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Congressional Daily Record
This section captures a floor statement or debate entry. It mentions legislation such as DeOndra Dixon INCLUDE Project Act of 2026, committees such as Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, members such as John Wright Hickenlooper.
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August 6, 2026
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Download official Senate Record PDFReturn to issue contextMr. HICKENLOOPER. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent for the Senate to pass S. 1838, the DeOndra Dixon INCLUDE Project Act.
NIH, to launch the INCLUDE Project—an effort to make groundbreaking discoveries about conditions that disproportionately affect people with Down syndrome, like Alzheimer's disease.
coordinated approach that is already delivering significant scientific discoveries as well as new treatments.
visibility into the scientific breakthroughs that are so needed for this community. The INCLUDE Project is already yielding significant scientific results, and Colorado is at the core of these scientific advances.
advocacy, research, and medical care partners at the Global Down Syndrome Foundation, the Linda Crnic Institute for Down Syndrome, the Alzheimer's and Cognition Center, and the Sie Center at Children's Hospital Colorado.
with Down syndrome remains a priority and do so in honor of DeOndra Dixon, an extraordinary person who was an advocate leaving a legacy that will help improve lives for generations.
Jerry Moran and Cory Booker and Representatives Diana DeGette and Richard Hudson. We also thank Senators Bennet, Padilla, Capito, Coons, Van Hollen, and Ossoff for their support.
and for the thousands of Americans who will see their lives improve for the better by this critical research.
Mr. President, as if in legislative session and notwithstanding rule XXII, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions be discharged and the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of S. 1838.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the bill by title.
The senior assistant legislative clerk read as follows:
A bill (S. 1838) to amend the Public Health Service Act to
authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services to carry
out a program of research, training, and investigation
related to Down syndrome, and for other purposes.
Mr. HICKENLOOPER. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Hickenlooper substitute amendment at the desk be agreed to and that the bill, as amended, be considered read a third time.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
The amendment (No. 6751), in the nature of a substitute, was agreed to as follows:
(Purpose: In the nature of a substitute)
Strike all after the enacting clause and insert the
following:
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the “DeOndra Dixon INCLUDE
Project Act of 2026”.
SEC. 2. DEONDRA DIXON INCLUDE PROJECT.
Part B of title IV of the Public Health Service Act (42
U.S.C. 284 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the
following:
“SEC. 409K. DOWN SYNDROME RESEARCH.
“(a) In General.—The Director of NIH shall carry out a
program of research, training, and investigation related to
Down syndrome to be known as the `INvestigation of Co-
occurring conditions across the Lifespan to Understand Down
syndromE Project' or the `INCLUDE Project'.
“(b) Program Elements.—The program under subsection (a)
shall include—
“(1) high-risk, high-reward research on the effects of
trisomy 21 on human development and health;
“(2) promoting research for participants with Down
syndrome across the lifespan, including cohort studies to
facilitate improved understanding of Down syndrome and co-
occurring conditions and development of new interventions;
“(3) expanding the number of clinical trials that are
inclusive of, or expressly for, participants with Down
syndrome, including novel biomedical and pharmacological
interventions and other therapies designed to promote or
enhance activities of daily living;
“(4) research on the biological mechanisms in individuals
with Down syndrome pertaining to structural, functional, and
behavioral anomalies and dysfunction as well as stunted
growth;
“(5) supporting research to improve diagnosis and
treatment of conditions co-occurring with Down syndrome,
including the identification of biomarkers related to risk
factors, diagnosis, and clinical research and therapeutics;
“(6) research on the causes of increased prevalence, and
concurrent treatment, of co-occurring conditions, such as
Alzheimer's disease and related dementias and autoimmunity,
in individuals with Down syndrome; and
“(7) research, training, and investigation on improving
the quality of life of individuals with Down syndrome and
their families.
