Floor Statements

Mr. President, a lot of our colleagues have been coming down to the floor today and had come down yesterday to talk about two things that are actually very connected. The first is the VA MISSION bill, which we just passed, that is going to significantly transform how we treat our veterans and how we make sure our vets are getting the care they have earned and deserve. Also, appropriately, as that bill has just passed the Senate and is heading to the President's desk, we are talking about Memorial Day and the Memorial Day

weekend that is fast approaching--a very important, sacred time for our country and, certainly, for my State, the great State of Alaska.

What I would like to do is to talk a little bit about the bill and then reflect a little bit more on the importance of Memorial Day as we move forward into this weekend.

One of the things we all do is, certainly, with regard to legislation like this is to look at the national implications. We also look at how our own constituents will be impacted and make sure their interests are served when there is broader, national legislation that we have been working on for months. Many of us had been working on this bill for almost a year. The Presiding Officer and I are on the Veterans' Affairs Committee, so we were very focused on it.

In my State, we proudly claim more veterans per capita than in any State in the country, but we also have unique challenges. Alaska is a very, very big place. With regard to enabling our veterans to get the healthcare they need and the services they need from the VA, it can be a challenge. So one of the things that we worked hard on was to make sure that if a veteran lives in a big State in a very rural part of America, they will still get the benefits they have earned as a veteran.

There are a number of things in the VA MISSION Act, which we just passed, that focus on the unique elements of Alaska. I will give a couple of examples that are now in the legislation that will be signed by the President in a couple days.

The bill requires access to community care--non-VA care--where the VA does not operate a full-service facility in the State. Well, there is no full-service VA facility in Alaska. So what this enables our veterans to do is to get care from other medical service providers, particularly our veterans who are in some of the more rural parts of the State.

It has a specific Alaska fee schedule for the reimbursement of providers because healthcare costs are structurally so much higher in my State, as are transportation costs. There is a fee schedule that the VA uses in this bill just for Alaska. It continues to allow the VA to have Tribal sharing agreements with members of Tribal organizations that, again, have a very far reach and provide excellent care to so many Alaskans, both Natives and non-Natives.

By the way, Alaska Natives serve at higher rates in the U.S. military than any other ethnic group in the country. There is incredible patriotism from those constituents in my State, whom we are all very proud of.

The bill creates standards for timely payments to community care providers. One of the big challenges we had in the VA was that non-VA medical providers provide care for veterans, and then the VA does not reimburse them for months. This causes enormous challenges, including collection agencies calling the very veterans who got the care and services. This is completely unacceptable. We are trying to change that, and this bill will do it.

Finally, a bill that I had with Senator Tester from Montana is called the Serving Our Rural Veterans Act, which is now part of the broader bill. What this does is create VA residency programs in States such as Alaska and Montana that don't have medical schools and where there are very few residency programs. Studies show that after doctors do their residency, well over 50 percent of the doctors stay in the States where they do residency programs. That is a great advantage if you have a lot of residency programs, but we don't. What this bill does is set up a pilot program by the VA to work with Native health organizations, DOD health organizations, IHS health organizations, and establish residency programs through the VA so that we can get doctors in Alaska who will do service for our veterans and then stay.

Those are just a few examples of how this bill helps not only veterans nationwide but certainly helps the veterans in my State. Of course, the implementation of this bill is going to be key. One thing that concerns me, to be frank, is that right now there is very little leadership at the highest levels of the VA. As a matter of fact, we have had four secretaries in 4 years. We need to start putting established, secure leaders in the VA to start implementing this important piece of legislation. We will continue the oversight role in Congress, but this is a good start.

More importantly, this bill also sends a strong message to our veterans throughout the country that the Senators in this body, Democrats and Republicans, have focused on them and have their backs, as do Americans all across the Nation.

This is what I want to talk about for the remainder of my remarks this afternoon, on the eve of Memorial Day weekend--looking at and reflecting for a little bit on the Senate floor about the ebb and flow of how we, as Americans, have treated our veterans and memorialized their service because that is what this weekend is all about.

We know and we continue always to lionize and celebrate our World War II veterans and the over 400,000 Americans who gave their lives defending freedom. That is who we are thinking about this weekend. During World War II, from ticker tape parades when they came home to Honor Flights that continue today, this ``greatest generation'' of Americans, both living and dead, has received the respect and honor that all of our veterans should have, and with good reason. Their sacrifice saved the world from authoritarian takeover, whether it was from Nazi Germany or Imperial Japan. So we always had the ``greatest generation'' up here in terms of how we view them, how we memorialize them--the veterans, those who gave the ultimate sacrifice.

Then, just 5 years later came the Korean war, and the respect we gave to the tens of thousands of veterans returning home from Korea started to decline, something akin to benign neglect. Many in American society during that time seemed as if they didn't want to be bothered by what was going on in Korea or didn't want to think about the tens of thousands who were killed in action, the over 8,000 who are still declared missing in action, and the over 100,000 American servicemembers wounded in the Korean war. This is reflected even today in the name that many historians have given this conflict, the ``Forgotten War.''

I have never liked that phrase. I think it is actually borderline disrespectful. The better way to memorialize the sacrifice of our Korean war veterans is in the words etched into the marble of the incredibly moving Korean War Veterans Memorial in Washington, DC, just a few miles from here. That memorial--for those who haven't visited, I highly recommend you do; for those who are visiting Washington, particularly on this weekend, it is great to go down there. But there is a simple phrase there: ``Freedom is not free.''

Freedom is not free. If this weekend means anything, it is the importance of that phrase on the Korean War Veterans Memorial. That memorial also states: ``Our Nation honors her sons and daughters who answered the call to defend a country they never knew and a people they never met.''

If you want to see an example of American bravery and what it meant, take a look at the difference between North and South Korea today. There is a satellite photo that is very famous. It shows the Korean Peninsula at night. The North is dark; even today it is dark. The South is full of light, vibrancy, and energy. The reason that happened--the reason that happens to this day is because of the bravery, the service, and the sacrifice of American military members.

These are powerful words on the Korean War Veterans Memorial in Washington, DC, and to me the rightful tribute to that war and our veterans shouldn't be the ``Forgotten War''; it should be the ``Noble War.'' Think about what our men and women did. As I mentioned, they were sent overseas to ``defend a country they never knew and a people they never met.'' To this day, our troops are on the peninsula right now, keeping the peace--28,000 of them.

So we had benign neglect in the Korean war, and then what happened? Well, then came the Vietnam war.

We all know what happened. Yet to this day, we really don't know why it happened. Our country kind of went off-kilter, and in terms of the honor and respect we showed our Vietnam veterans and their wounded and fallen comrades, America hit rock bottom--

World War II, here; Korean war, benign neglect; Vietnam, disgraceful conduct toward the men and women serving in the military.

