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.”
The complete record
Every one of 411 lines we hold for John Barrasso, in date order, each linked to its source. Free to read, in full, without an account. Page 5 of 9.
“(4) Use of funds.--A mining school receiving a grant under paragraph (1) shall use the grant funds-- (A) to recruit students to the mining school; and (B) to enhance and support programs related to, as applicable-- (i) mining, mineral extraction efficiency, and related processing technology; (ii) emphasizing critical mineral and rare earth element exploration, extraction, and refining; (iii) reclamation technology and practices for active mining operations; (iv) the development of reprocessing systems and technologies that facilitate reclamation that fosters the recovery of resources at abandoned mine sites; (v) mineral extraction, refining, processing, reprocessing, and recycling methods that reduce environmental and human impacts; (vi) technologies to extract, refine, separate, smelt, produce, or recycle minerals, including rare earth elements; (vii) reducing dependence on foreign energy and mineral supplies through increased domestic critical mineral production and recycling; (viii) enhancing the competitiveness of United States energy and mineral technology exports; (ix) the extraction or processing of coinciding mineralization, including rare earth elements, within coal or other ores, coal or mineral processing byproduct, overburden, or residue from coal, minerals, or other ores; (x) enhancing technologies and practices relating to mitigation of acid mine drainage, reforestation, and revegetation in the reclamation of land and water resources adversely affected by mining; (xi) enhancing exploration and characterization of new or novel deposits, including rare earth elements and critical minerals within phosphate rocks, uranium-bearing deposits, and other nontraditional sources; (xii) meeting challenges of extreme mining conditions, such as deeper deposits or cold region mining; (xiii) mineral economics, including analysis of supply chains, future mineral needs, and unconventional mining resources; and (xiv) mining practices that reduce environmental impact, including mining practices that reduce water usage, mitigate surface disturbance, and promote overall resource efficiency.”
“(B) Selection statement.--In selecting recipients for grants under paragraph (1), the Secretary shall-- (i) in response to a recommendation from the Board, submit to the Board a statement that describes-- (I) whether the Secretary accepts or rejects, in whole or in part, the recommendation of the Board; and (II) the justification and rationale for any rejection, in whole or in part, of the recommendation of the Board; and (ii) not later than 15 days after awarding a grant for which the Board submitted a recommendation, publish the statement submitted under clause (i) on the Department of Energy website.”
“(3) Recommendations of the board.-- (A) In general.--In selecting recipients for grants under paragraph (1) and determining the amount of each grant, the Secretary, to the maximum extent practicable, shall take into consideration the recommendations of the Board under subparagraphs (A) and (B) of subsection (d)(3).”
“(2) Selection requirements.-- (A) In general.--To the maximum extent practicable, the Secretary shall select recipients for grants under paragraph (1) to ensure geographic diversity among grant recipients to ensure that region-specific specialties are developed for region-specific geology. (B) Timeline.--The Secretary shall award the grants under paragraph (1) by not later than the later of-- (i) the date that is 180 days after the start of the applicable fiscal year; and (ii) the date that is 180 days after the date on which the Act making full-year appropriations for the Department of Energy for the applicable fiscal year is enacted.”
“(b) Domestic Mining Education Strengthening Program.--The Secretary, in consultation with the Secretary of the Interior (acting through the Director of the United States Geological Survey), shall-- (1) establish a grant program to strengthen domestic mining education; and (2) under the program established in paragraph (1), award competitive grants to mining schools for the purpose of recruiting and educating the next generation of mining engineers and other qualified professionals to meet the future energy and mineral needs of the United States. (c) Grants.-- (1) In general.--In carrying out the grant program established under subsection (b)(1), the Secretary shall award not more than 10 grants each year to mining schools.”
