Floor Statements

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Seasonal Interpretive Ranger Doug Follett of Whitefish for guiding countless visitors through Glacier National Park, one of our nation's natural wonders, for 70 years.

Ranger Doug has spent decades in and around Glacier National Park. His family moved to Whitefish, Montana when he was a toddler, and he's made the area his home ever since. Before working at Glacier National Park, he worked for the railroad and served the United States in the Air Force during World War II. He began working seasonally in Glacier National Park during the summer while he taught high school history in the winter.

Ranger Doug has spent 58 seasons as an interpretive ranger in Glacier National Park, making him one of the longest-serving employees of the National Park Service. He has led thousands of visitors through trails in the park's expansive forests and beautiful glacier-carved mountains and valleys.

Ranger Doug greets visitors with a fist bump and is known for reciting his original poetry dedicated to the park. An ambassador of Glacier National Park, he shares his knowledge and experience with the thousands of visitors he guides each year. Those who cross Ranger Doug's path each season walk away from Glacier with his infectious passion and enthusiasm for the park.

A well-known figure in Glacier National Park and in the community, Ranger Doug has no plans to slow down and retire anytime soon, saying, ``I'll never know until it's over.''

Many more stories and experiences will come from those who cross paths with Ranger Doug.

Madam Speaker, for serving 70 years as an ambassador of Glacier National Park and Montana to the millions of visitors who visit the park each year, I recognize Ranger Doug Follett for his spirit of Montana.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to thank the members of the House Armed Services Committee for their hard work on this year's National Defense Authorization Act.

Malmstrom Air Force Base is home to the 341st Missile Wing, which maintains and operates one-third of the U.S. ICBM force. Servicemembers at Malmstrom protect our country, but the base can do more to keep America safe and secure. With some work, the base's runway can, once again, host flying missions.

I especially thank and recognize Mr. Turner from Ohio. We worked on a measure that could reform the basing process to focus on improving existing facilities like Malmstrom instead of building new ones.

This bill begins the process of including Malmstrom in future Air Force basing decisions to host aircraft, potentially increasing the number of men and women serving there.

I appreciate the Montana Defense Alliance for its advocacy on behalf of Great Falls and all the servicemembers at Malmstrom and elsewhere who keep our country safe.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Ellen Crain of Butte for her 29 years of service as the Director of the Butte-Silver Bow Public Archives and for transforming the public archives into a renowned source of research and community pride.

Ellen, a native of Butte, began her work as director of the archives in 1990. She immediately set out to acquire additional collections of historical documents, maps, books, and articles. Outgrowing their current location, the old Butte Fire Station No. 1, Ellen led an expansion project in 2007. Butte-Silver Bow voters overwhelming supported her efforts and passed a $7.5 million bond for the archives.

The project included the renovation of the historic fire department station that had been home to the archives since 1981, and an expansion of two archival vaults and a community meeting space.

Under Ellen's leadership, the Butte-Silver Bow Public Archives has become a recognized source for research. Approximately 5,000 academic and family historians visit each year from all over the world. The community room is a busy place with bi-weekly brown bag lunches attracting large audiences and well-known speakers. Outreach efforts include workshops on preserving family archives and connecting with various ethnic populations in the community.

``Butte has had such a historic impact'' said Ellen. ``Much of the copper that electrified the country came from Butte. Hand-in-hand with that is the historic contributions to organized labor from a diverse ethnic population. It is such an honor for me and my staff to represent Butte. We are always uncovering new ways to look at old stories.''

Madam Speaker, for her leadership and dedication to preserving Montana's historic impact on the country and the world, I recognize Ellen Crain for her spirit of Montana.

Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent to take from the Speaker's table H.R. 3401, with the Senate amendment thereto, and concur in the Senate amendment. This bipartisan bill passed the Senate with 84 votes and could be sent to the President's desk for his signature today.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize a bright and talented group of young women from Kalispell, Montana, who excelled in the recent Code Girls United Northwest Regional App Challenge.

Taylor Pooton won first place for her project that uses radio frequency identification to provide real-time tracking information for students.

Emma Anderson, Kyra Hutchison, and Trinity Hutchison took second place for creating an app that reminds users to exercise throughout the day.

Meara Greer and Abby Stillo placed third with their prototype of a robotic self-driving vehicle.

Code Girls United is an after-school computer science program teaching fourth through eighth grade girls to become problem-solvers through coding and business training.

Congratulations to all the participants. The skills and ideas they are developing could help tackle the challenges we face today and in the years to come.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Kyla Johnston of Columbia Falls and Karlee Albertson of Billings for their entrepreneurial spirit that has contributed to their communities. Kyla conducts a children's reading program, donates books, and encourages kids to read. Karlee paints nails for charity and has raised more than $20,000 for Christmas gift-giving programs.

Kyla is a recent graduate of Columbia Falls High School. As part of a monthly community dinner program that brings together area families, Kyla reads to the children and brings them books to read at home. She is raising funds to purchase new books and to expand the program. Kyla's strong sense of volunteerism also leads her to shovel snow for seniors and plant flowers at the Montana Veterans Home in Columbia Falls.

