Floor Statements

Mr. President, today, I would like to congratulate the Benedictine Ravens on a wonderful 2022 season and their NAIA National Championship victory.

Winning a national championship is no easy feat. It takes years of dedication, and this championship is the result of that dedication. You have made your school, as well as our entire State, proud. This national championship is particularly special as it is the first ever for the Benedictine Women's Lacrosse team and the first for the college since 1967.

I know many of you came here to play lacrosse, but along the way, I hope you have made lifelong friends, learned valuable lessons about hard work and determination, and given back to this community.

What makes this victory even more special is the adversity these women had to overcome. Senior Natalie Wechter, the reigning NAIA National Player of the Year, injured her knee in the semifinals. Despite this setback, through persistence and grit, the Ravens edged out their opponents by a score of 9-8.

Winning a national championship is also a full team effort. I would like to recognize a few outstanding members of the team: Ms. Wechter, as well as Clare Ryan, Aiden McEnerney, Erica Odell, and Rianna England, who received All-American honors. Additionally, Ms. Odell was named the tournament MVP.

It is also worth mentioning that this was head coach Clare Hanson's first year in the position. I congratulate all on these accomplishments.

Winning this tournament is one of those things small colleges remember and discuss for decades. It is a shared win that the whole Benedictine and Atchison community gets to appreciate and take pride in.

I commend you and the entire team for your hard work and dedication. Congratulations to the 2022 NAIA women's lacrosse champion Ravens.

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 President, I ask unanimous consent that the order for the quorum call be rescinded.

Mr. President, in April, more than 234,000 migrants were apprehended at the southern border. This is an alarming number, and it is the highest monthly total in 22 years.

We have a humanitarian, public health, and national security crisis happening at the border. The Department of Homeland Security is bracing for an even bigger surge in the weeks and months to come, with the possibility--the estimates of 18,000 new people showing up every single day.

The Biden administration continues to be absent in this crisis, and instead of offering constructive policies, they are removing ones that are helping prevent even more people from entering our country.

Last week, the court made the decision to require title 42 to remain in place. The reality of ending it would

create an even greater border emergency. Yet the Biden administration is appealing the court's decision.

A recent POLITICO-Harvard poll found that 55 percent of Americans oppose ending this title 42 prohibition. President Biden and Vice President Harris have refused to take any leadership on this issue. Not only have they attempted to repeal title 42; President Biden's first order of business after taking office was to repeal nearly every immigration policy of the previous administration.

Repealing policies like title 42 without any plan of action will leave our border agents with an unmanageable task of apprehending, vetting, and documenting hundreds of thousands of migrants while trying to stop drug and human trafficking.

In my conversations with border agents, they describe just how hard a task they have. The cartels have learned that flooding the border with migrants provides a distraction that affords them a better chance of successfully bringing drugs across the border. It is no wonder that fentanyl seizures at the southern border increased 48 percent in April 2022 from the previous year of April 2021.

Our border agents and officers are being asked to be caretakers, law enforcement officers, medical professionals, and so much more. They have a tireless and thankless job. I visited the border in April of last year to meet with the Border Patrol, the DEA, and the FBI and to hear firsthand about how the crisis affected their operations. They shared how handling a large surge of migrants has made it extremely challenging to carry out their mission to stop and disrupt transitional criminal organizations from drug trafficking.

These agents were sounding the alarm in April of 2021 when border encounters totaled 178,000. Now, compare that to the 234,000 migrants crossing the border in April of this year.

I have consistently worked to increase resources to our Border Patrol agents. We must prioritize additional border security measures that include a physical barrier and investments in new technologies. We must also enforce our immigration laws and work to reform our immigration system so that we reward those who follow the law and disincentivize illegal crossings.

While title 42 will remain for now, the Biden administration plans to continue to fight this ruling and has almost zero constructive plans to help improve the crisis at the southern border.

One thing is for certain, our Border Patrol agents are doing an incredible job. And I want them to know they are supported in the U.S. Senate, and we thank them for their service our Nation.

recognizing C.W. Porubsky Grocery and Meats

Mr. President, today I recognize a Kansas business that has served Topeka, our State capital city, for more than 75 years with hot bowls of chili, cold-cut sandwiches, spicy pickles, and warm conversations.

To someone from out of town, Porubsky's Grocery and Meats doesn't seem like much, but to railroad workers, Topeka locals, and legislators from the statehouse who frequent Porubsky's, it was the best place in town to grab a delicious meal and receive a friendly welcome.

Opened in 1947 by Katie Porubsky and her son Charlie Porubsky, C.W. Porubsky Grocery and Meats was an iconic restaurant in Topeka and had fans around the country. While the grocery store portion was originally the driving force behind the business, it is best known for being a spot to meet folks for lunch.

Gourmet magazine summed it up as well as anyone when it stated that ``Porubsky's is not just a place to eat. It is a destination in itself.'' Charlie Porubsky's sons, Matthew, Charlie Jr., and Mark, alongside the Porubsky daughters, Cecelia Pierson and Teresa Thomas, have kept this business alive and have made their homes in Topeka.

Over the years, the restaurant has developed a reputation of having some of the most delicious chili in the area. The start of chili season is a day their loyal customers look forward to year in and year out.

My personal experience with Porubsky's dates back to my time in the Kansas Legislature. Several of my fellow legislators and I would make the trek to Porubsky's during legislative breaks. Meeting from January through June meant that we had at least 3 full months to truly enjoy Porubsky's hot pickles and spicy chili. With meats and cheese trays displayed, the restaurant was a warm respite from the cold and a welcome break from our political and governmental dealings.

Even today, as I travel across Kansas, I have a habit of altering my plans so that I can have a ham salad sandwich with three slices of cheese and a cold Coke at Porubsky's and enjoy the warm family hospitality. When my flight from DC to Kansas at the end of the week lands early, I have the chance, during that 2-hour drive home, to make the trek across the Kansas River and up to North Topeka to go to Porubsky's. And I will find wonderful people, great food, and a sense that I am home, where all the talk is not about politics and not all the Washington, DC, insider conversation; it just feels like you are around real people and real Kansans.

While Porubsky's and many family-owned establishments like it lack the bells and whistles of nationwide chains, the underlying quality that truly matters is the collection of people it takes to make it work. The value of places like Porubsky's can't be measured in economic profits or Yelp reviews. What the Porubsky family has been serving up for decades is more than just tasty sandwiches; it is a place where you can go to know people and to be known--and known so well that your sandwich is made before you even make it to the counter to order it.

Squeezing into a seat at the restaurant, it doesn't matter if you are a Republican or a Democrat. It doesn't matter where you come from. At places like Porubsky's, everyone is welcome.

While I am sad to see Porubsky's close their doors after decades--75 years--of service, the Porubsky family themselves and their famous grocery will never be forgotten. I knew Charlie and Cecelia's mom and dad, and I know Charlie and Cecelia well today. I thank them for being such good friends and for looking after my well-being and that of thousands of other customers over so many years.

I yield the floor.

Mr. President, this week, our Nation observes National Police Week, a time when we pay tribute to our brave law enforcement officers and honor those who died in the line of duty.

Over the course of this week, Americans will come together to pay tribute to the 619 officers who gave their lives in the line of duty last year. Among them, six brave officers from Kansas will be memorialized on the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Washington, DC.

Thousands travel to our Nation's Capital to honor those who have paid the ultimate sacrifice during this ceremony, and back home, Kansans will gather to honor the men and women who put on a uniform each day to protect the communities we call home.

One officer Kansans will gather to pay tribute to next week is Captain Clay Germany of the Wichita Police Department. Captain Germany was a U.S. Navy veteran and started his law enforcement career serving with the Oklahoma County Sheriff's Office and the Midwest City Police Department. He then dedicated 27 years to serving with the Wichita Police Department and, throughout his time, served as police officer, detective, sergeant, lieutenant, and captain.