We have all heard the stories; they are sad and tragic. We have all heard the stories of young men and women who went to serve their country and fight overseas in Vietnam, who came home to protesters, were spit on, and called baby killers.

I remember hearing about one such episode from a senior marine officer when I was a young marine infantry lieutenant. He came home from combat and met his dad, who was a World War II veteran, at the airport. He was in his service alphas--the green uniform that marines wear--sea bag over his shoulder. His dad was with him. He came outside of the airport, and protesters were there, and someone threw red paint on him and his father.

Think about that. A dad and a young man who just came home from fighting in Vietnam--and that is what he got. But here is the amazing thing, and it is why our country owes such a debt of gratitude to our Vietnam veterans. Instead of being racked and incapacitated by bitterness and anger, these veterans did something amazing, something remarkable. They set out to make sure that future veterans of America's wars and their fallen comrades would receive better attention and better treatment and better respect than they did. They made it their mission in life that we as a nation would once again honor our military as we honored the veterans coming home from World War II--at the highest level. That is what they did.

Here is the amazing thing. They succeeded. They succeeded, and we need to really be thinking about our Vietnam veterans and those killed in action in Vietnam this Memorial Day.

Again, for those who haven't been there, if you want to go to a moving memorial about America's war sacrifices and war dead, there is nothing more moving than the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.

As someone who has seen what our Vietnam veterans have done for the next generation of veterans, I have also seen this throughout my own military career: When we come home from doing our duty, it is the Vietnam veterans who are there making sure that the current generation of American soldiers, American warriors, gets the respect and honor that these veterans never got.

Let me give you one example. Many years ago, I was commanding a Marine recon unit in Alaska. One of my soldiers--one of my sergeants, one of my marines, a great marine--was killed. We had a memorial service. It was a small memorial service for this young Marine sergeant at Fort Richardson. It was outside. We were in our dress blues in a very somber service. Four guys pulled up on Harley Davidson motorcycles. They were older. They pulled up on their bikes, and they just sat there through the whole service--a very, very powerful presence.

At the end of the service they came up to me. I was a captain at the time. They asked if I was the senior officer, and I told them I was. I said: Thanks for coming. What are you doing here? Did you know my sergeant?

They said: No, we just read about the service in the paper today, and we wanted to be here to show our respect and honor for this young Marine sergeant.

Think about that. Vietnam vets who weren't treated well at all when they came home were making sure that one Marine Corps sergeant in Alaska got the respect and dignity he deserved as a veteran. Our Vietnam vets used their painful experience to become our Nation's guardians of military respect, honor, and dignity.

So, right now, where are we as a country? Well, I think we are back at that high level. I think we are back at that high level of not only respecting members of the military--veterans, Active Duty, Reserves-- but certainly our wounded and fallen warriors. It is, in large measure, because of the efforts, sacrifice, and courage of our Vietnam veterans. So we can't thank them enough. As Alaska's Senator, I am so honored to represent so many veterans and so many Vietnam veterans.

Here is what I think is important to talk about on the Senate floor. As we move into Memorial Day weekend, let's resolve--not just as a community, in places like Alaska, but as a country, as a Senate--that we will always, always stay at this high level of respect for our fallen, for our veterans and their families, and, particularly, for those who have given the ultimate sacrifice and the men, women, wives, husbands, and children they have left behind.

I think this is also important. Even though we are back as a nation at this very high level--you always hear it; you always hear it; it is always in the background--some start to question the service and sacrifice of America's military. You have heard it a little bit when ISIS was running amok in Iraq and Syria. You heard some people say: Geez, we took these places with a lot of blood and treasure, and now they have fallen to terrorists. Was that worth the cost of the young men and women who died in those battles? Did our soldiers, marines, and sailors die in vain?

I think it is really important to answer that question right here on the Senate floor, and it is something I hope we can all agree on. No American who has ever worn the uniform of our country to fight for freedom and defend our Nation and die for this country--whether at Valley Forge, Iwo Jima, Hue City, Ramadi, Fallujah--has ever, ever died in vain. We always need to remember that, particularly as we are coming upon Memorial Day weekend.

I wish to thank again all of the members of the military and their families who protected our freedom for centuries and will continue to do so. We are working hard in the Senate to make sure our veterans are taken care of. The VA MISSION Act, which we just passed and which is going to the President's desk for his signature, is part of that sacred commitment we have to our veterans and their families. I wish to thank them all as we come upon Memorial Day weekend.

I yield the floor.

I suggest the absence of a quorum.

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

Mr. President, as my colleagues know, one of the best times of the week for me is when I get to come down to the floor and talk about some of my great constituents back home in Alaska, somebody or a group of Alaskans I refer to as the ``Alaskan of the Week.''

We all think we come from great States, but what I really enjoy about talking about the Alaskan of the week is not just talking about Alaska and how beautiful and big and majestic it is but also about the people who make it such a great place. In this ``Alaskan of the Week'' presentation, I want to talk about not just Rich Owens, whom I am going to talk a lot about this afternoon, but also small businesses in Alaska--in this case, in Anchorage, my hometown. As you know, the owners of these businesses really make a positive impact on communities like Anchorage or States like Alaska or really the whole country.

When you think of Alaska, you think of food. Particularly right now, as spring is in full swing, you think of our delicious salmon. I have good news for all the salmon lovers out there: Copper River salmon season opened last week. It is some of the best wild salmon on the planet. You might also think about our halibut and black cod, king crab, shrimp, and oysters. We actually serve that to our fellow Senators here when we have lunch. I know the Presiding Officer loves Alaskan seafood.

I want people to actually realize that some of our food is ice cream. I know that sounds strange--ice cream in Alaska. In fact, it is said that Alaskans consume more ice cream per capita than any other State in the country. Go figure on that one. That doesn't surprise Rich Owens, our Alaskan of the week, who is the owner of the bustling Tastee Freez on the corner of Jewel Lake and Raspberry Road in Anchorage. That Tastee Freez, which opened in Anchorage at a slightly different location 60 years ago, is one of the oldest Tastee Freezes in the country, and it sells more ice cream than any other Tastee Freez in America. That is remarkable. Rich also claims the largest menu of any Tastee Freez in the United States.

Like so many of our great small businesses, it is much more than just an ice cream store. To those who live in Anchorage and many who live across the State, Rich's Tastee Freez is an institution. It is a bulwark for the community, thanks largely to Rich's ownership. Since he bought the business in 1994, he has made giving back to his community his top priority in so many different ways beyond running that great small business.

Rich was raised in a small town in Montana. His father was a pharmacist, and his parents owned a drugstore. Giving back to the community was something he saw his parents do every single day. ``It was not the exception,'' Rich said, ``it was the rule.''

Rich came to Alaska in the 1980s to work at what is now the Millennium Hotel--another great business in Alaska. In 1994, he bought the Tastee Freez. Since that time, Rich has donated his time and energy and, importantly, his philanthropy to our great State and our community. Let me provide a few examples.

