ORDERS FOR WEDNESDAY, JULY 15, 2026

  Mr. BOOZMAN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that when the
Senate completes its business today, it stand adjourned until 10 a.m.
on Wednesday, July 15; that following the prayer and pledge, the
Journal of proceedings be approved to date, the morning hour be deemed
expired, the time for the two leaders be reserved for their use later
in the day, morning business be closed, and the Senate proceed to
executive session and resume consideration of the Kuntz nomination;
further, that notwithstanding rule XXII, the cloture motion ripen at 12
noon on the Kuntz nomination; that if cloture is invoked, all
postcloture time be expired at 2 p.m. and the Senate vote on
confirmation of the nomination at that time; finally, that if the
nomination is confirmed during Wednesday's session of the Senate, the
motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table and the
President be immediately notified of the Senate's actions.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.

                               DEMOCRACY

  Mr. BOOKER. Mr. President, I think there are profound moments in the
course of our 250 years when our Nation was at an inflection point, and
I believe this is one of those inflection points where, as we look at
the events in our Nation, we don't just ask the question ``What is
happening?'' we have to ask the question ``Who are we becoming?''
  There are moments where this question of ``Who are we as a nation?''
has to come with the understanding that every generation of Americans
has to define themselves. This is a question right now, with the events
of recent days, where we must ask that question--who are we as a
nation? What do we stand for?

  This is a question that is larger than politics, larger than left or
right, larger than immigration policy, larger than any one party. It is
a question that really asks about the immense power that we entrust to
our government and is that still constrained. Do we still live under a
Constitution where, by our very definition as a nation, we should have
accountability and transparency; that when we do things like pledge
allegiance to a flag, it is not simply the banner, but it is also the
values, this idea that every single life has worth.
  Think about these conceptions of humanity that we put forth 250 years
ago--that we are all created equal. I believe this is an inflection
point in our Nation that should not be normalized but should really
force us to ask this question as American citizens and ask this
question as Members of this body.

  Every life--every life--was created equally, has equal dignity, equal
worth. And when government, our government, takes a life, there must be
accountability; that is something precious in this Nation, the value of
life and the responsibility of those who wield power.
  It is not just confidence in government that I am talking about. It
is not just faith in how our laws are enforced. It really is the very
idea of our Nation. That is how I want to set my remarks here because
this is an inflection point in America.
  We are a nation that stands for something. Our Nation was founded on
the belief that all are created equal, endowed by their Creator with
inalienable rights, and among them are life, liberty, and the pursuit
of happiness. But today, I am rising because of my growing concern that
we are not living up to those ideals, and the consequences of that are
that we are normalizing something so utterly tragic.
  Two more people have fallen in our Nation. Two more families are
grieving in our Nation. And I refuse to believe that this is simply the
cost of doing business in the United States of America.
  Last Tuesday morning, Lorenzo Salgado Araujo climbed into his work
van like millions of Americans do all over our country every single
workday. He wasn't headed to a protest or a political rally. He wasn't
headed into conflict. He was headed to work. He was 52 years old. He
was a husband, a father of American children, a man who spent decades
in this country building a life, supporting his family, contributing to
his community, paying taxes.
  On his way to work, Federal agents in unmarked vehicles began
following his van. Moments later, an officer fired through the
passenger side window, and Lorenzo stumbled from that vehicle. Agents
forced him to the ground, and he died right there on the pavement.
  Yesterday morning, it happened again. Joan Sebastian Guerrero. He was
26 years old and also a father. He was authorized to work in our
country, has a Social Security number. On his way to work, another
shooting. Another grieving family. Another life, precious life, gone.
  I stand here today because I am deeply worried about something so
fundamental to our country that is now in crisis. I worry that we are
becoming accustomed to things that should horrify us, that we are
becoming so exhausted, so polarized, so overwhelmed that another death
just becomes another headline, another investigation, another news
cycle, another family left to grieve.
  The greatest danger to democracy is not simply injustice; it is when
injustice no longer shocks us, no longer moves us, no longer compels us
to meet that injustice. It is a poverty--a poverty of empathy, a
poverty of concern. It is a tragedy that in the midst of tragedy, our
hearts stop breaking, when outrage gives way to indifference, because
indifference is where accountability goes to die.
  And this is not the first time. Earlier this year, Renee Good was
killed, and Alex Pretti was killed. American citizens. Families forever
changed. Lives forever interrupted. And what happened? Investigations
were literally shut down by our Justice Department. Think about that.
The highest law enforcement officers in the land shut down an
investigation into those murders. Those investigations were not
completed. They did not follow where the evidence led. They were simply
stopped, halted. Justice denied.
  Every police officer--and I have worked closely with many of them--
every police officer knows that when deadly force is used, there must
be scrutiny, not because we assume any guilt but because accountability
protects everyone in our democracy.
  It protects the public; it protects the officers; it protects the
confidence in the very idea of the rule of law upon which our country
and our Constitution is built.
  No badge and no police officer I know fear transparency. So many of
the honorable officers that I dealt with every day as a mayor, they
want the truth. In fact, those incredible officers demand it because
accountability is not the enemy of law enforcement. It is what gives
law enforcement its strength and its true moral authority. It is what
gives the laws of this land and those who conduct them their very
legitimacy. To not investigate, scrutinize, have transparency and
accountability when tragedy strikes, erodes the very foundation of our
democracy. Amidst the tragedy of those depths, we see our very
constitutional principles at stake, and this is where Congress has an
obligation.
  Right now, we are seeing with ICE in America, this Congress
appropriated billions upon billions of dollars, handing this Agency
unprecedented sums of taxpayer money but also in that process allowing
oversight to be stripped away, less accountability.
  Think about this: We have appropriated to this one law enforcement
Agency over $200 billion, more than the FBI, the ATF, the DEA, the
Marshals Service, the Bureau of Prisons, Secret Service, TSA, and the
Coast Guard combined. ICE in America has a bigger budget than those
eight law enforcement organizations, billions upon billions of dollars,
over $200 billion.
  And yet what do we get? Greater accountability? Greater oversight?
No. We get lowering of hiring standards. We get reduced oversight. We
get internal watchdogs removed or weakened. We get body cameras still
absent, as we saw in these last two murders, as if we can't afford
them.
  More money, more power, less accountability, less scrutiny, less
oversight--this is not conservative government. The fiscal
conservatives on both sides understand that you don't shovel money
toward an organization, outstripping most law enforcement Agencies in
the entire United States of America, whether those that are
investigating drug trafficking or insurance fraud or illegal arms
smuggling. No, $200 billion--the most spent for ICE--and you get less
accountability for those taxpayer dollars and then when tragedy
strikes, less accountability for actions of horror.
  This is dangerous, not just to families that are being pulled over
and detained and thrown onto pavement. It is not just dangerous to the
horrible deaths of the names that I have mentioned. But it is dangerous
to our democracy.
  But perhaps those who have passed under these circumstances, we
should listen to them. Perhaps we should listen to their last words.
  Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, his last words: