Floor Statements

Mr. President, I rise today to join the chairman of the Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs in asking that the Senate pass the Veterans' Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment--COLA--Act of 2023.

This is not the first time we have done this. This is an annual occurrence, and it is good to be back and suggesting to my colleagues that this nonpartisan bill--that we once again come together to pass it this year, 2023.

This legislation makes certain that the VA's compensation benefits, which millions of veterans--thousands of Kansans--receive and which their survivors rely on, keep pace with Social Security and are adjusted to match the Consumer Price Index.

As we enter another year of crushing inflation--as we unfortunately enter another year of crushing inflation--this commonsense legislation is necessary so that veterans and survivors are able to keep pace with rising costs, make ends meet, and continue to receive the support they have earned and deserve.

Yesterday, March 29, was National Vietnam War Veterans Day and the 50th anniversary of the last combat troops leaving Vietnam. This is an opportune time for us as a Senate, us as a Congress, us as a country to once again commit to making certain that veterans and their survivors receive the due support, the due respect, and the due recognition they deserve.

I want to take a moment to address a concern that veterans have brought to me regarding a December 22 report from the Congressional Budget Office and a proposal that was put forth to means test veterans' disability benefits. I do not support this idea, nor am I aware of any Member of Congress who is pursuing that idea, but it is running around on social media. If we can assure our veterans that is not a likelihood, that is a valuable thing to do and provide them some certainty and eliminate some fear they and their families may have.

Let me assure veterans and their loved ones right now I would oppose any legislation to enact that proposal.

As ranking member of the Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs, I know it is our responsibility not only in our committee but within this Senate Chamber to take care of our veterans--many of whom rely upon the Department of Veterans Affairs for financial support. This bill once again this year will help do that. I appreciate the cooperation from the chairman of the committee.

With that, I yield the floor.

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 President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.

Mr. President, this month, during this year's first open hearing for the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, national security and military leaders gave a worldwide threat assessment of our country and of our way of life.

They described threats to our homeland, to our key allies, to our trading routes, to data privacy, and to our infrastructure, including crucial space assets.

There was a common theme in the concerns that we heard from our military and national security leaders; but, also, from what I have heard, these things are confirmed by Kansans and Americans.

The People's Republic of China is our greatest foreign threat to democracy, to our peace, and to our prosperity. At no time--this is not just a throwaway line. At no time in my life have I been more concerned about the enormity of the challenges our country faces.

The Chinese Communist Party, led by President Xi Jinping--the most powerful leader of the CCP since Chairman Mao--is on a determined, calculated mission to overtake the United States in fields that will shape the 21st century.

Beijing is intent that rather than the United States of America influencing world events in a way that favors and bends toward our principles of a free and open world, they want China's authoritarian model and they want the world bent their way.

China and its supporters would have the world move away from the principles that have advanced global prosperity and toward the basic belief that underwrites an autocratic authority, where the weaker are destined to be ruled by the stronger.

We have seen this with China's political, economic, and direct provision of nonlethal support to Russia, as Russia wages an unprovoked war on Ukraine.

China operates the world's most advanced techno-surveillance state that consolidates its power by monitoring, controlling, and subjecting their people. And China is engaged in an ambitious, expansive plan to export this model and the means of accomplishing it beyond their borders.

The threat is to us and to those like us and to the rest of the world. They want media, Big Tech, sports teams, and businesses to toe the CCP line, to be ignorant of--or at least silent on--the gross violations of basic human decency against the Uighurs, against Hong Kong, and elsewhere across their country in response to COVID.

The CCP pursues a world, including America, under the thumb of their power.

In a speech in April of 2020, Xi noted his intentions to increase global supply chain dependencies on China, with an aim of controlling key supply chains and being able to then use those supply chain dependencies to threaten and to, ultimately, cut off foreign countries during a crisis.

As of the latest worldwide threat assessment, China produces 40 percent of the world's key vaccines and medical ingredients; and by 2025, it is estimated that it is on track to control 65 percent of the important lithium-ion battery market--used in phones and cars and almost every other device and appliance--and fabrication of one in five semiconductors in the world.

China does not want the 21st century to be another American-led century. They want the century to be one that witnesses the replacement of American leadership with the leadership of the Chinese Communist Party.

Two-thirds of global trade flows by ocean through the regions around the South Pacific--what the Department of Defense calls the Indo- Pacific. The goods that Americans export and the imports that we depend upon require a safe and reliable trade zone.

For decades, the U.S. military, at great expense, have kept the oceans and airways safe and open. By those means, Americans have kept the global commons safe for the benefit of our own peace and prosperity and for the benefit of the world.