“(c) Coordination; Prioritizing Nonduplicative Research.—
The Director of NIH shall ensure that—
“(1) the programs and activities of the institutes and
centers of the National Institutes of Health relating to Down
syndrome and co-occurring conditions are coordinated,
including through the Office of the Director of NIH and
priority-setting reviews conducted pursuant to section
402(b)(3); and
“(2) such institutes and centers, prioritize, as
appropriate, Down syndrome research that does not duplicate
existing research activities of the National Institutes of
Health.
“(d) Consultation With Stakeholders.—In carrying out
activities under this section, the Director of NIH shall, as
appropriate and to the maximum extent feasible, consult with
relevant stakeholders, including patient advocates, to ensure
that such activities take into consideration the needs of
individuals with Down syndrome.
“(e) Biennial Reports to Congress.—
“(1) In general.—The Director of NIH shall submit, on a
biennial basis, to the Committee on Energy and Commerce and
the Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services,
Education, and Related Agencies of the Committee on
Appropriations of the House of Representatives and the
Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions and the
Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education,
and Related Agencies of the Committee on Appropriations of
the Senate, a report that catalogs the research conducted or
supported under this section.
“(2) Contents.—Each report under paragraph (1) shall
include—
“(A) identification of the institute or center involved;
“(B) a statement of whether the research is or was being
carried out directly by such institute or center or by
multiple institutes and centers; and
“(C) identification of any resulting real-world evidence
that is or may be used for clinical research and medical care
for patients with Down syndrome.”.
Mr. HICKENLOOPER. Mr. President, I know of no further debate on the bill, as amended.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there further debate?
The bill (S. 1838), as amended, was passed.
Mr. HICKENLOOPER. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Maine.
Recognizing the University of Maine
Ms. COLLINS. Mr. President, I am very pleased that we could pass these two very important bills this afternoon.
has an excellent lab that specializes in testing ticks for pathogens, and it has worked very closely with our game wardens, with foresters, with the others who are routinely in the woods of Maine and are exposed to tick bites. It actually has developed a little tick kit where you can send the tick into the lab, and it will be tested for pathogens.
its excellent work on tick-borne illnesses. This legislation is going to make a big difference in helping to advance their work, as well as the research at the MaineHealth research institute.
I yield the floor.
The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Moreno). The Senator from Colorado.
Down Syndrome Advocacy
Mr. HICKENLOOPER. Mr. President, I also would be remiss if I didn't recognize, once again, the incredible partners that have been behind these Down syndrome advocacy, research, and medical care—primarily the Global Down Syndrome Foundation, but also the Linda Crnic Institute for Down Syndrome, the Alzheimer's and Cognition Center, and the Sie Center at Children's Hospital Colorado.
I yield the floor.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Democratic whip.
For-profit Colleges and Universities
Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, a few years ago, I met a young woman who lives in the Chicago suburbs. She told me a story of her college career and what it led to. It was something I had never heard before.
enforcement took her not to the normal, predictable academic sources, but to a new industry, which was opening up in our country—for-profit colleges and universities.
Hers was a sad story. She had been enrolled in one of these for- profit colleges and paid the tuition, took the courses—some of them in person, some of them online—and ultimately went to a counselor and asked if she was headed for a bachelor's degree because of her coursework, and he assured her that she was. She went on to say that she hoped to be able to get into law enforcement—that was her ultimate goal. He gave her assurances that that would happen.
Chicago and then took her certificate showing her graduation to would- be employers—police departments in the area. They laughed at her, and they said: That is not a real school. That is a for-profit school, and the courses you took don't count. If you want a degree in law enforcement that leads to a real job, you can't get it from a for- profit college and university.
it. But what was even worse was, she was so deeply in debt for student loans that she borrowed from this phony university.
future ahead of her for doing what she thought was the right thing— getting a college degree.
numbers that tell the story of for-profit colleges and universities. You hear their names like University of Phoenix—that is probably the most prominent one people hear over and over—and you see their advertisements and brochures that are mailed to high school seniors enticing them to sign up for these for-profit schools.
graduates go to for-profit colleges and universities—8 percent—30 percent of all student loan defaults are the students from these same schools.
