John Thune

“We have released the temporary funding bill. It is a good bipartisan plan. I hope both parties in the Senate will vote to pass it in the next few days.”

“Mr. President, I am pleased to say that the text of the continuing resolution has been released. It is a strong, bipartisan piece of legislation, and I hope it will receive overwhelming support from both parties in the Senate. I am deeply grateful to Appropriations Chair Collins for her work to produce this legislation, in consultation with Members of both parties, and I also want to thank Senator Murray, vice chair of the Appropriations Committee, for her efforts to get this done. I look forward to passing this bill in the next few days.”

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  Speech in the House

  Signal 44 of 100

  Much of this statement went to praise, blame, greetings, routine procedure or general stories rather than reasons, requests or specific points.

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“I ask that the Senate finish its work for the day and meet again on Monday.”

“Mr. President, if there is no further business to come before the Senate, I ask that it stand adjourned under the previous order. There being no objection, the Senate, at 3:50 p.m., adjourned until Monday, August 3, 2026, at 3 p.m.”

“I ask that the Senate end work for today and meet again at 3 p.m. on Monday, August 3. I also ask that we vote at 5:30 p.m. that day to move forward on this bill.”

“Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today, it stand adjourned until 3 p.m. on Monday, August 3; that following the prayer and pledge, the Journal of proceedings be approved to date, the morning hour be deemed expired, the time for the two leaders be reserved for their use later in the day, and the Senate be in a period of morning business, with Senators permitted to speak therein for up to 10 minutes each; further, that notwithstanding rule XXII, the cloture motion with respect to the motion to proceed to Calendar No. 320, H.R. 6500, ripen at 5:30 p.m.”

“I am thanking Jayden Bender for her hard work as an intern in my South Dakota office.”

“Mr. President, today I recognize Jayden Bender, an intern in my Aberdeen, SD, office, for all of the hard work she has done for me, my staff, and the State of South Dakota over the past several months. Jayden is a graduate of Britton-Hecla High School in Britton, SD. Currently, she is attending the University of South Dakota in Vermillion, SD, where she is majoring in legal studies with a minor in policial science. She is a hard worker who has been dedicated to getting the most out of her internship experience. I extend my sincere thanks and appreciation to Jayden for all of the fine work she has done and wish her continued success in the years to come.”

“I ask the Senate to approve this group of Foreign Service nominees right now without any debate.”

“Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the consideration of the following nominations en bloc: All nominations on the Secretary’s desk in the Foreign Service; that the nominations be confirmed en bloc; that the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table with no intervening action or debate; that no further motions be in order to any of the nominations; that the President be immediately notified of the Senate’s action and the Senate then resume legislative session.”

“I ask the Senate to quickly approve this group of military nominations all at once, leaving out a few specific people.”

“Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to executive session to consider the following nominations en bloc: Calendar Nos. 878 through 880, Calendar Nos. 882 through 892, Calendar Nos. 894 through 898, Calendar No. 881, with the exception of Stephen P. Snelson; and all nominations on the Secretary’s desk in the Air Force, with the exception of PN970-2 and PN1151, Omar Vargas; Army, with the exception of PN1015-2, Mark R. Berube and Mandi A. Samples; PN1017-2, Joel A. Arends and Michael D. Thompson; PN1061-2, Theresa M. Long; PN1065-2, Samuel A. Smith; PN1072-2, Philip T. Buckler; PN1104, Austin D. Roberts and John A. Goodwin; PN1105, Justin M. Smith; Navy, with the exception of PN835-2, PN925, PN990-2, Robert J. Moreno and Joshua Q. McCright; PN1029-2, Kelly Cruz; and Space Force; that the nominations be confirmed en bloc; the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table with no intervening action or debate; that no further motions be in order to any of the nominations; and that the President be immediately notified of the Senate’s action.”

“I am asking the Senate to take up these resolutions together.”

“Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate now proceed to the en bloc consideration of the following resolutions, which are at the desk: S. Res. 821, S. Res. 822, S. Res. 823, S. Res. 824, and S. Res. 825. There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the resolutions en bloc.”