When America is militarily strong and our sovereignty secure, we can shape and influence the terms of international commerce, international behavior. The way we do business is the standard, and that reflects our principles and leaves our fingerprints on the world.

Maintaining a strong U.S. economy requires trade agreements with partners who adhere to agreed-upon rules ranging from market access to the protection of intellectual property.

Our failure to participate in such agreements or update them to meet the realities of the 21st century opens the door to greater Chinese influence. This is a call for this administration and this Congress to react and respond differently than we have done to date on trade and trade agreements.

It is to our benefit and that of our trading partners to tie more of the world to the United States and its economy and reap the benefits of a vibrant international commerce. A stable Europe in which we coordinate closely with our partners on military and economic challenges is necessary to thwart China's rising influence.

America remains a coalescing force in Europe. Yes, I want Europeans to do more in Europe, but America remains a coalescing force, and our contributions have been essential to supporting Ukraine in its defense against Russian aggression. With our continued assistance and an increasing European leadership and resources, Ukraine will be able to continue to push back Russian forces and preserve its sovereignty. A defeat of Ukraine by Russia further emboldens China.

Separately, our commitment to NATO remains and must remain resolute, and any threat to NATO territory must be met and will be met decisively.

Our intelligence community assesses that it will take years for Russia to rebuild its conventional military capabilities. NATO allies must use this window, this opportunity to strengthen their defenses and assume more responsibility for their security as we necessarily increase support for allies and partners in the Indo-Pacific. It is important for us to be able to pay attention to the Pacific, and we expect and hope our European allies to be able to take a closer look and watch the issues facing Europe today and in the future.

Despite its failures in Ukraine, we cannot ignore that Russia remains a threat. Russia possesses a massive nuclear arsenal, and Moscow has significant cyber, anti-satellite, and underwater capabilities.

Strikingly, China views Russia as an essential partner in the struggle against democratic values. As I speak now, President Xi is in Moscow meeting with President Putin, strengthening the relationship in pursuit of offering an alternative to American leadership, and by ``American,'' I mean something more than just the country of the United States of America; American values and Americans' care and concern for people around the globe.

The threats to American freedom, to world freedom and world security and prosperity, are not all challenges we face from foreign militaries. We also require vigilance on our border. All States really are border States, and when we fail to enforce this Nation's geographic sovereignty, we harm our Nation. There is no nation, in fact, without borders. Perhaps there is no greater tragic effect of our current failed border policies than the fentanyl and other drugs, sent from China to Mexico, coming across our borders.

We also must produce and we must manufacture goods here in the United States. The United States cannot be reliant upon our adversaries. We cannot hope for something to be delivered in the future in times of crisis. We have to be reliant on ourselves for our critical supplies of medicine, of food, of technology, and energy. We have to learn from our earlier errors discovered during the COVID-19 pandemic. This includes prioritizing American manufacturing and educating a technically skilled workforce. That is why we must fully and faithfully implement the CHIPS and Science Act that was signed into law last year.

A democratically and economically stronger America will be a more respected America. It is not enough to enlist and maintain the support of wealthy democracies in our vision of a free and open world. Our diplomats must be able to compete to convince countries that have grown skeptical of American leadership that we have not lost our way.

As former Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, a Kansan, wrote, ``We must better communicate the good that we do.'' This includes our generosity to countries after natural disasters and our support in fighting global hunger. Each of us here and Americans across the country know that our Nation faces many challenges, but if we can have the eyes to see the thread that runs through those challenges, we will recognize that we have a determined adversary who is waging a new cold war.

Our domestic disagreements run deep, but the myriad of challenges we face from abroad should help us see the need to work together in this Senate, in this Congress, with this administration, and across the country, to work together to urgently address the threats we face. We need to be the democracy that remains the shining light on the hill. We need to be the role model Nation. Our divisions among ourselves and allegations that divide us only harm our ability to lead in this world, to meet the challenges we face from our adversaries.

We have a great inheritance. This country remains the best place on Earth to live. We live in a nation founded on principles, and those principles are of human equality, of the rights of men and women. We understand that basic rights come from God, not from government, but that government is here and is instituted for the purpose to secure and preserve those rights.

We ought to debate, argue, and discuss everything that our country faces together, but the ultimate outcome has to be one of common purpose, of preserving the freedoms that were created by our Founding Fathers in a Constitution that is sacred and making certain that those who have forgone their lives on behalf of us in previous battles, that their honor is preserved and their lives they lost were not lost in vain.

