Floor Statements

Mr. President, today I wish to honor Jerry Blann and recognize his extraordinary contributions to Jackson Hole Mountain Resort and the State of Wyoming. Under Jerry's leadership and vision, Jackson Hole Mountain Resort has flourished to become the foremost ski resort of North America and one of the premier destinations in the world.

After 22 years as President of Jackson Hole Mountain Resort, Jerry is moving on to new challenges and to enjoy the mountain and the community he has spent decades to help build. Through his passion and knowledge of the industry, Jerry is one of the most recognized and respected leaders in the ski industry today. His vision helped revolutionized Jackson Hole Mountain Resort and turn it into a year-round destination attracting skiers worldwide to Wyoming.

From his childhood, Jerry has been involved in skiing. His father served as the general manager of Mt. Bachelor in Bend, OR. Jerry received a ski scholarship to the University of Denver, where he was an All-American athlete and captain of the team. The team won the NCAA championship three of his four seasons. After graduation, Jerry moved to Aspen to work in the ski industry and eventually became the president of Aspen Skiing Company.

In 1995, Jackson Hole Mountain Resort named Jerry president and board member. For more than two decades, Jerry's guidance and vision transformed the resort, strengthening businesses and tourism in Jackson and the rest of Wyoming. During his tenure, Jerry increased the number of annual skier visits from the 200,000s to almost 600,000. He spearheaded over $200 million in capital improvements. He oversaw the replacement of the famous iconic aerial tram, the longest continual vertical rise at a ski resort in North America. He collaborated with community members to create the JH-AIR nonprofit to expand service from major airlines and bring more nonstop flights to Jackson Hole Airport. This partnership has proved incredibly successful, allowing the resort to flourish and help introduce our beautiful State to thousands of new visitors every year.

In addition to these achievements, Jerry focused always on employees. He recognizes people are fundamental to success. He considers the quality of his staff one of his proudest accomplishments. That focus resulted in one of the highest rates of returning employees in the industry. It is no wonder Ski Magazine and Forbes recognize the resort as the No. 1 top destination ski resort.

Jerry's impact is not limited to skiing. Jerry serves his community and state as vice president of the Jackson Hole airport board and serves on the Board of Directors for the Wyoming Business Council. He oversaw the Teton Village Master Plan and became the treasurer of the Teton Village Association, Improvement Service District.

Jerry also made the wild lands he worked in and around a priority. He served on the Board of the National Ski Area Association, NSAAA, and chaired the environmental committee for a decade. His commitment to preserving the environment and beauty of Jackson has earned the resort multiple environmentally focused awards. The resort was twice the recipient of the Golden Eagle Award, the highest industry environmental honor.

Jerry's leadership and the success of Jackson Hole Mountain Resort was felt statewide. Governor Matt Mead awarded him the BIG WYO Award in 2016, given to individuals who achieved great strides in tourism and business to advance Wyoming. Governor Mead said Jerry's ``leadership at the Village, in the community and across the state is as awe-inspiring as the mountain itself.''

I spoke to Jerry on the day his retirement was announced. What he told me would not surprise those who know him well. He said he was looking forward to the next challenge and next opportunity to serve the community he lives in and to many more days skiing the mountain he loves.

In the years ahead, Bobbi and I wish Jerry, his wife, Rebecca, and his kids Brooke and Katie many more days serving and experiencing again the special place he helped reimagine.

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

Madam President, last week, President Trump gave his State of the Union Address. It was full of that same spirit of optimism and confidence that I have heard over the past year from the people at home in Wyoming. I imagine the Presiding Officer has heard the same things from people in her State of Iowa as well. As the President said, ``This is our new American moment.''

``This is our new American moment,'' and I agree. The American economy is back on the right track. It is going to take a lot of hard work for us to stay on the right track. Some of that work involves building our country's infrastructure. America's roads, bridges, dams, highways, and ports are critical to our Nation's success. Republicans know it. Democrats know it.

The American Society of Civil Engineers gives America's infrastructure a poor grade. One out of every five miles of highway pavement is in bad condition. As chairman of the Environment and Public Works Committee, I am committed to improving this situation by working with the President and with Members of both parties. We need to fix a lot of our aging infrastructure. To do that, we need a robust, fiscally responsible infrastructure plan that makes it easier to start and to finish these projects more quickly.

I was chairman of the Transportation Committee in the Wyoming State Senate. I saw how we could make projects less costly and more efficient if we could just speed up and streamline the permitting process and the approval process for projects to get done.

We have a project back home to rebuild a highway interchange in the northern part of Sheridan County in Sheridan, WY. It took 14 years to develop and get the approval of the planning and permitting for this interchange that needed to be built for safety purposes. The actual construction took less than 2 years. This is a safety project. It is important for trucks and cars that go through this part of our State to do it in the safest way possible. Anything we can do as members of the EPW Committee and Members of the Senate to make sure we can finish projects like this one faster is going to be better for our communities and is going to be better for people's safety.

According to the Bipartisan Policy Center, there are 59 different reviews and permits that an infrastructure project may need to get. There are a dozen different agencies that can slow down projects along the way, and that is just at the Federal level.

One of the steps that takes the longest amount of time is what they call an environmental impact statement. We all agree we need to make sure that big construction projects don't damage the environment. The problem is, these reviews have taken on a life of their own. They now take an average of 5 years to complete. That is just one type of review that the construction projects have to go through before workers can put a shovel in the ground.

The regulations and redtape have become unreasonable, and they have become excessive. There was a study recently that looked at all of these regulatory delays and the cost of them. It found that the cost of delaying the start of all these public infrastructure projects in this country by 6 years is over $3.7 trillion--not millions, not billions-- $3.7 trillion. Think of how much we could accomplish and how much we could save if we could cut out these delays just a little bit.

We know that is possible. In 2011, the Obama administration picked 14 infrastructure projects for expedited review. One of the projects was a new bridge in New York. New York managed to do the environmental impact statement in just 11 months. Why should it take 5 years in Wyoming? It is 5 years normally and less than 1 year with this expedited plan. This proves Washington can do these reviews and can do this permitting faster when it wants to.

The problem is, Washington usually doesn't care if these projects get done any faster. President Trump understands this completely. He has shown that he intends to change the mindset in Washington. It is interesting, when we remember that George Washington was a surveyor long before he was our first President. I don't think we have had a President since then who has President Trump's experience in building things and dealing with all of the challenges that come with what we have seen from the times of Washington and Jefferson.

President Trump understands that the shorter we can make the permit process, the better. These are projects that can save lives. They can provide economic opportunities in towns and communities all across the country. It is what we are hearing in townhalls when we talk to people. When we cut the Washington regulations and redtape, we allow for more economic growth.

That is what Republicans have been doing for the past year because as soon as President Trump took office, Republicans in Congress began striking down unnecessary, burdensome, and costly regulations from the Obama administration.