What is going on here? Such a low number—8 percent—going on to these schools and such a high number of loan defaults. That is because they issue worthless degrees and entice these students into deep debt.
for these for-profit schools; and when everything falls apart, as it is likely to, everybody is held liable and responsible. That is why we have had an ongoing battle here in Washington for years against the for-profit college and university industry.
There was a legal battle in a case called Sweet v. McMahon, which has gone on for years. It finally, this week, came to an end, and it is an important
case on the subject of for-profit colleges and universities.
Government in the history of our Nation. That is life-changing news for nearly half a million Federal student loan borrowers who will receive $23 billion in relief after being misled and defrauded by for-profit colleges.
a long days' work, then you have no doubt been hit with flashy advertising from institutions like the University of Phoenix looking to lure in unsuspecting students.
Here is the catch: These institutions often rip off those students, lying about their prospects for a job, their ability to have credits that transfer to any other school, or their likely salary after graduation.
students but account for 30 percent of all Federal student loan defaults. Too much debt; too little education.
NPR recently highlighted the story of Jessica Feindt of Michigan. She enrolled at the University of Phoenix to study psychology.
She said she “paid a lot out of pocket” and “through student loans.”
repeatedly misled her, including by telling her that a degree would be accepted by Michigan graduate programs—that was false.
underwater and deeply in debt. So she joined this class-action lawsuit, originally filed during President Trump's first term, to get relief. Mr. President, 4 years later—it took 4 years—she will finally see the relief, which she is entitled to.
claims by the students, which a Federal court described as “disturbingly Kafkaesque.”
case and forgave the student loan debts of nearly 300,000 borrowers who had been defrauded. Under the terms of that settlement, borrowers who were not part of the original class had 5 months to file claims. If the Department of Education had not adjudicated the additional claims by early 2026, borrowers still waiting in limbo would be automatically entitled to relief.
tax breaks for the wealthiest Americans, as in their so-called Big Beautiful Bill, they hesitated when it came to giving relief to these students who just wanted a fair shot.
months to review the students' claims—students who were defrauded by these schools.
A Federal district judge said “enough.” Last month, a panel of three judges from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit unanimously upheld this decision. Good.
renewal applications with the USCIS, the administration was asking for more time so that they could bleed out these borrowers and deny relief to hundreds of thousands of students deep in debt living in their parents' basement trying to figure out if they had a future.
This is where the priorities lie. I am glad these borrowers, after years and years of waiting, will finally get the relief they are entitled to.
school counselor in the State of Illinois. I send it about the first of the year and warn them: Be careful not to let your students be lured into these for-profit colleges and universities. They are going to send them brochures. They are going to tee them up with all sorts of things on the internet. It will be a dazzling display about the college, which is not a real college; it is a for-profit college and university.
Be careful. The time that you spend there, the money that you spend there may be a total waste or worse. It could be a debt that trails you for years and years, if not decades, in your life.
benefited by President Biden's decision. The courts finally stood by them and gave these students a second chance. It has been a situation I have run into time and again. I have threatened some of these for- profit schools as a way of getting them to drop the loans that they were enforcing on these students because I know what happens in the end.
Students need to be careful. You can't go wrong starting with city colleges and community colleges in your community. It is affordable. There are alternatives there. Most of the time, the hours that you earn there are going to be transferable to real colleges and universities. I beg my young students in Illinois to start there and the student counselors to do their job and discourage kids from getting involved with these for-profit schools.
energy grant funding
Mr. President, last October, the Trump administration cut more than $7 billion in energy grant funding going to States across America, including more than $580 million for Illinois. At the time, the administration promised that these cancellations were meant to cut “waste, fraud, and abuse.” But someone once told me that in politics there is always a good reason, and then there is always a real reason.
that voted for President Trump? 100? 50? 10? Of the 284 grants this administration revoked, only one went to a State that voted for Donald Trump. The rest went to blue States. At the time, the Trump administration went through pains to tell us that these cancellations were not political. We knew that could not be true. And now, we have proof.
cancellations were “based solely on the political identity of the recipient's state,” or in other words “whether the recipient's location was in a Blue State.” The administration wasn't making policy based on what's best for America. They were making decisions based on the President's vendettas. This is petty, it is unlawful, and it is wrong.