“(5) Mining school.--The term ``mining school'' means-- (A) a mining, metallurgical, geological, or mineral engineering program accredited by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology, Inc., that is located at an institution of higher education, including a Tribal College or University (as defined in section 316(b) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1059c(b))); or (B) a geology or engineering program or department that is located at a 4-year public institution of higher education located in a State the gross domestic product of which in 2021 was not less than $2,000,000,000 in the combined categories of ``Mining (except oil and gas)'' and ``Support activities for mining'', according to the Bureau of Economic Analysis. (6) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary of Energy.”
“(3) Mining industry.--The term ``mining industry'' means the mining industry of the United States, consisting of the search for, and extraction, beneficiation, refining, smelting, processing, reprocessing, and recycling of, naturally occurring metal and nonmetal minerals from the earth. (4) Mining profession.--The term ``mining profession'' means the body of jobs directly relevant to-- (A) the exploration, planning, execution, and remediation of metal and nonmetal mining sites; and (B) the extraction, including the separation, refining, alloying, smelting, concentration, processing, reprocessing, and recycling, of mineral ores.”
“4784, to authorize appropriations for fiscal [[Page S4110]] year 2027 for military activities of the Department of Defense, for military construction, and for defense activities of the Department of Energy, to prescribe military personnel strengths for such fiscal year, and for other purposes; which was ordered to lie on the table; as follows: At the end of subtitle G of title X, add the following: SEC. 1094. TECHNOLOGY GRANTS TO STRENGTHEN DOMESTIC MINING EDUCATION. (a) Definitions.--In this section: (1) Board.--The term ``Board'' means the Mining Professional Development Advisory Board established by subsection (d)(1). (2) Institution of higher education.--The term ``institution of higher education'' has the meaning given the term in section 101 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001).”
“Congressional Record, Volume 172 Issue 115 (Wednesday, July 15, 2026) [Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 115 (Wednesday, July 15, 2026)] [Senate] [Pages S4109-S4110] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] SA 6695. Mr. BARRASSO (for himself, Mr. Hickenlooper, Mr. Justice, Ms. Cortez Masto, Mr. Lujan, Mr. Kelly, Mr. Bennet, and Ms. Rosen) submitted an amendment intended to be proposed by him to the bill S.”
“The Democrats of today are radical; they are extreme; they are dangerous; they are scary. Well, the world is a dangerous place, and by voting against the National Defense Authorization Act, the Democrats are disrespecting the American troops; they are undermining American security; and Democrats are jeopardizing America's strength. Look, our friend Lindsey Graham believed in peace through strength. I do, as well as do most Americans--but not the Democrat Party of today. It is time for us to act on that belief: that America is best when we are strong and it helps make us more safe. It is time for the Senate to pass a bipartisan National Defense Authorization Act, and it is time for Democrats to act like Americans. I yield the floor. I suggest the absence of a quorum. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.”
“Just 2 days ago, right here on the Senate floor, the Senator from Maryland, Senator Chris Van Hollen, said this: Missile defense--to defend against incoming missiles for the American people--was wasteful spending. It is remarkable. Defending the country is wasteful spending. That is who the Democrats have become. The Democrats act like pennypinchers when it comes to paying our troops to protect our homeland; yet, they accept the astronomical cost of the waste, the fraud, and the abuse--free healthcare for illegal immigrants, the fraud that is happening like we are seeing in Minnesota, and all of those things. The Democrats are for all of that, but they are not for our troops, and they are not for defending our Nation. That is the Democrat Party of today.”
“No, you are not getting it on merit alone. That is who the Democrats have become. That is the threat to our Nation--this far-leftist group that is telling the Democrats here on the floor of the Senate what to do. And for things that had been bipartisan in the past, they said: No, we can't do that anymore. This far-left wing of the party is telling us what to do and how to march in step. Democrats voted against ending harmful DEI mandates. They voted against stronger border security. They like open borders. They don't want border security. They voted against funding to combat against the cartels that are moving poison into the country--killing young people in record numbers. Democrats voted against stopping the flood of deadly drugs and illegal border crossings.”
