Floor Statements

Mr. President, today I wish to pay tribute to the life of Harry Shipley, Jr., from my hometown of Fort Smith, AR. Mr. Shipley was a husband, father, veteran, businessman, and community leader. He passed away on March 24, 2018, at the age of 96.

Born in 1922 during the Great Depression, Shipley graduated from Fort

Smith High School, where he was student body president. He attended the University of Arkansas and served as student commander of the Army ROTC while earning a degree in business.

A member of the Greatest Generation, he was a second lieutenant in reconnaissance and intelligence in the U.S. Army during World War II. He served in the European Theater and was injured in the Battle of Siegfried Line. Shipley received the Bronze Star and Purple Heart for his service to his country.

After the war, he graduated from the American Institute of Baking in Chicago, IL, and joined his father at the Shipley Baking Company. He worked there for 54 years, from 1945 to 1996, along with his brother and sons. He retired in 1996 as chairman of the board after the company was sold to Flower Foods.

Mr. Shipley was also a man of faith and someone who was involved in his community in a variety of ways. He was a lifetime member of First United Methodist Church and served as an usher and on several committees within the congregation.

I join with many in the Fort Smith community to honor Harry Shipley, Jr., and the wonderful legacy he leaves behind. My thoughts and prayers are with his loved ones as they mourn his passing and celebrate his life.

Thank you, Mr. President. As you know, our Chamber is focused on a heavy subject at the moment--human trafficking.

An estimated 25 million people are victims of human trafficking all around the world. Smuggling people for forced labor and sex slavery is a heinous crime. It is the kind of crime that we tend to think happens in some far-off place, but these atrocities are happening all across the globe--sadly, including, unfortunately, here in the United States. In fact, human trafficking appears to be on the rise in our country, according to data released by Polaris, which shows a 13-percent jump in cases reported to the help lines it runs.

Since Polaris began operating over 10 years ago, its help lines have received reports of 203 cases of human trafficking from my home State of Arkansas. Almost half of those were reported in the last 2 years. Fortunately, our State is fighting back. Last year, Arkansas legislators approved a law requiring State-licensed truckers to be trained in spotting the red flags of human trafficking. Using their position on the road, these drivers have the tools to recognize the signs of human trafficking and alert the authorities to any suspicious activity.

Congress is also increasing its efforts to combat human trafficking. In September, the Senate unanimously passed two pieces of legislation to renew existing programs in support of survivors and help bring perpetrators of these horrific crimes to justice.

The Abolish Human Trafficking Act provides more resources to law enforcement in its effort to combat human trafficking and establishes human trafficking justice coordinators at every U.S. attorney's office and at the Department of Justice. In addition, the legislation helps survivors rebuild their lives by extending the Department of Justice Domestic Trafficking Victims' Fund.

The Trafficking Victims Protection Act reauthorizes key programs to help survivors in their recovery, as well as offering specialized training on human trafficking to judges and Federal investigators.

We have made progress, but more needs to be done, and the legislation on the floor this week will help by giving law enforcement and prosecutors additional tools to crack down on crimes involving exploitation of the vulnerable. It will help us to take on nefarious actors like Backpage, which hid behind the Communications Decency Act to avoid prosecution for trafficking crimes.

It is time to rip the cover away from these bad actors. We are going to do that by making narrowly crafted changes to the law to ensure that websites that knowingly facilitate sex trafficking online are held accountable. ``Knowingly'' is the keyword here.

During the last session of Congress, the Homeland Security Committee, under the leadership of Senators Portman, McCaskill, and Johnson, uncovered just how much Backpage knew. It was a lot. In fact, Backpage's operators helped customers modify their ads to hide references to underage prostitutes. I think we can all agree that rises to the threshold of knowingly facilitating sex trafficking online.

Should this bill pass--and I believe it will in a very bipartisan way--these bad actors will not be able to fade quietly into the dark, as we are going to give State attorneys general the authority to prosecute websites that violate sex trafficking laws. That is why I support this bill. That is why I cosponsored similar legislation here in the Senate. It is also why I supported the inclusion of at least $90 million in Federal funding to combat human trafficking. As a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, I will continue to support funding for these important programs, and I look forward to the Senate's completing work on fiscal year 2018 funding bills.

