What Chuck Grassley said, and what was done

“Mr. President, later today, I hope the Senate will vote to confirm the nomination of Todd Blanche to be Attorney General. I support his nomination, and I urge my colleagues to vote for him.”

“Mr. President, I am here to show my support for the Prevent Government Shutdowns Act. Before I do that, I want to express my support for the proposed continuing resolution and thank Senator Collins for her leadership to make sure government doesn't shut down if that continuing resolution gets to the President.”

“Mr. President, in a bipartisan approach, about 5 years ago, we passed legislation to correct the wrongs in our organ transplant program. So, in my two decades spent fighting for U.S. organ donation reforms, I have heard far too many stories of patients who have lost their lives due to the negligence and abuse of that transplant system.”

“Mr. President, I come to the floor today as a member of the Senate Finance Committee, which has jurisdiction over Social Security, and to remind everybody--because everybody knows or better know--that the Social Security primary trust fund will be depleted in just 6 years.”

“Mr. President, today at the U.S. Capitol and the National Cathedral, at those places, we honored the life of Senator Lindsey Graham. Over the past few weeks, we have mourned Senator Graham's untimely passing.”

“Mr. President, all Americans--but I can't speak for all Americans. But I want to thank President Trump for his efforts to release Pastor Ezra Jin after 266 days in Chinese captivity.”

“Mr. President, Iowans are fed up with their taxpayers' dollars being lost every year to waste, fraud, and abuse. As a watchdog for those taxpayers, I have helped lead the charge to stop brazen criminals from stealing Americans' hard-earned dollars.”

“Mr. President, I come to the floor once again, as I have before, to discuss misleading reporting in the New York Times. The New York Times has a global reputation.”

“Mr. President, on a second matter, I want to talk about Caitlin Clark, a native of West Des Moines, IA. Caitlin Clark played basketball at the University of Iowa.”

“Mr. President, once again, I am here to educate my colleagues about the necessity for passing the ethanol issue of E15 in this Congress. As Iowa families are going on their summer vacations and people visit or pass through my home State, we are seeing the evidence in Iowa that drivers are demanding E15 with their pocketbooks.”

“Mr. President, with recent political victories in Democrat primaries in Colorado, New York, Pennsylvania, and elsewhere by socialists, I wanted to spend some time with my colleagues sharing the failed results that we have witnessed throughout history under socialism regimes.”

“Don't take my word for it; just look at the agenda of some of the recent people who have won Democratic primaries in New York City. The Democratic socialist platform also wants to defund the Department of Defense, get rid of the U.S.”

“Mr. President, as the Senate and House are currently working on the fiscal year 2027 National Defense Authorization Act, it is important--very important--that Congress pass this bill. We need a very strong and capable military, and we need to hold the Pentagon accountable for taxpayer dollars.”

“Mr. President, I am here once again like I have done at least once a week every week since the House passed year-round E15. I do it to communicate the importance of the Senate passing year-round E15.”

“Mr. President, I am here today to condemn another attack by Vladimir Putin's regime on Ukraine's religious and cultural heritage. On June 15, Russian strikes set fire to and damaged the Dormition Cathedral in Kyiv.”

“Mr. President, many times, I and Senator Ernst and Senator Fischer and maybe many other Senators have come to the floor to implore the Senate to pass E15 legislation.”

“Madam President, 1 week in June, 4 in July, 3 in September--that is the number of weeks the Senate is in session between now and the election. A lot of people think a lot of things need to be done between now and the election, and I agree with that.”

“The currency in Iran has also plummeted to historically low levels. In late April, their currency hit a record low of 1.8 million to the dollar and remained at historically low levels.”

“Mr. President, now another short statement on something that is going on that is very important to the American people: the price of prescription drugs--something I hear quite frequently in my 99-county meetings that I hold around the State every year.”

“Mr. President, the first item I bring up should be stated tomorrow, but tomorrow I am going to be busy in the Judiciary Committee, as chairman of that committee, so I have to present this a day early.”

“The red is their courage, the blood they gave, The white is for honor, the strong and the brave, The blue holds stars for each soul who serves, Protecting our freedom and all it preserves.”

“Mr. President, a top issue for Iowans and particularly an issue in these midterm elections is the farm economy, which isn't very good. Farmers continue to face stronger headwinds.”

“Mr. President, on another matter, as I hold my 99 county meetings, I always hear from the farmers about the ag economy, and it is a top concern for all Iowans, of course, because Iowa is the No. 1 State in the Nation for food production.”

“I want to honor a young Iowan, so I am here to recognize Daniel Umemezie, who was recently named the 10th National Youth Poet Laureate. Daniel is a recent graduate of Cedar Falls High School, Cedar Falls, IA.”

“Mr. President, today, I come here to speak about one of my favorite topics: protecting patriotic people that we call whistleblowers, people whose goal is, in government, to make sure that laws are faithfully enforced and money spent according to the way it should be, and sometimes these whistleblowers pay a price for doing that, even losing their job and ruining themselves professionally.”

“So this is what brings me to the floor today. On May 26, this year, the Office of Personnel Management--OPM for short--published a notice with requests for comment in the Federal Register.”

“Mr. President, during the mid to late 1990s, President Clinton and a Republican Congress worked hard to do a bipartisan reform package. It required work requirements for people who were on welfare.”

“Mr. President, 87,000, that is how many lives were at risk in August 2024 when Austrian security services thwarted a devastating terrorist attack on a Taylor Swift concert in Vienna.”

“On June 6, 1944, the United States and Allied nations led that historic invasion on the beaches of Normandy, France. Two days ago, there was a remembrance of that occasion at a place called Omaha Beach.”

“Mr. President, Senator Ossoff's motion to commit would require an amendment to the False Claims Act. In 1986, I authored the False Claims Act, and for decades, I have worked to successfully strengthen the law.”

“Remember, the False Claims Act has brought $87 billion of ill-gotten money back into the Federal Treasury, and I am going to do all I can to protect it.”

“Mr. President, the Medicaid Program is an important resource for the support of the most vulnerable people in our society, and we intend to keep it for the most vulnerable.”

“Mr. President, I am here to say happy 40th birthday to C-SPAN2, broadcasting democracy in the Senate to the American people. I have to confess to you that, 40 years ago today, I voted no on the Senate being televised.”

“Mr. President, on March 15, 2026, I made public an FBI agent's interview statement. That agent was involved in a conspiracy called Crosswind, which was a code-named investigation into former Trump adviser Walid Phares.”

“Mr. President, Iowa is the leading producer of ethanol. About 43,000 jobs are connected with that production. Ethanol is produced from corn. Iowa is the No. 1 producer of corn in the United States.”

“Mr. President, in the past several Congresses, my investigative work has resulted in the public release of thousands of pages of information once hidden from the public. Much of it is evidence of political bias in law enforcement and intelligence community investigations, and I will give you 10 examples of how this information has been hidden and how our efforts have brought it to light.”

“Mr. President, as I travel through Iowa, the issue of rural healthcare comes up frequently. In living in rural Iowa, I understand the importance of my fellow Iowans' having access to healthcare close to home.”

“Mr. President, the month of May is a very busy time of year: graduation season, recital season, and, of course, planting season for American farmers. Here in the Senate, lawmakers will burn the midnight oil this week to pass a reconciliation bill that delivers essential funding for national security and public safety.”

“Mr. President, you might wonder how this Senator from Iowa gets involved in issues of foster youth. Thirty years ago, I hired a staffer from Urbandale, IA, by the name of Sarah Gesiriech.”

