Executive Session

Floor Speech

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Mr. BARRASSO. Mr. President, as I come to the floor today, we have just seen incredible record-setting job numbers. It is wonderful news for American workers, for families all across the country. It is a stellar June jobs report.

The U.S. economy added 4.8 million jobs, shattering all expectations. It is the largest monthly jobs gain in our Nation's history.

So if you flip through the channels this morning, Mr. President--and I did see you on one of the morning shows, doing a wonderful job, as you always do, talking about your home State, talking about our Nation--but these were some of the comments today about the jobs numbers:

CNBC's Jim Cramer said: ``There's an optimism in the country . . . people are hiring.''

Ed Lawrence at FOX Business said: ``This is amazing. A good report anywhere you look at it.''

Becky Quick, CNBC, said it was a ``trend from across the board of pretty strong numbers.''

Stephanie Ruhle of NBC said it was a ``big positive.''

Charles Payne, FOX Business, said: ``Even though the economists keep saying it's impossible,'' the numbers are terrific.

Steve Liesman, CNBC, said: ``Bringing a lot of folks back.''

Christine Romans of CNN: ``Big hiring.''

Rick Santelli of CNBC: ``Really solid numbers.''

So good news. Americans are getting back to work, and we need to make sure that we reopen responsibly, smartly, safely--the sorts of things you were talking about--knowing what to do, how to do it, how to do it right because the health and safety, as you mentioned, of our families is important, and it includes economic health as well, and we have that report today with a stellar jobs report

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Mr. President, I also want to point out today that yesterday the Democrats in the House passed their 100-percent partisan version of a highway infrastructure bill. They co-opted a bipartisan issue, completely cut out Republicans--completely cut them out of the conversation.

Not only that, but House Democrats added a laundry list of really leftwing proposals in what they passed yesterday in the House.

In a sense, it is ``Groundhog's Day'' for the Green New Deal. This far-left fantasy has become a recurring nightmare, and we saw it yesterday on the floor of the House of Representatives.

The Democrats must be taking their cue from Joe Biden. The Biden campaign is promoting the Green New Deal, as he said, a ``crucial framework.''

Biden has put the Green New Deal author, Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, in charge of his climate task force. This is where the Democrats want to take the country.

The truth is, Joe Biden has just now become the Trojan horse for the far, far left.

House Democrats' partisan highway bill, to me, is a road to nowhere. It is going to see no light of day in the U.S. Senate.

Infrastructure must be bipartisan, especially now. The House should follow the Senate's lead. Senate Republicans, in the majority, have worked across the aisle with our Democratic colleagues to make this serious issue into policy that is good for all of America, and our bipartisan bill is ready to go.

America's Transportation Infrastructure Act passed the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, the committee I chair, unanimously, 21 to 0. The landmark legislation will fix our Nation's roads, bridges, and tunnels.

Now, we invest but $287 billion in our highways over 5 years. That is a 27-percent increase over current highway funding, and it is important. It is especially critical to our economic recovery today.

We still have close to 20 million Americans out of work due to the coronavirus-related lockdowns. Jump-starting highway projects is going to speed the recovery, and it will help fuel job creation.

Our bill benefits the entire country--both urban areas and rural areas. That is why we worked together in a bipartisan way. I will tell you, when I say it is overwhelmingly bipartisan, it is because we have both Bernie Sanders and President Trump supporting it. In fact, President Trump called on Congress to pass the Senate highway bill in his State of the Union Address.

No question, it is the right medicine for our roads. It cuts redtape to speed up construction. It makes our roads safer, stronger, actually, as well, because of the reinforcement efforts, and it sends money directly to States so people can get back to work.

Americans deserve a safe, reliable, efficient transportation system. So the Democrats in the House of Representatives need to get serious. Their 100-percent partisan bill is going nowhere.

It does seem that the Democrats in the House are all about politics and nothing about progress--the progress we need to make as a country. They are over there pushing socialism, and right here we are pushing solutions.

The country needs less grandstanding, and it needs more governing. So I am going to continue to work across the aisle. We will work with the administration and will not quit until our bipartisan highway infrastructure bill passes and becomes law. Together, we can rebuild America National Defense Authorization Act

Mr. President, now to the issue today on the floor of the U.S. Senate. We are considering critical national security legislation.