Republicans wiped 15 of these major rules off the books. A major rule is one where the time and money it takes to comply with the rule adds up to $100 million or more. This is going to save Americans as much as $36 billion. The total saved so far, $36 billion.

The Trump administration has been very active in cutting needless regulations as well. The President froze action on over 2,000 Obama administration rules that hadn't taken effect yet. This is one of the first things President Trump did and what he is committed to do.

He said that for every significant new regulation Washington writes, his administration would offset it by getting rid of two other rules. New regulation, get rid of two. That is how to make a real difference in Washington, and we are seeing it with the Trump administration. That is how to free the American people so they can get back to work.

The economy has responded all across the country. New employment numbers came out last Friday. The American economy has created more than 2 million jobs since President Trump took office. The unemployment rate is down to 4.1 percent. Wages are up by almost 3 percent over the past year. The Associated Press had a headline on Friday that said: ``US added strong 200K jobs in January; pay up most in 8 years.''

The Los Angeles Times headline was: ``U.S. economy creates 200,000 jobs in January; wages take off.''

According to a Gallup poll last week, Americans' satisfaction with the state of the economy improved by 12 percentage points over the past year. That is a huge leap.

President Trump is absolutely right, this is our new American moment. We must keep providing relief from Washington redtape for it to continue. We have done that with other regulations. We need to do it with the things that slow down infrastructure projects as well. That is how we make sure our economy continues to grow. Fixing and improving America's aging infrastructure needs to be a bipartisan goal. We need to be able to do it faster, better, cheaper, and smarter.

So today I call on my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to do all we can to make this happen. These are not Democratic projects or Republican projects, they are the projects we need to continue to make our country stronger, safer, better, and more prosperous.

I yield the floor.

Mr. President, today I wish to honor Wyoming Supreme Court Justice William U. Hill.

After serving over 19 years on the judicial bench, Justice Hill is retiring from the Wyoming Supreme Court on February 16, 2018. As an outstanding jurist and public servant, he dedicated his life to serving the people of Wyoming. Justice Hill's wisdom and unwavering dedication to the law has had a tremendous impact on our State.

Justice Hill has deep roots in Wyoming. He was raised in Riverton, WY. In 1970, he earned his B.A. in English from the University of Wyoming. Justice Hill graduated from the University of Wyoming College of Law in 1974. Throughout his successful career, he held several important positions in the government. He was an Assistant U.S. Attorney, an assistant attorney general for Wyoming, and attorney general for Wyoming. In addition, he worked as the chief of staff and chief counsel in Washington, DC, for U.S. Senator Malcolm Wallop. Justice Hill also worked in private practice in Cheyenne, WY; Riverton, WY; and Seattle, WA.

On November 3, 1998, Wyoming Governor Jim Geringer appointed Justice Hill to the Wyoming Supreme Court. He was elected as the 44th chief justice of the Wyoming Supreme Court in 2002. During his 4 years as chief justice, he oversaw the administrative responsibilities of the Wyoming court system, as well as ran the scheduling, case assignments, and court proceedings. Justice Hill also served as chairman of the judicial nominating commission and chairman of the board of judicial policy and administration. He demonstrated great leadership and distinction in each of these significant roles.

Supreme Court Justices can have a lasting impact on a State and its future. Justice Hill leaves a legacy of consistency and fidelity to the law. He always strived to uphold justice and ensure a fair judgment in every case.

His decisions and opinions show respect for due process and strict adherence to the law. Justice Hill is a mentor and inspiration to Wyoming's legal community. He enjoys sharing his experiences and his passion for the legal profession with students and individuals just entering the legal field.

Justice Hill earned a reputation for being a hard worker and a thorough decisionmaker. Anyone fortunate enough to work with him speaks highly of his character and his drive. He respects the rule of law and our foundational legal principles. Justice Hill has consistently shown his commitment to justice and upholding the Constitution.

He has also been a recipient of several prestigious honors throughout his successful career. In 2017, he received the Larry L. Lehman Award for Judicial Excellence presented by the Wyoming State Bar. The award is named in honor of Justice Lehman for his efforts to improve the operation of the Wyoming court system and to provide greater access to justice for all Wyoming citizens. Justice Hill was also inducted as an honorary member of the University of Wyoming's Order of the Coif in 2011.

Justice Hill is married to Mary Kay Hill, and they have two children: Brian and Erin. Their son Brian Hill is married to Molly Hill. Their daughter Erin is married to Chase Rutherford. Mary Kay Hill worked for U.S. Senator Al Simpson in Washington, DC, for 10 years before returning to Wyoming as a policy adviser for former Governor Geringer and current Governor Mead.

The law plays such a major role in Justice Hill's life that he even plays guitar in a band called The Law North of Crow Creek. He is a man of many talents and can captivate a room with his stories. He leaves a lasting mark on everyone he meets.

Retirement opens the door to a new world of adventure and happiness. Justice Hill will continue to inspire and touch the lives of the people of Wyoming for years to come.

It is a great honor to recognize this exceptional member of our Wyoming community. My wife, Bobbi, joins me in extending our gratitude and well wishes to Justice Hill on his retirement.

Mr. President, we have finally ended this government shutdown that was produced and directed by the Democrats in the Senate.

The reason Democrats decided to take this extreme step and shut down the government was because of the narrow issue of illegal immigration. They shut down services for citizens of the United States to provide services for people who are not citizens of the United States, and the Democrats have admitted it was all about this issue of illegal immigration.

There may have been another reason, as well, that Democrats wanted to shut down the government, and that was so they could change the subject being debated by people, talked about by friends, noticed by Americans, and making the headlines. That subject, of course, is the competence and optimism in the American economy--by workers, by people who are paying taxes, by people who realize how the Republican tax relief legislation is going to help improve their lives personally.

I think the success of the Republican tax relief bill scares a lot of Democrats. It scares them because every one of them voted against it. They didn't think it was a good idea to let people keep more of their hard-earned money. The Democrats thought it was a better idea for possibly the government to keep that money and use it and spend it in ways many people--certainly in Wyoming--feel is not a good use of that money. Families know how to get more value out of their dollars than the government ever will. Democrats voted

against it--the tax cuts that would actually create jobs all across the country, and we have seen that job creation occurring. They voted against the tax relief that is going to allow money to be brought back to America so investments are made in America.

It was so interesting to listen to Nancy Pelosi--the former Speaker of the House and now the minority leader in the House--refer to what we were doing in the Senate and in the House as Armageddon. She said it was the end of the world. That is what she said.

