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Congressional Daily Record
This section captures a floor statement or debate entry. It mentions legislation such as Strengthening America’s Turning Point Act, committees such as Committee on Indian Affairs, members such as Joshua David Hawley.
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September 29, 2026
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Download official Senate Record PDFReturn to issue contextThe bill (H.R. 1550) to redesignate Saratoga National Historical Park as Saratoga National Battlefield Park was ordered to a third reading, was read the third time, and passed.
Mr. HAWLEY. Mr. President, on October 3, 1945, a Mr. Franc L. McCluer of a liberal arts college in Fulton, MO, set pen to paper to write to then former-Prime Minister Winston Churchill, who was enjoying his retirement, having recently lost an election in the midst or just after the Second World War. Mr. McCluer—President McClure of the college, which was named Westminster—invited the former Prime Minister to come to Missouri, to Fulton, to deliver a series of lectures.
had not another American and, indeed, another Missourian appended a few words to the bottom.
Here is what President Harry S. Truman wrote in his own hand on that invitation to Winston Churchill. He says:
[Dear Winston:] This is a wonderful school in my home
state. Hope you can do it. I'll introduce you.
Minister Churchill, who accepted on the spot; and he and Harry Truman traveled together overland by train to Westminster College in Fulton, MO, to deliver, on Churchill's part, what became one of the most famous speeches of the 20th century, known as the Iron Curtain speech.
history not just of Westminster College and Fulton, MO, but such a significant moment in American history that the trustees of the college and the leaders of the town decided thereafter it would be well worth commemorating. And so after that speech was concluded, they tried to decide on an appropriate form of commemoration.
They settled on a symbol that I think is altogether fitting: a church—a church called St. Mary Aldermanbury—actually, from London, which the trustees of Westminster and the town leaders of Fulton had brought from London brick by brick and rebuilt on the college campus at Westminster.
delivering his famous Iron Curtain speech that stands on the site to this today.
determination of the American people through depression and war and also of the long alliance between the people of the United States and the people of the United Kingdom, because the church was first built in the 12th century as a parish church in London, but then it was destroyed by the Great Fire of London in 1666. Sir Christopher Wren, the famous architect, redesigned it and had it rebuilt in 1679, only for it to be gutted and destroyed once again by the London Blitz in 1940.
Fulton, MO, brought it to the United States—to Fulton, to the campus— and rebuilt it as a commemoration of the speech, yes, but I would suggest even something more: as a commemoration and mark of what we hold dearest together, what we most cherish as Americans, because that church symbolizes, really, the cradle of our civilization; the values that underlie who we are as a people; the sanctity of the individual; the rights of individual conscience; the right to worship; the liberties that flow to us not from a government, not from a bureaucrat, but from almighty God, as our own Declaration of Independence, 250 years old this year, so eloquently declares.
means to be an American, continuing as a symbol of what we hold most dear, most valuable, most cherished as a people.
the first time, this landmark into a National Historic Landmark, there on the campus of Westminster in Fulton, MO, that will forever preserve this historic place and this historic site for posterity but will also, I think, communicate the significance of this moment and the significance of the church and what it represents for the American story.
when so many question the value of our historical heritage, when so many question the fundamentals of our culture and suggest that this country is fundamentally evil, fundamentally racist, fundamentally bigoted, fundamentally ill-founded, I think this church and this landmark speak to the great and enduring goodness of our country, the powerful and enduring significance of the values on which this country is founded.
to come, this church will stand on the campus of Westminster in Fulton, MO, blessed as a National Historic Landmark, to speak to the principles that are at the heart of the American experiment and which we reaffirm in this 250th year and which continue to shine brightly in the State of Missouri.
I yield the floor.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Iowa.