“Mr. President, today, I am here in the Senate about the Democrat Judiciary Committee minority in the House of Representatives. They wrote a letter on May 12 of this year that I found to be more than troubling.”

“Mr. President, I have come to the floor many times recently to explain how important the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement is to the economies of the three countries--particularly the United States and particularly agriculture in the United States--and that we need to soon make a decision to continue the USMCA.”

“Mr. President, last week, I held 12 Q&As in 12 different counties during our Senate recess. Not in every county, but in some counties, a question like this comes up: What are you going to do about the national debt?”

“Mr. President, my last point that I would like to make this morning is to take a minute to discuss what is going on in the other body.”

“Mr. President, I have two short messages. Strong families build a strong society and a strong America. Along that thought, for the second year, I have led a bipartisan resolution in the Senate to recognize National Home Visiting Week.”

“Mr. President, the illegal drug fentanyl kills tens of thousands every year. Today marks National Fentanyl Awareness Day. I want to thank the senior Senator from New Hampshire for her collaboration with me in recognizing this day and the dangers that come from fentanyl.”

“Mr. President, 2026 is an opportunity to talk about the centennial progress in American agriculture and a famous Iowa family that was involved in that. Before I give my remarks on that centennial, I would like to give a little history of the Wallace family of Iowa--three generations.”

“Mr. President, I often come to the floor to talk about milestones in the history of this institution, the U.S. Senate. Today, I pay tribute to a member of our Senate family who has devoted half a century of service to this institution.”

“Mr. President, the SAVE America Act has been a discussion for quite a few days on the floor of the U.S. Senate, and I would like to give my update on that.”

“My home State of Iowa takes pride in civic participation and election integrity. Even so, in my State, our secretary of state found 277 noncitizens registered to vote and 35 who actually cast ballots in 2024.”

“I have two items I would like to discuss. During the Easter break when the Senate was not in session, I was holding in Iowa Q&A's in 25 of our 99 counties.”

“Mr. President, I am here to honor a fellow Iowan, a person that I know very well--not necessarily because I talk to them often. So I want to celebrate an Iowan's advocacy to prevent cancer.”

“Mr. President, for several Congresses, I and others in this body have been trying to bring attention to Swiss banks trying to hide assets that they accumulated during World War II and joining my colleagues in efforts to make sure that justice is done for the wealth and other private property that was taken from Jewish people who died in the Holocaust.”

“UBS also took legal action against the Simon Wiesenthal Center. Last week, thank God, a Federal court in New York issued a ruling against UBS's efforts. However, if the bank were successful in that court case, it could have blocked the Simon Wiesenthal Center from fully speaking on all Holocaust issues--very much a violation of First Amendment rights of freedom of speech.”

“Mr. President, I want to make some remarks about Iran. I do it in light of the fact that diplomacy ought to be used before war, and I am well aware of the hard work of our Vice President and other people on his team in Pakistan last week--working almost 24 hours--to reach an agreement.”

“Mr. President, as I traveled Iowa during this Easter recess, holding Q&A's in 25 counties, I ran into what I think all my colleagues do: concern about inflation.”

“Mr. President, you remember the tragic loss of life, about 3,000 Americans, as a result of the attack we had in New York and Washington, DC, on 9/11.”

“Madam President, today, we are voting on Colin McDonald. He is nominated to serve as Assistant Attorney General, the Assistant Attorney General over the Justice Department's National Fraud Enforcement Division.”

“Today, I will vote for the new Secretary of Homeland Security. The entire Senate will confirm our colleague the junior Senator from Oklahoma as the Department of Homeland Security Secretary.”

“Mr. President, I come to the floor about a project that I have been proud to support over the years at the Library of Congress. The project is called the Veterans History Project.”

“Mr. President, I thank Senator Cornyn for his strong remarks in support of honest elections. I come to the floor for a different reason. But in support of what Senator Cornyn said, I want people to know that I have spoken on this issue already and I am not going to speak again, but I support and am a cosponsor of the SAVE America Act.”

“Mr. President, March is Women's History Month. This is an opportunity to celebrate women who have shaped the Nation's history. Americans all across the country this month should share stories about women who have made an impact on their lives and how those same women have paved the way for future generations to pursue their dreams and contribute to American society.”

“Mr. President, soon, the Senate will debate a bill. The bill is called the SAVE America Act. The policies in this bill have the support of more than 80 percent of Americans.”

“Mr. President, I have come to the floor before to speak about the value of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement and the value to all three countries, but most importantly the United States.”

“Mr. President, I would like to again remind my colleagues and the Nation about this significant day in the history of the Senate. Of course, America's 250th celebration gives us a special opportunity to reflect on events and on the people who made a mark on our Nation's history.”

“Mr. President, I want to recognize the 40th anniversary of a day we call National TRIO Day. On February 24, 1986, a congressional resolution declared that February 28 should be designated ``National TRIO Day.'' At the same time, I come here to recognize the achievements of the TRIO programs.”

“Mr. President, over the weekend, I was honored to attend a very solemn but dignified transfer of the remains at the Dover Air Force Base along with President Trump, Vice President Vance, Secretary Hegseth, and the entire Iowa congressional delegation.”

“Last night, we received the sad news that two more Army Reserve soldiers from the 103rd Sustainment Command, based out of Des Moines, IA, were killed in Kuwait amid Operation Epic Fury.”

“I have a short statement on history and then a short but very necessary statement of bad news, sad news. Anniversary of the Convening of the First Senate Mr.”

“Mr. President, I am going to refer to billions of dollars. I am not referring to billions of taxpayer dollars. I am visiting with you about billions of crime fines that are not collected.”

“Mr. President, 2 weeks ago, I talked about Lithuanian Independence Day; yesterday, Estonia's Independence Day. Today, I have another country, but I don't want my colleagues to think that I am going to be speaking about the Independence Day of all 200 nations on the face of this Earth.”

“Mr. President, last week, I started my 46th executive year of holding meetings in each of Iowa's 99 counties. During the Q&A's in 13 southwest Iowa counties, we discussed the need to lower prescription drug costs by reining in pharmacy benefit managers, PBMs for short.”

“President Bush signed 20 years ago this very month. That law did several things. This, by the way, was a cooperation between this Senator from Iowa and then-Senator Kennedy of Massachusetts.”

“Mr. President, a few days ago, I stood here and congratulated Lithuania on its Independence Day. Well, there is another Baltic State that had Independence Day yesterday, the country of Estonia.”

“Mr. President, before I remind people that this day is Abraham Lincoln's birthday and talk about Lincoln, I want to start this morning by saying that my wife Barbara and this Senator are praying for those involved in the bus crash from Iowa Lakes Community College.”

“Mr. President, I am here to speak about a country that loves freedom, and they are also a friend of the United States and have had a good relationship with the United States.”

“Mr. President, on December 28, last year, merchants in Tehran's Grand Bazaar took to the streets, protesting high inflation, protesting currency devaluation, and protesting a worsening economy in Iran.”

“Mr. President, once again, I want to honor a fellow Iowan. This time I want to commend Jill Ridder of Woodbine, IA, for receiving the distinguished Milken Educator Award.”

“Mr. President, I want to honor a young Iowan who has probably had a lifetime of hard work preparing for something that is coming up very soon in the 2026 Winter Olympics.”

“Mr. President, in March of last year, I spoke here to demand Hamas release all remaining Israeli hostages. In October last year, I spoke about President Trump's Israel-Hamas cease-fire deal.”

