Floor Statements

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of my motion to commit be printed in the Record.

I yield the floor.

I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. President, I rise to thank my colleague from Maine, whose amazing work as chair of the Aging Committee continues to inspire me.

I also rise to share a story that is very personal to me. It is a story about one of the smartest people whom I have known, my grandmother Katherine, whom I was named after. She was the daughter of an Italian immigrant and his Italian-American wife. She was exactly the kind of person you think of when you think of an Italian grandmother. If you have ever had one, you know that she loves to feed people and invite the whole family--aunts, uncles, cousins, everyone--over to her house for dinner on Sunday nights. The other 6 days of the week, she worked on volunteer projects throughout Las Vegas with her sorority, Beta Sigma Phi.

She never graduated from college, but she was a leader in our community, and she was always reading. If you walked into her house, it was full of books. In fact, the first thing that you saw when you walked into her house was, on one wall, floor to ceiling, a bookcase with all of the books that she had read.

She was brilliant. She was one of my greatest inspirations. Her work in our community in Las Vegas is one of the reasons that I decided to pursue a career in public service.

Unfortunately, in the 1990s, my grandmother was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. At first, you could barely notice a difference. There were small things, things that could happen to anyone--lost keys, mismatched socks, books left in odd places. Then a woman who had spent her entire life loving to cook for her family and grandchildren had suddenly stopped cooking.

Over the next 10 years, she got progressively worse. We could see the changes in her every single day, but our lives changed too. My grandfather became her caregiver. My mother became her caregiver. My aunt became her caregiver. My cousins and I and my sister all became caregivers. That is what happens when someone is diagnosed. It does not affect just one person; it affects an entire family.

There is a common misconception that people who are suffering from Alzheimer's are not aware of what they are losing, that their memories are gone but not missed. That was not the case for my grandmother. I do not think it is the case for anyone who is struggling with this disease. My grandmother frequently had these moments of clarity when it was clear that the losses were just as painful for her as they were for all of us.

One thing that happens to many people with Alzheimer's is that they tend to wander. They wander away from home or they get lost. She had had one of those moments of clarity after she had wandered away from home one day, and the entire family had spent an afternoon looking for her in our neighborhood. My aunt and I had found her and had gone to pick her up in a car. I will never forget it, as I sat in the back seat while my aunt drove.

My grandmother, who had been seated on the front passenger's side, asked my aunt: Why am I doing this? Why am I in my housecoat and slippers? Why am I doing this?

My aunt looked at her and she said: Mom, you are sick. You have something they call Alzheimer's, and that means that it is impacting your brain and your memories, and you are forgetting.

We were so powerless. We couldn't do anything but make her comfortable and bring her home.

For many, many families who are dealing with Alzheimer's, they have gone through those same moments--those moments when they are dealing with their loved ones either trying to explain to them what is happening or giving them comfort because they know their memories are gone, and they want to make sure they are giving them the comfort they need and they deserve.

We know, unfortunately, that there is no cure for Alzheimer's. My grandmother passed away, as many people with Alzheimer's do, when her illness got so bad that she lost the ability to eat or drink, but the experience of caring for my grandmother opened my eyes to the true impact of this disease. I saw that when one person is diagnosed, whole families' lives are transformed too. I think about my grandmother every day. Every day, I return to some piece of wisdom or guidance that she shared with me. I am committed now to honoring her memory by fighting to prevent Alzheimer's and to provide caregivers with the support they need and deserve.

When my grandmother was first diagnosed, we did not understand Alzheimer's like we do today. We did not have enough healthcare programs for it or support for the caregivers. It was seen as an individual disease that struck at random, with no cure and no hope. Although there is still no cure, we know now that there are things that we can do to help to keep the brain healthy longer and possibly reduce the risk of Alzheimer's and that there are things that we can do now to promote prevention.

For those who are already living with Alzheimer's and for their caregivers, like my family was for my grandmother, there are things that we can do to dramatically improve their experiences and to help lessen some of that burden. Today there are things we can do to invest in finding that cure for Alzheimer's. It is just a petri dish away, but we have to believe that it is there and that we can continue and support that investment. I have visited the Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health in Las Vegas and met with its director, Dr. Jeffrey Cummings. I have seen the incredible work they have done, including their methods for the early detection of Alzheimer's, which simply did not exist only a few years ago. Yet education in the community and the spreading of best practices still lag behind.

There is no longer any doubt that this is a public health crisis. That is why I am so grateful and proud to be sitting on a committee and working with a chairwoman, my colleague from Maine, who has made an effort here in Congress to really bring attention to Alzheimer's disease and to help to fight for funding and investment in a cure.

I am proud to join my colleagues from Maine, West Virginia, and Virginia in introducing legislation that is known as the BOLD Infrastructure for Alzheimer's Act. This bill will create Centers of Excellence that will be dedicated to promoting effective interventions and educating the public on Alzheimer's disease, cognitive decline, and brain health. It will provide grants to State and local health departments to build the infrastructure that is necessary to address this public health crisis, and it will collect the data that is necessary to keep pushing the frontiers of what we know about this disease.

I urge my colleagues to support this vital, bipartisan piece of legislation that has the potential of having a positive impact on millions of Americans across this country.

Mr. President, I rise to thank my colleague from Maine, whose amazing work as chair of the Aging Committee continues to inspire me.

