STATEMENTS ON INTRODUCED BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS

On 2026-05-12, Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) delivered a floor speech titled "STATEMENTS ON INTRODUCED BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS" in the Senate.

STATEMENTS ON INTRODUCED BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS

Congressional Record, Volume 172 Issue 80 (Tuesday, May 12, 2026) [Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 80 (Tuesday, May 12, 2026)] [Senate] [Pages S2239-S2240] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] STATEMENTS ON INTRODUCED BILLS AND JOINT RESOLUTIONS By Mr. DURBIN (for himself, Mr. Blumenthal, Ms. Duckworth, and Mr. Van Hollen): S. 4494. A bill to prioritize funding for an expanded and sustained national investment in biomedical research; to the Committee on Appropriations. Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record. There being no objection, the text of the bill was ordered to be printed in the Record, as follows: S. 4494 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. This Act may be cited as the ``American Cures Act''. SEC. 2. APPROPRIATIONS FOR INNOVATION. (a) In General.--There are hereby authorized to be appropriated, and appropriated, out of any monies in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, the following: (1) National institutes of health.--For the National Institutes of Health at the Department of Health and Human Services-- (A) for fiscal year 2027, $52,467,132,000; (B) for fiscal year 2028, $56,507,101,164; (C) for fiscal year 2029, $60,858,147,954; (D) for fiscal year 2030, $65,544,225,346; (E) for fiscal year 2031, $70,591,130,698; (F) for fiscal year 2032, $76,026,647,762; (G) for fiscal year 2033, $81,880,699,640; (H) for fiscal year 2034, $88,185,513,512; (I) for fiscal year 2035, $94,975,798,052; (J) for fiscal year 2036, $102,288,934,502; and (K) for fiscal year 2037 and each fiscal year thereafter, the amount appropriated under this paragraph for the previous fiscal year, increased by the percentage increase (if any), during the previous fiscal year, in the Consumer Price Index for all urban consumers published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2) Centers for disease control and prevention.--For the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention at the Department of Health and Human Services-- (A) for fiscal year 2027,$ 9,911,621,307; (B) for fiscal year 2028, $10,674,816,148; (C) for fiscal year 2029, $11,496,776,991; (D) for fiscal year 2030, $12,382,028,819; (E) for fiscal year 2031, $13,335,445,038; (F) for fiscal year 2032, $14,362,274,306; (G) for fiscal year 2033, $15,468,169,428; (H) for fiscal year 2034, $16,659,218,474; (I) for fiscal year 2035, $17,941,978,296; (J) for fiscal year 2036, $19,323,510,625; and (K) for fiscal year 2037 and each fiscal year thereafter, the amount appropriated under this paragraph for the previous fiscal year, increased by the percentage increase (if any), during the previous fiscal year, in the Consumer Price Index for all urban consumers published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. (3) Research, development, test, and evaluation program of the department of defense health program.--For the research, development, test, and evaluation program of the Department of Defense health program-- (A) for fiscal year 2027, $2,939,358,093; (B) for fiscal year 2028, $3,165,688,666; (C) for fiscal year 2029, $3,409,451,694; (D) for fiscal year 2030, $3,671,979,474; (E) for fiscal year 2031, $3,954,721,894; (F) for fiscal year 2032, $4,259,235,480; (G) for fiscal year 2033, $4,587,196,612; (H) for fiscal year 2034, $4,940,412,751; (I) for fiscal year 2035, $5,320,824,534; (J) for fiscal year 2036, $5,730,508,023; and (K) for fiscal year 2037 and each fiscal year thereafter, the amount appropriated under this paragraph for the previous fiscal year, increased by the percentage increase (if any), during the previous fiscal year, in the Consumer Price Index for all urban consumers published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. (4) Medical and prosthetics research program of the department of veterans affairs.--For the medical and prosthetics research program of the Department of Veterans Affairs-- (A) for fiscal year 2027, $1,071,765,000; (B) for fiscal year 2028, $1,096,132,905; (C) for fiscal year 2029, $1,180,535,138; (D) for fiscal year 2030, $1,271,436,344; (E) for fiscal year 2031, $1,369,336,942; (F) for fiscal year 2032, $1,474,775,887; (G) for fiscal year 2033, $1,588,333,630; (H) for fiscal year 2034, $1,710,636,320; (I) for fiscal year 2035, $1,842,355,321; (J) for fiscal year 2036, $1,984,218,681; and (K) for fiscal year 2037 and each fiscal year thereafter, the amount appropriated under this paragraph for the previous fiscal year, increased by the percentage increase (if any), during the previous fiscal year, in the Consumer Price Index for all urban consumers published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. (b) Availability.--Amounts appropriated under subsection (a) shall remain available until expended. (c) Definitions.