Floor Statements

Mr. President, section 36(b) of the Arms Export Control Act requires that Congress receive prior notification of certain proposed arms sales as defined by that statute. Upon such notification, the Congress has 30 calendar days during which the sale may be reviewed. The provision stipulates that, in the Senate, the notification of proposed sales shall be sent to the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

In keeping with the committee's intention to see that relevant information is available to the full Senate, I ask unanimous consent to have printed in the Record the notifications which have been received. If the cover letter references a classified annex, then such annex is available to all Senators in the office of the Foreign Relations Committee, room SD-423.

Mr. President, as a member and former chairman of the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, it is my privilege to recognize an Idaho small business that exemplifies creativity, hard work, and dedication to improving their community. The small business I am honoring today is a shining example of the many Idaho businesses that are led by innovative individuals who are not afraid to harness creativity to bring new and inventive ideas to market. In honor of the U.S. Small Business Administration's National Small Business Week, it is my pleasure to name PEET Shoe Dryer, Inc., of St. Maries, ID, as the Senate Small Business of the Day.

Founded in 1968 in the heart of one of the most beautiful locales in the United States, PEET Shoe Dryer has been a supporter of American outdoor enthusiasts for the last 50 years. Searching for a quicker way to dry his boots after hiking, founder Gene Peet designed the original shoe dryer for his own personal use. Soon, however, his friends and family began requesting shoe dryers for themselves. Realizing the demand for his new invention, Gene opened PEET Shoe Dryer.

Starting from humble beginnings, Gene and his son Blair began building their shoe dryers in the kitchen of their family home. Gene's first customers were loggers and hunters in the local St. Maries area, who depend on having dry and comfortable shoes for their workday. Not having enough money for advertising, Gene simply relied on the quality of his product and satisfaction of his customers to help spread the word for his new invention; and as word spread, Gene's enterprise quickly grew into a thriving business.

Today, PEET Shoe Dryer, now run by Gene's son Blair Peet, continues to succeed. They have improved the manufacturing of their boot and shoe dryers, as well as expanded their offerings. Serving millions of customers over the years, PEET Shoe Dryer has never compromised on its commitment to quality and service.

Having grown from a small, word-of-mouth business to a successful international exporter, PEET Shoe Dryer is an outstanding example of the American dream. It is with great pleasure that I extend my congratulations to the Peet family and all of the employees at PEET Shoe Dryer, Incorporated, for being named the Senate Small Business of the Day. I wish them well as they continue serving the people of Idaho and look forward to watching their continued growth and success.

Mr. President, section 36(b) of the Arms Export Control Act requires that Congress receive prior notification of certain proposed arms sales as defined by that statute. Upon

such notification, the Congress has 30 calendar days during which the sale may be reviewed. The provision stipulates that, in the Senate, the notification of proposed sales shall be sent to the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

In keeping with the committee's intention to see that relevant information is available to the full Senate, I ask unanimous consent to have printed in the Record the notifications which have been received. If the cover letter references a classified annex, then such annex is available to all Senators in the office of the Foreign Relations Committee, room SD-423.

Mr. President, section 36(b) of the Arms Export Control Act requires that Congress receive prior notification of certain proposed arms sales as defined by that statute. Upon such notification, the Congress has 30 calendar days during which the sale may be reviewed. The provision stipulates that, in the Senate, the notification of proposed sales shall be sent to the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

In keeping with the committee's intention to see that relevant information is available to the full Senate, I ask unanimous consent to have printed in the Record the notifications which have been received. If the cover letter references a classified annex, then such annex is available to all Senators in the office of the Foreign Relations Committee, room SD-423.

Mr. President, section 36(b) of the Arms Export Control Act requires that Congress receive prior notification of certain proposed arms sales as defined by that statute. Upon such notification, the Congress has 30 calendar days during which the sale may be reviewed. The provision stipulates that, in the Senate, the notification of proposed sales shall be sent to the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

In keeping with the committee's intention to see that relevant information is available to the full Senate, I ask unanimous consent to have printed in the Record the notifications which have been received. If the cover letter references a classified annex, then such annex is available to all Senators in the office of the Foreign Relations Committee, room SD-423.

