John Barrasso
Senator for Wyoming · Republican · United States
“201 Ex.] YEAS--50 Armstrong Banks Barrasso Blackburn Boozman Britt Budd Capito Cassidy Cornyn Cotton Crapo Cruz Curtis Daines Ernst Fischer Graham Grassley Hagerty Hawley Hoeven Husted Hyde-Smith Johnson Justice Kennedy Lankford Lee Lummis Marshall McCormick Moody Moran Moreno Murkowski Paul Ricketts Risch Rounds Schmitt Scott (FL) Scott…”
“In 2021, in Ohio, Flowers tried to defend a $250,000 cap on damages for a child sex abuse survivor--a cap the Ohio Supreme Court deemed ``arbitrary and unreasonable.'' Flowers is also on record as saying that a President can simply ignore a court's reasoning when he disagrees with it.”
“They are threatening to stonewall every single appropriations bill again this year. Democrats are trying to avoid a shutdown--so they say. But they are not trying to avoid a shutdown; they are preparing for another one.”
“Democrats voted to defund Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and they voted to defund our Border Patrol. They want wide-open borders. Democrats vote to protect illegal immigrant criminals but don't seem to care about protecting law-abiding American citizens.”
“Congressional Record, Volume 172 Issue 119 (Tuesday, July 21, 2026) [Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 119 (Tuesday, July 21, 2026)] [Senate] [Page S4182] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] TRIBUTE TO ELLA WALLACE Mr. BARRASSO. Mr.”
“Congressional Record, Volume 172 Issue 119 (Tuesday, July 21, 2026) [Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 119 (Tuesday, July 21, 2026)] [Senate] [Page S4182] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] TRIBUTE TO ELLA WALLACE Mr. BARRASSO. Mr.”
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“Never, at the time, could we have predicted how much attention this would get, and never, at the time, could we have predicted the absurdity of the arguments that would be raised against this because, if you are careful--if you listen carefully--what you will find is that there is not a legitimate argument against the Senate passing the SAVE America Act--no, not even one. The arguments that you will hear against it, over and over and over again, are based entirely on contrivance, on pretext, on false statements and false assumptions. Look, at the end of the day, the SAVE America Act is about reestablishing, restoring trust in U.S. elections. That trust needs to be restored, especially in light of the facts that we have discovered just over the last few days.”
“Some people, when denying that there is any need for us to act here, will throw up things and say: Well, that is fine for the bank or for theater tickets or for the pharmacy. But this is an important constitutional right. It is a fundamental right. My response to that is: Yes, exactly--and that is exactly why we need it. The fact that it involves a protected, fundamental constitutional right is a reason why we need to make it easy to vote and hard to cheat. That is exactly what the SAVE America Act does. It is exactly what it would do. When I set out, about 3 years ago, to write this bill, along with my partner in the House, Congressman Chip Roy from Texas, that was our mantra: Let's make it easy to vote and hard to cheat.”
“The same could be said of a whole bunch of other human transactions, ordinary human interactions involving day-to-day transactions that any of us could be expected to engage in multiple times every single week. One day, maybe it is theater or opera tickets. Maybe the next day, it is withdrawing money from a bank. You show up, and money is gone from your account because your bank stopped requiring people to show ID. They can come along and claim to be someone they are not and take someone's money that is not theirs. The mere fact that we have a lot of people that are allowed to vote doesn't diminish the seriousness of not requiring people to prove that they are, in fact, who they claim to be when they show up to exercise that important right.”
“LEE. Mr. President, imagine your shock if, while on your way to the theater, let's say--I don't know--maybe you are going to the opera. You are planning to pick up your tickets at will call. You arrive at will call at the appointed moment and say: Yes, I am Senator Pete Ricketts. I am here to pick up my opera tickets. They gave them to somebody else. If you found out that the theater was handing out tickets at will call without any form of ID, you would probably be a little disappointed--you or any [[Page S4152]] other American, any other human in that circumstance--realizing that it is important to find out whether you are who you claim to be before you are given something, something where your identity matters.”
“We also have the Election Security Partnership Act, which I led along with Senator Lindsey Graham, and this is something that would incentivize States to submit their voter rolls through that SAVE system at DHS. This is basically: We are going to pay you to do the right thing. We are going to actually incentivize and give you more money on your grants if you will do the right thing and obey the law. Now, we have many more bills that we can do to secure our elections. Every Member of Congress should support these measures, and Republicans are going to do everything possible to get them across the finish line as we are celebrating our Nation's 250th anniversary. It is imperative--imperative--that we pass these bills in order to preserve the integrity of our electoral system. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Utah. SAVE America Act Mr.”