“I want the Senate to pass a short-term spending bill next week to fund the government through the November elections. Shutdowns hurt our national security, our economy, and everyday Americans. Both parties are working together on this bill, and I urge everyone to vote for it to prevent another shutdown.”

“Mr. President, next week, our top priority will be funding the government until the November election. The American people have faced two--two--recordbreaking government shutdowns in the past 10 months. We need to ensure that they do not face a third. We owe the American people some certainty here. They should not have to be hoping and praying that on September 30, the government will get funded and that government services will continue. I don’t think I need to tell anybody in this body that government shutdowns serve no one--not Members of either party and, most of all, not the American people. Shutdowns strain our national security agencies. They threaten military, law enforcement, and civilian pay. They endanger nutrition benefits, farm programs, and a whole lot of other stuff. They are bad for our economy, and they snarl air travel. I could go on. Shutdowns hit our country--they hit the American people--hard, and we owe it to the American people to ensure that they do not face another shutdown this fall. That is why Senate Appropriations Committee Chair Collins has been hard at work drafting a clean, bipartisan continuing resolution to fund the government through the November elections. I appreciate everything she has done to make this happen--engaging with Members of both parties and working through the necessary anomalies from the Office of Management and Budget--and I intend to bring the CR to the floor for a vote next week. Again, I would emphasize that the appropriators are working in good faith to produce a clean, bipartisan product that is free of poison pills, and I hope that will ensure a robust bipartisan vote next week so that the American people don’t have to spend the next 2 months wondering if the Senate is going to do its job, because that is what this is--our job. Funding the government is our most basic responsibility as Members of Congress, and we owe it to the American people to get that job done and done now. I urge all of my colleagues to support the clean, bipartisan continuing resolution and get our government funded. I yield the floor. I suggest the absence of a quorum.”

“I want to thank Ava Powell for her hard work as an intern in my Washington office.”

“Mr. President, today I recognize Ava Powell, an intern in my Washington, DC, office, for all of the hard work she has done for me, my staff, and the State of South Dakota over the past several weeks. Ava is a graduate of Greens Farms Academy in Westport, CT. Currently, she is attending Vanderbilt University in Nashville, TN, where she is pursuing degrees in English and human and organizational development. She is a hard worker who has been dedicated to getting the most out of her internship experience. I extend my sincere thanks and appreciation to Ava for all of the fine work she has done and wish her continued success in the years to come.”

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  Speech in the House

  Signal 28 of 100

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“I want to congratulate the town of Peever, South Dakota, on its 125th anniversary.”

“Mr. President, today I recognize Peever, SD. The town of Peever will be celebrating its quasquicentennial on August 8, 2026. Peever will host anniversary events, including a parade, an antique tractor-pull, live music, and much more. Peever is located in Roberts County and is nestled at the edge of the beautiful Coteau Hills in the northeastern corner of South Dakota. The town of Peever is named after settler Thomas Henry Peever, an entrepreneur who cultivated the community’s growth through railroad development and early commerce. As part of the Lake Traverse Reservation, the area is deeply tied to the Sisseton Wahpeton Oyate and holds valued Tribal history. Despite a devasting fire, floods, and droughts, this community has continued to be a true testament to the resilience and tenacity seen across South Dakota. Home to more than 180 South Dakotans, Peever is known for its rich agricultural and Native American heritage. Since Peever’s beginning 125 years ago, the community continues to exemplify South Dakota’s strong values, emboldened traditions, and enduring spirit. I offer my congratulations to the citizens of Peever on their town’s quasquicentennial and wish them continued prosperity in the years to come.”

“I want the Senate to pass the sanctions bill named after our late colleague, Lindsey Graham. Russia pays for its war against Ukraine by selling oil and gas, especially to China. This bill gives the President the power to place high taxes on countries buying Russian energy and to punish the banks and people who help sell it. It also keeps sanctions in place against Iran. Cutting off this money will force Russia to negotiate and help end the war.”