Captain Germany earned a reputation for being a trusted leader and mentor within the community and in the department, always willing to lend a helping hand. On behalf of Kansas, I want to express my gratitude for his service. Captain Germany's dedication helped make Wichita a better and safer community.

I also want to recognize Wichita Police Department Officer Kyle Mellard, who was shot when responding to a welfare check in June of last year. After fighting for his life, Officer Mellard is able to walk again, a recovery that his fellow officers call a miracle. Despite his severe injuries, when talking about his recovery, Officer Mellard made his goal clear: to get back to work as an officer as soon as possible.

All too often, we forget about the many important roles that our police officers have within our communities. This extends beyond relationships between police officers and individual residents. It is about the relationships between law enforcement and key institutions in our communities, such as churches, hospitals, schools, and businesses.

During Police Week, we honor those we have lost, but we also remember the families they left behind. May God comfort them in their time of grief and be a source of strength for them.

May God bless our law enforcement officers and protect them from harm as they faithfully perform their duties each and every day.

Mr. President, last week, leaders across Washington have gathered to celebrate our Team USA Olympic and Paralympic athletes during the 2022 Winter Games. In that spirit, today, I want to both recognize and congratulate Lieutenant Commander and Kansan Dan Cnossen on his recent gold medal victory for the United States in the mixed relay cross-country event at the 2022 Paralympic Winter Games.

While this accomplishment itself is worthy of our praise, it is Dan's journey leading up to this remarkable achievement that renders this feat all the more outstanding and commendable.

A fifth-generation Kansas farm kid and graduate of Shawnee Heights High School in Tecumseh, Dan attended the U.S. Naval Academy, completing the rigorous and physically excruciating BUD/S program to commission as a Navy SEAL. He reached the rank of lieutenant commander and was serving as a platoon commander for Seal Team ONE in Afghanistan where his life was forever changed as a result of his service to our Nation.

In September of 2009, Lieutenant Commander Cnossen was severely injured when he stepped on an IED in Kandahar, Afghanistan. He was 29 years old. He woke up 8 days later to learn that both of his legs had been amputated just above the knee.

Imagine that. Imagine waking up back in the U.S. to realize the life you always knew and the future you had envisioned had changed forever. Imagine being one of the most physically and mentally advanced soldiers, only to have that change in an instant--because of one single step.

Despite the extent of his injuries and though his life had changed forever, Dan did not give up. Or, as his fellow SEALS would say, he never ``rang the bell.'' Dan relearned how to walk with new and unfamiliar prosthetic legs and attacked every opportunity in life with vigor and determination. But the road was long, and it was never steady. Not giving up was a choice that had to be made each moment of each day.

In a moving article from the Washington Post that covers Cnossen's journey, author Dave Sheinin writes: ``What pulled him through was the same brick-by-brick mentality that had gotten him through Hell Week years earlier and the first few weeks after the injury, as well as a relentless positivity that had allowed him to convince himself that was a winning strategy.''

Following his injury, Dan excelled as an athlete because of this exceptionally tough mental fortitude, winning seven Paralympic medals, including two gold medals, over three Winter Games. Lieutenant Commander Cnossen's success during his service and in this next chapter in athletics is more than worthy of our praise and serves as a reminder to each of us the sacrifice of our veterans as well as sets an example for overcoming adversity in our lives.

Dan himself said, ``You learn during Hell Week that whatever you thought your limits were, they're actually further away than that.''

Lieutenant Commander Cnossen's journey has been an inspiration to me and to Kansans and continues to inspire athletes everywhere.

I extend the warmest congratulations to him on his outstanding performance at the 2022 Paralympic Winter Games, and wish him the very best in his future endeavors.

Mr. President, I am on the floor of the U.S. Senate today to congratulate and to commend the University of Kansas men's basketball team on its national championship victory. This is KU's fourth NCAA national championship title, the second under the tenure of Hall of Fame Head Coach Bill Self.

The University of Kansas's men's basketball program boasts a storied history and track record of excellence and success, and the inventor of the game of basketball, Dr. James Naismith, served as the program's first coach.

KU can also now boast having the most NCAA victories of any Division I basketball program in the country in addition to now four--four--NCAA championships.

It is moments like this that Kansans remember forever. Whether you are watching the game from your living room, on the jumbotron at Allen Fieldhouse, or from your favorite hangout on Mass Street, 10, 20, 30 years from now, Kansans from across the country will remember where they were on April 4, 2022, when KU clinched the national title in a nail-biting game against North Carolina's Tar Heels.

It was the KU men's basketball team that inspired me to go to the University of Kansas when I was in high school. I am a first-generation college graduate, and the University of Kansas was probably not the place that most of my peers and friends from my small town in Northwest Kansas went to. But, no, it wasn't because I was recruited to play basketball for the basketball team; it was that I had the opportunity to attend on my first visit to the University of Kansas a basketball game in Allen Fieldhouse. From that one game, I knew this was where I wanted to go to college. The energy and excitement of KU basketball inspired me, encouraged me, caused me to wonder--and I think it is true of countless others, to decide they wanted to be a Jayhawk.

On Monday night, KU rallied to overcome a deficit of 15 points at halftime to beat North Carolina 72 to 69--the largest comeback in an NCAA basketball national championship game. I am not sure what Coach Bill Self--but I am going to ask him--I am not sure what Coach Self said to his players in the locker room during that halftime, but in true Kansas fashion, the KU Jayhawks came back and beat the odds to clinch the championship. The team showed tremendous heart, determination, and resolve in that comeback victory.

KU's Ochai Agbaji scored 12 points and was named ``Most Outstanding Player'' of the Final Four.

Kansas forward David McCormack scored 15 points and had 10 rebounds and made 2 critical baskets late in the game.

Kansas forward Jalen Wilson scored 15 points and had 4 rebounds.

Kansas guard Remy Martin contributed 14 points to help the Jayhawks secure the title.

Kansas guard Christian Braun of Burlington, KS--a smalltown, middle- of-the-State native--scored 12 points and had 12 rebounds, demonstrating to other smalltown athletes like him that they, too, could be a star in the Nation's biggest tournament in college basketball.

Jordan Juenemann, a former walk-on for the Jayhawks men's basketball team from my hometown of Hays, noted that this 2022 championship team might not be the best according to the stats, but they played like a team. They care about the game, and they care about each other. Only a team that sees the glass half full could come back after being down 16 points and clinch the victory. This speaks to the team's perseverance and belief in themselves.

Coach Keith Riley, a basketball coach from Hill City, KS, in the western part of our State--I visited with him the other day, and he pointed out to me the lesson that kids around the State will take away from Monday night: You may not always have all of the best players on the court at the same time, and you may not have all the talent that is out there on that court, but you can still find ways to be successful because of how hard you work.

My guess is that kids, ever since Monday, back home in Kansas and maybe across the country, are in their driveway, they are at the school basketball court, and they are shooting free throws or 3-point shots one after another. It inspires us to know that we can do more, and the University of Kansas basketball team is inspiring kids today to go out and work harder.

I commend these players and the entire Kansas Jayhawks men's basketball team, as well as the coaches and staff, for their hard work which culminated in this victory.

While these young men on the team may be known for their talent on the court, many should be recognized for the adversity they faced off court. Dajuan Harris, KU's point guard, has overcome tremendous loss in his 21 years. He lost both his father and his brother just a few years apart, and Sunday night, he came out and he played for them.

These young men came to college to play some great basketball, but along the way, they are learning how to give back to their community. At Christmastime, this team goes to the local Walmart and purchases Christmas presents for families who might be facing financial hardship. They learn the important lesson of giving back to their community.

Finally, to Coach Bill Self, I know you are probably still feeling that very deep loss--and maybe even more so on Monday night--of your father, who died just recently--Bill Self, Sr.--but you can be sure he is smiling down with pride on you and your whole team. You took his advice. He advised you:

Don't worry about the mules, just load the wagon.