“Do they think they have to have people that are not citizens registered to vote in order to win an election? Now, when we talk about the SAVE America Act and talk about it in total, we have said: Look, whatever it takes to get this passed--if we have to pass it one piece at a time, that is what we will do. And our friends on the other side of the aisle need to explain to the American public why they are so opposed. Now, Senator Husted's bill, for example, would enact only the voter ID provision of the SAVE America Act. That is a good thing. That is a great first step. Just prove that you are who you say you are. When you go to the poll to vote, prove that you are who you say you are when you request a mail-in or absentee ballot.”
“The President noted that this figure is likely an undercount because Democrat States refused to share their voter files with the administration. Democrats do not care. They are perfectly content with voter fraud. Indeed, as we have said many times: Let's make it easier to vote and harder to cheat. And the Democrats continue to fight us on this. Their leader Chuck Schumer claimed that the legislation, the SAVE America Act, was dead on arrival here in the Senate, meaning not a single one of them--not a one of them--agrees with 71 percent of the Democrats, 83 percent of the American public. They just don't agree with them when the people are saying: We want the SAVE America Act. So I just have to ask: What are they afraid of? What are they really fearful of? Are they afraid, if it is only citizens voting, that they are not going to win?”
“States that do this have found thousands of individuals. Maybe they have got a driver's license, and maybe, during that process, they registered to vote. But they are not entitled to vote. So those are the individuals that need to be removed from this system. I will point out that there is no other--no other--developed nation that leaves their elections so vulnerable to fraud and manipulation. So to defend themselves, Democrats claim that voter fraud is very rare. Well, President Trump's Thursday night address on election integrity showed just how much voter fraud we have. According to a DHS review of State voter rolls, there are approximately 278,000 noncitizens registered to vote in our elections. The last three Presidential elections were decided by fewer than 270,000 votes.”
“Now, at the same time, two dozen States--and, again, they are overwhelmingly blue--that is, 24 States refuse to work with DHS to compare their voter rolls with the Federal SAVE database, which verifies the immigration status of registered voters. Now, that is a system--that is a database--at the Department of Homeland Security, and this SAVE system has that listing of noncitizens who were in our country--people that are on student visas, people that are on work visas, people that are permanent legal residents, people that are in the country illegally. But do you know what? Not a single one of those individuals is entitled to vote. So, free of charge, any State can log into this system--President Trump has made it easy for the States--and then they can take their voter roll, and they can check it against the SAVE system.”
“But for years, we have seen blue States practically invite fraud into their elections. Fourteen States--including California, New York, Illinois, Massachusetts, and Minnesota--do not require any form of ID to vote. Many more States accept ID that is nonphoto. Now, think about that. In 14 States, if you live in one of those States, you do not have to prove anything in order to go vote in their elections. It is open season. So my question would be: How does that type of system--no ID required, just come on and vote. Everybody welcome. The polls are open. It doesn't matter if you are a citizen or a noncitizen. Come cast your ballot. So you have got these States that require no ID, and you have got other States that will have nonphoto ID that they will accept.”
“Now, for my colleagues across the aisle, 71 percent of the Democrats support this. They want people to have to prove that they are indeed who they claim to be. Also, our legislation would require people to be a U.S. citizen in order to vote in our elections, and it would require the States to remove noncitizens who have somehow ended up on their voter rolls. These are all common sense, every one of them--common sense. There is nothing objectionable about these measures. It is common sense. And these are sensible, easily understood, and easily implemented ways to make certain that we are protecting our electoral system. Many Republican States already enforce these safeguards. Tennessee, my home State, leads the Nation in election integrity. Now, if every State was like Tennessee, there would be no need for the SAVE America Act.”
“Having voter ID is something the vast majority of Americans support. Whether they are Democrats or Republicans or Independents or Libertarians, everyone thinks you should have to show an ID when you go to vote. It is incredible that we are on the floor having to make the case for this legislation. The bill's provisions are really common sense, and, as I said, this is something the American people have said: We want this. We want to preserve one person, one vote, and preserve the integrity of the electoral system. Now, the legislation that is before us would really accomplish three major objectives in securing our elections. It would require voters to present an ID to cast a ballot. Now, as I said, this is overwhelmingly popular. You have got 83 percent of all Americans.”