Rich is a huge champion for our schools. That can mean delivering up to 400 sundaes to elementary schools when they have a family reading or math night. He helps fund school trips for students who need help. Every year, each elementary school that he works with stages a Tastee Freez takeover. School staff members work shifts behind the counter, and Tastee Freez employees wear school T-shirts. Those takeovers are widely advertised and popular, and Tastee Freez donates a portion of that day's take to the school. He is very focused on community.

Rich has also formed a work-study partnership with high schools. He guesses that the average age of his 28 employees is 17 years old--about the age of our pages right here listening so intently. For so many Alaskans, it was their first and some say their best job ever, working in that Tastee Freez Rich owns. He has donated his time, energy, and talents to successful summer camps that teach young Alaskans about the outdoors and important values. One of his assistant managers began to work at the shop when she was 15 years old. She is 31 years old, and she met her husband at the shop. This is a great community small business.

Rich is also a huge supporter of our military, our veterans, and the National Guard. As we are approaching Memorial Day weekend and as we are literally debating a very important Veterans Affairs' bill on the Senate floor right now, it is important to remember the thousands of Alaskans and the literally millions of Americans who are veterans and those like Rich, who are supporting our veterans day in and day out.

For example, Rich has been part of the Alaska National Guard's Operation Santa Claus each Christmas holiday, which flies Santa Claus and a bag of presents, toys, school supplies, and fresh fruit to some of the most remote, far-flung Alaska villages each year during the holidays. These kids and these communities love it. Of course, Santa and his helpers also bring Rich's ice cream. Thanks to Rich, the kids get ice cream in the winter. Every year, he serves thousands of 5-ounce sundaes to these young kids in our villages--some who have never seen sprinkles or caramel toppings on their ice cream. For his efforts, Rich is known in my State as the commander of the Alaska National Guard Ice Cream Support Squadron.

Just a few weeks ago, the Tastee Freez in Anchorage--Rich's great small business--celebrated 60 years of service to the community. In case you want to know whether this is a popular small business in our community, over 1,000 people showed up at this celebration. They served 1,644 small ice cream cones, not including the dipped cones and sundaes that day--all free of charge.

I was there for that great celebration. Senator Murkowski was there. Congressman Young was there. Our Governor was there. Tastee Freez corporate officers from the lower 48 flew up to Alaska for this big event. They had never seen anything like it. This is the No. 1 Tastee Freez in the country. But what most excited Rich that day was all the people there he had served throughout the years, including the hundreds of people who used to work at the shop, who met their spouses at Tastee Freez and then had children, and those children now go there, and some even work there.

That is what a small business with heart can do for a community. It can provide young people with their first real job. It can bring us together. It can provide a sense of community. It can serve the community. And, of course, it can be a delicious place of memories for families. That is what the Tastee Freez in Anchorage has done, and that is why we want to congratulate Rich on being our Alaskan of the week and thank him again for all the great things he has done for our State and community.

I yield the floor.

I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Madam President, as we approach Memorial Day to remember the men and women who sacrificed their lives in devotion to the causes of liberty, freedom, and democracy, I would like to take the opportunity to speak about one event in our Nation's history that had a profound impact on my great State. The Battle of Attu was the only land battle fought in North America during the Second World War.

Commonly referred to as the Forgotten Battle or Forgotten War, the campaign began in 1942 with the bombing of Dutch Harbor and subsequent invasions of Adak, Kiska, and Attu by the navy of Imperial Japan. On June 7, 1942, close to 3,000 Japanese soldiers invaded Attu, exactly 6 months to the day after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. As the only land battle during World War II, it was costly. In May of 1943, over 15,000 American soldiers stormed this small island in the Aleutians, and over the course of the engagement, the United States suffered 549 casualties and sustained more than 1,200 injuries. Many more were taken out of action due to disease and nonbattle injuries. Of the over 2,400 Japanese soldiers present at the battle, only 28 survived the battle by capture.

In addition to these often forgotten sacrifices is the impact on those residents who lived on Attu. During the Japanese invasion, all 47 residents of the island were detained, captured, and taken to Japan as prisoners, where 22 would later perish. Those who did survive were not able to return home; there were too few people to rebuild the community after being destroyed by war.

Today, before the Senate, I would like to take a moment to honor the brave servicemembers and the Alaska Territorial Guard members who fought and, in many cases, gave the ultimate sacrifice to defend the territories of the United States and the memory and lives of those Aleut evacuees and Attuan prisoners of war whose communities, culture, and languages were forever effected.

From May 17 to May 19, a memorial ceremony took place in Alaska to honor and acknowledge those who were affected by the Battle of Attu-- the Aleut evacuees, their descendants and veterans of this Forgotten War, both living and deceased.

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

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

Mr. President, I just had a very productive and informative meeting with the nominee to be the next CIA Director, Ms. Gina Haspel. I wanted to come down to the floor and say a few words. I was very impressed. I am going to certainly support her when she is voted on, I believe as early as tomorrow.

There has been a lot of discussion about her background. She is the first woman to lead the CIA, first career member of the CIA. That is all important, but I think what is most important is that the American people and this body know that she is very well qualified. She is a very impressive person.

First of all, she has been very highly decorated in her 30-plus year career at the Central Intelligence Agency. Her honors include the Intelligence Medal of Merit, a Presidential Rank Award, the Donovan Award, which is one of the highest awards in the CIA, and the George H.W. Bush Award for Excellence in Counterterrorism. She is thoughtful. She is honest.

In many ways, she has overcome numerous obstacles. Let me talk a little bit about her bio. She is one of five children. Her father served in the Air Force, having joined at the age of 17. She grew up on military bases, like tens of thousands of Americans. Her original goal in life was to be a soldier. She told her dad she wanted to go to West Point. At the time, her father had to break the news to her that West Point was not admitting women. I think West Point lost out on that one. She ended up as a contractor for the military 10th Special Forces Group. Later, she realized that if she couldn't join the military, she was going to join the CIA, and that is what she did.

She has done an outstanding job at the CIA. She began working at the CIA in 1985 during the closing days of the Cold War. She was stationed literally all over the world--in Africa, for example. She recruited and handled agents and survived a coup d'etat. She worked with government partners during the first gulf war. She ran different CIA stations around the world.

She started with the Counterterrorism Center at the CIA on September 11, 2001, and essentially has spent her life since that time focusing on keeping our country safe. She became the Chief of Staff to the Deputy Director of Operations and the Deputy Director for the National Clandestine Service. She is now the Deputy Director of the entire CIA-- the first woman to rise from the ranks as an initial member of the Agency to that title. And if confirmed, as I mentioned, she will be the first career CIA official and female to lead the Agency. That is really historic, but again, more important than history and more important than these labels is that she is very qualified.

