E PL UR UM IB N U U S Congressional Record United States th of America PROCEEDINGS AND DEBATES OF THE 117 CONGRESS, FIRST SESSION

Vol. 167 WASHINGTON, MONDAY, JUNE 21, 2021 No. 107 Senate The Senate met at 3 p.m. and was RECOGNITION OF THE MAJORITY tect Americans’ voting rights. It is not called to order by the President pro LEADER a vote on any particular policy. It is tempore (Mr. LEAHY). The PRESIDING OFFICER. The ma- not a vote on this bill or that bill. It is f jority leader is recognized. a vote on whether the Senate should simply debate the issue about voting PRAYER f rights—the crucial issue of voting The Chaplain, Dr. Barry C. Black, of- MEASURE PLACED ON THE rights in this country. fered the following prayer: CALENDAR—S. 2118 Now, by all rights, we shouldn’t have Let us pray. Mr. SCHUMER. Madam President, I to debate voting rights on the floor of Eternal God, today, open the minds understand there is a bill at the desk the U.S. Senate. These rights should be sacrosanct, but the events of the last of our lawmakers, that they may wel- that is due for a second reading. few months compel us to have this de- come new insights and knowledge You The PRESIDING OFFICER. The lead- wish to give them. Remind them of bate now. er is correct. Why is there such urgency? Because Your admonition that they should love The clerk will read the bill by title You with all their minds. of what has been happening in Repub- for the second time. lican legislature after legislature in Lord, give them the wisdom to refuse The legislative clerk read as follows: to cling so tightly to the past that they the last several months. Voting A bill (S. 2118) to amend the Internal Rev- limit what You can do for them in the rights—the most fundamental right of enue Code of 1986 to provide tax incentives a democracy, the right that men and future. Give them the courage to for increased investment in clean energy, change their minds when that is need- and for other purposes. women have died for in wartime and in ed. peacetime, the right by which all other Mr. SCHUMER. In order to place the rights are secured—are under assault— Lord, may they be tolerant to the bill on the calendar under rule XIV, I thoughts of others and open to the under assault from one end of the coun- object to further proceeding. try to the other. truth wherever they may find it. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Objec- We pray in Your loving Name. Amen. In the wake of the 2020 election, Don- tion has been heard. The bill will be ald Trump told a lie—a Big Lie—that f placed on the calendar. the election was stolen from him by PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE f voter fraud. There was no evidence for The President pro tempore led the BUSINESS BEFORE THE SENATE this. His own administration concluded that the 2020 election was one of the Pledge of Allegiance, as follows: Mr. SCHUMER. Madam President, on I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the safest in history. His lawyers were today’s, tomorrow’s, and this week’s laughed out of courts, many by Repub- United States of America, and to the Repub- business, the Senate will soon vote on lic for which it stands, one nation under God, lican judges—some by judges he ap- indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. two more nominees to join President pointed, that Trump appointed. But he Biden’s administration: Christopher f kept saying it anyway. He lied over Fonzone to serve as general counsel for and over and over again. RESERVATION OF LEADER TIME the Office of the Director of National lied over and over and over again, poi- The PRESIDENT pro tempore. Under Intelligence and Kiran Ahuja to be Di- soning our democracy, lighting a fire the previous order, the leadership time rector of the Office of Personnel Man- beneath Republican State legislatures, is reserved. agement. Those votes will happen to- which immediately launched the most The PRESIDING OFFICER (Ms. night and tomorrow. sweeping voter suppression effort in HIRONO). The Senator from Vermont. The discussions on the bipartisan in- years. Mr. LEAHY. Madam President, I sug- frastructure bill and a budget rec- Just a note, how despicable a man is gest the absence of a quorum. onciliation bill are both moving for- Donald Trump. He lost an election le- The PRESIDING OFFICER. The ward and will continue throughout the gitimately. He can’t face that—that it clerk will call the roll. week. was his failure. And he creates a lie—a The legislative clerk proceeded to But tomorrow—tomorrow—the Sen- Big Lie—and wins so many people over call the roll. ate will also take a crucial vote on to that lie with the help of news media Mr. SCHUMER. Madam President, I whether to start debate on major vot- and other news commentators who are ask unanimous consent that the order ing rights legislation. lying, as well, and they know it. for the quorum call be rescinded. I want to say that again. Tomorrow, Again, Donald Trump, with his des- The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without the Senate will take a vote on whether picable lies, has lit a fire beneath Re- objection, it is so ordered. to start debate on legislation to pro- publican State legislatures, and they

∑ This ‘‘bullet’’ symbol identifies statements or insertions which are not spoken by a Member of the Senate on the floor.

