Richard J. Durbin
Senator for Illinois · Democratic · United States
“(c) Duties of the Commission.--The Commission shall-- (1) conduct pursuant to subsection (a) a comprehensive study that examines and assesses the adequacy of laws addressing child marriage and the extent of child marriage across the country, including making specific findings relating to-- (A) barriers to and gaps in services for minors f…”
“(c) Duties of the Commission.--The Commission shall-- (1) conduct pursuant to subsection (a) a comprehensive study that examines and assesses the adequacy of laws addressing child marriage and the extent of child marriage across the country, including making specific findings relating to-- (A) barriers to and gaps in services for minors f…”
“(4) Qualifications.--Members appointed under paragraph (1) shall have demonstrated experience or expertise in-- (A) providing services to survivors of child marriage in the United States; (B) providing services to immigrant survivors of child marriage in the United States; (C) working with State governments to limit child marriage; (D) th…”
“(4) Qualifications.--Members appointed under paragraph (1) shall have demonstrated experience or expertise in-- (A) providing services to survivors of child marriage in the United States; (B) providing services to immigrant survivors of child marriage in the United States; (C) working with State governments to limit child marriage; (D) th…”
“(3) Rule of construction.--The amendments made by this subsection may not be construed to preclude, limit, or modify eligibility of any noncitizen spouse subjected to battery or extreme cruelty and otherwise eligible for relief as a VAWA self-petitioner (as defined in section 101(a)(51) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C.”
“(3) Rule of construction.--The amendments made by this subsection may not be construed to preclude, limit, or modify eligibility of any noncitizen spouse subjected to battery or extreme cruelty and otherwise eligible for relief as a VAWA self-petitioner (as defined in section 101(a)(51) of the Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C.”
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“Or take Donald Trump's ill-conceived, mindless tariff tax war, which I mentioned earlier. Global markets plunged when he came out with his proposals in the beginning of April. It wiped out trillions of dollars of wealth from the stock market and will cause Americans to suffer from higher prices and smaller export markets. The advice which many people are giving to those who are worried about their IRAs and 401(k)s is: Don't look at it. Don't look at the balance. You are going to be too depressed when you see it. And it is because of the chaos in the Trump White House when it comes to our trade policy and economics. While their constituents saw their retirement funds drain and grocery bills skyrocket, sadly, my Republican colleagues remained silent. Rinse and repeat the cycle.”
“In order to move forward, you have to start by obedience to the court order. You can criticize it within the realm of ethics, and you can even appeal it, but you can't ignore it. Yet these officials headed for the Trump Department of Justice wanted to equivocate on the answer. Who came to my rescue on my argument? A Republican Senator from Louisiana, John Kennedy, who came in and addressed the three nominees and said: Let me make it clear to you--I paraphrase him I think accurately--your options with a legal court order are to be critical within the bounds of ethics and to appeal the decision if you disagree with it, but you have to obey that order or resign your official position. That was as clear an explanation as I have ever heard. But under the Trump administration, they believe they are above the law. Some do.”
“There were several key appointees by the Trump administration to positions in the Department of Justice. They included a Solicitor General and two other Deputy Attorneys General. During the course of questioning, I asked these individuals a basic question: Do you believe that an executive official can defy a legally held court order? I thought the answer was clear: It is no, and it should be, whatever the President's party may be. Yet they struggled to come up with an answer that suggested maybe, in some cases, it was all right to defy a court order. We have been through this in America. The case of Brown v. Board of Education in 1954 was an effort to integrate schools across America for the first time--an extremely controversial decision, and several other decisions followed from it. But there was a legal court order for that to happen.”
