00:00Mr. President, I rise today to talk about a number of topics.
00:13I first want to start with how thrilled I am that child care was addressed in the bill that we passed last week.
00:23The affordability and accessibility has hung over so many Americans coast to coast that want or need the opportunity to re-engage in the workforce.
00:36And we took action to make a difference, to make it easier for parents, to keep more of their hard-earned money, to be able to do just that.
00:46And it wouldn't have been possible, obviously, without that bill and the Republican conference coming together to actually deciding to effect change for hard-working families across this nation.
00:59We worked diligently, though, before that was even an option, building a coalition in a bipartisan way to address the affordability and accessibility of child care.
01:10I want to take a minute to thank Senator Tim Kaine.
01:13The Britt-Kaine proposal is what much of this was pulled from.
01:17We worked together to build that coalition, to make sure that we were getting it right for the American people.
01:24In that, we both had team members that worked diligently and around the clock.
01:29I want to thank Rebecca Howard from his team for the work that she put in.
01:34Tireless work, she happens to be an Alabamian from Alex City, Alabama, working hand in glove with Maggie McPherson from our team.
01:42Maggie dedicated so much time and energy to getting this right.
01:47And as a result of their hard work, along with Steven Newton, Sean Ross, and Caroline Moore, Americans are going to have more opportunity.
01:56Parents are going to be able to rely on child care and have it accessible to them.
02:03Businesses, large and small, are going to get to be a part of the solution.
02:08So I am so proud that the Republican conference came together and finally updated the tax code
02:13that had not been updated since 1986 and 2001 to double what parents get moving forward.
02:21But I want to thank the team that worked so diligently for weeks and months leading up to that to make that happen.
02:28Mr. President, I also rise today to recognize and celebrate an Alabama native, Lulu Gribbon, and her incredible journey that led us here today.
02:41You see, just over a year ago, a year and a month, Lulu and her family did what many Alabamians and families across our nation do every summer.
02:50They took a trip to the beach.
02:53As a mom of two teenagers who is fortunate to live close to the Gulf of America, we've taken many beach trips ourselves.
03:01But what happened to Lulu last summer is not something I could have ever fathomed happening to one of my children.
03:09And it's not something I can fathom happening to anyone's child.
03:15Lulu was on a sandbar in Walton County, Florida, when she was viciously attacked by a shark.
03:22The attack was nearly fatal.
03:25She lost two-thirds of her blood and her body.
03:28And if it weren't for medical professionals who, by the grace of God, were close by, the end of this story could have been very different.
03:37This marked the beginning of a grueling journey, multiple surgeries and countless hours of physical therapy.
03:46Lulu lost her left arm and her right leg, but did not lose her will to fight, to be an inspiration, to be an example to all who knew her.
03:59She embodies grit and grace and perseverance and has been an absolute force to all who've had the opportunity to know her or get a window into her story.
04:12In fact, Lulu has actually taken up some new hobbies.
04:15She has mastered her golf swing.
04:17She is driving a car.
04:19She is shooting hoops on the basketball courts.
04:22She is surfing, now running, and if you go to her Instagram page, lulug.strong, which I encourage all of you to do, you will see her actually slalom skiing at Lake Martin.
04:35Like the power of resiliency, faith, and mental fortitude, Lulu's story is not only incredible, but has given us an opportunity to ensure that it doesn't happen to anyone ever again.
04:52And you know what?
04:53That's exactly what Lulu wants.
04:56She wanted to make sure very practical lessons of how we can work to avoid these attacks from happening in the future actually got put into law.
05:07Because you see, 90 minutes before Lulu was attacked, a woman from Virginia was attacked just a few miles down the beach.
05:18Elizabeth Foley of Virginia lost her hand while fighting off a shark.
05:23Again, this was less than two hours prior and just a few miles away.
05:28Had there been an alert system for sharks, Lulu likely would not have been in the water.
05:35That is the nexus of Lulu's law.
05:39The Senate has now unanimously passed Lulu's law, legislation I was proud to lead, and that Lulu has courageously advocated for for over a year now.
05:52Lulu's law empowers authorized local, state, tribal, and federal government authorities to quickly deploy warnings via the wireless emergency alert system.
06:05This will happen if a shark has attacked someone.
06:10Preventing attacks like this is something we can all rally around in honor of Lulu and to protect future beachgoers and families.
06:17While the Senate passage of this law is certainly cause for celebration, our work is not done.