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VerDate Sep 11 2014 01:49 Jun 22, 2021 Jkt 019060 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 0624 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\A21JN6.000 S21JNPT1 dlhill on DSK120RN23PROD with SENATE S4638 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE June 21, 2021 have launched the most sweeping voter Removing student IDs from the list and square. Get rid of the election suppression efforts in at least 80 years. of valid forms of identification—that is board official when there is no evidence More than 250 bills in 43 States were election integrity? Bunk. We know they did anything wrong. The cumu- introduced just between the months of what you are doing. You don’t want lative effect will make it easier for fol- January and February that would re- students to vote. Yeah. Don’t let stu- lowers of Trump’s Big Lie, for partisan strict the right to vote. Do you want to dents vote. Turn them off to the whole Republicans to rig the rules and try to know how many were introduced dur- process, and make America even more overturn election results. ing a similar period of time last year, alienated. I read this article in the New York the year before Donald Trump was tell- Delaying the hours of Sunday voting Times this weekend. You could weep ing the Big Lie? Thirty-five. Thirty- until the evening, which, coinciden- from reading it. They reported that at five in 2020 and more than 250 in 2021. tally or not so coincidentally, by these least 10 members of county election Today, in June, there have been near- Republican legislatures makes it hard- boards in have been removed ly 400 bills introduced. The only thing er for Black churchgoers to participate or are about to be removed in the wake that changed between 2020 and 2021 was in voter drives after Sunday services— of the new law passed by the GOP legis- Donald Trump’s Big Lie about massive how despicable. Does that sound like lature. These are the folks who are in fraud. Jim Crow, my Republican colleagues? charge of selecting ballot drop box lo- And now in States like Georgia and It sure does to a lot of us. cations. They pointed out an African- Iowa and Florida and Montana, these I challenge my Republican col- American woman who made sure that a proposals are becoming law under the leagues. I challenge you, Republican poor area had a drop box every year to vicious guise of election integrity. The Senators: Come to the floor. Defend allow people to vote. They want to words ‘‘election integrity’’ aren’t a these policies. Tell us how they secure kick her off the board. No one knows guise. There is nothing vicious about the vote. Tell us how they prevent why. We do know why. There is no real, them. The way Republican legislatures nearly nonexistent voter fraud. How legitimate reason why. According to are using those words is vicious and a does removing student IDs as a valid the Times, who are they kicking off? form of identification secure our elec- guise, a falsehood, fake. At least five are people of color, most tions? Do you have any evidence that I want my Republican colleagues— are Democrats, and they are all most 40-year-olds are showing up at the polls maybe, we can awaken their con- likely to be replaced by Republicans. with fake student IDs? Come on, show science, maybe, on something as sacred Please, my colleagues, read this arti- us. How is criminalizing giving water as voting rights. I want my Republican cle. Read this article on how Repub- or food to voters in a line a fraud pre- colleagues to listen to some of the poli- lican States are expanding their power vention measure? You got any evidence cies that have been proposed by Repub- over elections, by Nick Corasaniti and of that? What arguments do Repub- lican State legislatures and tell me Reid J. Epstein, June 19, 2021. Read it. licans have for restrictions on Sunday how they are about election integrity, Can you read this article and still be- voting? That is what Texas Senators— how they are about suppressing fraud: lieve what Republican legislatures are Reducing polling hours in polling Texas Republicans want to do. Do any of my colleagues actually have evi- doing is on the level? Can you read this places. How is that about election in- article and believe they are not trying tegrity? How does that reduce voter dence that voter fraud is especially prevalent on the Lord’s Day? Please. to jaundice and bias voting from what fraud? has traditionally been a process that is Mandating that every precinct, no We know what you are up to. America knows what you are up to. And not to free and open and fair in many places— matter how large or small, have the in most places? Read it. Just read it. It same number of ballot drop boxes—a debate this? Are you afraid to debate it? Do you not have any good argu- makes you want to weep what they are county of a million or a county of 1,000, doing. the same number. How does