Thomas Tillis
Senator for North Carolina · Republican · United States
“Today, those relationships are helping our country expand domestic manufacturing capacity, reinforce critical supply chains, and compete in the next generation of automotive technology.”
Senate24 September 2026Source ↗
“Madam President, I rise today to recognize Toyota's extraordinary commitment to North Carolina and to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Japanese Automobile Manufacturers Association.”
Senate24 September 2026Source ↗
“She provided expert assistance on a wide range of issues involving Federal agencies, represented the Congressman at community events throughout North Carolina's Sixth Congressional District, and built lasting relationships with constituents, local leaders, and public officials through her unwavering commitment to public service.”
Senate6 August 2026Source ↗
“She provided expert assistance on a broad range of Federal matters, represented the Congressman at public events, and built lasting relationships with constituents and public officials throughout North Carolina's Sixth Congressional District.”
Senate6 August 2026Source ↗
“Throughout her tenure, she demonstrated an unwavering commitment to the people of North Carolina, assisting thousands of constituents in navigating complex Federal agencies. She also led critical efforts during times of crisis, coordinating the rescue and evacuation of Americans from Lebanon, Peru, and Afghanistan.”
Senate6 August 2026Source ↗
“Her perseverance throughout this yearslong endeavor exemplifies her ability to carry an important mission across congressional offices and Presidential administrations while never losing sight of the individual she was determined to honor.”
Senate6 August 2026Source ↗
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“Madam President, Republicans yield back all time. Vote on Motion”
Senate29 September 2026Source ↗
“Today, those relationships are helping our country expand domestic manufacturing capacity, reinforce critical supply chains, and compete in the next generation of automotive technology. As JAMA marks 50 years representing Japanese-brand automakers in the United States, Toyota's growing footprint in North Carolina is a strong example of what the economic partnership between our two nations can produce. I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing JAMA on its 50th anniversary and Toyota for its continued investment in North Carolina and our communities. ____________________”
Senate24 September 2026Source ↗
“Madam President, I rise today to recognize Toyota's extraordinary commitment to North Carolina and to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Japanese Automobile Manufacturers Association. Toyota's nearly $14 billion battery manufacturing facility in Liberty represents one of the most significant economic development investments in our State's history. When fully staffed, the facility is expected to support 5,100 high-skill American jobs and further establish North Carolina as a leader in advanced manufacturing.”
Senate24 September 2026Source ↗
“Mr. President, I ask the Chair to execute the order of August 8 in relation to S. 4668 following the use or yielding back of the debate time.”
Senate15 September 2026Source ↗
“Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that there be 1 hour of debate equally divided between the proponents and opponents of the bill.”
Senate15 September 2026Source ↗
“Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to waive the mandatory quorum call with respect to the cloture motion on the motion to proceed to S. 4668.”
Senate15 September 2026Source ↗
“Mr. President, I enter a motion to reconsider the vote.”
Senate15 September 2026Source ↗
“Her perseverance throughout this yearslong endeavor exemplifies her ability to carry an important mission across congressional offices and Presidential administrations while never losing sight of the individual she was determined to honor. Janine Osborne's lifetime of service to North Carolina stands as a testament to the extraordinary impact one dedicated public servant can make in the lives of others. I congratulate Janine on this well- deserved recognition and thank her for her unwavering commitment and compassionate service to the people of the great State of North Carolina. ____________________”
Senate6 August 2026Source ↗
“She provided expert assistance on a broad range of Federal matters, represented the Congressman at public events, and built lasting relationships with constituents and public officials throughout North Carolina's Sixth Congressional District. Janine continued her commitment to serving North Carolinians in Congressman Mark Walker's office from 2015 to 2021 as director of constituent services. In this role, she demonstrated exceptional leadership by supervising and mentoring a team of constituent liaisons while personally managing nearly half of all constituent cases received by the district office. In 2021, Janine brought that same leadership and dedication to my office as deputy director of constituent services. She oversaw complex constituent casework, mentored staff, and served as a trusted resource.”