06:24I am hopeful that our House colleagues will quickly take up this piece of legislation and begin to move it through the House and ultimately to the President's desk.
06:34And I will tell you, God's hand is in all of this.
06:39Last night, I called Lulu's parents and talked to them about how incredible this is.
06:45And they immediately said that when they got the news, they were having their very first Lulu Foundation meeting.
06:53And the junior board was meeting, which were all of the young ladies that were in the water with Lulu when this happened.
06:59Their resiliency, their grit, their willingness to make things better for those that come after them should absolutely be commended.
07:08But none of this would have happened without a bipartisan approach.
07:11So I want to thank Majority Leader Thune.
07:14I want to thank Minority Leader Schumer.
07:16I want to thank Committee Chair Ted Cruz, Ranking Member Maria Cantwell.
07:22And I want to thank Brian Schatz.
07:24This is what the country sent us here to do, is to figure out where we have common ground and where we have that common ground to make the lives better of the people we serve.
07:35It's exactly what we did today.
07:37This wouldn't have happened without people coming together.
07:39And it is a big moment, not only for Lulu, but for the future safety of beachgoers from coast to coast.
07:46Mr. President, one more topic I would like to discuss today.
07:52I rise with a heavy heart in the aftermath of the flood that occurred in the heart of Texas Hill Country.
08:01Over 700 girls attended Camp Misik this summer, excited about another year of making new friends and seeing old ones.
08:12They look forward to long days of swimming in the river, evenings of laughing with their friends over dinner, and furthering relationships, not only with each other, but with our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
08:28As many parents know well, camp is a formative time in our children's lives.
08:32They learn independence while being away from their families, teamwork and sportsmanship as they compete in activities, and confidence in leadership as they look up to their counselors who guide them emotionally and spiritually.
08:47It's a special community to be a part of, and it's one that campers never leave.
08:54These 700 girls had just completed their first week in a month long term before this tragedy.
09:00I am devastated for those precious young lives that were lost and those that have been changed forever.
09:10For the parents, the grandparents, brothers, the sisters, the friends who face this unimaginable grief.
09:19One of those girls at Camp Misik was eight-year-old Sarah Marsh from Mountain Brook, Alabama.
09:28Sarah would have been a third grader in the fall at Cherokee Bend Elementary School.
09:33Her favorite color was blue.
09:36As a mother myself, reading the Marsh's family statement is heart-wrenching.
09:43Losing as a child is something no parent should ever have to endure.
09:48In that statement, her parents said in part, quote,
09:52This tragedy that no parent can prepare for, and it will never be right this side of heaven.
10:01Sarah's grandmother described her as a beautiful, spunky ray of light in our lives.
10:08I joined my colleagues, I joined the people of Alabama, the people across this nation,
10:15in mourning today for the loss of her precious life and the lives of other fellow campers and counselors.
10:22And I take comfort in the fact that I know that she is with our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
10:27Scripture tells us, for we know that if the tent that is our earthly home is destroyed,
10:33we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens, 2 Corinthians 5.1.
10:41As we mourn this tragedy, Sarah is a permanent and perfect home.
10:47She is there where there is no sorrow, no sickness, and where death cannot enter.
10:55My heart is also heavy when I consider more than 100 individuals that are still missing
11:01and the toll that this has taken on their families.
11:03The Santana family from Mobile was camping on the river for the 4th of July.
11:09Eddie and his wife, Elena, and their granddaughter, Mila Rose, are still missing.
11:16Tragically, Camille, wife to Eddie and mother to Mila Rose, was found yesterday and is now at peace with the Lord.
11:28I continue to pray for this family from Mobile.
11:32Their loved ones who wait and hope and those who continue to search and rescue in Texas.
11:38In fact, the devastating flash floods has triggered one of the largest search and rescue operations in Texas history.
11:46We have seen the better part of humanity through the more than 1,700 emergency responders and community and family members
11:55who are risking their own lives to evacuate campers and counselors and search for those who are missing.
12:01To the heroic first responders who continue to conduct search and rescue, your country offers you the deepest gratitude for your bravery.
12:12As a country, we must surround those who are grieving with love and support.
12:17I continue to pray for the victims' loved ones, the survivors, and those that are still missing.
12:23Mr. President, may their memories live on beyond just Camp Missick and Kerr County community,
12:31but across our nation and our hearts forever. I yield the floor.