As a graduate of the University of Kansas, as a Kansan, I share the excitement of Jayhawks fans across the world in Sunday night's stunning achievement, and I am pleased to introduce this resolution with Senator Marshall to honor this achievement.

To my fellow Jayhawks, ``Rock Chalk.''

Mr. President, I am pleased that on such a bipartisan basis, in cooperation between Republicans and Democrats--something I know Kansans and Americans don't see enough of--this resolution normally would take a few more days than it has taken to get to the U.S. Senate this week. I am pleased that both the Republican and Democrat leadership and their staff worked with us in cooperation to be able to commend the Jayhawks this early this week.

So, Mr. President, as if in legislative session, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to consideration of S. Res. 578, which is at the desk.

With a neighboring Coloradan in the chair and a former part of the Big 12 Conference, Mr. President, I now ask unanimous consent that 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.

Thank you.

I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Madam President, I come to the floor this Monday afternoon to speak about the importance of

our committee, a committee that the Presiding Officer serves on, and the importance of passing toxic exposure legislation to deliver the right care and the right benefits to the right veterans in the most veteran-friendly way possible--to deliver the right benefits to the right veterans in the most veteran-friendly way possible.

Our military men and women are willing to sacrifice much for our country. We must match that level of commitment by crafting thoughtful and effective solutions to make certain we provide the best outcomes, care and treatment, and benefits for those who have served our Nation.

In the past 2 years, I have heard testimony from nearly every veteran service organization emphasizing the importance of fixing the process the VA uses to provide healthcare and benefits to toxic-exposed veterans and the need to grow our knowledge to help care for the toxic wounds of war.

There have been calls for Congress to act more quickly, and I respect those calls. Our committee hears those calls. We are in lockstep on the challenge here and the need for a solution that is veteran centric. There is bipartisan consensus on the Committee on Veterans' Affairs that a phased approach--delivering healthcare now and reforming the benefits system next, in fact, as we go now--is the most effective pathway forward.

The Senate has already acted on the first step, and we are actively participating and partnering with the Department of Veterans Affairs on the second.

Senator Tester, the chair of the Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs, and I have been working together to craft a fair and transparent process for toxic-exposed veterans, beginning with the Health Care for Burn Pit Veterans Act, which unanimously passed the Senate and was sent to the House in February. This bill remains the quickest way to make certain that sick veterans who are suffering from the effects of exposure to toxic substances are immediately eligible for lifesaving healthcare.

For 6 weeks--for 6 weeks--this bill has sat in the House of Representatives rather than being sent to the President's desk to start making an impact on those sick and ailing veterans.

President Biden has called in March--I think it is March 12--called for the House to pass this legislation and is committed to signing it into law.

This legislation was cosponsored by every single member of the Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs, and each of my Senate colleagues showed their support of this legislation by voting yes. This legislation was crafted by the efforts between Senator Tester and I and members of the Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs. The VA Secretary has stated this bill would deliver outcomes that he cannot achieve without congressional action.

Again, the President called for this bill to be sent to his desk, so he can sign it, and last week, at a hearing before our committee, Secretary McDonough reiterated both of these facts, underscoring the need for action. However, the House has yet to take up this important piece of legislation and, rather, sent us the PACT Act. While the PACT Act includes the critical Health Care for Burn Pit Veterans Act, signaling broad support--again, signaling broad support in the House for this legislation, it also includes late additions that lack adequate review and provisions that will stretch the VA beyond its operational capacity, making it uncertain that veterans will be able to quickly access the benefits.

The PACT Act needs to be amended. Secretary McDonough said as much before our committee last week. During that testimony, I learned about ways the PACT Act needed to be amended, and I heard about the importance of incorporating the results of the VA's ongoing pilot model, designed to determine how to better address the healthcare needs and benefits of our veterans.

If Congress acts too hastily and legislates prematurely--again, it is hard to envision a Congress ever acting too hastily. We are slow in what we do, and I again understand the need for quick action, but if we do legislate prematurely, we could end up with a situation similar to what veteran caregivers are now experiencing.

In the MISSION Act, we passed legislation giving veteran caregivers greater opportunities to care for those family members, but that system, as we saw in a hearing just a few weeks ago, is not working for veterans, and witness testimony before our committee is among the most compelling that we have ever had about the faults of the way that legislation is being implemented by the Department of Veterans Affairs.

A caregiver of a post-9/11 Army vet stated about the Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers program.

The program should have been a blessing. However, the

program has become unpredictable, stressful, and, frankly,

dehumanizing.

I invite those who did not view this hearing to find it and watch to see a glimpse of the future we are seeking to avoid by making certain we get this right.

The VA developed its pilot model last year to evaluate and implement presumptions for service-connection resulting in the establishment of 12 presumptions for respiratory ailments thus far. The Secretary has cited the collaboration among the best scientists to devise and execute this model.

Its potential has been demonstrated, and we should continue to review it in its entirety and allow for the process to conclude, which is to happen very shortly. The legislation we pass should not fail to take into account the work that is going on at the Department of Veterans Affairs utilizing input from veterans and the science and medical expertise of others.

The VA concluded this pilot last week, and I look forward to examining this pilot in depth to help improve legislation while mitigating disruptions to the VA's work in caring for all of our veterans. Whether statutory or regulatory, reform must establish a consistent threshold of scientific evidence, and the decision-making process must be transparent for all who were involved in the care of veterans.

Veterans who are sick and suffering have waited long enough, and they should be able to access healthcare without further delay. And when the Department completes its ongoing work, Congress can then meet the needs of veterans with the benefits they deserve.

When our men and women suffer the consequences of military service, it is our responsibility--it is our responsibility--to see that they receive the healthcare and benefits they earned. It is the right thing to do, and it is the cost of going to war. We have no option.

I highlight this for my colleagues, ask the House to proceed in passage of the legislation we sent them with unanimous consent, and I look forward to an expeditious resolution of the process the Department of Veterans Affairs is going through to make sure we know all the facts so that the legislation is right and we avoid pitfalls we have seen in other circumstances.

And with that, I yield the floor.

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

Mr. President, this evening, I want to take just a few moments to recognize Pittsburg State University President Steve Scott. His long tenure at PSU--over three decades in total--has shepherded the university through various challenges and a period of growth.

Since taking the helm as president in 2009, he has led through a recession, enrollment and recruitment challenges in a global pandemic.

Early on during the pandemic, as our world was shutting down, I hosted a Crawford County virtual check-in with area leaders. President Scott was on that Zoom call. It was one of the many Zoom calls we have made over the last several years. During that conversation, President Scott said that there were three things to do when leading during difficult times: One, tell the truth; two, give people hope; and three, tell people how they can help. That advice has stuck with me and has helped guide my work and my conversations with Kansans ever since, and it is good advice that we can follow yet today.

But President Scott's legacy is not only marked by challenges. Pittsburg State has seen tremendous growth and opportunity over the past decades: the Bicknell Family Center for the Arts, Block22, the expansion of the Overman Student Center, the Plaster Center, and many other positive developments.

These encouraging things highlight his emphasis on being a good community partner and his success in further integrating the university with the city of Pittsburg, Crawford County, and the region.

If you have ever been to Pittsburg on game day to cheer on the Gorilla's football team, it is clear how well the university pulls the community together.

I have always enjoyed walking through Gorilla Village with President Scott to visit with students and community members--with ``Welcome to the Jungle,'' of course, playing in the background.

It is during these events that it is clear how well he relates to students, how much he cares for them and enjoys hearing their goals and their dreams or, for graduates, what they have accomplished since leaving campus.

I am of the view that we change the world one soul, one student, one person at a time. Education is one of the most impactful ways we can do that, and I appreciate President Scott's dedication to serving students for the past 30 years.

I also appreciate how closely he has worked with me and my staff to advocate for Kansas higher education and identify ways the Federal Government can invest in the campus to move both Kansans and Kansas forward.