“Warren Air Force Base. The airmen who serve there are the lynchpin of our land-based nuclear force. The deterrence there has been known over the decades as our Nation's ``ace in the hole.'' That is how it works--the desire to protect us as a nation. Democrats voted against all of it. They actually even voted against expanding our military recruitment effort. They don't want us to be able to recruit for the military, and they don't want the military to be properly funded and equipped in a way that protects us as a nation. Democrats actually even voted against more savings for taxpayers. Democrats voted against protecting women's sports at our military schools. No, they don't want any of that. Democrats voted against promotions based on merit and merit alone: Oh, no. You have merited and earned a promotion?”
“It means that, first, many of them voted for the bill in the committee in order to send it to the floor. Then it gets to the floor, and what happens? All of them vote to block it from even beginning the debate. Apparently, Democrats were for it before they were against it. Here is what Democrats voted against: They voted against higher pay for our troops. They voted against better healthcare for our service members and their families. Democrats voted against better housing for our troops. Democrats voted against stronger deterrence. Democrats voted against a more lethal military. Democrats voted against a larger, stronger Navy. Democrats even voted against a modern nuclear deterrent. Don't we want to deter nuclear war? This is at a time when nuclear weapons are proliferating all around the world. In my home State of Wyoming, we have F.E.”
“I am going to go through the list of all the things they said no to yesterday. This year should be no different than the other years--65 years in a row. This year's Defense bill gives our military every tool it needs to keep us, as Americans, safe. It invests in peace through strength at home and abroad. Importantly, this bill provides a pay raise for the men and women who defend our Nation. Every single Democrat in this Chamber joined Senator Schumer, joined Bernie Sanders, and joined Elizabeth Warren and said: No, we are not voting for it. We are not voting for it. That is what they said. They refused to allow the debate to even begin. This was before the bill even started the debate here on the floor of the Senate. And it is interesting because many of them flip- flopped. What do I mean by that?”
“Mr. President, few votes in this body are as important as the vote to fund our troops, our military. Yesterday, right here on this floor, the U.S. Senate--every single Democrat--voted to block that funding. And just 10 minutes ago, the minority leader came to the floor and bragged about the fact that the Democrats had blocked the funding for our military. He stood here and said they are proud of the fact that they are, once again, choosing politics over the security of our Nation. That is what we're facing here in the U.S. Senate today. We're talking about the National Defense Authorization Act, and this Congress has passed this bipartisan National Defense Authorization Act every year for the past 65 years. And when it came to the floor of the Senate yesterday, the minority leader said to the Democrats: Say no. Say no to the military.”
“Congressional Record, Volume 172 Issue 115 (Wednesday, July 15, 2026) [Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 115 (Wednesday, July 15, 2026)] [Senate] [Page S4095] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] Waiving Quorum Call Mr. BARRASSO. I ask unanimous consent to waive the mandatory quorum call with respect to the Kuntz nomination. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.”
“Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.”
“(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.”
“(4) Use of funds.--A mining school receiving a grant under paragraph (1) shall use the grant funds-- (A) to recruit students to the mining school; and (B) to enhance and support programs related to, as applicable-- (i) mining, mineral extraction efficiency, and related processing technology; (ii) emphasizing critical mineral and rare earth element exploration, extraction, and refining; (iii) reclamation technology and practices for active mining operations; (iv) the development of reprocessing systems and technologies that facilitate reclamation that fosters the recovery of resources at abandoned mine sites; (v) mineral extraction, refining, processing, reprocessing, and recycling methods that reduce environmental and human impacts; (vi) technologies to extract, refine, separate, smelt, produce, or recycle minerals, including rare earth elements; (vii) reducing dependence on foreign energy and mineral supplies through increased domestic critical mineral production and recycling; (viii) enhancing the competitiveness of United States energy and mineral technology exports; (ix) the extraction or processing of coinciding mineralization, including rare earth elements, within coal or other ores, coal or mineral processing byproduct, overburden, or residue from coal, minerals, or other ores; (x) enhancing technologies and practices relating to mitigation of acid mine drainage, reforestation, and revegetation in the reclamation of land and water resources adversely affected by mining; (xi) enhancing exploration and characterization of new or novel deposits, including rare earth elements and critical minerals within phosphate rocks, uranium-bearing deposits, and other nontraditional sources; (xii) meeting challenges of extreme mining conditions, such as deeper deposits or cold region mining; (xiii) mineral economics, including analysis of supply chains, future mineral needs, and unconventional mining resources; and (xiv) mining practices that reduce environmental impact, including mining practices that reduce water usage, mitigate surface disturbance, and promote overall resource efficiency.”