“Congressional Record, Volume 172 Issue 118 (Monday, July 20, 2026) [Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 118 (Monday, July 20, 2026)] [Senate] [Pages S4151-S4160] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] ORDER FOR ADJOURNMENT Mr. BARRASSO. Mr. President, if there is no further business to come before the Senate, I ask that following the remarks of my Republican colleagues, the Senate proceed to legislative session and that the Senate stand adjourned under the previous order. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered. The Senator from Tennessee. SAVE America Act Mrs. BLACKBURN. Mr. President, several of my colleagues and I are going to talk tonight about the importance of passing the SAVE America Act, and this is an issue the Senate should willingly take up.”
“on Tuesday, July 21; that following the prayer and pledge, the Journal of proceedings be approved to date, the morning hour be deemed expired, the time for the two leaders be reserved for their use later in the day, morning business be closed, and the Senate proceed to executive session to resume consideration of the Flowers nomination; further, that the Senate recess tomorrow from 12:30 [[Page S4151]] until 2:15 p.m. for the weekly conference meetings and that all time during leader remarks, recess, and adjournment count postcloture on the Flowers nomination; and finally, that if any nominations are confirmed during Tuesday's session of the Senate, the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table and the President be immediately notified of the Senate's actions. The PRESIDING OFFICER.”
“Congressional Record, Volume 172 Issue 118 (Monday, July 20, 2026) [Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 118 (Monday, July 20, 2026)] [Senate] [Pages S4150-S4151] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] ORDERS FOR TUESDAY, JULY 21, 2026 Mr. BARRASSO. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today, it stand adjourned until 10 a.m.”
“Ricketts). On this vote, the yeas are 43, the nays are 40, and the motion is agreed to. The motion was agreed to. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The majority whip. ____________________”
“200 Ex.] YEAS--43 Armstrong Banks Barrasso Blackburn Budd Capito Cassidy Collins Cornyn Cotton Cramer Crapo Curtis Daines Ernst Graham Grassley Hagerty Hawley Hoeven Husted Hyde-Smith Johnson Justice Lankford Lee Lummis Marshall McCormick Moreno Murkowski Paul Ricketts Rounds Schmitt Scott (FL) Scott (SC) Sheehy Sullivan Thune Tillis Wicker Young NAYS--40 Alsobrooks Baldwin Bennet Blumenthal Blunt Rochester Booker Cantwell Coons Duckworth Durbin Gallego Gillibrand Hassan Heinrich Hickenlooper Hirono Kaine Kelly Kim King Klobuchar Lujan Markey Merkley Murphy Murray Ossoff Peters Reed Schatz Schiff Schumer Slotkin Van Hollen Warner Warnock Warren Welch Whitehouse Wyden NOT VOTING--17 Boozman Britt Cortez Masto Cruz Fetterman Fischer Kennedy McConnell Moody Moran Padilla Risch Rosen Sanders Shaheen Smith Tuberville The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr.”
“Fischer), the Senator from Louisiana (Mr. Kennedy), the Senator from Kentucky (Mr. McConnell), the Senator from Florida (Mrs. Moody), the Senator from Kansas (Mr. Moran), the Senator from Idaho (Mr. Risch), and the Senator from Alabama (Mr. Tuberville). Further, if present and voting: the Senator from Texas (Mr. Cruz) would have voted ``yea.'' Mr. DURBIN. I announce that the Senator from Nevada (Ms. Cortez Masto), the Senator from Pennsylvania (Mr. Fetterman), the Senator from California (Mr. Padilla), the Senator from Nevada (Ms. Rosen), the Senator from Vermont (Mr. Sanders), the Senator from New Hampshire (Mrs. Shaheen), and the Senator from Minnesota (Ms. Smith), are necessarily absent. The yeas and nays resulted--yeas 43, nays 40, as follows: [Rollcall Vote No.”