“Now, of course, he says things which he later disavows, but it is outrageous to think a President of the United States would suggest that an American citizen, without due process, would be relegated to a terrorist prison in a foreign country. The American people don't care for that much, and neither do I, because it happens to offend this document: the Constitution of the United States. Can you imagine an immigrant living here under a protected status torn from his home and family for no legally justifiable reason, and then the administration says it was an ``administrative error''? While the Trump administration continues to avoid facilitating the return of Mr. Abrego Garcia as the Supreme Court has ordered him to do, Republicans have remained silent. It was about 6 weeks ago.”
“Now, you remember how many times Donald Trump gave speeches at rallies, and he said that we are being overrun by murderers and rapists and terrorists and mentally ill people who came to this country and shouldn't be here, and as a consequence, they were going to change things when he was elected President. What they changed was to take this Mr. Garcia, living legally in Maryland with his family, and, through an administrative error, threw him into a hopeless prison in El Salvador. Is that what America is all about now? Because he had a surname like ``Garcia,'' we can ignore any reference to due process? The President went so far as to suggest he would do the same thing to an American citizen.”
“When Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a father who was living legally in the State of Maryland with his family, was sent to a terrorist prison in El Salvador because of what was said in court to be an ``administrative error,'' where was the outrage that this man was treated so unfairly, with no evidence except, perhaps, a tattoo that might be connected with a gang? There was no evidence that took this man out of the United States and put him in a prison in El Salvador. Our colleague Senator Chris Van Hollen went down to see him and the conditions he is being held in and never came back with a satisfactory answer of why this man was being charged with a crime.”
“What were they supposed to do in terms of the future of their businesses? Were they to assume that the tariff tax war had begun, that in order to import key elements and parts to their production, they would have to pay tariffs of 10, 20, 30 percent? 100 percent? What did I know about it? I couldn't answer because I didn't know the answer. I am not sure anyone knew the answer. Somewhere in President Trump's mind is a theory of tariffs that he believes is going to make America stronger. These business leaders said just the opposite. Because of the uncertainty of these tariffs and the uncertainty of our trade relationships, they were going to hold back. They couldn't risk it. And that is the reality of what we face today. When it comes to specific cases in this administration, it is hard to explain how we have reached this point.”
“For 100 days, President Trump and his administration--mainly billionaire buddies like Elon Musk--have brought us chaos, wreaked havoc, and sowed division. President Trump has undermined the Constitution and our system of checks and balances and the rule of law. Through it all, I am sad to report that my Republican colleagues have remained silent. I got a call several weeks ago, before the Easter break, from CEOs of major corporations, some in my State and some not. I had not heard from them before. Why they called me puzzled me a little bit. What it boiled down to was they were desperate for information about the policy decisions here in Washington. What did it mean that this President, Donald Trump, started a trade war and then announced he was going to put it on pause for 90 days?”
“Mr. President, the jury is in. At the end of 100 days, the major polling firms across the United States went out and asked the American people: So what do you think? What is your impression of this new President? What is your impression of the MAGA agenda? The results that came back don't surprise me, but they might surprise some. Overwhelmingly, on every major issue that this administration has taken a position, the American people have said: We don't like it. We are not happy with what is happening in this country today. After all the promises in the last political campaign about dealing with the cost of living for ordinary Americans, there is little or no progress to be shown for the 100 days of President Trump.”
“220 Ex.] YEAS--84 Baldwin Banks Barrasso Bennet Blackburn Booker Boozman Britt Budd Cantwell Capito Cassidy Collins Coons Cornyn Cortez Masto Cotton Cramer Crapo Cruz Curtis Daines Duckworth Durbin Ernst Fetterman Fischer Gallego Gillibrand Graham Grassley Hagerty Hassan Hawley Heinrich Hickenlooper Hoeven Husted Hyde-Smith Johnson Justice Kaine Kelly Kennedy Kim King Klobuchar Lankford Lee Lujan Lummis Marshall McConnell McCormick Moody Moran Moreno Mullin Murkowski Ossoff Padilla Paul Peters Reed Ricketts Risch Rosen Rounds Schiff Schmitt Scott (FL) Scott (SC) Shaheen Sheehy Slotkin Sullivan Thune Tillis Tuberville Warner Warnock Wicker Wyden Young NAYS--13 Alsobrooks Blumenthal Blunt Rochester Hirono Markey Merkley Murphy Murray Schatz Schumer Smith Van Hollen Warren NOT VOTING--3 Sanders Welch Whitehouse The PRESIDING OFFICER.”