“Mr. President, I want to congratulate an Iowan, Cara Miller, on her retirement. For the last decade, Cara has led Silos & Smokestacks National Heritage Area in the State of Iowa as its president.”

“As a lifelong family farmer, I think it is important that we celebrate this history that--there is a lot of history, but Silos & Smokestacks exemplifies in Iowa all connected with American rural and American agriculture.”

“Mr. President, January is National Trafficking and Modern Slavery Prevention Month. For that reason, the senior Senator from Nevada and I are introducing a resolution to raise awareness and honor the victims.”

“Mr. President, on January 23, people from all over our country came to Washington, DC, to celebrate the 53rd annual March for Life. These peaceful movements are exercising their free speech, their free association, and their right to petition government for redress of grievances--all First Amendment constitutional rights.”

“Mr. President, yesterday marked the start of the 2026 tax filing season. This year, taxpayers can expect to see some of the largest tax refunds in history. That, of course, is thanks to our enactment of the legislation called the Working Families Tax Cut Act.”

“Mr. President, today I pay tribute to a native Iowan who left this good Earth on November 26, 2025. With his loving wife at his bedside, Rev. Chester Leonard Cavil was welcomed home at age 77.”

“Mr. President, many times, under both Republicans and Democrats, I have come to the Senate floor to raise concerns and warnings about how immigrant children called unaccompanied children are handled by Republican and Democrat Departments of Health and Human Services.”

“Mr. President, Medicaid is intended to provide healthcare for the most vulnerable, including the disabled, the elderly, and low-income women and children. Recently, the Department of Health and Human Services' inspector general published an audit that found millions of dollars were paid out from State Medicaid Programs to managed care organizations for deceased enrollees.”

“Mr. President, I am here to honor a young Iowan. I do it during this month of January because January is National Blood Donor Month. It seems hard to believe, but every 2 seconds someone in the United States needs blood.”

“Mr. President, one of the issues that Congress must deal with--and do it very shortly--is the cost of health insurance. President Obama famously said that ObamaCare would let Americans keep their health insurance if they liked it and that it would also lower their premiums.”

“Mr. President, tomorrow, January 9, is National Law Enforcement Appreciation Day. For 365 days a year, but especially tomorrow, we offer our gratitude to our country's men and women.”

“Mr. President, I believe whistleblowing in the Federal Government should be protected and encouraged. People in the executive branch of government that work in there every day want the Federal Government to enforce the laws the way they are written and spend money according to that law.”

“At the start of this new year, one of the dates is coming up that we always honor, but this is a special honor of that day because, on July 4 of this year, the United States of America will celebrate the 250th anniversary of our Nation's founding.”

“On December 29, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services announced that my State of Iowa will receive over $209 million this year from the Rural Health Transformation Fund.”

“Mr. President, Happy New Year. Congress has a full plate of issues to work on this year. I look forward to rolling up my sleeves and continuing my work for the people of Iowa this year, as I always do.”

“Mr. President, I come to the Senate floor to give an update on one of my oversight projects. This is about an Office within the Department of Health and Human Services that many people may not know much about.”

“Mr. President, had I been present for the rollcall vote No. 648, on the motion to concur in the House amendment to S. 1071, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2026, my vote would have been in the affirmative.”

“Mr. President, I am happy to join Senator Ossoff in support of our bill, the Prevent Child Trafficking Act. This is an important bill with an important objective: fostering communication between the Department of Justice and Health and Human Services with the result, we hope, of preventing children from falling prey to the evils of human trafficking.”

“Mr. President, I understand that representatives of the Russian Orthodox Church are on Capitol Hill this week falsely claiming persecution by the Ukrainian Government. This is because of a law requiring churches in Ukraine to stop taking directions from the patriarch in Moscow, who was a KGB agent and reports directly to Vladimir Putin.”

“Mr. President, former Governor Branstad is being honored today. Before I read that tribute about his honoring today, I thought I would give a little bit of background about what I know about former Governor Branstad.”

“Mr. President, if you hear the term ``Arctic Frost,'' for most of us in Washington, DC, it is not a meteorological term. It is a name that the Biden administration put on the efforts through Special Counsel Jack Smith to put then-citizen Trump in prison so he could never run for President again.”

“Judge Conrad's letter stated that the Department of Justice typically doesn't include a subpoena with a nondisclosure order request and only provides a signifier, like a phone number, to the court.”

“Mr. President, on Monday, the Wall Street Journal editorial board published an article titled ``ObamaCare is a Mecca For Fraud.'' It articulates the waste, fraud, and abuse in the ObamaCare Program, so I am going to read this article on the floor today and do it for the benefit of my colleagues that maybe don't always read these editorials.”

“Mr. President, a few times every year I come to the floor to compliment the University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine. I am here again to do it.”

“Mr. President, when the Affordable Care Act became law, President Obama promised affordable healthcare. Contrary to Obama's promises, in reality, ObamaCare has spiked health insurance premiums and led to higher costs.”

“The Health and Human Services Secretary outlined all the ways that the Agency was preventing fraud, waste, and abuse. I can only conclude that the Biden administration's response was just empty rhetoric.”

“Mr. President, since 2023, Sudan has been engulfed in a civil war between the Sudanese Armed Forces under the government of that country and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces, it is called.”

“Mr. President, in early November, the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service announced improvements to their voter verification system. Now, States can use a program named the Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements to verify that only citizens are voting in the Federal elections.”

“Mr. President, there is real concern in rural America, particularly among family farmers. Farmers know that margins matter. Farmers don't want to see their revenue continue being eaten up by input suppliers.”

“Mr. President, if you watch television, you are hearing a lot of reports from Nigeria about kidnappings and murders, other reports of violence, and particularly you are hearing it about Christians in Nigeria.”

“Mr. President, also last week, an Afghan evacuee was arrested for threatening to bomb a building in Texas. The terrorists entered our country as part of a program called Operation Allies Welcome in the aftermath of the Biden administration's chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan.”

“Mr. President, last week, two members of the West Virginia National Guard were tragically shot here, while on duty, in Washington, DC. They were attacked by an Afghan national, brought here under the Biden administration.”

“Mr. President, as I travel in Iowa throughout the year, I meet some very special people. Last month, in Sheldon, IA, at the high school, I had the honor of meeting Stephanie Pritts, who was recently named Iowa's 2026 ``Teacher of the Year.'' Now, it goes way back to 1958 that Iowa started the ``Teacher of the Year'' award, honoring an exceptional Iowa teacher each year.”

“Mr. President, today I pay tribute to a remarkable business and civic leader from my home State who passed away peacefully at age 99 surrounded by his beloved family members.”

“Mr. President, November is Lung Cancer Awareness Month. One in eighteen people receives a lung cancer diagnosis during their lifetime. Twelve percent of the diagnoses have had no tobacco exposure.”

“Mr. President, today, I commend First Lady Melania Trump for her leadership on the recent ``Fostering the Future for American Children and Families'' Executive order, and, obviously, the thanks would go to President Trump for his support of his wife's work.”

“Mr. President, today, I come to the floor ahead of next Tuesday, which is Veterans Day, to recognize and share my gratitude to those who have all answered the call to serve the United States of America.”

“Mr. President, I come to the Senate floor today to express my concern about recent attacks on the legitimacy of the judicial branch of government. A fair and neutral judiciary plays a very indispensable role in our constitutional structure.”

“Mr. President, I came to the floor of the Senate earlier this year warning my colleagues that the leader of one of the subdivisions within the country of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Mr.”