“Moody, James Lankford, Todd Young, Ted Budd, Pete Ricketts, Jon A. Husted, Mike Crapo, Mike Rounds, Tim Scott of South Carolina, Bernie Moreno, John Cornyn, Chuck Grassley, James C. Justice, Eric Schmitt. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Under the previous order, the mandatory quorum call under rule XXII has been waived. The question is, Is it the sense of the Senate that debate on the nomination of Benjamin M. Flowers, of Ohio, to be United States Circuit Judge for the Sixth Circuit, shall be brought to a close? The yeas and nays are mandatory under the rule. The clerk will call the roll. The senior assistant executive clerk called the roll. Mr. BARRASSO. The following Senators are necessarily absent: the Senator from Arkansas (Mr. Boozman), the Senator from Alabama (Mrs. Britt), the Senator from Texas (Mr. Cruz), the Senator from Nebraska (Mrs.”
“Congressional Record, Volume 172 Issue 118 (Monday, July 20, 2026) [Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 118 (Monday, July 20, 2026)] [Senate] [Page S4150] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] Cloture Motion The PRESIDING OFFICER. Pursuant to rule XXII, the Chair lays before the Senate the pending cloture motion, which the clerk will state. The senior assistant executive clerk read as follows: Cloture Motion We, the undersigned Senators, in accordance with the provisions of rule XXII of the Standing Rules of the Senate, do hereby move to bring to a close debate on the nomination of Executive Calendar No. 775, Benjamin M. Flowers, of Ohio, to be United States Circuit Judge for the Sixth Circuit. John Thune, Tim Sheehy, John Barrasso, Ashley B.”
“The following Senators are necessarily absent: the Senator from Tennessee (Mr. Hagerty), the Senator from Kentucky (Mr. McConnell), and the Senator from Mississippi (Mr. Wicker). Further, if present and voting: the Senator from Tennessee (Mr. Hagerty) would have voted ``nay'' and the Senator from Mississippi (Mr. Wicker) would have voted ``nay.''”
“The following Senators are necessarily absent: the Senator from Tennessee (Mr. Hagerty) and the Senator from Kentucky (Mr. McConnell). Further, if present and voting: the Senator from Tennessee (Mr. Hagerty) would have voted ``Yea.''”
“I suggest the absence of a quorum. The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The clerk will call the roll. The senior assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.”
“We stopped the largest tax increase in American history. We put more money back into the pockets of millions of hard-working Americans. Ninety-six percent of Americans who make under $200,000 a year benefited from the Working Families Tax Cut law. Republicans secured the border. We passed the largest investment in border security in American history. We fully funded ICE and Border Patrol for the next 3 years, and we are deporting illegal immigrant criminals. The contrast is clear: Democrats stand for high taxes, open borders, and lawlessness. Republicans stand for freedom, liberty, and American greatness. America is worth defending. America is worth celebrating. America is worth fighting for. That is what Republicans are committed to doing, and that is what we did as the people of Wyoming over the Fourth of July. I yield the floor.”
“You may have noticed that, in the middle of a heat wave, the new Democrat mayor told New Yorkers to turn up their air conditioning to 78 degrees. Why? Because the New York power grid was collapsing. How could that be? Why was the New York power grid collapsing? Well, because New York Democrats--pressured by climate extremists--shut down reliable nuclear powerplants. Welcome to the Democrat Party of 2026. Alarmingly, in this very Chamber, Democrat leaders are cheering on the radical left. After socialists swept their primaries this summer, one Democrat Senator said that ``this is a very good trend.'' Another said it is a sign that their party is ``alive and well.'' Another said we are now seeing the ``future of the Democrat Party.'' By contrast, Republicans continue to deliver results. We passed the Working Families Tax Cut law.”
“Democrats want to weaken law enforcement. They want to make it harder to remove illegal immigrant criminals from our communities. Democrats want to pack the Supreme Court. They want judges who will rewrite the law and ignore the Constitution. Democrats want to abolish the electoral college. They want to make it possible for only a handful of big cities in blue States to control the selection of the next President. Democrats want higher taxes. They want hard-working American families to pay for healthcare for illegal immigrants. Democrats want to keep affordable, available, reliable American energy in the ground. That is today's Democrat Party. They are radical, they are extreme, they are dangerous, and they are scary.”