President Steve Scott will be celebrated this Friday in Pittsburg and step down from his position as president in June, but before he does so, I want him to know how grateful I am and Kansans are for his service.

He is a public servant through and through, and I look forward to seeing what he does next. Whatever it may be, I wish him and Cathy the very best.

President Scott, thank you for your friendship. Thank you for making a difference in so many lives. We are grateful for what you have done at Pittsburg State University. Best to you and your family.

I yield the floor.

I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. President, I have lent my voice with my colleagues here in the U.S. Senate many times, here on the Senate floor, and elsewhere back home in Kansas in condemnation of Vladimir Putin's attack, invasion, the death and destruction that his actions--his sole actions--have taken on the people of Ukraine. But those actions have consequences broader than just within the borders of the independent country of Ukraine. I want today to bring awareness to a pressing consequence coming out of this invasion, and that is hunger.

A month ago, Russia, the world's largest supplier of wheat, invaded Ukraine. Ukraine is the fifth largest

supplier of wheat. Together, they account for about 30 percent of global exports. This has exacerbated--tremendously exacerbated--the already existing global food crisis, and it will only get worse.

Coming from a State like Kansas, coming from Kansas, America's largest supplier of wheat, I can tell you the effects this invasion will have on the stability of our ag markets here in the United States, and it should be alarming and could prove to be a catastrophic outcome for our global food supply.

When there is a shortage of food, one of the things we can do is produce more. I would tell you that while the prices of agricultural commodities we grow in Kansas and across the United States have increased, I also would tell you that the input cost--the things that a farmer or a rancher has to purchase in order to produce that crop, to produce that outcome--has increased even more dramatically.

I would encourage the administration and this Congress to do more in regard to the cost of everything. The increasing cost of food for the American consumer and the absence of food for many around the world can be alleviated by increasing the supply--can be addressed at least in part by increasing the supply.

To help do that, we need to make certain that we increase our own production of oil and natural gas and of fertilizer. The cost of fertilizer is a huge input cost for the Kansas farmer, and we still have tariffs on phosphates coming from Morocco. The Department of Commerce is contemplating tariffs on nutrients for fertilizer coming from Trinidad and Tobago.

Increasing the cost of the inputs of producing food is a very damaging thing to occur and should stop. We need to reduce the price-- slow the increase in the price of diesel fuel and fertilizer. Natural gas is a major component of producing fertilizer, and diesel fuel is hugely important.

Again, we need to increase the supplies of our fossil fuels to help the farmers survive during these times.

Today, I wear on behalf of Kansans the sunflower pin. It is the State flower of our State, but it also is an important symbol in Ukraine. It is a symbol of the resistance to Putin's invasion.

Just as Kansas is the breadbasket of America, Ukraine is the breadbasket of Europe. Ukraine, as I said earlier, is a large grain- producing country, not just in wheat but a top 10 global exporter of corn, sunflower oil, and other commodities. It provides produce to markets not just in Europe but to some of the most vulnerable countries throughout the Middle East.

According to the magazine The Economist, ``The last time Egypt raised bread prices, the Soviet Union was still intact.''

Food stability is essential to political stability. We may recall that it was an increase in food prices that sparked mass protests throughout the Arab world a decade ago.

As we have seen in the humanitarian disaster unfolding in Afghanistan and the developing crisis caused by the invasion of Ukraine, it is critical to utilize every tool at our disposal to meet these challenges. And it extends much further than the countries we see in the news each day. Currently, 45 million people across 43 countries are on the brink of famine. Hunger isn't an isolated issue; it affects each and every one of us.

Prior to this assault, Afghanistan was facing a dire food shortage, with 23 million people going hungry. This will worsen as Putin's assault continues.

In Sudan, 87 percent of the country's wheat comes from Russia and Ukraine. By the end of this year, an expected 20 million people will be food insecure, one in two Sudanese.

In Bangladesh, despite progress in recent years, 11 million people are still suffering from acute hunger.

In Ethiopia, 20 million people currently require food support, and this will worsen as Putin's assault continues.

According to the U.N. agency chiefs, Yemen is teetering on the edge of an outright catastrophe.

The No. 1 driver of hunger on the planet is manmade conflict, according to the World Food Programme. As Russia's tyranny continues-- this Putin-made war--countries around the globe will teeter on the edge, falling further into widespread hunger.

As the cochair of the Senate Hunger Caucus and a member of the Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee, which funds Food for Peace and the McGovern-Dole Program--what I like to call Food for Peace and the Dole-McGovern Program--combatting any threat of hunger is not only the smart thing to do, it is the morally right thing to do to save the lives of not only those living in Ukraine but around the world.

In January and, again, earlier this month, I called on USDA Secretary Vilsack and USAID Administrator Power to release the resources within the Bill Emerson Humanitarian Trust, an emergency international food assistance program to combat global hunger in times of ``exceptional need.'' The Emerson Trust was created in 1980 for a moment just like this: when existing global hunger programs cannot--cannot--adequately address the prospects of multiple looming famines.

As both the immediate and long-term effects on Ukraine's agriculture sector become clearer, the United States should work--the United States, with the rest of the world, should work to quickly provide the necessary commodities through sale or donation to meet countries' unsatisfied food and commodity needs. Doing so will help alleviate a greater humanitarian crisis than has already been caused by the unprovoked invasion and will help foster political stability in food- insecure countries.

We are seeing the worst of evil--Putin's invasion of Ukraine--and the tremendous cost--humanitarian cost, loss-of-freedom cost--by that invasion. We can also see the best in humanity: helping a starving world to be fed.

I yield the floor.

I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Madam President, it is a privilege to be here on the Senate floor speaking to Kansans and to Americans, to Vladimir Putin and to Ukrainians, and to the rest of the world, our allies, our friends, and our adversaries. It is a privilege to be here with the opportunity of speaking with one voice.

As we know, that does not happen frequently enough in the U.S. Senate, but the Presiding Officer was on this trip with us to Eastern Europe and to the Ukrainian border, and my colleagues here on the Senate floor--Republicans, Democrats, and Independents; Members of the U.S. Senate, together--saw what we saw and resolved what we resolved together.

I am so pleased that that is the case. Particularly our adversaries, but clearly our allies, as well, must know that this is not a Democratic or Republican issue. It is an American issue. It is a world issue. It is something about freedom that transcends any of the differences that we have here in the United States or in the U.S. Senate.

And every day matters. While it is important for us to bring our report

home to our colleagues and to our constituents about what we saw, what we heard, and what, most importantly, we felt, it is important that we act.

Remember the Ukrainian citizens who told us: It is OK to proclamate. It is OK to have a statement. It is OK to pass a resolution. But what we need is action.

Every day matters in the fight against Vladimir Putin's unprovoked, unjust, and immoral invasion of Ukraine.

To any of the people who say Ukraine is at fault here, I cast all doubt about that. That is not the case. What is happening in Ukraine, what is happening in Eastern Europe, and what may happen beyond the borders of Ukraine is the result of an evil man named Vladimir Putin.

The United States--this administration--must stop telling Putin what we won't do. Don't ever tell our adversaries: We are not going to do this.

It makes absolutely no sense.

But we do need to do what we said we will do and even more.

Our slow bureaucratic march to provide aid is not keeping up with the Russian forces. I dread when I get up in the morning, each morning, before, but especially after, I returned from the Ukrainian border. I dread turning on the television to see what the latest news is and what the sights are from Ukraine, only to find more onslaught, more death, more destruction.

Every minute, every day matters. We have delayed ourselves in providing financial sanctions and in imposing financial sanctions. We were slow in energy sanctions, and we were slow in getting a defensive military package in place. But we are moving now.

This Congress has reached its conclusions about the importance of these things. This administration has acted, but the things that we have promised, apparently, still have not in total reached Ukraine.

