Floor Statements

Madam President, I rise today as cochair of the Senate Bipartisan Task Force for Combating Anti-Semitism, which just relaunched this week with over half the Senate as Members. I am speaking out because Jewish-Americans and Jews across the globe are in danger.

They are in danger because we are experiencing a worldwide surge in anti-Semitic hate crimes and violence. In communities across America, Jews have been threatened, they have been verbally accosted, and brutally assaulted.

Anti-Semitism has long been the canary in the coal mine of hatred. History teaches us that when anti-Semitism takes hold, democracy itself is imperiled. This issue has reared its ugly head in recent years, particularly in the past month.

According to the ADL, anti-Semitic incidents in May were double what they were during the same period last year. Over the past few weeks, we have seen horrendous attacks on Jewish communities. In New York, fireworks were hurled at a crowd of Jewish-Americans. In Los Angeles, Jewish diners were attacked.

One response I saw to a recent desecration of a synagogue in Arizona has stuck with me. The response said ``the amount of Jewish hate isn't shocking. The silence is.''

Those who committed these egregious acts wanted to send a message. They wanted to say that Jews have no place here. And it is critical that we send a clear and forceful message back. We must ensure that our elected leaders, Democrats and Republicans, are resolute in affirming that there is zero tolerance for anti-Semitism.

We must honor the words of George Washington, who wrote to the Jewish community of Rhode Island in 1790, that America ``gives to bigotry no sanction, to persecution no assistance,'' which is why I urge the Senate to immediately take up my bipartisan resolution condemning the recent anti-Semitic incidents, unconditionally and unequivocally.

I am calling on leaders to take specific steps--specific steps--to address and prevent them, including having the President nominate and the Senate confirm a qualified Ambassador to monitor and combat anti- Semitism, fully implementing my bipartisan Never Again Education Act to advance Holocaust education, having agencies improve their collection of anti-Semitic hate crime data, and sufficiently funding the Nonprofit Security Grant program to protect houses of worship and community centers from violence.

I want to thank Senator Lankford and his staff for their work in helping to pass this resolution, which currently has 74 cosponsors.

Madam President, as if in legislative session, I ask unanimous consent that the Committee on the Judiciary be discharged from further consideration and the Senate now proceed to S. Res. 252.

I know of no further debate on the measure.

Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the preamble be agreed to and that the motions to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table with no intervening action or debate.

I suggest the absence of a quorum.

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

Madam President, I stand here today in support of Isabel Guzman's nomination to serve as SBA Administrator.

This pandemic has been challenging for our communities, and it has been especially devastating for our small businesses. We urgently need a leader who is experienced and prepared for the work ahead, someone who will hit the ground running to revive and restore our small businesses and bring back jobs, and Isabel Guzman is exactly the right person for this task.

Having previously served in the U.S. Small Business Administration, Mrs. Guzman knows the Agency well. She understands the struggles that small businesses and workers face, not just during this pandemic but also their day-to-day needs. She will use the Agency's tools to support small businesses, and she will fight fiercely on their behalf.

Ninety-nine percent of Nevada businesses are small businesses. This is a diverse community that embodies the entrepreneurial spirit of our State, and over the last year they have faced obstacle after obstacle. Thousands of Nevada business owners have called my office for help.

These small business owners are--well, they are people. They are people who have poured their hard-earned money into starting businesses. They

are people who have dedicated their lives to building a business from the ground up. They are people whose shops and stores and services-- well, they are cornerstones for our communities. And now, through no fault of their own, these small business owners are left wondering if their businesses are going to make it.

Last week, President Biden signed the American Rescue Plan into law. This is a major win for small businesses across the country. It includes targeted support for Black, Latino, AAPI, and minority-owned businesses, as well as support for businesses in our rural communities. Over $1 billion in grants are in there to save our stages and independent live venues. There is over $7 billion for the Paycheck Protection Program. There is $15 billion for EIDL Advance grants and $25 billion to keep restaurants afloat.

This will provide real relief to small business owners, employees, and the families that they provide for, that count on them. For so many, this additional aid will mean the difference between a business keeping its doors open or closing them forever.

And now we need an SBA Administrator who will see that this relief is delivered swiftly and fully. I am confident that Isabel Guzman will be an asset in bringing our small businesses back.