I am pleased to see all levels of government lending their support to help fight this crime. Together we can end this attack on human rights in our State, our country, and around the world.

I yield the floor.

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

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to be able to complete my remarks and for the Senator from Arizona to follow me.

Mr. President, I rise to recognize the role of nutrition in the health and wellness of our Nation and the development of our children. Arkansas' agricultural producers play a vital role in providing affordable, nutritious food, not only for our State and country but for the entire world.

March is recognized as National Nutrition Month. This is a time to focus attention on the importance of a balanced diet and healthy eating choices. As a cochair of the Senate Hunger Caucus, I am committed to supporting and raising awareness of efforts that provide nutritious, healthy meals; creating policies that fight hunger; and supporting programs that have proven successful.

The Department of Agriculture's Child and Adult Care Food Program is a unique effort that uses public-private partnerships to meet the nutritional needs of vulnerable children and adults. This has become a critical tool in the fight against hunger.

Senator Klobuchar and I recently introduced a resolution designating this week as National Child and Adult Care Food Program Week to honor and raise awareness of the important role the Child and Adult Care Food Program plays in the health of those in Arkansas, Minnesota, and throughout the country. Through this program, more than 4 million children and 130,000 adults in childcare centers, adult daycare homes, and afterschool programs receive nutritious meals and snacks daily.

Studies show that access to the Child and Adult Care Food Program can measurably and positively impact the cognitive, social, emotional, and physical health and development of children, leading to more favorable outcomes, such as decreased likelihood of being hospitalized, an increased likelihood of healthy weight gain, and an increased likelihood of a more varied diet.

As a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, I will be working to ensure that individuals who need food assistance are able to access affordable, nutritious meals. I will also continue to press for flexibility in the Department of Agriculture's Summer Food Service Program so children who rely on school meals when class is in session can access healthy, nutritious meals during the summer in order to have a seamless transition from the school year to the summer programs.

In Arkansas, more than 50,000 children receive nutritious meals through this program. For many rural areas of the country, like the Natural State, this one-size-fits-all approach fails to meet the needs of communities and the children who are most in need.

More than 60 percent of Arkansas' children rely on free or reduced meals during the school year, so we need to modernize the program so that summer meal sites are available to children no matter where they live. Arkansas is blessed to have the support of schools, churches, Boys & Girls Clubs, libraries, and other organizations that serve as host sites for summer meal programs, and we need to allow them the flexibility that is necessary to reach the students in their communities. It is time that Federal policy responds to this need.

I have seen how community involvement in Arkansas is fighting food insecurity. Efforts like the Cooking Matters at the Store Initiative, launched by the Arkansas Hunger Relief Alliance, teaches families who are on budgets to compare prices, read food labels, and buy fruits and vegetables.

This month is recognized as School Breakfast Month in Arkansas. State educators have seen how essential breakfast is to students' progress, so they have instituted programs to promote breakfast and are helping to grow gardens where the food produced is used in school lunches. Grocery stores are allowing SNAP beneficiaries to purchase locally grown produce at a discount. Proper nutrition is crucial to our well- being.

Creating opportunities to access healthy, nutritious food is also important to our State's and the Nation's economic development. In order to break the cycle of food insecurity, we must work together. Hunger knows no boundaries, but it is preventable, and we have the tools to help fight it. We have made significant gains in Arkansas, across the country, and throughout the world to improve nutrition for the most vulnerable in our society, and I will continue to be a champion of efforts to improve access to healthy nutritious, foods.

I yield the floor.

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

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent to speak as in morning business for 10 minutes.

Mr. President, I rise to discuss the impact that tax reform is having in my home State of Arkansas.

Despite what you may have heard from those who opposed the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, including House Minority Leader Pelosi's infamous description of the tax plan's benefits as ``crumbs'' and the passage of the plan as ``the end of the world, Armageddon,'' the economy is responding incredibly well to the changes we made to the Tax Code.

I have long believed our economy has struggled under the weight of an outdated, inefficient, and ineffective tax system. Now, businesses are beginning to do the math and are realizing that the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act will mean more savings. As a result, many have announced they are passing some of these savings on to their employees or will now be seeking to grow and expand operations.

As of today, more than 350 companies have announced pay raises, bonuses and/or 401(k) increases, benefiting over 4 million Americans. According to a recent National Federation of Independent Business survey, 32 percent of small businesses believe now is a good time to expand--the highest level ever recorded by this survey.