When America is strong and secure, we ensure that Americans are free and prosperous and that the entire world has a greater chance to join us, to remain with us in the pursuit of those freedoms and that prosperity.

I have a personally renewed determination to work with all of my colleagues to steward the privilege and responsibility that have been bestowed upon me by Kansans and all of us by our fellow citizens so that this century remains an American century, with liberty and human well-being better secured for all around the globe.

I yield the floor.

I suggest the absence of a quorum.

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

Mr. President, for the second time in four seasons, the Kansas City Chiefs are the Super Bowl champions. Head Coach Andy Reid, Patrick Mahomes, and Travis Kelce cemented their Hall of Fame careers with another incredible season and Super Bowl LVII victory.

I want to acknowledge Chiefs owner Clark Hunt and Chiefs president Mark Donovan for running an exceptional organization and building the foundation for this remarkable team.

Chiefs Kingdom, ranging from Kansas to Missouri--and sometimes it is one of the few things that Kansans and Missourians agree on, or at least we pretend to agree on or disagree on other things. Chiefs Kingdom, ranging from

Kansas to Missouri and all across the Midwest, has the best fans in the NFL, and I look forward to the fan base growing even bigger as the Chiefs continue their dynasty for many years to come.

I congratulate Kathy Nelson with the Kansas City Sports Commission and Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas on a successful Super Bowl Parade that had an estimated 1 million people from Kansas and Missouri in attendance.

Congratulations also to the training and medical staff from the University of Kansas Health System for getting the Chiefs players healthy and ready to win Super Bowl LVII.

Kansas City will, again, be in the spotlight soon as we host the NFL draft this April.

I look forward to showcasing what Kansas and Kansas City has to offer as we continue to grow our region.

Congratulations to the entire Kansas City Chiefs organization.

I yield to my colleague and friend, the senior Senator from Missouri.

I thank my colleague from Missouri.

Mr. President, as if in legislative session, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to consideration of S. Res. 71, which is at the desk.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent the resolution be agreed to, 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.

Mr. President, today I want to recognize and pay tribute to a remarkable Kansan: retired U.S. Army COL Paul Taylor of Overland Park. Paul was recently awarded ZERO's 2022 Prostate Cancer Veterans Advocacy Award for his leadership in improving prostate cancer outcomes for veterans impacted by this disease.

Paul was first diagnosed with stage IV prostate cancer in 2012 at the age of 41 while preparing for deployment to Afghanistan. As is too often the case, he did not experience any notable symptoms warning of the disease. It was a routine predeployment medical screening that saved his life.

Unfortunately, Paul's story is not rare. With nearly 489,000 patients suffering from prostate cancer, this is one of the most common cancer diagnoses among American veterans. In fact, one in five veterans will develop prostate cancer in his lifetime.

With the support and encouragement of his superiors, Paul retained his command of 700 soldiers throughout his medical treatment consisting of hormone therapy, chemotherapy and surgery. He later retired from the Army and continued to serve his country in emergency management roles throughout regional and national crises.

Paul's cancer is now under control with treatment and is closely monitored. He credits his family and patient support groups for their care and encouragement throughout his cancer journey. They have been meaningful sources of emotional support and mentorship as he underwent treatment for the disease.

For those facing similar health challenges, he encourages them to find a community to offer support and hope throughout the journey. He embodied this principle himself by choosing to sacrifice his own time and talents to help those facing prostate cancer.

Even as Paul battled this terrible disease himself, he dedicated his life to fighting prostate cancer through volunteer leadership to help all who suffer from this disease--but especially veterans.

Today, Paul lives in Overland Park, KS, with his wife Amy and three daughters. He is an active and dedicated advocate for veterans who suffer from prostate cancer.

His efforts have been instrumental in the progress of S. 2720, the Veterans' Prostate Cancer Treatment and Research Act. This legislation creates a clinical pathway for prostate cancer in the Department of Veterans Affairs and helps thousands of veterans manage their prostate cancer treatment process.

On behalf of the U.S. Senate, it is my honor to recognize Paul Taylor for his courage, sacrifice, and determination as he now offers hope and support to the nearly 3.1 million men living with prostate cancer in the United States.

Madam President, I have had the privilege to know and to work with many distinguished leaders in Kansas and across the country over the years, and today, I would like to recognize one of those individuals, Richard Felts. Rich currently serves our State as president of the Kansas Farm Bureau, a position he has held since 2014.

Next month, Rich will step down from this role. He will be greatly missed, as he has always been a champion for agriculture and for preserving the rural way of life we so care about in our great State.

