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Senate

AGOA EXTENSION ACT--Motion to Proceed

2026-08-04 Issue 127 Showing 1–4 of 4

Official Congressional Record ↗

John Thune

Republican

“I want to talk about how our government is spending your money. I want to talk about the Working Families Tax Cuts. Our government made some taxes lower. Our government made some taxes stay lower forever. We made some taxes go away. We made some taxes stay away forever. We want you to have money. We want you to spend money on your family. Our government wants to help you save money for your children. We want our government to spend money on children. Our government wants to spend money on old people. We want our government to spend more money on education. Our government wants to help workers. Some workers got some money back. Our government wants to help more workers. Our government wants to spend more money.”

Official Congressional Record

Mr. President, a week or 2 ago, I came down to the floor and talked about growing up in a small town in South Dakota. As I said in those remarks, I carry those South Dakotans with me in a special way in my work here in Washington. When I consider bills or look at regulations, I think about what kind of impact they will have on those Americans, on hard-working people without a lot of extra money in the budget, on people living paycheck to paycheck or, as was the case with some of the farmers I grew up with, harvest to harvest. I think about how to ensure that government isn't standing in their way or taking up all the extra money in their budget. And it was hard-working Americans like the South Dakotans I grew up with who were at the top of my mind when Republicans drafted our landmark tax relief legislation back in 2017. The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act cut tax rates across the board, doubled the child tax credit, and nearly doubled the standard deduction. It put more money in hard- working Americans' pockets, money that they were able to use for their particular needs--from childcare to home repairs, to medical bills, to a family vacation. And those same hard-working Americans were our focus last year when we passed the Working Families Tax Cuts. Our first aim with the Working Families Tax Cuts was making the 2017 tax relief permanent, and that is exactly what we did. We made the lower tax rates permanent. We made the increased child tax credit permanent. And we made the increased standard deduction permanent. But that was just the beginning. We weren't content with a permanent extension of the 2017 tax relief. We wanted to do more for working families, and so that is what we did. As I said, our 2017 tax relief bill doubled the child tax credit. Well, the Working Families Tax Cuts not only made that permanent; it increased the child tax credit even further and then indexed it to inflation so its value will never go down. I said the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act nearly doubled the standard deduction. Well, the Working Families Tax Cuts boosted the standard deduction even further. And we didn't stop there. We instituted two big new tax relief measures: no tax on tips, no tax on overtime. That meant major new tax relief for a whole host of working Americans--waiters, delivery people, bartenders, Uber and Lyft drivers, nurses, factory workers, paramedics, police officers, and many others. And that still isn't all. We instituted a new $6,000 bonus deduction for seniors, and we created new tax-advantaged investment accounts to help parents save for their children's future, starting with an initial $1,000 investment from the Federal Government for babies born between 2025 and 2028. And that is far from the only thing we did to help the next generation get a headstart on their American dream. The Working Families Tax Cuts also made some significant improvements to the traditional 529 education savings plan, allowing those savings to be used for a greater variety of education-related expenses, like tutoring or home school materials and vocational and continuing education. On the higher education side, we implemented accountability and reforms and put downward pressure on the cost of college degrees. We also made permanent a policy I authored that allows employers to pay off a portion of their employees' student loans, without the employee having to pay taxes on the repayment amount. And on top of all that, we created the Workforce Pell Program, which will provide financial assistance to Americans in shorter term skills and career training programs, whether they are just starting out or looking to switch careers or develop new skills in their current field. This tax season, more than 35 million seniors claimed the new bonus deduction for older Americans. More than 29 million American workers were able to deduct overtime pay from their taxes, resulting in substantial tax savings. And more than 7.5 million workers deducted their tips on their taxes, ensuring they were able to keep more of their hard-earned money. And that is not to even mention the countless hard-working Americans who were able to take advantage of the increased standard deduction and the enhanced child tax credit. Tax refunds were up this season, and it is no surprise. It is the Working Families Tax Cuts at work. I may live in Sioux Falls now, which is one of South Dakota's bigger cities, but I spent a lot of time in smalltown South Dakota. And whenever I am there, I am proud to be able to share the details of the Working Families Tax Cuts and report that Republicans are delivering for working families. And we are going to continue to build on the Working Families Tax Cuts to expand opportunity and make life more affordable for hard- working Americans. I yield the floor. I suggest the absence of a quorum.

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John Barrasso

Republican

“I want to blame Democrats for government shutdowns. I think shutdowns are bad. I want people to think Democrats like shutdowns. I talk about bad things that happened during shutdowns. I think Democrats caused those bad things. I want people to think Democrats are bad. I want people to think Democrats only care about politics. I want people to think Democrats don't care about Americans. I want to blame Democrats for problems with safety. I want people to think Democrats put criminals ahead of Americans. I want people to think Democrats are dangerous. I want to say my party is good. I want people to think my party is bipartisan. I want people to think Democrats block bills. I want to say Republicans are trying to fix the process. I want people to think Democrats are extreme. I want people to blame Democrats if there is another shutdown. I want Democrats to vote to keep the government open. I suggest the absence of a quorum.”

