Floor Statements

Mr. President, I rise today to discuss why I voted in opposition to the confirmation of Andrew Wheeler for the position of Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency.

Clean air and clean water are not only vital to our public health; they are at the very heart of our economy. Nowhere is that more apparent than in my home State of Michigan, where we are blessed to be surrounded by the Great Lakes, a source of drinking water for more than 40 million people and the lifeblood of our State's multibillion-dollar fishing, shipping, and tourism industries. That is why I spent my entire career in public service fighting to protect our environment.

In the Michigan State Senate, I worked to ban oil drilling under the Great Lakes to preserve our most precious source of drinking water. When I represented the city of Detroit in the House of Representatives, I fought to end harmful air pollution coming from piles of petcoke that left homes coated in dust while being breathed into the lungs of residents.

In my first term in Congress, I supported landmark climate change legislation that sought to drastically reduce deadly greenhouse gas emissions that are continuing to warm our planet at an unsustainable rate. In the U.S. Senate, I led the charge to protect the Great Lakes from pipeline spills and pressured industry to cut down their deadly sulfur-dioxide emissions that give Michigan communities some of the highest rates of asthma anywhere in the country.

I have championed these vital efforts because protecting our environment in Michigan is in the best interest of everyone, and I will never let up on that fight. There is so much more work to do and even more pressing challenges ahead of us. We cannot afford to turn back the clock on clean energy innovation or refuse to address climate change, and that is, unfortunately, what we can expect from the EPA now that Andrew Wheeler has been confirmed. His entire career has been devoted to undermining public health and environmental protections.

As Acting EPA Administrator, he is personally responsible for the most significant efforts to roll back our Nation's bedrock environmental laws in the Agency's history. He oversaw the proposed rollback of Clean Water Act protections that safeguard drinking water for tens of millions of people. He is leading efforts to weaken standards on the largest sources of greenhouse gases and to reduce protections against climate change. When he was a Senate staffer, he drafted the so-called ``Clear

Skies Act,'' which was directly intended to undermine the Clean Air Act.

As a lobbyist for Murray Energy, Wheeler represented a company that didn't just knowingly violate environmental laws but consistently put its own employees' safety at risk by undermining basic protections for coal miners. He has even undermined the widely supported mercury and air toxics standards. These commonsense standards would have protected people, particularly children, from a well-known neurotoxin that impairs fetal brain development and reduces children's ability to learn.

Every single one of these actions has a direct bearing on human lives and has put people at risk. In Michigan we have witnessed firsthand the visceral and painful human costs when public leaders fail to keep our drinking water and our air quality safe. Just ask the people of Flint whom they would want to have in charge of protecting their drinking water. I can tell you it certainly is not Andrew Wheeler. The city, the State, and the EPA all contributed to the crisis that poisoned thousands of children through lead exposure, and now those children will suffer lasting consequences for the rest of their lives.

While I am proud that the Senate was able to come together to provide initial Federal funding to help Flint replace its lead pipes, the community needs continued support going forward. I am committed to doing everything in my power to ensure that the people of Flint are made whole, and that included my opposing this nomination. We cannot allow the failures of leadership that led to Flint's devastating crisis ever be repeated again.

The people of Michigan and of every State deserve to know that their air is safe to breathe and their water is safe to drink. Yet communities across my State and around the country are facing another emerging drinking water crisis. This time it is from toxic fluorinated chemicals, known as PFAS, that are currently unregulated by the EPA. Rigorous testing has found that 1 out of every 10 water systems in my State has unacceptable high rates of PFAS chemicals. Families across the State have been exposed to these dangerous chemicals that have been linked to cancer, thyroid and heart problems, and even autoimmune issues. But under Wheeler's leadership, the EPA has failed to take aggressive action to list PFAS chemicals as hazardous waste and to establish strong and forcible limits to protect drinking water and to limit exposure to these toxic substances.

While I work to bring Senate action to this issue through legislation and hearings, the Wheeler-led EPA thinks action can wait. Michigan families certainly deserve better. My constituents are understandably concerned about their drinking water, and they are rightfully skeptical about who will be at the helm of the Agency charged with keeping water safe.

Since Wheeler has failed to exercise the leadership needed to address the environmental concerns we face on a national level, it is clear that he is completely unprepared to lead the Agency charged with tackling the global crisis of climate change. We must confront climate change. I have been advocating for action since before I ran for Congress. It is an issue impacting our economy, our health, our safety, and our national security. I am committed to continuing to work with my colleagues to find innovative and achievable solutions to address climate change, but we also need a leader at the EPA who can find commonsense ways to address this very serious threat, to protect our environment, and to ensure that our country can remain economically competitive. We need a leader who will fight to protect the people and the interests of my State. Given his abysmal record, it is clear that Andrew Wheeler isn't the right person for the job, and that is why I voted against his confirmation.

I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. President, cyber attacks are one of the greatest threats to our national security today. As our world becomes increasingly connected, bad actors are trying to infiltrate our most critical networks, from our military systems and our electrical grid to our financial institutions and our small businesses.

We face a rising number of cyber attacks that have the potential to expose our sensitive, personal information or disrupt nearly every aspect of our lives. These cyber security vulnerabilities cut across every industry. Whether you are a small business trying to protect your customers' credit card details, a doctor's office with private medical insurance information, or even a sophisticated tech startup that needs to safeguard your customers' passwords, cyber security protections are absolutely vital to your success.

We have seen the dangerous consequences of attacks that exposed the private data of millions of Americans--from companies like Equifax and Target to Federal Agencies like the Office of Personnel Management and the IRS. Government Agencies of all sizes are at risk of a breach that could jeopardize the sensitive information they are trusted with, and these threats will only continue to grow.

We need a skilled cyber workforce of professionals to shore up our cyber protections, fortify our legacy systems, and build new and innovative infrastructure with safety and security in mind. Despite the glaring need for more cyber security professionals, we face a serious shortage of highly trained cyber experts to fill these positions. Estimates indicate there is a global shortage of approximately 3 million desperately needed cyber security professionals, including nearly half a million in North America, where government and the private sector are competing to hire the best talent.