For the past 8 years, Rich has advocated for Kansas farmers and ranchers, bringing their challenges here to me and the rest of the congressional delegation and fighting for policies that support farmers and ranchers who support agriculture in our State and cross the United States.

His passion for serving the agriculture community comes from his upbringing in smalltown Kansas and the lessons he learned from his parents who farmed before him.

Rich has dedicated his life to serving Kansans, and throughout the years, I have always known him to be an example of true servant leadership and dedication to improving the State he loves. Rich's calm guidance and heart for others have been especially felt when disasters strike Kansas farmers and ranchers. When wildfires, floods, and drought plagued our State, he could always be counted on to be a consistent and steady voice of advice and empathy for those suffering.

When the COVID-19 pandemic caused devastating supply chain issues for our agriculture community and when they faced challenges and economic fallout from international trade wars, Rich remained a reassuring and inspiring example of leadership. At each of these points, I knew I could rely upon Rich's advice and counsel when responding to the challenges facing our farmers and ranchers and the communities they live in.

His insight will be sorely missed; although, I doubt that we will not rely upon him in the future, despite his retirement as President of Kansas Farm Bureau. We will still be calling upon him for that advice.

Before he became President of Kansas Farm Bureau, Rich served as vice president on the board of directors of the farm bureau. Throughout his life, he has served on the county farm bureau board as a county 4-H leader, on Montgomery and Kansas State Extension Council, as chairman of Southeast Kansas Grain, and as chairman of the Farm Bureau Mutual Holding Company and subsidiary insurance service companies.

Rich embodies the traits we hope to instill in our children and grandchildren: a heart for service, selfless desire to invest in others, deep love for one's State and country, and passion for making the world a better place. He passed these lessons on to his own daughter, who grew up with a passion for helping others and who followed in his footsteps by serving as the president of the local Montgomery County Farm Bureau.

Fittingly, Rich, a Montgomery County farmer, plans to return to his farm after his time with Kansas Farm Bureau. For Rich and his wife Shirley, farming is a way of life. Rich's position requires much time away from home, and his wife Shirley and four children--Cynthia, Darren, Ryan, and Kimberly--have sacrificed much and supported him greatly through the years. To each of them, I say thank you.

Rich Felts is a true leader, and I have been honored to work with him over the years to make certain our State remains a place where all can pursue the American dream. I would like to ask my colleagues in the U.S. Senate to join me in recognizing Rich for his dedication to agriculture and his service to the Kansas Farm Bureau and our entire State. I congratulate him on his retirement, and I wish him and his family the very best in the future.

Rich, thank you.

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

Mr. President, this evening, I want to highlight a community in my State of Kansas that is a model for rural towns across our State and around the country. It is timely because, just yesterday, the New York City mayor joked that my home State of Kansas has ``no brand'' and then chuckled at his joke. I had planned to give this floor speech before the mayor of New York City used Kansas as a punch line, but now it seems a little more fitting and means even more.

Located in Allen County, KS, Humboldt is the home to about 2,000 residents. Like many small communities in rural America, Humboldt was facing declining population numbers as businesses moved away and buildings on Main Street were abandoned. Even the locally owned newspaper, which began business in 1864 and was the State's longest continuously running paper, the Humboldt Union, had to close its doors.

However, in the last couple of years, Humboldt has defied the odds. The vacant buildings on Main Street now boast thriving businesses and welcoming storefronts. Since 2020, Humboldt has gained a coffee shop, a variety of bars and restaurants, a fitness center, a microbrewery, a grocery store, a hotel, and the Humboldt Union has been reestablished. Even as the pandemic created new challenges for many small businesses, Humboldt's businesses were able to persevere.

In January, the travel desk of the New York Times selected Humboldt as a top destination in the world, alongside places like Greece, Australia, and Argentina--pretty ironic now.

The majority of growth and economic development in the community can be attributed to a civic organization called A Bolder Humboldt. This group was formed a few years ago by leaders like Paul Cloutier and is still going strong today.

Paul recently took me on a tour of downtown with the mayor, Mayor Nobby Davis, to see firsthand the renovations being done and to meet the owners of small businesses that are reshaping the town square.

Paul said:

I've lived in a lot of big cities, and the thing I loved

about them was that they had complete neighborhoods, with a

grocery store and a dry cleaner's and a bar and little

restaurants, which is basically what a small town is or used

to be.

A Bolder Humboldt is working to rebuild that ideal--that ideal American small town--for the 21st century.