“Mr. President, I want to compliment Erika Kirk, wife of the assassinated conservative leader Charlie Kirk. She has made the emotional appeal to have cameras in the courtroom at the trial of her husband's murderer.”

“Mr. President, you heard the Chaplain refer to the death of former Vice President Dick Cheney. The family announced that early this morning. Dick Cheney lived a life of service to his country.”

“Mr. President, if I may continue, I want to speak about a couple of judges that will be before us this week. We will be voting on a pair of highly qualified circuit court nominations.”

“Mr. President, on Thursday, I sounded the alarm as the lapse in government funding endangered food assistance for 42 million Americans and rapidly approached. That was November 1, the approach date.”

“Mr. President, the Federal Government has a full lapse in funding and has for 30 days. This is not a new revelation. I want to alert Senator Schumer to a grave concern I have.”

“Mr. President, I would like to recognize a fellow University of Northern Iowa Panther, Carol Whitmore of Des Moines, IA. I recognize her for something more important than just being a fellow Panther.”

“Mr. President, my colleagues may get tired of me braying about great things in Iowa, but I am here again to do that. The University of Iowa Stead Family Children's Hospital continues to set the standard for pediatric care in our State and our region.”

“Mr. President, today, I pay tribute to a tireless civic leader from northwest Iowa who led a remarkable life of service for more than a century, richly steeped in family, faith, and citizenship.”

“Mr. President, October is National Audiology Awareness Month. It also happens to be the 3-year anniversary of the bipartisan Over-the-Counter Hearing Aid Act regulations going into effect. You see this on television now--advertisements for the Over-the-Counter Hearing Aid Act.”

“Madam President, I come to the Senate today to address my recent oversight relating to our Nation's Federal courts and to share some of my recent findings. This month, I sent letters to a pair of Federal judges regarding their suspected use of artificial intelligence in published court orders.”

“Mr. President, I want to thank Chaplain Black for his reminding all of us about the government shutdown and how irregular it is and how we aren't helping people that government would normally be helping.”

“Mr. President, first of all, I want to compliment the Chaplain on each one of his prayers this week. He has made very important in his prayers the importance of opening up the government and ending the Schumer shutdown.”

“Mr. President, October is Breast Cancer Awareness month. October is the month that we bring attention to the plight of those who have had breast cancer and educate others on the importance of early detection.”

“Mr. President, I have a short article that I want to put in the Record, and I want to describe it before I ask permission. In a column published in the Wall Street Journal on Monday, October 13, Jamie Dimon, CEO of JPMorganChase, called out the need for investment in national security.”

“Mr. President, since 1993, Congress has adopted a resolution to recognize this third week of October as National Character Counts Week, and, of course, we are in that week right now.”

“Mr. President, keeping quantity and quality of healthcare in rural America is a constant responsibility of most Senators, because every Senator, even if you come from a high population State, you still have a lot of rural areas.”

“Mr. President, I come to the floor to speak about the Pentagon's unending audit failures and to once again call for corrective action. People who have been in the Senate a while know that I have been continually talking about this issue, many times--so many; I don't know how many--but I think it is something I need to keep beating the drum about.”

“Mr. President, we Senators disagree on a lot of issues in this body. However, there is one topic that we should all agree on, and that is the effectiveness of the National Human Trafficking Hotline.”

“Mr. President, as we all know, the last of the living hostages taken into Gaza by terrorists on October 7, 2 years ago, have now been returned to their families.”

“Mr. President, once again, in the Chaplain's prayer, he brought up the issue before the U.S. Senate and presented it to the Lord about the problems created by the shutdown of the government.”

“Mr. President, today, we are going to move to our first vote on Professor Jennifer Mascott's nomination to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. I want to take a few minutes to express my support for her nomination and to urge my colleagues to vote accordingly.”

“Mr. President, Monday of this week, I invited eight of my colleagues to be briefed on an issue that we just found out about from Deputy Director Dan Bongino.”

“Lastly, I started the Arctic Frost investigation in July 2022. Now, it has taken years to get records and to advance the investigation. Sometimes my oversight work is done quietly, outside of the public eye, but what the public is now seeing is the importance of congressional oversight and the importance of whistleblowers exposing government misconduct.”

“Mr. President, there is a not-so-perfect storm brewing for farmers in my State of Iowa and in agricultural States generally. Many factors are coming together--and all at once--like low grain prices, high input costs, consolidation in the industry, and uncertainty from trade and tariffs.”

“Mr. President, for the third day, we heard an opening prayer of the Chaplain praying that the government will open up and we in Congress would find a solution to keep the government open.”

“Mr. President, 2 days ago, I spoke about the potential shutdown of government. I am going to repeat what I said then, but the shutdown of government is now a fact.”

“Mr. President, the Chaplain, in his opening prayer, mentioned something about the shutting down of the government. It would be a good opportunity for me to follow on that and say that it costs money to shut down the government and costs money to open up the government.”

“Today, I would like to focus on high input costs that farmers will be paying this season. The average production costs for farmers are down only 3 percent since their very high peak in 2022.”

“Mr. President, what I am going to say is, remember the history of Putin saying 20 years ago that the breakup of the Soviet Union was a geopolitical disaster of the 20th century and that Putin's goal was to reestablish the Soviet Empire; and we see that going on every day with how he is destroying Ukraine.”

“Madam President, September 19 is National Stillbirth Prevention and Awareness Day. This day is set aside to recognize the tens of thousands of families in the United States who have endured a stillbirth.”

“Mr. President, September is Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. In the United States this year, over 9,000 new cases of cancer will be diagnosed among children from birth to age 14.”

“Mr. President, we all have a responsibility to understand the history of our country. We have a responsibility to learn from that history, and we learn from that history so we don't repeat the failures of the past.”

“Trump, Jack Smith and his team withheld these emails from the Trump defense team. Arctic Frost conveniently became one of Jack Smith's cases against Trump and was politically infected from the very start.”

“Mr. President, one of the most fundamental constitutional responsibilities afforded Congress is the power of the purse. It grants Congress the authority to raise and spend revenue, to operate the government, and examine spending decisions.”

“Madam President, for the second time in a week, I come to the floor to implore my Democratic colleagues to stop partisan obstruction of public safety officials. We have 10 highly qualified nominees on the Senate floor right now waiting for confirmation.”

“Well, obviously, I am disappointed that my request has been objected to. I had hoped today we could set a new direction and put the interests of the American people over partisanship.”

“You can see the weakness of that objection because here is somebody that has been nominated by President Biden and President Trump, and you have two Democratic Senators supporting him.”

“Mr. President, on August 1, 2025, Augusta Petrone passed away peacefully at age 88, surrounded by members of her beloved family in her adopted home State of New Hampshire.”

“Mr. President, I am pleased to follow up on a topic that I discussed with my Senate colleagues. That topic was on June 2, and it was on the 39th anniversary of C-SPAN covering the Senate.”

“Mr. President, the Humanitarian Research Lab at Yale University now estimates that over 35,000 abducted Ukrainian kids are being held by Russia. The few who have been rescued tell horrific stories of Russian indoctrination, illegal militarization, and brutal punishment for refusing to give up their Ukrainian identity.”

“Mr. President, today, I want to address a serious matter of public safety facing our country. Although our government has many responsibilities, the foremost responsibility of any government is the protection and safety of its citizens.”

“President has had since Reagan had that same mandate in 1984. For months, I repeatedly tried to engage my Democratic colleagues to end this obstruction. If some kind of equal measure is necessary, I even offered a compromise where we hold five rollcall votes to compensate for the five nominees returned to the President at the end of the Biden administration.”