“Today's Democrat leadership is enabling it. America's largest city--the hometown of the minority leader, Senator Schumer--is now being run by a professed socialist. Our Nation's Capital is about to elect one as well. People proclaiming to be socialists are winning Democrat primaries across the country. In Michigan, a Democrat front-runner for the U.S. Senate is campaigning with an extremist who blames America for the September 11 terrorist attacks. These were the attacks that 25 years ago cost the lives of 2,977 Americans. Extremism drives the Democrat Party, and its influence within the party is growing. Here is what they want: Democrats want open borders. Democrats want to defund the police. Democrats want to abolish Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Democrats want to abolish the U.S. Border Patrol.”
“The streets were packed for the Independence Day parade in Cody, and people then gathered at Veterans Park for the annual ``Let Freedom Ring'' celebration. The seats were full for the Big Wyo Rodeo in Sheridan and the Casper Rodeo finals just this past Saturday night. Our entire congressional delegation attended parades and festivities all across the Cowboy State. This is the America that we saw these past 2 weeks. Yet there is another vision being offered to this country today, and we see it on the other side of the aisle. It is the vision being offered by the Democrats, and it is a dark vision, indeed. It is a vision of open borders, of high taxes, and of lawlessness. It is a vision that damages our communities and disrespects the values that Americans hold dear. Today's Democrat Party has taken a radical turn to the left.”
“Mr. President, over just the last couple of weeks, the people of Wyoming have celebrated two very important events: July 4, Independence Day, as America turned 250; and July 10, Wyoming Statehood Day. My home State of Wyoming turned 136 that day. We celebrated both of those great occurrences all across the State for a full week. We had the iconic Cody Stampede Rodeo in Cody, WY. We saw volunteers in Gillette serve over 4,000 hot dogs at the Independence Day community celebration. We saw the Boy Scouts in Sheridan serve over 1,000 pancake breakfasts. And my Rotary Club in Casper celebrated the values that started our country. We had Wyoming best-selling author C.J. Box read the Declaration of Independence at a community gathering in Carbon County.”
“Congressional Record, Volume 172 Issue 116 (Thursday, July 16, 2026) [Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 116 (Thursday, July 16, 2026)] [Senate] [Page S4121] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] Waiving Quorum Call Mr. BARRASSO. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to waive the mandatory quorum call with respect to the Westercamp nomination. The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Without objection, it is so ordered.”
“Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded. The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Without objection, it is so ordered.”
“Budd). On this vote, the yeas are 49, the nays are 48, and the motion is agreed to. The motion was agreed to. ____________________”
“198 Ex.] YEAS--49 Armstrong Banks Barrasso Blackburn Boozman Britt Budd Capito Cassidy Cornyn Cotton Cramer Crapo Cruz Curtis Daines Ernst Fischer Graham Grassley Hawley Hoeven Husted Hyde-Smith Johnson Justice Kennedy Lankford Lee Lummis Marshall McCormick Moody Moran Moreno Murkowski Ricketts Risch Rounds Schmitt Scott (FL) Scott (SC) Sheehy Sullivan Thune Tillis Tuberville Wicker Young NAYS--48 Alsobrooks Baldwin Bennet Blumenthal Blunt Rochester Booker Cantwell Collins Coons Cortez Masto Duckworth Durbin Fetterman Gallego Gillibrand Hassan Heinrich Hickenlooper Hirono Kaine Kelly Kim King Klobuchar Lujan Markey Merkley Murray Ossoff Padilla Paul Peters Reed Rosen Sanders Schatz Schiff Schumer Shaheen Slotkin Smith Van Hollen Warner Warnock Warren Welch Whitehouse Wyden NOT VOTING--3 Hagerty McConnell Murphy The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr.”
“Further, if present and voting: the Senator from Tennessee (Mr. Hagerty) would have voted ``Yea.'' Mr. DURBIN. I announce that the Senator from Connecticut (Mr. Murphy) is neccessarily absent. The yeas and nays resulted--yeas 49, nays 48, as follows: [Rollcall Vote No.”
“John Thune, Ted Budd, Thom Tillis, John Barrasso, Tim Sheehy, Joni Ernst, Jon A. Husted, Katie Boyd Britt, David McCormick, Mike Rounds, John Boozman, Bill Cassidy, Rick Scott of Florida, Josh Hawley, Cynthia M. Lummis, Kevin Cramer, Steve Daines. The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Under the previous order, the mandatory quorum call under rule XXII has been waived. The question is, Is it the sense of the Senate that debate on the nomination of Kara Marie Westercamp, of Virginia, to be a Judge of the United States Court of International Trade, shall be brought to a close? The yeas and nays are mandatory under the rule. The clerk will call the roll. The bill clerk called the roll. Mr. BARRASSO. The following Senators are necessarily absent: the Senator from Tennessee (Mr. Hagerty) and the Senator from Kentucky (Mr. McConnell).”