Affordability
Mr. GRASSLEY. Mr. President, lowering costs for Americans has been a key focus of this Republican Congress. The 2025 Working Families Tax Cut Act prevented the largest tax increase in the history of our country. If that bill had not passed, taxes would have gone up by about $3,500 per family.
pocketbooks by establishing no tax on tips, no tax on overtime, and expanding tax relief for seniors to the tune, for seniors, of a $6,000 tax credit.
deductibility of interest on car loans. So you see, when we call it the Working Families Tax Cut Act, you can see the important provisions that back up that title. Those taxpayers earning between $50,000 to $200,000 that took advantage of at least one of these new deductions received an average tax cut of between $815 and $1,250.
incentivized business investment permanently. This has enabled Iowa companies such as Sukup Manufacturing in Sheffield and Vermeer Corporation in Pella to fund multimillion-dollar expansions and add hundreds of good-paying jobs.
waste, fraud, and abuse out of the healthcare system. I am also working hard to hold pharmaceutical companies and powerful drug middlemen called pharmacy benefit managers accountable.
seniors and Americans with private health insurance. Of course, everybody agrees more needs to be done to stop anticompetitive practices of Big Pharma and these pharmacy benefit managers.
I will continue to push to fix a broken system and lower drug costs. I have also worked to lower food costs by supporting American agriculture and passing the farm bill. Lowering high input costs for farmers is key, a very key way to help American agriculture and, at the same time, all American families at the dinner table.
includes my transparency tools to help bring down fertilizer costs. It also includes year-round E15 that will deliver a $14 billion boost in corn demand and lower the price at the pump of up to 40 cents per gallon.
administration's effort to remove redtape and put more money back into the pockets of working families and small business owners. So far, the administration's efforts have resulted in over $1 trillion in total regulatory cost reductions.
something the Biden administration didn't have because fiscal recklessness by the previous administration spurred 9 percent inflation, costing Iowa households an extra $7,000 in just his first 20 months in office.
Now, we hear all this talk about inflation since Trump took over. Is the memory of Americans so short that they don't remember 9 percent inflation in the previous administration and how now it is dramatically down?
promising a pile of budget-busting policies rather than delivering affordability. Such policies would exacerbate inflation and push up interest rates on mortgages, car loans, and consumer credits.
and abuse in government, are working to snuff out inflation and contain interest costs. This includes trimming $1 trillion in mandatory spending as part of the Working Families Tax Cut Act. This work and more are making life more affordable for America.
SCREENS Act
Mr. President, now another short comment I want to make on another subject about cancer screening. Last week, I introduced a bipartisan cancer screening bill titled the “Standardizing Cancer Recommendations for Early Evaluation and Navigation of Screening Act”; SCREENS, as an acronym for that legislation and that long name of the legislation.
Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the United States. We know that access to cancer screenings increases the chance of early treatment and reduces mortality. This is especially important for rural Americans and with the rising rates of cancer in young people.
fingertips or in the doctor's office, the Federal Government, through the Office of National Coordinator for Health Information Technology, can help ensure cancer screening recommendations are in a data-friendly format for apps, for tools, and for interoperable technology development.
not easy to navigate for patients or even for providers. These guidelines are routinely updated and refined, but it is difficult to track every change.
Patients want to know: Are they at risk for cancer and when should they get screened? Patients expect doctors to have the latest information, and they often have sticky notes on the recommendations taped to their computer, but it might not be the latest information or applicable to a particular patient.
problem, including the Cancer Screen Iowa tool and Decision Precision+. My legislation will enable more technology development for patients and providers by streamlining access to cancer screening guidelines.
centered is common sense. Improving cancer research, access to early detection and screening, and cancer care are critical in defeating cancer.
approach. This includes the cutting-edge research at the University of Iowa's Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center and Iowa's use of the $50 billion Rural Health Transformation Fund that was in the tax bill of last year that is investing in rural cancer care at rural hospitals and clinics across the State. I will keep fighting to prevent cancer and improve cancer care.
I yield the floor.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Florida.