that re- ments? Let’s dispense with this nonsense. This nice lady, who just wanted to duce fraud? What does that have to do There is no real principle behind these help her people vote in a fair and hon- with election integrity? policies. They are not about election est way, gets kicked off the board or is No after-hours voting, no 24-hour integrity, and they are not about voter getting kicked off the board. voting, no drive-through voting. What fraud. These policies have one purpose Madam President, I ask unanimous does that have to do with election and one purpose only: making it harder consent to have printed in the RECORD fraud? for younger, poorer, non-White, and this full article from the New York It certainly has everything to do typically Democratic voters to access Times dated June 19, 2021. with reducing people’s right to vote the ballot and to give Republicans a [From , June 19, 2021] and the ability to vote, but nothing to partisan advantage at the polls by do with election fraud. HOW REPUBLICAN STATES ARE EXPANDING making it harder for Democratic-lean- THEIR POWER OVER ELECTIONS My Republican colleagues, how does ing voters to vote. making it a crime to give food or water (By Nick Corasaniti and Reid J. Epstein) You lose an election, you are not sup- In Georgia, Republicans are removing to voters waiting in long lines at the posed to stop people from voting, even polls deter voter fraud, which, really, Democrats of color from local boards. In Ar- if they didn’t vote for you. That is not kansas, they have stripped election control we have found no evidence exists, to democracy, my Republican friends. from county authorities. And they are ex- begin with—very little evidence? You lose an election, you are supposed panding their election power in many other By the way, in so many States, if you to try harder to win over the voters states. are African American, if you are inner you lost. Lonnie Hollis has been a member of the city, if you are poor, if you are Brown, Republicans across the country are Troup County election board in West Georgia you have to wait a lot longer than if trying to stop the other side from vot- since 2013. A Democrat and one of two Black you are White and in the suburbs. women on the board, she has advocated Sun- ing. That tears and rips apart the very day voting, helped voters on Election Days Don’t give them water. Don’t allow fabric of our democracy. them to have a drink as they are wait- and pushed for a new precinct location at a Disenfranchising millions of Ameri- Black church in a nearby town. ing in the hot Sun in line to vote. cans is bad enough, but there is actu- But this year, Ms. Hollis will be removed Yeah. What does that have to do with ally another sinister component of from the board, the result of a local election voter fraud? It has to do with cruelty, these voter suppression laws. In States law signed by Gov. , a Repub- it has to do with nastiness, and it has like Arizona, Kansas, Arkansas, and lican. Previously, election board members to do with suppressing the vote. Georgia, Republican legislatures are were selected by both political parties, coun- Allowing a judge to overturn an elec- trying to give more power to them- ty commissioners and the three biggest mu- tion; allowing a partisan State election selves and other partisan bodies to un- nicipalities in Troup County. Now, the board to replace a duly elected county G.O.P.-controlled county commission has the dermine, override, and neuter bipar- sole authority to restructure the board and election board member if they are tisan election boards and county-elect- appoint all the new members. underperforming—what does that have ed officials. ‘‘I speak out and I know the laws,’’ Ms. to do with fraud? What does that have It has always been bipartisan. They Hollis said in an interview. ‘‘The bottom line to do with fraud? didn’t like the result. They lost fair is they don’t like people that have some type

VerDate Sep 11 2014 01:49 Jun 22, 2021 Jkt 019060 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 0624 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\G21JN6.001 S21JNPT1 dlhill on DSK120RN23PROD with SENATE June 21, 2021 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE S4639 of intelligence and know what they’re doing, Kansas Republicans in May overrode a veto ‘‘The commissioners are all elected offi- because they know they can’t influence from Gov. Laura Kelly, a Democrat, to enact cials and will face the voters to answer for them.’’ laws stripping the governor of the power to their actions,’’ Mr. Nix said in an email. Ms. Hollis is not alone. Across Georgia, modify election laws and prohibiting the sec- Eric Mosley, the county manager for Troup members of at least 10 county election retary of state, a Republican who repeatedly County, which Mr. Trump carried by 22 boards have been removed, had their position vouched for the security of voting by mail, points, said