“Mr. President, I am sorry for the objection. I would agree with continuing to work to see if we can find a solution on this. Public safety is such an important issue.”

“Mr. President, on this very day, an outstanding civic and business leader in my home State and our capital city of Des Moines, will conclude an impressive 41-year career with the Principal Financial Group.”

“Mr. President, one minute to honor my colleague Joni Ernst. She announced today that she will not seek another term in the U.S. Senate. It has been a wonderful opportunity serving with her and serving Iowans since 2015.”

“One of the next two votes will be for Ms. Pirro, nomination for U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia. Ms. Pirro is a trailblazer. It is shameful for Democrats to oppose this trailblazing woman.”

“Mr. President, soon, we will vote on the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of Florida. Until recent years, it has been unheard of to use floor time to confirm U.S. attorneys.”

“Mr. President, once again, I am going to remind people that there was some wrong done by the U.S. Government between the periods of about 6 years ago to 10 years ago, and the taxpayers of this country might wonder why a Senator is bringing this stuff up.”

“Mr. President, today, I placed a hold on three Department of the Treasury nominees. The nominees are Brian Morrissey, Jr., of Virginia, to be General Counsel for the Department of the Treasury; Francis Brooke, of Virginia, to be an Assistant Secretary of the Treasury; and Jonathan McKernan, of Tennessee, to be an Under Secretary of the Treasury.”

“Mr. President, I have often said that our veterans have sacrificed so much for our Nation, so it is our responsibility to take care of them when they come home.”

“Mr. President, my remarks were written 3 days ago, and the purpose of writing those remarks 3 days ago was to come to the floor and tell you about a person that I think should not be working for the Federal Government.”

“Mr. President, throughout my annual 99-county tour of Iowa, I have learned firsthand from patients and pharmacists about the powerful and negative role that pharmacy benefit managers play in our prescription drug supply chain.”

“Only in Washington--only in Washington--can you let people take more than what is legally allowed under a government program and, at the same time, let them keep it.”

“Mr. President, soon the Senate will proceed to a final vote on the nomination of Emil Bove; that is to be judge on the Third Circuit. As I said in my statement in the Judiciary Committee multiple times, I support the nomination of Mr.”

“With respect to the initial whistleblower allegations, even if you accept most of the claims as true, there is still no scandal. Government lawyers aggressively litigating and interpreting court orders isn't misconduct; that is common sense.”

“Reasonable minds can differ, and when I direct my staff to allocate resources away from other ongoing whistleblower projects to handle situations like Bove, their efforts ought to be respected and given good faith treatment.”

“Mr. President, first of all, I thank the Senator from Nevada for coming to the floor to push for passage of these bipartisan bills that she has mentioned.”

“Madam President, before I begin with my remarks, I would like to say my condolences and prayers are with the families of the New York police officers involved in last night's tragic shooting.”

“Mr. President, Congress, 3 weeks ago, passed the One Big Beautiful Bill, and in that bill was a modest, cost-sharing requirement for able-bodied Medicaid expansion of adults that were making more than 100 percent of poverty.”

“Another example is in the 1990s, Congress enabled cost sharing in the Children's Health Insurance Program. To this day, States are allowed and do impose cost sharing in that program.”

“Mr. President, on July the Fourth, President Trump signed into law the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. The centerpiece of this legislation is a permanent extension of the 2017 tax law, thereby averting the largest tax hike in American history without a vote of Congress.”

“I want to thank Senator Durbin for his leadership in this area the two or three times we have attempted to do this. One time, I think we were successful, but it is still not law.”

“Madam President, every year, we get what is called Medicare's ``Trustees Report.'' I come to the floor to comment on that. We all know that Medicare is very much a part of America's social fabric.”

“Mr. President, I want to tell my colleagues and the public about a part of the Big Beautiful Bill that passed 2 weeks ago that isn't getting much attention.”

“Mr. President, the One Big Beautiful Bill provides a much needed boost to Main Street America and to the rural communities all throughout America. It makes key business provisions from the 2017 tax law permanent to provide job creators the certainty that they need to plan and invest in their operations.”

“Mr. President, July 4 is supposed to be a day of celebration and patriotism, but earlier this month, leftwing domestic extremists tried to turn that day into a day of tragedy and a day of terrorism.”

“Madam President, on July 13, 2024, an assassin nearly killed President Trump. The gunman injured him and two rally participants and killed Corey Comperatore. We keep him and his family in our prayers as well as everyone affected that day.”

“Mr. President, 32 years ago today, I joined President Clinton, Governor of Iowa Terry Branstad, and members of the Iowa congressional delegation to tour catastrophic flood damage in my home State.”

“Madam President, July 11 is recognized by the United Nations General Assembly as the International Day of Reflection and Commemoration of the 1995 Genocide in Srebrenica. This town in Bosnia and Herzegovina was the scene of the worst genocide on European soil since the Holocaust.”

“Mr. President, nonpartisan civic education and civic participation are critical for our constitutional and representative form of government. Increasingly, however, civic knowledge is on the decline. A recent survey by the U.S.”

“Mr. President, today I would like to address a whistleblower complaint that I received the morning before Emil Bove's nomination hearing. That is the complaint that was given to the New York Times for them to report on it the very same morning.”

“And those whistleblowers even disclosed problematic conduct during the Trump administration, conduct which that administration actually tried to fix. In my efforts to protect Health and Human Services' whistleblowers, my Democratic colleagues didn't join me in that effort either.”

“Mr. President, since 2021, I sounded the alarm about the former Biden administration's failure to vet Afghan evacuees. Instead of coming clean, the previous administration dismissed and failed to answer my oversight request.”

“Mr. President, contrary to misinformation campaigns seeking to stop commonsense Medicaid reforms from getting to the President's desk, the One Big Beautiful Bill does not take away Medicaid from those who need it.”

“Mr. President, I come to the Senate to bring up the issue of how the Congress--on a piece of legislation that I am part of--and how President Trump can help the economy through helping small business.”

“Mr. President, I come to the floor this very day to correct the public record. That public record has become so distorted by fanatical allegations of Republican tyranny that it no longer records actual history.”

“Mr. President, today I want to bring attention to all of the selfless veterans that have served our country, especially those from my home State of Iowa. Each and every veteran has put a piece of themselves towards the mission of protecting our Nation that we are blessed to live in, so it is tremendously important to commemorate and thank these veterans.”

“Madam President, having a job gives individuals purpose and dignity. We should promote policies lifting people out of poverty. In the 1990s, we passed welfare reform with a Republican Congress and a Democrat President.”

“Madam President, recently, we witnessed China peddling false claims as it continues to try and convince the United States that China is a good partner. China has recently claimed that ``the Chinese always honor and deliver what has been promised.'' What China asserted is nonsense.”

“Mr. President, today, I come to the floor to speak about a favorite topic that my friends know I am proud of, protecting whistleblowers and the roles that they play in government.”

“Giardina. I will have more to speak on that matter later. Whistleblowers have told me that Special Agent Giardina openly stated his desire to investigate Trump, even if it meant false predication.”

“Mr. President, today, I come to the Senate to recognize June as National Elder Abuse Awareness Month. I am introducing a resolution with Democratic Senator Blumenthal for this very purpose.”

“On June 14, 1775, the Continental Congress passed a resolution creating what we know today as the United States Army. Since its establishment 250 years ago, tens of millions of American patriots have put their lives on the line to protect national security, defend our allies, and fight tyranny and terror from distant shores.”