Senate6 August 2026Source ↗
“Mr. President, I rise today to recognize and congratulate Janine M. Osborne on her remarkable 41 years of dedicated service to the people of North Carolina. Janine began her public service career as a district representative for Congressman Howard Coble. From 1985 to 2015, she managed constituent requests and served as a trusted liaison between constituents and all levels of government.”
Senate6 August 2026Source ↗
“Not only did she obtain the visas, but she did so in record time, helping ensure the child received the medical care that ultimately saved his life. Her efforts forever changed the lives of that family. Susan Rene Collins's lifetime of service to North Carolina stands as a testament to the extraordinary impact one dedicated public servant can make in the lives of others. I congratulate Rene on this well- deserved recognition and thank her for her unwavering commitment and compassionate service to the people of the great State of North Carolina. ____________________”
Senate6 August 2026Source ↗
“Throughout her tenure, she demonstrated an unwavering commitment to the people of North Carolina, assisting thousands of constituents in navigating complex Federal agencies. She also led critical efforts during times of crisis, coordinating the rescue and evacuation of Americans from Lebanon, Peru, and Afghanistan. In addition, she helped North Carolina communities recover from devastating hurricanes by working closely with Federal, State, and local partners to ensure that countless families and individuals received the assistance they needed most. Continuing her dedication to serving North Carolinians, Rene joined my office as a senior constituent advocate in 2022. She quickly became a trusted resource, providing expert assistance on immigration and U.S. Department of State matters.”
Senate6 August 2026Source ↗
“Mr. President, I rise today to recognize and congratulate Susan Rene Collins on her remarkable 23 years of dedicated service to the people of North Carolina. Rene began her public service career with then-Congressman Richard Burr as a constituent advocate and continued serving alongside him after his election to the U.S. Senate as a senior constituent advocate from 2003 to 2022.”
Senate6 August 2026Source ↗
“This example reflects the compassion, persistence, and effectiveness that have defined Rebecca's work throughout her distinguished career. Rebecca Redding Briles' lifetime of service to North Carolina stands as a testament to the extraordinary impact one dedicated public servant can make in the lives of others. I congratulate Rebecca on this well- deserved recognition and thank her for her unwavering commitment and compassionate service to the people of the great State of North Carolina. ____________________”
Senate6 August 2026Source ↗
“She provided expert assistance on a wide range of issues involving Federal agencies, represented the Congressman at community events throughout North Carolina's Sixth Congressional District, and built lasting relationships with constituents, local leaders, and public officials through her unwavering commitment to public service. Rebecca continued her dedication to serving North Carolinians in Congresswoman Renee Ellmers' office from 2013 to 2015 as director of constituent services. In this leadership role, she managed operations across two district offices, mentored a team of constituent liaisons, and ensured that constituents received responsive, compassionate, and effective assistance. In 2015, Rebecca brought that same leadership and steadfast dedication to my office as regional director of constituent advocacy.”
Senate6 August 2026Source ↗
“Mr. President, I rise today to recognize and congratulate Rebecca Redding Briles on over 30 remarkable years of dedicated service to the people of North Carolina. Rebecca began her public service career with Congressman Bill Cobey before joining Congressman Howard Coble's office in 1995 as a caseworker and community outreach representative. Working in a one- person district office, she managed all constituent requests for the region while serving as a trusted liaison between North Carolinians and the Federal Government.”
Senate6 August 2026Source ↗
“The grand inauguration of the new Vedic Mandir represents the continued growth of the Hindu community in Charlotte, as well as the deep cultural and social bonds that have been formed. It was an honor to attend the grand inauguration with so many other important community leaders and attendees, and I look forward to seeing the community continue to grow. I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing the Hindu Center of Charlotte for this historic milestone and wishing them continued growth and prosperity. ____________________”
Senate30 July 2026Source ↗
“Mr. President, I rise today to recognize the Hindu Center of Charlotte, which first opened in 1982. Since its founding, the Hindu Center of Charlotte has been an anchor of the local Hindu community and exemplifies the enduring values of faith, family, service, education, and civic engagement. Recently, I was glad to attend the grand inauguration of the center's new Vedic Mandir alongside community leaders, other elected officials, and thousands of devotees celebrating this historic milestone.”
