Floor Statements

Mr. President, Idaho small businesses are the backbone of our economy and our communities. These small businesses not only employ friends and neighbors, but they showcase Idaho's creativity and values. Our small businesses provide invaluable goods and services and are an intrinsic part of the Gem State. These small businesses deserve to be celebrated for the integral role they play in our communities. I am proud to relaunch Support Local Gems, a statewide initiative, on June 9, to encourage Idahoans to support the small businesses that make the Gem State special. As a member and former chairman of the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, I am pleased to honor McKee's Feed, Garden & Pet Centers as one of Idaho's Small Businesses of the Month for June 2023.

Bill McKee opened McKee's Feed, Garden & Pet Center in 1976. At both the Pocatello and Chubbuck locations, McKee's staff is dedicated to assisting customers with their pet, livestock, and gardening needs. Well known throughout Bannock County, McKee's Petting Zoo has served the local community free of charge for years. Bill McKee started the petting zoo to offer children and families the opportunity to interact with and learn about animals without spending a lot of money. In addition to year-round learning opportunities, McKee's Petting Zoo provides homes for displaced animals.

McKee's continuously supports local schools and Boy Scouts, Relay for Life, educational programs and field trips, and live nativities every winter. McKee's partners with the Humane Society and various rest homes and veterans' facilities to provide ``pet therapy'' to residents.

Congratulations to the McKees and all of the employees at McKee's Feed, Garden & Pet Centers for being selected as an Idaho Small Business of the Month for June 2023. You are an outstanding example of what it means to be one of Idaho's Local Gems. You make the Gem State proud, and I look forward to your continued growth and success.

Mr. President, Idaho small businesses are the backbone of our economy and our communities. These small businesses not only employ friends and neighbors, but they showcase Idaho's creativity and values. Idaho small businesses provide invaluable goods and services and are an important part of the Gem State. These small businesses deserve to be celebrated for the integral role they play in our communities. I am proud to relaunch Support Local Gems, a statewide initiative, on June 9, to encourage Idahoans to support the small businesses that make the Gem State special. As a member and former chairman of the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, I am pleased to honor Perrine Man Press as one of Idaho's Small Businesses of the Month for June 2023.

Cory and Kenji Paulson started Perrine Man Press out of their home in 2017 and opened a physical storefront on Twin Falls' Maine Avenue in the fall of 2020. The Paulsons grew up in southern Idaho and have always been inspired by Idaho's beautiful landscape and way of life, which Kenji hand draws on their product designs. Their signature design, the ``Perrine Man'' highlights their hometown's iconic landmark: the Perrine Bridge.

Perrine Man Press' mission is more than simply selling good tees, but about ensuring every customer knows they are ``made for more.'' Perrine Man Press is committed to reminding everyone they are incredibly valuable and giving back to great causes.

Congratulations to Cory and Kenji Paulson and all of the employees at Perrine Man Press for being selected as an Idaho Small Business of the Month for June 2023. You are an outstanding example of what it means to be one of Idaho's Local Gems. You make our great State proud, and I look forward to your continued growth and success.

Mr. President, Idaho small businesses are the backbone of our economy and our communities. These small businesses not only employ friends and neighbors, but they showcase Idaho's creativity and values. Idaho small businesses provide invaluable goods and services and are an important part of the Gem State. These small businesses deserve to be celebrated for the integral role they play in our communities. I am proud to relaunch Support Local Gems, a statewide initiative, on June 9, to encourage Idahoans to support the small businesses that make the Gem State special. As a member and former chairman of the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, I am pleased to honor The Only Store located in Nezperce as one of Idaho's Small Businesses of the Month for June 2023.

Sandi Herker Berry began her grocery store career in 1985, when The Only Store was known as the Nezperce Cash & Carry. A decade later, in 1996, Sandi bought the store from owner Jim Schmidt and recently renamed it The Only Store. Sandi loves the grocery business, including the long hours, restocking shelves, the cleaning, the problem-solving, the creativity, and, most notably, freight day.

Sandi credits her six employees and the Nezperce community for her success. To that end, she is committed to supporting her small town through the Nezperce School District, the Lewis County Fair, donating a portion of her earnings to emergency medical services, purchasing school clothes for underprivileged children, and delivering groceries to elderly members of the community.

Congratulations to Sandi Herker Berry and all of the employees at The Only Store for being selected as an Idaho Small Business of the Month for June 2023. You are an outstanding example of what it means to be one of Idaho's Local Gems. You make our great State proud, and I look forward to your continued growth and success.

