Cory Gardner

Madam President, I thank our colleague from Vermont for the accommodation of this extra time.

USMCA is incredibly important to the State of Colorado. Colorado is a pro-trade State. We have about 750,000 trade-related jobs in Colorado. Of those 750,000 jobs, almost 250,000 are related to trade with Mexico and Canada. Nearly a quarter million of Colorado's workers are there because of trade with Canada and Mexico. It is a nearly $5 billion share of our economy--that is, the total number of goods, services, and exports to Canada and Mexico. That was a couple of years ago, so that number has obviously increased.

Of the potatoes Mexico imports from the United States, nearly half come from Colorado. If you look at beverages, 97 percent of the beverages Mexico imports come from Colorado. If you look at crowns, closures, seals, 96 percent of those items exported or imported by Mexico come from Colorado. If you look at miscellaneous leather products, the hides and other products that Mexico imports, 87 percent of them come from Colorado.

We know NAFTA has created thousands of jobs in Colorado. We know it has added thousands of dollars to people's incomes. We know USMCA is a better, stronger opportunity for us to gain even more jobs, more income, and more opportunity for the people of Colorado. So I thank Senator Hoeven for bringing people together on the floor to talk about the importance of free trade and particularly the passage of USMCA.

I hope our colleagues in the House will hear this call to a brighter economic future, more trade opportunities, and greater U.S. leadership by moving the USMCA, adopting it, and putting it forward so the Senate can act on it and getting this agreement into law so we can actually once again start rebuilding opportunities with trade.

I am strongly supportive of this effort. It is good for Colorado, and it is good for this country.

I thank my colleague from North Dakota and my colleague from Vermont.

Mr. President, Congress has no greater responsibility than providing for a strong national defense and keeping American citizens safe.

The National Defense Authorization Act is one of the most important pieces of legislation to be considered by the U.S. Senate. It authorizes the weapons systems, programs, and resources that support the men and women who serve our country in the Armed Forces. For decades, it has been approved with strong, bipartisan support.

In my home State of Colorado, our military installations, including Fort Carson, the Air Force Academy, and Buckley, Peterson, and Schriever Air Force Bases, are on the cutting edge of readiness in protecting our national security. This legislation is foundational to their mission, their work, and our show of support for the military.

I thank Chairman Inhofe and Ranking Member Reed for their bipartisan leadership on the Senate Armed Services Committee and on the floor. The tremendous responsibility of providing for national defense cannot be overstated, and they have handled the process with respect and the seriousness that it deserves. The security of the United States should always be more important than any partisan politics, and I appreciate their commitment that they have placed on national defense above all else.

I also thank my colleagues for their bipartisan work on the National Defense Authorization Act. In working with them, I was able to achieve a number of great victories in amendments for Colorado and the Nation as well.

Senator Schatz and I have a bipartisan amendment that will improve the public alert system and allow military communities access to clean and safe drinking water, which was another

amendment that we were able to work on.

I was able to work with Senator Toomey and Senator Van Hollen-- Senators from both sides of the aisle--to impose sanctions on the murderous North Korean regime.

We will also vote today to support a bipartisan effort that I authored that will encourage the U.S. Congress to stand with the people of Hong Kong and their democratic values while we urge Hong Kong's authorities to permanently withdraw their flawed extradition bill and support human rights in Hong Kong.

When one family member serves our country in uniform, the entire family serves. This legislation supports military families in Colorado and all over the world. It provides the largest pay increase in a decade for troops, and it continues to support military spouses. The NDAA addresses the challenges that servicemembers and their families face when they live in privatized housing, and it expands resources to address the PFAS water contamination in many of our military communities. This is an issue of life and health, and it matters greatly to the people of Colorado. I was pleased to work with my colleagues to continue addressing PFAS contamination.

Of course, in Colorado, we are proud to play a very key role in defending the United States. These installations that I talked about are critical to national security and supporting our operations in space. I am thrilled that this year's NDAA authorizes the U.S. Space Force so that the United States can remain a global leader in space and not fall behind China or any other foreign competitor.

Almost everything in today's age relies on space technology-- telecommunications, GPS, transportation logistics, precision agriculture, and, of course, the U.S. military. Establishing the U.S. Space Force will better organize the military to handle space operations and will put all military members who work in the space domain under the same organizational umbrella. Colorado is home to the North American Aerospace Defense Command and the U.S. Northern Command, and it is the legacy home of the Air Force Space Command. As we establish the U.S. Space Force, Colorado is uniquely positioned to continue its support of our Nation's military operations in space and the mission set that space involves.

We cannot risk falling behind our foreign competitors in the second space age. In order to guarantee the safety and security of American citizens, we must maintain our leadership in space operations and defense. I urge my colleagues to support the National Defense Authorization Act, which supports defense operations across the globe and the brave women and men who serve in the U.S. military. I will always fight to protect and grow the presence of the U.S. military in Colorado and work to ensure that these bases, which are essential to both national security and Colorado communities, remain strong.

I yield the floor.

Mr. President, I rise today to honor an officer of the Colorado State Patrol whose watch tragically came to an end earlier this month when he was killed in the line of duty.

On June 14, 2019, Trooper William Moden was responding to an accident that occurred on I-70 in Deer Trial, CO. He was doing what he did every day--responding to an incident and giving a helping hand to Coloradans in need. He was assisting the passengers of a vehicle who were involved in a crash--one of whom was an 18-month-old child--when he was struck by a passing vehicle.

Like too many of our Nation's law enforcement officers, Trooper Moden gave his life while protecting and serving others.

William Moden was 37 years old and had served in the Colorado State Patrol for 12 years. His fellow troopers remember him as someone whose uniform was always perfect and whose boots were always polished. There is no doubt for any of them that he was meant to serve and that he did so with the utmost honor and dignity.

While Trooper Moden carried out his duties with seriousness, his friends and loved ones remember him as someone with a tremendous sense of humor. At a memorial service held last week, he was described as having an infectious laugh--a laugh that was usually the loudest in the room. Many at the service remembered the time he put on a dog's shock collar just to see how it felt and to make others laugh. These are the kinds of memories his loved ones will remember forever.

Just as he answered when his Coloradans called, his friends and family say he was someone who could always be counted on. He was reliable, dependable, and they often described him as their ``knight in shining armor''--someone who is always there to provide care and comfort. The chief of the Colorado State Patrol, Colonel Matt Packard, described William Moden as ``the true personification of what it means to be a Colorado State Trooper.''

At the memorial service last week, Trooper Moden was awarded the title of ``Master Trooper''--a rank given only to those who show great leadership and character. To those who knew him, William completely exemplified these characteristics and is certainly deserving of this high honor.

We know we can never pay the debt of gratitude owed to people like William Moden, who risk their lives every day to ensure their communities are safe. The best we can offer is to never forget and to continue to celebrate the lives of those who sacrifice everything.

I know my Senate colleagues will join me in mourning the loss of Trooper Moden and all those who have given their lives in defending the thin blue line.

So for the second time this year, I come to the floor of the U.S. Senate and remember the words of LTC Dave Grossman, who said, ``American law enforcement is the loyal and brave sheep dog always standing watch for the wolf that lurks in the dark.''

I hope the outpouring of love and support that Trooper Moden's family and friends have received in the past few weeks bring them a small bit of comfort.

To Trooper Moden's family and loved ones, our State thanks you for your service, sacrifice, and willingness to share William with the people of Colorado.

Thank you.

I yield the floor.