Economic Policy
Mr. SCOTT of Florida. Mr. President, I am going to say something that might shock people here: Zohran Mamdani is right. Yes, the socialist mayor of New York City Zohran Mamdani is absolutely right about something that is facing every American right now: Our political system has totally failed the American people and is set to fail the next generation too.
getting a good-paying job. Thanks to government—your government—it is now too often a 4-year runway to a lifetime of debt.
years without the wages to match it. Average student debt is just under $40,000, according to the Education Data Initiative. Why? Government; your government.
Then there is the cost of a home. A first home used to be a monumental stepping stone for a young family. I can remember when we bought our first home. Now, it is out of reach to almost everyone. Home prices have gone up 800 percent over the last 50 years.
Then there are other costs to worry about. When I finished my enlistment in the U.S. Navy, healthcare costs for a family were about $700 a year for a family of four—$700. Now, thanks to government interference, especially ObamaCare, costs continue to go up and options are getting more and more limited for the average family.
years. Why? Government. All of these costs have outpaced inflation, and all of these industries have seen the government get more involved over the last 50 years.
The answer is not more government. More government is simply not working, and it never did. For example, the Federal Government budgeted more than $1.2 trillion—$1.2 trillion—for low-income assistance programs last year. According to the Washington Post, “Using the Census Bureau's official poverty count, that anti-poverty spending comes out to $35,000 in annual expenditures for every person in poverty”—$35,000 in annual expenditures for every person in poverty— “or $181,000 per family in poverty.”
If we are spending that much, why isn't it working? The fact of the matter is that we have been trying to spend our way to fixing poverty with our current approach for over 60 years. We are now $40 trillion in debt.
true. We spent about 3 percent of our GDP on defense spending last fiscal year. It makes up 13 percent of the Federal budget. Never mind that handling the military is one of the few things the U.S. Constitution actually tells Congress to do.
But we spend about $3 billion per day on interest payments on our debt while we run $2 trillion deficits for programs that clearly aren't working—$2 trillion each year.
Now, we can't tax our way out of this. The U.S. Federal Government collected a record $5.3 trillion in gross taxes during fiscal year 2025. I don't need people that say: Oh, their taxes are too low. If you confiscated every asset from every billionaire in the United States, you would only be able to run the Federal Government for just over a year.
socialists are coming for? Who do you think they are going to come for when they bleed the millionaires and billionaires? They are going to come for you and your family and everything you worked hard for.
cost of living. People understand that it is the fault of Congress giving them the short end of the deal year after year. It is not a surprise that people see hope in an alternative like socialism when it is clear that politicians maintaining the status quo aren't interested, and they are not doing anything to help them.
But socialism only leads to ruin in the end. If this country turns toward socialism, my grandkids won't have an America to inherit. The rise of socialism in America is terrifying to anyone who has read a history book, but it shouldn't shock anyone who watches Washington fail to lead with policies that work for American people.
empty promises: to hold government accountable. Oh, yes, they are going to hold government accountable; they are going to lower prices; they are going to fight for the American dream.
parties are complicit. And every American knows that things have only gotten worse. Instead of holding government accountable, politicians in Washington have armed a $40 trillion debt bomb by massively expanding the Federal Government year after year.
We are only one economic crisis away from exploding. While promising lower prices, Congress keeps approving massive government spending bills, causing prices and interest rates to skyrocket for the same voters we promised to lower prices for.
crept into every part of our lives and crushed opportunity and put the American dream on life support. Let's look at the facts. Americans have seen this play out and are furious about it—especially young people. They were robbed, and the culprits are the ones in this building from both parties.
can—everything they constitutionally can—to fix this. The poverty rate reached the lowest point in American history last year, and child poverty also reached a record low. Since President Trump took office, more than 1.5 million Americans have been lifted out of poverty. More than 1 million new private sector jobs have been created during the Trump administration. Wages are rising, but inflation—inflation caused by government spending approved by Congress—is cutting into what those wage gains can do for families.
President. Congress has been abusing that power for decades, and Congress is responsible here.