How difficult it must be to be a Ukrainian, knowing that something is coming from the outside world to help? While I get up and dread the news of the day, every moment in their lives has to be the expectation, the hope that something is going to arrive today to bring this incursion, this massacre, this death and destruction to an end.

If you are a parent in Ukraine, it is not about what you see on the nightly news, on the morning news. It is about how am I going to save my children's lives today? What is going to occur in a few moments? And our answer can't be: It is coming. We will be there later.

It has to be: We are there now.

The defensive military package includes Stinger anti-aircraft systems, Javelin anti-armor weapon systems, tactical unmanned aerial systems, grenade launchers, firearms, ammunition, and body armor and helmets. But they must be delivered. They mean nothing on a list. They mean nothing on a piece of paper that says we are shipping these things, on a bill of lading. They mean nothing en route to Ukraine. They mean something when they are in the hands of the Ukrainians that we know to be committed, brave, persistent, undeterred.

You know in visiting, the Senator spoke about the military men and women we have seen from our own country and what an inspiration they are and how much we appreciate their service and their sacrifice and their families back here in Kansas and across the country.

Our military men and women from Kansas have been training Ukrainians over the last several years, and even they are amazed that, despite their relationships and training with the Ukrainian soldiers, how successful they are. I think, unfortunately, in this country we thought that this invasion would last a few days and that it would be over and the Ukrainian people decimated or surrendered.

And so our expectations, apparently, were that we were not necessary, that we were not a solution to this problem. The course of events is already predetermined, but the human spirit defies all expectations-- the human spirit of the Ukrainian people, the tremendous leadership.

My experience suggests to me the value of a leader. You can have highly trained soldiers, but if you don't have leaders who inspire, their abilities to succeed, their abilities to persevere disappear. And President Zelenskyy has been the role model.

My guess is that citizens around the world look at Zelenskyy and say: Oh, that is the kind of clear leadership, determination that we need-- clear spoken, clear acting, not running, fighting the fight.

We must make certain--this is a moral issue, Americans, the world. If you think that the war was going to be over in a few days, you may have a different attitude. But now that we know that it is not, we have to provide the military equipment, the means for the Ukrainian people, their military, their civilians, not just to survive another day but to win the war. How immoral it is to provide just enough to live but not enough to win.

What we saw on the Polish-Ukrainian border is the impact of Putin's war to these people, to the people of Ukraine, to the people of the neighboring countries--the fear that our NATO allies have that Ukraine may not be next. Not only do we need to provide the equipment and support for Ukrainians to win for purposes of the Ukrainian people, but if Putin doesn't pay the price, if he feels that he is all-empowered after his march through Ukraine, I have no level of comfort that he stops at the Ukrainian border.

I am saddened by what I saw: the human suffering, the tragedies. We all have kids and grandkids. And we saw Ukrainian children; we saw parents who love them but had to give them up for their safety and security. We saw families--wives who love their husbands, spouses who love each other but departing because dad, brother needs to stay behind to fight the fight.

And on the other hand, there was the tremendous relief in seeing the response by others. It happens often in crises around the world, when Americans and others--the whole world--resolve to help people in these circumstances.

But this is not a flood; this is not is tsunami; this is not an earthquake. The sadness of this comes from: This is unnecessary. This is one man's evil actions causing the desperation and death, the tragedy, in Ukraine.

And we should know that it doesn't end at the Ukrainian borders. Even if Putin doesn't cross the border, the hunger, the starvation, the lack of food around the world--Ukraine is the breadbasket of Europe, and its ability to feed itself and its ability to feed the rest of the world is disappearing.

We will see the need for assistance and humanitarian aid in countries around the globe only increase at a time in which there is famine in so many places.

It is a circumstance caused by a tyrant, whose actions will not just affect Ukrainian people, but the rest of the world.

We must be unified with our NATO allies. And it was so pleasing to see the NATO countries who now recognize the importance of NATO and are stepping up to fulfill their commitments, in support of the Ukrainians, but in support of this pact that at the end of World War II, across the Atlantic, it was decided that America had a role to play, but we could only play that role with the cooperation of others.

It is still true today. America has a role to play, but we need friends and allies, and we made our commitment to NATO. They, too, need to know that America will be steadfast. We can demonstrate that by being steadfast in Ukraine.

It is immoral, it is death causing, it is damning should the United States of America fail in its obligations.

I will conclude with the story I have told before. It comes from watching the news--something I try to avoid doing--about the reporter who is asking what appears to me to be a 10-, 11-year-old boy in a Ukrainian orphanage that question we often ask young people: What do you want to be when you grow up?

This little boy, through an interpreter, answered that question, What do I want to be when I grow up? His response was: I want to be an American.

What does that tell us about us? Americans? It tells us that we are still something special. We still matter. The rest of the world still pays attention to us, and an 11-year-old boy across the globe knows enough about us to know that is what he wants to be.

That should make us feel proud as Americans, but it also ought to make us accept and fulfill our responsibilities.

No 11-year-old boy in an orphanage in Ukraine ought to be in an orphanage in Ukraine. And we, our allies, must fulfill our responsibilities of what it is to be an American.

Madam President, I offer my willingness to work with you and everyone in this U.S. Senate, the Congress, and the administration to make sure that, knowing that there are people in the world who know what they want when they grow up is to be an American, to do my part to make sure that America is the place and an American is who you would want to be.

I yield the floor.

Madam President, I rise this afternoon here among my colleagues and those back home in Kansas to pay tribute to a Kansan, Sonny Rundell.

Sonny passed away this past Friday at the age of 89, and I want to take a moment to recognize his life and his service. A moment is insufficient, certainly, to pay the tribute that this gentleman and his family deserve.

Sonny was born in Pierceville, KS, a little town in Southwest Kansas. In places as rural as Pierceville, people are sparse, and so you quickly learn what is important. And Sonny learned that in his life, family, church, community were the important things.

Sonny embodied qualities that fostered his community: hard work and generosity. And like so many young men of his generation, he was called to service to his country. In 1953, he answered that call and left to serve in Korea.

When he returned home to Kansas in 1956, he finished his degree at Kansas State University, earning a degree in agriculture. He went on to farm land in Hamilton, Stanton, and Finney Counties for more than 30 years.

Sonny was involved in so many ways. He was a churchgoer, and he cared about education advocacy throughout our State. He was a member of the State board of education and was an advocate for education for all kids in our State.

He had preceded that by being a member of the Syracuse, KS, Board of Education, the High Plains Special Education Cooperative. He was a founding member of Garden City Community College Board of Trustees, a founding member of the Education Equity Advisory Council, the Education Commission of the States, the Kansas Commission on Teaching and America's Future, and the National Association of State Boards of Education, and that is only to name a few.

Sonny recognized, as I hope we all do, that education is the great equalizing opportunity for Americans, for Kansans. It allows us to pursue what we call the American dream.

He received lots of recognitions during his life. He received those for his advocacy, and in 2003 Sonny was awarded the Governor's Award for Distinguished Service to Secondary Education in Kansas.

From 2000 to 2003, our country recognized 50 years since the Korean war. And during this time, the Republic of Korea issued a service medal and awarded those to veterans who had served, coordinating with congressional offices like mine. I was pleased to be able to recognize Sonny's service to our Nation.

Particularly in these troubled times, these days in which we see the surge for support for freedom, Sonny committed to doing so and served his Nation and the world in that cause of freedom.

In 2002, while I was still a Member of the House of Representatives here in the Nation's Capitol, I was pleased to be able to honor Sonny for his recognition during the Korean war.

Then and now, I thank him for his dedication to our State, and I thank him for his service to our Nation.

My prayers are with his wife Verna and to his entire family and loved ones.

Robba joins me in expressing our sincere condolences and wish those who remain to look at the life of Sonny Rundell and recommit ourselves to service to our community, to our family, and to our church.