Senate30 July 2026Source ↗
“So if I see a reconciliation bill come from the House with another failed attempt to confuse this election, I will use every device I have available to slow down the wheels of government until people cop a clue and do the math.”
Senate16 July 2026Source ↗
“So the fact is, we are not going to have 10,000 people doing things radically by election day. What we are going to do if we continue down this path is to convince the American people that you can't count on your election results. And that is dangerous. That is irresponsible. If you see voting improprieties in your State, report it. There are tools right now to investigate them. But don't further undermine the confidence of the American people by saying: My goodness, they can't get this implemented? The election must be invalid. That is not an America that anybody should sign up for. We ought to do it right, and we have to do the work.”
Senate16 July 2026Source ↗
“So, folks from North Carolina, our State motto is ``Esse quam videri''--``To be, rather than to seem.'' This seems like a legit proposal, but it isn't, and it hasn't been for the last year because you couldn't have gotten it done with 10,000 election entities if we had passed it last July. So let's be honest with the American people. Let's focus on getting every State to have voter ID. Let's provide funding that lets the States opt into it and have a consequence if they don't in terms of audit. But let's stop the charade. Let's stop the distraction. Let's get the government funded. Let's use reconciliation if we need to, but let's not clog it up with another piece of policy airdropped by a Member of this Senate or the White House that will undermine this bill, undermine what we need to get done before the election.”
Senate16 July 2026Source ↗
“We should put in grants that say: If you hit this threshold, we will help you with the implementation; and if you don't, we are going to spend that money to audit your elections. That is fine. That is good governance. And that is giving the States the option to decide whether or not they want to up the ante and increase the integrity of their elections or expect an audit from the Federal Government if they don't. That is what I would be advising my client. This is what I am advising my client right now--the President of the United States--like CEOs that I have advised before: Mr. President, these people are misleading you if they are telling you that this can be implemented by November. The only thing that will occur is an undermining of the integrity of our elections right now.”
Senate16 July 2026Source ↗
“As a matter of fact, the senior Senator from Utah's legislature has recently changed their policy, which I think they should have called for years ago, of mass mailing ballots to everybody, right? This should be fairly simple. You are only going from mass mailing ballots to saying: Hey, we have got to request it, right? They decided to take 3 years to implement that. I would ask the senior Senator from Utah: Why don't we speed it up? Why don't we do it this year? If we can do something as expansive as all this that they have tried to do in the three different sequels to the SAVE Act, you can certainly do that in Utah, can't you? Because the effect of this bill would be to eliminate it anyway. So get `er done. Do it now. Or let's start being honest with the American people. We should figure out a way to get every State to get to voter ID.”
Senate16 July 2026Source ↗
“He didn't say that, but that is effectively how he responded to it. I don't work in a theoretical world. I grew up in a trailer park. I worked as a management consultant. I work in a practical world. And in a practical world, I don't care how much you want voter ID done, the only thing you are going to have in this election is 72 Members of the Senate who already have voter ID in their States--did you know that? You would think that we didn't have any. Mr. President, 36 States already have voter ID. You want to sit down here and talk about how you upped the bar, and you give people a year or two to get it implemented, fine. But don't fool the American people into thinking you can implement something of this complexity over 60 days. My God, it needed to happen 2 years ago.”
Senate16 July 2026Source ↗
“I have to believe that these people who are Ivy League educated, qualified to go to the Supreme Court, can do basic math. It can't be done. It can't be a serious effort. And if it is a serious effort, I would suggest that they engage somebody who has actually implemented it before, instead of assuming that they can because they simply can't. And so when I have somebody put a microphone up in my face and say: Why are you against voter ID? I would say: First, do your homework. I ratified it. I fulfilled a promise. We have solid elections in North Carolina. I am against it because people are selling you a bill of goods. When I had this discussion with the senior Senator from Utah, it was like: Well, you know, I understand that it doesn't work in practice, but it should work in theory.”
Senate16 July 2026Source ↗
“That actually adds about another 7,000 governmental entities that would have to implement the letter of this law--whatever the law is, all right? The election is going to be held on the second Tuesday of November, right? We are August, September, October, right? So we have fewer than--let's just call it 100 days before the election. You are telling me that whatever proposal is being considered in the House can come and get done in the House, which it hasn't done, come to the Senate and get passed, go to the President's desk--let's say all of that--let's just say a miracle occurs. We can take it out of the Crock-Pot, put it in the microwave--we get it done in 2 weeks, right? OK.”