“Mr. President, yesterday, we said goodbye to our friend and colleague Lindsey Graham. But though we said farewell, Lindsey’s work continues. Last night, we began consideration of the bill to which he devoted so much of his time and energy over the last year. He had worked on it with world leaders and Members of both parties here in Congress, and he was working on it on the day he died. That bill is now known as the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act. It will give the President important tools to hopefully end the war between Russia and Ukraine and bring peace where there has been war for too long. Russia invaded Ukraine 4\1/2\ years ago. Back then, many believed Ukraine would fall in less than a week. But Ukraine has denied the Russians the quick victory that they had expected. This war continues because Vladimir Putin wants it to continue. Over the course of the war, Russia has suffered 1.4 million casualties. By one estimate, Russian casualties are now 30,000 per month. Ukraine has slowed Russia’s advance. They have gone on the offensive within Russia’s borders. And with the war reportedly taking up a significant share of Russia’s budget, Putin is seeking to quash the opposition to it in his own country. But the war continues, as I said, because Putin wants it to continue and because he is able to keep it going. Russia funds its war effort in no small part through oil and gas sales facilitated by its so-called shadow fleet of ships flying under false flags. What the Graham Russia sanctions bill does is go after that source of funding. It gives the President authority to levy tariffs of up to 100 percent against the largest purchasers of Russian energy, of which China is the largest. You might recall that before the Russian invasion in 2022, the leaders of China and Russia declared a ``no limits’’ partnership between their two countries. Today, that partnership is most evident in China’s financing of the war by purchasing Russian oil and gas. This bill doesn’t stop with the purchasers of Russian energy, however; it also sanctions the government officials, private individuals, and banks and other enterprises that facilitate the sale of Russian gas and oil. In short, it takes direct aim at a key source of funding for Russia’s war effort because this war will not end until Putin is forced to come to the negotiating table in a real way. This bill is about denying Putin the ability to continue to prolong this war. President Trump has made his commitment to ending this war and bringing peace to Ukraine very clear. This bill will help him do that. They say you can know a man by the enemies he has made. Lindsey Graham didn’t have many fans in the Kremlin, nor was he liked in Tehran or Beijing, for that matter. I don’t think this bill has many supporters in those places either. This is a bill that aims to shut off a key source of strength for Russia’s war effort. It targets China’s source of cheap energy. It ensures the President can continue putting maximum economic pressure on Iran as well by extending for another 5 years the legislation that underpins many of the sanctions that are in place against the Iranian regime. We may have said farewell to Lindsey yesterday, but his work goes on. He believed in America, and he saw its promise in the hopes of men and women around the world who want their own democracies and freedom in their homelands. There was no greater friend to freedom-loving people than Lindsey Graham, and this bill is a part of that legacy--a legacy that will echo for many years to come. I yield the floor. I suggest the absence of a quorum.”

“We are voting to confirm Jay Clayton as Director of National Intelligence this week. He is qualified and has a strong record in government and law enforcement. Democrats are slowing down his confirmation for political reasons, even though they dislike the acting director and have praised Clayton in the past. We need to confirm him and renew our surveillance laws.”

“Mr. President, this afternoon, we are going to move on the nomination of Jay Clayton to be Director of National Intelligence. Amid a heightened threat environment, having a proven leader in this role is especially important, and Jay Clayton fits this mold. During the first Trump administration, Jay Clayton served as Chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission for almost 4 years, and under his leadership, the SEC went after financial crimes and fraud and aimed to protect Main Street investors. He also worked with the intelligence community on national security issues that intersected with our financial system. That included efforts to address Chinese influence and exploitation of our markets. And, of course, he worked to maintain economic stability after the onset of the pandemic, as well. So, Mr. President, with that record, it is no wonder that President Trump wanted Jay Clayton to serve in his second administration, this time as U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, an important law enforcement post. And for the past year and a half in that role, Mr. Clayton has been busy. He has supervised the prosecution of terrorists and the drafting of the indictment against Nicolas Maduro on drug trafficking and terrorism charges. Now President Trump has nominated him for a Cabinet post to lead our Nation’s intelligence community. Jay Clayton’s record inspires confidence in the type of DNI he will be, and Democrats have previously recognized his abilities. He has earned bipartisan support in the past. The Democrat vice chair of the Intelligence Committee even said after Mr. Clayton was nominated for this position ``I have known and respected Jay Clayton for many years and believe he is a capable public servant’’--that, again, from the Democrat vice chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee. So one might think that we would be seeing some bipartisanship from Democrats on this nominee, but Democrats are playing the same partisan games with this qualified nominee as they have with so many of President Trump’s picks. And it is a funny thing because Democrats have made no secret of their disdain for the current Acting Director of National Intelligence. In fact, Democrats were so worked up over the President’s temporary choice for this position that they allowed our Nation’s most important counterterrorism tool to go dark for the first time ever. That is right. Now Democrats have the opportunity to replace that acting official, but they are in no apparent rush to confirm a permanent Director of National Intelligence. They have opposed his nomination in committee. They have delayed things here on the floor, and I don’t expect we will see a lot of Democrat support for him in the final rollcall. It doesn’t matter how qualified the nominee or even that Democrats supposedly want to see the current Acting Director replaced. For our colleagues across the aisle, everything--everything--takes a back seat to the political games. Well, I have run out of words. It is shameful. We are going to move forward with the Clayton nomination this week. We will have a permanent Director of National Intelligence in place shortly, and I hope this will encourage my colleagues to stop blocking the reauthorization of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. I yield the floor. I suggest the absence of a quorum.”