We must also do more for our small businesses, which is why, if confirmed, I look forward to working with Mrs. Guzman and the SBA to remove the cap on EIDL loans and to provide full EIDL Advance grants to all eligible small businesses, giving greater access to the relief that all our small business owners need. The EIDL and EIDL Advance Programs have helped countless small businesses in Nevada and in States across the country through these tough times, but the arbitrary caps on these loans and grants are preventing small businesses from receiving the funding assistance they need to properly recover.

Full EIDL loans and grants are what Congress intended when we passed the CARES Act 1 year ago. It is what we promised small businesses at the beginning of the pandemic. So we owe it to America's small businesses and workers to keep our word, and I know Isabel Guzman is the right person to help us keep this promise.

As we continue on the road to recovery, made possible by the American Rescue Plan, I urge my colleagues to confirm Mrs. Guzman's nomination so that she can immediately get to work for our small businesses.

Thank you.

I yield to the Senator from Oregon.

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

Madam President, I rise today to speak in support of the historic nomination of Congresswoman Deb Haaland to serve as our Nation's next Secretary of the Interior.

This Cabinet position is of great importance to our Nation and especially to Western States like mine--like ours, Madam President, and I can't think of anyone more qualified to fill this position than Congresswoman Deb Haaland, one of the first Native American Members of Congress and a proven leader.

Let me start by telling you why this Cabinet position means so much to Nevada. In the Silver State, over 50 million acres of land is managed by the Interior Department. That is over 70 percent of our entire State.

People come to Nevada from all over the world to experience our pristine and our majestic public lands and monuments. These lands, well, they are not just a source of beauty; they are also a source of economic opportunity for Nevada.

In previous administrations, we have seen efforts to put those public lands on the chopping blocks. But that won't happen under Deb Haaland's leadership.

I have had the chance to speak with Congresswoman Haaland one-on-one, hear directly from her, and get to know her.

She has spent her entire career fighting to protect public lands, waters, monuments, cultural sites and natural beauties around our Nation and, of course, in our great State of Nevada.

And I know, if confirmed, she will work with me and Senator Cortez Masto to strike the right balance between critical protections for our public lands, environment, and wildlife, and the needed economic development across Nevada.

Deb Haaland, well, she has been committed to conservation as a Member of Congress, and she will be just as committed to conservation as our next Interior Secretary.

Congresswoman Haaland, she will take the bold steps needed to confront climate change. And if this historic confirmation succeeds, she will bring new and needed perspective to the Presidential Cabinet-- one that has been missing since the President's Cabinet was formed all the way back in 1789.

As Secretary of the Interior, Deb Haaland will be the first--the first--Native American Cabinet member, and she will give a voice to Tribal communities in Nevada and across our country.

She will take steps to restore and respect Tribal sovereignty. She will continue to be an advocate and an ally to Native communities, and she will help to right the many historic wrongs and injustices that have been committed against Native Americans and Tribal communities.

Deb Haaland is exceptionally qualified to lead this Agency. She brings a breadth of experience and diversity to the table. She will be a positive force for good. She will guide our Nation forward.

I urge my colleagues to vote yes on Deb Haaland's nomination.

I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. President.

Mr. President, I send a question to the desk.

Mr. President, the American people need our help, and they need it now. Far too many families are struggling just to get by.

My home State of Nevada has been hit especially hard during this pandemic. Before COVID, Nevada was stable, and Nevada was thriving, but since the pandemic began, our industries--especially our travel and tourism, key economic pillars of our State--were devastated. In fact, countless Nevada businesses have struggled, and unfortunately many have had to close their doors permanently. This is forcing Nevadans out of work and putting their financial well-being in jeopardy. Now, during this public health and economic crisis, Nevada is close to having the highest rate of unemployment in the Nation.

Here in Congress, we have passed stopgap packages to try to help all those who are facing these tough times. The relief measures we have delivered for the American people have been a good start, but they are not enough to safely see our country through this pandemic.

Small business owners risk losing their businesses if they cannot access the full loans and grants that Congress promised them but that the last administration failed to deliver. Our State and local governments have exhausted their budgets responding to this public health crisis, and as a result, they face looming cuts to essential support and services that our communities are relying on.

This isn't something that is happening just in my State; this is the common experience across our country. The people of Nevada, the American people--they are desperately calling out for a lifeline, and we must deliver a real one and as soon as possible.