This is happening across the country and in Arkansas. Here are just a few examples of the companies headquartered in Arkansas, with a sizable presence in the State, that are passing along savings to their employees through wage increases, bonuses, and other benefits, are giving to charity, and/or making investments to grow their businesses and better serve customers:

BancorpSouth Bank is giving pay increases and/or one-time bonuses to nearly all noncommissioned employees. The investment of over $10 million in 2018 will benefit 96 percent of the company's noncommissioned workforce. Pay increases were effective as of January 1, 2018.

Home Bancshares, Inc., of Conway, AR, is distributing a one-time bonus of $500 to more than 850 full-time, tenured employees. Home Bancshares' chairman, John Allison, said ``investing in these individuals is an important step to help support them, their families and the communities in which we operate.''

People's Bank of Magnolia, AR, provided a $500 bonus to employees and contributed $50,000 to its charitable endowment.

Little Rock, Arkansas-based Bank of the Ozarks is giving up to $1,200 annual bonuses. Approximately 2,300 employees will be eligible under the plan.

Walmart, whose headquarters is located in Bentonville, AR, is a significant economic force not only in our State but nationwide, is increasing starting hourly wage rates in the United States to $11 an hour, expanding maternity and parental leave benefits, and providing one-time cash bonuses of up to $1,000. It also has created a new benefit to assist associates with adoption expenses.

Regions Bank is increasing its minimum wage to $15, contributing $40 million to the company's charitable foundation, and increasing the company's capital expenditures budget by approximately $100 million, or 50 percent over the 2017 level.

Springdale, AR, is home to Tyson Foods' headquarters. The company recently announced that it is giving bonuses to more than 100,000 employees whose compensation does not include an annual bonus. Eligible full-time team members will receive a bonus of $1,000, and eligible part-time team members will receive $500.

In addition, Tyson will use savings resulting from tax reform to improve training and education opportunities for employees, including teaching English as a second language and general education development classes, and it will also be accelerating capital projects.

FedEx, whose freight headquarters is located in Arkansas and which employs over 3,500 Arkansans, is investing more than $3.2 billion in growing its business, including raising wages and investing $1.5 billion in pension plans.

Finally, UPS is investing $12 billion to expand the company's Smart Logistics Network, and it also made a $5 billion tax-qualified contribution to the company's three UPS-sponsored U.S. pension plans. This represents about $13,000 per participant. The company has more than 2,200 active employees in Arkansas in addition to around 390 retirees who reside in the State.

The numbers speak for themselves. Clearly, when Washington helps to create an environment that makes businesses more globally competitive, it benefits Arkansas, and it benefits the entire country.

The law is already helping hard-working Arkansans keep more of their money in their own pockets. By nearly doubling the standard deduction, lowering rates, eliminating loopholes, and creating a climate that incentivizes business to boost wages and give employees bonuses as a result of the reduction in the corporate tax rate, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act is providing much needed tax relief to Arkansans.

Additionally, our Governor, Asa Hutchinson, has instructed the Arkansas Public Service Commission to examine how the new lower tax rates will benefit utility providers in Arkansas. He is encouraging the commission to instruct utilities to pass savings down to ratepayers, which could mean possible lower utility rates for those in the Natural State.

That is not all. Arkansas-based companies like ArcBest and Murphy USA are already reaping the benefits of the new tax system with higher revenues and incomes.

This is only the beginning. I believe we will continue to see positive trends and reactions to the tax law that will help grow our economy and spur even more investment in Arkansas and across the country.

One provision included in the law that I believe can have an enormous impact on average Arkansans is a new incentive for employers to offer paid family leave benefits to their employees. Now employers can offer 12 weeks of paid family leave in exchange for a tax credit.

My friend and colleague from Nebraska Senator Fischer fought to get this idea included in the bill. Thanks to her vision and perseverance, families in Arkansas and across the country who most need access to this type of benefit will now have that chance. This is just one more example of tax reform delivering results that will help the middle class.