“(B) Selection statement.--In selecting recipients for grants under paragraph (1), the Secretary shall-- (i) in response to a recommendation from the Board, submit to the Board a statement that describes-- (I) whether the Secretary accepts or rejects, in whole or in part, the recommendation of the Board; and (II) the justification and rationale for any rejection, in whole or in part, of the recommendation of the Board; and (ii) not later than 15 days after awarding a grant for which the Board submitted a recommendation, publish the statement submitted under clause (i) on the Department of Energy website.”
“(3) Recommendations of the board.-- (A) In general.--In selecting recipients for grants under paragraph (1) and determining the amount of each grant, the Secretary, to the maximum extent practicable, shall take into consideration the recommendations of the Board under subparagraphs (A) and (B) of subsection (d)(3).”
“(2) Selection requirements.-- (A) In general.--To the maximum extent practicable, the Secretary shall select recipients for grants under paragraph (1) to ensure geographic diversity among grant recipients to ensure that region-specific specialties are developed for region-specific geology. (B) Timeline.--The Secretary shall award the grants under paragraph (1) by not later than the later of-- (i) the date that is 180 days after the start of the applicable fiscal year; and (ii) the date that is 180 days after the date on which the Act making full-year appropriations for the Department of Energy for the applicable fiscal year is enacted.”
“(b) Domestic Mining Education Strengthening Program.--The Secretary, in consultation with the Secretary of the Interior (acting through the Director of the United States Geological Survey), shall-- (1) establish a grant program to strengthen domestic mining education; and (2) under the program established in paragraph (1), award competitive grants to mining schools for the purpose of recruiting and educating the next generation of mining engineers and other qualified professionals to meet the future energy and mineral needs of the United States. (c) Grants.-- (1) In general.--In carrying out the grant program established under subsection (b)(1), the Secretary shall award not more than 10 grants each year to mining schools.”
“(5) Mining school.--The term ``mining school'' means-- (A) a mining, metallurgical, geological, or mineral engineering program accredited by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology, Inc., that is located at an institution of higher education, including a Tribal College or University (as defined in section 316(b) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1059c(b))); or (B) a geology or engineering program or department that is located at a 4-year public institution of higher education located in a State the gross domestic product of which in 2021 was not less than $2,000,000,000 in the combined categories of ``Mining (except oil and gas)'' and ``Support activities for mining'', according to the Bureau of Economic Analysis. (6) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary of Energy.”
“(3) Mining industry.--The term ``mining industry'' means the mining industry of the United States, consisting of the search for, and extraction, beneficiation, refining, smelting, processing, reprocessing, and recycling of, naturally occurring metal and nonmetal minerals from the earth. (4) Mining profession.--The term ``mining profession'' means the body of jobs directly relevant to-- (A) the exploration, planning, execution, and remediation of metal and nonmetal mining sites; and (B) the extraction, including the separation, refining, alloying, smelting, concentration, processing, reprocessing, and recycling, of mineral ores.”
“4784, to authorize appropriations for fiscal [[Page S4110]] year 2027 for military activities of the Department of Defense, for military construction, and for defense activities of the Department of Energy, to prescribe military personnel strengths for such fiscal year, and for other purposes; which was ordered to lie on the table; as follows: At the end of subtitle G of title X, add the following: SEC. 1094. TECHNOLOGY GRANTS TO STRENGTHEN DOMESTIC MINING EDUCATION. (a) Definitions.--In this section: (1) Board.--The term ``Board'' means the Mining Professional Development Advisory Board established by subsection (d)(1). (2) Institution of higher education.--The term ``institution of higher education'' has the meaning given the term in section 101 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 1001).”