Mr. President, thank you very much and thank you to Senator Kaine.

I will start with this. There are a lot of things he said that I agree with, and, particularly, that part about him not getting very far with his looks and instead using persistence. I think he is absolutely correct in that regard.

Senator Kaine has been a true, committed, good-faith warrior on this issue, as has Senator Young, and some of the things that were said out here are absolutely accurate and deserve to be underscored and things that I agree with.

First of all, I really appreciate Senator Kaine pointing out the fact that the deliberations on this particular repeal of the AUMF to get the rule off of the books regarding war has taken a whole lot longer and a lot more deliberation than the actual passage of it to get into the war.

It is easy to stand here and say that people were wrong who did this 20 years ago. I don't know how many are left. There is only a handful, maybe half a dozen, who were on this floor at the time they voted for it. In their defense, of course, they had information that was very different than the information that we have today, which is unfortunate, because, as you have pointed out, there has been a lot of harm done as a result of this.

So we should start with that, and that is that one of the most important things we do here in Congress is deliberating whether or not to send our sons and daughters into harm's way in war. There is nothing more somber than that, and to those who actually fought in this war, the view that America has toward them of appreciation for their taking up the arms when we asked them to do so cannot be overstated. It is a tremendous sacrifice that they have made, and we owe them a lot.

Having said that, I come back to what Senator Kaine has said for a long time. If that vote were held today, I think it would be unanimous that we not pull the trigger as was done 20 years ago. But that was then and this is now, and the information is very different.

So to the men and women in uniform, their service was honorable. Less than 1 percent of Americans raise their hands to answer the Nation's call when this happens, and we have to commend them for that.

While I support the repeal of the 1991 Gulf war authorization, I don't support the repeal of this 2002 AUMF at this time. This needs to be repealed; there is no question about it. It should be replaced by something, and that is one of the real problems here, because the debate to do that has been ongoing for as long as I have been here, and we have been unable to land on the same point to get it done. Again, we mostly agree, but there is handful of disagreements on it. So with that, I cannot vote for it at this time.

Part of the problem--well, there are two problems here: One is the fluidity in Iraq at this time, and the second one Senator Young properly and clearly outlined what the ambitions of Iran are. The fluidity in Iraq and the ambitions of Iran are the two reasons why I am opposed to repealing at this time.

Iraq itself is a less-than-perfect security partner. All of us on Foreign Relations have dealt with that issue over and over again, as we have had ups and downs there. They are a less-than-perfect partner.

I have serious concerns about the influence of the Iranian-aligned militias, which I know my friends do also. These are real problems. Across multiple administrations--both Republican and Democrat administrations--the 2002 AUMF has been used to address threats emanating from Iraq.

Specifically, multiple administrations have relied on its authority to address the threat from Iran-backed militias, and Iran is clearly the problem here. I have been in the room when these decisions were made. I have participated in those decisions, and the 2002 AUMF was a factor in those decisions.

Should the statutory authority fall away, we are only left with the President's constitutional article II powers to protect Americans. My colleagues on the other side of the aisle and some on my side of the aisle are quick to point out that the President's constitutional authorities are used as an excuse to support repeal, what we are doing here. But those constitutional authorities are unfettered and really unrestrained as far as the President is concerned.

So by repealing this, instead of reasserting congressional authority, we are actually ceding solely to the President, the executive branch, which no one in this room wants to do.

Further repeal signals finality and an end to hostilities but, the Iranian-backed militias continue to attack us. Iran has long sought to eject the United States from Iraq, but Iran and its proxies have attacked American troops and diplomats over 80 times just since President Biden took office and with only a few U.S. responses.

It is clear that Iran doubts American resolve. I stand here today to say to Iran: Have no doubts. We do have resolve.

Just last week, we lost yet another American in Syria at the hands of an Iranian-supported militia. It is objectionable that the administration didn't notify Congress of this attack until after we completed debate on relevant amendments and had adjourned for the week.

I know my colleagues who are on the other side of this issue probably have the same bad feelings about that that I do. This was not right, to withhold this information from us.

The Biden administration talks about defending our interests and deterring Iran. The administration launched a strike in retaliation for killing that American last Thursday, but in response the Iran-backed militias simply conducted an even larger attack against us.

The truth is the administration is failing and has failed in its attempts to deter Iran, and today we are in not a very good position in that regard. That is why this repeal sends an additional dangerous message at a poor time and further weakens U.S. engagement in the region.

It is clear the region sees the Biden administration sitting on the sidelines. This repeal will only add fuel to the narrative that the United States is disengaging from the region, which we hear all the time. We should remember that great power competition is global, not just in Asia and the Pacific, though, of course, those issues have raised their ugly head in recent years.

