reconsider be considered made and
laid upon the table; that the President be immediately notified of the
Senate's action, and the Senate resume legislative session.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection?
The Senator from Massachusetts.
Ms. WARREN. Mr. President, reserving the right to object. I want to
note that President Trump is pushing our economy off a cliff. Over the
past week, the President has told families to brace for more expensive
toys for Christmas and he continues to lie about the fact that grocery
prices are actually going up. He has managed to shrink the economy in
his first 100 days and experts from across the spectrum are already
predicting a recession.
He is also working to tear our Federal Government apart. And while
President Trump works to burn down our economy and our future, the
Senate is still chugging along with business as usual in confirming the
President's nominees to lead the Agencies that he is actively trying to
destroy.
My litmus test for any executive branch nominee is will they enforce
the law and uphold our Constitution or will they simply bend the knee
to the orders of President Trump? I am worried that Mr. Pettit will
simply go along with the Trump administration's deregulatory agenda,
instead of fighting to protect consumers and to ensure financial
stability.
I know that Mr. Molinaro wants to improve the public transportation
system and support public transit workers. I appreciate that. I
genuinely do. I have no doubt about it. But it seems clear that the
White House and Elon Musk's DOGE will gut the Federal Transit
Administration and undermine the Department of Transportation.
We cannot wave these nominees through by unanimous consent without a
real debate. Therefore, I object.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Objection is heard.
Mr. SCOTT of South Carolina. I am so sorry to hear that.
H.J. Res. 61
Mr. President, I rise for another topic. Today, I rise in support of
my Congressional Review Act to overturn one of the Biden-era EPA rules
on the rubber tire manufacturing NESHAP.
In November 2004, Biden's EPA continued on its radical left climate
agenda and issued and implemented a new rule to study after study
proved to be unnecessary. Their claim was the implementation of the
rule was a manner of public health. The EPA performed--the EPA--
performed a risk review of the rule and found this was inconsequential
to public health and that the rule increases CO2 emissions.
Instead of listening to their own experts, the Biden administration
ignored the experts to push forward their burdensome regulatory
overreach. I am grateful to stand in this Chamber today to roll back
these ill-advised rules so manufacturers can avoid millions of dollars
in compliance fees that will cost the American consumer those millions
of dollars and, instead, invest in the American workforce, the greatest
workforce on the planet.
It is time for us to act. It is time for us to roll back these
unnecessary EPA rules so that the American people are not burdened with
millions of dollars of additional costs simply to buy tires. Let us do
the right thing.
Vote on H.J. Res. 61
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Under the previous order, all time on H.J.
Res. 61 has expired.
The clerk will read the title of the joint resolution for the third
time.
The joint resolution was ordered to a third reading and was read the
third time.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The joint resolution having been read the
third time, the question is, Shall the joint resolution pass?
Mrs. MURRAY. Mr. President, I ask for the yeas and nays.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there a sufficient second?
There appears to be a sufficient second.
The clerk will call the roll.
The legislative clerk called the roll.
The result was announced--yeas 55, nays 45, as follows:
[Rollcall Vote No. 232 Leg.]
YEAS--55
Banks
Barrasso
Blackburn
Boozman
Britt
Budd
Capito
Cassidy
Collins
Cornyn
Cotton
Cramer
Crapo
Cruz
Curtis
Daines
Ernst
Fischer
Graham
Grassley
Hagerty
Hawley
Hoeven
Husted
Hyde-Smith
Johnson
Justice
Kaine
Kennedy
Lankford
Lee
Lummis
Marshall
McConnell
McCormick
Moody
Moran
Moreno
Mullin
Murkowski
Paul
Ricketts
Risch
Rounds
Schmitt
Scott (FL)
Scott (SC)
Sheehy
Sullivan
Thune
Tillis
Tuberville
Warner
Wicker
Young
NAYS--45
Alsobrooks
Baldwin
Bennet
Blumenthal
Blunt Rochester
Booker
Cantwell
Coons
Cortez Masto
Duckworth
Durbin
Fetterman
Gallego
Gillibrand
Hassan
Heinrich
Hickenlooper
Hirono
Kelly
Kim
King
Klobuchar
Lujan
Markey
Merkley
Murphy
Murray
Ossoff
Padilla
Peters
Reed
Rosen
Sanders
Schatz
Schiff
Schumer
Shaheen
Slotkin
Smith
Van Hollen
Warnock
Warren
Welch
Whitehouse
Wyden
The joint resolution (H.J. Res. 61) was passed.
The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Curtis). Under the previous order, the
motion to reconsider is considered made and laid upon the table.
The Senator from Louisiana.
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