One thing that has been remarkable throughout this entire debate about her--and there has been a lot of debate in the Intelligence Committee--is the members of the military, members of the national security establishment, both Democrats and Republicans, and members of the Intel Committee who have come out and said: We support Gina Haspel. The list is extremely impressive. Let me give a couple examples: John Brennan, former Obama administration CIA Director; James Clapper, former Obama administration Director of National Intelligence; Senator Saxby Chambliss, former Senate Intelligence Committee vice chair; Representative Porter Goss, former CIA Director and House Intelligence Committee chairman; Gen. Michael Hayden, former Bush administration CIA Director; Senator Bob Kerrey,

Democratic Senator from Nebraska, who was on the Senate Intelligence Committee and was the vice chairman; Henry Kissinger, former Secretary of State; Mike McConnell, former Obama administration Director of National Intelligence; ADM William McRaven, former commander of USSOCOM; Michael Morell, former Obama administration Acting and Deputy CIA Director; Michael Mukasey, former Bush administration Attorney General; Leon Panetta, former Obama administration CIA Director and Secretary of Defense; Mike Rogers, Republican Congressman and former House Intel Committee chairman; George Shultz, an incredible statesman and former Secretary of State under President Reagan; and George Tenet, former Clinton and Bush administrations CIA Director.

That is impressive. That is an impressive list. That is the who's who--Democrat and Republican--of who has been in charge of our intelligence services over the last two to three decades, and they are all supporting Ms. Haspel. She is qualified. She has the support of everybody.

I want to briefly talk about essentially where the nomination has been focused. In Washington, a lot of times you can have an issue that comes up, and everybody focuses on it, and you miss the broader picture. The broader picture is that she is very well qualified and has the confidence, literally, of every senior official in the intelligence agencies she has served under, but the focus has been in many ways consumed by her role, which was a very low-level role, in what became known as the enhanced interrogation program that the CIA enacted after 9/11.

It is hard not to say that in the discussion of this, seeing what some of my colleagues have said and what some former Members of the Senate and House have said, there seems to be a lot of amnesia going on here.

I think it is important to take us back to the day that Ms. Haspel started at the CIA's Counterterrorism Center, as I mentioned, on September 11, 2001. For those of us who remember, it was a very frightening time in our country. Almost 3,000 Americans were murdered and almost 8,000 were wounded.

I wasn't here then, but in Washington, DC, whether it was from the President or Members of Congress, there was one demand for the CIA: Find out who did this. Find out who was responsible, and make sure they don't do it again. Find out who did this. Find out who was responsible, and do everything in your power to make sure the United States of America and our citizens don't get attacked again.

That was the No. 1 focus from all the elected leaders in Federal Government to the CIA: Protect us. Find out where the next attack is coming from, and don't let us get hit again.

If what ended up happening during this period of U.S. history--and a lot of people forget about it. A lot of people forget how scared we were. Very few people predicted that we weren't going to get hit again. As a matter of fact, everybody thought we would get hit again, maybe with a weapon of mass destruction.

During the course of this time, the CIA started a program--when they started capturing terrorists who they thought had information--called enhanced interrogation techniques.

There was a lot of worry about getting hit again. I won't go through all the examples, but there are members of the Intel Committee in the Senate and members of the Intel Committee in the House who were briefed on exactly what the CIA was doing--exactly what they were doing with these enhanced interrogation techniques. And that is where the amnesia comes in, because we have seen some Members of this body say: That was horrible. Yet they were briefed. As a matter of fact, there are reports that many Members of Congress said: Do more; find out who did this. That was the order that the CIA and the members of our clandestine services were given.

There are numerous quotes from that time. Let me give one from former Senator John D. Rockefeller, West Virginia, who was the ranking member on the Senate Intel Committee. In 2003, on CNN's ``Late Edition,'' he was talking about how we had captured Khalid Shaikh Mohammed--KSM, as he was known--who was known to be the mastermind of 9/11. It was very clear that at least Senator Rockefeller was saying: Make sure that we get as much info as we can from this guy.

Here is what he said:

Happily, we don't know where [KSM] is.

Meaning he was offsite, not in the country.

He's in safekeeping under American protection. He'll be

grilled by us. I'm sure we'll be proper with him, but I'm

sure we'll be very, very tough with him.

There are presidential memorandums that prescribe and allow

certain measures to be taken, but we have to be careful. On

the other hand, he does have the information. Getting that

information will save American lives. We have no business not

getting that information.

This is a year and a half after 9/11, and this is the vice chairman of the Intel Committee saying: Get it. Press it.

The CIA used these techniques, but here is the important thing. At the time they were told to go do this, it was reviewed by the Justice Department, which said: This is legal. You are allowed to use these techniques to try to get additional information. This is legal. Go do this. The Government of the United States is telling you that you have the authority to do it. It is legal.

That is undisputed. As a matter of fact, the enhanced interrogation techniques were actually developed at our military training facilities that we have in different parts of the country, called SERE schools-- ``Survival, Evasion, Resistance, and Escape'' schools. That is where the techniques were developed.

There was another reason why people at the time thought that this could be legal, because these interrogation techniques and training are actually used on our own military. For years, members of the military had been going to SERE school, and they underwent these interrogations. They underwent waterboarding. It was our own citizens. As a recon marine, I went to SERE school, and these techniques were applied to me, including waterboarding.

The CIA was told: Make sure this doesn't happen. The Members of Congress were briefed. Intel committee members, like Senator Rockefeller, were saying: Do more. The Justice Department comes out and says: This is all legal. Go do it. Make sure we are not attacked again. Oh, by the way, you are using techniques that we use on our marines and soldiers.

And that is what they did.

Gina Haspel was not high up. She had nothing to do with this. She was a GS-15 when this was going on. Yet my colleagues who are looking for reasons to vote against her are using this as an episode, saying: Well, because she was involved at a low level, we are going to vote against her.

Think about that. Members of the clandestine service were going out and risking their lives, being told to do something by the government, being told it was legal to do something by the government, being encouraged by Members of this body and the House to go do it, and now that one of them has risen through the ranks, with a stellar career, we are going to have Members come to the floor and say: No, we are going to consider her not qualified because she was a GS-15 and didn't design the program during this very, very difficult and challenging time in American history. If you don't think that breeds cynicism or if you don't think that breeds distrust between the Congress and the intelligence service, well, it does. It does.

I even had a friend of mine, and I got recalled to Active Duty for a year and a half at the end of 2004. We were staff officers to the CENTCOM commander. So we were in the Middle East most of that time. He was an agency representative, and he actually predicted this was going to happen to me a long time ago. I don't think it is appropriate for my colleagues on the other side of the aisle to somehow use this against Ms. Haspel, a low-level employee, who was told to go do it. Congress is aware. Some Members even said do more--legally justified, used it at SERE school with our military. Now we are going to hold that against this very well-qualified nominee.

Let me just add something because I know it is part of the discussion. In retrospect, over time, many Members look back on that period and say: Well, maybe we shouldn't have done that. Maybe these enhanced interrogation

techniques aren't legal. Maybe that is a bad reflection on our country.