“Congressional Record, Volume 172 Issue 116 (Thursday, July 16, 2026) [Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 116 (Thursday, July 16, 2026)] [Senate] [Page S4124] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] Cloture Motion The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Pursuant to rule XXII, the Chair lays before the Senate the pending cloture motion, which the clerk will state. The bill clerk read as follows: Cloture Motion We, the undersigned Senators, in accordance with the provisions of rule XXII of the Standing Rules of the Senate, do hereby move to bring to a close debate on the nomination of Executive Calendar No. 738, Kara Marie Westercamp, of Virginia, to be a Judge of the United States Court of International Trade.”
“The contrast is clear: Democrats stand for high taxes, open borders, and lawlessness. Republicans stand for freedom, liberty, and American greatness. America is worth defending. America is worth celebrating. America is worth fighting for. That is what Republicans are committed to doing, and that is what we did as the people of Wyoming over the Fourth of July. I yield the floor. I suggest the absence of a quorum. The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The clerk will call the roll. The senior assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll. Mr. RICKETTS. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded. The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Without objection, it is so ordered.”
“After socialists swept their primaries this summer, one Democrat Senator said that ``this is a very good trend.'' Another said it is a sign that their party is ``alive and well.'' Another said we are now seeing the ``future of the Democrat Party.'' By contrast, Republicans continue to deliver results. We passed the Working Families Tax Cut law. We stopped the largest tax increase in American history. We put more money back into the pockets of millions of hard-working Americans. Ninety-six percent of Americans who make under $200,000 a year benefited from the Working Families Tax Cut law. Republicans secured the border. We passed the largest investment in border security in American history. We fully funded ICE and Border Patrol for the next 3 years, and we are deporting illegal immigrant criminals.”
“That is today's Democrat Party. They are radical, they are extreme, they are dangerous, and they are scary. You may have noticed that, in the middle of a heat wave, the new Democrat mayor told New Yorkers to turn up their air conditioning to 78 degrees. Why? Because the New York power grid was collapsing. How could that be? Why was the New York power grid collapsing? Well, because New York Democrats--pressured by climate extremists--shut down reliable nuclear powerplants. Welcome to the Democrat Party of 2026. Alarmingly, in this very Chamber, Democrat leaders are cheering on the radical left.”
“Here is what they want: Democrats want open borders. Democrats want to defund the police. Democrats want to abolish Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Democrats want to abolish the U.S. Border Patrol. Democrats want to weaken law enforcement. They want to make it harder to remove illegal immigrant criminals from our communities. Democrats want to pack the Supreme Court. They want judges who will rewrite the law and ignore the Constitution. Democrats want to abolish the electoral college. They want to make it possible for only a handful of big cities in blue States to control the selection of the next President. Democrats want higher taxes. They want hard-working American families to pay for healthcare for illegal immigrants. Democrats want to keep affordable, available, reliable American energy in the ground.”
“It is a vision of open borders, of high taxes, and of lawlessness. It is a vision that damages our communities and disrespects the values that Americans hold dear. Today's Democrat Party has taken a radical turn to the left. Today's Democrat leadership is enabling it. America's largest city--the hometown of the minority leader, Senator Schumer--is now being run by a professed socialist. Our Nation's Capital is about to elect one as well. People proclaiming to be socialists are winning Democrat primaries across the country. In Michigan, a Democrat front-runner for the U.S. Senate is campaigning with an extremist who blames America for the September 11 terrorist attacks. These were the attacks that 25 years ago cost the lives of 2,977 Americans. Extremism drives the Democrat Party, and its influence within the party is growing.”
“And my Rotary Club in Casper celebrated the values that started our country. We had Wyoming best-selling author C.J. Box read the Declaration of Independence at a community gathering in Carbon County. The streets were packed for the Independence Day parade in Cody, and people then gathered at Veterans Park for the annual ``Let Freedom Ring'' celebration. The seats were full for the Big Wyo Rodeo in Sheridan and the Casper Rodeo finals just this past Saturday night. Our entire congressional delegation attended parades and festivities all across the Cowboy State. This is the America that we saw these past 2 weeks. Yet there is another vision being offered to this country today, and we see it on the other side of the aisle. It is the vision being offered by the Democrats, and it is a dark vision, indeed.”