“I am asking the Senate to end debate and hold a vote.”

“Mr. President, I send a cloture motion to the desk. The cloture motion having been presented under rule XXII, the Chair directs the clerk to read the motion. The senior assistant legislative clerk read as follows:”

“I recently went back to my small hometown in South Dakota for my high school reunion. Growing up there taught me the value of community, freedom, and limited government. In the Senate, I keep working to cut taxes and stop rules that hurt farmers, ranchers, and small-town families.”

“Mr. President, over the weekend, I headed back to Jones County, South Dakota, for my high school reunion. It has been a few years since high school--just a few--but it is amazing how the years roll away when you head back and see some of the people who shaped your high school years. Some of them are missing now, of course: teachers; coaches; my parents--my dad, who was a teacher at my high school, a coach at my high school, and the busdriver at my high school; and my mom, who served as the school librarian. Needless to say, we Thune kids didn’t get away with much in our high school years. My high school reunion this year happened to coincide with the 120th anniversary of the town of Murdo, where I grew up--current population, roughly, 500. And being back in Jones County and in Murdo really got me to reminisce about growing up in smalltown South Dakota, about how blessed I was to grow up in a small town in South Dakota. People discuss the loss of community today that can result from the circumstances of modern life. That was never something we had to worry about in Murdo. In Murdo, you knew you were part of a community. Rural South Dakotans are sturdy, independent people, but they also know from experience that you can’t get by in a small town on the prairie without the support of your neighbors. And when someone was in need in Murdo, the whole town rallied around to help, whether it was an unexpected death in the family or the collapse of a barn roof. We celebrated with each other, too, whether it was the harvest, the Fourth of July, or pheasant season. And the whole town swelled with pride at one of its kids’ achievements. I carry the sense of community and belonging I had growing up in Murdo with me to this day, and I carry those smalltown South Dakotans with me in a special way in my work here in Washington. When we look at a government regulation, I think about what impact it will have on smalltown South Dakota, on the people in our State, like the ones that I grew up with. Is it going to lighten their burden, or is it going to add new challenges on top of those they already face? Agriculture is the life blood of our State. It was the life blood of Murdo as well. Farmers and ranchers have a tough job: backbreaking work in all weathers--work that can be destroyed in an instant by a storm or a flood. I want to ensure that Washington isn’t making their life even tougher than it is already. That is why I fought for things like the elimination of the death tax, so that the farmers and ranchers can hand down the family enterprise to their kids and don’t have to spend time and money on costly estate planning. It is also why I fought to ensure that Federal farm programs are actually serving farmers, that they take into account the realities of farm life and keep pace with changes. You can bet that I had smalltown South Dakota in mind when I fought to pass tax relief for hard-working Americans in the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, and then when we made that new tax relief permanent in the Working Families Tax Cut just last year. I think a lot of my political beliefs have their roots in growing up in Murdo: from the belief that government ought to be limited--and if a matter can be handled at the State or local level, it should be--to my understanding of the importance of freedom, and the individual responsibility that comes with the freedoms we enjoy. I am grateful every day, Mr. President, for the blessings of growing up in a small town, in smalltown South Dakota, and I am proud to be a son of Murdo. I yield the floor. I suggest the absence of a quorum.”