So there was a debate on this. That is fine. That is the way it should be.

As a matter of fact, one of the Senators whom I have the most respect for in this entire body, Senator McCain--who knows a lot about torture and a lot about interrogation and has been a hero and is well respected--led that debate on the Senate floor that said that these enhanced interrogation techniques--waterboarding--aren't what we should be doing in this country. So let's clarify this. Yes, a previous administration said this is legal. We do it to our own soldiers and marines and Navy SEALS, but we are going to look at a higher value on what we believe is right and what Americans should be doing or should not be doing.

So we actually had a debate in 2016 on this floor as part of the National Defense Authorization Act, where Senator McCain led an effort with an amendment that said: From here on out, the techniques that our CIA operatives would be able to use and that should be approved are only those in the Army Field Manual. Those are OK--not the rest of what happened in terms of the enhanced interrogation techniques. Then this body passed that. As a matter of fact, I voted for the McCain amendment out of respect, appreciation, and the arguments that John McCain was making. So we clarified the law.

In many ways, that is how the system is supposed to work. In challenging times with a lot of turmoil, yes, these operatives were pushing the envelope, but it was legal. We should take a step back and say: Maybe that shouldn't be what we should be doing going forward. And we changed the system through debate on the floor, led by Senator McCain.

Let me just end by saying that here is how it is not supposed to work. We have a very dangerous situation, like we had after 9/11. We asked our best and brightest to risk their lives to defend this country, to do really tough operations all around the world. We go tell them to do things. This body is briefed on it. We tell them it is legal, and then later, we said: Do you know what? Now we are going to hold that against you.

Not only is that unfair, but if we continue doing that, how hard do you think it is going to be to get the top people in our country to want to join the CIA or the special forces or the military? We tell them to go do this, to protect your Nation; it is legal. And then 10, 15 years later, we say: No, maybe it wasn't.

I want to thank Ms. Haspel for wanting to serve her country at the highest level, for her example, and all the other members of the CIA's clandestine services, who have been on the frontlines protecting this Nation. I certainly hope my colleagues who are looking at that period of history, looking to hold it against her, recognize the broader context. Not only were she and the other members of the Agency asked to do that kind of work, but they were told it was important to protect the country and that it was legal.

When her nomination comes to the floor tomorrow, I certainly hope my colleagues keep this all in mind, look at her broad qualifications, and vote for her to be the next CIA Director.

I yield the floor.

Mr. President, I would like to say a few words about Sharon Jackson, a former member of my staff who recently left to pursue another opportunity in public service.

Sharon was part of the original team in my State offices that I hired after being sworn into the Senate in January 2015.

She served as a constituent relations representative, where her compassion and authenticity reassured constituents as she worked to resolve their issues with various Federal agencies. Being an Army veteran herself, Sharon had a unique gift of connecting with veterans and servicemembers while she helped them navigate complex government systems. The difference she made in the lives of so many people is immeasurable.

Sharon provided insight into the issues small businesses face in Alaska. Her past work with National Write Your Congressman and the National Federation of Independent Businesses put her in tune with the passions and concerns of Alaska's small businesses.

She was also a very involved community member in Anchorage and Eagle River, contributing her time and energy to a variety of organizations with the intention of building a better and brighter future for our great State.

Sharon was a true pleasure to have on the team. She loves Alaska, and that always showed in her passionate advocacy on behalf of constituents. She loves her family and is a devoted wife and mother.

We will miss Sharon and the joy she had helping Alaskans. I wish her the best in her future endeavors.

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

Mr. President, it is Thursday. As you know, I like to come to the floor, and a lot of the time, my colleague from Louisiana is actually in the Chair, so he gets to hear a lot about the great State of Alaska. I like to come to the floor to talk about someone in my State who has done an amazing job either for their community or the State or even the country. We call this person our Alaskan of the Week. I know, for the pages, it is their favorite time in the Senate because they get to learn all about what is going on in Alaska. A lot of people watching or watching on TV have found a lot of interest in this because, like every Senator here, I certainly think I come from the best State in the country. It is beautiful right now. I really want to invite everybody who is in the Gallery or watching on TV to come up to Alaska and visit. It will be the trip of a lifetime. I promise.

Yet what makes my State truly great is the people, not just the majestic mountains and the beauty and the wildlife but the people-- strong, kind, caring people who band together--let's face it--in a State with some extreme environment. Oftentimes, they band together in creative ways.

I would like to introduce today our Alaskans of the Week--Holly Christensen, from Palmer, AK, and Bree Hitchcock, who lives in Anchorage, AK. Both of these incredible women have spent countless hours helping thousands of children in Alaska and, really, across America--children who need help and care and love. They have been helping children who are suffering from cancer. This is a really incredible story. It is one of these stories that, I think, most people love to hear about because it starts with just an idea--a little movement, a spark--that turns into something big unexpectedly. It is a pebble in a pond that creates ripples that turn into waves.

This incredible story starts when Holly, an oncology nurse with three young children of her own, received news that Lilly, who was a child of one of her former classmates, was diagnosed with cancer. Lilly is young girl, and she is going through treatment--chemo. Holly knew this would be a difficult time for Lilly or for any kid who was working through the difficulties associated with cancer. Of course, a lot of times with chemo that means losing your hair. It is especially difficult for a young girl.

Holly had an idea. Why not crochet a wig for Lilly with soft yarn that made her look like a princess? So she did that. She found some soft yarn. She crocheted a whimsical wig with long, branded strands of yellow yarn, decorated with blue and red flowers, modeled after the hair of the Disney character Rapunzel. She gave this to Lilly, and this wig brightened this little girl's day during a very difficult, dark time. She was able to twirl around in a dress with her Rapunzel braid. She was able, in many ways, to be a kid again and get out of the darkness and difficulty and pain of the cancer treatments.

Then something really remarkable happened. Lilly and her parents were so happy with the wig that Holly got some friends together, and they began to make a few more wigs and then a few more--a dozen or so--for more children in Alaska who were suffering from cancer. They were wigs that were all modeled after Disney characters.

That is where Bree comes in. She is from Anchorage. She heard about Holly's project through Facebook, and she began to volunteer. Soon, they were making and distributing hundreds of wigs out of Holly's one- car garage in Palmer, AK. Eventually, they started a nonprofit organization called the

Magic Yarn Project. Out of this one little idea for this one beautiful, little girl, the Magic Yarn Project was born.

Soon, dozens of Alaskans began to volunteer their time, and they began to hold workshops in schools and in hospitals and in community centers. The magic started to spread throughout Alaska, and then it started to spread throughout the country and even around the world. Thousands of people began making princess hair and superhero hair out of yarn for children who were living in the darkness and suffering through the difficulty of cancer.

