[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

[[Page S2764]]

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.

[[Page S2765]]

  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

[[Page S2766]]

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

[[Page S2767]]

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

[[Page S2768]]

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 CO<inf>2</inf> 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.

[[Page S2769]]

  

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