I also rise to share a story that is very personal to me. It is a story about one of the smartest people whom I have known, my grandmother Katherine, whom I was named after. She was the daughter of an Italian immigrant and his Italian-American wife. She was exactly the kind of person you think of when you think of an Italian grandmother. If you have ever had one, you know that she loves to feed people and invite the whole family--aunts, uncles, cousins, everyone--over to her house for dinner on Sunday nights. The other 6 days of the week, she worked on volunteer projects throughout Las Vegas with her sorority, Beta Sigma Phi.

She never graduated from college, but she was a leader in our community, and she was always reading. If you walked into her house, it was full of books. In fact, the first thing that you saw when you walked into her house was, on one wall, floor to ceiling, a bookcase with all of the books that she had read.

She was brilliant. She was one of my greatest inspirations. Her work in our community in Las Vegas is one of the reasons that I decided to pursue a career in public service.

Unfortunately, in the 1990s, my grandmother was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. At first, you could barely notice a difference. There were small things, things that could happen to anyone--lost keys, mismatched socks, books left in odd places. Then a woman who had spent her entire life loving to cook for her family and grandchildren had suddenly stopped cooking.

Over the next 10 years, she got progressively worse. We could see the changes in her every single day, but our lives changed too. My grandfather became her caregiver. My mother became her caregiver. My aunt became her caregiver. My cousins and I and my sister all became caregivers. That is what happens when someone is diagnosed. It does not affect just one person; it affects an entire family.

There is a common misconception that people who are suffering from Alzheimer's are not aware of what they are losing, that their memories are gone but not missed. That was not the case for my grandmother. I do not think it is the case for anyone who is struggling with this disease. My grandmother frequently had these moments of clarity when it was clear that the losses were just as painful for her as they were for all of us.

One thing that happens to many people with Alzheimer's is that they tend to wander. They wander away from home or they get lost. She had had one of those moments of clarity after she had wandered away from home one day, and the entire family had spent an afternoon looking for her in our neighborhood. My aunt and I had found her and had gone to pick her up in a car. I will never forget it, as I sat in the back seat while my aunt drove.

My grandmother, who had been seated on the front passenger's side, asked my aunt: Why am I doing this? Why am I in my housecoat and slippers? Why am I doing this?

My aunt looked at her and she said: Mom, you are sick. You have something they call Alzheimer's, and that means that it is impacting your brain and your memories, and you are forgetting.

We were so powerless. We couldn't do anything but make her comfortable and bring her home.

For many, many families who are dealing with Alzheimer's, they have gone through those same moments--those moments when they are dealing with their loved ones either trying to explain to them what is happening or giving them comfort because they know their memories are gone, and they want to make sure they are giving them the comfort they need and they deserve.

We know, unfortunately, that there is no cure for Alzheimer's. My grandmother passed away, as many people with Alzheimer's do, when her illness got so bad that she lost the ability to eat or drink, but the experience of caring for my grandmother opened my eyes to the true impact of this disease. I saw that when one person is diagnosed, whole families' lives are transformed too. I think about my grandmother every day. Every day, I return to some piece of wisdom or guidance that she shared with me. I am committed now to honoring her memory by fighting to prevent Alzheimer's and to provide caregivers with the support they need and deserve.

When my grandmother was first diagnosed, we did not understand Alzheimer's like we do today. We did not have enough healthcare programs for it or support for the caregivers. It was seen as an individual disease that struck at random, with no cure and no hope. Although there is still no cure, we know now that there are things that we can do to help to keep the brain healthy longer and possibly reduce the risk of Alzheimer's and that there are things that we can do now to promote prevention.

For those who are already living with Alzheimer's and for their caregivers, like my family was for my grandmother, there are things that we can do to dramatically improve their experiences and to help lessen some of that burden. Today there are things we can do to invest in finding that cure for Alzheimer's. It is just a petri dish away, but we have to believe that it is there and that we can continue and support that investment. I have visited the Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health in Las Vegas and met with its director, Dr. Jeffrey Cummings. I have seen the incredible work they have done, including their methods for the early detection of Alzheimer's, which simply did not exist only a few years ago. Yet education in the community and the spreading of best practices still lag behind.

There is no longer any doubt that this is a public health crisis. That is why I am so grateful and proud to be sitting on a committee and working with a chairwoman, my colleague from Maine, who has made an effort here in Congress to really bring attention to Alzheimer's disease and to help to fight for funding and investment in a cure.

I am proud to join my colleagues from Maine, West Virginia, and Virginia in introducing legislation that is known as the BOLD Infrastructure for Alzheimer's Act. This bill will create Centers of Excellence that will be dedicated to promoting effective interventions and educating the public on Alzheimer's disease, cognitive decline, and brain health. It will provide grants to State and local health departments to build the infrastructure that is necessary to address this public health crisis, and it will collect the data that is necessary to keep pushing the frontiers of what we know about this disease.

I urge my colleagues to support this vital, bipartisan piece of legislation that has the potential of having a positive impact on millions of Americans across this country.

Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.

Madam President, I rise today to urge my colleagues to reauthorize Federal funding for the Children's Health Insurance Program. Children's health insurance is not a partisan issue in this country, and it never has been.