Mr. President, section 36(b) of the Arms Export Control Act requires that Congress receive prior notification of certain proposed arms sales as defined by that statute. Upon such notification, the Congress has 30 calendar days during which the sale may be reviewed. The provision stipulates that, in the Senate, the notification of proposed sales shall be sent to the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

In keeping with the committee's intention to see that relevant information is available to the full Senate, I ask unanimous consent to have printed in the Record the notifications which have been received. If the cover letter references a classified annex, then such annex is available to all Senators in the office of the Foreign Relations Committee, room SD-423.

Mr. President, section 36(b) of the Arms Export Control Act requires that Congress receive prior notification of certain proposed arms sales as defined by that statute. Upon such notification, the Congress has 30 calendar days during which the sale may be reviewed. The provision stipulates that, in the Senate, the notification of proposed sales shall be sent to the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

In keeping with the committee's intention to see that relevant information is available to the full Senate, I ask unanimous consent to have printed in the Record the notifications which have been received. If the cover letter references a classified annex, then such annex is available to all Senators in the office of the Foreign Relations Committee, room SD-423.

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

Mr. President, today we begin to consider S.J. Res. 7, which is a joint resolution that directs--and I quote from the resolution--``removal of U.S. Armed Forces from hostilities in Yemen.''

This is the second time, of course, that we have considered this. We passed it, the House passed it, and the President has vetoed it, and it is now in front of us, under our constitutional responsibilities, to consider whether the resolution becomes law, notwithstanding the President's signature.

I am going to urge a ``no'' vote on this, that it does not become law, and we sustain the veto the President has made.

As I have stated before, the premise of this resolution is fundamentally flawed and I believe a mischaracterization of the actual facts on the ground today in Yemen.

I want to start basically by, once again, making it absolutely clear what is and, more importantly, what is not happening with respect to U.S. engagement in Yemen.

What isn't happening is the injection of U.S. troops into active hostilities in the Yemen civil war. To put it simply, our troops are not cobelligerents in this conflict.

What we are doing, however, is providing limited noncombat support to the Saudi-led coalition, including intelligence sharing and practices that have been developed to minimize civilian casualties--I am sure a goal everybody in this body supports.

This support is very narrow in focus, it is advisory in nature, and helps defend the territorial integrity of Saudi Arabia and the UAE, which both face a very real threat from the Iranian-backed Houthis and from Iran itself. Our limited support is intended to prevent the conflict in Yemen from escalating.

Iran's support for the Houthis, notably the transfer of missiles and other weaponry, threatens to undermine our partners' territorial integrity, imperils key shipping routes, and puts U.S. interests at risk, including thousands of U.S. personnel and citizens currently within range of the Iranian-made missile systems under Houthi control. This, of course, includes the airport in Saudi Arabia, which many Members of this body have used from time to time when they go to codels in Saudi Arabia.

Many of us have been, for a long time, proponents of resolving the war in Yemen, and it could be resolved if the Iran regime will simply turn their back and walk away. Unfortunately, that is not likely. When I say many of us have been longtime proponents, I would certainly include the Presiding Officer in that and commend him for his long and hard work in that regard. He has been dedicated to this for a long time and has been a leader on this, for which he is to be commended.

Like many of us here today, I am dissatisfied with the state of the U.S.-Saudi relationship. Indeed, while Saudi Arabia has long been a bulwark of our Middle East policy, there is a growing gap in U.S.-Saudi relations.

Frankly, aspects of Saudi Arabia's behavior are cause for serious concern. We are taking a comprehensive look at our relationship with Saudi Arabia on the Foreign Relations Committee, and it is common knowledge that there are a number of pieces of legislation floating around here--some of which have been introduced and that are circulating--that address this issue. We are attempting to craft legislation that can garner support in the committee, address concerns on both sides of the aisle, and actually become law.

I look forward to examining our interests in a measured and responsible way that will put the relationship on the right trajectory. This is not an easy needle to thread. All of us have concerns, all of us have specific issues in that regard, and what is important is that we don't just poke at this but that we actually develop legislation that is bipartisan and that can be signed by the President and will become law.