To date, this dynamic duo, Holly and Bree, have facilitated the distribution of over 7,000 wigs in 38 countries across the globe for children who are losing their hair due to cancer and chemotherapy treatments. Think about that--one idea, one wig. Now we are at 7,000. Holly and Bree have amassed an army of over 4,000 volunteers across the country to crochet wigs. This takes time and care and talent.

The old, young, and those from every walk of life have reached out to them to help brighten a child's life. A football player from the Seattle Seahawks went to the first out-of-State workshop they held in Seattle. Everybody has been getting involved here. There are even women who are incarcerated in Alaska who are making whimsical wigs for these kids. It is impacting everybody.

Out of this one-car garage in Palmer, AK, which is a small town with a big heart, literally, the production and love and care of making these wigs has overtaken not just Alaska, not just the country but the world. Because of the project's growing popularity and their desire to reach as many children and volunteers as possible, the two have opened up chapters in seven States and even in Mexico. It has been daunting and a lot of work, but they have discovered so much about themselves and their community.

First, they were struck with how generous Alaskans are, and it was only possible because Alaskans from all across the State rose to the occasion to help these young kids. Bree said the Magic Yarn Project has pushed her in ways she never knew were possible. It made her a better mom and a better person. Holly said one of the most rewarding things about the project is in watching her own children get involved and help and have deep compassion for children who are suffering and who are less fortunate, whether they are in Alaska or in the country or somewhere else in the world.

Holly said:

There have been times when a little voice inside me says,

``These are just wigs. This isn't that big or that

important.''

Yet, when they get the pictures back of these young girls from all over the country who are wearing their beautiful wigs, they realize it is a big deal. It is a huge deal.

The parents of these kids have told Holly and Bree how grateful they are to see their children, who often are living lives in pain and with needles and surgeries and in hospitals, smile again because of what they have done. ``It gives them a glimpse of what it was like and hope for what it will be like when they get better,'' Holly said.

So, to Holly and Bree, we can't thank you enough for your extraordinary work and your great compassion that has touched, literally, thousands and thousands of lives across America and the world.

Congratulations for being our Alaskans of the Week.

Confirmation of Mike Pompeo

Mr. President, I commend my colleagues who debated for the last week and then voted on the new Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, who I believe is either en route or will be en route soon to the NATO Foreign Ministers summit.

As many of us said on the floor, Mike Pompeo is extremely well qualified to be the Secretary of State--extremely well qualified. He was a Congressman who focused on foreign affairs. He is the current Director of the CIA and was an Army officer who graduated No. 1 in his class from West Point. He was the Harvard Law Review editor when he went to Harvard Law School.

I particularly commend my colleagues on the other side of the aisle who did the right thing and voted for Mr. Pompeo.

I have come down to the floor a couple of times to talk about this issue of having a long tradition in the United States of this body typically coming together, particularly as it relates to the Secretary of State. If someone is qualified and is the President's pick, the tradition has been to vote for that person. If you look at the votes over the last 50 years for the Secretaries of State, whether Republicans or Democrats, there was usually a unanimous vote--100 Senators, 96 Senators, 97 Senators. What I am hopeful for is that we can get back to that issue with regard to foreign policy and national security choices for the President regardless of who the President is.

I commend my colleagues on both sides of the aisle but particularly my Democratic colleagues, who, I know, faced a lot of pressure to vote no. For those who knew it was important to make sure this was a bipartisan vote, I thank them. I think Mike Pompeo is going to do a good job.

I yield the floor.

Mr. President, today I rise, as I like to do at the end of the week, to talk about somebody in my State who has made a real big difference to Alaska and, in many ways,

to the country. It is a good opportunity for me to come down on the floor and brag a little bit about Alaska, although my State does a really good job of selling itself anyway. It is what we refer to in my office as the Alaskan of the Week.

It is a great opportunity to talk about not just the wonderful things we have in Alaska--the wonderful mountains, oceans, and how beautiful the State is. Right now, the Sun is out again and shining high. The snow is melting. The buds are coming out and birds are coming back. It is a good opportunity for me to talk not just about the natural wonders but the people who make Alaska such a great place.

While it doesn't get as much attention as it deserves, there is an incredibly fascinating and sometimes tragic history of my State. It is a good opportunity for me to talk to my colleagues about that and the people who have worked hard and have been part of that history and have helped to heal some of the scars that have been left from that history.

Along with talking about the beauty of Alaska every week, we talk about someone who has made a difference. This week, I would like to recognize Dimitri Philemonof and all the work he has done over the decades for his community, for his State, and really for his country.

Dimitri was born in 1944 to Erena and Isaac Philemonof on the breathtaking, beautiful St. George Island, one of the two principal islands of the Pribilof Islands in Alaska. Surrounded by the Bering Sea, the Pribilofs are about 750 miles from Anchorage and about 500 miles from the Siberian Coast. The Pribilofs are really one of the Wonders of the World, particularly with the nature that is there-- Steller sea lions, walruses, sea otters, and tens of thousands of fur seals. Depending on the season, more than 2.5 million seabirds call the Pribilof Islands their home. The ``Galapagos of the North,'' it is sometimes called because of this teeming wildlife.

You will also find in the Pribilofs the warmest, most resilient people anywhere in the world. The Pribilofs, as well as the entire Aleutian Island chain, has a storied and, to be honest, sometimes painful history in our country--a history that has shaped Dimitri's life.

First, when Alaska was a colonial possession of Russia, Russian fur seekers decimated the Aleut Native populations on these islands through warfare, disease, and, yes, even slavery. Then, 75 years after the United States purchased Alaska during World War II, Japan invaded and occupied Kiska and Attu, the westernmost islands of Alaska's Aleutian Island chain. A lot of Americans don't know that American territory was invaded and occupied by the Japanese during World War II. It was the first time since the War of 1812 that American soil had been occupied by an enemy. The Japanese dug in and held these two islands in Alaska until mid-1943, when American forces recaptured Kiska and Attu in a brutal campaign in the cold of Alaska.

That campaign to retake Kiska and Attu resulted in the deaths of about 1,500 American servicemen. More than 600 were missing, and almost 3,500 were wounded in action. It was a major battle of World War II. Less well known is the impact this conflict had on the Aleut peoples of Alaska. As a result of the invasion, nearly 900 Aleut civilian residents of the Pribilof Islands and the Aleutian Islands in Alaska were relocated to temporary internment camps in Southeast Alaska. Among those interned were Dimitri's parents, two of his brothers, and a sister who was born in the camp. Dimitri himself jokes and laughs that, in his words, he was actually ``conceived'' in the camp.

The treatment of our American citizens--and these are great American citizens. They are patriotic. They serve in the military at higher rates than any other ethnic group in the country. The treatment of these American citizens in these camps is a dark spot in American history that not many Americans are aware of. Camps were basically abandoned buildings. The conditions were awful--crowded, unheated, and unsanitary. Some even died in the camps as a result of these horrendous conditions. These were our citizens in our country.