“Mr. President, 38 years ago on June 12, 1987, President Ronald Reagan stood at the Brandenburg Gate and called for the General Secretary of the Soviet Union to tear down the Berlin Wall.”

“Mr. President, last week, Secretary Noem ended a program that is called the Quiet Skies Program. It is a program that was well-intended when it was set up, but the Biden administration weaponized it to target its opposition, including the now-Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard.”

“Mr. President, I come to the Senate to congratulate the University of Iowa's Department of Ophthalmology. It is the 100th anniversary of this famed department. For a century, this department has improved the lives of Iowans and made a significant national impact.”

“Mr. President, I come to the floor today concerned that the Senate's advice and consent role is being undermined. It is being undermined by obstruction from Senate Democrats that threaten to keep the Justice Department from functioning as the American people expect and the American people deserve.”

“Mr. President, I am sorry to hear the objection. I would like to correct the one thing that Senator Schumer said, that Patrick Davis didn't have a hearing before the committee.”

“Mr. President, the month of June is considered National Dairy Month, and this has been going on for decades and decades. And to kick things off, the Senate Agriculture Committee passed a bill that is entitled the ``Whole Milk for Healthy Kids Act.'' That was voted out of committee yesterday, and it was voted out unanimously.”

“Mr. President, the first Sunday in June is National Cancer Survivors Day. According to the National Cancer Institute, there are 18.1 million cancer survivors in the United States.”

“Mr. President, today is the 39th-year celebration of the U.S. Senate being covered by C-SPAN2. I have come to the floor countless times since my first term in the U.S.”

“SPAN gives our constituents a front-row seat to the legislative branch, providing unfiltered access to debates and deliberations that impact their lives and their livelihoods. C-SPAN2 has recorded more than 43,830 hours of Senate sessions that span the spectrum of political views, policy debates, and personal testimony, including more than 169,000 speeches.”

“Mr. President, yet again, I am here to draw attention and to condemn another outrageous attack that was aimed at the Jewish community here in the United States--specifically, Boulder, CO.”

“Mr. President, after the bloodiest war in U.S. history, an enlisted soldier in the Union Army was assigned to recover war dead from Southern battlefields. Brevet Lt.-Col. Edmund B.”

“Mr. President, I come to the floor today to express concerns that I have heard from many stakeholders regarding the Make America Healthy Again Commission. For short, this is called the MAHA Commission.”

“Mr. President, today I want to pay tribute to an outstanding Iowan who has devoted the last three decades teaching the next generation at Waterloo Christian School in Waterloo, IA.”

“Mr. President, rural hospitals in America are under the gun. Some of them are closing. We have about 90 rural hospitals in the State of Iowa. For a change, I have some good news for rural hospitals.”

“Mr. President, today, we are approaching the end of this year's National Police Week, so I come to the floor to talk about what Congress can do to support the brave men and women who protect us.”

“Mr. President, last week for the first time ever, Wrigley Field welcomed a high school team, and it was a high school team from my home State of Iowa.”

“Madam President, yesterday, I stood here opening the Senate and kicking off the 64th annual National Police Week. That is a week dedicated to brave men and women who protect us and keep us safe.”

“Mr. President, today, I am here in the Senate honoring our Nation's law enforcement officers during our 64th annual National Police Week. National Police Week presents an opportunity to show appreciation toward the men and women in blue for their sacrifice and selfless service and honor, at the same time, the fallen officers.”

“Mr. President, I want to report to my colleagues what I am doing today: delivering some history to the Library of Congress. I will tell you about that project in the Library of Congress.”

“Mr. President, over the last 2 weeks, during the Senate recess, I continued my annual 99 county meetings across Iowa. My travels brought me to the Western Iowa community of Jefferson, in Greene County, for a Q&A.”

“Mr. President, over the Easter break, I continued my annual 99 county meetings. And, as always, Iowans set the agenda. At my open town meetings, I had big turnouts.”

“The 2017 Trump reform was a historic achievement. We cut taxes across the board. We did so by simplifying the Tax Code and trimming back the special deductions and credits.”

“Mr. President, beginning in 1988, the month of May has been observed as National Foster Care Month. The first Tuesday in May, which is today, has been recognized by many organizations as National Foster Care Day.”

“Mr. President, recently, medical student Match Day took place all across America. On Match Day, thousands of medical students learn where they will train for the next few years.”

“Mr. President, I would like to thank all of my colleagues for unanimously passing my bipartisan resolution to designate a National Home Visiting Week because supporting parents and children is a topic of importance to all of my colleagues and to this Senator.”

“Mr. President, April is National Donate Life Month. This is a month to raise awareness about the lifesaving importance of organ donation. There happen to be over 103,000 Americans on the national organ transplant waiting list.”

“Mr. President, on Maundy Thursday, the Lord called home one of Iowa's best and brightest civic leaders and a beloved husband and father. A native son of northwest Iowa, Jay Byers passed away at age 54.”

“Through these meetings, I was impressed by Jay's professionalism, energy, and ability to motivate others around him to find common ground for the common good. You might say he was a force of nature who lifted up others through sheer grit and determination.”

“Mr. President, today marks the 100th day of President Trump's return to the White House. Trump 2.0 has hit Washington like a hurricane. By that, I mean President Trump is working hard to keep his promises, unleash America's golden age, and launch a revolution of common sense.”

“Mr. President, April is World Autism Month. This month is a time to recognize the millions of Americans living with autism. Over the years, we have made progress in increasing awareness and enhancing resources for individuals living with autism.”

“Mr. President, today, I come to the floor to support National Crime Victims' Rights Week. For many years, I have pressed the Department of Justice to do its part to shore up what is called the Crime Victims Fund.”

“Mr. President, I have another point to make, which I think I have made once or twice before. Remember last December, we got to December and didn't pass 12 appropriations bills.”

“Mr. President, we are in the middle of what is known as March Madness. I am not talking about budget reconciliation or tax season; I am here to congratulate and say thank you to our outstanding student athletes who have competed their hearts out on the court and on the mat these last few weeks.”

“Mr. President, on my annual tour of Iowa's 99 counties, I visited recently the Boys & Girls Club of Cedar Valley in Waterloo, IA. This was during our last congressional State work period.”

“Mr. President, today, Senator Shaheen of New Hampshire and I are introducing a resolution. That resolution recognizes April as Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month. Far too many Americans have suffered as a result of this terrible crime.”

“Mr. President, probably all my colleagues are very concerned that we have learned, over the last few months or couple years, that our Department of HHS is not tracking the 300,000 children--unaccompanied children--under our immigration laws.”

“Madam President, the Senate will soon vote to confirm my good friend and fellow Iowan Matt Whitaker to be the U.S. Ambassador to NATO. I support his nomination and urge all my colleagues to vote for his confirmation.”

“Mr. President, today, 20 of my colleagues and I will introduce legislation to stop the abuse of universal injunctions that we are seeing all across the country--all of this to stop the Trump agenda.”

“Court could stop this whole process, but the Supreme Court has not taken such action. So it is Congress's job to legislate. So what would you expect? I am introducing legislation to solve this problem.”

“Mr. President, I am going to ask my colleagues, as a reminder, that there are some tricks of the trade to get to your political enemies or for other reasons like covering up embarrassing situations or just to cover up wrongdoing.”

“Reserving the right to object, before I give my reasons for objecting, I want to comment on a couple of things in your remarks. Before you spoke, you spoke about the times that we often agree.”

“Although our Founders saw an important role for the judiciary, individual judges have empowered themselves to become nationwide policymakers, as opposed to interpreting law. I consider this very dangerous.”