I also remain unconvinced that the administration has conducted any meaningful consultations with Iraq, Israel, or other partners on the repeal of this authority and how those reactions may affect U.S. burdens and commitments in the region. Consultation with our partners is always important.

Finally, turning to detention authority, for years the 2002 AUMF has been cited as authority for detention for known captured terrorists. Last week, I put forward an amendment that would require the Secretary of Defense to certify that repeal of this authority would not harm detention authority or the U.S. litigation positions against detained terrorists. If a court were to find that the 2001 AUMF did not provide legal authority for detention, which has not been settled at this point, supplemental legal authorities like the 2002 AUMF would be absolutely critical.

I sincerely would like to support this repeal--I really would. And I hope to be here when we do get to repeal at some point down the line, but now is not the time for it. The realities on the ground convince me I cannot support repeal at this time. We have got to deal with the world as it is, and, as a result of that, I am compelled to vote no.

Thank you very much, Mr. President, and thank you for all those who have worked on this.

Mr. President, very briefly, first of all, I want to compliment Senator Hawley for pursuing this route.

There isn't a person in this room, there isn't a person in America who doesn't want to see that every dollar spent for the taxpayers is looked after. In this particular instance, I am going to oppose this simply because there are already 64 ongoing or planned audits and reports on U.S. assistance to Ukraine.

This piece of legislation would require a quarterly schedule, and that actually reduces the number. For instance, USAID direct budgetary support comes every 2 months.

So this is being looked after, unlike Iraq and Afghanistan, where we are talking about enormous amounts of money--not that this isn't a large amount, but those were enormous, and the work in auditing was not very good. In this case, it is very good. We have been looking at it in the Intelligence Committee, and we have been looking at it in the Foreign Relations Committee and have found zero siphoning of U.S. dollars. So this really is an expenditure that is not necessary because it is being looked after already.

I would urge a ``no'' vote on this amendment.

Mr. President, I would like to call up Risch first-degree No. 1, also known as amendment No. 43.

I ask unanimous consent to dispense with further reading of the amendment.

Mr. President, fellow Senators, I rise today to present this amendment as part of the process, as we process this repeal of the 2002 AUMF matter before the Senate right now.

This particular exercise that we are doing, the amendment process is frequently fraught with political messaging. I am happy that so far the amendments that we have been processing have not been that sort of amendment and that is that it was intended to be a political message. This one is not. Prior ones are not. The ones that are pending really are not.

And the reason for that is what we are doing here in discussing the 2002 AUMF repeal is taken seriously by every single Member of this body--Republican, Democrat, everyone is acting in good faith as they process this.

This is one of the most important things each of us do as a U.S. Senator, that being the question of committing our young men and women to actual kinetic force on the field.

When this was put in place, it was considered deeply and seriously by this body, and as we look to repeal it, the same is true. And I think everyone is headed toward the same objective and that is to see that this is done properly.

That is the purpose of this amendment to the actual repeal that is in front of us. This amendment would conditionally repeal on a certification from the Secretary of Defense that detention authorities and the litigation position of the United States with respect to detention would not be weakened.

And this is offered in good faith. It is offered because yesterday, just as an example--yesterday we had a hearing with the Secretary of State. And I asked him three questions about this, about whether they actually use it, whether it was important, and whether repealing it would weaken our position on detention and on litigation regarding detention, and the Secretary of State said that it would.

So the purpose of this is to clear up what I think is a flaw here. It certainly isn't intended by anyone. I think everyone would want us to have as strong a position as we possibly could when we are in detention or litigation. So this simply requires us to replace the language with some other language, and then we would get the certification or a determination by the lawyers.

So I offer it in good faith. I think it is an absolutely correct thing to do if indeed the body is going to move to actually repeal the 2002 AUMF.

Again, I want to congratulate every Member of this body for working on this very important issue in good faith. I think this moves the issue further to a better position.

I yield the floor.

Madam President, regrettably I am necessarily absent on passage of H.J. Res. 26 as I am attending the funeral of a former Governor. Had I been in attendance, I would have voted in support of the resolution.

Madam President, I rise today to honor a great Idahoan and the new Federal Engineer of the Year, Chad Kidd.