Who can blame the American people for being angry? The American dream that existed for their parents and grandparents is out of reach for a lot of them. Where is the outrage on their behalf in this Chamber? Washington's failures have left them feeling cheated and disillusioned with our political system and way of life, stuck in a world where they can't afford to buy a house, have decent healthcare, or start a family. How can the American dream survive like that?
Democrat Party—the embrace of socialism—will not solve any of their problems. Socialists promise steady wages, good healthcare, and plenty of benefits. It sounds really nice, and also, it is all free, but let's look at what happens when you choose socialism. You hand over all the control of your life to the government in exchange for a promise, but you get no leverage. The government gets to make all the choices. All the decisions are made by government to “level the playing field.” So what does government do? It controls where you work, how much money you make, where you can live, and where you can
go to school. They make all your decisions.
or a one-bedroom apartment. The government decides how much food your children need or whether your elderly mother can have surgery.
that all socialists want. Remember, socialism is really just a gateway drug to communism. Marx said that perfection in government was creating a society that was “from each according to his ability, to each according to his needs.”
are. They decide what you need. You don't need that new shirt. You don't need a bigger home. You don't need more money for your family. You don't need more diapers for your baby. You don't need cataract surgery; your other eye is fine. Under socialism, people dream, but achieving dreams is not allowed. Everyone gets the same crappy deal. There is no hope. The government tells you what you are entitled to, and it always is less and less and less. The only dream under socialism is survival and escape.
Ronald Reagan talked about this 60 years ago in his “A Time For Choosing” speech. There is nowhere for Americans to escape to. If our way of life fails, there is nowhere else to go. Where would you go?
Venezuelan socialism survivors in my great State of Florida who could share their stories.
they don't want it. So where do we go? If more young people feel like the American dream doesn't exist for them, how do we prove them wrong? The answer is simple: Listen to the American people. They are smart. Make government work for the things that are most important to them. We need to blow up the status quo in Washington to lower prices—we need lower prices; fuel private sector job creation—we need more private sector jobs; and return to American freedom. American freedom is what gave me and the generations before me the chance to succeed.
We have to do three things. We have to dramatically reduce government spending to balance the Federal budget, shred the massive regulatory regime that has grown out of control in Washington, and third, we have to make job creation the No. 1 priority through tax cuts, smart investment, and good economic policy.
Does it work? It absolutely works. I did it when I was Governor of Florida. When I ran for Governor, I said: We are going to create 700,000 private sector jobs in 7 years. By the end, we created 1.7 million new private sector jobs in 8 years. We brought in countless new businesses, and we helped Florida businesses expand.
and the Democrats' turn to socialism: It is never too late to turn things around. The choice in front of us isn't complicated. It is incredibly simple, but it won't be easy. We don't need any new laws, actually. We need self-control. We need self-control on spending.
prioritize where we spend money. We know how much money we make, we know we cannot spend more than that, and we prioritize our spending. We have to do the exact same thing in DC.
how we reduce our government spending and how we prioritize spending. Working 2\1/2\ days a week is not going to cut it. No business does that. We need to roll up our sleeves and get to work.
Florida in decades. How did we balance it? I told them that we are not going to spend more than we take in. That is what every family does, and that is what happened.
so reckless that we are now running multitrillion-dollar annual deficits. These deficits are fueling a $40 trillion debt that costs more than $1 trillion in interest annually. That is $1 trillion at today's interest rates. What happens if those interest rates double? That is $1 trillion that provides zero return for American families. What do we get out of it? It is not going to build a better military, Social Security, roads, Medicare. To save the programs Americans depend on, we must reduce government spending in all the places it doesn't provide a real return for taxpayers and finally balance the Federal budget.
budget, 4,000 lines of the budget. We had a written purpose for every line. We should be doing that here. And if it doesn't meet the purpose, we don't do it anymore. That is what you do with your own money.
more legislation. We don't need another law. We don't need more laws. We need to use all the serious brain power in Congress that we already have and use the appropriations process to stop funding stupid programs that don't work.
loans for cars, homes, and businesses, we must balance the budget. When we balance the budget, interest rates will come down.