Remembering Dick Hedges

Madam President, this afternoon I rise to pay tribute to a Kansan, a champion of the Fort Scott community, Dick Hedges.

In Kansas, we talk often of community and how important it is to the fabric of small towns that dot the State.

There are small towns in Southwest Kansas, and there are small towns in Southeast Kansas because in Kansas, those communities matter so much. We grew up knowing our neighbors and making the effort to get involved with those around us that ensure our smalltown survival.

Dick Hedges was a man who took that need for a strong community to heart and helped build the fabric of Fort Scott in so, so many ways.

Last night, I was reading the Fort Scott Tribune, and I read an article in tribute to Dick. Its headline read: ``Man who shared so much is remembered.'' It is a pretty good headline to have upon your death, ``shared so much.''

Dick was a coach, a teacher, a vice principal, a principal, a college president; he was a member of the community civic clubs and a churchgoer; he

served on local boards; he wrote for local papers; and he championed the arts in and around Fort Scott.

In 2018, he even opened a local book store because the community needed one. He was a man who shared so much of himself: his time, his love, his experience, his loyalty, and his commitment to others.

He was an advocate for athletics and sportsmanship and the way it could influence young students in a positive way. For 40 years, he shared his life with purpose and continually found new ways to do so.

But to Dick, I expect that was his definition of ``community,'' sharing oneself for the betterment of others with the expectation that they, too--the people whom you help--may pay it forward.

Dick has impacted the lives of so many, so many throughout his life, and his life gives me hope for others like him in towns across Kansas and around the country.

My prayers are with his wife Jan, the Fort Scott community, and his entire family and loved ones.

I yield the floor.

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

Madam President, I rise today on a solemn occasion. I rise in memory of George Nettels, Jr., a man who lived a life of service to his community and to our State.

Affectionately referred to as ``the face of Pittsburg''--Pittsburg, KS, that is--George was a loving husband to Josie and a devoted father to Chris, Meg, Kate, and Becky. He was born in Pittsburg, KS--the very southeast corner of our State--where his dedication, hard work, and thirst for adventure was cultivated.

As a young man, George joined the U.S. Army in the closing years of World War II. Upon his return home, he attended the University of Kansas, where he was a letterman on the swim team and graduated with a degree in civil engineering.

George spent most of his career in his beloved hometown, where he became the proud owner of Midwest Minerals, a crushed limestone aggregate and agricultural lime supplier with a strong four-State presence.

In 1966, he served as the chairman of the Kansas Republican Party and the National Limestone Institute, so civic and politics, as well as his devotion to his profession and those it employed. It was the preceding association to what we in Washington, DC, and across the country know as the National Stone, Sand and Gravel Association.

His work at the National Limestone Institute led to his appointment in 1970 as president and CEO of McNally Manufacturing, which started as a small boiler shop and helped transform Pittsburg into a Southeast Kansas industrial powerhouse.

George's leadership included serving as chairman of the National Association of Manufacturers and as director of Kansas City Power and Light.

In 1986, the Native Sons and Daughters of Kansas honored him with the distinction of Kansan of the Year--a fitting tribute for his life of service to his community, State, and profession.

His deep involvement in civic business and philanthropic endeavors kept him busy in Pittsburg, where he served as president of the chamber of commerce, chairman of the Mt. Carmel Hospital board of trustees, a member of the United Way, and president of USD--Unified School District--250 Board of Education. His devotion to Pittsburg's public schools is one he inherited from his father, who spearheaded a campaign to build an elementary school that ultimately would be named for him.

George Nettels' appetite for adventure led him to 24 countries, skydiving in tandem with his grandson, Jack--he did that at age 84--and taking a 6-day bike tour through the hills of Italy. Whether around the world or at home, he never turned down a new physical challenge, which led him to being named the honorary starter of the Get Busy Livin' 5K Run and Friendship Walk in Pittsburg at 87 years old.

I heard this story from one of my staff, who saw George jogging in 100-degree heat just over 2 years ago. Worrying about his age and the heat, my staffer offered George a ride, to which he replied:

I grew up working in this heat and it doesn't bother me one

bit.

George learned from his father that life is a gift and the length is not guaranteed. He took that lesson to heart, making sure that while he was on Earth, he bettered his hometown, made countless memories with his family and friends, and was always ready for an adventure.

Southeast Kansas's dynamic industrial sector, the city of Pittsburg, and our entire State have George Nettels, Jr., to thank for his advocacy, leadership, and commitment to excellence.

Robba and I extend our deepest sympathies to his family and friends and all those who knew and loved him.

Remembering Roger Kemp

Madam President, I rise as the entire Kansas City community mourns the death of Roger Kemp.

Over the years, Roger and I became close friends, and I knew him to be a passionate member of the Kansas City community. Nowhere was this passion and drive more evident than his work following the death of his daughter.

In 2002, Roger and his wife Kathy's daughter Ali was murdered at the age of 19 while she was working at a local pool as a lifeguard.

Living through a parent's worst nightmare, Roger channeled his grief into bringing his daughter's murderer to account for this heinous crime. Roger demanded nothing less than absolute justice for his daughter. He worked tirelessly, including through a billboard advertisement campaign, to find Ali's killer. This campaign not

only worked to bring her killer to justice but led law enforcement, both locally and nationally, to adopt a similar strategy that has been credited with helping to apprehend hundreds of other suspected killers.

His work did not stop there. Roger wanted to devote his life and his efforts to making certain that other women, other young girls, were not caught defenseless as Ali was and that no other parent had to experience the torment and loss that he and Kathy endured. So Roger founded The Ali Kemp Educational Foundation and T.A.K.E. Defense programs. An honor student, Ali was, at both Blue Valley North High School and Kansas State University; her life was just getting started. She had just finished her freshman year at K-State, where she was a member of Pi Beta Phi sorority and a volunteer in her church.

But even though it was tragically cut short, Ali's tragic death touched thousands of people, and The Ali Kemp Educational Foundation continues to positively impact the lives of many and allows her legacy to live on.

``I don't care what it cost to do this program,'' Roger said. ``If we save one life out there, it's worth it.''

That was Roger's mantra, and he lived up to it. Over the nearly 20 years since its founding, The Ali Kemp Educational Foundation and its T.A.K.E. Defense programs have trained more than 70,000 girls and women across the country, ranging from the ages of 12 to 90, no doubt saving more than one life.

Roger was an active member and served on the board of directors of the Ad Hoc Commission Against Crime and on the committee which reviewed and awarded grants to shelters and homes for victims of abuse for three different Kansas attorneys general.

But it wasn't just those of us in Kansas that recognized just how special a person Roger was. In 2011, I had the honor of successfully nominating Roger to receive the Presidential Citizens Medal, the second highest civilian award presented by a President. He was 1 of 13 recipients out of more than 6,000 nominees.

I think a quote from the foundation he created in Ali's honor perfectly captures who he was, and it reads:

Roger's faith in the American justice system; his belief

that 99 percent of the world is good, his powerful love for

his daughter Ali and sons Tyler and Drew and his deep

dedication to his wife Kathy drove him every day, fighting

the good fight, to make our world a better place.

Roger Kemp was a loving father and husband, a dedicated member of his community, and a man who created good from the devastating disaster, the murder of his daughter.

Our thoughts and prayers are with Kathy, Tyler, and Drew and all who knew and loved Roger in this time of sorrow. I am honored to have considered him a friend, and it comforts me to know that he has reunited once more with Ali.

I yield the floor.

Madam President, I have taken the opportunity--well, all the time I have been in Congress--to speak in support of Congress acting to reform and improve the Postal Service. I am here again today, and I am pleased with what I think is going to transpire here within the next hour. I again express my strong support for the Postal Service Reform Act, and I urge my colleagues to support this critical, important piece of legislation.

The U.S. Postal Service is an indispensable piece of American infrastructure nationwide. Back in my home State of Kansas, the rural communities are especially reliant on the Postal Service for the essential public services the Agency and its employees provide.