• Little substance
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  Speech in the House

  Signal 33 of 100

  Much of this statement went to praise, blame, greetings, routine procedure or general stories rather than reasons, requests or specific points.

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“We need to fund the government before our August break to avoid another shutdown. Shutdowns hurt our economy, delay flights, and stop workers from getting paid. I want the Senate to pass a short-term funding bill that keeps the government open until after the November election.”

“Mr. President, the Senate is in the middle of a busy work period, and we have a lot to accomplish in the coming weeks and months. We have some great opportunities for bipartisan collaboration: market structure legislation; the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia Act; the National Defense Authorization Act; FISA. But at the top of the list right now is funding the government. If there is any responsibility we have as Members of Congress, it is that. And our country cannot afford another shutdown like the two shutdowns we have experienced over the course of this fiscal year. Shutdowns take a toll on our economy, on our national security. They create havoc at airports. And, of course, they take an incredible toll on hard-working Americans inside and outside the government whose paychecks depend on the government being open. I think a lot of Americans remember pretty clearly what things looked like during the Democrats’ two recordbreaking shutdowns this past year: government workers lining up at food banks, charging essentials on credit cards, and taking up any work they could find in hopes of being able to make ends meet; government services reduced; national security Agencies strained. I don’t think any American who traveled will forget the effect those two shutdowns had on air travel: hourslong TSA lines snaking around airport concourses and out airport doors; canceled and delayed flights; a nationwide reduction in air traffic, when our air traffic control system could no longer safely maintain regular flight schedules. The list goes on. We cannot--cannot--have this again, and that is why I have asked Appropriations Chair Collins to draft a bipartisan and clean continuing resolution to fund the government until after the November election. I intend for the Senate to vote on that before we head to our States to work during August. The Senate Appropriations Committee is hard at work reviewing anomalies from OMB to ensure we have a bipartisan product ready to move quickly. No one is served by our waiting until the last minute to take this up. And after all that our country has been through with the past two shutdowns, the American people deserve to have confidence that the government will be open and running, not to mention the fact that government employees--like our own staffers and the Capitol Police officers standing guard around this building--deserve to know that their paychecks will be coming. It was not a good year on the government funding front, with two recordbreaking government shutdowns, but we have an opportunity now to chart a new path. I am encouraged that, so far, my Democrat colleagues have signaled that they do not want to force another government shutdown, and I appreciate Chair Collins’ work to engage with Democrats and produce a bipartisan continuing resolution. No one--no one--is served by a shutdown, not either political party, and most of all not the people that we represent. So I look forward to bringing up a bipartisan CR in the coming days, and I urge all of my colleagues to support this legislation and give the American people the certainty that they deserve. I yield the floor. I suggest the absence of a quorum.”

“I support our tax bill. It cuts taxes and creates new savings accounts for kids. It also helps families save more for school, lets employers help pay off student loans tax-free, and gives financial aid to people learning job skills.”