--In this section: (1) Centers for disease control and prevention.--The term ``Centers for Disease Control and Prevention'' means the appropriations accounts that support the various institutes, offices, and centers that make up the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2) Research, development, test, and evaluation program of the department of defense health program.--The term ``research, development, test, and evaluation program of the Department of Defense health program'' means the appropriations accounts that support the various institutes, offices, and centers that make up the research, development, test, and evaluation program of the Department of Defense health program. (3) Medical and prosthetics research program of the department of veterans affairs.--The term ``medical and prosthetics research program of the Department of Veterans Affairs'' means the appropriations accounts that support the various institutes, offices, and centers that make up the medical and prosthetics research program of the Department of Veterans Affairs. (4) National institutes of health.--The term ``National Institutes of Health'' means the appropriations accounts that support the various institutes, offices, and centers that make up the National Institutes of Health. (d) Exemption of Certain Appropriations From Sequestration.-- (1) In general.--Section 255(g)(1)(A) of the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act (2 U.S.C. 905(g)(1)(A)) is amended by inserting after ``Advances to the Unemployment Trust Fund and Other Funds (16-0327-0-1-600).'' the following: ``Appropriations under the American Cures Act.''. (2) Applicability.--The amendment made by this section shall apply to any sequestration order issued under the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985 (2 U.S.C. 900 et seq.) on or after the date of enactment of this Act. (e) Budgetary Effects.-- (1) Statutory paygo scorecards.--The budgetary effects of this section shall not be entered on either PAYGO scorecard maintained pursuant to section 4(d) of the Statutory Pay-As- You-Go Act of 2010 (2 U.S.C. 933(d)). (2) Senate paygo scorecards.--The budgetary effects of this section shall not be entered on any PAYGO scorecard maintained for purposes of section 4106 of H. Con. Res. 71 (115th Congress). ______ By Mr. CORNYN: S. 4501. A bill to bar aliens from admission to the United States to give birth on United States soil or remaining in the United States to undermine the sovereignty of the United States through birth tourism; to the Committee on the Judiciary. Mr. CORNYN. Mr. President, on another matter, I am introducing a bill [[Page S2240]] called the Barring American Citizenship by Keeping Out Foreign Fraudsters or the BACK OFF Act. This bill is designed to address a problem that has been festering in our country for some time, and that is the crime of birth tourism. In the United States, we grant citizenship to virtually everyone born on U.S. soil except for children born to diplomats and a few other categories. And indeed, there is a case now pending in the U.S. Supreme Court to determine what the breadth and depth of what that birthright citizenship should look like under the Constitution. But America is one of the few countries to allow individuals to obtain citizenship at birth regardless of parentage or immigration status, and our generosity was never meant to be exploited by our adversaries. You don't have to be a conspiracy theorist to believe that some of these individuals may even use this cover of citizenship in order to engage in espionage against the United States, indeed, especially the People's Republic of China. According to the Center for Immigration Studies, more than 30,000 births in the United States each year are to women on tourist visas, while many more are born to women who are here illegally or people who simply overstay their temporary visa. Worse, entire cottage industries have sprung up over the past several decades designed to actually help facilitate foreign nationals to visit the United States on a temporary basis solely to obtain the coveted privilege of U.S. citizenship for their children. In 2020, a report from the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee found that several companies--these are businesses-- several companies existed to assist individuals trying to exploit America's generosity in this regard. One such company, Ada International, worked largely with Chinese individuals while another was known as Miami Mama, which specialized in helping Russian nationals secure U.S. citizenship for their children. When we start to see foreign nationals securing U.S. citizenship for their children but with no intention of staying here or actually assimilating into our society and pledging allegiance to our Constitution and laws, it becomes clear that something is terribly wrong. Citizenship in this country, the greatest country in the world, is a great privilege. And the practice of birth tourism undermines what it means to be an American. This is why I am introducing the BACK OFF Act which will make aliens involved in birth

Referenced legislation: HCONRES71, S4494, S4501