The Federal Government faces serious challenges in this competition. Agencies often cannot offer the same top salaries and benefits that Silicon Valley uses to entice and to retain employees. Our cyber workforce is on the frontlines of every aspect of our digital security, and we need policies that address that reality and sustain and grow our ranks.

While thousands of dedicated public servants choose to work in government because they are motivated by the mission of serving our country, there is more we can do to grow the pool of cyber workers and recruit them to government service. Congress has made strides in recent years to improve incentives and attract skilled cyber professionals to join the ranks.

Moving forward, we can make cyber positions in government more attractive by providing cyber professionals with unique opportunities to enhance their careers while they help protect our country's security. That is why I introduced the Federal Rotational Cyber Workforce Program Act with Senator Hoeven. Our bipartisan legislation helps the Federal Government develop an integrated cyber security workforce that retains high-skilled employees by establishing a civilian personnel rotation program specifically for cyber professionals. It is based on similar joint duty programs for the military services and the intelligence community.

The Rotational Cyber Workforce Program will provide civilian employees in

cyber roles opportunities to enhance their careers, broaden their professional experience, and foster collaborative networks by experiencing and contributing to the cyber mission beyond their home Agencies. By offering these kinds of dynamic and rewarding opportunities, this legislation will help retain highly talented cyber professionals and strengthen our government's security by developing greater interagency awareness and collaboration.

I am pleased that this morning the Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee unanimously approved this legislation. It moves us closer to closing the cyber security workforce gap.

In addition to taking commonsense steps like we did today in committee, Congress needs to look ahead and plan for long-term solutions to ensure that we always have a strong, competitive pool of cyber security talent to draw on. We need policies that encourage students of all ages and educational levels to seek out STEM fields, such as computer science, so they are prepared to fill these in-demand jobs and be our first line of defense against these emerging and rapidly evolving threats.

I look forward to continuing to work with my Republican and Democratic colleagues to get this bill signed into law and to advance other commonsense legislation that strengthens our Nation's cyber capabilities and safeguards the weakest links in the cyber security chain from harm.

Mr. President, I yield the floor.

I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Madam President, in a few moments, the Senate will vote on S. 1, the Strengthening America's Security in the Middle East Act.

This legislation contains several important bills to enhance defense cooperation with our partners who share the goal of fighting terrorism and promoting peace and prosperity.

For example, the bill includes the U.S.-Jordan Defense Cooperation Extension Act, which extends an existing defense cooperation program with Jordan that is set to expire later this year.

In the Senate Armed Services Committee this morning, we heard from the Commander of U.S. Central Command responsible for the Middle East, GEN Joseph Votel. He testified:

Jordan is one of our most committed partners in the Middle

East and one of the most critical voices of modern Islam in

the region. We must be careful to not take this vital

partnership for granted.

Jordan hosts over 750,000 refugees and contributes to the fight against ISIS. This bill will enhance our cooperation, while enhancing security and supporting vital humanitarian efforts being conducted by this very important American ally.

The legislation also includes the Caesar Syria Civilian Protection Act. This bill is named after a Syrian Army defector who exposed photographs of torture and execution by the Syrian regime. His photos are evidence of the war crimes and extensive human rights abuses committed by Bashar al-Assad.

The Caesar bill will impose sanctions on individuals who support Assad. These sanctions will limit the ability of the Assad government to attack innocent civilians.

However, the bill before us is not perfect. I am concerned by title IV of this package. Title IV should have had a full debate in the Banking Committee before it ever reached the floor.

I believe there are serious questions about how this bill will impact the First Amendment rights of individuals who contract with State or local governments in a professional capacity but choose to boycott Israel in their personal capacity. These questions are even more complicated when the individual in question is a sole proprietor, a member of a small firm, or is receiving a small State contract.

Many of these questions are the result of the manner in which State and local governments have designed and implemented disclosure requirements. That is why I have introduced an amendment, Peters No. 103, which would limit application of State and local government laws related to contracting.

This amendment would not allow a State or local government to enforce measures to restrict contracting with firms of 10 or fewer employees, contracts with a value of $100,000 or less, or any contract with a sole proprietor.

This amendment would clarify that it is not the intention of the bill to restrict the First Amendment right of any individual to protest-- including through boycott--in their personal capacity.

Madam President, I ask unanimous consent to set aside the pending amendment, that amendment No. 103 be reported by number, and that the amendment be agreed to without intervening action or debate.

Madam President, I am incredibly disappointed that we could not include my amendment today.

I believe this is an important issue and that it must be clarified. Ultimately, because of the many other critical provisions included in this bill related to foreign policy in the Middle East, I will support this bill today, but I also understand it is unlikely that the House of Representatives will address this bill in its current form.

I am sending a letter to the House of Representatives explaining my concerns with title IV, and I encourage them to adopt the provisions of my amendment that I attempted to put forward today.

With that, I would also like to yield some time to my colleague from Michigan.

Madam President, I yield the floor.

Mr. President, I rise today in support of overturning the Treasury Department's rule that will allow even more dark money into our political process. This action by the Trump administration allows groups to hide the identities of their donors. It allows big corporations and wealthy individuals to inappropriately influence elections by contributing to outside groups in secret. This amounts to unlimited corporate political spending, effectively silencing the voices of everyday voters.

Under this President, the Internal Revenue Service is looking out for wealthy donors rather than hard-working, middle-class voters.

I strongly support today's action to overturn this rule. We need to reform our campaign finance system, improve disclosures and transparency, and restore the voice of the people in the democratic process.

Michigan voters deserve to know who is behind the money being spent in our elections. We must take steps to improve transparency and restore trust in our electoral system. Above all, we must ensure that every American has an equal say in our elections, regardless of their means. The right of every citizen to make their voice heard at the ballot box is the very foundation of our democracy. I will continue to fight to ensure that the voices of Michigan families aren't being drowned out by big corporations or wealthy individuals with limitless resources who are trying to buy elections and the outcomes.

We should be working to bring transparency to our political system, not shielding special interest groups, big donors, and this administration's political allies. I will support today's IRS dark money rule CRA, and I urge my colleagues to join me in giving the power back to the American people.

I yield the floor to the distinguished Senator from Maryland.

Mr. President, I rise to condemn the Saudi military campaign in Yemen, which is causing the worst humanitarian crisis since World War II.

