Senate
Page S4959 · Official textThe Senate met at 10 a.m. and was called to order by the President pro tempore (Mr. Grassley).
Vol. 172, No. 152 · 119th Congress, 2nd session
The Senate met at 10 a.m. and was called to order by the President pro tempore (Mr. Grassley).
The Chaplain, Dr. Barry C. Black, offered the following prayer: Let us pray. Eternal and everlasting God, we open our hearts to You with humble gratitude for the precious gift of another day. Lord, thank You for the blessings of life, for Your unfailing love, and for Your mercy that brings us the unfolding of Your loving providence. Continue to watch over our Senators. Renew, revitalize, and refresh their spirits. Give them strength for today, peace for their hearts, and clarity for their minds. Lord, have mercy upon our Nation and the world in these turbulent times. Give the Members of our branches of government Your wisdom, truth, and righteousness that will guide them in their leadership. Provide them with wisdom beyond their own understanding, patience in moments of disagreement, and discernment in difficult decisions. We pray in Your magnificent Name. Amen.
The President pro tempore led the Pledge of Allegiance, as follows:
The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Sheehy)
The PRESIDING OFFICER
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The senior assistant legislative clerk read as follows:
Pending:
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The senior assistant bill clerk proceeded to call the roll.
The PRESIDING OFFICER
So the only conclusion one can draw is that the Democrats have concluded that it is good politics for them not to allow the Republicans to "get a victory" or the President to "get a victory" in the middle of a political season. That is really the only conclusion you can draw, after literally months and months and months of bipartisan negotiations in which the very last offer put on the table was one made by Democrats and accepted by the White House and Senate Republicans. That is where we are. That is what it is. Let's call it what it is. It is blatant politics. So my Democrat colleagues may talk a good game about working families, but the truth is that hard-working Americans take a distant back seat to Democrats' political priorities. Perhaps the most spectacular example of the party of "no" came last fall when Democrats shut down the government for 43 days--the longest full government shutdown in history--over a clean, temporary, and nonpartisan spending bill. That is right. It was clear that Congress would need more time to get the fiscal year 2026 appropriations bills finished, so Republicans proposed a clean, short-term funding measure free from poison pills or partisan policies. Let's just fund the government so we can continue the conversation about how we are going to fund it for the full year. Democrats, well, they just said: No, not going to do it. It didn't matter to them that the bill was nonpartisan. It didn't matter to them that it would only be in effect, actually, for a few weeks. And it certainly didn't matter to them that they were putting literally thousands of Americans out of work. They blocked it. A clean, nonpartisan spending bill, and they shut down the government for 6 weeks. Of course, the fall 2025 government shutdown wasn't the only time this Congress that Democrats just said no to government funding. In the spring, Senate Democrats initiated the longest partial government shutdown in history due to their unwillingness to fund immigration law enforcement or border security. That is right. The Democrats kept the Department of Homeland Security--the Department of Homeland Security--shut down for an unprecedented 76 days. And while they eventually agreed to reopen most of the Department, they still refused to fund immigration enforcement or Border Patrol. Clearly, democratic socialism and its philosophy of zero immigration enforcement and open borders has gained a lot more than a foothold in the Democrat Party. Whether the subject is protecting opportunities for women and girls in sports or tax relief for hard-working Americans, Democrats have spent the past 21 months throwing up every roadblock that they can. And I am proud that, despite the incredible amount of Democrat opposition, we still managed to accomplish a lot for the American people--from regulatory relief and border security to the Working Families Tax Cuts. There is more work to be done, and I hope that we will get the chance to continue our work not only in this Congress but also in the next. Given the Democrats' obsession with opposing President Trump and their demonstrated opposition to bipartisan cooperation, I think it is safe to say that hard-working Americans would undoubtedly take a back seat in a Democrat-led Congress. And the American people, they deserve better than the party of "no." I yield the floor. I suggest the absence of a quorum.
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The senior assistant bill clerk proceeded to call the roll.
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The senior assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
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The motion was agreed to.
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The motion was agreed to.
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The clerk will call the roll. The senior assistant legislative clerk called the roll. The result was announced--yeas 77, nays 23, as follows:
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The senior assistant executive clerk read as follows:
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The clerk will call the roll. The senior assistant executive clerk called the roll.
The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Hagerty)
The motion was agreed to.
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The motion was agreed to.
The PRESIDING OFFICER
DIRECTING THE PRESIDENT, PURSUANT TO SECTION 5(c) OF THE WAR POWERS RESOLUTION, TO REMOVE UNITED STATES ARMED FORCES FROM HOSTILITIES WITH IRAN
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The clerk will report the concurrent resolution by title. The senior assistant legislative clerk read as follows:
Thereupon, the committee was discharged, and the Senate proceeded to consider the concurrent resolution.