COVID-19 is a global public health emergency, and it requires the full force of the U.S. Government. We must act boldly and efficiently as we work to overcome this crisis and meet the needs of this moment.

We need real relief--real relief fo families who are struggling to pay their bills, for those who are struggling to afford basic necessities, for parents who are struggling just to feed their kids.

We need real relief. We need real relief for our travel and tourism industries. We need to ensure that they can make it through this turbulent time. We need a framework for ensuring that health and safety standards are met, and we need a path toward restoring consumer confidence.

We need real relief--real relief for our small businesses, including tax credits to help businesses get by and full EIDL loans and grants without arbitrary caps.

We need real relief--real relief for our workers, including increased unemployment benefits and proper IT infrastructure to get those benefits out faster to Americans in need.

We need real relief--real relief for State and local governments so that they can continue working tirelessly to save the lives of Americans in every corner of our Nation, so that they can continue testing and tracing in our communities, so that they can continue to provide childcare for essential workers, and so that they continue to provide PPE and things to limit the spread of COVID-19.

We need real relief--real relief that supports a greater vaccine distribution and accelerates vaccine deployment, including to our communities of color and rural areas where healthcare access is too frequently a challenge.

Senator Cortez Masto and I have been working with our Governor. We have been working with our Governor and working with all of our local governments to get more shots in arms across the State of Nevada, but we need more.

When so many in our country are hurting and they are struggling, we must ask ourselves why American families, why members of our communities, why would they deserve any less? It is time for a comprehensive relief package that truly provides relief to the American people.

I urge all of my colleagues to join me in this effort to help see our Nation through this challenge. Lives are depending on us. Our States are counting on us. The whole country is looking to us--looking to us to show leadership, to stand up, to save lives and livelihoods. So let's ensure that we don't let them down. Let's pass that real relief, thoughtful and targeted relief, and do it now.

I yield the floor.

Mr. President, I stand before you and my colleagues today to speak in support of the nomination of Alejandro Mayorkas to serve as Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security.

There is no question that Ali Mayorkas is qualified for this position. He previously served as the Director of U.S. Customs and Immigration Services, then as Deputy Secretary at DHS.

Today, I want to tell you about Ali Mayorkas's story. I want to tell you why he is the right pick for this position. And I want to tell you why we can achieve what we need to with Mr. Mayorkas leading the Department of Homeland Security.

During his hearing before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, my fellow committee members and I had a chance to hear from Mr. Mayorkas and hear his family history.

He told us the harrowing story of his family fleeing persecution, traveling to a new country in search of freedom, acceptance, and a safe place to call home.

During the Holocaust, Mr. Mayorkas's mother lost her paternal grandparents and seven of her uncles simply for being Jewish--simply because of the faith they practiced. His mother and his maternal grandparents fled, but they fled in order to survive.

But the story of Mr. Mayorkas's family was far from over. His parents fled Cuba during Castro's revolution, bringing Mr. Mayorkas and his sister here to the United States in 1960. They came here as refugees searching for freedom, searching for acceptance, searching for safety.

Ali Mayorkas is an American success story. He came here as a child. His family made a life here. He pursued an education. He dedicated his life to public service. He worked hard to give back to the Nation that gave his family so much.

And now, Mr. Mayorkas has volunteered to serve his country once again.

In this new role, he will work to keep our Nation safe and secure while ensuring that we treat all human beings with dignity and respect.

Under the last Presidential administration, we saw unimaginable cruelty--family members separated from each other, children taken from their mothers' arms. We saw a total disregard of the struggles of refugees facing persecution in their home countries and making the heartbreaking choice to leave and make the dangerous journey to the United States.

I know that under the leadership of Secretary Mayorkas, our Department of Homeland Security will strive to uphold the values of our Nation. He will also bring much needed stability to the Department. He will work to reverse the cruel and heartless policies of the previous administration. He will work to protect Dreamers and TPS holders. He will work on smart solutions to secure our border. And he will work with Congress to finally pass comprehensive immigration reform. That is not all he will do at the DHS.

Under Mr. Mayorkas's leadership, he will work to ensure the safety and security of our homeland--the homeland he was brought to as a child, the homeland that he and his family have made their own. I spoke of the persecution that Ali Mayorkas's family faced during the Holocaust--a threat of anti-Semitism and White supremacy. Well, it still persists today, and it is growing right here in the United States and everywhere across the globe.