Over the past decade, Mr. Kidd has served as an electrical engineer for the Bureau of Reclamation. Throughout his time he has displayed a consistent record of outstanding design, installation, commissioning, and professional engineering support for Reclamation's hydro generation program. Mr. Kidd is also a stalwart leader in electrical safety for power plants in the Columbia-Pacific Northwest Region. Most notably, Mr. Kidd developed and delivered electrical awareness and safety training across the region years before a formal Reclamation electrical training program even existed. Mr. Kidd has won numerous awards and accolades to commemorate his phenomenal work and is a six-time recipient of the STAR Award.

In addition to his many engineering accomplishments, Mr. Kidd has also displayed himself as a great community leader. He has spent hundreds of hours volunteering for the Boy Scouts of America, Meals on Wheels, Declo High School, and other organizations providing his labor and expertise to help those around him.

Idahoans like Mr. Kidd make our State proud. I am thankful for his work in our great State and congratulate him on this high achievement.

Madam President, Senator Crapo and I rise today to honor the service of the retiring director of the Idaho Department of Agriculture, Mrs. Celia Gould.

Celia was appointed the director of the Idaho State Department of Agriculture in January 2007 as the first woman to ever serve in the position. She provided unmatched leadership and integrity throughout her tenure and exemplified what it is to be a public servant. As a third-generation rancher herself, she utilized firsthand knowledge and made thoughtful decisions, which further solidified the incredible success of Idaho agriculture. Before spending 16 years as Idaho's director of agriculture, Celia served 16 years in the Idaho House of Representatives. There is truly no one else who knows the State quite like she does, and we will miss her dearly.

Senator Crapo and I are happy to join the rest of the State in wishing her the very best in her well-deserved retirement.

Mr. President, as a member and former chairman of the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, each month I recognize and celebrate the American entrepreneurial spirit by highlighting the success of a small business in my home State of Idaho. Today, I am pleased to honor The Shoe and Tack Shop, as the Idaho Small Business of the Month for February 2023.

The Shoe and Tack shop, owned by Steve, Patty, and Clay Gorrell, has been in business since January 17, 1979. Steve, a cowboy and rodeo clown, met Patty while working for her father at Simplot. The two married in 1970 and moved to Colorado a few years later. During their time in Colorado, Steve managed 40,000 head of cattle for Lebsack and Patty worked as a supervisor for Miller Western Wear. By 1978, they found their way back to Twin Falls, ID, where Steve worked for his father's business, Dan's Boot Repair. Five months later, Steve and Patty moved to Jerome and began their venture at shoe repair.

What started as a boot and shoe repair shop has since evolved into a retail store, where the Gorrell family makes and sells their own cowboy gear. The Gorrell family has mastered their craftsmanship--Clay is an artisan, who does much of the tooling, Patty does the intricate sewing, and Steve does a little bit of everything.

The Gorrells commitment to the community shows through knowledgeable, fair, and honest treatment of their customers. From building and repairing tack, to offering advice on the best pair of boots, the Gorrells offer exceptional service. Their journey from humble beginnings to becoming a community stronghold exemplifies the American entrepreneurial spirit. They are truly a local gem.

Congratulations to the Gorrell family on their selection as the Idaho Small Business of the Month for February 2023. Thank you for serving Idaho as small business owners and entrepreneurs. You make Idaho proud, and I look forward to your continued growth and success.

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

Madam President, today I would like to pay tribute to Dr. Robert Cope, a public servant and cattle veterinarian of Lemhi County, ID, who lost his battle to cancer last month. I had the great fortune of being friends and working with Dr. Cope through the many public and private roles he served. Those who knew Dr. Robert Cope affectionately called him ``Cope.''

Cope dedicated his whole life to serving agricultural families after he received his doctorate in veterinary medicine from Kansas State University in 1975. Shortly, thereafter, he moved to Idaho, where his clients became his extended family. Cope owned and operated the Blue Cross Vet Clinic in Salmon, ID, for 44 years. He loved children and the youth of his community, and he supported them through 4-H and his veterinarian practice. Idaho ranchers can share countless stories of Cope's service at all hours of the day and night. Even as his cancer progressed, Cope offered his advice and expertise to his loyal clients.

Cope served as Lemhi County Commissioner for 14 years and sat on many committees related to natural resources and environmental challenges. In March of 2002, he was inducted in the Eastern Idaho Agricultural Hall of Fame.

With wisdom, common-sense, and humor, Cope tackled life head-on and was never afraid to address tough issues and find collaborative solutions.

After having a particularly challenging experience with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife over a wolf-killed calf, Cope was tasked with writing a Memorandum of Understanding--MOU--to allow the State to allocate Federal funds to livestock owners who lost cattle due to predation.