Tens of thousands of young children have already died of starvation, and millions more in Yemen remain threatened by famine and disease. Yemen is experiencing the worst cholera outbreak in history with there being over 1 million cases. In recent months, the crisis has accelerated and grown at a rate of 10,000 cases each and every week.

The air campaign in Yemen, led by Saudi Arabia, is now in its third year, and every day, it makes the humanitarian crisis in Yemen worse. Bombs dropped by Saudi Arabia are killing women and children, destroying roads and bridges, disabling electricity and water services, and leveling schools, hospitals, and mosques.

Meanwhile, the Government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Crown Prince Muhammad bin Salman stand credibly accused of ordering the murder of a U.S. resident journalist known for his critique of the regime.

Currently, we are debating a resolution that directs the President to remove the U.S. military from hostilities in Yemen and end our Nation's unauthorized participation in this conflict.

I am proud to be a cosponsor of S.J. Res. 54. I voted to bring it to the floor because the United States should not be providing aerial refueling to Saudi jets bombing Yemen indiscriminately.

The U.S. Senate should pass this resolution and send a clear message that our military will not prolong and will not worsen a humanitarian tragedy led by an increasingly brutal regime.

This is also why I voted against arms sales of additional air-to- ground munitions to Saudi Arabia. More arms sales and more military support for Saudi Arabia are not how we are going to end this crisis. We need meaningful, diplomatic, and political solutions to alleviate human suffering in Yemen.

This is an issue that is deeply personal to me and many Michiganders. I am proud to represent a vibrant and dynamic Yemeni community in Michigan, and I share their heartbreak over the tragic situation impacting innocent Yemenis.

Our Nation must show real leadership and take action to ensure that food, water, medicine, and all necessary humanitarian supplies are made available to those who so desperately need them.

I urge all of my colleagues to join me in supporting S.J. Res. 54.

I yield the floor.

Mr. President, today I wish to recognize the 100th anniversary of Highland Park, MI. Situated in Wayne County of southeast Michigan, Highland Park is endowed with a rich history of innovation as the ``birthplace of mass production.'' It is also the site of the Nation's first urban highway, and was fondly referred to as the ``City of Trees'' for its beautiful foliage.

In its infancy, the settlement that would eventually become Highland Park underwent two name changes, Nabor and then Whitewood, respectively, before it was incorporated as a village in 1889 and then as a city in the early 20th century.

The small farming community experienced an economic boom in 1910, when Henry Ford opened his first Model T factory, now recognized as a historical site. The opening of the plant paved the way for new infrastructure, which changed the rapidly growing Highland Park Village's landscape from rural to urban. The news of abundant economic opportunity in the village spread nationally and internationally. Immigrants came to Highland Park aspiring to earn the impressive $5-a- day wage that Henry Ford's factories offered, while new residents traveled from across the Nation to the village in hopes of becoming newly minted members of the middle-class. The population grew from a little under 500 residents at the top of the 20th century to over 50,000 in 1930.

The city of Detroit, Highland Park Village's southern neighbor, also began to expand. From the early 1800s and into the early part of the 1900s, the city of Detroit's footprint increased as the city moved to annex surrounding townships. To prevent annexation by the bustling city of Detroit, Highland Park officially incorporated as a city in 1918. Detroit continued to enlarge its boarders, ultimately encircling the city of Highland Park, leading to the city within a city phenomenon seen today.

Before Highland Park became the epicenter of production, with the presence of Ford and later Chrysler, it was appropriately named the City of Trees, for its abundance of elms, reminiscent of a forest. Beautiful arrays of elm trees lined neighborhood streets as trees were planted in front of every home. Unfortunately, the once striking display of greenery diminished toward the 1970s, due to the spread of Dutch elm disease, which impacted surrounding cities as well.

In another historic first, Highland Park was the site of the country's first urban highway, the Davison Freeway. Construction began in 1941 and was expeditiously completed in 1942 to ease transport for Defense manufacturers assisting in the Nation's ``Arsenal of Democracy'' during World War II. The Davison Freeway greatly improved the flow of traffic to and from the city of Detroit.

The Highland Park community includes a diverse and hard-working population, and many notable figures in government, sports, and popular culture have called Highland Park home.

Some former residents include comedian Tim Meadows, singer Jackie Wilson, animator Butch Hartman, football player and community leader Reggie McKenzie, and the sixth-longest serving member of the U.S. House of Representatives, Congressman John Conyers.

As the city of Highland Park celebrates its 100th anniversary, I am honored to ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing its residents, businesses, and elected officials who continue grassroots efforts toward revitalizing a community which has such significance to Michigan history as well as to the Nation. I wish the city of Highland Park continued growth and prosperity in the years ahead.

Mr. President, I rise today in opposition to the nomination of Kathleen Kraninger to be Director of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, or CFPB.

This is one of the most important positions in our entire government--a job that is dedicated to protecting consumers from fraudsters, from predatory lending, and from dangerous financial products that can drive families to bankruptcy.

Ms. Kraninger does not have the experience or the values to hold such an important job. In fact, she has fully endorsed this administration's ongoing efforts to systematically dismantle protections for consumers.

This time last year, I led over 40 of my colleagues in writing to the President urging him to nominate a professional, bipartisan expert with a proven record of being tough on financial institutions that rip off consumers. Instead, this administration has spent the past year working to gut the CFPB under Interim Director Mulvaney. They have frozen data collection of consumer complaints and undermined enforcement tools. They have slow-walked enforcement actions and weakened protections for our servicemembers and seniors. They have stripped the Fair Lending Office of enforcement powers and closed the Office of Students and Young Consumers. Ms. Kraninger supports all of these actions, and all of these actions run contrary to the mission and to the purpose of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

This nominee is not a bipartisan professional with a proven record of financial enforcement. She is a politically driven choice who will dismantle protections for the men and women currently serving in our military, and for our veterans, our students, our seniors, and all American consumers.

I had the honor of serving on the Dodd-Frank conference committee, where we finalized the strongest Wall Street reform bill in a generation and created the CFPB. I have spent the past decade defending the CFPB from one attack after another--efforts to cut off its funding, efforts to make it harder for them to hire qualified staff, and efforts to make it harder for them to put in place important new protections for the American people.

