SECURE AMERICA ACT

On 2026-06-03, Senator Tina Smith (D-MN) delivered a floor speech titled "SECURE AMERICA ACT" in the Senate.

SECURE AMERICA ACT

Congressional Record, Volume 172 Issue 94 (Wednesday, June 3, 2026) [Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 94 (Wednesday, June 3, 2026)] [Senate] [Pages S2510-S2518] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] SECURE AMERICA ACT The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Schmitt). The clerk will report the bill by title. The bill clerk read as follows: A bill (S. 2) to provide for reconciliation pursuant to title II of S. Con. Res. 33. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The majority leader. Amendment No. 5453 Mr. THUNE. Mr. President, I call up amendment No. 5453 and ask that it be reported by number. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report. The bill clerk read as follows: The Senator from South Dakota [Mr. THUNE], for Mr. GRAHAM, proposes an amendment numbered 5453. Mr. Thune. I ask unanimous consent that the reading of the amendment be dispensed with. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered. (The amendment is printed in today's Record under ``Text of Amendments.'') The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Nebraska. Recognizing 75 years of KRVN Mr. RICKETTS. Mr. President, 75 years ago, the voice of rural Nebraska made its debate on air. Broadcasting from Lexington, NE, farm families officially had a voice--KRVN. KRVN doesn't just cover rural Nebraska, though; it belongs to rural Nebraska. The station started out of necessity. Blizzards in the winters of 1948 and 1949 killed farmers and ranchers. Livestock and crops were lost, causing economic hardships. Women and children were left worrying about their husbands and dads. Farming and ranching families were also struggling to get relevant news and government updates. Our agriculture communities were facing a bleak reality: Timely, lifesaving information was nearly impossible to come by. In an industry that moves at the speed of information, this was unacceptable. Agricultural economist and cooperative leader Max Brown had an idea. Max believed he could organize rural Nebraskans to fill the need. He envisioned a farmer- and rancher-owned public service platform for agriculture, weather, markets, and rural education. This idea was untested and widely doubted. Despite this, 4,719 farmers and ranchers each bought a 10-dollar share to become owners of KRVN. On February 1, 1951, KRVN had its first broadcast. From this humble beginning, the station grew. Max hired well, mentored his staff, and made sure everyone knew KRVN's vision. Max's vision continued through the stewardship of his son Eric, whom I knew when he worked at KRVN, and folks like Otto Geiger. Otto served for more than 30 years on the Nebraska Rural Radio Association board. They both guided the station through agricultural and media change while preserving its farmer-owned identity. Since its beginning, rural Nebraskans have received the info they need when they need it. Our rural communities are safer and better informed. Today, KRVN is the flagship of the Rural Radio Network. It is the only farmer- and rancher-owned news network in the country. The founding charter doesn't allow any of the joint owners to profit. Revenues are reinvested into the station and into agricultural education. KRVN's unique ownership model and community commitment remain strong. We now have Nebraskans from multiple generations who can say they grew up with the voices of KRVN from dawn to dusk. The voices of radio legends like Dave Thorell kept Nebraskans company on long drives, and Jayson Jorgensen brings play-by-play coverage of local high school sports into our homes. Even amid unprecedented disaster, Nebraskans know we can rely on KRVN for lifesaving updates. Their coverage has included special wildlife broadcasts to help ranchers recover and find resources for rebuilding. They kept us informed on State politics and ag markets, and they kept us prepared during disasters. Over the last 75 years, KRVN has kept public service at the core of its work. Over the last 75 years, KRVN has been there for Nebraskans, and the need for KRVN still remains. AM radio stations in Nebraska and around the country are still the lifeblood of rural communities. In the Senate, I am working to preserve this important service. Every vehicle sold in the United States should be equipped with AM broadcast radio at no charge. In Nebraska, we know this is common sense. My AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act would do that. KRVN was a necessity at its origin, and it remains a necessity today. Thank you to our farmers and ranchers who have made KRVN possible. I look forward to KRVN's next 75 years. Border Security Mr. President, I have another matter I am going to talk about--the work that needs to be done on the Senate floor today. To protect Americans and our national security, we must fund Border Patrol and ICE. Senate Republicans have a narrow bill to do this. Our bill only funds Border Patrol and ICE. Senate Democrats