“Mr. President, on this day in 1949, the Russian-Soviet regime occupying the Baltic countries rounded up 95,000 people, mostly women and children, and sent them to Siberia. During Stalin's rule, more than 220,000 innocent people were deported to cold Siberia.”

“Mr. President, I apologize to my colleagues. I am going to give a 1-minute remark on things that probably should have been said on January 21. In January, Americans celebrated one of its greatest rituals of our Republic; the peaceful transfer of power.”

“Mr. President, today is a good day for the Senate and a good day for the American people. The Senate will soon pass a bill that is entitled ``HALT Fentanyl Act.'' The House is expected to take the measure up very soon and send it to President Trump, who is waiting with pen in hand to enact one of his campaign promises.”

“Mr. President, last Tuesday, I released a committee report. The committee report was about my investigation about the Obama-Biden administration's obstruction of FBI law enforcement efforts against Iran.”

“Madam President, every year, Sunshine Week is held around March 16, the birthday of James Madison, who not only is a former President, but the acclaimed ``Father of the Constitution.'' On its 20th anniversary, Sunshine Week continues to be a crucial reminder of the need for transparency and open government.”

“Time and again, I have come to the floor of the U.S. Senate to point out specific examples of retaliation. That is why I have called on every President since Ronald Reagan to hold a Rose Garden Ceremony to honor whistleblowers.”

“Mr. President, two points--a short one and a long one. The short one is simply this: to remind my colleagues that at the beginning of the year, we get a Senate calendar that says what days we are going to be in session and what days we are not going to be in session.”

“Mr. President, I want to pay tribute to a military unit that is being retired in Fort Dodge, IA. On March 2, the colors were retired for the 133rd Test Squadron in Fort Dodge, IA.”

“Mr. President, soon, we will vote on the nomination of Gail Slater to serve as Assistant Attorney General for the Antitrust Division. I support her nomination, and I urge my colleagues to do the same.”

“Mr. President, 35 years ago today, the freely elected Parliament of Lithuania declared that country was restoring its independence after about 50 years of Soviet occupation. This started the breakup of the Soviet Union.”

“Mr. President, today I want to honor an outstanding Iowan who devoted his life in service to our home State and to America. This weekend, my good friend of nearly 70 years was laid to rest with full military honors, after passing away on February 16, at age 99 years young.”

“A member of the ``greatest generation,'' Curly served our country in uniform with honor and distinction. He remained in the Army Reserve for more than a half-century following Active Duty.”

“Mr. President, for my colleagues who are protectionists, I think that when it comes to the issue of trade, we need less of Peter Navarro and more of Adam Smith.”

“Mr. President, my message today is to the administration and particularly to President Trump, who is very forcefully enforcing the immigration laws that were not enforced in the last administration, a message about bringing justice to some people who have been harmed by the previous administration.”

“Mr. President, soon, we will be voting on the nomination of Todd Blanche to serve as Deputy Attorney General of the United States. I support his nomination and urge all of my colleagues to vote for this well-qualified nominee.”

“President Trump. Now, that is quite a law firm, isn't it? Just because you are taking business in, they don't like it. So then he put his reputation on the line and he put his career on the line to fight against Jack Smith's and District Attorney Bragg's rampant lawfare, and he handled these cases with professional excellence.”

“Mr. President, reserving the right to object, I have always advocated respect for the Federal courts, and, particularly, over the last 2 years, I have opposed a vicious smear campaign by Democrats designed to undermine faith in our Supreme Court and our judicial system.”

“I think you need to be--we need to clarify because I think your inference is that Trump has violated some court orders. He has not. In fact, this very day, the Supreme Court ruled against him on a 5-to-4 decision that goes back to the lower court to make a firm decision.”

“I think what I would like to do is--do you agree with my amendment or you don't so we can move on and get to other important stuff today.”

“Reserving the right to object, before I do object, I want Senator Durbin to know that there are things like this that we ought to work out, but we can't be complaining about the courts if we have a Democratic President and not complaining--just complaining when we have a Republican President.”

“I would like to speak on Mr. Blanche. Senator Durbin, I see we have an agreement. Mr. President, I see we have an agreement that Senator Durbin speaks--that I go again.”

“Mr. President, in January, investor concerns about China's advances in AI innovation wiped out nearly $1 trillion in U.S. tech stock value, and that happened in a single day.”

“Mr. President, October 7, 2023, will probably go down in history to Americans like December 7, 1941, Pearl Harbor Day. On October 7, 2 years ago, Israel experienced a surprise attack from Hamas.”

“Mr. President, the Senate will soon vote to confirm Linda McMahon to be Secretary of Education. I know that some people feel that the Secretary of Education should have extensive experience in a school system; however, it is important to remember that education is still mostly a State and local responsibility.”

“Mr. President, today, I come to the Senate floor to congratulate a legend in the broadcasting business. Ron Steele is a long-time journalist from my hometown TV station KWWL in Waterloo, IA.”

“Mr. President, soon, we will be voting on the nomination of Jamieson Greer of Maryland to be U.S. Trade Representative. I will be supporting that nomination. I voted for his nomination to get out of the Finance Committee because I believe we need a clear change from the last 4 years, when there was never any attempt to do anything to reduce trade barriers.”

“Mr. President, today is Estonian Independence Day. On this day in 1918, the Estonians declared their independence from the Russian Empire. They had to fight a war against both Germans and the Army of Soviet Russia to secure their independence in a treaty in 1920.”

“Mr. President, I rise to support the budget resolution that is before the U.S. Senate. Speaking to that, I want to remind people of some history. These famous words came from Rahm Emanuel, President Obama's Chief of Staff.”

“Mr. President, I take Congress's constitutional oversight mandate very seriously. What you learn in eighth grade civics, oversight responsibility is checks and balances of government. In the 118th Congress, as ranking member of the Senate Budget Committee, I established the committee's very first Oversight and Investigative Unit.”

“Justice's shortchanging the Crime Victims' Fund so those victims didn't get the money that they were entitled to; excessive DOD spending on spare parts and price-gouging. In response to that, I got legislation passed to fix that problem.”

“Mr. President, I rise today to speak in support of the nomination of Howard Lutnick to be Secretary of the Department of Commerce. When I met with Mr.”

“Mr. President, soon, we will be voting on the nomination of Kash Patel to serve as Director of the FBI. I have spoken with my colleagues on this nomination within the last couple of days, but I want to spend a few more minutes urging my colleagues to vote for Mr.”

“Mr. President, the Senate will soon confirm Kelly Loeffler. She will then be the next Administrator of the Small Business Administration. As a former colleague in the Senate representing Georgia, I know she understands the needs of small business in both rural and urban areas.”

“Oversight then allows us to hold bureaucrats accountable to the rule of law and, most importantly, keep faith with the taxpayers because if we have transparency in government, we have greater accountability.”

“Madam President, today, we are going to take a procedural vote on Kash Patel's nomination to be Director of the FBI. I want to take a few minutes to express my support for his nomination and to urge my Democratic colleagues to consider voting for this nomination.”

“Mr. President, I rise today to speak in support of the nomination of Brooke Rollins of Texas to be Secretary of the Department of Agriculture. I met Mrs.”

“Mr. President, for the third time, I come to the Senate floor to ask my Democrat colleagues if they will respect the Democrats on the Senate Agriculture Committee.”

“Mr. President, after the Gabbard nomination, the next issue up for consideration by the Senate is cloture on the Robert F. Kennedy nomination to be Secretary of Health and Human Services.”