The American people, hard-working people, don't believe that at all. They believe it is good for them personally. It turns out that people who work at more than 200 companies in this country have already gotten a raise or some kind of a cash benefit or additional contribution to their retirement because of the tax law. That is why all those companies said they did it. Over 2 million people have obtained this benefit of the tax relief law, and more are going to benefit in the years ahead. Millions of Americans are going to start seeing more take- home pay in their paychecks next month. That is because of this tax relief law the Democrats--every one of them--opposed. We are seeing it not just with American families; we are seeing it with investments coming in from abroad.

This law has totally changed how we tax the money companies earn that sell things to people overseas. This chart goes through it. It used to be that when U.S. companies made money somewhere else; they paid taxes there. If they wanted to bring it back home, they had to pay taxes again, a double taxation. Very few countries do that, but the United States was one of them--double taxation. Businesses then had to make a decision, had to make a choice. It could bring money back home, pay taxes a second time, or keep the money overseas, invest it there, and not have to pay that second tax. A lot of companies, looking at the tax laws the United States had on the books previously, decided it was too much of a penalty to bring that money back home and invest it in the American economy. There was something like $2.8 trillion in American business that American businesses had been holding in other countries.

We actually had a tax code that worked to the advantage of foreign countries, not to the advantage of the United States. It was locking money out, keeping it overseas, keeping it from helping American workers at home. That is a very backward way to look at how the Tax Code should work. We changed the law when Republicans voted to change the tax law, give taxpayers relief. Now the money gets taxed once, not twice. It changed the system in America the way most countries around the world do it. That means businesses no longer have this warped incentive to keep their money out of the United States. It makes it much easier for that money to come back from overseas to the United States. It is good for America. It is what an America first economy looks like. It gets rid of this crazy Tax Code that we had, giving other countries an advantage--not anymore.

The second thing this tax relief law has done is actually cut taxes. When American businesses had to pay this second tax, the rates were very high--one of the highest in the world. It was adding insult to injury. Other countries have actually been cutting taxes for years--not the United States, not on our own companies in the United States. Here at home, we had one of the highest and most punitive taxes in the world. There wasn't a major country in the world where businesses paid as high a tax as we did in the United States. Washington was taxing companies about 35 percent if they tried to bring home some of the profits from overseas. Because of the tax law we passed and President Trump has signed, this rate has now dropped to 21 percent--from 35 percent to 21 percent.

Now our tax rates are actually below the average of other countries around the world. That puts American businesses at a significantly stronger position to compete around the world. It puts us at a competitive advantage. We got rid of the double taxation system-- Republicans did--when we passed this law, and we cut tax rates significantly as well.

When you put these two things together--cutting the rates, making it easier to bring money back to the United States, eliminating this double taxation--it is a big help to American workers, to the men and women who work in America, as well as the businesses that employ those people. Businesses are much more likely now to invest in America, put their money back home, in American workers, in the American economy. We are seeing it already.

The tech company Apple recently announced it is increasing investments in U.S. operations. They said their total contribution to the American economy over the next 5 years will be $350 billion. They are planning to bring home as much as $250 billion in money that right now is parked overseas. They are talking about employing 20,000 more workers, hiring 20,000 more people. They have been letting that money sit overseas because of this system that locked the money out. Now, with the new tax law, it is going to be much easier to bring this money home and invest it in America.

It is not just Apple. We are seeing it with Fiat Chrysler, with Boeing, with AT&T, and with others. They are increasing investment in the United States and in the workers at home, and it is all because of the tax law the Republicans voted for, and every one of the Democrats voted against. It is no surprise that Democrats may have wanted to shut down the government to knock off the front page of the paper the headlines of the success of the tax law and instead see reports about the Democrats shutting down the government.

It is interesting. There has been so much economic activity after this changed that other countries are beginning to become nervous. Other countries used to know they had the upper hand over the United States when it came to investments in the economy, and they figured the United States would never get its act together enough to change the tax laws to make us the competitive, thriving economy we know we can be. These countries knew the U.S. tax law was working in their favor--not anymore.

Countries like China, the United Kingdom, and Japan are considering changing their own taxes in response to what we have done. We are leading the way. They are trying to play catchup with their economy. In Australia, as a matter of fact, they expect the loss of significant amounts of economic activity and growth to the United States because of the new tax law. Other countries are running scared because President Trump and Republicans in Congress are doing exactly what we promised the American people we would do. We are keeping our promises. We are putting American workers first. Tax relief is working. It is helping hard-working American families. It is creating economic growth. It is giving America the competitive edge we deserve because of the work we do, and we haven't had it in a long period of time.

Democrats said it would never happen, during the debate, on the tax law. First, they did everything they could to make sure we wouldn't get it passed--slowed it down, voted against it, talked against it. They were wrong, and now they know they were wrong. They have seen the money come back. They have seen the growth in the economy. They have seen the number of jobs created. They have seen the growth in wages. They are seeing people keeping more of their hard-earned dollars. They see people happier. They see a level of confidence and optimism that wasn't there in a previous administration.

The Democrats seem to be trying to change the subject by putting up a smokescreen--shutting down the government to avoid and try to deflect from the success the Republicans have allowed the American people to recognize in themselves because the tax laws have changed, and the American people will benefit from it for years to come.

It is time for the Democrats to give up the games, come to the table, join Republicans, and do what we know we need to do, which is put the American workers first. It is time for the Democrats to join the Republicans and work on behalf of all the American people who have sent all of us here in the first place, and we are seeing it now with the tax law and the tax relief and the tax cuts that are benefiting people all across this country.

I yield the floor.

I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. President, I rise in support of the nomination of R.D. James to serve as Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works. The Assistant Secretary establishes policy direction and provides leadership for the Civil Works programs at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

In this position, Mr. James will play a central role ensuring the navigability of America's ports and inland waterways. He will oversee the Army Corps' flood and storm risk management and responses to emergencies like the hurricanes we saw in Florida and Texas this past fall.

Mr. James will also play a central role in modernizing America's aging water infrastructure. This month, the Committee on Environment and Public Works, which I chair, has held two hearings on the needs and challenges facing America's water infrastructure. These hearings are important steps as the committee works toward a new Water Resources Development Act, which will be reauthorized this year.

It is critical to have Mr. James confirmed so he can partner with us in this important process. I look forward to working with Mr. James on projects and issues that are important to my home State of Wyoming. He has already committed to me that he will work to find a permanent solution to preventing ice-jam floods, like those that caused the Big Horn River to flood the city of Worland, WY.

There is no reason this confirmation should be delayed any further. His nomination was unanimously approved by voice vote in both the Senate Armed Services Committee and the Environment and Public Works Committee. Mr. James is well qualified for this position.

He has served as a civil engineer member of the Mississippi River Commission since 1981. That is 37 years. He was appointed to that position by both Democratic and Republican Presidents. Mr. James is also an accomplished farmer and businessman. He is experienced, qualified, and ready to start.

It is time for the Senate to confirm his nomination.

I yield the floor.