I visited a cafe and a coffee shop owned by Josh Works, who is also involved in A Bolder Humboldt. His father owns B&W Trailer Hitches, and he set a standard during the recession in 2008 to prioritize and care for his staff and his community.

In addition, the community has rebuilt 10 blocks of the downtown streetscape with the help from a local business, Monarch Cement Company. Owned and run by Walter Wulf, this is a 110-year-old business, and it is a staple of this community.

The city has also developed Southwind Industrial Park, with the latest addition of Murphy Tractor and Equipment Company, providing new jobs for locals and new residents.

Humboldt has also gained fame as the hometown of Biblesta, which is an annual festival taking place this weekend, that has been going for six decades and features the world's largest Bible-themed parade.

Each year, City Manager Cole Herder addresses graduating high school seniors and presents them with mailboxes in the school's colors--black boxes with orange lettering. Each box has the student's name and ``Humboldt, Kansas'' stenciled in orange letters. Inside, there is an invitation. He appeals to students to pursue an education and new experiences, but he also encourages them to consider their hometown of Humboldt as the place to establish their careers and raise their own families.

The community of Humboldt is a success story, and it is a role model. It demonstrates how teamwork, creative thinking, hard work, treating others with respect, and caring about the future of your community can make a positive difference for your city, the State, and for our entire Nation. That is our brand in Kansas.

I am proud to recognize the efforts of Humboldt with what we have called the Building Better Communities Award.

Today, in the U.S. Senate, I offer my congratulations and my gratitude for the kind of leadership and effort among all residents of the community to see that Humboldt is a good place to live today and, perhaps even more importantly, a great place to live tomorrow.

I yield the floor.

I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. President, American aviation--something we care about greatly in Kansas but across the country--it is entering a new era of innovation and of growth. Industry and government in this circumstance need to work together to make certain the United States stays competitive and remains the leader in this arena.

In today's technology and research and development, there are unmanned vehicles. They are autonomous. They will be flying passengers and cargo from point to point in the United States.

These vehicles will take off vertically and land vertically, and it is important for us to begin the preparation for that development in our airspace, at our airports, in our communities, and across the country.

Bipartisan legislation, which I have introduced along with Senator Sinema, the Advanced Air Mobility Coordination and Leadership Act, has been waiting Senate approval for weeks.

This legislation would instruct the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Transportation to lead a working group comprised of members of various government Agencies and the civil aviation industry--a public- private effort.

Their objective would be for them to review the steps needed to mature AAM past its initial operations, ensure a robust domestic supply chain, identify current Federal policies that can be leveraged to advance this industry.

I thank Senator Sinema for her help in moving this bill forward. It has been approved by the Commerce Committee, and the advocacy groups have been engaged in helping us develop the legislation and helping us work its way through the committee and through the Senate.

I also thank a number of Kansans who have provided information and support for this endeavor.

This legislation is crucial to ensuring the United States remains a leader in the aviation sector for years to come, and I am anxious for it to become law with the President's signature.

Therefore, as if in legislative session, I ask the Chair lay before the Senate the message to accompany S. 516.

Mr. President, now I move to concur in the House amendment, and I ask unanimous consent that the motion be agreed to and that the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table.

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

Mr. President, this afternoon, I come here with genuine concern about the possibility of the failure to resolve a railroad labor management dispute, and I express my support for that resolution.

I represent a State, the State of Kansas, its people, America's largest supplier of wheat, and a top leader in agricultural markets of many other crops. I can tell you that a labor strike would disrupt the stability of our ag markets and could prove catastrophic to our global food supply.

At a time in which hunger is rampant around the world, again one of the last things we need is more difficulties in getting agriculture, commodities, and food to people around the globe who are looking for a meal tonight. In my State, corn, soybeans, grain, sorghum--that harvest is underway, and farmers need to be able to ship their crops by train around the country and to our ports where the grain will be sent to feed that hungry world.

In parts of Kansas facing severe drought, feed yards, places that we feed cattle, are shipping grain in from other areas of the country to feed their livestock.

Rail service is critical to making sure these producers are able to get the feed they need and to keep their livestock fed and healthy. The U.S. rail network moves critical agricultural commodities across the Nation, and a complete shutdown of the rail system would result in devastating consequences across an already weak supply chain.

The Association of American Railroads found that a nationwide rail shutdown could idle more than 7,000 trains and lose more than $2 billion a day in missed economic output. As the deadline approaches, we are already seeing the impact of contingency planning by railways, showing that a full shutdown would be totally unacceptable.