It is unconscionable that this administration will now spend the coming years attacking the CFPB from within by putting in place leadership that fundamentally does not believe in protecting consumers. We need to hold financial bad actors and special interests accountable, not let them set the CFPB's agenda.

My Democratic colleagues and I told the President this a year ago, and I will say it again. The Nation needs a professional, bipartisan expert with a proven record of being tough on financial bad actors to run the CFPB. We must have a Director who is focused on the prosperity of all American families and not payday lenders and fraudsters.

Ms. Kraninger does not meet the standard. So I will oppose her nomination, and I urge my colleagues to join me.

I yield the floor.

Mr. President, today I wish to recognize the 150th anniversary of Wayne State University. Located in the heart of Detroit, MI, Wayne State University provides world-class education and has made a tremendous impact on the community that surrounds it.

In 1868, just over 30 years after the State of Michigan joined the Union, the development of what would become Wayne State University began with the establishment of the Detroit Medical College by five physicians who were inspired to improve medical education after their service in the Civil War. Following shortly thereafter, the Detroit Normal Training School--the predecessor of the college of education-- was founded.

At the turn of the 20th century, the school saw rapid transformation and development. A change in attitudes brought on by the progressive movement between 1890 and 1920 impacted institutions across America. In 1917, the Detroit College of Medicine and Surgery admitted its first female students, as the Detroit Normal Training School began admitting married women. These milestones in the school's history coincided with the culmination of women's suffrage in the United States. In 1934, the Wayne University name was adopted, eventually becoming Wayne State University in 1956, after the Michigan State Legislature approved public act 183.

Year after year, Wayne's footprint would grow to include more programs and opportunities for students to excel. Growth of that footprint included Detroit City Law School, which was founded in 1927 and later became part of Wayne University in 1933. Moreover, as veterans from World War II came home and acclimated into civilian life, Wayne University established the office of veteran affairs to help veterans continue their education, enter vocational training programs, and transition into the workforce. With the introduction of the GI bill, Wayne University's programs saw it well positioned to increase its veteran enrollment.

In 1950, the former central high school and main building of the College of the City of Detroit was renamed Old Main, becoming one of the City of Detroit's and Wayne University's most notable landmarks.

The 1960s proved to be a pivotal time in American history, with the civil rights movement and the Vietnam war serving as the backdrop of the public's conscience, ushering in a new era of barrier breaking civic engagement. Throughout the 1960s, Wayne State University continued to build on its rich tradition of progressivism by establishing the office of counseling for the handicapped, the center for urban studies, and covering pertinent social issues in the school newspaper.

Continuing to build on its record of success, Wayne State launched doctoral programs in the college of pharmacy and college of nursing, and established the college of urban, labor, and metropolitan affairs, and college of fine and performing arts. In 1994, Wayne State was recognized for its research and was classified as a Research I university by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching.

Ever mindful of its position within the community as a bridge for stakeholders across all fields of endeavor, Wayne State has forged numerous partnerships to empower the community and its students to succeed in a rapidly changing world. In 2004, the first phase of TechTown was completed, which brought Wayne State together with the Henry Ford Health System and General Motors to support entrepreneurship and technological advancement. In 2013, Wayne State named M. Roy Wilson as president of the university, and he has continued this rich legacy of community partnerships.

Throughout its 150-year history, Wayne State University has fostered an environment of innovation, inclusion, and community. The university is deeply rooted in the city of Detroit and has been an indispensable partner in the city's development and renewal. I am proud to be a law school alumnus and am certain that Wayne State will continue to succeed in its mission to cultivate the Warrior Strong leaders of tomorrow. I ask my colleagues to join me in recognizing this important milestone in the history of Wayne State University as it celebrates its sesquicentennial.

Mr. President, the topic of healthcare affordability should unite us as a common cause. We all need healthcare, whether young or old or male or female, rich or poor.

Not one of us will go through life without experiencing a major health concern. Even if we have a clean bill of health today, we all face the prospect of accidents, illnesses, and the inherent universal health challenges of aging.

The Affordable Care Act is not perfect, but it has moved us toward a shared goal of making healthcare more affordable for everyone. Most significantly, the Affordable Care Act prevents insurers from denying coverage or increasing premiums because of a preexisting condition. This critical protection has been widely and wildly popular, and rightly so. If you don't have a preexisting condition, you probably have a family member who does.

The Affordable Care Act also requires plans to cover a full set of benefits that enrollees will realistically need over the course of their lives, and, overall, it encourages Americans to get their health insurance so that they will have the appropriate support when they need it the most.

I will be the first to recognize that there is room for improvement in our healthcare law, but we need to be working together to fix it, not allowing the Trump administration to continue its relentless push to undermine the affordability of healthcare. Since the beginning of his administration, President Trump has taken every possible step to weaken consumer protections in health insurance, all the while misinforming the public about what the real impact will be on their daily lives. But Americans right now are feeling the impact. For too many hard-working families, health insurance and healthcare costs are still not affordable. Today, premiums are going up, healthcare prices are soaring, and the burden of cost is increasingly shifted to the patient.

We should be focused on ways to strengthen our healthcare system so that it lowers out-of-pocket costs, removes barriers to healthcare, and

incentivizes cost efficiency. But the flawed Trump administration policy the Senate voted on earlier today is a step in the wrong direction. It is a step toward terrible coverage for consumers who will not understand what their plan fails to cover until they need it.

We are seeing yet another Trump administration effort to roll back parts of the Affordable Care Act that are actually working every day to help Americans. President Trump is creating a new loophole for some insurers to ignore the Affordable Care Act's central patient protections. This is moving us back toward a period where insurance companies could discriminate against Americans based on their conditions, such as diabetes, cancer, arthritis, and even pregnancy-- yes, even pregnancy. Millions of Michiganders rely on the Affordable Care Act's safeguards for preexisting condition coverage.

Americans should have the power to choose their own healthcare, but unfortunately this administration has it backward. President Trump wants to give more power to insurers to not only choose who they cover but also what they cover.

The Affordable Care Act's 10 essential healthcare benefits are truly just that; they are indeed essential. The list includes things like prescription drugs, hospitalizations, and preventive care. Before the Affordable Care Act, we saw insurance companies neglect to cover services like maternity care, substance abuse disorder treatment, and mental health care. These are all truly essential elements of any true plan.