Last year, a DHS assessment concluded that ``racially and ethnically motivated violent extremists--specifically white supremacist extremists--will remain the most persistent and lethal threat in the Homeland.''

We have seen that violent extremism in action. We saw it on January 6 in this very city against this legislative body and in this very Chamber. When I asked Ali Mayorkas about this issue during our committee hearing, he made clear that he understands the threat that White supremacy, anti-Semitism, and extremism pose to the health of our Nation and to the health of our democracy.

If we are going to fight hatred and violent extremism, we need someone leading the charge who understands and takes seriously the threat to all Americans--the threats to our children, to our schools, to our workplaces, and to our places of worship. He is committed to addressing online radicalization and strengthening the Nonprofit Security Grant Program to ensure that houses of worship and other nonprofit organizations are kept safe from potential terror attacks.

So whether it is combating extremism, foreign or domestic terrorism, cyber attacks, or adversaries from abroad, Mr. Mayorkas expressed a clear commitment to keeping our Nation safe and is fully prepared and qualified to serve as the head of DHS.

Ali Mayorkas is the right pick to lead this Department, and I urge swift confirmation so that he can get to work immediately for us and our country. I will vote for Ali Mayorkas, and I urge my colleagues to do the same.

I yield the floor.

Mr. President, today it is with tremendous pride that I recognize a great Nevadan, State Senator David Parks.

Senator Parks arrived in Nevada to serve as an airman in the U.S. Air Force. He served our country with honor from 1967-1971 and was stationed at Nevada's own Nellis Air Force Base. After receiving his master of business administration from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, he used his business expertise to work on behalf of the southern Nevada community he loved dearly. Among his various public service positions, Parks served as chairman of the Paradise Town Advisory Board, the director of the Office of Budget and Management for the city of Las Vegas, and the assistant director of the Regional Transportation Commission of southern Nevada.

David Parks first brought his extensive experience in local government to the Nevada Legislature when he was elected to the Nevada Assembly in 1997. He served the assembly with honor and integrity as the assistant majority whip and then later as the assistant majority floor leader. In 2008, Parks' community elected him to the Nevada State Senate, representing Whitney and parts of Paradise, Henderson, and Sunrise Manor. He was subsequently reelected in 2012 and again in 2016.

In his 22 years of legislative experience and life of public service, Senator Parks has remained a steadfast champion for the LGBTQ community by ensuring equal rights and protections for LGBTQ individuals throughout the State and serving for many years on the Governor's Statewide AIDS Advisory Task Force. Nevada's progressive leadership on many issues that affect LGBTQ Nevadans is a direct result of the senator's advocacy and persistence. During his tenure in the legislature, he has been the State's leader on pursuing LGBTQ equality, leading efforts to institute civil unions in Nevada, ban discrimination based on gender identity or expression, and address bullying and cyber- bullying in Nevada's schools, among many other critical reforms.

We honor David Parks today as he concludes his final legislative session in the Nevada State Senate and leaves behind a legacy of progressive change and a deep commitment to public service.

Mr. President, today, it is with both great pride and tremendous sadness that I honor the legacy of an incredible Nevadan, Assemblyman Tyrone Thompson, who was taken from us far too soon, earlier this month. A proud native of Las Vegas, Assemblyman Thompson, a product of Nevada's public education system, graduated from Valley High School in 1985. He then went on to earn his bachelor's degree in criminal justice with a minor in sociology from Northern Arizona University, and he earned his masters of arts degree in organizational management from the University of Phoenix in 2000.

Thompson was first appointed to the Nevada State Legislature by the Clark County Commission on April 16, 2013 as the representative for District 17. During the 79th and 80th legislative sessions, he fought for improvements to our States' public education system as chairman of the education committee. Then, during the 80th session, Assemblyman Thompson's leadership skills were recognized by his peers in the Statehouse when he was appointed majority whip for the Nevada Assembly.

In October 2017, Thompson was inducted into the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences Hall of Fame at Northern Arizona University, his alma matter.

Assemblyman Tyrone Thompson had a heart that was bigger than life. Whether it was tackling homelessness in our State, increasing access to quality education, mentoring, or fighting to expand social services, Assemblyman Thompson always followed through on his word. Our community lost a champion on May 4, 2019, but Tyrone Thompson lives on through a legacy unmatched in Nevada. He touched countless lives, inspired so many, and planted seeds of selfless acts throughout Nevada.