“The question is, Is it the sense of the Senate that debate on the nomination of Tilman Fertitta, of Texas, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Italian Republic, and to serve concurrently and without additional compensation as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Republic of San Marino, 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. DURBIN. I announce that the Senator from Vermont (Mr. Sanders), the Senator from Vermont (Mr. Welch) and the Senator from Rhode Island (Mr. Whitehouse) are necessarily absent. The yeas and nays resulted--yeas 84, nays 13, as follows: [Rollcall Vote No.”
“79, Tilman Fertitta, of Texas, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Italian Republic, and to serve concurrently and without additional compensation as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Republic of San Marino. John Thune, Jim Justice, Ted Cruz, Bernie Moreno, Jon A. Husted, Steve Daines, John R. Curtis, Tommy Tuberville, Tim Sheehy, Pete Ricketts, Joni Ernst, James E. Risch, Mike Rounds, Tim Scott of South Carolina, Eric Schmitt, Katie Boyd Britt, John Barrasso. The PRESIDING OFFICER. By unanimous consent, the mandatory quorum call has been waived.”
“Congressional Record, Volume 171 Issue 71 (Tuesday, April 29, 2025) [Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 71 (Tuesday, April 29, 2025)] [Senate] [Page S2631] 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.”
“The PRESIDING OFFICER. 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 actions. ____________________”
“219 Ex.] YEAS--60 Banks Barrasso Bennet Blackburn Boozman Britt Budd Capito Cassidy Collins Coons Cornyn Cotton Cramer Crapo Cruz Curtis Daines Ernst Fischer Graham Grassley Hagerty Hassan Hawley Hoeven Husted Hyde-Smith Johnson Justice Kennedy Klobuchar Lankford Lee Lummis Marshall [[Page S2631]] McConnell McCormick Moody Moran Moreno Mullin Murkowski Paul Ricketts Risch Rosen Rounds Schmitt Scott (FL) Scott (SC) Shaheen Sheehy Sullivan Thune Tillis Tuberville Warner Wicker Young NAYS--36 Alsobrooks Baldwin Blumenthal Blunt Rochester Booker Cantwell Cortez Masto Duckworth Durbin Fetterman Gallego Gillibrand Heinrich Hirono Kaine Kelly Kim Lujan Markey Merkley Murphy Murray Ossoff Padilla Peters Reed Schatz Schiff Schumer Slotkin Smith Van Hollen Warnock Warren Welch Wyden NOT VOTING--4 Hickenlooper King Sanders Whitehouse The nomination was confirmed.”
“I announce that the Senator from Colorado (Mr. Hickenlooper), the Senator from Maine (Mr. King), the Senator from Vermont (Mr. Sanders), and the Senator from Rhode Island (Mr. Whitehouse) are necessarily absent. The result was announced--60 yeas, 36 nays, as follows: [Rollcall Vote No.”