Yet, like so many Alaskan Natives who were not treated well by our government during this time, Dimitri, nevertheless, signed up when he was of age to serve his country in the military. In the 1960s, he joined the Army and served in the Pathfinder Detachment at Fort Rucker in Alabama. He was an Airborne soldier.

Eventually, Dimitri made his way back to Alaska. He met his wife Victoria and started a family. He is the proud father of five, and he began to work at the Aleutian Pribilof Islands Association. He is now the President and CEO of the Association.

The association has had numerous accomplishments under his leadership. Since 1985, it has greatly expanded its programs for the people of the Pribilofs and the Aleutians, and its budget has grown from about $2.5 million to more than $18 million to fund these important service programs under his leadership.

For years, he did something that was so important that this body was involved here in the Senate. He worked closely with Alaska's congressional delegation at the time--Senator Ted Stevens, Senator Frank Murkowski, and Congressman Don Young--to work on educating the Congress and the Senate about this difficult history during World War II and to help pass legislation entitled the ``Aleutian and Pribilof Islands Restitution Act,'' which compensated surviving Aleut victims of the internment camps. Again, American citizens were sent by their government during the war to internment camps in Alaska. Not many people know that history.

Dimitri not only knew it, he lived it. His family lived it, but what he did was so powerful. He helped heal it. He helped heal it right here on the floor of the Senate.

He then helped pass the Aleutian and Pribilof Islands Restitution Trust to oversee money allocated to rebuild some of the buildings and houses in this part of Alaska that were destroyed during the war--in the fierce battles that raged in my State during World War II that not many Americans are aware of.

That is a great life and service. Dimitri is also an artist helping to preserve Alaska Native culture through his beautiful drawings-- particularly of Russian Orthodox Churches in the region--churches he has worked tirelessly to maintain throughout Alaska. These are beautiful churches. He also does an incredible Elvis Presley impersonation.

He is a man of faith, of perseverance, and kindness. As I have mentioned here, and tried to highlight just a little bit of his life, he has devoted his whole life to his people, to my State, and to this great Nation. In May, he will be recognized by his colleagues for 40 years of humanitarian service and for helping heal the wounds of this country that came about during World War II. We thank him for all he has done in his beloved Pribilofs, in Alaska, in America, and on the floor of the Senate.

Dimitri, I want to thank you, once again, and congratulate you on being our Alaskan of the Week.

Mr. President, I want to give a little bit of an update on what has been happening on the Senate floor in the last few days because there is a lot going on. I think sometimes it is important to explain to people watching in the Gallery, people watching on TV, and the people watching back home in Alaska what is happening here.

We had a big vote yesterday. It was a big vote particularly for my State but also for the Presiding Officer's State of Louisiana--any coastal State. It was a vote on the Coast Guard bill yesterday. It was a strong bipartisan vote, but we just missed getting 60 Senators.

To be perfectly honest, it was a disappointment. It was certainly a disappointment to the men and women in the Coast Guard who are serving our country all over not only America but the world--exceptional service.

This body was unable to get the authorization bill that sets the policies and funding and spending for the Coast Guard. That was sad, in my view--a big disappointment. We have principled differences here in the Senate, but we have been working hard on this. We have been working very hard across the aisle.

I chair the Subcommittee on the Coast Guard. We tried to make sure we had plenty of Senators who would support this, so my team and I worked for

months on accommodating my colleagues' concerns about the bill. In certain ways, we pretty much accommodated every request for an amendment and every request for fixing the bill. So I really thought we were going to get to the point where we had way more than 60 Senators to pass this bill for the men and women of the Coast Guard, to make our waterway economic opportunities more efficient, and to put more maritime workers to work, but at the end of the day, we couldn't get to that magic number of 60, which is so critical here in the Senate. It is disappointing to say that politics got in the way. There were some people who had previously committed to make sure this got over the goal line who weren't there at the end. But we will keep working on it. It is too important for my State and too important for the country to leave the men and women of the Coast Guard and so many other important issues that were taken up in that bill not completed. That is what we call the legislative calendar--that is legislation on the Senate floor we are trying to move, and we will keep working in a bipartisan way there.

The Washington Post has not necessarily been a strong supporter of the Trump administration, but right here in their editorial, they are saying that the Senate needs to confirm Mike Pompeo.

They make the point that I am trying to make here in my remarks, which is that rejecting or delaying Pompeo's nomination as Mr. Trump juggles multiple crises around the world without adequate counsel would probably make an already parlous situation worse.

``Mike Pompeo should be deployed to Foggy Bottom''--that is the State Department--``in the hope that he will fulfill his promise to revive and reassert U.S. diplomacy.'' That is from the Washington Post article, and I think it is wise counsel for everybody here-- Republicans, Democrats, all of us.

Bipartisanship is important to move things along in the Senate, whether it is the Coast Guard bill or well-qualified nominees in the national security world, and it has certainly been a U.S. tradition with regard to the Secretary of State that not only goes back decades but centuries.

I am hoping that my colleagues sit down and talk to Mike Pompeo if they have issues with him, and raise them, but let's get to the floor, and let's confirm him as the Secretary of State because the State Department needs a well-qualified individual to run that important agency, and so does our country.

I yield the floor.

Mr. President, I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. President, I want to say a few words--I know a number of my colleagues have--before I start my discussion on the very important Coast Guard bill we are debating on the floor.

America lost a wonderful example of a strong woman, Mrs. Barbara Bush, yesterday. I think the entire country and I know the whole Senate sends its prayers and condolences to the Bush family.

If you want an example of an American citizen who represents strength, dignity, and class, and who really served our Nation so well, it was Barbara Bush. The thoughts and prayers of the Senate are with the Bush family right now.

Coast Guard Authorization Bill

Mr. President, as the Presiding Officer who sits on the Armed Services Committee with me knows, each year this body, the Congress-- House and Senate--passes the Defense Authorization Act or the NDAA as it is called. It is an important bill. It moves forward the policies and authorizations of spending for the men and women serving in the military. It can be contentious, but at the end of the day for over a half century we have moved that bill forward each year.

We always forget one of the branches of the U.S. military--the men and women who serve in the Coast Guard of the United States of America. We don't always move the Coast Guard Authorization Act forward. That is not because they are not as important as the other Members of the military. In some ways, it is just a twist of the organization here in Congress. The Coast Guard is under the jurisdiction of the Commerce Committee not the Armed Services Committee and is under the executive branch jurisdiction of the Department of Homeland Security, not the Pentagon. It is still an incredibly important organization for all of us, and so today we are going to vote on the Coast Guard Authorization Act, that we should be moving every year just like we move the NDAA because the men and women who serve in the Coast Guard are some of America's finest citizens.

I see my colleague from Mississippi, Senator Wicker, joining me on the floor. We have been working on this bill, the Coast Guard Authorization Act, for about 1 year now. We faced a lot of roadblocks, and we have moved forward on a bipartisan basis to finally get this important bill to the floor.