In 1997, the bill to create the Children's Health Insurance Program passed with bipartisan support. It was introduced by the late Senator Ted Kennedy, a Democrat from Massachusetts, and our colleague, Senator Orrin Hatch, Republican from Utah. This program has been a resounding success. Tens of millions of kids from all over the country have received access to preventive care, doctors' visits, prescriptions, dental and vision coverage as a result of this act of Congress.

Children's healthcare is not a partisan issue in Nevada--the great State that I represent--either. Over the past 20 years, more than 60,000 of Nevada's kids have benefited from our State CHIP program, Nevada Check Up. Together with the gains we have made due to the ACA's Medicaid expansion, our rate of uninsured children has fallen by half, making our program one of the biggest successes in the country.

Today, 9 million children from low-income families nationwide, including 27,000 from Nevada, get their health insurance through CHIP. If Congress continues to do nothing, those 9 million children will not be able to go to a doctor for their annual checkup; 9 million children will not be able to afford their prescriptions. The parents of those 9 million children will have to wait until their child's headache or infection or sore throat becomes an emergency before taking them to the hospital.

In 2008, the last time funding for CHIP was on the chopping block, Senator Ted Kennedy said that the test of a great nation is in the way it treats its children. We are a great nation. We know how to take care of our kids. Americans understand that children's healthcare is the kind of thing that should be beyond the reach of partisan politics.

Governors from both parties, medical professionals, care providers, and advocates from across this Nation have already called on Congress to do its job and move as quickly as possible to reauthorize this funding. Nevada's Republican Governor, Brian Sandoval, is one of those voices. Republicans and Democrats alike know that kids can't go to school, they can't go to soccer practice, they can't learn their times tables or their fractions, they can't do things that healthy, happy kids like to do if they do not feel well.

But don't ask me why funding for CHIP is important. Listen to the voices of parents who lie awake at night, worried that the cough they are hearing down the hall in their child's room will not go away on its own. It is scary enough to have a sick child. No parent should have to live with the additional fear that they will not be able to afford the care their child needs. No parent should have to choose between treating a cough that has been getting worse and worse for weeks and paying next month's rent. People across the country are working every single day just to make ends meet. CHIP is their lifeline.

Just ask Lisa, a self-employed mom. Her children are able to see the whiteboard in math class because CHIP allowed her family to afford glasses.

Ask Glenna, whose daughter broke her arm on the monkey bars when she was 4. Without CHIP, Glenna would have had to take out loans to pay off that medical bill.

Hear from Vanessa about the excellent healthcare her daughter received after she contracted meningitis at age 12, which was paid for with health insurance Vanessa purchased through CHIP. Vanessa says that CHIP is the reason her daughter is alive today.

These are just three of the countless stories I have heard from people who just don't know what they would do if private health insurance were the only option available to their family.

Illness, injury, these things happen. All of us get sick sometimes, but going bankrupt trying to pay for your son or daughter's medical treatment, that is not normal. That should not be something we accept as part of our everyday lives.

Every time I go home to Nevada, I hear the same things over and over from people I meet. They say to me: My medical bills are out of control. Please do something to help.

We should be working night and day around the clock to fix our healthcare system and relieve the burden of healthcare costs on working people.

Allowing funding for CHIP to expire, allowing State governments to go bankrupt, allowing rural hospitals and our community medical centers to shut their doors and go out of business, this is not what the American people sent us here to do. We are the representatives of this great Nation, and it is time to act like it and stop playing politics with children's health.

I yield the floor.

I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. President, as the newest Senator from the Silver State, I am humbled to serve and represent my fellow Nevadans. We Nevadans are very proud of our State, its people, and the spirit of self-reliance and community that guides us every single day. We are proud of the vastness and beauty of our rural counties and the energy and diversity of our cities, such as Reno and my hometown, Las Vegas.

When I was preparing to deliver my maiden speech before this body, my intention was to honor the Silver State's history and people, as well as share the issues I had planned to fight for while I am here in Congress--issues that matter to hard-working Nevadans. That speech was meant to celebrate Nevada's founding and values, to declare the basic right of every individual to education and affordable healthcare, to remind my colleagues of the dignity of equality and the right to marry whomever you love. That speech was meant to proclaim the dignity of women and their right to make their own health choices, to defend the right of immigrants and Dreamers to live in our country without fear, and to call on this body to fight for American values, including diversity and inclusion. That speech was meant to demand that our country's leaders respect every American, regardless of the color of their skin or how they choose to worship.

Unfortunately, my maiden speech on the floor of this body will instead talk about mass murder. Today I want to recognize the courage of heroes and first responders and honor the wounded and those murdered. I want to recognize the fundamental dignity of every American in this age of violence, rancor, and ignorance, the dignity of Americans not to be slaughtered by other Americans just for walking outside and attending a conference.

With over 43 million visitors per year, Las Vegas prides itself on warmly welcoming people from all around the world to revel in what we have to offer. Hospitality, in every sense of the word, defines who we are. When travelers come to Las Vegas, they plan to enjoy themselves in the company of loved ones and friends and become a part of our Nevada family.

On October 1, a man attacked that family by smashing two windows in his

32nd floor hotel suite and unleashing a barrage of bullets onto 22,000 people attending the Route 91 Harvest music festival. In 10 minutes, 58 innocent people were massacred, and more than 500 people were injured.