The Trump administration is allowing for risky plans that make insurance companies money while shifting costs to taxpayers and Michiganders who choose to cover these essential health benefits. The Trump policy will create a parallel market that targets only relatively healthy, less costly individuals, and that is why I am deeply disappointed by today's vote and the actions of this administration.

The true message President Trump is sending to the public is that he wants you to be misinformed. He wants you to make bad decisions and buy these flawed plans, increasing the profits of insurers.

American taxpayers will be left with the bill when patients find out that their insurance and all of the money they have put into that insurance over so many years simply does not cover their healthcare needs when they need it the most.

No matter where you live, how much money you make, or what your health record looks like, no one should be forced to make the impossible choice between seeking medical assistance or paying the bills for other basic necessities. Regardless of what the health condition is or when it arises, all Americans deserve certainty that their decision to go to a doctor will not push them into bankruptcy.

Let's be clear that any Member who voted to support the Trump administration's efforts to undermine the ACA casts a vote today against coverage protections for preexisting conditions and against affordable, quality healthcare for all American families.

Thank you.

I yield the floor.

Madam President, our Nation has seen some deeply concerning trends in recent decades--increased polarization, flat wages for workers, and a growing tribal mindset that makes it increasingly difficult for people to trust each other and our public institutions. We are also seeing a partisan divide that is growing stronger and wider by the day.

For example, 60 years ago, about 4 percent of Americans said that they would be seriously disappointed if their son or daughter married someone from the opposite political party. Today, it is almost half.

We are also seeing a growing economic divide. Fifty years ago, 9 out of 10 30-year-olds in America were better off than their parents at the same age. In 2010, only half were. It feels like the bonds that make us a cohesive society are fraying and that life in the United States is growing more unfair for so many Americans. Bringing our country back together and strengthening our bonds with each other will not be an easy task, but, without question, the Supreme Court has an unparalleled ability either to move our society forward or to pull us further apart.

Unanimous opinions by the Supreme Court to strike down segregation in public schools, to affirm the right of criminal defendants to an attorney, and to rein in the use of executive privilege by President Nixon show the ability of ideologically diverse judges to agree on what is fair and what is right, but the Supreme Court as an institution is far, far from infallible.

The same institution that just 3 years ago made marriage equality the law of the land also upheld the internment of American citizens of Japanese dissent while our parents fought to liberate prisoners held in German concentration camps across the Atlantic

Ocean. The same institution that gave American women the right to make decisions about their own reproductive health in Roe v. Wade denied citizenship to African American slaves in the shameful Dred Scott decision.

Some of my colleagues have said they have confidence that Judge Kavanaugh believes in Roe v. Wade and that it is the settled law. I hope they are right, but I seriously doubt it. I think that, if confirmed, Judge Kavanaugh will spearhead the continued erosion of rights for American women, and if given the chance, he will vote to overturn this settled precedent.

Lots of talk in Washington about the Supreme Court centers on precedent, power, or procedure, but I would argue that voting for a Supreme Court nominee is fundamentally about people. In making a decision on how I will vote on a Supreme Court nominee, I ask two questions: First, how will the nominee serve the people of Michigan? Second, how will the nominee serve the Nation as a whole?

Now, more than ever, I think we need our Supreme Court not to be just fair. We also need Americans to truly believe that the Justices that make up the Supreme Court are fair and capable of dispassionate deliberation. No human being, of course, can be entirely impartial or without bias, but we need Supreme Court Justices who are able to understand their biases and set them aside for the good of the country. What we need is fairness. What we need is trust.

Our fraying social fabric can only be rebuilt by trust--trust in our institutions, trust in each other, and trust that our courts will give every American a fair chance in an era where corporate profits are ballooning to record levels. But 40 percent of Americans don't have the savings to cover a $400 emergency expense. A breakdown of trust undermines our democracy. The farther and faster we retreat to our partisan tribal corners, the harder it will be to ever meet again in the middle.

While Americans expect partisanship from their elected officials, they expect better from our judges. Our Founders created a coequal branch of government dedicated to fairness, and that was the Supreme Court, but, unfortunately, when I examine the record of Judge Kavanaugh, I do not see an open mind. I do not see fairness. I see a partisan ideologue who will do judicial backflips to rule in favor of large corporations, the powerful, and the elite.

When the Supreme Court conducts its duty to advise and consent on Supreme Court nominees, we often talk about methods of constitutional interpretation. Some judges are textualists. Some are originalists. Some are pragmatists. I believe Judge Kavanaugh is a corporatist, pure and simple. He starts with the outcome that corporate executives would want, and then he works backward. I believe this is the unifying theme of his rulings over the past decade.

Let's take a moment to review his record.

Judge Kavanaugh sided with big polluters when he wrote that the Environmental Protection Agency could not enforce their ``good neighbor'' rule. This commonsense rule simply requires States whose air pollution blows across their State's lines to bear some of the responsibility for those downwind emissions. The good neighbor rule is one of the best ways to crack down on sulfur dioxide, a noxious pollutant that has created a public health crisis in Detroit, with childhood asthma rates almost 40 percent above the national average. More sulfur dioxide in the air means more children in hospitals and fewer children in the classroom.

Judge Kavanaugh substituted his own values and judgment for the decisions of Congress and the EPA, but, fortunately, even conservative Justices on the Supreme Court voted to overrule him and allowed the good neighbor rule to stay in place.

Judge Kavanaugh apparently does not believe in good neighbors, and he also does not believe in good bosses. He has consistently ruled against workers and their interests every chance that he gets.

He wrote a dissent saying that companies can simply walk away from collective bargaining agreements made with their workers by just creating a spin-off, a nonunion company. He ruled that companies can call the police to prevent workers from exercising their right to peacefully picket. For Judge Kavanaugh, the First Amendment right to speech and assembly comes second to a corporation's bottom line. This is the judicial philosophy that the Republican majority is just hours away from elevating to the highest Court in the land.

Based on a review of Judge Kavanaugh's rulings, it will be clear that if something is good for consumers, he will find a way to oppose it.