With the trucking industry and other transportation systems already at their maximum capacity, there is no alternative plan that could mitigate the losses in case of a rail transportation strike and that rail service coming to an end.

I have been in regular contact with our rail leaders, including those at Union Pacific and the Kansas City Southern, Burlington Northern Santa Fe, and I continue to urge all parties to reach an agreement.

Our constituents deserve certainty that will come from reaching that agreement. In the event that the conclusion is not reached, I will utilize my opportunities as a Member of the Senate, as a Member of Congress for congressional intervention and work to shield the impact of a rail shutdown across the Nation.

I yield the floor.

Madam President, I rise today to recognize my good friend Mr. Bob Fee as he nears the end of his term as the 116th chairman of the Nation's largest insurance association, the Independent Insurance Agents and Brokers of America--IIABA--also known as the Big ``I.'' He was installed as chairman of the Big ``I'' in September 2021 in Kansas City. Over the past year, he has done a remarkable job leading the association as a strong and thoughtful leader for independent insurance agents and small businesses across the country.

Bob is a graduate of the University of Kansas and the USF&G School of Insurance in Baltimore, MD. He is currently the president of Fee Insurance Group in Hutchinson, KS. He joined his family's agency in 1987, continuing a long family tradition of serving the community. The Fee Insurance Group can trace its roots back to 1883 in its hometown of Hutchinson and now has four locations throughout the State.

At the national association level, Bob has been a member of the Big ``I'' government affairs committee and the Trusted Choice board of directors, including a term as the Trusted Choice board chairman. He received the Big ``I'' Chairman's Citation in 2011. At the State association level, Bob served on the Kansas Association of Insurance Agents--KAIA--board of directors and as the Kansas director on the national association board. He has also served on several KAIA committees, including the government affairs committee, and was the 2007-2008 KAIA president.

As chairman of the Big ``I,'' Bob has represented his country, his industry, and the great State of Kansas with distinction.

The State of Kansas is proud of Bob Fee and wishes him and his wife Annie well following his successful term as chairman of the Big ``I.''

Madam President, on rollcall vote No. 286, I voted no. It was my intention to vote yea. Therefore, I ask unanimous consent that I be permitted to change my vote since it will not change the outcome.

Mr. President, I rise today to recognize the service and career of Mr. Drew Trojanowski, an Army veteran of Phoenix, AZ. He, with honor and courage, has dedicated his life to service to our great Nation and continues to work to ensure veterans are connected with their communities and needed resources.

Drew had many accomplishments while serving in the U.S. Army from 2006 to 2015. He was a sniper, achieved the rank of staff sergeant, and deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan to support the Global War on Terrorism. He also served as a combat adviser to foreign militaries while coaching them on operations, tactics, intelligence, and civil affairs. Drew concluded his military career serving in the Arizona Army National Guard, where he aided in developing long-range plans for the Joint Counter Narco-Terrorism Task Force.

In 2015, while searching for a way to continue service after returning from Afghanistan, Drew became active in the veteran space and the Mesa Chamber of Commerce. After identifying a void between the business and veteran communities, he established the Mesa Veterans Program and Mesa Industry and Defense Council. This consortium has grown to more than 70 aerospace and defense companies.

In 2016, Mr. Trojanowski started working with U.S. Senator John McCain as a military and veteran advocate. As an advocate, he traveled throughout Arizona, learning about veterans and their service and the challenges they face post-service. He was also the primary contact for Department of Defense installations, personnel, and industry throughout Arizona.

In December 2016, Senator McCain asked Mr. Trojanowski to be his military legislative assistant and senior policy adviser. In that role, he was at the forefront of advocating for reform, resources, funding, and benefits that our military and veterans earned and deserve.

During his time with Senator McCain, Mr. Trojanowski helped author and champion the passage of significant legislation impacting American servicemembers, their families, and veterans. Drew worked on the VA MISSION Act, numerous National Defense Authorization Acts, the VA Appeals Modernization Act, the VA Accountability and Whistleblower Protection Act, the Harry W. Colmery Veterans Educational Assistance Act--also known as the Forever G.I. Bill--and the Veteran Overmedication and Prevention Act. These bipartisan bills, all of which were signed into law, serve as examples of Drew's dedication and leadership in the military and veteran community.

In 2018, Mr. Trojanowski joined the White House as a Presidentially Commissioned Officer and Special Assistant to the President on the Domestic Policy Council. In this role, he oversaw the Departments of Veteran Affairs, Defense, NASA, and Labor. During his tenure, Mr. Trojanowski was the policy lead on three Executive orders and 56 regulations, including the implementation of the MISSION Act that strengthened the nationwide VA healthcare system by empowering veterans with more healthcare options and the PREVENTS initiative, a national strategy for preventing veteran suicide.