At first, concertgoers confused the rapid gunfire for fireworks. The grim realization that repetitive bursts were not fireworks but bullets, came as those in the crowd began to collapse, one after another, and blood began to stain the ground. This was a concert on the Las Vegas Strip, but it looked more like a battlefield. These were innocent people.

The human cost of this atrocious act of terrorism is incalculable. Children lost parents. Parents lost children. Friends lost friends. Those who survived the ordeal must not only heal from physical wounds but cope with the mental scars that will haunt them forever.

I will never forget the stories I heard walking through our hospitals and meeting with our first responders and those recovering from their wounds. Entire emergency room and hallway floors were stained with blood. A recovery room in one of our hospitals was turned into a makeshift morgue. A victim's phone rang continuously with calls from her father, who would soon learn that she would never be coming home.

There is one life story cut short for each of the 58 people killed that night. We have come to learn their stories--stories of sacrifice, of courage, and of love.

A young man died after taking the bullets that would have ended his girlfriend's life. A security guard was killed on the job. As bullets ripped through the night sky and bodies began falling to the ground, he took responsibility for keeping the public safe by directing the panicked crowd. He made the ultimate sacrifice--protecting others.

With approximately 2 million residents, the Las Vegas area is not a small town, but this tragedy has shown just how strong and connected our community is. It goes beyond Las Vegas. There are so many communities across this country that were injured by this tragedy in some way. Many of those killed and injured were visitors to Las Vegas. All Nevadans grieve for those dead and are doing what they can to help the survivors.

Mr. Rogers has a timeless quote:

Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are

helping.

As we embrace others and the families of those wounded and those murdered, we also recognize so many in the community who helped. Even in the middle of the attack, there were helpers who shielded strangers from bullets and helpers who led people out of the concert venue. There were helpers who plugged strangers' bullet wounds with their fingers.

There were helpers like Jonathan. Despite receiving a gunshot wound to the neck, Jonathan saved the lives of 30 people by leading them out of the venue and aiding them in taking cover. He did this even after losing sight of his own family.

Jonathan later said: ``I decided I'm not going to leave anybody behind.''

There were helpers like Taylor, an Iraq war veteran, who turned a parked utility van into an ambulance. After climbing a fence as he fled the gunfire, he came across the vehicle, and he knew what he had to do. Before first responders arrived, Taylor drove roughly 30 people to area hospitals.

There were other helpers, like Tami, also an Iraq war veteran, who stayed behind to help victims on the ground. Tami used her ER nursing experience to triage those who were immobile because of their injuries. Despite her best efforts, Tami couldn't save one young woman and had the heartbreaking task of telling a mother that her daughter was dead.

Tami said:

I'll never forget that girl's face. I had to tell the mom

that her daughter had gone.

In the toughest of circumstances, the promptness, efficiency, and professionalism of Southern Nevada's first responders and medical community saved many lives and ensured that this tragedy did not escalate into a further loss of life.

Andrew, an ambulance dispatcher, calmly and purposefully directed his team despite it being his first day in his new role.

There were doctors across our valley who did not need a call to rush to our hospitals to help. There were nurses who stayed long past their shifts to help care for and comfort the wounded, and our police officers and firefighters ran toward the bullets to help. These first responders, doctors, and nurses knew some of the people they were helping.

The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, Clark County Fire Department, American Medical Response, MedicWest Ambulance, Community Ambulance, University Medical Center, Sunrise Hospital and Medical Center, The Valley Health System, and Dignity Health deserve our deepest thanks for their valor and their unmatched bravery.

I also honor and thank the Red Cross and the Department of Veterans Affairs, which brought mobile units to our hospitals, and the volunteer mental health counselors who came from all over the country to help provide comfort and support. I will never forget their dedication as our community grappled with this senseless tragedy.

In the days that followed, our community's compassionate response showed the world who we are as Las Vegans. So many unnamed heroes in our community stood for hours in line to donate blood. They came to the family reunification center and gave food and water and clothing-- whatever they could--to help families and those who were wounded. Artists and volunteers created beautiful memorials and prayerful spaces for honor and grief. Local businesses, as well as airlines like Allegiant and Southwest and medical providers like The Valley Health System, MedicWest, and American Medical Response, made sure that the families of the slain as well as the wounded were provided help, support, and relief from medical bills and travel costs. In less than a week, dedicated volunteers built a beautiful remembrance wall and planted a healing garden for all of us to express our grief, reflect, and to remember.

Our city also received an outpouring of support and solidarity from countless fellow Americans, State governments, and foreign embassies. I was personally touched by the outpouring of support from my colleagues in this Chamber, and I thank them for it.

The people of Las Vegas came together to heal and protect their community, but they cannot do it all on their own. It has been difficult for all of us to understand the events of the past 2 weeks, but one thing is clear: We cannot stand by and do nothing.

As a lifelong Las Vegan, I have never seen such a profound community response. In the midst of such horror, I am so proud of my community, and I continue to be amazed at the strength and spirit that will help move us forward. But they need our help. The time has come for the people in this room--all of us--to do our part to keep our communities safe.

Over the past few weeks, I have heard my colleagues saying things like ``no law could have stopped that'' or ``you can't legislate away evil.'' While that may be true, we are not helpless. When something bad happens, we can always take steps to understand what happened and work together to find a way to stop a future tragedy. Listen, we cannot stop every shooting, but we can do something to prevent these senseless mass murders.