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So the American people were told that the war would be over very soon. That was March 9--10 days after the war started. Now the United States is more than 6 months into this disastrous war. Months of negotiations to end the conflict have failed, but the President promises us that the war will soon come to an end after the election. And what have we achieved in this war that has cost the lives of 19 U.S. servicemembers? Prices at the pump and grocery checkout have skyrocketed. Diesel prices, fertilizer prices are crushing farmers while resultant food prices are crushing the rest of America. Utility and medical bills are out of control. Everyone but the President and his buddies are painfully aware that we are experiencing an affordability crisis in America while the President says "not long enough." In the closing days of the Mexican-American War, our 16th President, whose name the Lincoln proudly carries, was a freshman here in Congress. He wrote to his law partner:
Lincoln wrote--
Lincoln wrote--
We need to take Lincoln's words to heart. This Congress is not a royal court to do the bidding and bow and scrape before an all-powerful sovereign. We are a coequal branch of government, and 250 years into this experiment in self-governance, we should show Lincoln's resolve. Will we continue to place the President where Kings have stood, or will we say at long last, "enough"? Will we make it clear that this war, illegal from the start, has gone on too long? Will we insist on the removal and return of our troops? I pray that we will, and I urge support on this resolution.
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The clerk will call the roll. The bill clerk called the roll.
The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Moreno)
The PRESIDING OFFICER
The PRESIDING OFFICER (Ms. Graham)
(Applause.)
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So the configuration of these sandboxes has been like that--for experimentation, almost casual, very entrepreneurial. But the problem is, these things can escape control at the sandbox level so it is not enough for predeployment testing. We also need third-party review of the process at every stage because we don't know at which point an agent--an AI--or a swarm of agents could escape human control. Then, at the end of it, we need postdeployment breach notification, analysis, transparency so that, if there are big, dangerous events, we know how to prevent them from happening in the future. So that is all this bill does. It says: Let's get third-party review all the way through the process and then all the way up to predeployment testing. Then, if something goes badly, we have transparency on the back end. We threw out all of our "pet rocks"--nothing partisan, nothing like my longtime priority on AI, but rather the very narrow question, which is: Don't we have an obligation, if there is any risk of a power grid going down, if there is any risk of a financial system buckling, if there is any risk at all, don't we have an obligation to take down that risk and fight about the rest of the stuff at some other time? The kind of ironic thing about this Congress right now is that the private sector is begging to enshrine what they are starting to promise to do in Federal statutory law because they are about to say: Here are all of the safety measures we are doing. But there is a reason you don't regulate toxic chemicals or biomedical research or aviation by voluntary agreement. You need a Federal statute, and then the private sector can work toward compliance on that Federal statutory standard. But you don't want 90 percent of the AI companies--the frontier models, the hyperscalers--complying and then the other 10 percent saying: Wait, I don't have to do that, do I? I don't have to do that, do I? So all we are asking is that this bipartisan proposal--and it is bipartisan. We are working on it in very, very good faith to try to narrow the scope of disagreement but not narrow it to the point that we pass nothing but, rather, narrow it to the point where we pass something that takes down the immediate risk and allows us to look our constituents in the eye and say: We did something on this very, very serious and urgent matter. With that, with the permission of the ranking member, I want to bring in the Senator from New Jersey, who has a background in tech and has a background in national security that I think adds a lot to this conversation.
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The legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
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There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in the Record, as follows:
There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in the Record, as follows:
There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in the Record, as follows:
There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in the Record, as follows:
There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in the Record, as follows:
RECOGNIZING THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE BOYS & GIRLS CLUB OF TRUCKEE MEADOWS
At 2:51 p.m., a message from the House of Representatives, delivered by Mrs. Cole, one of its reading clerks, announced that the Speaker has signed the following enrolled bills:
The following bill was read the second time, and placed on the calendar:
The following communications were laid before the Senate, together with accompanying papers, reports, and documents, and were referred as indicated:
The following petitions and memorials were laid before the Senate and were referred or ordered to lie on the table as indicated:
The following reports of committees were submitted:
The following executive reports of nominations were submitted:
*Nomination was reported with recommendation that it be confirmed subject to the nominee's commitment to respond to requests to appear and testify before any duly constituted committee of the Senate. (Nominations without an asterisk were reported with the recommendation that they be confirmed.)