I want to reiterate how well tax reform is working for my State. We are seeing growth, higher wages, and other positive benefits. Employees are getting bigger paychecks and businesses are investing in their workforces and

expanding their operations. Those are not ``crumbs.'' It is ``not Armageddon.'' It isn't an attack on working Americans. It is opportunity, it is upward mobility, and it is what Americans deserve. I am proud to have cast my vote for tax reform.

Learning about how it is helping our economy and benefiting American families just confirms what we predicted would happen if we made American businesses more competitive and let average individuals and families keep more of what they earn.

Moving forward, I am committed to ensuring that the changes we made to the Tax Code help increase economic activity and spur growth, address our national debt, and create jobs. I am confident it will have lasting, positive effects on our economy.

With that, I yield the floor.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate resume legislative session for a period of morning business, with Senators permitted to speak therein for up to 10 minutes each.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of H. Con. Res. 103, which was received from the House.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the concurrent resolution be agreed to and the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table with no intervening action or debate.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the immediate consideration of H. Con. Res. 107, which was received from the House.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the resolution be agreed to and the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table with no intervening action or debate.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today, it adjourn until 10 a.m. on Tuesday, February 27; further, that following the prayer and pledge, the morning hour be deemed expired, the Journal of proceedings be approved to date, the time for the two leaders be reserved for their use later in the day, and morning business be closed. I further ask that following leader remarks, the Senate proceed to executive session and resume consideration of the Branch nomination; finally, that the Senate recess from 12:30 p.m. until 2:15 p.m. and that all time during recess, adjournment, morning business, and leader remarks count postcloture on the Branch nomination.

Mr. President, if there is no further business to come before the Senate, I ask unanimous consent that it stand adjourned under the previous order.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to legislative session and be in a period of morning business, with Senators permitted to speak therein for up to 10 minutes each.

I yield the floor.

I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. President, tonight in the State of the Union Address, President Trump will discuss the importance of infrastructure investment. This is an important conversation for the administration to lead because our Nation's infrastructure is in need of an overhaul. Having the support of the administration provides us tremendous opportunity to revamp the way we prioritize and fund our Nation's infrastructure.

As a member of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, I understand the importance of infrastructure investment. Since I came to Congress, I have been a constant advocate for increased investment, particularly for our Nation's water resources. Last Congress, I supported the passage of the Water Infrastructure Improvement for the Nation Act, as well as a comprehensive highway bill, the Fixing America's Surface Transportation Act. Passing these pieces of legislation was a major step forward, but only a step in the process. There is still more to be done, and I am looking forward to the opportunity to make critical infrastructure investments this Congress.

Like many Americans, I am encouraged by the President's commitment to improving our Nation's crumbling infrastructure. Looking at the example set by President Dwight Eisenhower and the establishment of the Interstate Highway System, it is clear that infrastructure investment boosts our economy, creates immediate jobs, and produces decades of economic prosperity and opportunity.

Unfortunately, since President Eisenhower signed the Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956, we have relied on a fix-as-fail approach to our Nation's infrastructure. Not only is this approach more expensive, increasingly causing delays to commerce, but it also poses a risk to public safety. By ensuring that our roads, bridges, and water systems meet an American standard for excellence, we can save many lives. In water infrastructure funding alone, the United States faces a shortfall of over $500 billion, which includes drinking water, wastewater, storm water, and water supply projects. This funding shortage is reflected in the American Society of Civil Engineers' overall grade for America's infrastructure, which is a D-plus. This is not a rural issue or a big city issue. It is not a red State problem or a blue State problem. This is a national emergency, one where we can find bipartisan support.

We can, and must, work together to provide all Americans with safe and reliable drinking water and effective wastewater and storm water treatment. Access to safe and clean water is critical to the livelihood of every American.

Senator Booker and I am introducing commonsense legislation that will revolutionize the way we invest in needed water infrastructure. The Securing Required Funding for Water Infrastructure Now--or SRF WIN--Act takes the best of State revolving funds, SRFs, and combines them with the best of the Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act, better known as WIFIA.

The SRF WIN Act creates a significant pot of money within the WIFIA Program that is available only to SRFs. Further, the bill allows State SRFs to bundle their priority drinking water and wastewater projects together and make a single loan request. This dramatically increases the availability of SRF funding to communities across the Nation while substantially reducing the time and related costs for completing projects.