Just over a year ago, 49 people were murdered at a nightclub in Orlando--then, the deadliest shooting in modern history. My hometown of Las Vegas has now broken that record with 58 men and women being murdered by 1 man with multiple guns that were rigged for combat. This is a horrific distinction to bear.

Will we stand by and wait for the next community to break that record?

In our communities every day, Americans make commonsense decisions to protect their health and safety. They lock their doors. They set their alarms. They go to their doctors for annual check-ups. They wear seatbelts. After the worst attack on American soil on September 11, 2001, we reshaped the way we protect our country and our way of life.

Now, in the wake of the worst mass shooting in modern American history, I am calling on my colleagues to work with me to take reasonable, concrete steps to reduce the likelihood of another senseless shooting massacre on American soil.

Do not get me wrong. The people of Las Vegas are grateful to have the thoughts and prayers of nearly every Member of Congress, but thoughts and prayers alone are not enough. Now it is time for action--meaningful action--to prevent mass murders.

Let me be very clear. This is not about taking away guns. I grew up in a family of gun owners and hunters. My father was a member of Ducks Unlimited. I have family members who are avid sportsmen, including an uncle who was a member of the Nevada Bighorns Unlimited. My husband is a retired Secret Service agent. We are proud gun owners. I believe that Americans have the right to own guns.

But with the right to own a gun comes a shared responsibility to ensure that weapons do not fall into the hands of dangerous people. The right to own a gun must be balanced by the right of every American to be able to go out in public without having the fear that he will be shot and killed at a church, in a movie theater, in a classroom, in a nightclub, on a baseball field, or at a concert. The right to own a gun is important, and equally important is the right not to be killed by someone who has no business owning a gun.

The Second Amendment calls for gun ownership in defense of the security of America, not to terrorize its citizens. Congress has the responsibility to keep weapons that are designed for our military out of the hands of mass murderers. When we took office, each of us swore an oath to protect and defend the U.S. Constitution. That means that we are sworn to protect the lives and liberty of the American people.

Are we keeping that promise?

If there are commonsense, reasonable, proven steps that we can take to keep innocent people from dying at the hands of mass murderers, why wouldn't we take them? Why wouldn't we pass legislation that the majority of Americans supports? Why wouldn't we ban the tools used to kill and injure almost 600 people in the space of 10 minutes?

Many place blame with the strength of organizations like the National Rifle Association and other allied interest groups. Yet a recent poll finds that 93 percent of voters in gun households support universal background checks. Count me as part of that 93 percent. Congress is not going to repeal the Second Amendment, but its Members need to find the courage to be honest that there is a problem.

I echo my colleague Senator Chris Murphy of Connecticut, who gave his maiden speech on this very same topic in 2013, right after the horrific massacre at Sandy Hook Elementary School. He said that he never expected to find himself talking about guns in his maiden speech, but the issue of gun violence found him. I am devastated to say that the issue of gun violence found me too. It found the city of Las Vegas along with finding everyone else in the State of Nevada. It has already found other Members of this body and their neighbors across the country.

Like Senator Murphy, I am making it my mission to prevent another tragedy like this one from ever happening again. We should return to commonsense principles as we determine how to move forward.

One, guns should not be available to people who are mentally ill, have a history of violence, or are suspected terrorists.

Two, everyone who buys a firearm should undergo a background check-- no exceptions for people who buy from online retailers, gun shows, or private dealers. We cannot enforce our laws if we are not running background checks to determine who is trying to buy a firearm.

Three, certain military-style accessories that are necessary for war zones simply do not need to be in our communities.

As Members of this body are aware, the mass shooting in my hometown was made all the more lethal because of what is referred to as a bump stock--a tool that is designed to turn a semiautomatic rifle into an even deadlier weapon in order to kill as many people as possible and rain gunfire down on 22,000 concertgoers. This Chamber should speak in a unified voice that these tools do not belong in our country. This has nothing to do with infringing on the Second Amendment rights of law- abiding gun owners. You do not need a bump stock to hunt unless you are hunting people. If we do nothing now, there will be more massacres. We will see more fathers without daughters, more mothers without sons, and more sisters without brothers.

The time has come to ask ourselves: Who will really be at fault the next time something like this happens? Will it be the deranged killer who used a loophole to get his hands on a deadly weapon or the people who failed to close that loophole when they had the chance?

My colleagues are right in that we cannot legislate away mental illness, and we cannot legislate away evil, but we can legislate to prevent murder. We can take smart, sensible steps to keep Americans safe. We can work together with gun owners and citizens against gun violence to make Americans safer.

To my colleagues who are undecided, I invite you to come to the hospitals with me in Las Vegas. Hear from the people who came to Las Vegas for a night of fun and country music and who will have to live with emotional and physical scars for the rest of their lives.

Hear from Dana, who will never see her fiance again. Hear from Lindsey, who will never see her sister again. Hear from Hannah's three children, who will never see their mother again.

I spent much of the last 2 weeks talking with families of those who were wounded or killed. That Monday night after the massacre, I remember hugging a mother and father who were looking for their 26- year-old daughter at the family reunification center. They had gone to all of the area hospitals with the hope that they might find their daughter alive. Their final hope that night, if you want to call it that, was waiting in the reunification center for the call from the coroner's office to see if their daughter's body had been identified.