Madam President, as I come to the floor today, we are facing the prospect of a government shutdown. At midnight tonight, funding runs out, the lights will go dark, and when that happens, everyone suffers. No one wins; everyone suffers. I know that, and you know that. Republicans know that, and we have offered a solution that keeps the government open and extends the Children's Health Insurance Program. As a doctor, I will tell you how valuable that program is for children all across the country.

The House has already passed this legislation. Democrats in the Senate have promised to block it, to stand in the way. Some have actually been bragging that they can shut down the government and that they want to shut down the government. Why would someone want to do that? Well, here is what the New York Times said on its front page this morning: ``Senate Shutdown Looms As Spending Bill Advances. House approves a stopgap measure while Democrats dig in on immigration.'' That is the reason the Democrats want to shut down the government of this entire country--over the issue of immigration. That is the New York Times. Here is the Washington Post this morning: ``Shutdown looms despite House action. Democrats tie `dreamers' to passage of budget deal.''

There it is--the New York Times and the Washington Post. The minority leader is forcing a shutdown over the issue of illegal immigration. Democrats are ready to set aside all other issues, all other deadlines, all other priorities.

Republicans have written and passed legislation that funds the government. That means funding for our military, funding for our veterans. It means funding for opioid treatment. It means funding for everything that our Federal Government does now, and it funds the Children's Health Insurance Program--not just for a week or a month, it funds it for the next 6 years. This is a program that helped provide medical care for almost 9 million children and needy families across this country. There are more than 7,300 people in my home State of Wyoming who benefit from this program. The money for this program is going to start running out in some places very soon. The funding has been in limbo since last fall. Some States are getting ready to send letters to families--letters that tell those families their coverage is going to be discontinued because this Senate didn't act.

States have been asking for certainty, and that is what we are doing with this legislation. We are providing that certainty. We are taking care of this program, which is so vital to families across every State in this country, for the next 6 years. Democrats are blocking it. It does seem to be that what they really want to do is make a political point at the expense of everything else and everyone else. They are willing to hold 9 million children and their families hostage to do it. They are willing to hold hostage more than 300 million Americans who could be harmed by a prolonged government shutdown. And it is all over the immigration issue, as they talk about in the Washington Post and the New York Times, an issue known as DACA, which stands for ``deferred action for childhood arrivals.'' It was intended as a temporary program to deal with the problem of people who were brought to this country illegally when they were just young children. The program was set up by an Executive action by President Obama. It wasn't done by law. It

wasn't a bipartisan program. It was a Democratic President acting on his own to kick the can down the road on this issue.

These issues related to immigration--and specifically illegal immigration--are very tough, and we need to keep working toward a solution. There are discussions going on every day within the Senate-- Republican and Democrat--between the House and the Senate. Why do people want to risk blowing up these discussions?

Well, it seems that whatever we agree to needs to include important matters of border security because, to me, border security is national security, and that has to be included in that discussion and deliberation. Any solution is going to have to include real fixes to our broken immigration system so that we are not just having the same argument again in a couple of years.

I think coming up with a solution like this does continue to take time. Certainly, it is not something we can do by midnight tonight. There is not even a good reason we need to rush to solve this problem in a few hours. The fact is, no current DACA recipients are going to lose their benefits under the program for 6 months.

Democrats are setting an arbitrary deadline of midnight tonight, and they are threatening to shut down the government if their deadline is not met. The legislation Republicans have offered takes care of one emergency, and it gives negotiators time to reach consensus on this separate and unrelated subject.

The continuing resolution already passed by the House provides certainty to the Children's Health Insurance Program, and it allows us the chance to work out some certainty on the DACA issue.

Some Democrats are saying that they refuse to do that. Well, it is interesting because in 2013, the minority leader, Senator Schumer, thought that a government shutdown at that time was a terrible idea. He said:

No matter how strongly one feels about an issue, you

shouldn't hold millions of people hostage. . . . That's

wrong, and we can't give in to that.

He even spelled out the exact situation we are facing today. He did it not just on the Senate floor; he did it on television in 2013. On ABC's ``This Week,'' October 6, 2013, he said:

We believe strongly in immigration reform. We could say,

``we're shutting down the government, we're not gonna raise

the debt ceiling, until you pass immigration reform.'' It

would be governmental chaos.

He is right. It would be governmental chaos. That is what Senator Schumer said in 2013. Now he is trying to create exactly that same governmental chaos that he described back then. It is for the exact same reason that he talked about in 2013--the exact same reason that the Washington Post cites as the reason on today's front page: ``Democrats tie `dreamers' to passage of budget deal.'' In the New York Times: ``Democrats dig in on immigration.''

What is different now is that Democrats have decided to stake all of their political hopes on this one issue. They are holding America hostage to do it.

Nobody benefits from the Democrats shutting down the government. Nobody benefits from the game the Democrats are playing with the security and the safety of American families. To me, it is irresponsible for them to seek this shutdown over their agenda on this issue of immigration.

We should pass the resolution that we have before us today. It is time for Democrats to step back from the damage this shutdown will cause to children, to our military, to our veterans, to our economy, and return to the table to discuss the issues in which they are focused.

I would recommend to my colleagues across the aisle that they follow the advice from Senator Schumer in 2013: Don't play politics with people's lives and create ``governmental chaos.''

Thank you.

I yield the floor.

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

Mr. President, later this week, we are going to reach 1 year since President Trump was sworn into office as President of the United States. From what I have seen and from what I have heard, visiting with people at home, all around the State of Wyoming, his first year has been a huge success.

People are telling me, telling their friends, and telling their neighbors that America is finally headed in the right direction again. People tell me that they feel optimistic--optimistic because of the policies that Republicans have put in place over this past year.

The polling company Gallup says it is not just happening in Wyoming; it is happening all across the country. They had a report the other day that said Americans' confidence in our economy was positive in 2017, and they say that this was the first positive annual average since they started tracking these numbers back in 2008--the first time ever.

As soon as Donald Trump was elected President, economic confidence began to soar. It has stayed positive every single month since election day of 2016.

Gallup has said that this is the exact opposite of what they had seen for the previous 8 years.

In another poll last week, Gallup said that people are also more optimistic about the job market. They found that Americans' confidence about finding a job--a quality job--was the highest it has been in the 17 years since they have been asking that question as well.

They said that there was a ``sharp increase'' over the year before-- in 2016, when President Obama was in charge--in people's feelings about being able to find a quality job. People are confident, and they are much more optimistic about the future. We see the signs of it everywhere we turn.

Stores had their biggest holiday sales since 2008. When people are feeling confident, they feel it is OK to go shopping. They feel there is going to be the income to cover the things they are interested in having for Christmas and the gifts they can give. They can relax. That is the kind of optimism we are seeing now.

It is because they see that President Trump and Republicans in Congress are serious about improving America's economy. They see that we are serious about giving relief to Americans who have been getting buried under an avalanche of redtape.

