Directing The Removal Of United States Armed Forces From Hostilities In The Republic Of Yemen That Have Not Been Authorized By Congress--
Madam President, I rise with gratitude to address my colleagues and members of my staff to reflect on one of my life's greatest honors, and that is serving the people of the great State of Nevada. I begin by thanking them for giving me the…
Madam President, I rise with gratitude to address my colleagues and members of my staff to reflect on one of my life's greatest honors, and that is serving the people of the great State of Nevada. I begin by thanking them for giving me the profound honor of representing Nevada in the U.S. Congress for 12 years and then in the U.S. Senate for almost 8 years.
Nevada, thank you for granting me the privilege of working every day for a State I am so proud to call my home.
Of course, I thank my immediate family, especially Lynne, my wife, for being at my side for my nearly 30 years of public service.
To my children Hilary, Harris, Drew, and Emmy and to their spouses Eddie, McKenzie, and Collin, thank you for your patience, your understanding, and your tolerance of this process.
I would be remiss if I didn't thank Jack and Janet Heller, my parents, for setting the right example and religious tone in our home while I was growing up.
To Richard Brombach, my father-in-law, and all of my wife's family, thank you for raising such a wonderful daughter, sister, cousin, and aunt.
I have five brothers and sisters, and they all played a vital role in my upbringing. So thank you to Jack, Tamie, Mac, Sara, and Bryan.
All of these individuals whom I have mentioned gave me their steadfast support and made my journey from the Nevada Legislature to the secretary of state's office, to the U.S. House of Representatives, and to the U.S. Senate possible. I could count on them every step of the way.
We all know how important our staffs are, and I am no exception. I have been fortunate to have had two staff members with me during my whole tenure in Congress, and I would like to highlight both of them.
Mac Abrams, my chief of staff, hails from North Carolina. I know more about North Carolina than I thought I ever would. Mac came to me from Senator Vitter's office. After 12 years, we muse about writing a book together because, together, we have seen and been through a lot. From the great recession's impact on Nevada to the visits from Senator Reid to my House office, to Senator Ensign's resignation, to the Governor's appointment of me to the Senate, to ObamaCare, Dodd-Frank, immigration reform, tax reform, and changing the courts--just to name a few--Mac has always been there.
In these Chambers, there are a lot of slings and arrows, and it takes an expert to walk through these minefields. No one does it alone. I have always had Mac Abrams by my side. So I thank him for his service to me but, more importantly, for his service to the State of Nevada.
Scott Riplinger has also served the office with distinction. Those who know him and who have worked with him know that he is a problem solver.
It didn't matter which hat he was asked to wear, he wore it with pride. I will miss his hard work, his work on the Banking Committee, his loyalty, and his great sense of humor. Every office needs a Scott Riplinger.
I would like to mention two more.
Sarah Paul has become a dear friend of mine. She joined my staff 7\1/ 2\ years ago, and I have leaned on her heavily to help navigate some very complicated issues. From gaming issues, to mining, to technology, no one--I say no one--can grasp an issue like she can. During the last campaign, she served as my chief of staff as others were relegated to the State of Nevada.
Thank you, Sarah, and congratulations.
On Thanksgiving Day, she introduced Liam Milliner Paul to the world. Again, congratulations to Sarah, to Raymond, and to big brother James on the new addition.
Finally, I recognize Ashley Jonkey. Ashley oversees our State operation, and she has been with us since my early days in the U.S. House of Representatives. Whether it is putting together the Tahoe Summit or keeping me up to speed on local issues, Ashley is someone I can always count on. In fact, over the past decade that I have known Ashley, she has become like family to me but, more importantly, like family to Lynne. She is based in Reno, but we are fortunate to have her here in Washington, DC, today.
I recognize her, along with Mac, Scott, Sarah, and the many members of my staff, who are here today on the floor of the U.S. Senate.
We have a great team. I have had a great team from top to bottom--a team that includes naturalized citizens whose families came to this country to seek better lives, professional social workers, and multiple combat veterans. Every member of my team in Reno, Elko, Las Vegas, and Washington, DC, has worked tirelessly to make a difference in the lives of Nevadans. My staff's dedication, enthusiasm, and work ethic go unmatched.