The following bills and joint resolutions were introduced, read the first and second times by unanimous consent, and referred as indicated:
The following concurrent resolutions and Senate resolutions were read, and referred (or acted upon), as indicated:
At the request of Mr. Cornyn, the name of the Senator from Kentucky (Mr. McConnell) was added as a cosponsor of S. 65, a bill to allow reciprocity for the carrying of certain concealed firearms. At the request of Mr. Moran, the name of the Senator from South Dakota (Mr. Rounds) was added as a cosponsor of S. 525, a bill to transfer the functions, duties, responsibilities, assets, liabilities, orders, determinations, rules, regulations, permits, grants, loans, contracts, agreements, certificates, licenses, and privileges of the United States Agency for International Development relating to implementing and administering the Food for Peace Act to the Department of Agriculture. At the request of Mr. Tillis, the name of the Senator from Mississippi (Mr. Wicker) was added as a cosponsor of S. 901, a bill to amend the Small Business Act and the Small Business Investment Act of 1958 to increase the maximum loan amount for certain loans, and for other purposes. At the request of Mr. Tillis, the names of the Senator from Delaware (Mr. Coons) and the Senator from West Virginia (Mr. Justice) were added as cosponsors of S. 907, a bill to amend the Camp Lejeune Justice Act of 2022 to make technical corrections. At the request of Ms. Rosen, the name of the Senator from Rhode Island (Mr. Whitehouse) was added as a cosponsor of S. 942, a bill to amend the Higher Education Act of 1965 to provide for interest-free deferment on student loans for borrowers serving in a medical or dental internship or residency program. At the request of Mr. Sanders, the name of the Senator from Oregon (Mr. Wyden) was added as a cosponsor of S. 1506, a bill to establish a Medicare-for-All national health insurance program. At the request of Mr. Grassley, the names of the Senator from Illinois (Mr. Durbin), the Senator from Utah (Mr. Curtis) and the Senator from Arizona (Mr. Kelly) were added as cosponsors of S. 1792, a bill to prohibit employment discrimination against whistleblowers reporting AI security vulnerabilities or AI violations, and for other purposes. At the request of Mr. Cornyn, the name of the Senator from Georgia (Mr. Warnock) was added as a cosponsor of S. 1916, a bill to amend title 11, United States Code, to account for the protection of genetic information in bankruptcy. At the request of Mr. Kelly, the name of the Senator from Minnesota (Ms. Klobuchar) was added as a cosponsor of S. 2448, a bill to amend title 10, United States Code, to improve dependent coverage under the TRICARE Young Adult Program. At the request of Mr. Kim, the names of the Senator from Delaware (Mr. Coons), the Senator from Pennsylvania (Mr. Fetterman) and the Senator from California (Mr. Padilla) were added as cosponsors of S. 2487, a bill to award a Congressional Gold Medal collectively to the Buffalo Soldier regiments, authorized by Congress in 1866 to serve in the United States Armed Forces, in recognition of their superior, dedicated, and vital service to the United States. At the request of Ms. Murkowski, the name of the Senator from Pennsylvania (Mr. Fetterman) was added as a cosponsor of S. 2903, a bill to amend the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 to require a group health plan or health insurance coverage offered in connection with such a plan to provide an exceptions process for any medication step therapy protocol, and for other purposes. At the request of Mr. Lujan, the name of the Senator from New Jersey (Mr. Booker) was added as a cosponsor of S. 2921, a bill to amend section 7014 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to advance toward full Federal funding for impact aid, and for other purposes. At the request of Mr. Hoeven, the names of the Senator from California (Mr. Schiff), the Senator from New Jersey (Mr. Booker), the Senator from Arizona (Mr. Kelly) and the Senator from Colorado (Mr. Bennet) were added as cosponsors of S. 3257, a bill to require the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration to revise regulations for certain individuals carrying out aviation activities who disclose a mental health diagnosis or condition, and for other purposes. At the request of Ms. Duckworth, the names of the Senator from Minnesota (Ms. Klobuchar), the Senator from Rhode Island (Mr. Reed), the Senator from New Jersey (Mr. Kim), the Senator from Oregon (Mr. Merkley), the Senator from New Mexico (Mr. Heinrich), the Senator from Virginia (Mr. Warner), the Senator from New Hampshire (Mrs. Shaheen), the Senator from Delaware (Mr. Coons) and the Senator from Connecticut (Mr. Blumenthal) were added as cosponsors of S. 3258, a bill to require the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration to publish the list of medications that the Administrator has compiled for purposes of the medical certification of airmen and air traffic control specialists, and for other purposes. At the request of Ms. Collins, the names of the Senator from Nevada (Ms. Rosen), the Senator from Pennsylvania (Mr. Fetterman) and the Senator from Indiana (Mr. Young) were added as cosponsors of S. 3267, a bill to amend title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide for Medicare coverage of blood-based dementia screening tests. At the request of Mr. Marshall, the names of the Senator from Alabama (Mr. Tuberville), the Senator from Ohio (Mr. Husted), the Senator from Kentucky (Mr. Paul), the Senator from Indiana (Mr. Banks), the Senator from Alabama (Mrs. Britt), the Senator from Oklahoma (Mr. Armstrong) and the Senator from North Carolina (Mr. Budd) were added as cosponsors of S. 3525, a bill to preserve the franchise business model. At the request of Mr. Curtis, the name of the Senator from Montana (Mr. Daines) was added as a cosponsor of S. 3989, a bill to amend the Public Health Service Act to