Americans' energy bills are skyrocketing. In the last year alone, Illinoisans paid $210 more for their power, and that number is only expected to go up in light of Trump's war with Iran. You would think that President Trump, who ran on bringing costs down on “day one,” would make addressing these record price hikes his top priority. Instead, he has deeply undermined our capacity to lower prices, all to settle petty political scores.
In Illinois, more than $150 million of the cancelled awards were meant to upgrade the power grid. These upgrades would have made the grid more reliable in the face of rising energy demand. Now, that work is in jeopardy. When the government cancels funding for grid upgrades, those needs do not just go away. Instead, utility companies will pass along the cost of upgrades to consumers. My constituents are paying more for their electricity, heating, and cooling because of President Trump.
of Energy Chris Wright and OMB Director Russ Vought outlining the harm these cancellations have done to our State over the past 9 months. I urge my Republican colleagues to join in urging this administration to reverse course and reject this administration's blatant defiance of Congress' authority under the Constitution. If this precedent is set, your State could be next to see its funding revoked.
I yield the floor.
I suggest the absence of a quorum.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
The senior assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
Mr. CASSIDY. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
Tribute to Danielle Janowski
Mr. CASSIDY. Mr. President, as the Presiding Officer knows, one of the privileges of being a Senator is the opportunity to work alongside dedicated, talented staff. They take the Senator's ideas and concepts and turn them into real legislation that improves the lives of our constituents and improves our
country. Without them, we are unable to do our job.
who have come and gone and the work we have done that will have a lasting impact on the Nation.
deputy staff director, Danielle Janowski. She is leaving Capitol Hill after nearly 17 years of service.
became the ranking member. She had previously worked in the House and for Senators Ernst and Thune. As deputy staff director, she kept the trains moving. She made sure that staff were all rowing in the same direction and that every committee product was done on time and was of the highest quality.
lens that she always fought for the HELP Committee to be strategic, thorough, and professional. She cares about this institution and what it represents. She views it as her duty to mentor other young staffers to carry forward the traditions and collaboration that the Senate deserves.
successful in getting bills signed into law that lower the cost of healthcare, strengthen our education system, empower workers, and enhance our retirement system.
Importantly, Danielle has been a leader in the fight for life. She spearheaded my work to protect unborn babies and mothers, an issue so important to me and to the people of Louisiana. Her passion for this cause and her deep connection with the pro-life community made her indispensable and an effective champion. She was instrumental in leading the first pro-life hearing this Congress, my investigation into abortion pill manufacturers harming mothers, and our efforts to eliminate funding for Planned Parenthood in the Working Families Tax Cuts. None of this would have been possible without her passion, strategic guidance, and unrelenting determination. Babies' lives have been saved, and families are better off because of the work that she led. And what can be more important than that?
exceptional leadership and friendship. She is beloved by everyone who worked with her—a trusted and calming presence during transitions and chaotic times. When there was conflict or when staff simply needed someone to talk to, Danielle was there. She is an advocate, a mentor, a sounding board, and a friend to everyone.
Capitol Hill community. But our loss is someone else's gain. I am proud she will continue her public service at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, leading policy to improve families' health and drive down the cost of care. She will continue to make a positive difference and be an invaluable partner to those who remain in Congress. I look forward to working with her in this new capacity.
person. I thank her for her service to my office, to the Senate, and to the Nation.
With that, I yield the floor.
I suggest the absence of a quorum.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will call the roll.
The senior assistant legislative clerk proceeded to call the roll.
Mr. SCHMITT. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.
The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Budd). Without objection, it is so ordered.
The Senator from Missouri.