Senate16 July 2026Source ↗
“There are 41 States that administer at a county level--and I'm doing this to better explain it to my friend the senior Senator from Utah--41 States at the county level. What does that mean? Well, in North Carolina it means that we have 100 counties, and we have the State. We have 101 election entities that would have to implement whatever we put into law in North Carolina. If you multiply that by the 41 States that do it the same way, we have almost 4,000--let's narrow it because somebody will say: Oh, you overestimated. We have over 3,000--it is actually somewhere around 3,600--3,000 governmental entities that have to implement the letter of this law, OK? So we will just go with 3,000. Keep it low. Now, we have nine States that actually administer at the State, county, and municipal level.”
Senate16 July 2026Source ↗
“In addition to actually having experience with legislating, ratifying, and implementing voter ID law in North Carolina, I also happened to be a partner at Pricewaterhouse, PricewaterhouseCoopers, and IBM Global Business Services. My entire career has been founded on implementation. When you look at implementation, you look at the complexity of what it takes to get anything done--even the most simple thing. The reason why businesses pay firms like Pricewaterhouse to do what we do is because details matter, planning matters, execution matters. Now, let's talk about the SAVE Act or the SAVE America Act or whatever the heck they are calling the next thing that they are talking about putting in the reconciliation bill. States fit into two categories when it comes to how they administer elections.”
Senate16 July 2026Source ↗
“It actually took a couple of losses before we got it done, but we got it done. So for anybody to accuse me of saying that I don't like voter ID, you ought to check your facts and take a look at the signature on the law that was ratified by then- Speaker Thom Tillis in the State of North Carolina. Why do I tell you that? To at least put forth my bona fides with respect to implementing complex legislation. I have been trying to explain for nearly a year that the SAVE Act--whether it is the SAVE Act, the SAVE America Act, the new SAVE legislation that is being proposed in the House, ``SAVE Goes to Hollywood,'' ``SAVE Goes to Hawaii,'' whatever the sequels are--all of them are fundamentally flawed and impossible to implement by this election. Now, let me explain why.”
Senate16 July 2026Source ↗
“Voter Identification Mr. President, when I was elected in North Carolina and ran the campaign to get us to a majority and become speaker, one of the promises that I made to the people of North Carolina is that we would pass a voter ID bill; we would be smart about it; we would get it cleared through the Obama Justice Department; we would implement it in a methodical fashion so that we could further increase the already acceptable levels of election integrity in North Carolina. It took a couple of years.”
Senate16 July 2026Source ↗
“Mr. President, it is actually fitting. I just had somebody in the cloakroom tell me the last person that came to the floor and used the chart to draw on was none other than Lindsey Graham, so I will dedicate these comments to Lindsey.”
Senate16 July 2026Source ↗
“Mr. President, I also ask unanimous consent to use a prop during my remarks.”
Senate16 July 2026Source ↗
“Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.”
Senate16 July 2026Source ↗
“Mr. President, I rise today to recognize Dashaun Brown, Ryan Gillespie, and Giuseppe Marturano for their heroic actions on May 21, 2026. While playing soccer on Wrightsville Beach, NC, Mr. Brown, Mr. Gillespie, and Mr. Marturano heard cries for help. As Mr. Marturano called 911, Mr. Brown and Mr. Gillespie ran into the water to rescue Nicole Woods and her nephew. As the current continued to pull Ms. Woods and her nephew farther out to sea, Mr. Brown and Mr.”
Senate14 July 2026Source ↗
“But we are smart about it, and we have the courage to step up when we see a change can be made that will keep us true to those values but also keep our communities safer. And I appreciate your leadership on this.”