The debate today, however, is predicated on the notion that this resolution will punish the Saudis and stop the devastating humanitarian crisis in Yemen. It will do neither of those. In fact, the DOD has assessed that this legislation would have no impact on the limited support we are currently providing today.

That said, there can be no arguing that after years of conflict, Yemen is now in the grip of the world's worst humanitarian crisis, and that is in spite of the fact that many Members of this body--including the Presiding Officer--have gone way past limits to attempt to try to do things that would help that humanitarian crisis.

Just the simple delivery of humanitarian matters such as food in the country have been frustrated by things that logistically should be very easy but haven't been. I know the Presiding Officer has been very active in that regard and has been successful in that regard, for which he should be commended. An estimated 24 million--80 percent--of the Yemeni population are in need of assistance, and 15.9 million people-- more than half of the country's population--remains severely food insecure.

A solution to this conflict must be found. Make no mistake, many, indeed, most of us, are committed to doing everything in our power to restore peace in a country that has been ravished by years of proxy war and fractious infighting.

I believe it is axiomatic that lasting peace can only be achieved through a political settlement brokered by the U.N. The U.N.-led peace talks are our best bet for achieving peace in Yemen, and they appear to be at a critical juncture right now as we sit here today.

As this body considers ways to drive effective U.S. policy that helps end the war and relieves humanitarian suffering in Yemen, I would urge all parties to abide by the agreement reached last December in Stockholm and find a political solution to the conflict. We should remain committed to doing everything in our power to advance this cause.

Thank you.

I ask for the yeas and nays.

Mr. President, section 36(b) of the Arms Export Control Act requires that Congress receive prior notification of certain proposed arms sales as defined by that statute. Upon such notification, the Congress has 30 calendar days during which the sale may be reviewed. The provision stipulates that, in the Senate, the notification of proposed sales shall be sent to the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

In keeping with the committee's intention to see that relevant information is available to the full Senate, I ask unanimous consent to have printed in the Record the notifications which have been received. If the cover letter references a classified annex, then such annex is available to all Senators in the office of the Foreign Relations Committee, room SD-423.

I ask for the yeas and nays.

Madam President, section 36(b) of the Arms Export Control Act requires that Congress receive prior notification of certain proposed arms sales as defined by that statute. Upon such notification, the Congress has 30 calendar days during which the sale may be reviewed. The provision stipulates that, in the Senate, the notification of proposed sales shall be sent to the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

In keeping with the committee's intention to see that relevant information is available to the full Senate, I ask unanimous consent to have printed in the Record at this point the notifications which have been received. If

the cover letter references a classified annex, then such annex is available to all Senators in the office of the Foreign Relations Committee, room SD-423.

Mr. President, my colleagues Senator Mike Crapo and Representative Mike Simpson join me today in recognizing the 100th anniversary of Jerome County, ID.

Established February 8, 1919, by the Idaho Legislature, the county was named for either Jerome Kuhn, son of William S. Kuhn, or Jerome Hill, who was commissioned by Kuhn to find a suitable town site north of the Snake River Canyon. With the city of Jerome as the county seat, the small farming communities of Eden and Hazelton also make up the eastern portion of Jerome County.

One of the early pioneers of Jerome County, I.B. Perrine, was looking for a place to winter his cattle, and Charles Walgamott showed him a spot with beautiful clear blue lakes bubbling up from an underground aquifer. Mr.

Perrine settled this area and called it the Blue Lakes Ranch. These blue lakes continue to provide water for irrigation, raising rainbow trout, and pristine drinking water to the residents of this area. It also features the beautiful Blues Lakes Country Club with one of the most scenic 18-hole golf courses in the State.

Although not officially recognized, local historians have documented the Hudson Bay Trail as an alternate route of the Oregon Trail, which goes through Jerome County. The traders of the Hudson Bay Company seemed to have preferred the trail going north of the Snake River Canyon to make their way to Fort Boise in the West and Fort Hall in the East.