For example, Judge Kavanaugh sided with large telecom corporations over Michigan families, startups, and small businesses when he wrote a dissent to gut net neutrality protections. Judge Kavanaugh sided with payday lenders, financial fraudsters, and global megabanks when he ruled that the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau was unconstitutional.

Not only does Judge Kavanaugh always rule directly in favor of the largest corporations and powerful special interests, but his rulings show that he wants to further tilt our campaign finance system in their favor. He has spoken out and ruled in favor of unlimited political spending in Federal elections.

In 2011, Judge Kavanaugh authored an opinion that would allow foreign nationals--not Americans, but foreign nationals--to spend unlimited, yes, unlimited money on issue ads in American elections. If you like dark money undermining our free and fair elections, well, Judge Kavanaugh is definitely your guy. I think Judge Kavanaugh genuinely believes that money is speech and that corporations are people. To him, Americans are only an afterthought.

I know many Americans are wondering whether Judge Kavanaugh will look out for their best interests if confirmed to the Supreme Court. I hear it all the time as I travel across Michigan.

To my fellow Americans, I would say this. If you enjoy breathing clean air, if you have a boss, if you care about not being defrauded by financial bad actors, or if you care about a woman's right to choose, Judge Kavanaugh will not be providing the fairness you seek.

Like many Americans, I followed closely the testimonies of Dr. Ford and Judge Kavanaugh before the Senate Judiciary Committee. As I watched Dr. Ford, I didn't see a partisan ideologue motivated by politics. What I saw was a woman speaking with credibility, with earnestness, and incredible bravery.

As I watched Judge Kavanaugh testify before that same Judiciary Committee, I saw something very different. I didn't see the temperance and humility we expect from a Supreme Court justice. I saw rage and I saw entitlement. I didn't see a thoughtful legal mind bound by precedent or tradition. I saw a partisan political operative cloaked in judicial robes bestowed upon him last decade by a Republican majority flexing their political muscle. I didn't see an umpire who wants to call balls and strikes. I saw a man who believes he is the league's commissioner, a man who thinks he should have the power to rewrite the rules of the game to help his powerful friends. I didn't see a man committed to fairness and building trust. I saw a man committed to consolidating power and scoring political points. I saw a man whose fluid relationship with the truth is beneath the U.S. Senate and beneath the U.S. Supreme Court.

Today, more than ever, America needs trust and we need fairness. Judge Kavanaugh's confirmation will provide only more division in our country and cast a cloud over the decisions of the Court for years to come.

I urge my colleagues to oppose Judge Kavanaugh's confirmation and to start over with a nominee worthy of our Supreme Court.

I yield the floor.

I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. President, I rise today in support of the bipartisan Federal Aviation Administration Reauthorization Act of 2018.

After six short-term extensions ranging from 1 week to just over a year, the Senate will finally pass comprehensive legislation that will set FAA policy until 2023. These short-term extensions keep the lights on, but they deny us the opportunity to make meaningful changes and better serve the American people.

I am a member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, and I am proud of our committee's work that made this long-term reauthorization possible, but I am especially thankful to our committee chairman, John Thune, and ranking member, Bill Nelson, for their leadership throughout this process.

This bill makes critical investments in airport infrastructure. It promotes

competition and leadership in aviation, increases safety in the National Airspace System, and strengthens customer service practices across the commercial aviation sector.

The legislation delivers very strong support to our rural communities in Michigan and across the Nation by continuing the Essential Air Service, or EAS, Program. This program drives economic development and tourism while also connecting local residents to world-class healthcare. I will never stop fighting to ensure that Michigan's EAS airports--from Muskegon, to Houghton/Hancock, to Alpena--get the funding they need to continue to serve their communities.

In addition to driving sustained investment in rural communities, I support this long-term reauthorization because it gave me an opportunity to address a number of critical challenges that are facing our country. This bill includes provisions I authored that will help prepare our students for the high-tech jobs of today and tomorrow, secure public spaces in our airports, and remove the outdated Federal requirement that airports use firefighting foams containing fluorinated chemicals that contaminate groundwater and are causing disastrous human health effects across the country.

The FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018 will improve the competitiveness of our Nation's workforce by clearing the way for our students and educators to use unmanned aircraft systems, or UAS, for research, education, and job training. Whether this technology is used for critical infrastructure or boosting crop yields at our farms, UAS technology will create tens of thousands of new jobs in the coming years, and we need American students and workers ready to take advantage of that. That is why I worked across the aisle with Senator Moran to introduce the Higher Education Unmanned Air Systems Modernization Act and include it in this long-term FAA bill.

This provision has the support of the Association of Public and Land- grant Universities, the Association of American Universities, and dozens of other colleges and universities all across our Nation.

Our brightest minds will have the ability to design, refine, and fly UAS to prepare our country for the safe integration of UAS into our National Airspace System.

In my home State of Michigan, Alpena Community College has created a UAS pilot training program that complements existing certificate programs, like the utility technology certificate, making their graduates even more competitive.

This will support job creation across the income spectrum, as our Nation's workforce will be able to get the training they need to operate these systems both safely and efficiently.

Ultimately, whether we are talking about UAS, passenger planes in the air, or travelers making their way through the airport, this is all about safety. In recent years, we have seen high-profile attacks at airports around the world but also in places like Flint, MI. These attacks have demonstrated the vulnerabilities of heavily trafficked public areas outside of security screening, such as baggage claim and pickup and dropoff areas.

I heard from our international airport in Detroit and others across the country that current airport funding streams often cannot be used for security projects in these public spaces. Their need for greater flexibility for airport infrastructure improvements led me and my colleague Senator Gardner to introduce the bipartisan Secure Airport Public Spaces Act. This legislation would increase safety and security for airport passengers and visitors outside of the TSA screening areas. A critical provision of our bill was incorporated into this reauthorization bill that will now allow airports to use Airport Improvement Program funds on state-of-the-art surveillance cameras in these public areas, which will help monitor, prevent, and respond to potential attacks at airports across our Nation.