It so easily could have been my family, frantically searching, waiting, and grieving in that center. My niece was at that concert.

The people of Las Vegas responded to the worst tragedy our city has ever seen with unprecedented bravery, selflessness, and compassion. We are Vegas Strong.

It is long past time for Congress to follow their example and the example of so many other communities in our country touched by this violence and, finally, to summon the strength to get something done and reduce gun violence in America.

Let's not ignore the lives of those murdered or those wounded. Let's actually come together and agree that we must do something to honor all of the daughters, mothers, sons, fathers, sisters, brothers, and friends we have already lost to senseless gun violence.

It is time for us to move beyond resolutions. We must now have a new resolve to protect the basic freedom and safety of all Americans.

Work with me. Reach out to my office so that we can find common ground and finally offer the American people something more than just our thoughts and prayers. Let's get something done in honor of the loved ones who are still with us, the family members and friends we would do anything to protect, the people in our lives we could not bear to lose.

I ask my colleagues to work with me. Work with me to prevent this from ever happening again.

Mr. President, thank you for listening.

I yield the floor.

Mr. President, I had expected to be able to vote today on the confirmation of Mr. Randal Quarles to be a member of the Federal Reserve. Instead, I am in Las Vegas, meeting with victims of and first responders to the deadliest mass shooting in modern U.S. history.

On the question of Mr. Quarles's nomination, I want to make clear that I would have voted ``no'' had I been present. While an official in the Bush administration Treasury Department in the lead-up to the economic crisis of 2007 to 2009, Mr. Quarles failed to take action to prevent the build-up of risk that ultimately led to hundreds of thousands of foreclosures and evictions in Nevada. In fact, Mr. Quarles during that period repeatedly maintained that the financial system was safe, that large banks were well-capitalized, and that the housing market was strong, notwithstanding clear signs of escalating risk. After serving in the Treasury Department, Mr. Quarles was the beneficiary of the second-largest ``loss share'' agreement in the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation's history. This agreement provided a taxpayer-backed guarantee and allowed Mr. Quarles to profit substantially off of the failure of a large bank.

If confirmed, I hope that Mr. Quarles will exceed my expectations and become a strong advocate for a safe and resilient American financial system. However, I cannot in good conscience vote to confirm him given my concerns about his past record.

Thank you.

Mr. President, I had expected to be able to vote today on the motion to invoke cloture on the nomination of Callista L. Gingrich to be Ambassador to the Holy See. Instead, I am in Las Vegas meeting with victims of and first responders to the deadliest mass shooting in modern U.S. history.

I support the motion to invoke cloture on the nomination of Callista L. Gingrich to be Ambassador to the Holy See. The U.S. relationship with the Holy See is an important one and is best supported with a confirmed ambassador leading it. Ms. Gingrich's faith and engagement with the Catholic community will support U.S. ties to the Vatican.

Mr. President, I had expected to be able to vote on the confirmation of Mr. Eric Hargan, to be Deputy Secretary for Health and Human Service, HHS. Instead, I am in Las Vegas to grieve with and assist my fellow Nevadans in the aftermath of the worst mass shooting in modern American history.

On the question of Mr. Hargan's nomination, I want to make my opposition to his confirmation clear. I do not believe Mr. Hargan to be qualified to be a leading member of HHS. This decision is based on his prior experience, his work and statements opposing the Affordable Care Act, as well as his statements regarding the extension of the State Children's Health Insurance Program. Deputy Secretary Eric Hargan would be the highest ranking appointee at HHS, making him responsible for implementing and enforcing the Affordable Care Act, ACA, going forward. Considering the fact that the administration has repeatedly and consistently sought to undermine the ACA, I fear that someone with Mr. Hargan's views will only aid and abet this reckless game the administration is playing with Americans' healthcare.

I hope that Mr. Hargan will surpass my expectations and serve this country well as Deputy Secretary at HHS. The role of HHS Deputy Secretary in implementing and administering the efforts of strengthening our healthcare system is too important for any other result. I believe strongly that Americans deserve affordable and accessible healthcare coverage, and I hope Mr. Hargan's actions as Deputy Director show that he agrees. However, I could not in good conscience vote to confirm someone about whom I have so many concerns. Thank you.

Mr. President, I had every intention of ably performing my duty as Senator and voting today on the confirmation of Mr. Ajit Pai to be a member of the Federal Communications Commission. Unfortunately, the tragic events in Las Vegas last night required me to travel back to my home State. My thought and prayers are with the families of those killed and wounded in the vicious and senseless attack outside the Mandalay Bay Resort.

On the question of Mr. Pai's nomination, I wanted to make my vote in opposition to his confirmation clear. Many of the specific actions taken by Mr. Pai as Chairman of the FCC have raised questions about whether he should garner my support for another term at the Commission. I have come to this decision through a process of reviewing his resume, meeting with him personally to discuss his governing perspective, as well as having questioned him during multiple FCC hearings before the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee.

I will continue to keep an open mind in working with Mr. Pai to bridge the digital divide in remote parts of Nevada and for my constituents who simply need more access to complete their homework, apply for jobs, or perform various everyday functions that require quality internet service. At this time, there were too many concerns about actions taken in Mr. Pai's tenure since January, including the process by which he is looking to reform a free and open internet.

Mr. President, I thank Senator Udall, the ranking member of the Senate Indian Affairs Committee. I am honored to be working with him on that committee in a bipartisan way, as he talked about.