The President has cut through massive amounts of regulations. Congress has rolled back 15 different major regulations from the Obama administration. That is going to save Americans as much as $36 billion over time because of the regulatory burden that has been relieved. These are regulations that harmed Americans and wiped out American jobs. Now those regulations are gone.

When people see that Washington is finally taking the right approach to regulation, it gives them confidence. It makes them more optimistic about the future.

A lot of the regulations that Democrats wrote had to do with their war on American energy. Democrats shut down a lot of energy exploration and energy development in America. They shut down attempts to export American energy. They even wrote rules to put the United States at a competitive disadvantage when we tried to develop energy resources overseas.

Republicans have stopped Washington's war on American energy. We are opening up more areas to responsible energy production off of our coasts and in part of Alaska. Our goal should be to make American energy as clean as we can, as fast as we can, without raising costs on American families.

Republicans have put policies in place to restore that balance to America's energy policy.

Now people are talking about not just energy security, energy independence, but American energy dominance. When people see that Washington is finally taking the right approach to energy, it gives them confidence.

People see that Republicans are delivering on other promises as well, such as giving American families serious tax relief. This tax law that passed at the end of last year is giving back more than $1 trillion to Americans over time. It is letting people keep more of their hard- earned money. It is spurring economic growth. It is going to make it simpler for a lot of families to fill out their taxes.

When people see that Washington is finally taking the right approach to taxes, it gives them more confidence, more optimism. They are confident because they are already seeing the direct result in their paychecks.

At least 166 companies have said that they are going to give raises, give out bonuses, and invest more in their workers because of the tax law. More than 2,236,000 workers across this country are getting more money in their pockets as a result of these raises and bonuses. Some of the folks who are getting bonuses are people who work at Walmart. That is one of the biggest employers in my State of Wyoming. People who work there are getting bonuses, they are getting higher wages, and they are getting expanded maternity leave benefits--one advantage after another--as a result of the tax law that was passed by a Republican House, a Republican Senate, and signed by President Trump. These workers are noticing the extra money. It is going to make a difference to them and to their families. It is not just a one-time bump for people; economists say that this tax relief legislation is going to boost the economy for years to come.

There was a story on CNBC Monday that quoted an official from one European bank. He said that President Trump has ``changed the perception of what's possible in Washington.''

The American economy has roared back to life. We are finally-- finally--having the economic recovery that we should have had 8 years ago. That is because we finally got the policies that allow our economy to grow the way it should. We had a big recession in this country. Democrats used that as an excuse to pile a bunch of regulations on the American people. That had a lot to do with keeping the economy from recovering at the pace it should have.

During the Obama administration, there was talk about the ``new normal.'' People said that maybe it was just the way things were going to be in America from now on--slow, tepid economic growth, weak recovery, wages that didn't grow, people out of work for years at a time. That is what we saw in that administration. Now we know that it was never normal, it was never acceptable, and it was never the way things had to be. Things could be different, and the American people voted to make things different. In 2016, they said it was time for a change. Republicans are showing that the economy can grow faster once we get the right policies in place. America can be a greater place for all of us.

We head into President Trump's second year with an economy much stronger than it was the day he took office. We have more Americans at work. We have businesses and families confident that the economy will be even better this year. I think that is the kind of thing that people mean when they tell me they feel confident and optimistic in the direction of our country again. I see that confidence in Wyoming. We see it on Wall Street, and we see it all across the United States.

Democrats might miss the Obama economy of higher taxes and more regulation. Republicans are fighting to continue the policies that are giving Americans confidence, optimism, and hope. Republicans know this is just the beginning.

(The remarks of Mr. Barrasso pertaining to the introduction of S. 2319 are printed in today's Record under ``Statements on Introduced Bills and Joint Resolutions.'')

I yield the floor.

I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. President, I wish to speak today about legislation I am introducing to spur American energy development on Federal land. This is the Opportunities for the Nation and States to Harness Onshore Resources for Energy Act. It is also known as the ONSHORE Act. It is a commonsense approach that streamlines the permitting process for oil and gas development.

Oil and gas production has increased dramatically on non-Federal land in recent years. Production on Federal land has fallen behind. That is because energy producers face costly delays when they have to deal with outdated and inefficient regulations from Washington, DC.

The legislation we are introducing reduces these unnecessary delays by giving authority to States that have established regulatory programs. Let's let the States make those decisions. These are States that have a proven track record of managing oil and gas development efficiently and effectively. At the same time, they protect the public health and the environment. That is the balance we all want--and these States are doing it--without Washington adding another unnecessary layer of redtape.

In 2016, it took an average of more than 250 days for the Federal Bureau of Land Management to issue permits to drill for oil on public land. It took State agencies an average of 30 days. Look at the difference--States, 30 days; Federal, 250 days. That is the difference in what happens when Washington gets involved. The delays cost jobs, they slow down economic growth, and communities lose important tax revenue.

My home State of Wyoming is America's largest producer of natural gas, and we are the second largest producer of oil on Federal lands. Wyoming has a long history of managing oil and gas development on Federal lands. We know how to do it. We do it safely. We do it responsibly. Wyoming continues to be the place people from all over the world want to see because of how beautiful the scenery and the environment are. This legislation strips away that needless layer of Washington regulation, and it lets States like Wyoming manage oil and gas development the way we know how to do it.

Our legislation also eliminates the administrative fee that gets taken out of States' share of revenues from oil and gas production. Washington takes money that has been created locally, and it sends the money out of the community and back to Washington. This is millions of dollars that States and local communities need to fund vital public services. Our bill ends this unfair redistribution.

The ONSHORE Act also stops Washington from imposing extra permitting burdens and environmental reviews on energy development that takes place on non-Federal lands. These requirements are a classic example of Washington overreach. They don't help the environment; they just keep oil and gas in the ground and keep hard-working Americans out of work. This legislation will create jobs and expand our economy by creating an environment where American energy can dominate.

I want to thank the cosponsors of this legislation for their support--Senators Hoeven, Enzi, Lee, and Hatch. I also want to thank my colleagues in the House for starting this conversation with their bill, which is called the SECURE American Energy Act. I look forward to working with my colleagues to pass this legislation as quickly as possible.

Mr. President, I wish to speak today about legislation I am introducing to spur American energy development on Federal land. This is the Opportunities for the Nation and States to Harness Onshore Resources for Energy Act. It is also known as the ONSHORE Act. It is a commonsense approach that streamlines the permitting process for oil and gas development.

Oil and gas production has increased dramatically on non-Federal land in recent years. Production on Federal land has fallen behind. That is because energy producers face costly delays when they have to deal with outdated and inefficient regulations from Washington, DC.