I ask unanimous consent to have a list of current and former staff and their names printed in the Record for this legislative day.
Madam President, I would like to shift gears, for just a moment, to mention several topics that have demanded a lot of my time and a lot of my energy.
When it comes to our legislative successes--tax reform, changes on the courts, banking reform, go down the list--I am most proud of what we have accomplished to help the 300,000 veterans who call Nevada home. I think everybody in this Chamber will agree that while we can never fully repay our debt to our Nation's heroes, we can do everything in our power to show our gratitude for their selflessness and for their sacrifice. Once these men and women return home after leaving their families to fight for our country, it is our turn to fight for them and to make sure all of Nevada's veterans receive the treatment they need, the services they need, and the skills they need to get the jobs to take care of their families.
I see that responsibility as a duty and a privilege. In fact, I have said this before, and I will say it again: The greatest compliment I ever received in public office was when I overheard one veteran say to another, ``If you need help, call Senator Heller's office.''
As a senior member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs, I have had the opportunity to give our veterans a strong voice in Washington, DC. Under Chairman Johnny Isakson's leadership, we have made great strides in bringing greater accountability to the VA and in improving the benefits, the care, and the support our veterans have earned.
For example, earlier this year, we pushed the historic VA MISSION Act over the finish line. This new law directs more than $50 billion to our VA healthcare system so the VA can hire more high-quality doctors and allow veterans to get the care they need near their homes and on their schedules.
We also expanded the VA Caregivers Program, which provided a stipend to the families of severely disabled veterans who require caregivers in their homes. Previously, only post-9/11 veterans were able to apply. Now veterans from every era are eligible. This was particularly important to many veterans in Nevada who told me how critical it was that we give veterans more access to this program.
These are just a couple of examples to fix a problem that came up during my discussions during my Veterans Advisory Council meetings. I established these groups of veterans in the northern and southern parts of the State in order to speak frequently and directly with them about the challenges they are facing and the problems that need to be fixed.
For instance, just a few years ago, the Reno VA was one of the worst ranked offices in the Nation. This was at a time when veterans were waiting, on average, 400 days for their disability claims to be approved. This was not acceptable, so I teamed up with Senator Bob Casey, from Pennsylvania, to hold the VA's feet to the fire. As a result of the implementation of the 21st Century Veterans Benefits Delivery Act, the backlog has been reduced by nearly 85 percent, and 500,000 of our military heroes around the country are no longer waiting for their health benefits. We also provided accountability through expedited firing authority of bad VA employees and overhauled the VA appeals process so veterans do not have to wait years for a decision. The President signed this bill into law in Reno last year.
Expanding veterans' access to care has been one of my top priorities. For veterans living in Northern Nevada, I worked to authorize construction of the Reno VA hospital and delivered $33.5 million in Federal funding for it so that the veterans of the north don't have to drive 500 miles to Boulder City to access the State Veterans Home.
I walked through the construction site when I was in Sparks last month, and I look forward to the completion of this state-of-the-art facility.
I did the same for veterans in Southern Nevada. I worked for 10 years to secure the approval of the new larger clinic in Pahrump. For veterans who face barriers to try to get an education so that they can earn a good living, I introduced a bill that increases the education benefits for Guard Reserve members that ensures that the GI bill is available to veterans for life.
After Nevada was ranked second among States with the highest rate of veteran suicides and was experiencing a doctors' shortage, I authorized a new law that gives veterans more access to mental healthcare services and treatment.
I am grateful for the opportunity to work with Chairman Isakson, Ranking Member Tester, Senate leadership, and this administration to enact laws that provide our veterans with the support and benefits they are owed.
While we have made progress, we can and must do even better. It is my hope that the next Congress--Republicans and Democrats--can continue to work together to get things done for our veterans.