I am honored to recognize Mr. Drew Trojanowski's outstanding military service and continued service to our military, veterans, and their families. As Mr. Trojanowski begins a new chapter, I do not doubt that he will continue to be a voice for all those who serve.

Mr. President, in just a few minutes--in fact, maybe I should say finally in just a few minutes--the Senate will vote once again on the Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson Honoring Our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics Act of 2022, known as the PACT Act.

Thousands of veterans who answered their call to serve after the terrorist attacks of 9/11 suffered the consequences to their health with exposure to open burn pits. Many of these veterans are simultaneously experiencing a battle with the VA--a battle with their health conditions and now a battle with the Department of Veterans Affairs--to gain access to healthcare and the benefits that they desperately need and, in reality, earned and deserve.

For more than 2 years, I worked with my colleagues on the Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs, its chairman Senator Tester, our colleagues in the House and Senate, multiple VSOs, veterans across the country, and veterans in Kansas and their families on how we can provide toxic-exposed veterans the healthcare benefits that they deserve.

Chairman Tester and I made a commitment to each other to get to this point today, and we have had a couple of procedural hurdles. But, despite that, I am pleased that we have still brought this bill to the floor in a bipartisan manner. Our veterans have waited long enough, and it is time to pass the Heath Robinson PACT Act.

Not only will this legislation provide long overdue healthcare and benefits to the 3.5 million post-9/11 veterans who were exposed to burn pits, but this legislation will deliver care for all generations of veterans, including Vietnam veterans and those who served in Southeast Asia suffering from the exposure to Agent Orange.

No legislation is perfect. Is this bill the way I would draft it if I were the only person writing the bill? It is not. It is a legislative process that involves a give and take, and we will still have more work to do once the legislation is signed into law.

I remain committed to working with the Department of Veterans Affairs, with our veterans service organizations, with individual veterans and their families, and with my colleagues

here in the Senate, both Republican and Democratic, to make certain that this legislation is effective for veterans and the unintended consequences from this legislation are addressed.

Once we pass legislation, the work continues because it then has to be implemented by the Department of Veterans Affairs. I know from experience that that is a challenge, and this bill in particular--with the magnitude, the number of veterans affected, the amount of resources necessary, the demand for care that will arise under this legislation, and the demand for benefits that arises under this legislation--will make its implementation a significant challenge. But we are ready and able to make certain that the intended results--while there has been a lot of demand that we pass legislation, really what we are after are intended results, and those intended results are that our veterans receive the care and benefits that they deserve.

There is no doubt that the cost of caring for our veterans is high, and the truth is that freedom is not free. There is always a cost to war, and we need to remind ourselves that that cost is not fully paid when the war ends.

We are now on the verge of honoring that commitment to America's veterans and their families. I support this legislation. I support moving forward with a vote in favor of cloture. As to something that we thought might have happened earlier, I am pleased that there will be amendment votes before we get to that final passage. I expect and urge my colleagues, regardless of the outcome of the amendment votes, to continue to move this bill forward by taking this opportunity to pass the bill.

By taking advantage of the circumstance we have now worked our way to get to, and now that we are at this point, I hope that it passes, the Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson Honoring Our PACT Act, and that, with the Presidential signature, it becomes law.

To my colleagues who have worked on this, I express my gratitude to my colleagues, Republicans and Democrats, on the Committee on Veterans' Affairs. I appreciate the opportunity that I have to be in leadership on that committee and to work every day on behalf of those who have served our Nation.

Let's pass this legislation. Let's deliver the most comprehensive toxic exposure package to veterans in our country's history.

With that plea and suggestion, I yield the floor.

I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. President, we are poised once again with the opportunity to pass a piece of legislation of historic significance, something that demonstrates the U.S. Senate can come together and take care of Americans, particularly those who served our Nation.

While it is historic, it is more important to many individuals-- historic for the country, historic for veterans, but important, lifesaving, supportive of those who have encountered toxic exposure from Vietnam and Southeast Asia through Agent Orange and through burn pits in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Mr. President, I thank the Heath Robinson family and all the advocates who got us to this point today. I ask my colleagues to pass this legislation, and I ask the President to sign it as quickly as possible.

Mr. President, I want to talk just a few minutes about the circumstances we now find ourselves in, in passing what I consider to be one of the most important pieces of legislation--perhaps the most important piece of legislation that is currently pending certainly before the U.S. Senate--and that is what we have been referring to as the PACT Act.