We honor him and his family as we carry his heart, passion, selflessness, and community-minded spirit with us every day.

Madam President, I thank Senator Cortez Masto for that great introduction.

I am honored and humbled to address this distinguished body as the newest Senator from the great State of Nevada and to stand alongside an exceptional group of colleagues with a shared commitment to public service. I am especially honored to hold this seat, as it once belonged to a great Nevada public servant, Senator Richard Bryan. Senator Bryan served in just about every position in government, from assemblyman to Governor. He worked tirelessly to advance civil rights, empower women in government, and defend Nevada's public lands. I am so honored to carry his values with me to move Nevada forward.

As I take up this mantle in the Senate, I am prepared to continue Senator Bryan's legacy and work for Nevadans, while also building toward a legacy of our own. I stand here as Nevada's 28th Senator and, for the first time in history, as one of two women to represent our State in the Senate. I am proud to be part of such an incredible movement of strong, passionate, trailblazing women like Senator Catherine Cortez Masto, who became the first female Senator to represent the great State of Nevada and the first Latina elected to serve in the Senate.

Everywhere, we are seeing women who are stepping up to lead, and I am thrilled to have the chance to empower women who are looking to break barriers along the way. By bringing more women to the decision-making table, we can open doors and make progress on issues that affect us and our hard-working families on a daily basis. When women put their minds together, there is no new ground we cannot break, and there is no glass ceiling we cannot shatter.

I stand here today to share my vision for how we can work together-- on both sides of the aisle--to lay down a framework for progress because Nevadans and Americans everywhere are counting on us to go above and beyond, to overcome obstacles before us, and to find commonsense, forward-thinking solutions for the challenges of this new era--challenges like immigration reform, which protects our Dreamers and TPS recipients; challenges like a changing 21st century economy and climate change; and, of course, an issue that is so important to hard- working families everywhere, the challenge of access to affordable, quality healthcare.

Before I discuss where we are going, let me tell you just a bit about where I come from--my values and the ways in which my story has helped to shape who I am and how it will shape who I will be as Nevada's newest Senator.

I am the proud granddaughter of immigrants and a first-generation college graduate who worked my way through college waiting tables. Yes, I am a former member of the Culinary Workers Union, and I saved my tips in envelopes to pay for that college tuition. I am a computer programmer and a systems analyst who worked my way up in what has been long considered a male-dominated industry.

I am a wife to my husband Larry, a radiologist, whom I can always count on to be by my side. I am a mother to my wonderful daughter Miranda, whom I am so proud of and who inspires me every day to build a better future for our country.

I am a former president of my synagogue--the largest synagogue in Nevada--and during my tenure, I witnessed the beauty of our country's religious diversity and how community engagement strengthens America. I also learned the importance of working together to fight against anti- Semitism, which we are seeing now, once again, rear its ugly head here at home and around the globe.

Remembering where I come from, my story, my roots, this is what guides me every day to make decisions to help working families. When it comes to issues like college affordability and education, equal pay for equal work, labor rights, combating hate and anti-Semitism, and standing up for Israel, I can speak from personal experience.

I am reminded that my story is just one of many from Las Vegas to Reno, to Searchlight, to Lovelock, and everywhere in between because I hear from Nevadans who share some of those same stories from every part of the rich, vibrant fabric that makes up our diverse State, including Latinos, Asian Americans, African Americans, Tribal communities, and beyond.

When I think of the shores of Lake Tahoe and of Lake Mead, the majestic canyons of Red Rock, the open skies across the desert, and the mountains that shine below them like jewels in the sun, I think of home. Nothing rings more true to me than saying home means Nevada to me.

Madam President, we are a State that was born to take on challenges. We come together from every walk of life to make cities that shine from out of the desert. We are battle born, and we are battle tested, and it is our grit, our perseverance, and our diversity that truly capture who we are. It is those same qualities that will help us change the face of our Nation.

Remembering where we come from--that philosophy--is a driving force behind my support for environmental policies that will protect our States' treasures, including our mountains, rivers, and lakes.