“So I would like to outline some of the priorities that Mr. Kennedy should focus on at Health and Human Services. And, obviously, I am asking him to focus on things and issues that are very dear to my heart and take up a lot of my time as a Senator from Iowa and a person very concerned about the quality of healthcare in rural America.”

“Mr. President, sometime today, we are voting on the nomination of Tulsi Gabbard. She is going to be Director of National Intelligence after she is confirmed. Until she was nominated, I only knew her from seeing her in media sound bites and what other people wrote about her.”

“Madam President, one short issue to just make mention, and then I want to pay tribute to an Iowan. This week we are going to vote on the Secretary of Agriculture to be confirmed for the Cabinet.”

“Mr. President, today, we will vote on the nomination of Russ Vought to be the Director of the Office of Management and Budget. Mr. Vought served as the OMB Director for much of President Trump's first term, and before that, he was Deputy Director of the same Agency.”

“Mr. President, sometime today, we are confirming Scott Turner as the new Secretary of Housing and Urban Development. As a former NFL cornerback, developer, State and local official, and Executive Director of the White House Opportunity and Revitalization Council, Mr.”

“Mr. President, in a few minutes--probably shortly, I should say--we will vote to confirm Pam Bondi as the Attorney General of the United States. Before we do, I would like to speak in support of her nomination and, in doing that, urge my colleagues to vote for her, hopefully in a bipartisan way like we did for Garland under the Biden administration.”

“When confirmed, Ms. Bondi will take the helm of what we all know is a turbulent time and also a Justice Department infected with political decision making and its leaders refusing to acknowledge that reality; in other words, political decision making at least on the seventh floor of the Hoover Building overtaking the major role of the FBI, and the FBI is part of the Justice Department.”

“Mr. President, I come to the floor to speak about the nominee for Secretary of Veterans Affairs that we will be voting on in a couple of hours.”

“Mr. President, later today, we are going to have the first set of votes on the nomination of Pam Bondi to serve as Attorney General of the United States.”

“Mr. President, January is National Blood Donor Month. Every two seconds someone in the United States needs blood. Yet less than 10 percent of the eligible population donates blood annually.”

“Mr. President, every so often, I come to the Senate floor to bring my colleagues up to date on the lack of financial management system in the Department of Defense.”

“Mr. President, Governor Doug Burgum of North Dakota will soon be our next Secretary of the Department of the Interior. I am going to support that nomination. I think he will be confirmed, but until that happens, we always say ``if confirmed.'' If confirmed, Mr.”

“Mr. President, I am here to back the nomination of Lee Zeldin of New York to be Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, so my vote will be yes in a few hours from now when we vote on that nomination.”

“Mr. President, today, we are confirming former Congressman Sean Duffy as the new Secretary of Transportation. Our Nation's infrastructure is essential to the economy, trade, and vitality of each of our 50 States.”

“Mr. President, as the leader has just said, I come to the floor for the same purpose: to talk about my vote in favor of Mr. Bessent to be Secretary of the Treasury.”

“Mr. President, today marks the 80th anniversary of the liberation of the Nazi concentration and extermination camp at Auschwitz-Birkenau. We commemorate this day through International Holocaust Remembrance Day.”

“Mr. President, everybody knows that except for Native Americans, this great Nation of ours is a nation of immigrants. We are one of the most welcoming nations in the world, maybe the most welcoming to immigrants, because about a million people come here every year legally.”

“And I point out to them how they ought to really say ``maybe,'' because I use the last 4 years of the Garland Department of Justice as an example, showing these nominees, when they come to my office, a pile of about 158 letters that the Department of Justice and the FBI haven't appropriately answered, even after they said they had answered all of our letters.”

“Mr. President, I am going to support Pete Hegseth to be Secretary of Defense. In the process of doing that, I am going to refer generally to some of the things that I spoke about--problems at the Department of Defense--when Mr.”

“One of those subjects was my oversight work of the Department of Defense. I have been conducting rigorous oversight of the Defense Department, along with other Federal Departments, since I became a Member of Congress.”

“Mr. President, today is the 52nd annual March for Life right here in the Nation's Capital. Folks from all over the Nation and world are in Washington to offer a joyful witness to the beauty and dignity of every human person.”

“Mr. President, on another issue, I want to talk about the 30-year anniversary of a piece of legislation that I have been involved with. A lot has happened during the first week of the second Trump administration.”

“House of Representatives for all but 4 years going way back to 1931. The best approach to good leadership is to keep an ear to the ground and a finger to the pulse of the American people, much like our 45th and 47th President has done since 2017.”

“Mr. President, today marks 5 years since the Robinson family of Iowa City, IA, has been matched with their adoptive child way over in China. Sadly, this is not a celebratory anniversary of that date, as the Robinson family, along with 300 other American families, have yet to be unified with their adoptive children, many with unique medical needs.”

“Mr. President, in early February 1972, when abortion was not the issue it is today and probably after California had changed its abortion laws under then-Governor Reagan, the Iowa Legislature considered repealing Iowa's law about abortion.”

“Mr. President, 52 years ago today, Roe v. Wade was decided by the U.S. Supreme Court. Approximately 1 year before that, I was a member of the Iowa Legislature, and that legislature attempted to repeal Iowa's law of decades old.”

“Mr. President, January is National Trafficking and Modern Slavery Prevention Month, so today, Senator Cortez Masto and I are introducing a resolution to honor victims and to raise very needed awareness.”

“Mr. President, today, we have a new President. So I say congratulations to President Trump. As we turn a new page from one administration to another, we can put a contentious campaign and all the negative rhetoric behind us.”

“Mr. President, I will speak for a couple minutes in morning business. I am an advocate, through the farm program, of having an absolute limit on the amount of money that one farmer can get from the farm program so that we target toward medium- and small-sized farmers so we don't subsidize very big farmers to get bigger.”

“Mr. President, on Sunday, January 12, it was National Pharmacists Day. I think it is quite appropriate that we pay attention and give reward to the work that pharmacists do.”

“Madam President, the Stennis Center for Public Service is a legislative branch Agency with a congressional mandate to attract young people to careers in public service, provide training for leaders in, or likely to be in, public service, and offer training and development opportunities for senior congressional staff, Members of Congress, and other public service leaders.”

“Mr. President, the Jewish people have faced many libels and many libels over their history--in their case, for millennia. Today, the Jewish State faces the dirty libel--can you believe it?--of committing genocide, all while defending themselves from Hamas.”

“Mr. President, I served 16 years in the Iowa House of Representatives before I came to the Congress of the United States. Frequently, I visit that body. Yesterday, I participated in the opening of the 91st session of that Iowa House of Representatives.”

“Mr. President, January 9 is National Law Enforcement Appreciation Day. Today, as well as every day, we should give our thanks to the Nation's men and women in blue.”

“Mr. President, I am here to support the Laken Riley Act. This legislation comes within the jurisdiction of the Judiciary Committee, which committee I will chair this Congress.”

“We all know that the result of the last election was a mandate for the President to carry out his agenda. In that agenda was the deportation of people who illegally enter our country.”

“On another point, yesterday, January 6, was Christmas Day for many Christians of the Orthodox faith. But during the Soviet Union--if you remember the history of the Soviet Union--Christmas had to be celebrated in secret, lest the communist authorities would find out and you would be punished.”

“Madam President, as the 119th Congress kicks off, I look forward to continuing my work for Iowans. As President pro tempore of the Senate, Iowa is No. 1 with my leadership.”