The legislation we are introducing reduces these unnecessary delays by giving authority to States that have established regulatory programs. Let's let the States make those decisions. These are States that have a proven track record of managing oil and gas development efficiently and effectively. At the same time, they protect the public health and the environment. That is the balance we all want--and these States are doing it--without Washington adding another unnecessary layer of redtape.

In 2016, it took an average of more than 250 days for the Federal Bureau of Land Management to issue permits to drill for oil on public land. It took State agencies an average of 30 days. Look at the difference--States, 30 days; Federal, 250 days. That is the difference in what happens when Washington gets involved. The delays cost jobs, they slow down economic growth, and communities lose important tax revenue.

My home State of Wyoming is America's largest producer of natural gas, and we are the second largest producer of oil on Federal lands. Wyoming has a long history of managing oil and gas development on Federal lands. We know how to do it. We do it safely. We do it responsibly. Wyoming continues to be the place people from all over the world want to see because of how beautiful the scenery and the environment are. This legislation strips away that needless layer of Washington regulation, and it lets States like Wyoming manage oil and gas development the way we know how to do it.

Our legislation also eliminates the administrative fee that gets taken out of States' share of revenues from oil and gas production. Washington takes money that has been created locally, and it sends the money out of the community and back to Washington. This is millions of dollars that States and local communities need to fund vital public services. Our bill ends this unfair redistribution.

The ONSHORE Act also stops Washington from imposing extra permitting burdens and environmental reviews on energy development that takes place on non-Federal lands. These requirements are a classic example of Washington overreach. They don't help the environment; they just keep oil and gas in the ground and keep hard-working Americans out of work. This legislation will create jobs and expand our economy by creating an environment where American energy can dominate.

I want to thank the cosponsors of this legislation for their support--Senators Hoeven, Enzi, Lee, and Hatch. I also want to thank my colleagues in the House for starting this conversation with their bill, which is called the SECURE American Energy Act. I look forward to working with my colleagues to pass this legislation as quickly as possible.

Mr. President, I am honored to recognize my friend, Dr. Howard Willson, as Wyoming's 2018 Physician of the Year. Over the course of his distinguished career, Dr. Willson tirelessly worked to improve healthcare in Wyoming. His contributions in medical education, quality improvement, and public health touched countless patients in our State. Outside of medicine, Dr. Willson served Wyoming as member of the University of Wyoming's board of trustees and as an officer in the U.S. Air Force.

In addition to his many professional accomplishments, folks in Basin and Thermopolis simply know Howard as their family doctor. Multiple generations of patients benefited from Howard's caring and compassionate approach to medicine. From Dr. Willson's perspective, being entrusted to care for his neighbors was the highest compliment he could receive.

While Howard Willson made his greatest impact in Wyoming, he was born in the small town of Spring Lake, FL. After completing his undergraduate degree from Florida State University, he was commissioned as an officer in the U.S. Air Force. Howard then attended medical school at the University of Florida and graduated in 1965. After graduation from medical school, he completed his internship at the U.S. Air Force Hospital at Andrews Air Force Base. In total, Dr. Willson served in the Air Force for 10 years, eventually rising to the rank of captain.

Over the next several years, Dr. Willson practiced medicine in Florida, where he served as an active member of the medical community. Then in 1976, he decided to make the move to Wyoming, a decision that has benefited the people of our State ever since. Howard began his practice in the town of Basin and eventually moved to Thermopolis. Once he arrived in Wyoming, Howard not only became a valued doctor, but also an energetic member of the community.

He quickly became active in his county's medical society and in the Wyoming Medical Society, eventually becoming president of the Wyoming Medical Society in 1986. In addition, he was an active leader of the medical staff of two different Wyoming hospitals, South Big Horn County Hospital and Hot Springs County Memorial Hospital.

In addition to his active medical practice, Dr. Willson was passionate about training the next generation of Wyoming healthcare providers. In particular, Howard wanted to introduce medical students to the joys and rewards of working in rural communities. This is why he was an active preceptor in the Wyoming Family Practice program for over 20 years.

To this day, medical students in Wyoming are benefiting from Dr. Willson's passion for medical education. This is because he was vital in bringing the WWAMI medical education program to Wyoming. Folks in Wyoming are now very familiar with this program, which allows students from Washington, Wyoming, Alaska, Montana, and Idaho to attend medical school at the University of Washington. Wyoming joined this unique and highly effective program in 1996. As Professor Joe Steiner, former dean of the University of Wyoming's College of Health Sciences, said, ``Howard Willson was instrumental in bringing WWAMI to Wyoming. He was also a strong supporter of all health care professions and was eager to share his knowledge with students.''

Aside from teaching, Dr. Willson was passionate about improving the quality of healthcare received by Wyoming patients. He served as medical director of Mountain-Pacific Quality Health Foundation-Wyoming. This organization is dedicated to working with Medicare to lower the cost and improve the quality of healthcare. In particular, Howard understood that achieving this goal meant serving as a partner with providers and healthcare facilities. It was through this work that virtually all the patients in Wyoming were helped by Howard's work, even though they never knew it.

Finally, Howard knew the importance of public health in helping keep folks well. He served as the public health officer for Hot Springs County, starting in 2004. It was only with deep regret that the board of commissioners accepted his resignation in 2016. These folks knew what an impact Dr. Willson had made on their community.

Outside of medicine, Howard was always involved in the local communities in which he lived. The Governor of Wyoming appointed Howard to the University of Wyoming's board of trustees. He served the university with distinction from 2003 to 2015. Simply put, all the students of the University of Wyoming benefited from Howard's passion for making sure that everyone in our state could get a great education.

Clearly Howard Willson is one of the most accomplished doctors in the history of Wyoming. I can think of no person more deserving of being our State's Physician of the Year.

In closing, I would like to congratulate Howard, his wife, Belenda, and their six children on this most well-deserved achievement.

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

Madam President, when we were debating the tax relief law at the end of last year, it was a very familiar debate in many ways.

Republicans came to the floor with facts and figures on how much extra money people were going to see in their pockets and their paychecks. Democrats came to the floor with the same old tired line that you always hear them talk about--the millionaires and billionaires.

Republicans pointed out economic studies that showed that workers right now pay more than 70 percent of the cost of corporate taxes. We talked about a study by the Tax Foundation that predicted that if we passed the tax relief bill, the average family would actually see a gain of about $2,600 a year in their after-tax income. It was partly because of getting the tax cut and partly because their employers would then pass on much of the tax cut in higher wages. Democrats didn't believe it. They said that only rich people would benefit and that businesses would never share their tax savings with the workers. The Democratic leader said that ``tax cuts like these benefit the wealthy and the powerful to the exclusion of the middle class.''