“Congressional Record, Volume 172 Issue 116 (Thursday, July 16, 2026) [Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 116 (Thursday, July 16, 2026)] [Senate] [Page S4121] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] Wyoming Mr. BARRASSO. Mr. President, over just the last couple of weeks, the people of Wyoming have celebrated two very important events: July 4, Independence Day, as America turned 250; and July 10, Wyoming Statehood Day. My home State of Wyoming turned 136 that day. We celebrated both of those great occurrences all across the State for a full week. We had the iconic Cody Stampede Rodeo in Cody, WY. We saw volunteers in Gillette serve over 4,000 hot dogs at the Independence Day community celebration. We saw the Boy Scouts in Sheridan serve over 1,000 pancake breakfasts.”
“Congressional Record, Volume 172 Issue 116 (Thursday, July 16, 2026) [Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 116 (Thursday, July 16, 2026)] [Senate] [Page S4121] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] Waiving Quorum Call Mr. BARRASSO. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to waive the mandatory quorum call with respect to the Westercamp nomination. The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Without objection, it is so ordered.”
“Where were Senate Republicans when we gave them opportunity after opportunity after opportunity to reform ICE? There is blood on the streets, and the blame is on the Senate Republicans. I yield the floor. The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. The clerk will call the roll. The senior assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll. Mr. BARRASSO. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded. The ACTING PRESIDENT pro tempore. Without objection, it is so ordered.”
“If Republicans had accepted our proposal for body cameras, warrant requirements, use-of-force standards, training, and other basic reforms used by every law enforcement agency across the country, these killings could have been prevented. Instead, Republicans jammed through a partisan bill [[Page S4121]] that pumped tens of billions of dollars into Trump's rogue Agencies without any restraints whatsoever. So it was Senate Republicans who chose not to make reforms to ICE, as Democrats tried to push them. Americans know exactly who to blame for unleashing the chaos on the streets. Where were Senate Republicans when Trump immediately reinstated the vehicle stops policy that led to these killings? Where were Senate Republicans when the administration said ICE agents had ``absolute immunity'' after the Minneapolis murders?”
“Congressional Record, Volume 172 Issue 116 (Thursday, July 16, 2026) [Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 116 (Thursday, July 16, 2026)] [Senate] [Pages S4120-S4121] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] Immigration and Customs Enforcement Now on Republican inaction on ICE, two more people have been gunned down in the street by Trump's ICE agents, and all Republicans have done is shrug their shoulders and point fingers. Senate Republicans know full well they were the ones who abandoned commonsense reforms to rein in ICE on multiple occasions. Yesterday, Senator Collins of Maine tried pinning the blame on Democrats even though she voted against an amendment requiring ICE to wear body cameras just last month. Absolutely shameless. Absolutely shameless.”
“(e) Authorization of Appropriations.--There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section $10,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2027 through 2034. (f) Repeal of the Mining and Mineral Resources Institutes Act.--The Mining and Mineral Resources Institutes Act (30 U.S.C. 1221 et seq.) is repealed. ______”
“(3) Duties.--The Board shall-- (A) evaluate grant applications received under subsection (c) and make recommendations to the Secretary for selection of grant recipients under that subsection; (B) propose the amount of the grant for each applicant recommended to be selected under subparagraph (A); and (C) perform oversight to ensure that grant funds awarded under subsection (c) are used for the purposes described in paragraph (4) of that subsection. (4) Term.--A member of the Board shall serve for a term of 4 years. (5) Vacancies.--A vacancy on the Board-- (A) shall not affect the powers of the Board; and (B) shall be filled in the same manner as the original appointment was made by not later than 180 days after the date on which the vacancy occurs.”
“(d) Mining Professional Development Advisory Board.-- (1) In general.--There is established an advisory board, to be known as the ``Mining Professional Development Advisory Board''. (2) Composition.--The Board shall be composed of 6 members, to be appointed by the Secretary not later than 180 days after the date of enactment of this Act, of whom-- (A) 3 shall be individuals who are actively working in the mining profession and for the mining industry; and (B) 3 shall have experience in academia implementing and operating professional skills training and education programs in the mining sector.”