Now, on another topic--tax reform--when I delivered my maiden speech on the floor of the Senate, Nevada was struggling after being knocked down by the great recession--a time when Nevada led the Nation in home foreclosures and when we had double-digit unemployment. Today, Nevada is leading the Nation in private sector job growth, the housing market has recovered, and home prices are increasing. Now we are one of the fastest growing States in the Nation.
Nevada is booming. It is because this Congress delivered tax cuts that put more money in America's paychecks, their pocketbooks, and their pensions, and we advanced pro-growth policies that have led to more jobs, higher wages, and more opportunities for Nevadans.
As a Member of the Senate Committee on Finance, I am proud to have authorized and authored several provisions in the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act that include, for example, not limiting but doubling the child tax credit from $1,000 to $2,000 per child. Since the law was enacted, tens of thousands of jobs in the State of Nevada have been created. Recently, Nevada's unemployment rate hit a new 11-year low--the lowest rate since the 2008 economic downturn. As a result of this new law, tens of thousands of Nevadans have benefited from bonuses, raises, and expanded benefits, on top of bigger paychecks and strengthened pensions.
To give you a couple of examples, South Point Hotel and Casino doubled its full-time workers' bonuses. Developers of a stalled project on the Las Vegas Strip committed to creating over 10,000 jobs, and the Prospect Hotel in Ely gave its employees bonuses and raised its starting wages. All of this was a direct result of the tax reform bill.
Nevada's economy is back on track, and I hope this Congress will continue to advance policies to keep us on that path to help Nevada workers and the hard-working families get ahead.
Let me move on. Since coming to Washington, DC, my No. 1 focus has always been the people of Nevada and putting our State's priorities first. For example, I worked with Senator Martin Heinrich from New Mexico to level the playing field for the development of new, alternative energy technologies to support Nevada's energy diversification.
Earlier this year, I was proud to host the bipartisan annual Lake Tahoe Summit, and I worked with Senator Feinstein throughout my career to deliver resources to protect the Tahoe Basin and to fight devastating wildfires.
When Congress came together to approve a 5-year highway bill, I was able to secure my top infrastructure priority, and that was to expand Interstate 11 up to Northern Nevada.
Whether it is leading the Republican charge to extend unemployment benefits in 2014, when Nevada's unemployment rate was nearly double what it is now, or breaking with my party to pass the Violence Against Women Act, I have always been willing to work with anyone who has good ideas to help move Nevada's families and Nevada's communities forward.
While I am pleased that I have been able to work with my colleagues to turn these ideas into over 100 pieces of legislation that are now law, this job is about more than advancing good policies. It is about helping people, and that is what is most important. I work for Nevadans, and when someone comes to me with a problem or calls one of my offices for help, we drop everything we do and all that we do in an effort to help them.
When the VA refused to pay a homeless veteran $40,000 after he won his appeal, we made sure the veteran got paid so he could get back on his feet.
When a constituent had a liver transplant and was denied coverage and left without insurance, he enrolled into the marketplace exchange. When the time came to reenroll, the exchange denied him and forced him to go without insurance until my office intervened.
Take, for example, a woman who came to us after being charged a Medicare penalty of about 40 percent each month. My staff worked with the local and regional offices to secure reimbursement of $1,000 and to adjust the monthly premium to save that constituent, potentially, thousands of dollars.
When a constituent spent 9 months trying to get her Social Security retirement benefits, we were able to get her a resolution to properly begin receiving her payment.
Finally, when a Navy veteran was in jeopardy of losing his home while he was temporarily out of work, we contacted the lender of his mortgage on his behalf and ensured that he was able to keep his home.
These are just a few examples of what this job is really all about-- making life better for people you work for. I know that I am not alone. I truly believe that this is what drives all Members of Congress, and that is to serve their constituents--no matter your party, no matter your State, no matter what you did before you got here.
Before I got here, I grew up with two parents and five siblings who, like Nevadans, embodied the ``battle born'' spirit. I would like to pay tribute not only to my family, friends, and mentors who have helped me along the way but to all of my constituents by talking a little bit about what makes Nevada different.