Finally, I would like to discuss what could be our Nation's defining public health challenge for generations--a group of harmful chemicals known as PFAS. The PFAS class is a group of over 4,700 manmade chemicals that have been used nationwide and internationally. These chemicals do not break down in the human body or in the environment, and they can accumulate over time and cause a great deal of harm. We already know that there are several health effects associated with exposure to certain PFAS. A few examples include compromised immune system function, cancers, endocrine disruption, and cognitive effects.

I have listened to families exposed to PFAS in Michigan, but PFAS are not just a Michigan issue. We know that there are over 170 sites in 40 States that are contaminated with PFAS. PFAS are so pervasive that it is estimated that up to 110 million Americans could have these chemicals in their water.

PFAS chemicals have been used for decades in a wide range of consumer products, including textiles, paper products, and cookware. In addition to all of these uses, they have also been used in firefighting foams for decades. These foams have been used on military bases and in our commercial airports. They have been used near businesses and neighborhoods, near ground water and surface water, near lakes and streams.

Last week, I worked with Senator Rand Paul to convene a hearing in our Federal Spending Oversight Subcommittee that addressed the Federal Government's role in PFAS. We heard firsthand about the impact of this public health crisis on community members, firefighters, and veterans. Not only have these foams containing PFAS been used for decades, we are still requiring their use at American airports even as safe alternatives are now being developed and deployed abroad.

While there is a lot of work to be done related to remediation, human health research, filter technology, and more, we must stop making this problem worse. This is why I worked with Senators Sullivan, Stabenow, Rubio, Shaheen, Gillibrand, and Hassan to lead a commonsense addition to this FAA bill.

Our bipartisan provision gives airports the option to use fluorine- free foams. I also appreciate Congressman Kildee for leading this effort in the House of Representatives.

Using fluorine-free foams is not a novel idea, but it is an idea whose time has come. Over 70 airports around the world are already using fluorine-free foams that have passed the most challenging of tests, and they have seen real success in combating fires. These airports include major international hubs such as Dubai, London Heathrow, Manchester, and Copenhagen. Every major airport in Australia has already made this transition.

It is past time that we catch up, and I am happy too that this important legislation will finally allow American airports to embrace safe, innovative firefighting technologies and stop using fluorinated foams.

I want to thank Chairman Thune and Ranking Member Nelson, as well as Leader McConnell and Leader Schumer, for their work to pass this important bipartisan legislation.

I urge my colleagues to support this critical long-term FAA reauthorization that will help keep PFAS out of our water. It will help drive investment in our Nation's workforce, and it will help ensure that our airports and skies are safe.

I yield the floor.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to allow my Sea Grant fellow, Jillian Farkas, to be granted floor privileges for the remainder of the day.

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

Mr. President, our Nation is suffering through a public health crisis. Our Nation, our neighbors, our families--in fact, very few among us can say that we have not been personally impacted by the opioid crisis.

The scope is simply staggering; 116 lives are lost every day to opioid overdose. There are 116 sons, daughters, husbands, wives, siblings, and parents who will never come home again--116 lives ended decades too soon, lost every day.

Substance abuse disorders do not discriminate. We feel this pain in every region of our country--urban and rural areas and red and blue States. We know there is no silver bullet that will end this crisis overnight, but we do know how to fight it together, and that is what we are doing today.

Tonight the Senate will pass the bipartisan Opioid Crisis Response Act, and this body will show a unity of purpose that, frankly, I wish we could show more often. As this important bipartisan legislation came together, I worked closely with my colleague Senator Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia to make sure that our Nation's youth were not left behind.

We know young adults are more than twice as likely to misuse prescription opioid pain relievers as compared to adults. One in five high school seniors knows where they can easily get heroin, and the problem continues to escalate. In Michigan, the rate of opioid overdose deaths among youth under 25 has doubled since 2012. These are empty seats at the dinner table, in classrooms, and in workplaces.

When tackling a problem this large, we need to follow the data and invest in what works, especially for adolescents and young adults. Health experts, including the American Academy of Pediatrics, recommend medication-assisted treatment, or MAT, as the gold standard for opioid addiction treatment. While we need to continue investing in research, completed studies have shown that youth treated with MAT are more likely to reduce opioid misuse, injection drug use, continue their medical care, and achieve long-term sobriety.

The research we have on using medication-assisted treatment to treat adults is overwhelmingly positive and shows this course of treatment to be safe and effective, especially in comparison to the life-threatening risks faced by patients who go untreated. Research shows that medication-assisted treatment has the power to cut the mortality rate of opioid-addicted patients in half, if not more.

France instituted a strong MAT strategy in response to a heroin epidemic in the 1990s. The death rate due to overdoses there decreased by nearly 80 percent over the course of just 4 years.

Substance abuse disorders are not a personal or a moral failure; they are a public health crisis brought on by chemical dependency. We are fortunate that our doctors and researchers have developed medication that can help end dependency and save lives, and we must get it to patients who need it the most. It is troubling that many Americans whose lives could be saved do not have enough access to these medication-assisted treatments, and it is devastating that American youth have hardly any access at all.

Currently, only about 1 in 12 youth who need treatment for an opioid addiction actually receives it. A 2017 study found that one in four adults in treatment for heroin received medication-assisted treatment. While this sounds low, for adolescents the rate is less than 1 in 40. Even for those who are fortunate enough to be in active treatment, MAT is not being used widely.

Similarly, only one in eight adults in treatment for prescription opioids receives medication-assisted treatment. For adolescents, it is 1 out of every 250. That is why the Peters-Capito provisions of the Opioid Crisis Response Act are actually crucial. They will support the identification and development of best practices for treating opioid addiction among youth and point to MAT as a specific strategy.

In addition, Senator Capito and I successfully added a related amendment to the appropriations bill that funds the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. It recently passed the Senate. The amendment will require the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration to submit a report to Congress on what steps it takes to support MAT. The agency specifically will also identify barriers they must overcome to get medication-assisted treatment to eligible youth.

Young Americans coping with substance use disorders deserve every opportunity to recover, to hold onto their future aspirations, and to lead stable and fulfilling lives. We must continue working together at every level of government as we combat this opioid crisis with scientifically proven strategies, including for some of the youngest lives at risk.

An important step in this response is getting these provisions across the finish line. I urge my colleagues to act quickly to get this legislation to the President's desk to be signed into law. I recognize these provisions are just a start, but we are losing 116 lives every day. We need to save as many as we can, as soon as we can.