With water, Mr. Perrine saw the magic this area produced and, with the help of Eastern United States Financiers, created the Milner Dam along the Snake River. The Milner Dam and subsequent irrigation system opened the Southern Snake River Plain to farmers, ranchers, and new communities. As a result, the communities of Jerome, Eden, Hazelton, and Greenwood were established between 1905 and 1911.

In 1919, the Idaho Legislature took the south portion of Lincoln County and the western portion of Minidoka County to carve out Jerome County. As one of the youngest counties in Idaho, it is the 43rd county, out of 44, in the 43rd State.

A notorious part of Jerome County is the Minidoka Relocation Center north of Eden; it is one of the 10 Japanese internment camps created by the U.S. Government during World War II. Currently, it stands as the Minidoka National Historic Site as a memorial of the sacrifice and suffering of the Japanese-Americans during this period of our history.

Today, Jerome County boasts a thriving economy lead by the dairy industry, producing more than 100 million pounds of cheese, whey protein, and other dairy products. They also produce the agricultural commodities of alfalfa hay, silage corn, barley, winter wheat, sugar beets, potatoes, beans, and spring wheat.

Senator Crapo, Representative Simpson, and I are proud to recognize this landmark anniversary. We congratulate Jerome County residents on this centennial, and we wish its communities many more years of success.

Madam President, section 36(b) of the Arms Export Control Act requires that Congress receive prior notification of certain proposed arms sales as defined by that statute. Upon such notification, the Congress has 30 calendar days during which the sale may be reviewed. The provision stipulates that, in the Senate, the notification of proposed sales shall be sent to the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

In keeping with the committee's intention to see that relevant information is available to the full Senate, I ask unanimous consent to have printed in the Record the notifications which have been received. If the cover letter references a classified annex, then such annex is available to all Senators in the office of the Foreign Relations Committee, room SD-423.

Madam President, section 36(b) of the Arms Export Control Act requires that Congress receive prior notification of certain proposed arms sales as defined by that statute. Upon such notification, the Congress has 30 calendar days during which the sale may be reviewed. The provision stipulates that, in the Senate, the notification of proposed sales shall be sent to the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

In keeping with the committee's intention to see that relevant information is available to the full Senate, I ask unanimous consent to have printed in the Record the notifications which have been received. If the cover letter references a classified annex, then such annex is available to all Senators in the office of the Foreign Relations Committee, room SD-423.

Madam President, section 36(b) of the Arms Export Control Act requires that Congress receive prior notification of certain proposed arms sales as defined by that statute. Upon such notification, the Congress has 30 calendar days during which the sale may be reviewed. The provision stipulates that, in the Senate, the notification of proposed sales shall be sent to the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

In keeping with the committee's intention to see that relevant information is available to the full Senate, I ask unanimous consent to have printed in the Record the notifications which have been received. If the cover letter references a classified annex, then such annex is available to all Senators in the office of the Foreign Relations Committee, room SD-423.

Madam President, section 36(b) of the Arms Export Control Act requires that Congress receive prior notification of certain proposed arms sales as defined by that statute. Upon such notification, the Congress has 30 calendar days during which the sale may be reviewed. The provision stipulates that, in the Senate, the notification of proposed sales shall be sent to the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

In keeping with the committee's intention to see that relevant information is available to the full Senate, I ask unanimous consent to have printed in the Record the notifications which have been received. If the cover letter references a classified annex, then such annex is available to all Senators in the office of the Foreign Relations Committee, room SD-423.

Mr. President, section 36(b) of the Arms Export Control Act requires that Congress receive prior notification of certain proposed arms sales as defined by that statute. Upon such notification, the Congress has 30 calendar days during which the sale may be reviewed. The provision stipulates that, in the Senate, the notification of proposed sales shall be sent to the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

In keeping with the committee's intention to see that relevant information is available to the full Senate, I ask unanimous consent to have printed in the Record the notifications which have been received. If the cover letter references a classified annex, then such annex is available to all Senators in the office of the Foreign Relations Committee, room SD-423.