Nevadans are pioneers. They are not afraid to take risks, to dream, to put in hard work, or to start from scratch. We are self-starters, we are builders, and we are trailblazers. We laid down tracks to connect railroads and mined for gold and silver in the north. We shoveled mud, drilled through rocks, and scaled concrete to construct the Hoover Dam, and in the Mojave Desert we created the Entertainment Capital of the World.
One characteristic outsiders may overlook is this: We are fighters. There is no other event in our history that best serves as an example of that trait than the aftermath of the October 1 mass shooting in Las Vegas, a tragedy that truly shook our State.
I have spoken before on the Senate floor about the incredible and heroic people who helped to lead concertgoers and, in turn, the whole community, out of that darkness. Whether these individuals wore uniforms or not, they stepped up to help others, and their actions helped us grieve and start to heal together.
This immeasurable pain, suffering, and devastation inflicted by one man elicited a profound, innate, and immediate human response from Nevadans across the State.
Like many Nevadans, I saw firsthand the strong sense of family, faith, and strength in the wake of the October 1 shooting. When I leave here, I will carry those extraordinary moments of unity and generosity with me.
During the 1989 inaugural address, Former President George H. W. Bush once said:
We know what works: Freedom works. We know what's right:
Freedom is right. We know how to secure a more just and
prosperous life for man on Earth: through free markets, free
speech, free elections, and the exercise of free will
unhampered by the state.
Regardless of what party affiliation you have, I still think we can all agree with those words. We can all agree that we are fortunate to live in a great country defended by men and women who stand guard to defend our way of life. We can all agree we are fortunate to live in a great country in which every aspiration or dream is possible to achieve. We can all agree that this is because freedom works, and that freedom is right.
No, not everything comes easy, and I would be lying if I said others didn't have to fight harder than some. But that job you want to get, that school you want to get into, that business you want to start, or that idea that you would like to see come to life is possible in America. This is a country where the son of an auto mechanic and a school cook had the opportunity to deliver the newspaper to then- Governor Michael O'Callaghan, go to Sunday school with then-Lieutenant Governor Harry Reid's sons, get his education at the same public high school as the late Senator Paul Laxalt, play basketball with Governor Brian Sandoval, and a place where that same kid can grow up and serve Nevada in the U.S. Senate.
My goal always has been making Nevada a better place today than it was yesterday. It is a better place to raise a family--not only one where you can find a job but a place where you can have a long-term career.
I would like to end with this. My daughter Hillary and her husband
adopted a young child from China. She was abandoned as an infant at a bus station. Her name is Ava. She was raised in an orphanage for the first 2 years of her life.
When my daughter and her family first met Ava, she did not cry when she was hungry. She did not cry when she was tired. She did not cry when she needed to be changed, and she did not cry when she was hurt. Why? Because it didn't matter; she was always on someone else's time. But she did cry when they took her shoes off to put her to bed. You see, in an orphanage, kids sleep with their shoes on so they don't get lost. Ava, at 2 years of age, had never slept without her shoes on.
Now, she did cry the first time when they bathed her in a tub of water. In an orphanage, you take cloth baths. So Ava had never been in a bathtub. Today, when Ava falls, someone is there to pick her up. Today, when she cries, someone is there to wipe away the tears. Today, when she is hungry, someone is there to feed her. Today, when she is tired, there is always someone there to tuck her into bed.
When Ava grows up in this country, there will be plenty of doors that she can open that would otherwise have been closed. I will never forget seeing my newest granddaughter in the arms of the Vice President, knowing that her life had changed forever.
This is the job at hand, to uphold this country's longstanding reputation as the land of opportunity.
I an optimist, and I will remain one after leaving this great Chamber because I have seen remarkable moments here in Washington. This body has come a long way from its early days when Henry Clay, Daniel Webster, and John Calhoun were navigating a divided nation and fighting to save our young democracy. I believe that our Nation's future is bright, and that Nevada's future is bright. My heart has been and always will be in Nevada, a State that I love and a place that I am so proud to call home.
Thank you for giving me the opportunity to work for you.
Thank you, Madam President.
I yield the floor.