The National Defense Authorization Act, NDAA, lays out America's defense priorities for the coming years. The NDAA supports our brave service men and women, and it sets policies to defend our Nation.

The investments made through this bill safeguard our country from foreign threats, and there are many. This is why the NDAA has, over the years, become must-pass legislation.

In fact, the Defense policy bill has passed every year for decades. The Senate continues this proud tradition in taking up this, the 60th annual, National Defense Authorization Act.

This legislation is bipartisan to its core. It reflects equal input from Republicans and Democrats. The Senate Armed Services Committee adopted 229 bipartisan amendments before approving the legislation this month by a vote in committee of 25 to 2.

The NDAA will ensure a smart, strong, strategic defense for our Nation, and it will maintain America's dominance in a dangerous world.

The bill supports $741 billion in fiscal year 2021 defense funding, and that is in line with the bipartisan Budget Act of 2019. It implements the national defense strategy to promote a strong military deterrent and to strive for a lasting peace.

You have seen it, Mr. President, and you have discussed it--with the world distracted, China has become emboldened. The Chinese military has stepped up its aggression against its neighbors and in the South China Sea.

Russia also poses a growing threat. China and Russia will not put their ambitions on hold for coronavirus or anything else. They will not wait for us or for them to recover from the coronavirus crisis and resolve our domestic disputes.

America must keep China and Russia both in check. The NDAA promotes a winning strategy. It modernizes our nuclear defenses. It maintains our high-tech edge over China and Russia. The NDAA honors our commitment to our dedicated men and women in uniform.

It delivers a well-earned pay raise for our troops, as well as high- quality housing, healthcare, childcare services for military families at home as well as abroad. The NDAA ensures our force is ready to fight and to win. That means to fight and to win today's wars, as well as the wars in the future.

It provides state-of-the-art equipment and tools our troops need to defend America all around the world. The NDAA will help spur innovation. It invests in new technologies: artificial intelligence, hypersonic weapons, biotechnology, cyber security.

The bill modernizes our Pentagon's financial management system. It provides for greater accountability and transparency at the Defense Department. This works to protect taxpayer money.

The NDAA also includes innovative legislation that promotes a cleaner environment. Now, in saying that, I mean that my bipartisan bill with Sheldon Whitehouse of Rhode Island, Shelley Moore Capito, and Tom Carper of Delaware--we have included as part of the NDAA the Environment and Public Works Committee-approved legislation unanimously. It is called the USE IT Act. It is included in the NDAA. ``USE IT'' is short for utilizing significant emissions with innovative technologies. That is why I am saying we are doing more to clean the environment.

The USE IT Act will help researchers find commercial uses for captured carbon dioxide emissions. It supports the use of carbon capture technology, including direct air capture. This groundbreaking research is already happening in my home State of Wyoming. It is taking place at the Integrated Test Center outside of Gillette. The USE IT Act will further this important work.

It will apply our Nation's brightest minds to take carbon from the air, trap it, and transform it into valuable commercial products. Captured carbon can be used to extract oil from wells--wells that would not otherwise be profitable. It is also used to make building materials and carbon fibers. It can also be used for medical purposes.

The goal of the legislation is to innovate our way to a cleaner environment without onerous overregulation.

So I want to thank the Armed Services Committee chairman, Jim Inhofe, for bringing the USE IT Act one step closer to becoming law.

For the past 4 years, Congress has been able to pass the NDAA with strong, top-line defense funding. The bipartisan Budget Act sets overall defense funding levels for fiscal year 2021. Longer term funding is necessary, but it is uncertain.

Democrats have opposed stronger defense funding in the past, especially during the Obama-Biden administration. This history suggests that if Democrats win the election, they will slow our Nation's critical defense investments.

The NDAA strengthens America's hand to stand up to foreign aggressors, to stand up against those people who are against American values.

Our NDAA will protect American leadership in the world. It will enhance our standing with adversaries and allies alike. Above all, it sends a clear message to our enemies: You cannot defeat the United States so don't even try.

Every Senator should support this smart, strong, strategic approach to America's defense.

Let's honor this proud tradition; let's support our troops; and let us once again pass the NDAA, this, for the 60th time.

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