I am honored to represent the most beautiful State in the country, but there is one environmental issue that threatens Nevada's beautiful landscapes and the families that call our State home, and that is Yucca Mountain. Nevada has made it clear time and again that we will not become the Nation's dumping ground for nuclear waste. Yet we continue to see relentless efforts to turn our State into the Nation's sole nuclear waste repository without our consent, even after we have made our voices heard, even though Nevada does not create nuclear waste. Congress must respect our will and our rights as a State because our voice matters. I stand prepared to use every tool at my disposal to defend our State from attempts to revive this project.

I will continue to fight to keep our State beautiful by standing up for clean air and clean water, by protecting public lands and investing in clean energy, by taking real action to address climate change. I know we can leave the world a better place for future generations.

We also know there are commonsense ways to address our climate challenges, including investing in renewable energy right at home. In Nevada, solar

energy is both creating jobs and helping us to lead a way toward a clean energy future. That is why, last year in the House, I led the charge against harmful solar tariffs that threatened to roll back the progress we have made and why I introduced legislation to train our veterans for good-paying jobs--solar jobs--that can both support families and reduce our carbon footprint.

I will continue these efforts here in the Senate because our energy independence and the future of our planet should never be partisan issues.

Madam President, in Nevada, we care for one another, and we believe in looking out for one another, and that is especially true for our veterans, who make up a significant part of our State. Over 226,000 veterans call Nevada home. Our heroes in the armed services and their families risk everything--everything--to protect our Nation. One way we can honor them is by helping our heroes successfully transition to civilian life once they have completed their military service.

After talking to countless veterans and military families in Nevada, I introduced the Hire Student Veterans Act as my first bill in the Senate. This bipartisan legislation incentivizes business to hire our student vets who are currently using their benefits to study. We made a promise to take care of our veterans when they return home, and the last thing they should have to worry about is not being able to obtain a good education or a good-paying job. I know this commonsense legislation will further ensure that our student vets are on the pathway toward success and that Nevada and our Nation will benefit from their continued contributions.

Madam President, in Nevada, we are leading the way; we are doing right by hard-working families in areas like clean energy and technology. As a former computer programmer, I am so excited about our State's growing tech industry, and I look forward to working with my colleagues on the Small Business Committee to provide our tech startups the tools they need to succeed and create jobs and on the Commerce Committee, where we are tackling important issues like cyber security and privacy and, for our rural communities, critical access to rural broadband, which they sorely need.

In all of these efforts, I look forward to bringing new stakeholders to the table because we can all gain so much insight when we listen to our constituents and we embrace bold ideas to improve their lives.

We have also grown our economy and created good-paying jobs by legalizing recreational marijuana in our State. This industry is bringing millions of dollars in revenue to Nevada. Yet our marijuana businesses continue to operate on a cash-only basis as a result of outdated Federal laws that are blocking their access to important financial services. We cannot expect these businesses to succeed when the Federal Government refuses to keep up with the times. That is why I am supporting bipartisan legislation to give marijuana businesses access to our banking system so that they can safely operate and continue contributing to our economy.

It is through bipartisan action that we can encourage economic growth in every corner of our State and every corner of our country.

Since coming to Congress, I have consistently made it a priority to reach across the aisle on issues where both parties can find common ground. At a time of increasing political division and partisan gridlock, it is even more important for both sides to come together, to make progress on the issues that are impacting Americans at home.

I am so proud of the work I have been able to do with my colleagues from both parties. Last Congress, I was named one of the most bipartisan freshman Members during my first term and was one of the first Democrats to be recognized with an award by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce for supporting pro-growth policies.

I will continue to take every action to fight for Nevada's hard- working families. We must act boldly, and we must do more to provide opportunities--opportunities for our children through improving education and working across the aisle to invest in our children's future.

Madam President, earlier this year, I introduced the Building Blocks of STEM Act. In the Senate we are going to try to make those investments in early childhood STEM education. My bipartisan, bicameral bill will give our kids the opportunities to explore STEM-related fields at an early age and set them up for success because we need a 21st century education if we hope to succeed in a 21st century economy.

It is only through robust, quality education that we can build that strong workforce that will grow our Nation's economy and ensure that our children and our Nation will ultimately succeed.

Protecting our environment and public lands, embracing clean energy, honoring America's heroes and their families, supporting economic growth, investing in our children's education, these are just a few of the ways we can work together across the aisle.

We can improve lives by listening to the voices of those who sent us here to represent us and by working together to create a healthy, educated, and economically empowered future for all and, most importantly, by agreeing everywhere we can, especially on the issues that matter most to families at home.