provide community-based training opportunities for medical students in rural areas and medically underserved communities, and for other purposes. At the request of Ms. Smith, the names of the Senator from Illinois (Mr. Durbin) and the Senator from New Mexico (Mr. Lujan) were added as cosponsors of S. 3990, a bill to increase access to pre-exposure prophylaxis to reduce the transmission of HIV. At the request of Mr. Durbin, the names of the Senator from Illinois (Ms. Duckworth) and the Senator from Nevada (Ms. Cortez Masto) were added as cosponsors of S. 4213, a bill to require data center operators to submit to States or the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency and the Secretaries of Energy and Agriculture reports on data center energy and water use, and for other purposes. At the request of Mr. McCormick, the names of the Senator from North Carolina (Mr. Budd) and the Senator from New Mexico (Mr. Lujan) were added as cosponsors of S. 4395, a bill to reauthorize the Terrorism Risk Insurance Act of 2002, and for other purposes. At the request of Mrs. Shaheen, the names of the Senator from Illinois (Mr. Durbin), the Senator from Rhode Island (Mr. Whitehouse), the Senator from Virginia (Mr. Warner), the Senator from Michigan (Ms. Slotkin) and the Senator from Pennsylvania (Mr. Fetterman) were added as cosponsors of S. 4436, a bill to nullify certain rules related to foreign assistance. At the request of Mr. Peters, the name of the Senator from Maryland (Ms. Alsobrooks) was added as a cosponsor of S. 4562, a bill to direct the Attorney General to conduct a study on animal cruelty, and for other purposes. At the request of Ms. Slotkin, the names of the Senator from Maine (Mr. King), the Senator from California (Mr. Schiff), the Senator from New Jersey (Mr. Booker), the Senator from New York (Mrs. Gillibrand), the Senator from Vermont (Mr. Welch) and the Senator from New Hampshire (Mrs. Shaheen) were added as cosponsors of S. 4845, a bill to require explicit Congressional approval for troops or armed men at polling places for the only exception in the United States Code, and for other purposes. At the request of Mr. Whitehouse, the name of the Senator from New Mexico (Mr. Lujan) was added as a cosponsor of S. 4972, a bill to amend title 11, United States Code, to provide bankruptcy protections for medically distressed debtors, and for other purposes. At the request of Mr. Husted, the names of the Senator from Tennessee (Mr. Hagerty) and the Senator from Indiana (Mr. Young) were added as cosponsors of S. 5028, a bill to amend the Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act of 1978 to establish a Federal standard relating to the recovery of the full, incremental costs of upgrades that serve large-load customers, and for other purposes. At the request of Mr. Warner, the name of the Senator from Delaware (Ms. Blunt Rochester) was added as a cosponsor of S. 5223, a bill to prohibit the purchase or sale of securities while aware of nonpublic information contained in certain social media accounts controlled by Government officials, and for other purposes. At the request of Mr. Coons, the name of the Senator from Alabama (Mrs. Britt) was added as a cosponsor of S. 5313, a bill to require the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to consider cybersecurity risks from quantum computers, and for other purposes. At the request of Mr. Sullivan, the name of the Senator from Tennessee (Mrs. Blackburn) was added as a cosponsor of S. 5404, a bill to impose sanctions and other policy consequences in response to the death of political prisoners in Hong Kong, and for other purposes. At the request of Mr. Heinrich, the names of the Senator from Vermont (Mr. Welch) and the Senator from Connecticut (Mr. Blumenthal) were added as cosponsors of S. 5460, a bill to amend the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act and the Child Nutrition Act of 1966 to increase reimbursement rates of school meals, and for other purposes. At the request of Mr. Schatz, the name of the Senator from Vermont (Mr. Welch) was added as a cosponsor of S. 5482, a bill to amend title 18, United States Code, to establish an Office of Prison Education, and for other purposes. At the request of Mr. Schumer, his name was added as a cosponsor of S.J. Res. 118, a joint resolution to direct the removal of United States Armed Forces from hostilities within or against the Islamic Republic of Iran that have not been authorized by Congress. At the request of Mr. Schumer, his name was added as a cosponsor of S.J. Res. 172, a joint resolution to direct the removal of United States Armed Forces from hostilities within or against the Islamic Republic of Iran that have not been authorized by Congress. At the request of Mr. Schumer, his name was added as a cosponsor of S.J. Res. 191, a joint resolution to direct removal of United States Armed Forces from hostilities within or against the Islamic Republic of Iran that have not been authorized by Congress. At the request of Mr. Schumer, his name was added as a cosponsor of S.J. Res. 200, a joint resolution to direct the removal of United States Armed Forces from hostilities within or against the Islamic Republic of Iran that have not been authorized by Congress. At the request of Mr. Schumer, his name was added as a cosponsor of S.J. Res. 211, a joint resolution to direct the removal of United States Armed Forces from hostilities within or against the Islamic Republic of Iran that have not been authorized by Congress. At the request of Mr. Crapo, the name of the Senator from Nebraska (Mrs. Fischer) was added as a cosponsor of S. Con. Res. 6, a concurrent resolution expressing the sense of Congress that tax-exempt fraternal benefit societies have historically provided and continue to provide critical benefits to the people and communities of the United States. At the request of Ms. Baldwin, the name of the Senator from Illinois (Mr. Durbin) was added as a cosponsor of amendment No. 6828 intended to be proposed to S.