Because all 50 State SRFs have a triple A bond rating, they have a very low risk of default, less than one-half of 1 percent. This, combined with the leveraging power of WIFIA, has given the SRF WIN Act the leveraging capacity of an incredible 100 to 1, according to technical assistance provided by the EPA's Office of Water.

Simply put, the SRF WIN Act is a critical component to future water infrastructure financing. With a $1 billion investment, the U.S. Government will create over $50 billion in project money.

This is not a handout; this is a loan from the Federal Government to the States that will be paid back over 35 years. The SRF WIN Act gives communities the tools they need to help themselves. Instead of waiting decades for funding, communities will be able to invest in their crumbling water infrastructure now. With 35 years to pay back their loan, ratepayers will avoid harm and not see massive rate spikes.

What the SRF WIN Act does is simple. It combines the efficiency and trust associated with the SRF with the leveraging power of WIFIA. This legislation makes the process easier and more affordable for States and communities to access Federal water infrastructure funding. I encourage my colleagues who support the SRF, WIFIA, and more funding for water infrastructure projects in rural communities and big cities alike to cosponsor the SRF WIN Act.

This has been a monumental effort of bipartisan work. Senator Booker and I have been working for months to meet with everyone in the water industry to ensure that our bill helps people all over the country, in communities both big and small. This bill is the result of months of negotiations, taking the best ideas available to ensure this commonsense, bipartisan legislation will work effectively and efficiently, providing billions in project dollars to communities that have traditionally not had access to these types of funds.

I would like to specifically thank the EPA Office of Water, the Council of Infrastructure Financing Authorities, the American Water Works Association, the Water Environment Federation, and the Association of Metropolitan Water Agencies for providing us technical assistance to ensure that we preserve the WIFIA and SRF Programs.

The fact is, communities need every possible funding tool at their disposal, and this bill is another great tool that will work with the WIFIA and SRF Programs.

The SRF WIN Act has strong support from rural and municipal water and

wastewater organizations. This landmark legislation also has the support of our Nation's leading construction, engineering, labor, and manufacturing organizations, including the National Rural Water Association, the Council of Infrastructure Financing Authorities, the American Society of Civil Engineers, the Associated General Contractors of America, the American Council of Engineering Companies, the National Association of Clean Water Agencies, Ducks Unlimited, the American Public Works Association, the Rural Community Assistance Partnership, the Water Systems Council, the International Union of Operating Engineers, the Vinyl Institute, the Hydraulic Institute, and the California Association of Sanitation Agencies.

Congress needs to do a better job of providing basic public services, such as safe roads, bridges, and an up-to-date water infrastructure system. This is the time to act to make water infrastructure investment a priority.

With innovative financing and private sector investment, not only will we be providing Americans with basic water infrastructure, but we will also be creating jobs, keeping commodity and utility prices low, and remaining competitive on the global stage.

We can no longer kick the can down the road and ignore our infrastructure problems. It is time for the United States to be realistic about its water problems and start investing in water infrastructure today.

I ask my colleagues to join Senator Booker and me in supporting significant new investment in our Nation's water infrastructure and to cosponsor the SRF WIN Act today.

Mr. President, tonight in the State of the Union Address, President Trump will discuss the importance of infrastructure investment. This is an important conversation for the administration to lead because our Nation's infrastructure is in need of an overhaul. Having the support of the administration provides us tremendous opportunity to revamp the way we prioritize and fund our Nation's infrastructure.

As a member of the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee, I understand the importance of infrastructure investment. Since I came to Congress, I have been a constant advocate for increased investment, particularly for our Nation's water resources. Last Congress, I supported the passage of the Water Infrastructure Improvement for the Nation Act, as well as a comprehensive highway bill, the Fixing America's Surface Transportation Act. Passing these pieces of legislation was a major step forward, but only a step in the process. There is still more to be done, and I am looking forward to the opportunity to make critical infrastructure investments this Congress.

Like many Americans, I am encouraged by the President's commitment to improving our Nation's crumbling infrastructure. Looking at the example set by President Dwight Eisenhower and the establishment of the Interstate Highway System, it is clear that infrastructure investment boosts our economy, creates immediate jobs, and produces decades of economic prosperity and opportunity.