I am also very honored to represent the great State of Nevada, a State that is home to civically active Tribes. Nevada's Tribal communities deal with many of the same challenges that plague Native communities throughout the United States. Indigenous people suffer from higher rates of poverty, illness, and substance abuse than the general population.

I recently received this communication from the Walker River Paiute chairman, Amber Torres, about the importance of the Medicaid expansion for her community. Chairman Torres wrote:

I feel that the impacts on cutting Medicaid expansion for

Nevada would be detrimental to the people. With this coverage

we have been able to obtain services for our male and

childless adult population. Our people have been able to

obtain services that have not been approved or do not qualify

through Indian Health Services.

She then goes on to say:

A large portion of our reservation is covered by the

expansion and have seen their health ailments being addressed

in a timely manner due to alternative means of coverage.

She said:

We have seen our covered recipients percentage go from 20

percent to 45 percent, with our numbers continuing to rise

daily. If Medicaid expansion is repealed, what is the

alternative for these people . . . ?

Historically Indian Health Services has only been at a

Medical Level Priority 1 for our service delivery area, which

means bleeding, blind, broken or dying. Is this what we need

to look forward to going back to?

Chairman Torres's question is one a lot of Native Americans are asking right now and a question I wish to pose to Ranking Member Udall.

The Federal Government has a sacred trust and responsibility to the Native communities of Nevada and throughout the country. I ask the vice chairman, would rolling back Medicaid expansion in Nevada and other States like mine result in pre-ACA Indian Health Service coverage and care, as Chairman Torres discussed?

I thank the vice chair.

It is true that Indian Country made significant gains under the Affordable Care Act. Before the ACA, the Indian Health Service regularly denied Tribal members' claims for basic care and preventive services, such as mammograms, women's health screenings, or diabetes management care.

Because of the chaos the Trump administration has created in the healthcare markets, this problem is not being confronted, it is being exacerbated across the country. We have seen it in Nevada. Insurers are pulling out of the ACA exchanges in rural areas, thanks to the uncertainty these continued efforts to repeal the ACA, such as Graham- Cassidy, are creating in the healthcare market.

Democrats are ready to work with Republicans to fix the problems with the Affordable Care Act. We want to provide certainty that brings insurers back into the health insurance marketplaces, lower premiums and prescription drug prices, and improve healthcare. We can't kick millions of people--including the members of the Walker River Paiute Tribe and the 27 other Tribes and community organizations in the State of Nevada--off of their healthcare.

No one in this country should be forced to choose between paying their medical bills and putting food on their table. All too often, our Tribal members are confronted with that very choice.

I will not stop fighting to oppose these efforts to take away the healthcare of Native communities in Nevada and millions more Americans throughout our country. It is time we work together.

I thank the vice chair.

I yield the floor back.

Mr. President, today I wish to recognize UnidosUS for its leadership on behalf of the Latino community. On July 25, 2017, the Coalition on Human Needs will honor UnidosUS, formerly known as the National Council of La Raza, as one of its Human Needs Heroes for 2017. For almost 50 years, UnidosUS has been at the forefront of the policy movement to build opportunity for Latinos through civil rights, education, housing, economic advancement, health care, and the defense of immigrants' rights.

UnidosUS ensures that the human face of immigration is always seen and the essential role of immigrants in our communities is understood. I am proud to work with UnidosUS to advance a fair and moral immigration policy. I am also proud to work with UnidosUS in advancing economic opportunities for Latinos throughout our communities and look forward to our close cooperation in the future.

UnidosUS has a long record of promoting just policies to improve the lives of those in the Latino community. From the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 to the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, DACA, program, UnidosUS has been a trusted source and advocate on immigration policy. The ability of UnidosUS to serve as a broad voice that reflects the views and needs of Latinos across the country ensures that the debate on immigration never forgets the impact on families and communities. It is my honor today to recognize UnidosUS and thank them for all they have done on behalf of Latinos and immigrants.

Mr. President, today I am honored to congratulate the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges on 80 years of promoting justice for children and families.

On May 22, 1937, the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges, NCJFCJ, was established by judges who came together with a vision of strengthening the juvenile court system and providing support, sharing knowledge, and facilitating an exchange of ideas with their colleagues across the Nation. The NCJFCJ is the oldest judicial membership organization in the country and a leading provider of judicial education. The NCJFCJ believes judges are the leaders of the juvenile and family court system, and by engaging all stakeholders, better decisions are made with improved outcomes for children, families, and victims of domestic violence. I am so proud that they have made Reno, NV, their home.

The NCJFCJ brings together a broad constituency of judicial officers, attorneys, advocates, court administrators, clerks of court, probation officers, child welfare professionals, and others with a common goal of ensuring the most effective juvenile and family court system. It addresses a wide range of complex issues impacting the well-being of children and families that encompass juvenile delinquency, domestic child sex trafficking, child abuse and neglect, child custody and visitation, substance abuse, domestic violence, trauma, mental health, and military issues. The NCJFCJ also leads development and implementation of policies and practices to ensure fair, equal, effective, and timely justice for children, families, and victims of domestic violence.