Karlee recently completed sixth grade at Castle Rock Elementary in Billings. She began her ``Nails for a Cause'' program as a first-grade student. By painting nails at school and community events and through donations, Karlee has raised more than $20,000 for charity. Every year, she shops for Christmas presents and wraps them with the help of other volunteers. Her efforts have reached over 250 less fortunate people in her community.

For their work in their communities, Kyla and Karlee were recently recognized as Montana's top youth volunteers by the National Association of Secondary School Principals and Prudential Financial, Inc.

Madam Speaker, for their entrepreneurial spirit and dedication to serving their communities, I recognize Kyla Johnston and Karlee Albertson for their spirit of Montana.

Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the need to ensure quality healthcare for our veterans and military members who may be suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder.

According to the Military Health System, 14 percent of servicemembers who served in Iraq or Afghanistan suffer from PTSD. The condition can lead to substance abuse and cause serious physical and mental health problems.

In Montana, 1 in 10 residents are veterans. That is one reason I have acted to expand mental health services in Montana. With increased resources for the VA system, improved access to community healthcare, and the expansion of telemedicine, we can help to ensure that those who have served get

the treatment they need, regardless of where they live.

June is Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Awareness Month. I encourage my colleagues to support our veterans and military members who suffer from PTSD. We must keep our commitments to them and provide the highest quality of care.

Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on the Judiciary be discharged from further consideration of H.R. 962, the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act, and ask for its immediate consideration in the House.

Mr. Speaker, I urge the Speaker to immediately schedule this important bill so the American people know where we stand.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor the staff, instructors, and mentors of the Montana Youth ChalleNGe Academy in Dillon for helping thousands of at-risk youth turn around their lives toward a more promising, productive future.

Celebrating its 20th year, the Montana Youth ChalleNGe Academy (MYCA) provides young Montanans from 16 to 18 the opportunity to develop academically and hone workforce and social skills in a secure, structured setting.

The 22-week program, sponsored by the Montana National Guard and the State of Montana, focuses on academics, responsibility, service, leadership, and health. Nearly 3,000 students have graduated from MYCA since 1999, with volunteer mentors supporting and guiding them following graduation.

Every cadet in the academy has a story of personal struggle and perseverance. Many

have faced circumstances that put them at risk of not completing high school. One such cadet is 17-year-old Crystal Whitedirt.

Placed in foster care as a child, Crystal struggled with learning disabilities. As a high school junior, she was informed she was unlikely to meet graduation requirements. Crystal decided to enter

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Vicki Massie of Billings for developing a program to provide computers to students and organizations that need them, and for recently setting up two needed computer labs in a rural Montana school.

Vicki is the former executive director of St. Vincent de Paul in Billings, a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing personalized service to those in need. Four years ago, as the volunteer coordinator, she developed Project R.E.B.O.O.T., or ``Refurbished Electronics Bringing Out Opportunities Together.'' Project REBOOT refurbishes donated computers and distributes them to schools, students, and organizations in need. Since its inception, Project REBOOT has given nearly 100 computers to Montana students.

This spring, Vicki's project helped fill a tremendous need for students of the Northern Cheyenne Tribal School. Elementary and high school students at the small, rural school shared one computer lab. Students faced another challenge: the high school curriculum required supplemental work online, and there were only nine laptops for 78 high school students.

In one day, that changed.

Through Project REBOOT, Vicki brought 50 computers to the Northern Cheyenne Tribal School. Vicki and her two sons, who work in information technology at a nearby school district, set up two new computer labs for students at the school.

With greater resources and access to technology, the students of Northern Cheyenne Tribal School, and all students Vicki has helped through Project REBOOT, can improve their skills and further open the doors of opportunity, be it in higher education or in the workforce.

Madam Speaker, for her vision and dedication to expanding access to technology for Montana students, I recognize Vicki Massie for her spirit of Montana.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Vicki Massie of Billings for developing a program to provide computers to students and organizations that need them, and for recently setting up two needed computer labs in a rural Montana school.

Vicki is the executive director of St. Vincent de Paul in Billings, a nonprofit organization dedicated to providing personalized service to those in need. Four years ago, as the volunteer coordinator, she developed Project R.E.B.O.O.T., or ``Refurbished Electronics Bringing Out Opportunities Together.'' Project REBOOT refurbishes donated computers and distributes them to schools, students, and organizations in need. Since its inception, Project REBOOT has given nearly 100 computers to Montana students.

This spring, Vicki's project helped fill a tremendous need for students of the Northern Cheyenne Tribal School. Elementary and high school students at the small, rural school shared one computer lab. Students faced another challenge: the high school curriculum required supplemental work online, and there were only nine laptops for 78 high school students.

I one day, that changed.

Through Project REBOOT, Vicki brought 50 computers to the Northern Cheyenne Tribal School. Vicki and her two sons, who work in information technology at a nearby school district, set up two new computer labs for students at the school.

With greater resources and access to technology, the students of Northern Cheyenne Tribal School, and all students Vicki has helped through Project REBOOT, can improve their skills and further open the doors of opportunity, be it in higher education or in the workforce.