“Whitehouse) are necessarily absent. The yeas and nays resulted--yeas 62, nays 36, as follows: [Rollcall Vote No. 218 Ex.] YEAS--62 Banks Barrasso Bennet Blackburn Boozman Britt Budd Capito Cassidy Collins Coons Cornyn Cotton Cramer Crapo Cruz Curtis Daines Ernst Fischer Graham Grassley Hagerty Hassan Hawley Hickenlooper Hoeven Husted Hyde-Smith Johnson Justice Kennedy King Klobuchar Lankford Lee Lummis Marshall McConnell McCormick Moody Moran Moreno Mullin Murkowski Paul Ricketts Risch Rosen Rounds Schmitt Scott (FL) Scott (SC) Shaheen Sheehy Sullivan Thune Tillis Tuberville Warner Wicker Young NAYS--36 Alsobrooks Baldwin Blumenthal Blunt Rochester Booker Cantwell Cortez Masto Duckworth Durbin Fetterman Gallego Gillibrand Heinrich Hirono Kaine Kelly Kim Lujan Markey Merkley Murphy Murray Ossoff Padilla Peters Reed Schatz Schiff Schumer Slotkin Smith Van Hollen Warnock Warren Welch Wyden NOT VOTING--2 Sanders Whitehouse The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr.”
“John Thune, Jim Justice, Ted Cruz, Bernie Moreno, Jon A. Husted, Steve Daines, John R. Curtis, Tommy Tuberville, Tim Sheehy, Pete Ricketts, Joni Ernst, James E. Risch, Mike Rounds, Tim Scott of South Carolina, Eric Schmitt, Katie Boyd Britt, John Barrasso The PRESIDING OFFICER. By unanimous consent, the mandatory quorum call has been waived. The question is, Is it the sense of the Senate that debate on the nomination of Thomas Barrack, of Colorado, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Republic of Turkey, shall be brought to a close? The yeas and nays are mandatory under the rule. The clerk will call the roll. The senior assistant legislative clerk called the roll. Mr. DURBIN. I announce that the Senator from Vermont (Mr. Sanders) and the Senator from Rhode Island (Mr.”
“Congressional Record, Volume 171 Issue 71 (Tuesday, April 29, 2025) [Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 71 (Tuesday, April 29, 2025)] [Senate] [Page S2621] 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 legislative 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. 78, Thomas Barrack, of Colorado, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the Republic of Turkey.”
“[[Page S2621]] The PRESIDING OFFICER. 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. ____________________”
“217 Ex.] YEAS--59 Banks Barrasso Blackburn Boozman Britt Budd Capito Cassidy Collins Cornyn Cotton Cramer Crapo Cruz Curtis Daines Ernst Fetterman Fischer Gallego Graham Grassley Hagerty Hassan Hawley Hoeven Husted Hyde-Smith Johnson Justice Kaine Kennedy Lankford Lee Lummis Marshall McConnell McCormick Moody Moran Moreno Mullin Murkowski Paul Ricketts Risch Rounds Schmitt Scott (FL) Scott (SC) Shaheen Sheehy Sullivan Thune Tillis Tuberville Warner Wicker Young NAYS--39 Alsobrooks Baldwin Bennet Blumenthal Blunt Rochester Booker Cantwell Coons Cortez Masto Duckworth Durbin Gillibrand Heinrich Hickenlooper Hirono Kelly Kim King Klobuchar Lujan Markey Merkley Murphy Murray Ossoff Padilla Peters Reed Rosen Schatz Schiff Schumer Slotkin Smith Van Hollen Warnock Warren Welch Wyden NOT VOTING--2 Sanders Whitehouse The nomination was confirmed.”
“I announce that the Senator from Vermont (Mr. Sanders) and the Senator from Rhode Island (Mr. Whitehouse) are necessarily absent. The result was announced--yeas 59, nays 39, as follows: [Rollcall Vote No.”
“216 Ex.] YEAS--59 Banks Barrasso Blackburn Boozman Britt Budd Capito Cassidy Collins Cornyn Cotton Cramer Crapo Cruz Curtis Daines Ernst Fetterman Fischer Gallego Graham Grassley Hagerty Hassan Hawley Hoeven Husted Hyde-Smith Johnson Justice Kaine Kennedy Lankford Lee Lummis Marshall McConnell McCormick Moody Moran Moreno Mullin Murkowski Paul Ricketts Risch Rounds Schmitt Scott (FL) Scott (SC) Shaheen Sheehy Sullivan Thune Tillis Tuberville Warner Wicker Young NAYS--39 Alsobrooks Baldwin Bennet Blumenthal Blunt Rochester Booker Cantwell Coons Cortez Masto Duckworth Durbin Gillibrand Heinrich Hickenlooper Hirono Kelly Kim King Klobuchar Lujan Markey Merkley Murphy Murray Ossoff Padilla Peters Reed Rosen Schatz Schiff Schumer Slotkin Smith Van Hollen Warnock Warren Welch Wyden NOT VOTING--2 Sanders Whitehouse The PRESIDING OFFICER.”