that the decision to ask Mr. Nix eliminated or are likely to be kicked off from settling election-related lawsuits with- for the bill was meant to make the board through local ordinances or new laws passed out the Legislature’s consent. more bipartisan. It was unanimously sup- by the state legislature. At least five are And more Republicans who cling to Mr. ported by the commission. people of color and most are Democrats— Trump’s election lies are running for sec- ‘‘We felt that removing both the Repub- though some are Republicans—and they will retary of state, putting a critical office with- lican and Democratic representation and most likely all be replaced by Republicans. in reach of conspiracy theorists. In Georgia, just truly choose members of the community Ms. Hollis and local officials like her have Representative , a Republican who that invest hard to serve those community been some of the earliest casualties as Re- voted against certifying President Biden’s members was the true intent of the board,’’ publican-led legislatures mount an expansive victory, is running against Mr. Mr. Mosley said. ‘‘Our goal is to create both takeover of election administration in a raft Raffensperger. Republican candidates with political and racial diversity on the board.’’ of new voting bills this year. similar views are running for secretary of In Morgan County, east of Atlanta, Helen G.O.P. lawmakers have also stripped secre- state in Nevada, Arizona and Michigan. Butler has been one of the state’s most taries of state of their power, asserted more ‘‘In virtually every state, every election prominent Democratic voices on voting control over state election boards, made it administrator is going to feel like they’re rights and election administration. A mem- easier to overturn election results, and pur- under the magnifying glass,’’ said Victoria ber of the county board of elections in a sued several partisan audits and inspections Bassetti, a senior adviser to the States rural, Republican county, she also runs the of 2020 results. United Democracy Center. Georgia Coalition for the People’s Agenda, a Republican state lawmakers have intro- More immediately, it is local election offi- group dedicated to protecting the voting duced at least 216 bills in 41 states to give cials at the county and municipal level who rights of Black Americans and increasing legislatures more power over elections offi- are being either removed or stripped of their their civic engagement. cials, according to the States United Democ- power. But Ms. Butler will be removed from the racy Center, a new bipartisan organization In Arkansas, Republicans were stung last county board at the end of the month, after that aims to protect democratic norms. Of year when Jim Sorvillo, a three-term state Mr. Kemp signed a local bill that ended the those, 24 have been enacted into law across representative from Little Rock, lost re-elec- ability of political parties to appoint mem- 14 states. tion by 24 votes to Ashley Hudson, a Demo- bers. G.O.P. lawmakers in Georgia say the new crat and local lawyer. Elections officials in ‘‘I think it’s all a part of the ploy for the measures are meant to improve the perform- Pulaski County, which includes Little Rock, takeover of local boards of elections that the ance of local boards, and reduce the influ- were later found to have accidentally tab- state legislature has put in place,’’ Ms. But- ence of the political parties. But the laws ulated 327 absentee ballots during the vote- ler said. ‘‘It is them saying that they have allow Republicans to remove local officials counting process, 27 of which came from the the right to say whether an election official they don’t like, and because several of them district. is doing it right, when in fact they don’t have been Black Democrats, voting rights Mr. Sorvillo filed multiple lawsuits aiming work in the day to day and don’t understand groups fear that these are further attempts to stop Ms. Hudson from being seated, and the process themselves.’’ to disenfranchise voters of color. all were rejected. The Republican caucus It’s not just Democrats who are being re- The maneuvers risk eroding some of the considered refusing to seat Ms. Hudson, then moved. In DeKalb County, the state’s fourth- core checks that stood as a bulwark against ultimately voted to accept her. largest, Republicans chose not to renominate former President Donald J. Trump as he But last month, Arkansas Republicans Baoky Vu to the election board after more sought to subvert the 2020 election results. wrote new legislation that allows a state than 12 years in the position. Mr. Vu, a Re- Had these bills been in place during the board of election commissioners—composed publican, had joined with Democrats in a let- aftermath of the election, Democrats say, of six Republicans and one Democrat—to in- ter opposing an election-related bill that they would have significantly added to the vestigate and ‘‘institute corrective action’’ eventually failed to pass. turmoil Mr. Trump and his allies wrought by on a wide variety of issues at every stage of To replace Mr. Vu, Republicans nominated trying to overturn the outcome. They worry the voting process, from registration to the Paul Maner, a well-known local conservative that proponents of Mr. Trump’s conspiracy casting and counting of ballots to the certifi- with a history of false statements, including theories will soon have much greater control cation of elections. The law applies to all an insinuation that the son of a Georgia con- over the levers of the American elections counties, but it is widely believed to be gresswoman was killed in ‘‘a drug deal gone system. aimed at Pulaski, one of the few in the state bad.’’ ‘‘It’s a thinly veiled attempt to wrest con- that favor Democrats. Back in LaGrange, Ms. Hollis is trying to trol from officials who oversaw one of the The author of the legislation, State Rep- do as much as she can in the time she has most secure elections in our history and put resentative Mark Lowery, a Republican from left on the board. The extra precinct in near- it in the hands of bad actors,’’ said Jena a suburb of Little Rock, said it was nec- by Hogansville, where the population is Griswold, the chairwoman of the Democratic essary to remove election power from the roughly 50 percent Black, is a top priority. Association of Secretaries of State and the local authorities, who in Pulaski County are While its population is only about 3,000, the current Colorado secretary of state. ‘‘The Democrats, because otherwise Republicans town is bifurcated by a rail line, and Ms. risk is the destruction of democracy.’’ could not get a fair shake. Hollis said that sometimes it can take an ex- Officials like Ms. Hollis are responsible for ‘‘Without this legislation, the only entity ceedingly long time for a line of freight cars decisions like selecting drop box and pre- you could have referred impropriety to is the to clear, which is problematic on Election cinct locations, sending out voter notices, prosecuting attorney, who is a Democrat, Days. establishing hours and certi- and possibly not had anything done,’’ Mr. ‘‘We’ve been working on this for over a fying elections. But the new laws are tar- Lowery said in an interview. ‘‘This gives an- year,’’ Ms. Hollis said, saying Republicans geting high-level state officials as well, in other level of investigative authority to a had thrown up procedural hurdles to block particular secretaries of state—both Repub- board that is commissioned by the state to the process. But she was undeterred. lican and Democratic—who stood up to Mr. oversee elections.’’ ‘‘I’m not going to sit there and wait for Trump and his allies last year. Asked about last year’s election, Mr. Low- you to tell me what it is that I should do for Republicans in Arizona have introduced a ery said, ‘‘I do believe Donald Trump was the voters there,’’ she said. ‘‘I’m going to do bill that would largely strip , the elected president.’’ the right thing.’’ Democratic secretary of state, of her author- A separate new Arkansas law allows a Mr. SCHUMER. Madam President, ity over election lawsuits, and then expire state board to ‘‘take over and conduct elec- my Republican friends are fond of say- when she leaves office. And they have intro- tions’’ in a county if a committee of the leg- ing that they just want to make it duced another bill that would give the Legis- islature determines that there are questions easier to vote and harder to cheat in an lature more power over setting the guide- about the ‘‘appearance of an equal, free and lines for election administration, a major impartial election.’’ election. But when you look at what task currently carried out by the secretary In Georgia, the legislature passed a unique they are actually doing, it is spectacu- of state. law for some counties. For Troup County, larly obvious that Republicans are Under Georgia’s new voting law, Repub- State Representative Randy Nix, a Repub- making it harder to vote and easier to licans significantly weakened the secretary lican, said he had introduced the bill that re- steal an election. The Big Lie that of state’s office after Brad Raffensperger, a structured the county election board—and started with Donald Trump is infecting Republican who is the current secretary, will remove Ms. Hollis—only after it was re- them—infecting them. Lies don’t mat- rebuffed Mr. Trump’s demands to ‘‘find’’ quested by county commissioners. He said he votes. They removed the secretary of state was not worried that the commission, a par- ter, and they don’t matter when it as the chair of the state election board and tisan body with four Republicans and one comes to the sacred process of elec- relieved the office of its voting authority on Democrat, could exert influence over elec- tions—free, open, fair elections where the board. tions. everyone has an opportunity to vote.

