Notwithstanding rule XXII, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on Finance be discharged from further consideration of S. Res. 217 and the Senate proceed to its immediate consideration; that the resolution be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, and that the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table with no intervening action or debate. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection? Mr. CRAPO. Madam President, reserving the right to object. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Iowa. Mr. CRAPO. I would like to make some remarks. If my colleague is going to make some remarks, I would yield to her first. Ms. ALSOBROOKS. Thank you. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Is there objection? Mr. CRAPO. I am reserving the right to object. I will object, and we can make our remarks after. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Objection is heard. The Senator from Maryland. Ms. ALSOBROOKS. Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., Secretary of Health and Human Services, is presenting a clear and present danger to the health and well-being of the American people. He oversees 13 Agencies that are critical to U.S. health policy and the health of our Nation. One such Agency, the National Institutes of Health, is the world's leading Agency for public health research, and I am proud to represent many of the scientists who work there as the Senator from Maryland. This is the place that the Nation looks to for discoveries in public health. This is where the world looks to to fight global health crises. This is the beacon of American exceptionalism. Over the last 40 years, NIH has helped reduce deaths from heart disease by 75 percent, deaths from stroke are down 75 percent, and NIH funding has led the fight to save countless lives with groundbreaking discoveries. NIH is the greatest credit to sustaining medical research in history. But now, we are dealing with an administration that is a direct threat to our health. Since Donald Trump has taken office, NIH has fired 1,300 employees and has canceled more than $2 billion in Federal research grants. He wants to cut the NIH budget by 40 percent, and these cuts would be carried out by Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., one of the most unqualified individuals that we have seen to hold that position. Secretary Kennedy took an oath to faithfully discharge the duties of the office in which he was about to enter, and to this point, he has utterly failed and is making Americans sicker. Look at what he has done in just 4 months. We are currently watching the largest single measles outbreak in our Nation in 25 years--25 years. There are 1,000 cases, and one-third of them are children younger than 5 years old. Three people have died, including two young children. For years, Secretary Kennedy, without an ounce of medical training, has spread lies and conspiracy theories about safe and effective vaccines--vaccines that literally prevent measles. A qualified HHS Secretary would highlight the effectiveness of vaccines and urge people to continue getting vaccinated. A capable Secretary would have some sense of compassion for suffering children. The Secretary we have, instead, chose to downplay the deaths and encourage untested treatments. This is dangerous. Americans will get sicker, and, in fact, they already have. Our Nation has made incredible gains in IVF and infertility treatment, raising the birth rate through IVF dramatically over the last 30 years, but just last month, Secretary Kennedy fired the entire team at CDC who works on IVF and infertility research. Secretary Kennedy fired most of the employees at the CDC's Division of Reproductive Health, which helps to promote healthy pregnancies. Secretary Kennedy fired staff at the Maternal and Child Health Bureau, which oversees important programs that support children and pregnant women. Countless women across the country have become mothers thanks to the incredible advancements in IVF, and a good number of this President's women supporters supported him because he vowed to make the treatment more accessible. How dare this man take that away from them. Our Nation has made great progress in the fight to eliminate HIV and AIDS, building on an understanding of how to treat the virus and getting closer to finding a cure--until now. Secretary Kennedy has now cut funding for dozens of HIV-related research grants. Did you know that there is a National Firefighter Registry that was set up to study the link between the hazards of the job and firefighters developing cancers? Well, that registry has now been taken down at Secretary Kennedy's bidding. This is part of a heartless trend. They are destroying what decades of research has built. The billions in funding cuts and thousands of staff cuts threaten the race to find cures for Alzheimer's, ALS, cancer, and other devastating illnesses. The impact will be felt far beyond our borders, and it will be generational. For decades, we have taken the lead on the global stage in research and development. We have taken the lead in fighting global health challenges. Many of the world's brightest researchers come here to join the fight. The top research agencies around the world partner with us. Public health is a responsibility that we must lead. R.F.K. is singlehandedly destroying that reputation, setting us back potentially decades. The eyes of the world are on us. Most look to us to lead; some look for us to stumble. But they are watching to see what we do. Having Secretary Kennedy as the face of our Nation's health and research operation sends a terrible message to the rest of the world and a terrifying one to the American people. He is in over his head, he cannot do the job, and he needs to step down for the health of our Nation. To my colleagues, we took an oath as well. We have a duty--a duty--to do what is right, and we know that R.F.K., Jr., is not right for America. I want to thank my colleague and partner here in Maryland, Senator Van Hollen, as well as Senators Wyden and Warren, for joining me in this effort. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The Senator from Iowa. Mr. CRAPO. Madam President, I want to explain the reason for my objection. This is another of many attempts that have been made to stop the efforts of President Trump and his Cabinet and the rest of the administration in downsizing our bloated bureaucracy and trying to bring a little bit of control to the amazing growth of our Federal Government without causing the damage that is always alleged that is being done. From groundbreaking biomedical advancements through the NIH to critical healthcare coverage for America's most vulnerable patients, the Department of Health and Human Services oversees many of the Federal Government's most essential functions. But far too often, these programs fall short of their well-intended purpose. Bureaucratic overreach has resulted in the loss of trust from many Americans. Waste, fraud, and abuse have contributed to excessive spending without meaningful improvements in outcomes, and that is driving our national debt now to $37 or $38 trillion. Secretary Kennedy has committed to addressing these failures. He has made himself and his staff available to Congress and the American people to restore faith in our institutions. When issues have arisen, Secretary Kennedy has worked quickly to remedy the problem. In fact, in recent days, Secretary Kennedy has appeared before two Senate committees to have an open, transparent conversation about the Department's efforts. Last week, the Senate Finance Committee moved to advance more nominees who will assist in the Department's management and communication with Congress. Secretary Kennedy and his team deserve time to deliver on the promise of putting patients first, promoting transparency, and following the science. For these reasons, I objected to the request. The PRESIDING OFFICER (Mr. Curtis). The Senator from California. Mr. PADILLA. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the following Senators be permitted to speak for up to 5 minutes each: myself, Senator Whitehouse, and Democratic Leader Schumer. The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered. Congressional Review Act