Senate14 July 2026Source ↗
“You know, at some point on these tough issues, we keep kicking the can down the road because we let people off the hook for saying things that are patently untrue and then not hold them to account a year or two later. Well, I am here to tell you: I am here for the next 173 days before I retire. Anybody who wants to come in and prove one bad outcome from this bill, give me a call. And, Senator Cornyn, again, you and I are both--we are both here for another 173 days. We got--and I say that not because I am counting the days to leave, but I am counting the days that we have to make an impact. And I hope I can continue to work with you on this and other bills to even make it better. We are, unabashedly, unapologetically, pro-Second Amendment Republicans.”
Senate14 July 2026Source ↗
“You were saying the world is going to end, guns are going to be confiscated, that straw purchases were going to destroy--you know, that we weren't going after trafficking, that we were going after law-abiding officers, and their licenses were going to be--all these things, all this noise. I will dedicate an hour to somebody who wants to come into my office and prove to me that one--one--negative behavior by any State or local government or Federal Government has occurred. This is what happened, folks. But you want to come to my office, I will guarantee you, you refer to this C-SPAN segment and you want to come to my office and prove that something bad happened, I will take that. My guess is, I will get that hour back, and that is what I mean.”
Senate14 July 2026Source ↗
“No, quite the contrary. That is why I am saying--look, I love saying I told you so, and I believed that that was going to be the case here. But, Senator Cornyn, let me just say it for anybody--for the 20 people watching on C-SPAN--and, hopefully, some will cover our statements--I defy anybody--anyone--who opposed this bill, who scored it, who threatened Members to vote against it, I defy them to come to my office and find one example of what they were telling people to oppose this bill that actually came to pass--one. Here it is: Public challenge. Guys, you who so--you were out there. You were emailing. You were raising money.”
Senate14 July 2026Source ↗
“You take a look at the--I spend a lot of time and focus on behavioral health, Senator Cornyn, and the data is compelling. There is no question in my mind--just the sheer number here--there is no question in my mind that we saved the life of somebody who is buying a gun for that purpose. There is no doubt in my mind the numbers stipulate that.”
Senate14 July 2026Source ↗
“I believe we have got something that we should be proud of. And I also believe, Senator Cornyn, that the straw purchases, the gun trafficking, all the other things that we didn't spend a lot of time on--we can come down here and do a colloquy and talk about more and more of the positive aspects of this bill. And I appreciate your leadership in moving it.”
Senate14 July 2026Source ↗
“I want to thank Senator Cornyn for his partnership. It was not an easy bill. It was a lot of work, but we got it done. I thank Senator Murphy, and I should have mentioned Senator Gillibrand--or not Gillibrand--wrong Kirsten--Senator Sinema for working together. I mean, we had people across the political spectrum, folks. Chris Murphy, whom I consider a friend and colleague, about as liberal as anybody in this Chamber--and I think he would admit that. And we have got John Cornyn, who is one of the most conservative. And then you have got me and Sinema probably somewhere in the middle. We got together, and we got this done. And there are more people safe, and I believe there are people alive today that may not have been if this bill hadn't passed. So, Senator Cornyn, I appreciate the work that you did on this bill.”
Senate14 July 2026Source ↗
“And let's make sure that we continue this trend of being sure that when a person applies for a weapon, that they can safely own it, they are going to be safe for themselves and their community, and stop this nonsense of fearing any sort of positive change because of political repercussions. This bill is one of the best bills that I had the privilege to work on. And the thing that is amazing about this bill is, it went from concept to implementation in fewer than 6 weeks. That is what happens when Congress gets together, they set aside their partisan differences, they refuse to listen to the false information trying to kill a bill, and they do something good for their State and their country. That is exactly--on this anniversary of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act-- what we accomplished.”
Senate14 July 2026Source ↗
“The last thing I will leave you with is, to the States that do have red flag laws--including, I believe, the State of the Presiding Officer--let's get those red flag laws consistent with due process and show respect to gun owners because I am not aware of any red flag law, even in red States, that come close to the sorts of protections that we also put into this bill. So let's give them an incentive to get it right. Let's make sure that every law-abiding citizen who wants to have a gun can--like me and like Senator Cornyn and like so many other people--but let's be smart about it.”