“Congressional Record, Volume 172 Issue 115 (Wednesday, July 15, 2026) [Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 115 (Wednesday, July 15, 2026)] [Senate] [Pages S4109-S4110] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] SA 6695. Mr. BARRASSO (for himself, Mr. Hickenlooper, Mr. Justice, Ms. Cortez Masto, Mr. Lujan, Mr. Kelly, Mr. Bennet, and Ms. Rosen) submitted an amendment intended to be proposed by him to the bill S.”
“Mr. DURBIN. I announce that the Senator from Arizona (Mr. Gallego) is necessarily absent. The yeas and the nays resulted--yeas 51, nays 46, as follows: [Rollcall Vote No. 196 Ex.] YEAS--51 Armstrong 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 Kennedy Lankford Lee Lummis Marshall Moody Moran Moreno Murkowski Paul Ricketts Risch Rounds Schmitt Scott (FL) Scott (SC) Sheehy Sullivan Thune Tillis Tuberville Wicker Young NAYS--46 Alsobrooks Baldwin Bennet Blumenthal Blunt Rochester Booker Cantwell Coons Cortez Masto Duckworth Durbin Fetterman Gillibrand Hassan Heinrich Hickenlooper Hirono Kaine Kelly Kim King Klobuchar Lujan Markey Merkley Murphy Murray Ossoff Padilla Peters Reed Rosen Sanders Schatz Schiff Schumer Shaheen Slotkin Smith Van Hollen Warner Warnock Warren Welch Whitehouse Wyden NOT VOTING--3 Gallego McConnell McCormick The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr.”
“[[Page S4096]] John Thune, Tim Sheehy, John Barrasso, Ashley Moody, James Lankford, Todd Young, Ted Budd, Pete Ricketts, Jon 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 Jeffrey T. Kuntz, of Florida, to be United States District Judge for the Southern District of Florida, 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 Kentucky (Mr. McConnell), and the Senator from Pennsylvania (Mr. McCormick).”
“Congressional Record, Volume 172 Issue 115 (Wednesday, July 15, 2026) [Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 115 (Wednesday, July 15, 2026)] [Senate] [Pages S4095-S4096] 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 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. 779, Jeffrey T. Kuntz, of Florida, to be United States District Judge for the Southern District of Florida.”
“Look, our friend Lindsey Graham believed in peace through strength. I do, as well as do most Americans--but not the Democrat Party of today. It is time for us to act on that belief: that America is best when we are strong and it helps make us more safe. It is time for the Senate to pass a bipartisan National Defense Authorization Act, and it is time for Democrats to act like Americans. I yield the floor. I suggest the absence of a quorum. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll. The senior assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll. Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded. The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Sheehy). Without objection, it is so ordered. Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the scheduled vote at noon now begin immediately.”
“The Democrats act like pennypinchers when it comes to paying our troops to protect our homeland; yet, they accept the astronomical cost of the waste, the fraud, and the abuse--free healthcare for illegal immigrants, the fraud that is happening like we are seeing in Minnesota, and all of those things. The Democrats are for all of that, but they are not for our troops, and they are not for defending our Nation. That is the Democrat Party of today. The Democrats of today are radical; they are extreme; they are dangerous; they are scary. Well, the world is a dangerous place, and by voting against the National Defense Authorization Act, the Democrats are disrespecting the American troops; they are undermining American security; and Democrats are jeopardizing America's strength.”