Unfortunately, since President Eisenhower signed the Federal-Aid Highway Act of 1956, we have relied on a fix-as-fail approach to our Nation's infrastructure. Not only is this approach more expensive, increasingly causing delays to commerce, but it also poses a risk to public safety. By ensuring that our roads, bridges, and water systems meet an American standard for excellence, we can save many lives. In water infrastructure funding alone, the United States faces a shortfall of over $500 billion, which includes drinking water, wastewater, storm water, and water supply projects. This funding shortage is reflected in the American Society of Civil Engineers' overall grade for America's infrastructure, which is a D-plus. This is not a rural issue or a big city issue. It is not a red State problem or a blue State problem. This is a national emergency, one where we can find bipartisan support.

We can, and must, work together to provide all Americans with safe and reliable drinking water and effective wastewater and storm water treatment. Access to safe and clean water is critical to the livelihood of every American.

Senator Booker and I am introducing commonsense legislation that will revolutionize the way we invest in needed water infrastructure. The Securing Required Funding for Water Infrastructure Now--or SRF WIN--Act takes the best of State revolving funds, SRFs, and combines them with the best of the Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act, better known as WIFIA.

The SRF WIN Act creates a significant pot of money within the WIFIA Program that is available only to SRFs. Further, the bill allows State SRFs to bundle their priority drinking water and wastewater projects together and make a single loan request. This dramatically increases the availability of SRF funding to communities across the Nation while substantially reducing the time and related costs for completing projects.

Because all 50 State SRFs have a triple A bond rating, they have a very low risk of default, less than one-half of 1 percent. This, combined with the leveraging power of WIFIA, has given the SRF WIN Act the leveraging capacity of an incredible 100 to 1, according to technical assistance provided by the EPA's Office of Water.

Simply put, the SRF WIN Act is a critical component to future water infrastructure financing. With a $1 billion investment, the U.S. Government will create over $50 billion in project money.

This is not a handout; this is a loan from the Federal Government to the States that will be paid back over 35 years. The SRF WIN Act gives communities the tools they need to help themselves. Instead of waiting decades for funding, communities will be able to invest in their crumbling water infrastructure now. With 35 years to pay back their loan, ratepayers will avoid harm and not see massive rate spikes.

What the SRF WIN Act does is simple. It combines the efficiency and trust associated with the SRF with the leveraging power of WIFIA. This legislation makes the process easier and more affordable for States and communities to access Federal water infrastructure funding. I encourage my colleagues who support the SRF, WIFIA, and more funding for water infrastructure projects in rural communities and big cities alike to cosponsor the SRF WIN Act.

This has been a monumental effort of bipartisan work. Senator Booker and I have been working for months to meet with everyone in the water industry to ensure that our bill helps people all over the country, in communities both big and small. This bill is the result of months of negotiations, taking the best ideas available to ensure this commonsense, bipartisan legislation will work effectively and efficiently, providing billions in project dollars to communities that have traditionally not had access to these types of funds.

I would like to specifically thank the EPA Office of Water, the Council of Infrastructure Financing Authorities, the American Water Works Association, the Water Environment Federation, and the Association of Metropolitan Water Agencies for providing us technical assistance to ensure that we preserve the WIFIA and SRF Programs.

The fact is, communities need every possible funding tool at their disposal, and this bill is another great tool that will work with the WIFIA and SRF Programs.

The SRF WIN Act has strong support from rural and municipal water and

wastewater organizations. This landmark legislation also has the support of our Nation's leading construction, engineering, labor, and manufacturing organizations, including the National Rural Water Association, the Council of Infrastructure Financing Authorities, the American Society of Civil Engineers, the Associated General Contractors of America, the American Council of Engineering Companies, the National Association of Clean Water Agencies, Ducks Unlimited, the American Public Works Association, the Rural Community Assistance Partnership, the Water Systems Council, the International Union of Operating Engineers, the Vinyl Institute, the Hydraulic Institute, and the California Association of Sanitation Agencies.

Congress needs to do a better job of providing basic public services, such as safe roads, bridges, and an up-to-date water infrastructure system. This is the time to act to make water infrastructure investment a priority.

With innovative financing and private sector investment, not only will we be providing Americans with basic water infrastructure, but we will also be creating jobs, keeping commodity and utility prices low, and remaining competitive on the global stage.

We can no longer kick the can down the road and ignore our infrastructure problems. It is time for the United States to be realistic about its water problems and start investing in water infrastructure today.

