The eyes of the world and the nation are rightly focused on Ukraine, on our broad set of competition, challenges with China; the Middle East always gets an outsized share of attention from this country and this Congress.

I have been a critic of continuing the level of aid to Saied's Government.

We must defend democracy when it is under attack around the world.

Protecting environmental defenders is about much more than just the Amazon.

These human rights abuses and the migratory outflows that stem from citizens fleeing these countries demand our full attention in cooperation.

To rob this Administration of the ability to help secure critical minerals overseas seems like an effort to cut off our nose to spite our face.

It strikes me that this issue of critical mineral security is not a partisan one.

Those same countries are recommending that the United States not write off Afghanistan, that, in fact, they believe we have to have some functional relationship with the Taliban government if we also want to have a functional relationship…

I am really grateful for the Chairman, and the Ranking Member's focus on the suicide epidemic, and for all the work that you have put into it.

I rise today to offer some words in support of Ukraine as we approach the 1-year anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion. Although the U.S. Government made public warnings about this premeditated attack for months in advance, it is…

Let us be honest, at best, Mexico is not taking this crisis seriously enough and, at worst, the Mexican Government or at least significant parts of it are either looking the other way or complicit with the cartels.

We are fueling the cartels' ability to run this trade by allowing these guns to be bought in the United States.

It is also true that the ports in Mexico are a big problem as well and I just do not think it is realistic that we are going to defeat the Mexican drug cartels in the next 5 years.

I congratulate this Congress because in the last budget for the first time we put $50 million specifically towards the work of interrupting the gun trade.

If we are serious about this competition with China, the State Department needs to be more ambitious.

These efforts to secure our supply chains and increase our domestic competitiveness are critical for American families' bottom line.

I appreciate you raising the challenge of resources at the State Department right now.

I am planning a robust agenda in Congress--in this particular Congress and China will be a big part of it.

I applaud the passage last year of the CHIPS Act and the Inflation Reduction Act, although I was disappointed that ultimately the legislation did not include the Senate-passed Strategic Competition Act.

I have three requests for committees to meet during today's session of the Senate. They have the approval of the Majority and Minority Leaders. Pursuant to rule XXVI, paragraph 5(a), of the Standing Rules of the Senate, the following…

if you were working for the sandwich shop Jimmy John's--I don't know if the Presiding Officer has ever had a Jimmy John's sandwich. It is a pretty good sandwich. If you were working for Jimmy John's sandwich shop in the middle of the last…

I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of S. Res. 21, submitted earlier today; that at 3:30 p.m., the Senate vote on adoption of the resolution; that if the resolution is agreed to, the preamble be…

I speak on this bill from personal experience because I am probably the only Member in the Chamber who actually fell under this mandate because I am still actively practicing, and I am still on staff at an active medical center. I have…

I rise today, with a unique combination of joy, sorrow, and pride. For the last 8 years, Maya Ashwal has been my right arm in the Senate, serving as my director of scheduling and operations in our Washington office. I rise with joy today…

I ask for a second reading and in order to place the bills on the calendar under the provisions of rule XIV, I object to my own request. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Objection is heard. The bills will be read for the second time on the next…