“This far-left wing of the party is telling us what to do and how to march in step. Democrats voted against ending harmful DEI mandates. They voted against stronger border security. They like open borders. They don't want border security. They voted against funding to combat against the cartels that are moving poison into the country--killing young people in record numbers. Democrats voted against stopping the flood of deadly drugs and illegal border crossings. Just 2 days ago, right here on the Senate floor, the Senator from Maryland, Senator Chris Van Hollen, said this: Missile defense--to defend against incoming missiles for the American people--was wasteful spending. It is remarkable. Defending the country is wasteful spending. That is who the Democrats have become.”
“They actually even voted against expanding our military recruitment effort. They don't want us to be able to recruit for the military, and they don't want the military to be properly funded and equipped in a way that protects us as a nation. Democrats actually even voted against more savings for taxpayers. Democrats voted against protecting women's sports at our military schools. No, they don't want any of that. Democrats voted against promotions based on merit and merit alone: Oh, no. You have merited and earned a promotion? No, you are not getting it on merit alone. That is who the Democrats have become. That is the threat to our Nation--this far-leftist group that is telling the Democrats here on the floor of the Senate what to do. And for things that had been bipartisan in the past, they said: No, we can't do that anymore.”
“They voted against better healthcare for our service members and their families. Democrats voted against better housing for our troops. Democrats voted against stronger deterrence. Democrats voted against a more lethal military. Democrats voted against a larger, stronger Navy. Democrats even voted against a modern nuclear deterrent. Don't we want to deter nuclear war? This is at a time when nuclear weapons are proliferating all around the world. In my home State of Wyoming, we have F.E. Warren Air Force Base. The airmen who serve there are the lynchpin of our land-based nuclear force. The deterrence there has been known over the decades as our Nation's ``ace in the hole.'' That is how it works--the desire to protect us as a nation. Democrats voted against all of it.”
“Every single Democrat in this Chamber joined Senator Schumer, joined Bernie Sanders, and joined Elizabeth Warren and said: No, we are not voting for it. We are not voting for it. That is what they said. They refused to allow the debate to even begin. This was before the bill even started the debate here on the floor of the Senate. And it is interesting because many of them flip- flopped. What do I mean by that? It means that, first, many of them voted for the bill in the committee in order to send it to the floor. Then it gets to the floor, and what happens? All of them vote to block it from even beginning the debate. Apparently, Democrats were for it before they were against it. Here is what Democrats voted against: They voted against higher pay for our troops.”
“We're talking about the National Defense Authorization Act, and this Congress has passed this bipartisan National Defense Authorization Act every year for the past 65 years. And when it came to the floor of the Senate yesterday, the minority leader said to the Democrats: Say no. Say no to the military. I am going to go through the list of all the things they said no to yesterday. This year should be no different than the other years--65 years in a row. This year's Defense bill gives our military every tool it needs to keep us, as Americans, safe. It invests in peace through strength at home and abroad. Importantly, this bill provides a pay raise for the men and women who defend our Nation.”
“Congressional Record, Volume 172 Issue 115 (Wednesday, July 15, 2026) [Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 115 (Wednesday, July 15, 2026)] [Senate] [Page S4095] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] National Defense Authorization Act Mr. BARRASSO. Mr. President, few votes in this body are as important as the vote to fund our troops, our military. Yesterday, right here on this floor, the U.S. Senate--every single Democrat--voted to block that funding. And just 10 minutes ago, the minority leader came to the floor and bragged about the fact that the Democrats had blocked the funding for our military. He stood here and said they are proud of the fact that they are, once again, choosing politics over the security of our Nation. That is what we're facing here in the U.S. Senate today.”
“Congressional Record, Volume 172 Issue 115 (Wednesday, July 15, 2026) [Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 115 (Wednesday, July 15, 2026)] [Senate] [Page S4095] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] Waiving Quorum Call Mr. BARRASSO. I ask unanimous consent to waive the mandatory quorum call with respect to the Kuntz nomination. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.”
“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 PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.”