refuse to vote for it, putting every American at risk. They are falling back on the typical ``defund the police'' agenda and lack of support for law enforcement. Their refusal is a clear threat to our national security. Democrats stood by while President Biden and his open border policies allowed every State to become a border State, putting communities across America, including Nebraska, at risk. They released at least 99 illegal aliens on the Terrorist Watchlist into American communities, including 3 with potential ISIS ties. They have prioritized the care of illegal immigrants over Americans. Let me give you two examples: When Laken Riley a 22-year-old college student was murdered by an illegal immigrant, Republicans introduced legislation to make sure no other families have to live through the same tragedy as Laken's family had to live through. The legislation was common sense. If an illegal immigrant breaks the law, they have to be held accountable, and ICE has to do their job of picking that person up. A majority of Democrats refused to support this commonsense solution. When our brave troops successfully captured the Venezuelan dictator Nicolas Maduro, Democrats were more concerned about the operation than national security. Maduro is a narcoterrorist responsible for the deaths of countless Americans. He was a puppet of our adversaries, like Communist China, Russia, and Iran. Simply put, he was a threat to our national security. Capturing him was a win for Americans and our national security. Democrats didn't see it that way. The reality, though, is that President Trump campaigned on securing the border. He won an overwhelming majority of votes from Americans. The American people voted for stronger national security. Republicans have worked with this administration to secure their border and deliver for the American people. To maintain this strong national security, we need to fund ICE and Border Patrol. I am ready to vote with my Senate Republican colleagues today. Democrats cannot delay this vote any longer. We want to get this done for the American people. Everything else is a distraction. I yield the floor. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Vermont. [[Page S2511]] Mr. WELCH. Mr. President, I ask time used by Democratic speakers during today's session count towards the bill S. 2. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered. Cuba Mr. WELCH. Mr. President, ever since the capture of Nicolas Maduro, the Trump administration has been ratcheting up pressure on Cuba in the hope that Cuba's leaders will either capitulate or the Cuban people will rise up and overthrow them. Three months ago President Trump said: Cuba is going to fall pretty soon . . . They want to make a deal so badly . . . and we'll see how that works out. Like so many of the President's apocalyptic predictions, there is no sign the administration wants to negotiate a deal, and Cuba has not fallen. Instead, the United States oil blockade, which if the tables were turned every one of us would denounce as an illegal act of war, has absolutely paralyzed Cuba's economy. It has plunged the Cuban people into darkness and to misery. Then on May 20, the Department of Justice announced that it had indicted former Cuban President Raul Castro who is 95. Another U.S. aircraft carrier group has been sent to the Caribbean. The writing on the wall is unmistakable. President Trump is tiptoeing up to leading us into another reckless war, this time with Cuba. Cuba is a bankrupt country. It is smaller than Virginia. It has neither the capacity nor intention to threaten the United States. And even before the Trump administration cut off the oil, Cuba's economy was barely functioning. Today, electricity is unavailable for most hours of the day and night across the entire island. So this means that hospitals, schools, factories, food production have ground to a halt. Havana's streets are overflowing with garbage. The country is facing economic collapse literally, and the United States is complicit in that. In fact, that is the point of the U.S. actions. By causing Cuba's economy to collapse and leaving millions of innocent Cubans without enough food or access to medical care, the White House hopes to create a ``national security emergency.'' It seeks to justify regime change, including, if necessary, using military force. President Trump has repeatedly threatened to use force against Cuba. Without any legal justification he has said: [I]t may be a friendly takeover, it may not be a friendly takeover. Wouldn't really matter because they are really down to . . . fumes. They have no energy, they have no money. You know, the reason Cuba is ``down to fumes'' is due to its own government's repressive failed policies and because of the United States oil blockade. But no American President under any circumstances, friendly or unfriendly, should threaten to take over another sovereign nation that poses no imminent or credible threat to our country. And no U.S. Congress should condone such flagrant misuse of military power. You know, th

Referenced legislation: S2, S2, SCONRES33