It is legislation that we have talked about many times on the Senate floor. It is a piece of legislation that I and Senator Tester introduced. It is a piece of legislation that follows a long line of bills coming from the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee with broad bipartisan support that have consequential outcomes for the veterans of our Nation.

We started years ago, several years ago, in regard to the MISSION Act. We followed that with the John Scott Hannon Act.

The MISSION Act provided additional opportunities for veterans to access care in settings across the country to bring medical care to veterans closer to home to make it more available.

And we followed that with the John Hannon Act, which dealt with mental health and trying to reduce and eliminate the use of suicide in veterans' lives.

And then, finally, we have this major piece of legislation that has been a long time coming--way too long--in meeting the needs of those veterans who served, now, a long time ago in Vietnam and in Southeast Asia and our veterans who more recently served in Iraq and Afghanistan. It is the subject of toxic exposure, where veterans come into contact with something that maybe not at the time created any healthcare concerns for them but over time has become a significant medical and healthcare challenge for those who served in those areas, in Iraq and Afghanistan, their location in relation to the location of a burn pit-- where many things were burned and caused toxic exposure for those veterans in the vicinity--and going back to Vietnam, Agent Orange, which has been so devastating to so many people.

Veterans have waited for a long time. The process to date has been so slow. The legislative efforts, while they have occurred, were never sufficient to meet the needs of those who served our Nation.

And the actions at the Department of Veterans Affairs have delayed decisions for veterans that would make certain that those who encountered these traumatic and damaging healthcare consequences of their service to our Nation receive the medical care that they deserve and the benefits, the financial benefits, that come from being disabled as a result of military service.

I want to reiterate my support for that piece of legislation. The PACT Act needs to--as it came out of our committee by a unanimous vote. It passed the Senate previously with 84 votes. And we need to continue the practice of taking care of our Nation's veterans in a way that is not partisan on either side of the issues.

I often tell my constituents, with some level of pride, that I serve on a committee, and, unfortunately, one of the few remaining committees in which it is difficult sometimes to tell whether there is a Republican chairman or a Democratic chairman. I have been a ranking member and the ranking member of that committee and I have been the chairman of that committee. The Senator from Montana and I have worked hard. And in many ways, because of our veterans, it is a natural occurrence that we find common ground, and our committee members have done the same.

We are now at the point in which we need to make certain that the PACT Act be considered, that cloture be invoked, the difficulties we have had with whether there needs to be an amendment or amendments need to be resolved, and this issue needs to pass the U.S. Senate in short order.

Our veterans need to be reassured. I would do this to the best of my ability to reassure veterans that, for whatever is in my capabilities, I am going to be the advocate, the spokesperson, the one who is trying to make--along with my colleagues. I am not trying to single myself out as the only one who cares about this issue. But for what I can do, I am going to do it to make sure that we have success in this legislation. Success, to me, is passage by the Senate, passage by the House, and signed by the President, and a law that then can be implemented by the Department of Veterans Affairs.

I have said many times that there are lots of challenges still to come. No piece of legislation that we pass is easily implemented by the Department of Veterans Affairs, and we will have our work to do. But at the moment, the work before us, the work that needs to be accomplished today, now, this week, is the passage of the PACT Act so that our veterans who are encountering significant medical challenges have the care and benefits that come from being a veteran.

I am one of those who agree with the thought, the belief, that if you serve in our military, we owe you to live up to the promises we made. I am of the belief that the costs of war--they certainly come with the service. We then have an obligation not only to fund the military activities but to fund the programs and benefits that are necessary to care for those who serve who, as a result of their service, are damaged mentally, physically, socially, and emotionally.

Again, I ask the leaders of the U.S. Senate and my colleagues here to--let's get this resolved, let's get it resolved quickly, and let's make certain that our veterans, as we want to serve them, are served in the way they should be.

I just would only add that time is of the essence. This bill has been pending before the Senate for a while and, before that, in the U.S. House of Representatives. But it has been a conversation by our veterans service organizations, their members; it has been a conversation by veterans organizations across the country now for decades: Solve this problem.

We are on the cusp of doing so, and we should not let this moment pass. There are veterans who are dying every day. There are veterans who have died since this legislation was introduced. I would like to make certain that there is no veteran, even if he or she is nearing that time of the end of their life, worried about whether their children or their spouse is going to receive the care and treatment and the benefits that they earned by their service.

So, Mr. President, please, my colleagues of the U.S. Senate, please, let's make certain we do our work to honor their service.

I yield the floor.