However, due to the closure of numerous rural processing facilities in Kansas and post office consolidations and closures, the quality of service and efficiency of the Postal Service has significantly declined. The reduced effectiveness of the Postal Service hurts Americans across the board, but it has the most detrimental impact on rural places like Kansas.

For as long as I have served in Congress, Kansans have detailed to me the adverse impact the declining quality of the U.S. Postal Service has had on their lives and have expressed the need for reforms to improve its efficacy.

The concerns I hear from Kansans are characteristic of the larger picture. The Postal Service is struggling to keep up with its service commitments while still maintaining fiscal stability. Over the past decade, the Postal Service has slowly--and sometimes quickly-- eliminated services; and in that elimination of services, it created what I call a death spiral: shorter hours, fewer post offices, mail processing facilities further away and fewer of them.

This makes life extremely difficult for Kansans, especially rural and highly rural Kansans who rely upon the Postal Service to deliver essential items like medications because there simply isn't a pharmacy for pickup delivery nearby. And the customer looks for delivery services outside the U.S. Postal Service when the service is insufficient, and the Postal Service continues then to lose more revenue.

For as long as I have been in Congress, I think I have met with every Postmaster General, and I have really delivered two messages--one related to this point I am making right now, which is the solution to the Postal Service's financial condition can't simply be reducing the services. I have also suggested that instead of hiring high-priced consultants, the Postmaster General and the Postal Service should consult with their own employees about suggestions of how to deliver better service in a more effective and efficient way and save revenue.

Serving rural States like my own, I understand well the crippling impact that losing postal service would have on rural communities across the country; that is why I have repeatedly acted on my conversations with Kansans by encouraging congressional focus on Postal Service issues and have worked to get postal reform legislation passed for nearly a decade.

My colleague on the Senate floor with me this afternoon, Senator Tom Carper of Delaware, I have joined him on many occasions in the past several sessions of Congress. We are cosponsors--lead Republican and lead Democrat--in reform legislation, and I have met with him and the Postmaster General of the U.S. Postal Service numerous times. We recognize that smart reforms were needed to make certain the Postal Service could compete in this digital age, increase revenue, and not become a taxpayer liability.

Several provisions of the legislation that Senator Carper and I have introduced are included in the Postal Service Reform Act we are considering today: the elimination of the prefunding requirements of retiree health benefits, allowing the Postal Service to enter into agreements with other governmental entities for new avenues of revenue, and making 6-day delivery permanent by law.

In so many instances in my conversations with Kansans at a townhall meeting or on the street or talking to the newspaper editor, the lack of timely delivery of the mail has become increasingly a problem; and what would one expect when the Postal Service is closing post offices, shortening its hours and, most importantly, closing processing facilities?

I hope to make the case to the U.S. Postal Service after passage of this legislation that the postal processing facilities that have been closed in Kansas should be considered for reopening--in fact, should be reopened. Today, the mail will leave a rural community, go to some neighboring State--Nebraska or Texas or Missouri--only to be returned to the postal patron who lives a block from the person who mailed the letter to begin with. We need the return of those postal processing facilities, and their departure had dramatic and consequential effects upon the Postal Service.

I am pleased that the efforts of my colleagues and I have culminated now in the Postal Service Reform Act. From listening to Kansans, I have recognized for years that Congress must act with the Postal Service on a more sustainable path, and this week, the Senate will finally address this longstanding issue--address it in a way that a bill will become law.

Congressional action on postal reform will allow the Postal Service to continue serving rural America without the possibility of imminent service reductions and the uncertainty of the future of the Agency.

From the veterans waiting on critical medications to be delivered from the VA, to the farmer in rural Kansas needing a part for his or her machinery, to the grandparent just waiting to send a birthday card to a grandchild, this legislation puts us on a path to making certain the Postal Service can continue to be relied on to deliver when it matters most.

I thank those who work in the post office and the Postal Service in my home State of Kansas, many of whom I know, and--despite the challenges presented because of the U.S. Postal Service's decisions over the past decade--have worked hard to make sure that the mail is delivered and delivered on time and make sure that their customer, the postal patron, is cared for.

To ensure the Postal Service maintains its vital public services, I urge my colleagues in the Senate to support the Postal Service Reform Act when it arrives on the Senate floor shortly for a vote.

Madam President, I yield the floor.

Madam President, as the Senate process on the Postal Service Reform Act is underway, I want to rise today to highlight the daily impact the U.S. Postal Service has on folks back home, particularly in rural Kansas.

Many Americans rely upon the U.S. Postal Service. When a special occasion arises, they will send a card to a loved one. And while receiving a letter or a card, a gift in the mail--instead of a text message or email these days--brings lots of people lots of joy and a connection to people, the U.S. Postal Service holds a very different role for so many Kansans living in rural America.

Its services are ingrained in the daily routines and lifestyles of our rural communities. Men and women of our communities gather at the post office. They see their friends and neighbors when they go to get their mail at the mailbox at the post office. Everything from celebrating birthdays and weddings to supporting the town's economy, to even providing lifesaving assistance during a natural disaster or global pandemic revolves around the post office.

Rod Holub, former president of the Kansas State Association of Letter Carriers, reminded me of a supercell tornado that hit Manhattan, KS, in June 2008. There was no electronic communication available, and the only reliable way to communicate was the post office. One of the first people allowed in the affected area was Rod, the postal carrier.

Kansans living in Manhattan at the time have told me stories of how Rod assured every family that they would still be able to connect to their mail service since electronic communications were down, and it would be a while before they could be restored. Insurance claim information and legal documents were going to be vital in rebuilding their lives, and Rod ensured safe, secure, and timely delivery of those documents.

Similar situations occurred in the communities of Reading and Greensburg when natural disasters cut off their access to the local post office. When natural disasters wreak havoc in Kansas, a priority in the aftermath is helping to ensure postal operations resume quickly for Kansans who lost almost everything. In both of the cases of Greensburg and Reading, the Postal Service worked quickly with the communities to reestablish mail service and provide a method of communication to rebuild from the destruction.

It is often a neglected fact that the U.S. Postal Service letter carriers are the protective eyes and ears of the neighborhood, often going the extra mile to aid a customer in need of assistance. One such story occurred when a Kansas letter carrier discovered a customer confined to a wheelchair in the heat of summer and without air- conditioning, a fan, or a ramp to get in and out of their home. The Kansas letter carrier took it upon herself to rally the neighbors who all provided the customer with a window AC unit, a fan, and had a ramp built.

Much of the benefits of the Postal Service Reform Act will be halting the service reductions Kansans have been subjected to for the past 15 years. Dozens of post offices across the State have closed and multiple rural processing facilities in Dodge City, Colby, Hays, Salina, Topeka, and Fort Scott were shuttered. Now, if you live in many parts of Western Kansas or Eastern or Southeast Kansas, your mail is processed someplace far away--North Platte, NE; Amarillo, TX. There are only two processing facilities that remain in our State. The impact of these closures and consolidations disproportionately affect rural Kansans in both service reductions and lost jobs.

Congressional action on the postal reform legislation will allow the U.S. Postal Service to continue serving rural America without fear of imminent service reductions that will further isolate rural communities. The solution to the post office's financial circumstances can't simply be eliminating service, reducing service. To ensure that the U.S. Postal Service maintains its vital services, I urge my colleagues to support and vote for the Postal Service Reform Act.

I yield the floor.

Madam President, I rise this afternoon to celebrate the passage of the ``Six Triple Eight'' Congressional Gold Medal Act. This bill honors the women of the only all-Black, all-female unit to serve overseas during World War II as part of the 6888th Central Postal Directory Battalion.

Passage of this legislation is long overdue and will award the Congressional Gold Medal to these brave women of the Six Triple Eight for their devotion to duty, military service, and their extraordinary efforts to boost the morale of personnel stationed in Europe during World War II.