Here we are. It is the month after we passed the tax relief bill, the tax reduction bill, and the tax simplification bill, and the question is, Who was right? The very day the tax bill passed in Congress, AT&T came out and said it was giving its workers a bonus. It said that 200,000 hard-working employees were going to get an extra $1,000 each directly because of the new tax relief, tax reduction, tax cut bill. The Tax Foundation predicted that they would eventually get an extra $2,600, and these people are already getting $1,000 each on day one.

That has opened the floodgates to other companies doing the exact same thing and employees around the country experiencing the exact same thing. Businesses started sharing the tax savings with rank-and-file, middle-class workers, and it started on day one--not just the wealthy and the powerful, as Senator Schumer has predicted. Over 120 companies have said they are raising wages, giving out bonuses, and investing in their workers because of the tax law. It adds up to over $980 million-- $980 million in the pockets of hard-working men and women around the country. How many people are seeing that? By last count, almost 1 million hard-working Americans--over 970,000 hard-working Americans have already gotten the good news.

There is more good news coming every day, with more announcements today. It is exactly what Republicans said would happen. It is happening for people who work at banks, who work at insurance companies, who work at airlines. It is happening for people who work at big companies, such as AT&T, Visa, and Comcast, but it is also happening for people who work at smaller companies, such as a winery in California and an aviation company in Texas. These are businesses and people in communities who are important parts of their communities and doing important jobs. The employees work hard, and now they are getting a share of the relief the Republicans had predicted they would get all along. And they are not just getting cash bonuses. There is a bank in Massachusetts called Berkshire Hills Bancorp. They announced last week that the people working there will be getting a $1,000 bonus and will also see the minimum wage raised to $15 an hour.

More is being invested in employee development and training programs. When you invest more in employee development and training programs, that means people are going to have additional skills that make them even more productive, better at their jobs, and qualify for even higher wages.

This bank in Massachusetts is also contributing an extra $2 million to its charitable efforts, including scholarships. That helps improve the communities where the workers live and where they raise their families.

Democrats said it is not going to happen. It has happened. It is happening every day. They said that businesses would keep the money for themselves. That is not what we are seeing all across the country.

Ms. Warren, the senior Senator from Massachusetts, went on PBS. The senior Senator from Massachusetts said that the idea that tax relief would lead to higher wages was, in her words, ``the big lie that Republicans have been selling'' for decades. She said that tax relief was ``an insult to working families across America.''

I would point out to Senator Warren that many of the people who work at this bank are in her home State of Massachusetts. People have gotten wage increases. People have gotten additional money spent on training so they can become more valuable and make even more money. People have seen the minimum wage in that business go up. The workers getting these bonuses and raises in their pay are her constituents. Does she think these people are feeling insulted? Does she believe they have been insulted by getting a $1,000 bonus and getting an increase in their salaries and having investments in terms of additional training? Is that an insult to those people? I don't think so. I bet they are feeling pretty glad to be supported and valued by their employer.

There is another business in Nevada, South Point Casino. Workers there are receiving $1 million total in bonuses. Previously, this business had actually planned to increase the share of health insurance costs that its employees would have to pay because health insurance costs have gone up.

Health insurance prices have skyrocketed ever since ObamaCare was passed. Companies have struggled with how to deal with these rising costs. Many have tried to pass these on to the employees.

This company in Nevada has said that because of the Republican tax relief law, they are canceling their plans to raise insurance costs-- canceling their plans to raise the costs. That is more money in employees' pockets. The owner of the business said: ``We want to be sure that our extended family is taken care of.'' That is the way these people think of the people who work for them--as part of their extended family. That is how employers are responding to tax relief all around the country, and that is what we said would happen.

We also predicted that one way businesses might deal with lower taxes would be to cut prices for consumers, let people who use their services or buy their products keep more of their hard-earned money. Americans are starting to see that prediction come true in the form of lower utility bills. Gas, electric, and water utilities across the country are getting ready to cut their rates because the taxes are going down under the law. Customers of the power company in Baltimore are going to receive millions of dollars in the form of lower rates. It has been a cold winter on the east coast, and a lower electric bill is going to be good news for a lot of people in that area. Customers are also likely to see the same thing in Missouri, South Carolina, and Louisiana.

These are the kinds of effects we are seeing all across the country, in various ways. It is all good news for consumers, all good news for people at home as a result of the tax reduction, tax relief, tax cuts passed by Republicans and signed by President Trump.

Americans are getting the benefits of tax relief. They are getting the benefit of regulatory relief and the pro-growth policies of Republicans in Congress and the Trump administration. People are seeing it in their daily lives. The polling company Gallup said that as soon as Donald Trump was elected President, economic confidence in this country soared. That is what the polls found. It has stayed positive almost without interruption ever since. It is the exact opposite of what polls were showing during the previous 8 years, in the previous administration. That was during the so-called economic recovery.

Why are people so optimistic now? It is because you can't open a newspaper or turn on a television without seeing more good news about the economy. New employment numbers came out last Friday. CNN had a headline: ``U.S.

economy added 2 million jobs in 2017.'' The Washington Post's headline was ``Trump's first-year jobs numbers were very, very good.'' Bloomberg reported that the Christmas shopping season was ``probably the best one in a decade.'' People are feeling confident. They are seeing higher wages, they are seeing cash bonuses, and soon they will start seeing the tax cut in their paychecks.

The American people know that Republicans have kept our promise. We are cutting regulations, cutting taxes, putting more money back in their pockets. That is what hard-working Americans have asked us to do, and that is what we are going to continue to do.

I yield the floor.

I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. President, I have 2 requests for committees to meet during today's session of the Senate. They have the approval of the Majority and Minority leaders.

Pursuant to rule XXVI, paragraph 5(a), of the Standing Rules of the Senate, the following committees are authorized to meet during today's session of the Senate:

Committee on Environment and Public Works

The Committee on Environment and Public Works is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Wednesday, January 10, 2018, at 10 a.m. to conduct a hearing entitled ``America's Water Infrastructure Needs and Challenges.''

Committee on the Judiciary

The Committee on the Judiciary is authorized to meet during the session of the Senate on Wednesday, January 10, 2018, at 10 a.m., to conduct a hearing on the following nominations: Kurt D. Engelhardt, of Louisiana, to be United States Circuit Judge for the Fifth Circuit, Barry W. Ashe, to be United States District Judge for the Eastern District of Louisiana, Howard C. Nielson, Jr., to be United States District Judge for the District of Utah, and James R. Sweeney II, to be United States District Judge for the Southern District of Indiana.

Mr. President, when we were debating the tax relief law--the tax reduction law, the tax cut law--Republicans predicted that it would be very good for the people of our country. Democrats like Nancy Pelosi predicted that it would be ``Armageddon.'' She said it would be the ``end of the world.'' Well, that was just last month, and it is already very clear to me that we have won the argument. People across the country are seeing the benefits. Thanks to this Republican tax relief law, Nancy Pelosi is seeing that hard-working Americans have actually won as a result of this law being passed.