Government regulations. Why do we need more regulations and people telling us how to lead our lives?
taking permitting times from months to days, eliminating stupid regulatory hurdles that had no impact on safety, and cutting costs to start and grow a business. That is what we did. I cut taxes and fees a hundred times, and we still balanced the budget and paid down debt. So it clearly can be done. It can be done in any city, any State, and it clearly can be done here. We should be doing it.
Jobs should be our mantra. We should be focused on jobs every day. That should be the No. 1 priority of the Federal Government—how to create more good-paying jobs.
people, but it is not dead yet. I have launched a Rescue America project to reignite the American dream. It starts by pointing out all the ways that Big Government and bad policy have completely betrayed the average American, and it is plotting a roadmap back to sanity. From there, we will map the way back to the kind of country that made it possible for a poor kid like me who grew up in public housing, born to a single mom, to become a CEO, a Governor, and a Senator.
misery of socialism, despair, and hopelessness, we need to show them the opportunities freedom always offers when Washington actually works for them and they have the opportunity to live the American dream.
For every socialist, shame on you. You are absolutely lying to the American people. Your ideas result in despair, death, and hopelessness.
regulations and redtape, preventing you from getting started unless you are rich, I am working for you.
The solution is simple, but it won't be easy. We can balance the budget tomorrow. Families do it every day. We just need to have the courage to sit down with each other and figure out how and not leave town until we do it.
to, the exact same way—just sit down and do it. We just need to be willing to put in the hours and get the job done.
This is all doable. We have to do it for the benefit of every young person in this country. Every child should have the same opportunity to live the American dream that each one of us believed when we were growing up.
Let's get to work.
I yield the floor.
The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Alaska.
H.R. 3620
Ms. MURKOWSKI. Mr. President, I have come to the floor this afternoon to seek unanimous consent to pass a bill. This is called the Southcentral Foundation Land Transfer Act.
I know that oftentimes, Members come the floor and say: Oh, it is not controversial at all.
Senator Sullivan and I have introduced this in the Senate. Congressman Begich is leading the companion legislation in the House. We are seeking to send this bill to the President's desk before recess because it has become time-sensitive.
It is pretty simple. It would convey approximately 3.5 acres—3.5 acres—of Federal land in Anchorage. This is land that is currently owned by the Indian Health Service, and it would be conveyed from IHS to the Southcentral Foundation.
organization that provides healthcare services to IHS beneficiaries under a self-governance compact. The Southcentral Foundation has built something pretty special on this property. They call it the Quyana Clubhouse. This is where Alaska Native people can find support, find connection and a path forward when they are dealing with mental health challenges.
severe and persistent mental health issues through case management, therapy sessions, health education, tobacco cessation, life skills training—all while integrating Alaska Native culture.
building as well as the services they provide as they work to support intensive levels of outpatient programming. Right now, Southcentral Foundation is providing these services in one of the oldest buildings in the IHS inventory in Alaska. They were really never intended to provide this kind of patient care. In fact, one of the rooms that is now still being used was once a morgue. So it has been around for a while.
has become time-sensitive. Without ownership of the parcel, Southcentral Foundation cannot finance and construct capital improvements and permanent facilities and, in turn, do more to address mental health in Alaska. So this legislation will give Southcentral Foundation the certainty it needs to keep investing in places like Quyana and continue providing these services for the long term.
This is a House-passed bill. It can go directly to the President and be signed into law. I would hope that we would agree to do that today because there are no substantive objections to it. Both the House and Senate have had hearings on their prospective versions. Both have been marked up and reported favorably by unanimous consent on the Committee on Indian Affairs.
So, really, there is no reason to hold the bill up. We can add to our record of bipartisan legislating at scale. We can address an issue that is important to Alaska Native health and uphold the Federal trust responsibility by passing the Southcentral Foundation Land Transfer Act.