Thank you.

I yield the floor.

I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. President, today I wish to recognize the 80th anniversary of Detroit Diesel Corporation, a subsidiary of Daimler Trucks North America in Detroit, MI. I appreciate the opportunity to speak about this truly significant milestone in the history of the Detroit brand, as well as speak to the importance of this anniversary to the greater legacy of Detroit as the ``Motor City.''

Established by General Motors in 1938, as the General Motors Diesel Division, Detroit Diesel produced the company's flagship engine, the two-cycle Series 71 engine or ``two stroke.'' The two-stroke engine was introduced as a

cylinder inline engine and in a V-configuration in 1957.

Detroit Diesel played an important role during World War II as an essential contributor in the U.S. ``Arsenal of Democracy,'' manufacturing engines for the Allied forces. These engines were used for construction equipment, power generation, agriculture, and military operations.

In 1955, Detroit Diesel evolved to meet the demands of the commercial trucking market. Introduced in 1957, the Series 53 engine was GM Diesel's first heavy-duty engine. The powerful Series 53 engine was made for multiple applications in various industries. It has powered the American timber industry, propelling logging skidders through deep, dense woods. The Series 53 became an indispensable tool on construction sites all over the United States and around the globe. With greater sophistication and power, building from the simple two-stroke Series 71 of 1938, the Series 53's heavy-duty capabilities provided operators with the muscle needed to break ground in many infrastructure projects through the United States. The Series 53 engine's versatility has been trusted for years in the aviation industry to haul packages and tow planes, and has been relied on to safely transport our troops on unforgiving terrain.

In 1965, General Motors Detroit Diesel consolidated into the Detroit Diesel Engine Division and introduced the Series 149 engine, which would be used to power tugboats and mine haul trucks. Over the next 20 years, the Detroit Diesel Engine Division combined with General Motors' Allison Division, becoming the Detroit Diesel Allison Division. From the mid to late 1960s to the late 1980s, the Detroit Diesel Allison Division would continue to innovate and strengthen its position as a leader in the field. During this time, the division created and introduced the Series 92, which would increase its capabilities in marine transportation. In the 1980s, Detroit Diesel Allison would hit yet another milestone: producing its first four-cylinder engine.

In 1987, Detroit Diesel introduced the heavy-duty, four-cylinder Detroit Diesel Series 60 engine. The Detroit Diesel Series 60 engine is known for its fuel efficiency as a heavy-duty engine. As the company's namesake, it would become one of its most well-known engines.

In 1987, General Motors partnered with another Michigan brand, Penske Corporation, and created the Detroit Diesel Corporation. As Detroit Diesel Corporation, the company experienced exponential growth in the on-highway market from the late 1980s to the late 1990s, up until Detroit Diesel Corporation was acquired by Daimler Chrysler in 2000, where they became a subsidiary of Daimler Trucks North America LLC.

In addition to cementing Michigan as an industry leader throughout the Nation and world, Detroit Diesel Corporation, now known as the Detroit brand, powers economic and community development through its network of more than 800 locations throughout North America. In 2005, Detroit Diesel Corporation invested millions of dollars in expanding engine production in Michigan through its Renaissance project. The Detroit brand launched another major investment in Detroit in 2012; both initiatives have created thousands of jobs for hard-working families in Michigan.

As much as Detroit Diesel Corporation is the Detroit brand, at its very core, it is America's brand. I applaud its commitment to creating quality cutting-edge technology, ensuring that Michigan, as well as the United States, continues to be at the driver's seat of innovation as the automotive capital of the world. I ask my colleagues to join me in congratulating Detroit Diesel Corporation on its longevity and the immense impact it has made on communities here at home in Michigan and across the country. I wish Detroit Diesel Corporation many more decades of success.

Mr. President, today I wish to recognize and congratulate Grace Shore, CEO of the Macomb County Chamber of Commerce. Grace is being honored for her lifetime achievements and her 40 years of service to the Macomb Chamber and to Macomb County, upon her induction into the Macomb Hall of Fame. During her tenure with the chamber, Grace has been a champion for businesses throughout Macomb County and an advocate for improving the community where she has spent most of her life.

Grace has been with the Macomb Chamber for 40 years and was named its CEO in 1991. Since then, Macomb has grown economically and cemented itself as a key economic player in the region. During her tenure, Grace has implemented many programs to help bolster Macomb's economy. A recent program was ``Shop Local Macomb'' during the 2017 holiday season, a campaign that encouraged residents to

visit stores in their local community in order to ensure that their holiday shopping made an impact close to home.

In her role as CEO, Grace has brought innovative thinking, new programs, and the ability to create partnerships with local governments and stakeholders, turning the Macomb Chamber into a catalyst for economic development, and allowing it to provide member organizations with a number of economic development initiatives, networking opportunities, and professional development seminars. All of these achievements have earned the Macomb Chamber the respect of its peers, not just in the region, but around Michigan. Grace's hard work and efforts have culminated in the Macomb Chamber being recognized twice with the Outstanding Chamber of the Year Award from the Michigan Association of Chamber Professionals. Grace has also been previously named the Michigan Chamber Professional of the Year by the Michigan Association of Chamber Professionals.

The Macomb Chamber has two branch organizations that work side-by- side with it: the Macomb Foundation and Macomb Advocacy for Business. The Macomb Foundation hosts events such as the annual Macomb Hall of Fame and the Athena Award with the aim of expanding the role Macomb County plays in Michigan's economy and to support the many community and nonprofit groups throughout Macomb County. Macomb Advocacy's mission is to educate member organizations and the public on policy and political issues, as well as candidates, to make Macomb a better place for businesses and residents alike.

In the 40 years that Grace has been with the Chamber of Commerce, Macomb has diversified from its manufacturing heritage and grown into a high-tech corridor. While it still stays true to its industrial roots, it now has many defense and technology companies within its borders and continues to present more opportunities every day. I would like to congratulate Grace on reaching the momentous milestone of 40 years with the Macomb Chamber of Commerce and on being inducted into the Macomb Hall of Fame. I ask my colleagues to join me today in honoring Ms. Grace Shore for her lifetime of contributions to Macomb County and the economic development of the surrounding region.