Mr. President, first of all, I want to associate myself with those clear, concise comments of my friend and colleague from the great State of Alaska. He is absolutely right from not only a military standpoint but also from the standpoint of getting this resolved through a political resolution.

We are going to consider the Senate joint resolution today, and it is a joint resolution that directs removal of U.S. Armed Forces from hostility in the Yemen conflict unless authorized by Congress. The premise of this resolution is fundamentally flawed.

Let's start here, though. Every single one of us--all 100 of us--can agree what a horrible situation this is and what a horrible catastrophe this is in Yemen. But this resolution sets a bad precedent for using the War Powers Act to express political disagreements with a President under expedited Senate rules.

I want to start by making it absolutely clear what is and what is not happening with respect to our current U.S. engagement in Yemen.

First of all, this is what isn't happening. What is not happening is the injection of U.S. troops into active hostilities in Yemen. We are not doing that.

What we are doing, however, is most important. We provide limited, noncombat support, including intelligence sharing, and the practices that minimize civilian casualties to the Saudi-led coalition. This support is advisory in nature and helps defend the territorial integrity of the region, which faces a very real threat from the Iranians and the Iranian-backed Houthis.

This point can't be understated. The United States conducts war operations entirely differently from any other country on the face of the Earth, and it is done with a direct and involved method of minimizing civilian casualties. Our presence here assists the parties in conducting operations to minimize those civilian casualties, and it is badly needed there because there are tremendous civilian casualties.

Iran's support for the Houthis, notably the transfer of missiles and other weaponry, threatens to undermine our partners' territorial integrity. It imperils key shipping routes and puts U.S. interests at risk, including the thousands of U.S. personnel and citizens currently within the range of Iranian-made missile systems under the control of the Houthis. That said, there can be no argument that after 4 long years of conflict, Yemen, a country with a long history of socioeconomic challenges is now in the grip of the world's worst humanitarian crisis at this moment. An estimated 24 million--80 percent of the Yemeni population--are in need of some kind of assistance and 15.9 million people--more than half of the country's population--remain severely food insecure.

A resolution to this conflict must be found, and make no mistake, many of us on a bipartisan basis are working regularly every day to do everything within our power to restore peace in a country that has been ravaged by years of proxy war and fractious infighting. But we all recognize that lasting peace can be achieved only through a political settlement brokered by the U.N. The U.N.-led peace talks are our best bet for achieving peace in Yemen, and they appear to be at a critical juncture at this moment.

In the past, we have helped advance the negotiations by using the support we provide to the coalition as leverage over the parties to advance the negotiating process. In the past, parties have been reluctant to take on the negotiating process, but in the place we are in, we have the ability to leverage them to get there.

As this body considers ways to drive effective U.S. policy that helps end the war and relieves humanitarian suffering in Yemen, I urge Members to bear in mind that the U.N. negotiations are our best hope for achieving peace. We must do everything in our power to advance this cause, and advancing this cause does not mean turning our backs on the negotiations and on what is going on there at this time. We need to stay engaged with the limited engagement that we have had.

The peace envoys have come to this body and have testified over and over again, and they are telling us they want deeper U.S. engagement. Voting for this resolution sends a terrible message of U.S. division and lack of resolve. We need to send a signal and resolve that we are committed to playing an important role in pushing for a sustainable political settlement. As I stated, turning our backs at this critical moment is only going to empower them, and it is going to send a message to people that they don't need to negotiate right now and that they are actually making gains.

I urge my colleagues to vote against this at this time and give peace a chance through the negotiations.

Thank you.

I yield the floor.

Madam President, section 36(b) of the Arms Export Control Act requires that Congress receive prior notification of certain proposed arms sales as defined by that statute. Upon such notification, the Congress has 30 calendar days during which the sale may be reviewed. The provision stipulates that, in the Senate, the notification of proposed sales shall be sent to the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

In keeping with the committee's intention to see that relevant information is available to the full Senate, I ask unanimous consent to have printed in the Record the notifications which have been received. If the cover letter references a classified annex, then such annex is available to all Senators in the office of the Foreign Relations Committee, room SD-423.