VerDate Sep 11 2014 01:49 Jun 22, 2021 Jkt 019060 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 0624 Sfmt 0634 E:\CR\FM\A21JN6.001 S21JNPT1 dlhill on DSK120RN23PROD with SENATE S4640 CONGRESSIONAL RECORD — SENATE June 21, 2021 Do my colleagues forget? Remember President Ghani and Chairman will draw attention and resources away what Donald Trump did? Was he inter- Abdullah Abdullah will arrive in Wash- from even greater strategic threats ested in a free, open, fair election? ington as a grave situation in their from Russia and China; and that every Donald Trump tried to pressure local country rapidly deteriorates. bit of it would have been avoidable, to- officials to overturn a democratic elec- The strategic and moral con- tally avoidable. tion in America. It was a stress test on sequences of President Biden’s decision f our democracy unlike any in recent to abandon Afghanistan are already history, but our institutions held. So coming painfully into focus. Without FOR THE PEOPLE ACT OF 2021 now what do Republicans want to do? air cover and with reduced support Mr. MCCONNELL. Now, Madam Change the results. Change the elec- from the U.S.-led coalition, our Afghan President, on another matter, as I have tion officials. partners are struggling to hold back noted before, Senate Democrats en- Again, Trump tried to pressure local the Taliban onslaught. tered June with an agenda that was de- officials to overturn democratic elec- In just the 2 months since the Presi- signed to fail. Our Democratic leader tions in a huge stress test on our de- dent’s announcement, extremist mili- planned votes on a host of the left’s mocracy. Our institutions held. Local tants have retaken control of at least most radical priorities. None of it was officials certified election results. The 30—30—of Afghanistan’s administrative ever intended to clear the Senate’s ap- courts rejected spurious claims of districts. Reports from the ground indi- propriately high bar for advancing leg- fraud. Vice President Pence, no less, cate that their heavy-handed, medieval islation. Instead, the failure of their opened the proper envelopes. The rule is already creating new night- partisan agenda was meant to show House and Senate came together to mares, especially for Afghan women somehow—somehow—that the Senate count the results of the electoral col- and girls. And just last week, more itself was failing. lege in the immediate aftermath of an than 20 of the elite, U.S.-trained spe- For months, our colleagues built an- armed insurrection. cial forces, who represent the country’s ticipation for the failure. They even Now—now—because they couldn’t best hope of resistance, were literally started previewing the latest argument win the election and our institutions, slaughtered in a Taliban raid. So it is they have made when it happened. Ap- our democratic—small ‘‘d,’’ demo- getting harder and harder to believe parently, the same Senate rule a cratic—institutions held, they want to that ‘‘over-the-horizon’’ support will be Democratic minority had used with change who is running the elections to enough to help our Afghan partners abandon was now somehow a racist be partisan and biased. Republican sustain the fight against these ter- relic to be abandoned by a Democratic State legislatures are actively remov- rorist threats. It is already clear it majority. ing many of the barriers that pre- would intensify challenges to our own In the end, one particular radical vented Donald Trump from subverting national security. proposal took priority. S. 1 is the same our elections. Shame. Shame. Shame. This spring, the intelligence commu- bad bill it has been since the House in- I lay all this information at the feet nity warned that the Taliban was troduced its version back in 2019 with of my Republican colleagues: a sweep- ‘‘likely to make gains on the battle- the same nakedly partisan motives. ing effort to disenfranchise millions of field.’’ As the Director of the CIA put But ever since Democrats got the elec- voters, mostly Black and Brown stu- it, ‘‘ability to collect and act on tion outcome they wanted last fall, we dents, the working poor; an attack on threats will diminish.’’ Now senior de- have watched our colleagues actually the checks that held our democracy to- fense officials are portraying follow-on update the rationale for their latest gether in the face of Donald Trump’s threats like the resurgence of al-Qaida partisan power grab: States must be assaults. Many of us wondered: Will as not a matter of if but when. stopped from exercising control over these institutions hold? Would Trump- Last week, the Secretary of Defense their own election laws. appointed judges tell the Trump law- and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs The arguments here have one big yers that they were full of bunk and acknowledged that al-Qaida still seeks thing in common with the ones our col- there wasn’t fraud? They did. It was a to directly threaten the United States leagues have deployed against the fili- glorious moment for our democracy, and that it could have the necessary buster: debunked claims of racism. and the Republican majority here in capabilities to do so in 2 years—or even Remember, the last Presidential the Senate wants to undo it and less in the case of a Taliban victory in election saw the highest voter turnout doesn’t even want to debate it. in decades, even amidst a once-in-a- We can argue what should be done to Kabul. They want to know how we plan to century pandemic, and African-Amer- protect voting rights and safeguard our support their defensive campaign with- ican turnout was twice as high in Mis- democracy, but don’t you think we sissippi as it was in Massachusetts. But should be able to debate the issue? The out the air support that literally saves when Georgia passed targeted updates vote tomorrow is on, to my people soldiers’ lives. They want to know how to its election laws based on lessons watching. It is called a motion to pro- we plan to contribute to urgent coun- learned during the pandemic-era elec- ceed. It is how we get bills on the floor terterrorism missions without a robust tions, Democrats trashed the bill as a of the Senate. It needs 60 votes to be system for collecting intelligence on ‘‘redux of Jim Crow.’’ They misrepre- able to be debated. Will our Repub- the ground. And if President Biden is sented its contents so wildly that even licans let us debate it? That is the only unwilling to reverse course, they want left-leaning ‘‘fact-checks’’ repeatedly question on the table for the U.S. Sen- to know who will help protect their fel- debunked these claims. But by then, ate tomorrow, and we are about to find low citizens forced to flee by the the train of disinformation had left the out how my Republican colleagues will Taliban’s conquest. The State Department is not pre- station. Pretty soon, any State that answer that question. I yield the floor. pared to efficiently process visa claims dared to deviate from unique, pan- from the many Afghans who have demic-era procedures faced summary f worked closely with our personnel, let judgment in the court of liberal out- RECOGNITION OF THE MINORITY alone the massive flows of refugees al- rage. It hasn’t seemed to matter that LEADER ready on the move. Where are the the facts tell a different story. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Re- friends of America to turn? Where will The bill that led Texas Democrats to publican leader is recognized. they turn? exercise the rights of a legislative mi- f It is time for President Biden to ac- nority last month requires more coun- knowledge the consequences of his de- ties to adhere to new minimum hours AFGHANISTAN cision: that a refugee crisis in Afghani- for early voting. The Oklahoma bill Mr. MCCONNELL. Madam President, stan will mean senseless suffering; that that expanded early voting for general later this week, President Biden will the collapse of the Afghan state will elections was passed by a Republican meet with leaders of the Afghanistan mean a security and economic crisis legislature and signed by a Republican civilian democratic government. It across the region, a crisis America and Governor. In my State of Kentucky, doesn’t take an administrative leak to its partners will simply be unable to ig- the expansion of both online registra- know what will be on the agenda. nore; that the fallout of our retreat tion and early voting this spring passed

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