“The yeas and nays are mandatory under the rule. The clerk will call the roll. The bill clerk called the roll. Mr. DURBIN. I announce that the Senator from Vermont (Mr. Sanders) and the Senator from Rhode Island (Mr. Whitehouse) are necessarily absent. The yeas and nays resulted--yeas 59, nays 39, as follows: [Rollcall Vote No.”
“77, Warren Stephens, of Arkansas, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. John Thune, Jim Justice, Ted Cruz, Bernie Moreno, Jon A. Husted, Steve Daines, John R. Curtis, Tommy Tuberville, Tim Sheehy, Pete Ricketts, Joni Ernst, James E. Risch, Mike Rounds, Tim Scott of South Carolina, Eric Schmitt, Katie Boyd Britt, John Barrasso. The PRESIDING OFFICER. By unanimous consent, the mandatory quorum call has been waived. The question is, Is it the sense of the Senate that debate on the nomination of Warren Stephens, of Arkansas, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, shall be brought to a close?”
“Congressional Record, Volume 171 Issue 71 (Tuesday, April 29, 2025) [Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 71 (Tuesday, April 29, 2025)] [Senate] [Page S2620] 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.”
“The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Curtis). 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. ____________________”
“215 Ex.] YEAS--67 Banks Barrasso Blackburn Booker Boozman Britt Budd Capito Cassidy Collins Coons Cornyn Cotton Cramer Crapo Cruz Curtis Daines Duckworth Ernst Fetterman Fischer Gallego Graham Grassley Hagerty Hassan Hawley Hoeven Husted Hyde-Smith Johnson Justice Kaine Kennedy Kim King Klobuchar Lankford Lee Lummis Marshall McCormick Moody Moran Moreno Mullin Murkowski Peters Reed Ricketts Risch Rosen Rounds Schmitt Scott (FL) Scott (SC) Shaheen Sheehy Slotkin Sullivan Thune Tillis Tuberville Warner Wicker Young NAYS--29 Alsobrooks Baldwin Bennet Blunt Rochester Cantwell Cortez Masto Durbin Gillibrand Heinrich Hickenlooper Hirono Kelly Lujan Markey Merkley Murphy Murray Ossoff Padilla Sanders Schatz Schiff Schumer Smith Van Hollen Warnock Warren Welch Wyden NOT VOTING--4 Blumenthal McConnell Paul Whitehouse The nomination was confirmed.”
“I announce that the Senator from Connecticut (Mr. Blumenthal) and the Senator from Rhode Island (Mr. Whitehouse) are necessarily absent. The result was announced--yeas 67, nays 29, as follows: [Rollcall Vote No.”
“He jumped at the chance to volunteer for assignments, including the fateful mission to this bog, which he went to support even though he was not on that crew. He was a model Illinoisan and American, and he leaves behind a wife and a little boy. We should all strive to be more like Sergeant Duenez, and we owe him and his family a great debt of gratitude. In honor of these four servicemembers, who were living examples of American values, I will be introducing a resolution recognizing their service and sacrifice to our Nation and our NATO allies. And I urge my colleagues to join me in honoring the memories of these four great soldiers and the remarkable effort that went into their recovery by passing this resolution without delay. I yield the floor. I suggest the absence of a quorum. The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Sheehy).”