Senate14 July 2026Source ↗
“This is Congress at its best. It is looking at the people that you generally support--and Senator Cornyn was first among them--and the gun rights community and saying: Guys, I can't take the top-line arguments against this because you all know it is not really true. It is this black-and-white world that we live in here, and it requires the very seldom impactful language like, and legislation like, the Communities Act ever get done because people get afraid of the noise and they back into their corners. And I want to give Senator Cornyn an enormous amount of credit for stepping up and doing what he did to make Texas safer, make the country safer, and make these people and their loved ones and their neighbors in the community safer.”
Senate14 July 2026Source ↗
“I am not talking about a 38-year-old person going in. I am talking about an 18-year-old. I am talking about a 19-year-old. I am talking about a 20-year-old. All we did was say: Guys, let's make sure that this is a safe decision for the child and for the community. That is what this bill did, and that is why this bill has withstood the test of time and not a single--not one scintilla--and I would defy anybody who was against this bill to find one of the things that they predicted and guaranteed would happen have actually occurred. What has happened is we may have saved 1,600 people who may have been buying that gun to hurt themselves, maybe to hurt their community-- maybe not. But what we know is that day was not the day that we should allow them to leave that gun store with a weapon for their safety and the safety of the community.”
Senate14 July 2026Source ↗
“That is what all the people said: Send money, we are defending your Second Amendment right here in Washington. Almost 551,000 transactions for purchasing guns have been processed as of June of this year. About 3,800 of them were denied for reasons that existed before we ever passed this law. What we have done though is found some 1,630 young people that that was not their day to buy a gun. That was--I could go through a long list. I could talk about people being convicted of assaulting a police officer. I could talk about people who had a long gun after they had been convicted of a crime in their car. I could talk about people who accidentally in North Carolina shot their girlfriend a year before and all of a sudden--at 17 and wanted to get a gun. Does anybody in their right mind think that is a good day for that kid to get a gun?”
Senate14 July 2026Source ↗
“We are going to try and get information out there and encourage States to provide the information to our national center for clearing gun purchases in West Virginia sooner so that those who do not have a bad record can get their gun purchased sooner so that we can in a matter of 3 to 10 days get this done. All the people that were opposed to this bill said that we were not going to get any approvals done, that even the good law-abiding over 21s were going to get swept into this somehow. Well, let me tell you what has happened since June of this year. The NICS system is doing just fine. About 4,000 people who were going to be denied based on the law have been denied. So look at these numbers again. Talking about mass confiscation, how disruptive this was, how nobody was going to be able to get guns, right?”
Senate14 July 2026Source ↗
“Of course if you are under 21, we need to have some insight into what your life looked like when you were 16 or 17 years old. That is what the enhanced background check was, and yet some of these gun advocacy organizations thought that was horrible. It was going to lead to a mass confiscation of guns. It was a backdoor, I think. It was a backdoor into just taking all of our guns away. It was going to devastate the Second Amendment protections of our Constitution. I heard them all saying it, saying some of it. Let me tell you what actually happened. All we did was say: If you are under 21, we are going to try and find out as much as we need to know about you for your safety and for the safety of your community. So all we did was say: We are going to go to local law enforcement.”
Senate14 July 2026Source ↗
“I have more than one gun, but I am a responsible gun owner who also finished the concealed carry class and also hunter safety. And I think we all need to be responsible gun owners. But at the end of the day, you have got to decide whether or not a kid going into a gun store on their 18th birthday, if that is their day to buy a gun. So let's talk a little bit about what this bill really does versus what the mercenaries were trying to do to raise money and kill this bill. All we are saying--show of hands, do we have any pages that are 18 years old? OK. Younger or older? Younger, OK.”
Senate14 July 2026Source ↗
“Senator Cornyn, I would describe as probably the ultimate statesman and gentleman here in the Senate. I am not. And so Senator Cornyn talked about all the merits of the bill, and we stand by them. I should also say he gets special credit for a lot of those provisions because they are in there because of his participation. I have long said that I don't hold grudges, but I settle scores. And today is a good day to settle a score on another anniversary of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act. We had a lot of people, actually organizations I have been a member of in the past, spread a lot of false information about this bill. They said it was going to be a red flag bill. Well, the fact of the matter is, there is funding in this bill for red flag, for States that have implemented red flag laws.”
Senate14 July 2026Source ↗