Official Congressional Record

Mr. President, the American people deserve a government that is open and is functioning. The American people know that government shutdowns cause significant pain to them personally and harm to our Nation. We have had two painful shutdowns in the last year, and the Democrats--and the Democratic leader just left the floor--have caused both of them. Democrats have proven that they are willing to make life harder for Americans, and they do it every time they shut down the government. They think it helps them politically. Actually, that is what Senator Schumer had said in the past--because in October of 2025, Schumer and the Senate Democrats chose to shut down the entire government, shut it down for 43 days. That is a record--a record--in the history of our Nation. And Senator Schumer actually said at the time--he said: I am not sure who the ``us'' was. It is not the American people, not the people who were suffering in the long lines at the airport, and with TSA and the flights that were canceled and people that weren't getting paid. Every day got worse for the American people. It might have been better for Senator Schumer but not for people at home in my State and in the Presiding Officer's. It seemed to the Democrats that the American families were just collateral damage as they tried to make a political message. Servicemembers weren't able to pay their mortgages, as they had to wait for their paychecks to come in. Flights canceled, airport screening lines stretched--I remember the video. They stretched for hours. Park rangers, TSA agents all missed paychecks. Democrats said it got better for them every day. Government employees living paycheck-to-paycheck had to struggle to make ends meet, to pay the bills. We saw people lining up at food banks. The American people responded and offered help to their neighbors. The Democrats said it got better for them every day. People on food assistance lost that assistance. And less than 4 months later, the Democrats did it again. That time, they blocked funding for the Department of Homeland Security. That shutdown lasted 75 days for the Department of Homeland Security. Democrats voted to defund America's law enforcement Agencies. That seems to be their mantra: defund the police; get rid of ICE, get rid of Immigration and Customs Enforcement; open the borders; let anybody in. That is who that party is now, and we are seeing it even today in the Michigan primary, where they have radical, extreme, dangerous, scary people running and who may win primaries and have been winning primaries in the Democrat Party across the country. These are people that put the safety and security of the American people at risk. They do it because they think it may give them a political advantage. It doesn't help the American people. Recall that during the last shutdown, the shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security, we in this country faced terrorist threats. In Texas, there was a man wearing clothing that said ``Property of Allah.'' He was arrested. He shot into a crowded restaurant, just shot into the restaurant. People were killed. ``Property of Allah.'' Apparently, that is OK in some people's minds. Most Americans don't think so. In Michigan, a man whose family member was tied to Hezbollah rammed a truck full of explosives into a synagogue. Over 100 children and their teachers were inside. This is the threat we face. By shutting down the Department of Homeland Security, Democrats put the safety of illegal immigrants--and specifically illegal immigrant criminals--above the safety and security of American citizens. That is whom the Democrats choose to prioritize, and we are seeing the Democrats do that in campaign ads and in campaign speeches all across the country as the most radical of the radicals seem to be winning Democrat primaries this year. So the question is, Are Democrats going to choose to shut down the government a third time? We were able to get on the bill yesterday. The onus is on them. The Republicans are ready to move forward. We have an appropriations process. That is the way that government funding is supposed to work. Right now, the Democrats are stonewalling every single Appropriations Committee right here in the U.S. Senate, and it is shameful. Senator Susan Collins, our colleague and friend from Maine, is the chair of the Appropriations Committee. She has a history of working with bipartisanship, and integrity is so much a part of her leadership style. Democrats have rejected every good-faith measure that she has put forward in terms of the Appropriations Committee. Recall that when the Democrats were in charge of Congress and Joe Biden was in the White House, Senator Schumer blocked 11 of the 12 appropriations bills from even coming to the floor, even coming here for debate. He didn't want any of them--none. Republicans are committed to repairing the damage that has been done to the process by the Democrats. Senator Collins has carefully crafted a reasonable continuing resolution. That is what we voted to get on last night. It keeps the government open. So that was just the first step. Now we have to move forward. We will see what the Democrats say today. Here is the choice facing every Senate Democrat this week: Vote to keep the government open or force the Nation into another painful shutdown. We are going to find out. People have already lived through these two painful Democrat shutdowns over the last year. People don't want a third. They have suffered enough. Senator Schumer this morning said he wants to avoid a shutdown. Time for them to prove it. The question is, Do Democrats in this body have the courage to stand up to the extremists who have taken over their party? We are going to find out. I yield the floor. I suggest the absence of a quorum.