As the chairman of the subcommittee in charge of the Coast Guard, I feel it is very important to take a minute on the Senate floor to speak about what the men and women in our Coast Guard do on a daily basis so everybody, the people watching back home and the people in my State, the great State of Alaska, know just how important the Coast Guard is and how we are focusing on them.

Many people in the country know the Coast Guard as the heroic Americans who literally come out of the sky to rescue us when we are in trouble, particularly on the high seas. I have heard them described as angels in helicopters with courage and dignity and strength. When they show up, it is certainly America witnessing its very best.

Let me give just a few examples of what the Coast Guard does on a daily basis--certainly in my State. Here are a few examples from just the past few weeks:

In Oregon, a Coast Guard aircrew rescued four commercial fishermen after their 54-foot fishing vessel capsized off the coast of Rockaway Beach.

In Kauai, HI, the Coast Guard is assisting in recovery efforts following a storm dropping more than 27 inches of rain, causing severe flooding.

On Sunday, the Coast Guard rescued four people from the water in Blackwater Sound near Key Largo, FL, and they rescued eight people aboard a disabled vessel just a few days ago near Pensacola Bay Bridge,

Mr. President, I won't go into it. I have seen a lot of these kinds of letters supporting legislation, but I have rarely seen a letter that is pages and pages long--steelworkers, International Union of Operating Engineers, Juneau Charter Boat Operators Association, International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, Eastern Lake Erie Charterboat Association. This letter supporting the Coast Guard bill has many different groups supporting it, and that is why there has been so much strong bipartisan support.

Mr. President, I will be glad to yield.

That is correct.

That is correct.

We actually made literally dozens of changes over the last several months

to accommodate almost every single Senator that had requested a change to address some of their issues. We have made numerous changes to this bill, for Republicans and Democrats, to make sure we have strong bipartisan support, and we are certainly hoping that the changes we made for so many Senators who have been supportive of the bill will now lead a strong bipartisan vote here in a little bit.

They have not only expressed strong support but have cosponsored this legislation.

I thank the Senator from Mississippi for his very kind words. This has been a team effort. We have been working together. Democrats have been working with us. My colleagues from Florida, from Pennsylvania--we have all been down here talking about this. I know there are going to be strong votes in favor.

I do want to mention that the minority leader was just on the floor, and he ended his remarks that he just made a couple of minutes ago about how it is really important for the Senate to get back to bipartisan accomplishments that help the American worker. He just said that. Well, my colleague from New York, I couldn't agree more. That is what this bill is.

I am going to mention one other thing before I actually do my presiding time. I appreciate the Presiding Officer giving me a few additional minutes before I get in the Chair.

We have been dealing with this issue. Some have raised the issue that they are concerned about what the vessel incidental discharge provisions in this bill that I just talked about could do to the environment. I am from the great State of Alaska. We have the most pristine, beautiful environment in the world, and the cleanest water in the world. We want to keep it that way. I am all about that.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that this document be submitted in the Record called ``The Vessel Incidental Discharge Act: Good for the Environment--Good for Business.''

This document has myths versus facts on what people are saying that this bill could do, and then it gives you the facts. I am not going to read each one, but if we have to have a debate on it, I certainly will read each one. It is really important to see this wasn't created by Senator Wicker or me. If you look at the author of this, it was the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation--our committee--written by the minority staff. What does that mean?

This is a Democratic staff under the minority and the Ranking Member on the committee saying that all the things you are hearing about how this is going to be bad are not true. Those are myths. These are the facts. These are our Democratic colleagues rebutting some of the people now looking to maybe not vote for this.

I ask all of my colleagues who are on the fence to take a look at this really well-produced myths-versus-facts sheet that was produced by our Democratic colleagues on the Commerce Committee because, again, it goes to what Senator Wicker was talking about--that this is a very strong bipartisan bill that we have been working on for months or really years. This has passed out of committee, I think, six different times with strong bipartisan support, including when the Democrats were chairing the committee.

I want to say to all of my colleagues that it is not just what is in this bill on the VIDA provision, or the discharge provision.

The bill is about the Coast Guard, the men and women serving in the Coast Guard. Every year, as I mentioned, we pass the NDAA, which is great--Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines--but we always forget about the Coast Guard, and we shouldn't be doing that. They are heroic young men and women. We can send a bipartisan signal today that we care about them. We are recognizing the heroic work you do for this country and the lives you save every day. We have your back.

I urge all of my colleagues, particularly my colleagues who know this issue, who have voted for this bill to come out of committee many times--there are well over 60 of us--to vote yes on this important bill when it comes to the floor in a few minutes.

I yield the floor.

Mr. President. I would like to say a few words about a

former member of my staff, Mike Fleagle, who has recently left my office and, unfortunately for Alaska, accepted a job in Colorado.

Mike was one of the very first people to join my team when I took office in 2014. I lured Mike away from his great job as the facilities maintenance supervisor for Alaska's largest city and was honored that he wanted to join me in serving our fellow Alaskans.

When you meet Mike, it doesn't take long to see the thoughtfulness and kindness by which he lives his life and treats others. He has a can-do attitude and an incredible knowledge base for so many important issues for Alaskans: aviation, rural affairs, transportation, energy, and subsistence. He brought to our office a trove of knowledge about hunting and fishing that he obtained in his 14 years of experience as chairman and member of Alaska's Board of Game and the Federal Subsistence Board, in addition to being a lifelong outdoorsman.

Mike was a true pleasure to have on the team. He loves Alaska and that always showed in the excellent quality of his work. Mike loves to hunt, fish, and hike, and he loves his family and is a devoted husband and father.

We will miss Mike very much, and I am very grateful for the time he spent in my office helping Alaskans.

Mr. President, I would like to say a few words about Kate O'Connor, a former member of my staff who recently left to pursue another opportunity in public service.

She is now working at the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, where she will continue her focus on telecommunications and information policy.

Kate was one of the first staffers I hired after being sworn in to the Senate in January 2015.

She started as a legislative correspondent and was integral in establishing and managing our constituent correspondence system. Her talent, work ethic, and interest in Alaska elevated her to a legislative assistant, where she oversaw issues related to the Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee, as well as education and healthcare.

Kate understood firsthand the unique challenges Alaska faces, particularly in regard to broadband deployment and reliable internet access. She played a critical role in helping to usher an Alaska specific plan through the FCC, a plan that will help bridge the digital divide by bringing more advanced broadband services to rural Alaska.

It was during her time at the University of Chicago, where she was pursuing a bachelor's of arts in public policy from the university, when she ventured north to my great State of Alaska for an internship in Juneau.

She fell in love with my State, as so many people do, and I am confident that she will go on to be a great ambassador for Alaska.

Kate's positive attitude, her work ethic, and her love for Alaska will definitely be missed. I wish her all the best.