4668, a bill to protect the name, image, and likeness rights of, and provide protections for, student athletes and to promote fair competition among intercollegiate athletics, and for other purposes.
History shows that the Nation can rise to this challenge. Following the launch of Sputnik in 1957, Congress enacted the National Defense Education Act of 1958 that invested in math, science, and foreign language instruction and the teaching workforce to deliver it. With the rise of new technologies and artificial intelligence, we need that kind of effort today to ensure American students have professional educators that can teach the skills students will need to thrive in a changing environment. In February, a coalition of education organizations came together with a call to action to change the trajectory of the education profession through Federal leadership and systemic accountability, investing in innovation and sustainability, making the education profession an affordable career path, and advancing research and evidence to guide the future of learning. The Quality Educator Partnership Act is the legislative plan to answer the call to action. Our legislation calls for a comprehensive national strategy to recruit, prepare, retain, and advance high-quality educators from early childhood through secondary education led by a dedicated Office of Educator Workforce at the U.S. Department of Education. It calls for $500 million annual investment in partnerships between school districts and educator preparation programs to address local workforce needs. It includes $500 million for grants to States to design and implement educator workforce strategies. Our bill creates a new National Educator Service Corps that will cover the cost of tuition and living expenses for prospective teachers who agree to teach in high-need areas. Additionally, the Quality Educator Partnership Act calls for new investments in data collection and accountability to track the state of the educator workforce and equitable access to profession-ready educators. It also calls for new investments in research and development to prepare for the future of teaching. The Quality Educator Partnership Act reflects input from stakeholders across the field about what is needed to recruit, prepare, and support educators. To date, more than two dozen organizations have endorsed it, including the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education, American Federation of Teachers, National Education Association, City Teaching Alliance, Center for Reaching and Teaching the Whole Child, International Society for Transforming Education, National Association for School-University Partnerships, National Center for Teacher Residencies, InnovateEDU, National Principals Association, Council for Academic Deans of Research Education Institutions, National Association for Family, School and Community Engagement, Deans for Impact, National Association of Community College Teacher Education Programs, 1890 Universities Foundation, ETS, Thurgood Marshall College Fund, Teacher Education Council of State Colleges and Universities, National Association for Music Education, ACTFL, National Center for Learning Disabilities, AILACTE, AMLE, National Association of Elementary School Principals, National Council of Teachers of English, UNCF, Teach Plus, and American Library Association. The Nation's outlook for the future is tied to the strength of the education profession. Our economic prosperity, the health of our democracy and civic society, and our ability to meet the challenges of climate change and the information age depend on our students having access to well-prepared and supported educators who reflect the diversity of the students they serve. Today, the profession is in crisis. It is time to act. I urge my colleagues to cosponsor the Quality Educator Partnership Act and work with me to see that it is enacted into law. ______
This bill would support important research and coordination on the scope and impacts of the dumped covered waste in the San Pedro Basin and the potential of bioremediation, as well as require a report to Congress after 3 years. The bill would also establish a grant program for academic and research institutions to study the mapping, movement, breakdown, and bioaccumulation of contaminants. Due to slow degradation, DDT is an ongoing hazard to humans and wildlife, with bioaccumulation found in sea lions, dolphins, bottom-feeding fish, and condors. Supporting further research is crucial to addressing the impacts of the toxic waste dumping.