“These four American soldiers lost their lives safeguarding democracy, but we owe gratitude to our Lithuanian and other allies who dropped everything and faced great odds to help us, a reminder of the common defense underlying our alliance. On April 3, the schools were closed, the schoolchildren and their families came out and stood in the streets in Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania--included in their ranks was the Lithuanian President--to pay their respects to our fallen American soldiers in their procession back to the United States. It was a devastating episode, but it illustrated the power of international cooperation, friendship between allies, and solutions in the face of great challenges. The loss of American servicemembers is always a tragedy. I particularly want to highlight my late constituent Sergeant Duenez.”
“I spoke to the Lithuanian Ambassador to the United States and others in Lithuania who described these days as painful days when they first tried to discover what happened to the vehicle and then an even longer period of time when they tried to retrieve the vehicle and the bodies of our soldiers. They told me that in Lithuania, virtually every newscast focused on this tragedy. People in Lithuania felt a personal attachment to our troops, as certainly we do today. The death of these four American soldiers is a tragedy, but the joint efforts to secure them show the gravity of our commitment to our allies. We have American troops stationed in nations like Lithuania because we have a commitment to join our NATO allies in stopping Russian aggression.”
“The recovery team grew by the hour, eventually reaching hundreds, comprised of 250 U.S. servicemembers, 160 Lithuanian soldiers and civilians, 50 Polish troops, and working canine teams from Estonia and Lithuania. Soon, a team of U.S. Navy divers received urgent orders to fly from Spain to Lithuania to help connect cables to the sunken vehicle and pull it from the bog. It took hours of struggling through the thick sludge, but they secured the vehicle. It was a mission fraught with extreme danger and challenges. It was met with ingenuity and a commitment to the underlying principle that every American servicemember must be brought home.”
“They were in a tracked vehicle, a 70-ton tracked vehicle, and they disappeared. It took days before they finally found some tracks that led to an area, which was not very large, that looked like a puddle, but it was much more serious. The effort to find the soldiers eventually required hundreds of people from other nations. The effort was nothing short of miraculous. The soldiers' vehicle was thought to have sunk into a muddy bog, but it was [[Page S2618]] nearly impossible for the dive team to locate. They struggled to see through their masks and get enough air through their regulators. It was extremely dangerous. It was soon clear that the mission would be one of recovery and not rescue. Engineers were brought in to thin the concrete-like mud in an effort to drain the bog that swallowed this vehicle, but the water kept seeping in.”
“Sadly, last month, four American soldiers stationed in Lithuania died tragically while on a mission to recover a vehicle immobilized during a training exercise. I want to take a moment to tell you about these four brave men, one of whom was from my home State of Illinois, and the amazing efforts that were made to recover them. SSG Jose Duenez, Jr., was from Joliet, IL. He, along with SSG Edvin F. Franco, PFC Dante Taitano, and SSG Troy Knutson-Collins, was part of the 1st Armored Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division. Stationed in Lithuania at a military base that I personally visited, they were called on March 25 to retrieve a tactical vehicle mired in dangerously deep mud. Sadly, these soldiers never returned. Then search efforts were initiated to locate them, and they couldn't find them.”
“Mr. President, I have come to the Senate floor before to talk about my connections with the country of Lithuania, where my mother was born. She came to the United States as an immigrant at the age of 2. It has been my good fortune to visit and revisit her homeland and to get to know the wonderful people who live in that nation. During my time in Congress, I have tried to make sure Lithuania's heroic path to freedom, the EU, and NATO are strongly supported by their American allies in the U.S. Congress. Now more than ever, we need to support our Baltic allies. They are critical frontline NATO partners with clear memories of Russian tyranny and a key reason the United States has troops serving in former Soviet- occupied countries like Lithuania, Poland, and Romania.”
“Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered. The Democratic whip. Honoring Staff Sergeant Jose Duenez, Jr., Staff Sergeant Edvin F. Franco, Staff Sergeant Troy S. Knutson-Collins, and Private First Class Dante D. Taitano”
“(c) Applicable Law.--The study required under subsection (a) shall be conducted in accordance with section 100507 of title 54, United States Code. (d) Report.--Not later than 3 years after the date on which funds are first made available to conduct the study required under subsection (a), the Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate and the Committee on Natural Resources of the House of Representatives a report containing-- (1) the results of the study; and (2) any conclusions and recommendations of the Secretary. ____________________”
“(a) Study.--The Secretary shall conduct a special resource study of the Study Area. (b) Contents.--In conducting the study under subsection (a), the Secretary shall-- (1) evaluate the national significance of the Study Area; (2) determine the suitability and feasibility of designating the Study Area as a unit of the National Park System; (3) consider other alternatives for preservation, protection, and interpretation of the Study Area by-- (A) Federal, State, or local governmental entities; or (B) private and nonprofit organizations; (4) consult with-- (A) interested entities of the Federal Government or State or local governmental entities; (B) private and nonprofit organizations; or (C) any other interested individuals; and (5) identify cost estimates for any Federal acquisition, development, interpretation, operation, and maintenance associated with the alternatives considered under paragraph (3).”
“900 to 1400, still stand as earthen monuments and remnants of Mississippian culture, which is the greatest prehistoric ancient culture in North America, the people of which are ancestors to many of today's First People and Nations; and (7) the Cahokia Mounds are designated as-- (A) a National Historic Landmark; (B) an Illinois State Historic Site; and (C) a United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization World Heritage Site. SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS. In this Act: (1) Secretary.--The term ``Secretary'' means the Secretary of the Interior. (2) Study area.--The term ``Study Area'' means-- (A) the Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site; (B) the Emerald Mounds in St. Clair County, Illinois; and (C) the Pulcher Mounds in Monroe and St. Clair Counties, Illinois. SEC. 4. SPECIAL RESOURCE STUDY.”
“1050 to 1200-- (i) covered nearly 6 square miles; and (ii) was home to 10,000 to 20,000 people; (2) more than 120 mounds were built over time at the site of the city of Cahokia; (3) the site of the city of Cahokia is named for the Cahokia subtribe of the Illinois Confederation, who moved into the area in the 1600s; (4) the city of Cahokia was the central hub and largest city of the Mississippian culture that ruled and traded across half of North America, more than 1,250,000 square miles; (5) the city of Cahokia-- (A) was the first known organized urbanization and government north of Mexico; and (B) at its peak, was larger than most European cities, including London; (6) some of the Cahokia Mounds, which were built from A.D.”
“1516 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. This Act may be cited as the ``Cahokia Mounds Mississippian Culture Study Act''. SEC. 2. FINDINGS. Congress finds that-- (1) the city of Cahokia-- (A) was inhabited from approximately A.D. 700 to 1400; and (B) at its peak from A.D.”
“Congressional Record, Volume 171 Issue 71 (Tuesday, April 29, 2025) [Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 71 (Tuesday, April 29, 2025)] [Senate] [Page S2668] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] By Mr. DURBIN (for himself and Ms. Duckworth): S. 1516. A bill to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to conduct a special resource study of the Cahokia Mounds, Emerald Mounds, and Pulcher Mounds in the State of Illinois, and for other purposes; to the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record. There being no objection, the text of the bill was ordered to be printed in the Record, as follows: S.”