“ICE's recent orders to pause vehicle stops is too little too late, and that is before Trump reinstated the order 20 hours later. We need to stop this violence before it happens. The tragedies in Maine and Texas could have been prevented if Republicans had passed our bill to hold ICE to the same standards we expect from all other law enforcement. If Republicans had agreed to our proposal for body cameras, use-of- force training, warrant requirements, other basic reforms, the victims killed in Texas and Maine so tragically might be alive today. We can't let Trump's untrained, unaccountable agents continue to bring chaos to our streets. Republicans, where are you? Wake up. Rein in these rogue agencies. I yield the floor. I suggest the absence of a quorum. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.”
“Congressional Record, Volume 172 Issue 115 (Wednesday, July 15, 2026) [Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 115 (Wednesday, July 15, 2026)] [Senate] [Pages S4094-S4095] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] Immigration and Customs Enforcement On the ICE shootings, there's so much that mounts up: The cost, chaos, and corruption in this Trump administration is unfathomable. On the ICE shootings, we continue to see the painful consequences of the Republicans' refusal to make commonsense reforms to ICE. We recently learned that the ICE agent behind the shootings in Maine was a new recruit, only getting the job [[Page S4095]] a few months ago. The victim of that killing wasn't even the target of the operation.”
“The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Armstrong). Under the previous order, the motion to reconsider is considered made and laid upon the table, and the President will be immediately notified of the Senate's action. The Senator from Alabama.”
“194 Ex.] YEAS--50 Armstrong Banks Barrasso Blackburn Boozman Britt Budd Capito Cassidy Collins Cornyn Cotton Cramer Crapo Cruz Curtis Daines Ernst Fischer Grassley Hagerty Hawley Hoeven Husted Hyde-Smith Johnson Kennedy Lankford Lee Lummis Marshall McCormick Moody Moran Moreno Murkowski Paul Ricketts Risch Rounds Schmitt Scott (FL) Scott (SC) Sheehy Sullivan Thune Tillis Tuberville Wicker Young NAYS--45 Alsobrooks Baldwin Bennet Blumenthal Blunt Rochester Booker Cantwell Coons Cortez Masto Duckworth Durbin Gallego Gillibrand Hassan Heinrich Hickenlooper Hirono Kaine Kelly Kim King Klobuchar Lujan Markey Merkley Murphy Murray Ossoff Peters Reed Rosen Sanders Schatz Schiff Schumer Shaheen Slotkin Smith Van Hollen Warner Warnock Warren Welch Whitehouse Wyden NOT VOTING--4 Fetterman Justice McConnell Padilla The nomination was confirmed.”
“The following Senators are necessarily absent: the Senator from West Virginia (Mr. Justice) and the Senator from Kentuky (Mr. McConnel). Mr. DURBIN: I announce that the Senator from Pennsylvania (Mr. Fetterman) and the Senator from California (Mr. Padilla) are necessarily absent. The result was announced--yeas 50, nays 45, as follows: [Rollcall Vote No.”
“That is what makes his passing and the timing of it so tragic. He was at the peak of his influence and impact. He still had so much more to do and to give. The U.S. Senate will never see anyone quite like Lindsey Graham again. He was a happy warrior, he always put service before himself, and he believed in the Senate as an institution. He continued to shape it throughout his successful and significant career. He helped make America stronger and safer. I join the entire Senate and his friends and his family in mourning the loss of our dear friend Lindsey Graham. I yield the floor. I suggest the absence of a quorum. The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Sheehy). The clerk will call the roll. The bill clerk proceeded to call the roll.”
“He made clear that he would carry out the agenda that the American people had just voted for in November of 2024. He guided the Senate through some of the toughest battles we have ever had. The Working Families Tax Cut law and the Secure America Act are a direct result of Lindsey Graham's leadership. As whip, my job is to count the votes, and I could always count on Lindsey to help when the votes were close. The Senate has taken 135 votes on hostile amendments from the Democrats in the last year and a half. They were trying to undermine the Republican agenda. Thanks to Lindsey's persistence and his help, we did not lose a single one. Lindsey truly was a force of nature here in the Senate. From the cloakroom to the committee room, to the campaign trail, he brimmed with ideas and with energy.”