Businesses around the country have begun turning those tax cuts into higher wages for many workers. Almost every day there is another business announcement about bonuses of more than $1,000 for workers. We are seeing it for hundreds of thousands of workers at businesses all across the country. They are raising wages and also investing millions of dollars back into the workers who make the companies so productive for our country.

Democrats are just wrong about tax reform. I am hearing it at home as I visit with people and stop in the drugstore and the grocery store around the State of Wyoming. They are saying: Look, anybody who does the math sees that it is a good deal for them. It doubled the standard deduction, lowered the rates, and raised the child tax credit. All of these things have been very, very helpful, certainly, to people in my State of Wyoming.

It is interesting listening to Democrats because they think they have great ideas, and they are just proven wrong about the facts. One of the ones I want to talk about today is something that the Senator from Vermont has been talking about with regard to healthcare. He has essentially wanted to scrap the U.S. healthcare system and replace it with a government-run system.

As he said, the current system under ObamaCare is the most bureaucratic, inefficient, and expensive system in the world. He often points to a single-payer system--sort of what they have right now in Great Britain. Of course, who would be paying for that? That would be the American taxpayers dealing with the incredible expenses of a program like that.

I want to point out what is actually happening today in Great Britain, in the system that the Senator from Vermont--the father of an American single-payer plan, one that a number of Democrats have signed on to--where the authorities in Great Britain just told hospitals to cancel 50,000 operations in January and to put them off until next month because they are just too busy doing other things. So scheduled operations were canceled. Now, these are surgeries for things like cataracts, knee replacements, and hip replacements.

Facilities are turning away all but the most urgent cases in need of care. They are closing outpatient clinics. Why? Because it is winter, and it is flu season, and the British healthcare system, based on a single-payer, taxpayer-run system, is not prepared to deal with the needs of the people of that country.

So hospitals across the country of Great Britain have canceled surgeries that have been planned and for which people had decided to take off time from work to have done according to their schedules. Forget it; they have been delayed.

One doctor in England actually said that they are seeing, in his words, ``third-world conditions''--third world conditions, describing the British healthcare system today. This was an

Army doctor who did three tours at a field hospital in Afghanistan, somebody who knows what third-world conditions are truly like.

An article in the British newspaper the Guardian, out yesterday, said: ``Hospitals are reporting growing chaos''--growing chaos--``with a spike in winter flu leaving frail patients facing 12-hour waits, and some units are running out of corridor space''--corridor space.

Now, that is what the situation is like in British hospitals right now, today. It turns out it happened before in Great Britain. Last winter, they had a similar problem with too many sick people and not enough options for care. Back then, the British Red Cross called the situation a ``humanitarian crisis.''

In today's New York Times--this morning's edition, page 9--talking about the British healthcare system and the problems with it, the chief executive of the National Health Service in England, Simon Stevens, in a speech to Parliament, recently said: ``The N.H.S. waiting list will grow to five million people'' coming down the line--grow to 5 million people. How would the American people like to be one of 5 million people waiting to get an appointment, waiting for an operation, in the waiting line? That is what Senator Sanders and the Democrats who propose this government-run system are talking about for our country.

The scenes unfolding across hospitals in Britain--and I will describe one that is outline and written about today in the New York Times. It says:

Tuesday night, the emergency ward at Kingston Hospital in

southwestern London looked more like an airport lounge than a

hospital, with patients sprawled out in the waiting room.

``There's no real system or order; it's a jungle in here,''

said Nancy Harper, who had accompanied her 87-year-old

grandmother, who was lying down and complaining of

excruciating pain in her lower back.

``It's been more than five hours,'' Ms. Harper said. ``We

get to the front of the queue and then someone more ill comes

in and we get pushed back. It's outrageous.''

That is the healthcare system our Democratic colleagues are promoting for the United States--government-run, the government deciding, government rationing care.

The system in Great Britain is strained under normal conditions, even when it is not flu season. There is no margin for error. When something as routine as winter hits, the healthcare system goes completely off the rails. Is that the kind of chaos Democrats in Washington want for the United States of America? Do they want third-world conditions in hospitals; frail and elderly patients waiting 12 hours in a hallway just to get care; people getting a call telling them that the surgery they have been planning for--and maybe they have family members coming to take care of other things around the home or to take care of Grandmom--has to be put off, that they will have to wait until next month? Fifty thousand people will be receiving that call in Britain this month.

When the government controls healthcare, it always ends up rationing care. When the bills start adding up, so do the delays. That is what happens everywhere in the world when they try a single-payer scheme. They get long lines of people waiting for care and care being denied.

Senator Sanders put out the same plan a couple of years ago. It is interesting because one of the most liberal columnists at the New York Times--the newspaper that ran this story today about the British healthcare system--said that this single-payer plan would lead to rationing. Well, it does. The article went on to say that in order to keep the costs down, Washington would have to ``say no to patients, telling them that they can't always have the treatment they want.'' That is the side of the story the Democrats will not talk about. The author of that editorial, the columnist at the New York Times, said that Senator Sanders ``isn't coming clean on that.'' The Democrats aren't coming clean on that. That is what happens in a single-payer system. Democrats who are pushing for a Washington takeover of Americans' healthcare are still not coming clean about the rationing of care that it would cause.

Republicans think patients and doctors should be the ones making those decisions, not government bureaucrats. Democrats who want to pass this new litmus test--and it is a litmus test for the liberal left--say Washington should make decisions for us. I disagree. They say that you are going to get what the government gives you. To me and to the American people, that is not what the American people want.

As a doctor who has taken care of patients for 25 years in Wyoming, patients want the care they need from a doctor they choose at lower costs. That is the goal--not single-payer, government-run healthcare. Parents need to be able to be involved with the doctor, hospital, and their child in terms of what is best for that child, not the government coming in and making the decisions. Seniors ought to be able to decide, along with their doctor, whether it is time for a new hip or a new knee, not the government saying: We are only going to pay this many this year and that is it. And if you are not done this year, get in line for next year. And when next year comes in January, 50,000 operations push them back another month.

It is unfortunate, what we see is happening with the British healthcare system for the patients there, the doctors, the nurses, the shortages, all of the issues they have there. The issue is, do we want that for our country? We do not.

I started this by talking about Nancy Pelosi calling the tax relief reduction bill Armageddon and the worst thing in the world. She was wrong on that. Senator Sanders is wrong about his claims that a one- size-fits-all, government-paid, national healthcare plan that all of the American people would be under, government control, no individual choice, no patient control, not working with their doctors in their communities--I believe that would be wrong for America, and I believe that the Democrats who are supporting that and proposing that have a different view of America than certainly the people of Wyoming.

I think what is happening in England is a mistake and would be a mistake for the United States. It is not something the American people want or will, I believe, ever tolerate

I yield the floor.

I suggest the absence of a quorum.