For eight decades, the NCJFCJ has been known for the exemplary quality of its services, including advanced education, training, publications, technical assistance, research, data and statistics, and policy development to promote justice for children and families. Inspired by the leadership, experience, expertise, dedication, and passion of its members, the NCJFCJ is committed to another 80 years of efforts to meet the ever-evolving needs of our most vulnerable population: the children and families who seek justice.

I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing and honoring the 80 years of achievements and tireless efforts of the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges, its members and staff, past and present, to ensure a timely, fair, and coordinated justice system for children and families and safer communities across the country.

Mr. President, I rise to join my colleagues to speak out on the secret healthcare legislation that Republicans are attempting to jam through the Senate without any public review or consideration.

This is an insult to the American people. It is a shameful abdication of the role of a U.S. Senator to represent the concerns and priorities of the people of a State and country. We were elected to be a voice for the people of our individual States. What I am hearing loud and clear from my State is: Keep the Affordable Care Act. Do not repeal it. Keep it, and work together to improve it.

Like my colleagues, I wish to share the story of one of the many Nevadans who have contacted me to share their story about the ACA and why they so desperately want to avoid its repeal.

Jessica and her husband own a brewery in Reno, NV, and I was lucky enough to get to meet and speak with her in person when I was home last month touring the Community Health Alliance Center.

After meeting with her, I had the opportunity to sit and talk with so many incredible people--doctors, nurses, people who care about the very faces of women, men, and children we are talking about tonight. This is Jessica's letter to me, and this is what I would like to share with you, what she wrote to me.

Dear Senator Cortez Masto,

I am a resident of Nevada, a small business owner, and a

mother. I am writing to express my views about the Affordable

Care Act. The Affordable Care Act has had a tremendously

positive effect on my life, and I would like to share my

story with you.

The Affordable Care Act saved my small business.

When the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA)

was signed into law in 2010, and when it was upheld by the

Supreme Court in 2012, my husband and I were in the planning

stages of our small business. At the time, my family was

provided health insurance through my corporate job. Knowing

the ACA would take effect gave me the peace of mind to leave

my job and become a full time small business owner. Today,

our business, Under the Rose Brewing Company, is celebrating

our 4th year in existence, and we are in the beginning stages

of a large expansion, which will create many new jobs in

Reno. This business would not have survived without my full-

time dedication. I would not have been able to leave my

corporate job without the ability to procure affordable

healthcare for my family.

The Affordable Care Act allowed me to start my family in a

healthy way.

As my husband and I prepared to sign up for our first year

of health care with the ACA, we found out that I was

pregnant. Prior to the ACA, health insurers were allowed to

consider pregnancy a ``pre-existing condition.'' Instead of

being denied coverage or charged higher premiums, I was able

to receive appropriate and affordable care during my

pregnancy through the ACA.

The Affordable Care Act saved my life and my baby's life.

30 weeks into my pregnancy, at a regular checkup with our

midwife, my husband and I were advised to see a doctor. Since

I didn't look sick or feel sick, we hesitated, but our

midwife was positive it would be for the best. Our insurance

through ACA allowed us to see the recommended OBGYN. Half way

through our appointment he became very concerned and rushed

me into the hospital. My son was born by emergency C-section

a few hours later. Several doctors agreed that neither the

baby nor myself would have survived a further 24 hours of

pregnancy. Having health insurance through the ACA allowed

my husband and I to seek treatment and care without having

to worry about the affordability of following doctor's

orders. This is the first time I could say that the ACA

saved my life and the life of my beautiful baby boy.

The Affordable Care Act saved my baby's health [and

provided us with health insurance].

Thus my son was born 9 weeks early and was admitted into

the NICU. He stayed in the NICU for 32 days and was under

constant doctor care. By the time he left the hospital, we

had incurred well over 1 million dollars in total costs. The

ACA allowed him to start his life without a cap on his total

lifetime healthcare coverage. Prior to the ACA, many NICU

babies reach their lifetime limits before even feeling the

sunshine on their faces. I am eternally grateful for this

provision of the ACA.

One week after bringing our beautiful baby boy home from

our hospital's NICU, I found myself in need of emergency care

for a second time. I suffered a postpartum stroke. I was

taken to the emergency room and admitted to the hospital for

the second time in 2 months. Again, the ACA allowed me to

seek treatment and care without worrying about coverage.

The Affordable Care Act will save my son's healthcare. My

son now has a medical issue with his growth. Should the ACA

be repealed, amended, or replaced with something less

inclusive, this issue will be considered a preexisting

condition. The thought of my 18-month-old son being denied

coverage, or potentially not being able to afford the

healthcare offered to him, makes me sick to my stomach. Why

would our lawmakers vote to take this away from him? I

implore you to consider the great lengths the Affordable Care

Act has gone to not only improve and save lives in my family,

but families across the Great State of Nevada. I further

implore you to consider the children currently covered and

benefitting from the ACA as you contemplate your vote on this

significant matter. I strongly urge you to defend this

crucial legislation. Too many of your Nevadan constituents

rely on this lifesaving, health-saving and financial-saving

legislation.

Thank you for reading my story and considering my views. I

am happy to speak directly with you.

Sincerely, [Jessica] and family.

Mr. President, I know Jessica's story is one of thousands. I hope my colleagues across the aisle think of Jesse and her family and the millions of Americans like her who have so much at stake while continuing to secretly rewrite our country's healthcare laws.

Thank you for listening.

I yield the floor.