“Mr. President, every parent wants to give their kids a better life than they had. So parents spend a lot of time making sure their kids are ready when opportunity comes their way. In many cases, that involves putting money aside for their future. Opportunity is one of the pillars of Republicans’ Working Families Tax Cut. That means both creating opportunity and helping more Americans to seize those opportunities to get ahead. And one of the ways this bill does that is by helping parents to save and invest in their children’s futures. That starts with lower tax bills so parents can keep more of their hard-earned money. And on top of that, we made it easier for parents to support their kids’ dreams with things like the bill’s new Trump Accounts. These new tax-advantaged investment accounts can be a powerful tool for parents and other family members to give the next generation a brighter future because Trump Accounts can be used for a broad array of expenses. Money from a Trump account can go toward education expenses, buying a first home, starting a business, or buying the family farm or ranch when the time comes. Kids can even opt to use the accounts as retirement savings when they reach adulthood, a financial priority for every American. Trump Accounts will help bring big dreams closer within reach. Parents of children born between 2025 and 2028 can opt in to receive an initial $1,000 balance in their Trump Account from the government. On top of that, numerous companies have already made pledges to contribute to the Trump Accounts for their employees’ children, and some philanthropists have made similar commitments. Plus, as I indicated earlier, any member of the family can contribute to a Trump Account. So an aunt or an uncle, grandma or grandpa can add money to a Trump Account as a birthday gift or Christmas gift, further boosting the amount a child will have available when he or she reaches young adulthood. Even $20 per month can build to a substantial sum of money by the time a baby born this year turns 18. And the Trump Accounts app even includes modules and other resources for parents and children to learn about investing and grow their financial literacy, which will help them throughout their lives. Trump Accounts are a significant tool for parents and their kids. But it is far from the only thing that we did in this bill to help the next generation get a headstart on their American dream. The Working Families Tax Cut also made some significant improvements to the traditional 529 education savings plan, allowing those savings to be used for a greater variety of education expenses: tutoring, home- school materials, and vocational and continuing education. Plus, we doubled the withdrawal limit for 529s to $20,000 per year. Mr. President, I am also proud of how the Working Families Tax Cut strengthens pathways to meaningful career options for the next generation. On the higher education side, we implemented accountability and reforms to 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. For Americans who are interested in learning a skilled trade, this bill is transformative. As I mentioned, it allows 529 savings to go toward vocational education. It also 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. States are just beginning the process of identifying programs that will qualify for Workforce Pell, and it is already generating excitement. One community college president in New York said of Workforce Pell: ``The potential is absolutely huge.’’ Another community college administrator in Oregon hailed how Workforce Pell will provide assistance for the college’s truckdriving certificate program, a popular program that leads to high-paying jobs but for which financial aid is hard to come by. Workforce Pell will change that. And Workforce Pell will also be a game changer for midcareer professionals. As Colette Atkins, who works at Kirkwood Community College in Iowa, said, ``we have students that are working already, and they can’t step away for 2 years, but can they step away to do that 8 to 15 weeks to get that training? They sure can. And now there’s financial support to help them do that.’’ Suffice it to say, Workforce Pell will open new pathways and create a lot of opportunities for a lot of Americans, and it is getting started thanks to the Working Families Tax Cut. Putting more money in Americans’ pockets, helping them seize opportunities to get ahead, and creating new pathways to success--that is the Working Families Tax Cut at work. I yield the floor. I suggest the absence of a quorum.”

“Democrats do not care about the priorities of regular Americans. They only listen to the far left. They support biological men playing in women's sports, gender treatments for children, and abortion. They also shut down the government, want to defund border enforcement, and voted against money for our military. Instead of working with us, Democrats are becoming more extreme.”

“Mr. President, at the beginning of last year, the New York Times took a poll of the American voters, and the headline captures their results. This is what it said: ``Many Americans Say the Democratic Party Does Not Share Their Priorities.’’ Let me repeat that, Mr. President. ``Many Americans Say the Democratic Party Does Not Share Their Priorities.’’ That is right. A New York Times poll taken weeks after voters rejected Democrats at the ballot box suggested that one of the reasons for Democrats’ loss was that Americans don’t think Democrats share their priorities. The story went on to say: But when the poll asked Americans to identify Democrats’ most important priorities, Americans identified issues like abortion and climate change, among others. Our Democrat colleagues have found themselves out of power for 18 months now. And we have given them plenty of opportunities to show some evolution--perhaps even moderation--to voters. But as the record shows, Democrats are still in thrall to the far left of their party. They still have the same priorities that turned voters off from Democrats in the last election. Mr. President, for starters, radical transgender ideology remains an article of faith among Democrats. Democrats have repeatedly opposed efforts to keep biological men out of women’s sports. And when the Supreme Court ruled unanimously last month that State laws protecting women’s sports are allowable under the plain language of title IX, one Democrat Senator called the ruling unjust. ``Unjust,’’ Mr. President. As if a young woman working hard all season, only to lose to a man with an inherent biological advantage, is somehow just. The overwhelming majority of Americans believe that biological men should not be playing women’s sports, but that doesn’t seem to matter to Senate Democrats. And their commitment to transgender ideology doesn’t end with supporting the presence of men in women’s sports. Democrats have also tacitly--or not so tacitly--endorsed radical gender transition procedures being performed on minors. Procedures, I might add, with no substantial medical evidence to support them and plenty of reason to believe they are extremely dangerous for children, but apparently Democrats are fine subjecting children to those risks. And of course, Mr. President, Democrats are still proudly pro- abortion. And when I say pro-abortion, I mean pro-abortion. How else do you describe a party that wouldn’t even support legislation to provide medical care to a baby born alive during a failed abortion? A party that can’t bring itself to support a bill to ensure that a pregnant college student knows that there are resources available to help her finish her degree and have her baby. The party that directed small business COVID relief funds to Planned Parenthood, even though they were legally ineligible. A party that is doing everything it can to eliminate pregnancy resource centers simply because they won’t recommend abortion. As I said, Democrats are in thrall to the far left of their party, and it is not just on those issues. Far-left activists seem to be the audience for almost everything Democrats do these days. Take, for example, Democrats’ two--that is right, two--record-long government shutdowns. Last fall, Democrats shut down the entire Federal Government for a record 43 days to show the far left that they were fighting President Trump. And while TSA lines snaked outside of airports and Americans were visiting food banks because they had to work without pay, the Democrat leader was quoted as saying: Better, that is, for Democrats seeking the approval of the far left. Then earlier this year, Democrats shut down the Department of Homeland Security because they didn’t want to fund law enforcement. That is right. Defunding law enforcement--once a fringe position in their party-- became the official position of the Democrat Party as they tried to completely--completely--defund Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Border Patrol. Once again, it didn’t matter to Democrats whether Americans would be less safe with open borders. Their audience, far-left activists, wanted them to defund border security and immigration enforcement officers, so they did. And Democrats weren’t done. Last week, Democrats here in the U.S. Senate blocked the National Defense Authorization Act, the bill that authorizes funding for our military. That is right. Democrats voted against authorizing funding for our military. It is a sad day when Democrats are playing politics with everything all the way up to our national security, but that is where we are. Democrats have had numerous opportunities in the last year and a half to work with us on things that matter to the American people. And, again and again, they have chosen to follow members of their far-left base, in some cases--see New York City’s mayor--follow them directly into socialism. That is right. Self-identified Democrat socialists have been winning elections across the country. So what is next? Will the Democrat Party adopt the platform of the Democratic Socialists of America? To quote the New York Times again, ``Many Americans say the [Democrat] Party does not share their priorities.’’ A year and a half later, it is obvious that that is still the case: men’s and women’s sports, abortion up until the moment of birth, open borders, defunding law enforcement. Instead of moving toward the middle, Democrats are just getting more extreme. I yield the floor. I suggest the absence of a quorum.”

“I am asking the Senate to end our meeting for today.”

“Mr. President, if there is no further business to come before the Senate, I ask that it stand adjourned under the previous order. There being no objection, the Senate, at 3:51 p.m., adjourned until Monday, July 20, 2026, at 3 p.m.”

“I am asking the Senate to end work for today and meet again at 3 p.m. on Monday, July 20. When we return, senators will have time to give short speeches. Later that afternoon, we will work on the nomination of Mr. Flowers and prepare to vote on ending debate.”

“Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today, it stand adjourned until 3 p.m. on Monday, July 20; that following the prayer and pledge, the Journal of proceedings be approved to date, the morning hour be deemed expired, the time for the two leaders be reserved for their use later in the day, and the Senate be in a period of morning business, with Senators permitted to speak therein for up to 10 minutes each; further, that at 5:30 p.m. the Senate proceed to executive session to resume consideration of the Flowers nomination and the cloture motion filed today ripen at that time.”

“I ask that we change our schedule so we can vote now to confirm this nominee.”

“Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the previous order with respect to the Westercamp nomination be modified so that the confirmation vote may occur notwithstanding rule XXII and with all other provisions remaining in effect.”