Today, it is easy to connect with our loved ones through text, emails, or social media. Communication is more convenient, and consequently, many of us take the ease of that communication for granted. But during World War II, the only connection people like my mom and dad had while my father was deployed in Europe was our mail system. The mail delivered love and inspiration to our troops huddled in foxholes and fighting for our freedom. The mail kept them going through the dark and troubled times of World War II. The mail anchored our troops and connected them to home.

The women of the Six Triple Eight delivered the mail although the deck was stacked against them from the start. While crossing the Atlantic to Europe, the troop convoy carrying the Six Triple Eight encountered German U-boats, forcing the convoy to take defensive actions and change course. Shortly after their arrival in the European theater, a German V1 dove at them, forcing them to take cover out of fear of being bombed.

Physical dangers aside, the women of the Six Triple Eight faced sexism and racism. In Birmingham, England, the very same soldiers the Six Triple Eight were committed to helping spread vial rumors just because they were Black women.

On top of the physical dangers and the social injustice they faced were the challenges of the mail mission itself. Handling and sorting the mail was no easy task. The Six Triple Eight found warehouses crammed from floor to ceiling with mail whose delivery was long, long overdue, sometimes over years. They found giant rats tearing apart the undelivered Christmas care packages. There was little, if any, organization. They had to sort this mail in poor working conditions-- warehouses that were poorly lit, damp, and without heat.

Undeterred, the women of the Six Triple Eight rolled up their sleeves and dug in. Fixing the mail backlog was estimated to take at least 6 months, possibly even a year. The Six Triple Eight organized the millions of letters and packages in just 3 months. They firmly believed in the motto ``no mail, low morale.''

Their diligence, their commitment to excellence, dignity, and class, and their relentless drive to get the mail into the hands of the troops won them admiration throughout the European theater. Their actions boosted the spirits of thousands of soldiers like my dad by reconnecting them with their family and friends back home and giving them a renewed vigor to fight.

I want to thank Representative Gwen Moore and Representative Jake LaTurner for leading this effort in the House, and I want to thank my colleagues in both the House and Senate who have supported this bill and made awarding the Congressional Gold Medal to these brave women possible. There were lots of challenges: Black women serving in the military--only ones seemingly willing to volunteer to go to Europe to meet the needs of those who serve.

I would also like to thank COL Edna Cummings for her dedication to make certain the stories of the Six Triple Eight are remembered and honored.

In 2018, I was at Fort Leavenworth in Kansas to dedicate the Six Triple Eight monument. I was honored to meet these women and was inspired to make certain more Americans knew of their incredible service during World War II.

Of the over 300 members of the Six Triple Eight, I would like to recognize and thank the surviving members and make sure their names are included in the Congressional Record: Hilda Griggs, Anna Robertson, Romay Davis, Cresencia Garcia, Fannie Griffin McClendon, and Lena Kings.

The Six Triple Eight served our country selflessly and were a crucial asset in the war effort. This is one more way our Nation can say to these incredible women: Thank you for your service. We respect you, and we love you.

It is my honor to celebrate the passage of this bill today.

Ukraine

Madam President, Vladimir Putin is a thug and is solely responsible for the

invasion of Ukraine. Putin--I condemn him, and he is even being condemned by his own people in Russia and a growing alliance around the world.

There is nothing that justifies Russia invading Ukraine. This is the most significant intrusion from one country into another since the beginning of the 1930s in what resulted in World War II. I pray for the safety of the Ukrainian people and a rapid end to this unprovoked war.

As we hear stories about their bravery and resolve, I am inspired by their dedication to defend their freedom. The United States is making it clear we stand with and support them.

This war is a terrible tragedy, but it is also a wake-up call for the United States of America. When it comes to defense spending, energy production, and humanitarian assistance, our commitments to these issues demonstrate our commitment to global security.

We must recognize that we have adversaries who seek to use force to recover claimed territory, possess weapons of mass destruction, and otherwise destabilize our country and our allies and partners. For those of us in Congress, to ignore these threats would be derelict in our duty to preserve American security and prosperity. We would be derelict to the people of the United States of America.

This recognition begins with a strong national defense. It is unacceptable that we have failed to pass appropriations for the Pentagon, State Department, and other national security Agencies essential to protecting and projecting our strength abroad. As a result, new programs necessary to meeting the challenges in the years to come are stuck in limbo.

In classified briefings for the Appropriations Committee, we have heard about the advances the militaries of our adversaries are making, and it is alarming.

For 6 months, Congress has imposed a spending freeze while other countries press ahead. When the latest continuing resolution expires in 10 days, we need an agreement on this spending, and we should not allow and we cannot afford another delay.

As we prepare to receive President Biden's budget for the coming fiscal year, it will be important that his top-line figure for our Nation's defenses exceed inflation. MacKenzie Eaglen at the American Enterprise Institute writes that $2 to $4 billion is being lost per month to cover inflationary costs, reducing the buying power of our military. President Biden must take this into account.

He famously said: ``Show me your budget, and I'll tell you what you value.'' When it comes to our national spending, our enemies are watching also. Our values extend to our concern for the people impacted by this war. Russia's war with Ukraine is already a humanitarian calamity. Children have been killed and wounded and families split apart as some flee and some loved ones stay. As of today, this conflict has created more than 400,000 refugees, and the U.N. predicts that number can climb to 5 million.

I commend our European allies for their response in welcoming refugees, and I expect our own Nation will be generous with financial support for those seeking safety. But this war will have a humanitarian consequence that goes beyond those directly impacted by the fighting.

Ukraine and Russia account for more than one-quarter of the world's wheat production. It is impossible to believe that such production won't be impacted by the fighting and sanctions, especially as we have seen their ports close. This will make food shortages around the world more severe. No government in the world is as generous with its resources for international food assistance as the United States, but I again point out the excess production of our American farmers that can be shared. There really is no excess production; the need is so great, whatever we produce will feed people. Our government should utilize the resources of its farmers and promote stability where hungry societies are fragile.

Russia's aggression must also be a wake-up call to our dependence on foreign oil. Prior to the invasion, the United States was directly paying Russia, our third largest supplier of oil, around $70 million per day for oil and refined products, or over 700,000 barrels of petroleum products per day. We are financing with our oil purchases the ability of Russia to do harm around the world.

Combined with our European allies, who are even more dependent on Russian energy, Putin's profit before the invasion was $330 million each day. We are subsidizing aggression in Moscow, and it extends to the Middle East as well. This must end.

I believe in an ``all of the above'' approach to energy production, and our oil and gas producers must play a role. The Biden administration should reinstate the Keystone XL Pipeline and promote commonsense solutions that boost jobs at home and keep money out of the pockets of our adversaries. It also would be helpful in our battle against inflation here in the United States.

Each of these challenges can be met if we in the Senate are unified in purpose. The American people and the world view this body as divided, unable to come together on many important issues. I don't believe it has to be that way. I certainly stand willing and able to work with my colleagues to find common ground as we respond to this invasion.

We know lots of examples we can point to where we do work together and pass critical legislation. We must find compromise and immediately move on sanctions legislation. We must pass defense appropriations. We must focus on an ``all of the above'' energy strategy to address our dependence upon foreign oil. We have done it before, and we can do it again.

Winston Churchill--in my view, the most inspiring leader of the 20th century--I thought of him as I watched Ukraine's own inspirational President and the response of his people. I share today a quote from Churchill that meets the occasion:

Very few wars have been won by mere numbers alone. Quality,

will power, geographical advantages . . . the command of the

sea, and, above all, a cause which rouses the spontaneous

surgings of the human spirit in millions of hearts--these

have proved to be the divisive factors in the human story.

Americans--Americans of all stripes--share that human spirit with Ukrainians today.

I ask God to bless Ukraine and its people, and God bless the United States of America as we do our part to support their people.

I yield the floor.