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Bill Cassidy

Republican

“I want to set up a process to fix Social Security. Congress won't set up a process. Congress has had 44 years to fix it. If we don't set up a process, benefits will be cut 29 percent or taxes will go up 40 percent. Senators can bring their own bills. We need to act now. I have a bill with Dick Durbin. Let's set up a process.”

Official Congressional Record

Mr. President, I just told my colleague from Illinois: It has been a ride. We have been trying to set up a process, a process whereby Congress would consider a solution--not prescribe a solution, consider a solution--for Social Security, a process that would have Members of the House and Members of the Senate come together fully open for input from stakeholders, from citizens, to have something to present among all the proposals that are out there--two proposals, three proposals--and whatever we put up would not be the final solution necessarily. It could be replaced by any other Member of the Senate with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. And people won't even set up a process. We are not talking about a solution. We are talking about a process that would come to a solution maybe that still has to get 60 votes in the U.S. Senate. Folks say: We need more time. Dick Durbin just chuckled. He goes: They have had 44 years. They have had 44 years. How much more time do they need? I have got a couple cartoons just to make the case. I think that if we don't set up this process, Congress will be kicking granny off the cliff. That was made famous long ago. There it is. She earned it; she deserves it; she counts on it; and Congress will not set up a process by which to address the issue. Mr. President, 75 million retirees, widows, widowers, others rely on Social. In 6 years, the program, the trust fund--the trust fund goes insolvent. And when that happens, according to the actuaries, there will be either an almost 29 percent benefit reduction or a 40 percent increase in payroll taxes on working Americans. If that trust fund goes insolvent and that benefit is cut 28.5 percent, as the actuaries say it will, the rate of poverty among Americans over age 65 will increase by 50 percent--by 50 percent. So here is another cartoon. Congress made a promise, and some people want to ignore it. She paid in; she earned it; she relies on it. But if you ask: Should we do something about Social? Apparently, for some people, the time to do something on Social is never. Don't disturb Congress. They don't want to take a tough vote--even if that vote only sets up a process--it doesn't even propose a solution--a process whereby Congress is required to fix the issue. By the way, Social has always been important. It is even more important now that Americans are living longer. And every year we delay fixing Social, the amount of cuts required to balance it increase or the amount of taxes required to fix it increases or the amount of money we have to borrow to fix it increases. There is no good thing about waiting except it allows Congress to dodge its responsibility. I want to compliment my colleague from Illinois. He came up to me and he goes: Bill, I am leaving the Senate. We need to make a run at fixing Social. I am leaving the Senate. We need to make a run. By the way, we have a solution, but we are not saying it has to be our solution. All we are trying to do is set up a process by which solutions can be considered. And running out the clock, it may be politically convenient, but it is the wrong thing to do. Congress' obligation to the American people, to the people that rely upon Social Security, is to act, and it is to act now. I have another cartoon here just to make the point. It is not just older people affected; it is younger people. Sorry, young folks. You are getting left behind because some say it is not our problem. The Social Security system is going insolvent, and these folks can pay into it. They will never receive a benefit. These young pages here, they don't recognize it yet, but they are contributing every month on the wages they are getting to a system that will not be there for them unless we do something now. So before I defer to my colleague, I will just say once more: All we are doing is setting up a process to propose solutions that may or may not pass, that any Senator can bring their own bill and have it as an amendment in the nature of a substitute. It is up to Congress, though, to find a solution. Now, history will decide whether Congress took up the responsibility of addressing the issue or whether because it was politically advantageous, politically expedient to kick the can down the road once more, even though the road is about to end in a dead end, or, in the case of one of our cartoons, a cliff. Here. We built a bridge and decided not to finish it. Here. The folks that need to get across the bridge of Social Security will get to it someday. We have got to get to it now. That is the point. Let's set up a process to be considered. We are talking about the PROMISE Act, which is a Dick Durbin--lead author--Bill Cassidy bill. And there may be another way, but let's set up the process. With that, I defer to my colleague.

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Bill Cassidy

Republican

“I don't want to talk about the actual bill. I brought up something from 10 years ago to change the subject. I hope that people will be distracted by talking about that instead.”

Official Congressional Record

Mr. President, Senator Durbin is referring to what's called the PROMISE Act. Again, it is a bill which sets up a process to come to a solution. It doesn't dictate what the solution is. We have colleagues who are objecting to coming up with a process, and so it is important for our country that Congress tackle this issue. And when I say ``our country,'' I mean the people who live here. And the people who live here, whether they are older or whether they are younger, they are relying upon Congress to step up to its responsibility. Thank you, Senator Durbin. We will continue to push on this. It is important for our Congress, important for our country, important for our people. I yield the floor.

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