“216 Ex.] YEAS--59 Banks Barrasso Blackburn Boozman Britt Budd Capito Cassidy Collins Cornyn Cotton Cramer Crapo Cruz Curtis Daines Ernst Fetterman Fischer Gallego Graham Grassley Hagerty Hassan Hawley Hoeven Husted Hyde-Smith Johnson Justice Kaine Kennedy Lankford Lee Lummis Marshall McConnell McCormick Moody Moran Moreno Mullin Murkowski Paul Ricketts Risch Rounds Schmitt Scott (FL) Scott (SC) Shaheen Sheehy Sullivan Thune Tillis Tuberville Warner Wicker Young NAYS--39 Alsobrooks Baldwin Bennet Blumenthal Blunt Rochester Booker Cantwell Coons Cortez Masto Duckworth Durbin Gillibrand Heinrich Hickenlooper Hirono Kelly Kim King Klobuchar Lujan Markey Merkley Murphy Murray Ossoff Padilla Peters Reed Rosen Schatz Schiff Schumer Slotkin Smith Van Hollen Warnock Warren Welch Wyden NOT VOTING--2 Sanders Whitehouse The PRESIDING OFFICER.”
“The yeas and nays are mandatory under the rule. The clerk will call the roll. The bill clerk called the roll. Mr. DURBIN. I announce that the Senator from Vermont (Mr. Sanders) and the Senator from Rhode Island (Mr. Whitehouse) are necessarily absent. The yeas and nays resulted--yeas 59, nays 39, as follows: [Rollcall Vote No.”
“77, Warren Stephens, of Arkansas, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. John Thune, Jim Justice, Ted Cruz, Bernie Moreno, Jon A. Husted, Steve Daines, John R. Curtis, Tommy Tuberville, Tim Sheehy, Pete Ricketts, Joni Ernst, James E. Risch, Mike Rounds, Tim Scott of South Carolina, Eric Schmitt, Katie Boyd Britt, John Barrasso. The PRESIDING OFFICER. By unanimous consent, the mandatory quorum call has been waived. The question is, Is it the sense of the Senate that debate on the nomination of Warren Stephens, of Arkansas, to be Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States of America to the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, shall be brought to a close?”
“Congressional Record, Volume 171 Issue 71 (Tuesday, April 29, 2025) [Congressional Record Volume 171, Number 71 (Tuesday, April 29, 2025)] [Senate] [Page S2620] 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.”
“214 Leg.] YEAS--64 Banks Barrasso Blackburn Booker Boozman Britt Budd Capito Cassidy Collins Coons Cornyn Cotton Crapo Cruz Curtis Daines Duckworth Ernst Fischer Gallego Grassley Hagerty Hassan Hawley Hoeven Husted Hyde-Smith Johnson Justice Kennedy Kim King Klobuchar Lankford Lee Lummis Marshall McConnell McCormick Moody Moran Moreno Mullin Murkowski Paul Peters Reed Ricketts Risch Rosen Rounds Schmitt Scott (FL) Scott (SC) Shaheen Sheehy Slotkin Sullivan Thune Tuberville Warner Wicker Young NAYS--27 Alsobrooks Baldwin Bennet Blumenthal Blunt Rochester Cantwell Cortez Masto Durbin Gillibrand Heinrich Hickenlooper Hirono Kelly Lujan Markey Merkley Murphy Ossoff Sanders Schatz Schiff Schumer Smith Van Hollen Warnock Warren Wyden NOT VOTING--9 Cramer Fetterman Graham Kaine Murray Padilla Tillis Welch Whitehouse The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr.”
“I announce that the Senator from Pennsylvania (Mr. Fetterman), the Senator from Virginia (Mr. Kaine), the Senator from Washington (Mrs. Murray), the Senator from California (Mr. Padilla), the Senator from Vermont (Mr. Welch), and the Senator from Rhode Island (Mr. Whitehouse) are necessarily absent. The yeas and nays resulted--yeas 64, nays 27, as follows: [Rollcall Vote No.”
“Il papa della gente.'' Translated to English: ``Thank you, Francis, the Pope of the people.'' We must continue to hold fast to the message of Pope Francis to love and respect one another. In a world of hate and fear, his message of peace and understanding is needed now more than ever. I yield the floor. The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mrs. Britt). The Senator from Arkansas. ____________________”