When I served as Idaho's Governor, I led a collaborative effort to adopt the Idaho Roadless Rule. Cope assisted in that effort and served on the Idaho Roadless Commission. I trusted his opinion and judgement, and he provided invaluable insights from a local perspective in the development and implementation of that rule.

For Cope, his life was about serving people and sustaining the Western ranching and farming lifestyle. God broke the mold when he made Cope, and he will be missed by many in Lemhi County and the State of Idaho. Rest in Peace, Cope.

Madam President, as a member and former chairman of the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, each month I recognize and celebrate the American entrepreneurial spirit by highlighting the success of a small business in my home State of Idaho. Today, I am pleased to honor Palouse Animal Wellness and Surgery-- ``PAWS''--as the Idaho Small Business of the Month for January 2023.

PAWS, originally named Garfield Street Pet Clinic and located on its namesake in Moscow, was founded in 1995, by Dr. Don Kubasch and his wife, Jan. Dr. Kathy Miller and her husband Jim bought the practice in 2002 when Dr. Kubasch retired. Dr. Miller worked at the clinic as a technician while studying at the Washington State University School of Veterinary Medicine. The Millers built a new clinic on Main Street in Moscow in 2005, renaming the practice to Palouse Animal Wellness and Surgery, PAWS. Jim joined the practice full time in 2021 as the director of business operations.

PAWS has become an integral part of the local community; its owners and staff pride themselves on excellence in service, education, and enhancement. Along with providing educational and employment opportunities to veterinary students, for over a decade, PAWS has maintained accreditation with the American Animal Hospital Association. This voluntary accreditation, achieved by a mere 15 percent of businesses in the United States and Canada, means PAWS' patients receive the best care possible in state-of-the-art facilities, from a team that meets high standards in every aspect of veterinary medicine.

The Millers' high standards come from their love for their community. Both Jim and Kathy are Moscow natives, who graduated from Moscow High School and the University of Idaho. Over the years, they raised four children in this close-knit community who have all worked at the clinic in some capacity.

Congratulations to the Miller family and all of the employees at PAWS on their selection as the Idaho Small Business of the Month for January 2023. Thank you for serving Idaho as small business owners and entrepreneurs. You make our great State proud, and I look forward to your continued growth and success.

Mr. President, reserving the right to object, first of all, let me say that I concur with the chairman of the committee on the remarks he has made regarding his position. It is an important position, and the points he makes about countering what China is doing certainly is well-taken, and I completely agree with it.

I am going to object to this, but it is for process reasons, not because the individual or because of the lack of importance of the position it is.

In the past, we have always moved these together when we have a partisan situation like this. When we discharge them from the committee, they are discharged in pairs. On this particular one, we haven't done that.

I know the chairman is going to say that that is our fault because we haven't put a person up yet to move in tandem with this. To that, I will concede. But having said that, again, the process is we have always done this in pairs in the past.

I commit to the chairman--I have already talked to the chairman about this--that we will do this. And before the end of January, we will have such a person to move together with this.

If he asks after that, I will not object. But at this time, I have been requested to object so that we can have the opportunity to put that person up.

So at this point, I would object.

Mr. President, as a member and former chairman of the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, each month I recognize and celebrate the American entrepreneurial spirit by highlighting the success of a small business in my home State of Idaho. Today, I am pleased to honor the Harkness Hotel as the Idaho Small Business of the Month for December 2022.

Aaron and Arianne Hunsaker opened the Harkness Hotel in July 2014. The Harkness Hotel was a personal project for the couple, who decided to move from Washington, DC, back to Aaron's home State and open a luxury hotel after they stayed in a memorable but mediocre establishment for their honeymoon.

They searched statewide for a historic building to renovate, before finally purchasing the old McCammon Investment Company in 2013. Built in 1906, the McCammon Investment Company was located less than a block away from the original Harkness Hotel, lost in a fire over 100 years ago. The Hunsakers drew inspiration from the legacy of the Harkness Hotel and set out to transform the old bank--which included apartments, a general mercantile store, and a post office--into an award-winning boutique hotel.

The Harkness Hotel blends the historic beauty of the past with modern comforts with an on-site spa and salon for the enjoyment of residents and visitors. Both ran and designed by the Hunsaker family, the Harkness Hotel serves as a symbol of pride for the McCammon community and highlights Idaho's natural beauty and genuine hospitality.

Congratulations to the Hunsakers and all of the employees at the Harkness Hotel for being selected as the Idaho Small Business of the Month for December 2022. Thank you for serving Idaho as small business owners and entrepreneurs. You make our great State proud, and I look forward to your continued growth and success.