Madam Speaker, for her vision and dedication to expanding access to technology for Montana students, I recognize Vicki Massie for her spirit of Montana.

Madam Speaker, 75 years ago, courageous Americans stormed the beaches of Normandy and parachuted behind enemy lines. Facing what Supreme Allied Commander Eisenhower described as the German war machine, they fought for the cause of freedom.

Many Montanans were there:

Ed Seifert of Polson parachuted into Normandy. He would go on to jump into Holland during the Battle of the Bulge;

Bud Olson of Choteau came under fire in a glider. He was the only survivor of 28 aboard, and he would go on to liberate a concentration camp;

Corky Apple of Lewistown came off a landing craft on Utah Beach. He would go on to earn five Bronze Stars during the war;

John Nelson of Lolo also landed on Utah Beach. He was with Patton's army when it liberated a concentration camp near the Czech border.

As we mark the 75th anniversary of D-Day, remember the brave Americans who destroyed the German war machine, liberated a continent, and saved the world from tyranny.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Jim Sargent of Great Falls, a strong, reliable advocate for Montana's agricultural and veterans organizations as well as Montana Special Olympics. As a media and public relations professional, Sarge has volunteered countless hours to promote outreach and fundraising efforts for these and other civic groups.

``Sarge,'' as he is known to his friends and radio listeners, grew up on a farm near Chester, in northcentral Montana. He began his media career 28 years ago covering agriculture news and sporting events. Sarge says the strength of Montana's close-knit communities grounds his connection to ag and civic organizations.

In his service to Montana's agricultural organizations, Sarge is closely involved with the Montana FFA Association and Montana 4-H, helping promote and host events for both groups. He also helped launch the Electric City FFA chapter. Both organizations have recognized Sarge with distinguished service awards.

``Jim has always jumped in with both feet where ever we needed him,'' said Jim Rose, state advisor for Montana FFA. ``He's invaluable as a promoter, but I think his biggest contribution is in the support and encouragement he gives our youth. He helps them gain confidence in their abilities and develop their leadership skills.''

A member of the Montana Farm Bureau Federation, Sarge served as membership director, and he served as vice president of the Cascade County Farm Bureau.

For the past five years, Sarge has helped promote and host the Stand Down in Great Falls. The event is a benefits fair for Montana veterans and active-duty members of the military. Organizations at the event provide services, including clothing, health care services, and other resources and benefits.

Sarge also contributes his time and talents to Montana Special Olympics. A past president of the Great Falls chapter, Sarge regularly hosts events and fundraisers for the organization. Jim and Sue, his wife of 35 years, also sponsor the Exceptional Rodeo for the group. In 2018, the organization recognized Jim as its Media Personality of the Year.

Madam Speaker, for selflessly dedicating his time and talents to Montana's civic organizations, from our agricultural and veterans groups to Montana Special Olympics, I recognize Jim Sargent for his spirit of Montana.

Mr. Speaker, we have a crisis on our southern border, even if Democrat leaders try desperately to deny it. Nearly 100,000 people were detained last month trying to illegally cross our southern border.

Mr. Speaker, imagine if the population of Billings, Montana, was caught crossing the border in just 1 month. That is the crisis our country faces.

Last week, a U.S. district court judge in Billings sentenced a Mexican citizen to prison for possession of 34 pounds of meth with the intent to distribute. That is nearly 125,000 doses. With Montana facing a meth epidemic, we must secure our border and stop the flow of Mexican meth into our communities.

Mr. Speaker, I saw firsthand the crisis on our southern border. Congress has an obligation to act. I have stood with President Trump to secure it. Let's build the wall where feasible. The safety and security of our country and our communities depend on it.

Madam Speaker, I rise today to honor Tanja Fransen of Glasgow, an

award-winning meteorologist who is recognized nationally for her innovation and leadership.

Tanja is the Meteorologist in Charge at the Glasgow Weather Forecast Office in Montana. Starting as a meteorologist in Glasgow in 2001, she has been a supervisor since 2015. In fact, Tanja is one of only 8 percent of female supervisors for National Weather Service (NWS) field offices.

Tanja's research benefits Montana's ag producers. Tanja and colleague Bill Martin helped develop an innovative cold weather advisory tool that helps livestock producers take precautions during calving season, saving hundreds of thousands of dollars annually. Their work earned them the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Administrator's Award in 2011.

In 2014, the American Meteorological Society (AMS) presented Tanja with the Kenneth C. Spengler Award for her collaborative approach to ensure weather forecasts result in timely and appropriate public responses. The NWS recognized her with the Isaac Cline Award for Outreach in 2011 and the Isaac Cline Award for Leadership in 2002.

Throughout her 25-year career, Tanja has served in many public and professional advisory positions, and she has a passion for mentoring others. She mentors junior colleagues through the AMS and the NWS. She often encourages young people to embrace STEM courses and enhance their education with communication, business, and leadership training.

Madam Speaker, for her accomplishments in the sciences, dedication to the public, and 18 years of service to Montanans, I recognize Tanja Fransen for her spirit of Montana.