History shows that the Nation can rise to this challenge. Following the launch of Sputnik in 1957, Congress enacted the National Defense Education Act of 1958 that invested in math, science, and foreign language instruction and the teaching workforce to deliver it. With the rise of new technologies and artificial intelligence, we need that kind of effort today to ensure American students have professional educators that can teach the skills students will need to thrive in a changing environment. In February, a coalition of education organizations came together with a call to action to change the trajectory of the education profession through Federal leadership and systemic accountability, investing in innovation and sustainability, making the education profession an affordable career path, and advancing research and evidence to guide the future of learning. The Quality Educator Partnership Act is the legislative plan to answer the call to action. Our legislation calls for a comprehensive national strategy to recruit, prepare, retain, and advance high-quality educators from early childhood through secondary education led by a dedicated Office of Educator Workforce at the U.S. Department of Education. It calls for $500 million annual investment in partnerships between school districts and educator preparation programs to address local workforce needs. It includes $500 million for grants to States to design and implement educator workforce strategies. Our bill creates a new National Educator Service Corps that will cover the cost of tuition and living expenses for prospective teachers who agree to teach in high-need areas. Additionally, the Quality Educator Partnership Act calls for new investments in data collection and accountability to track the state of the educator workforce and equitable access to profession-ready educators. It also calls for new investments in research and development to prepare for the future of teaching. The Quality Educator Partnership Act reflects input from stakeholders across the field about what is needed to recruit, prepare, and support educators. To date, more than two dozen organizations have endorsed it, including the American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education, American Federation of Teachers, National Education Association, City Teaching Alliance, Center for Reaching and Teaching the Whole Child, International Society for Transforming Education, National Association for School-University Partnerships, National Center for Teacher Residencies, InnovateEDU, National Principals Association, Council for Academic Deans of Research Education Institutions, National Association for Family, School and Community Engagement, Deans for Impact, National Association of Community College Teacher Education Programs, 1890 Universities Foundation, ETS, Thurgood Marshall College Fund, Teacher Education Council of State Colleges and Universities, National Association for Music Education, ACTFL, National Center for Learning Disabilities, AILACTE, AMLE, National Association of Elementary School Principals, National Council of Teachers of English, UNCF, Teach Plus, and American Library Association. The Nation's outlook for the future is tied to the strength of the education profession. Our economic prosperity, the health of our democracy and civic society, and our ability to meet the challenges of climate change and the information age depend on our students having access to well-prepared and supported educators who reflect the diversity of the students they serve. Today, the profession is in crisis. It is time to act. I urge my colleagues to cosponsor the Quality Educator Partnership Act and work with me to see that it is enacted into law.
This bill would support important research and coordination on the scope and impacts of the dumped covered waste in the San Pedro Basin and the potential of bioremediation, as well as require a report to Congress after 3 years. The bill would also establish a grant program for academic and research institutions to study the mapping, movement, breakdown, and bioaccumulation of contaminants. Due to slow degradation, DDT is an ongoing hazard to humans and wildlife, with bioaccumulation found in sea lions, dolphins, bottom-feeding fish, and condors. Supporting further research is crucial to addressing the impacts of the toxic waste dumping.
SENATE RESOLUTION 898--EXPRESSING THE SENSE OF THE SENATE THAT THE ADDITIONAL TARIFFS IMPOSED ON CANADIAN GOODS UNDER SECTION 338 OF THE TARIFF ACT OF 1930 AND THE RHETORIC SURROUNDING THE BILATERAL RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN CANADA AND THE UNITED STATES HARM UNITED STATES CONSUMERS AND BUSINESSES AND THE TARIFFS SHOULD BE RESCINDED Ms. ROSEN submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Finance:
SENATE RESOLUTION 899--RECOGNIZING SUICIDE AS A SERIOUS PUBLIC HEALTH PROBLEM AND EXPRESSING SUPPORT FOR THE DESIGNATION OF SEPTEMBER AS "NATIONAL SUICIDE PREVENTION MONTH" Mr. MURPHY (for himself, Mr. Tillis, Mr. Reed, Mr. Peters, Mrs. Capito, and Mr. Justice) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Health, Education , Labor, and Pensions:
SENATE RESOLUTION 900--EXPRESSING SUPPORT FOR THE DESIGNATION OF THE SECOND MONDAY IN OCTOBER 2026 AS "INDIGENOUS PEOPLES' DAY" TO CELEBRATE AND HONOR INDIGENOUS PEOPLES AND THEIR SHARED HISTORY AND CULTURE Mr. HEINRICH (for himself, Mr. Lujan, Mr. King, Mr. Sanders, Ms. Warren, Mr. Schatz, Ms. Smith, Mr. Gallego, Mr. Hickenlooper, Mr. Kaine, Ms. Hirono, Mr. Merkley, Mr. Schiff, Mr. Padilla, and Mr. Booker) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Indian Affairs:
SENATE RESOLUTION 901--RECOGNIZING THAT THE UNITED STATES NEEDS TO SUPPORT AND STRENGTHEN MOTHERS IN THE WORKFORCE BY INVESTING IN THE MOM ECONOMY Ms. DUCKWORTH (for herself and Mr. Wyden) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions:
SENATE RESOLUTION 902--SUPPORTING THE DESIGNATION OF THE WEEK OF SEPTEMBER 20 THROUGH SEPTEMBER 26, 2026, AS "TELEHEALTH AWARENESS WEEK" Mr. SCHATZ (for himself, Mr. Wicker, Mr. Warner, Mrs. Hyde-Smith, Mr. Welch, and Mr. Barrasso) submitted the following resolution; which was considered and agreed to:
OF REMEMBRANCE FOR THE WORKERS OF THE NUCLEAR WEAPONS PROGRAM OF THE UNITED STATES Mrs. BLACKBURN (for herself, Mrs. Murray, Mr. Lujan, Mr. Hickenlooper, Ms. Cantwell, Ms. Rosen, Mr. Hagerty, and Mr. McConnell) submitted the following resolution; which was considered and agreed to:
SENATE RESOLUTION 904--DESIGNATING THE WEEK OF SEPTEMBER 20 THROUGH SEPTEMBER 27, 2026, AS "GOLD STAR FAMILIES REMEMBRANCE WEEK" Mrs. HYDE-SMITH (for herself and Mr. Warnock) submitted the following resolution; which was considered and agreed to:
SENATE RESOLUTION 905--DESIGNATING SEPTEMBER 25, 2026, AS "NATIONAL LOBSTER DAY" Mr. KING (for himself, Ms. Collins, Mr. Blumenthal, Mr. Murphy, Mr. Reed, Mr. Whitehouse, Mr. Markey, Ms. Warren, Ms. Hassan, and Mr. Scott of Florida) submitted the following resolution; which was considered and agreed to:
24 THROUGH AUGUST 28, 2026, AS THE FOURTH ANNUAL "NATIONAL COMMUNITY HEALTH WORKER AWARENESS WEEK" Mr. WYDEN (for himself, Mrs. Gillibrand, Ms. Hirono, Mr. Padilla, Mr. Blumenthal, Mr. Booker, Mr. Lujan, Mr. Markey, Ms. Blunt Rochester, and Ms. Klobuchar) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions:
Ms. SLOTKIN (for herself and Mrs. Britt) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions:
SENATE RESOLUTION 908--SUPPORTING THE DESIGNATION OF THE WEEK OF SEPTEMBER 21 THROUGH SEPTEMBER 25, 2026, AS "NATIONAL HAZING AWARENESS WEEK" Ms. KLOBUCHAR (for herself and Mr. Cassidy ) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions:
HAWAIIANS AND REAFFIRM THE UNITED STATES FEDERAL TRUST RESPONSIBILITY TO THE NATIVE HAWAIIAN COMMUNITY TO SUPPORT THEIR WELL-BEING Mr. SCHATZ (for himself and Ms. Hirono) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Indian Affairs:
SENATE RESOLUTION 910--EXPRESSING SUPPORT FOR THE DESIGNATION OF OCTOBER 2026 AS "LEWY BODY DEMENTIA AWARENESS MONTH" Mr. BOOKER submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions:
SA 6830. Mr. SCOTT of South Carolina submitted an amendment intended to be proposed to amendment SA 6776 proposed by Mr. Thune (for Mr. Cruz (for himself, Ms. Cantwell, Mr. Schmitt, and Mr. Coons)) to the bill S. 4668, to protect the name, image, and likeness rights of, and provide protections for, student athletes and to promote fair competition among intercollegiate athletics, and for other purposes; which was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:
SA 6831. Mrs. MOODY submitted an amendment intended to be proposed to amendment SA 6776 proposed by Mr. Thune (for Mr. Cruz (for himself, Ms. Cantwell, Mr. Schmitt, and Mr. Coons)) to the bill S. 4668, to protect the name, image, and likeness rights of, and provide protections for, student athletes and to promote fair competition among intercollegiate athletics, and for other purposes; which was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:
SA 6832. Ms. ROSEN submitted an amendment intended to be proposed by her to the bill S. 4128, to prohibit Cabinet Members and senior executive political appointees from using taxpayer funds to hire political consulting, advertising, and marketing firms, from expediting competitive open bidding processes to contract for official advertisements, and from using official advertisements for self-promotion; which was referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs; as follows:
SA 6833. Mr. CRUZ (for himself and Ms. Rosen) submitted an amendment intended to be proposed by him to the bill H.R. 4624, to amend the Professional Boxing Safety Act of 1996 to establish requirements for unified boxing organizations, to further enhance the well-being of professional boxers, and for other purposes; which was referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation; as follows:
C antibody) Brain health examinations (For a boxer age 40 or older, a magnetic resonance image (MRI) scan and a 1 year magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) of the brain; for a boxer under age 40, an MRI of the brain or neurologic examination conducted by a neurologist) In the case of a female fighter, a pregnancy test 14 days"; ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SA 6834. Mr. HUSTED (for Mr. Hoeven (for himself and Ms. Duckworth)) proposed an amendment to the bill S. 3257, to require the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration to revise regulations for certain individuals carrying out aviation activities who disclose a mental health diagnosis or condition, and for other purposes; as follows:
SA 6835. Mr. BOOKER (for himself and Mr. Murphy) submitted an amendment intended to be proposed to amendment SA 6776 proposed by Mr. Thune (for Mr. Cruz (for himself, Ms. Cantwell, Mr. Schmitt, and Mr. Coons)) to the bill S. 4668, to protect the name, image, and likeness rights of, and provide protections for, student athletes and to promote fair competition among intercollegiate athletics, and for other purposes; which was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:
SA 6830. Mr. SCOTT of South Carolina submitted an amendment intended to be proposed to amendment SA 6776 proposed by Mr. Thune (for Mr. Cruz (for himself, Ms. Cantwell, Mr. Schmitt, and Mr. Coons)) to the bill S. 4668, to protect the name, image, and likeness rights of, and provide protections for, student athletes and to promote fair competition among intercollegiate athletics, and for other purposes; which was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:
SA 6831. Mrs. MOODY submitted an amendment intended to be proposed to amendment SA 6776 proposed by Mr. Thune (for Mr. Cruz (for himself, Ms. Cantwell, Mr. Schmitt, and Mr. Coons)) to the bill S. 4668, to protect the name, image, and likeness rights of, and provide protections for, student athletes and to promote fair competition among intercollegiate athletics, and for other purposes; which was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:
SA 6832. Ms. ROSEN submitted an amendment intended to be proposed by her to the bill S. 4128, to prohibit Cabinet Members and senior executive political appointees from using taxpayer funds to hire political consulting, advertising, and marketing firms, from expediting competitive open bidding processes to contract for official advertisements, and from using official advertisements for self-promotion; which was referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs; as follows:
SA 6833. Mr. CRUZ (for himself and Ms. Rosen) submitted an amendment intended to be proposed by him to the bill H.R. 4624, to amend the Professional Boxing Safety Act of 1996 to establish requirements for unified boxing organizations, to further enhance the well-being of professional boxers, and for other purposes; which was referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation; as follows:
C antibody) Brain health examinations (For a boxer age 40 or older, a magnetic resonance image (MRI) scan and a 1 year magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) of the brain; for a boxer under age 40, an MRI of the brain or neurologic examination conducted by a neurologist) In the case of a female fighter, a pregnancy test 14 days"; ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
SA 6834. Mr. HUSTED (for Mr. Hoeven (for himself and Ms. Duckworth)) proposed an amendment to the bill S. 3257, to require the Administrator of the Federal Aviation Administration to revise regulations for certain individuals carrying out aviation activities who disclose a mental health diagnosis or condition, and for other purposes; as follows:
SA 6835. Mr. BOOKER (for himself and Mr. Murphy) submitted an amendment intended to be proposed to amendment SA 6776 proposed by Mr. Thune (for Mr. Cruz (for himself, Ms. Cantwell, Mr. Schmitt, and Mr. Coons)) to the bill S. 4668, to protect the name, image, and likeness rights of, and provide protections for, student athletes and to promote fair competition among intercollegiate athletics, and for other purposes; which was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:
The PRESIDING OFFICER
The PRESIDING OFFICER
The PRESIDING OFFICER
The legislative clerk read as follows:
The PRESIDING OFFICER
The PRESIDING OFFICER
The legislative clerk read as follows:
There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the bill, which had been reported from the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation with an amendment to strike all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed in italic, as follows:
The PRESIDING OFFICER
The legislative clerk read as follows:
There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the bill, which had been reported from the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation with an amendment to strike all after the enacting clause and insert the part printed in italic, as follows:
The PRESIDING OFFICER
The PRESIDING OFFICER
The legislative clerk read as follows:
There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the bill, which had been reported from the Committee on Indian Affairs.
The PRESIDING OFFICER
The PRESIDING OFFICER
There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the resolutions en bloc.
(The resolutions, with their preambles, are printed in today's Record under "Submitted Resolutions.")
The PRESIDING OFFICER
There being no objection, the Senate, at 4:05 p.m., adjourned until Monday, September 28, 2026, at 3 p.m.