I ask my colleagues to join Senator Booker and me in supporting significant new investment in our Nation's water infrastructure and to cosponsor the SRF WIN Act today.

Madam President, I rise to express my support and to highlight the importance of reauthorizing the Children's Health Insurance Program, CHIP.

CHIP expired in September, causing great concern and worry for families and providers who depend on this program to care for our Nation's neediest children. Many States have been operating on reserve funds, which will soon run out. It is time we provide the program with the necessary funding to take care of America's children.

I know Arkansas families who rely on the program to provide medical care for their children are pleased with the inclusion of a 6-year reauthorization for CHIP, including in the legislation before this Chamber. This would mark the longest extension for the program since its inception.

I thank Chairman Hatch, the original author of CHIP, for his dedication to the health of our Nation's children, and his bipartisan effort with Ranking Member Wyden that brought a 5-year CHIP reauthorization out of the Senate Finance Committee last fall.

Approximately, 50,000 children in Arkansas--and nearly 9 million low- income children nationwide--receive healthcare through CHIP. Currently, these children, their families, and providers are living in a cloud of anxious uncertainty.

Take for instance this story of a young Arkansan:

In Little Rock, a precious little girl marks the milestone

of turning 8 months old tomorrow in the care of Arkansas

Children's Hospital fighting an infection. She has been in

the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit and other floors there

since the day she turned 2 months old.

Her mother has four other children and spends every hour

she can at her daughter's bedside. Every one of those hours

is an hour spent away from the baby's brothers and sisters,

two and a half hours away in Fort Smith.

Again, she has other children she is trying to take care of at the present time.

In addition to her child's medical condition, her mother is

worried because her daughter's care is covered by CHIP.

As much as she looks forward to bringing her daughter home,

this mother knows that even those supplies she needs to make

that happen--the tubes, the medicines, the fluids--all of

those are at risk without that coverage.

This story highlights the reality so many families are currently facing. Failing to reauthorize this important program would have real, direct, and serious consequences.

We must work to ensure these families need not worry every year--or, as of now, months--about continued access to benefits for the health and well-being of their children. We must commit to passing this extension to provide these families peace of mind and stability.

Arkansans recognize how important this program is. My office has received significant amounts of inquiries on the issue. Our response has always been the same: Everyone in Congress is working in good faith to find a solution--at least it seemed that way until a few days ago. I would have supported a 5-year reauthorization like the one my colleagues on the other side of the aisle were pushing for, and guess what. We did even better with a 6-year reauthorization attached to the current CR.

Now those same Members who had been asking for a 5-year reauthorization just days ago are refusing to support the longest extension of the program since its inception. That is not negotiating in good faith. That is not being part of the solution. That is being part of the problem.

Additionally, I continue to be frustrated by this unfortunate new normal of continuing resolutions and stop-gap measures to fund the government year after year.

The idea of willingly facilitating a government shutdown is reckless, but, unfortunately, it appears that some of my colleagues prefer stalemate over robust debate. We need to keep the government open and solve our differences through regular order, understanding, and compromise. Governing by hostage and crisis does not fulfill our moral and our constitutional duties to the American people.

We must not lose sight of our shared goals and purpose or the impact our decisions here have. We must aim to use the power of our offices for good. Supporting children's healthcare and passing this continuing resolution is certainly a component of that goal.

I hope my colleagues remember the story I shared today--and the stories I know they have heard from their constituents--and vote in favor of children's health.

I yield the floor.

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

Mr. President, I rise to highlight the positive impacts our historic tax reform law will have on the agricultural community.

Agriculture is Arkansas' largest industry by far, adding $16 billion to our economy every year and accounting for approximately one in every six jobs. We are the top rice-producing State in the Nation, No. 2 in the Nation in broiler chicken production, and the third largest producer of catfish in the United States. We could also clothe and shelter ourselves from fiber grown in Arkansas, as we are the third in the Nation in cotton production and the fifth largest softwood lumber- producing State. You could keep going down the list, and you would find Arkansas as one of the Nation's top 10 producers of a number of agricultural commodities.

Clearly, ensuring that Washington helps create an economic environment that allows the agricultural industry to thrive is extremely important to my home State of Arkansas. When President Trump signed the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act into law, his signature provided much needed tax relief to America's farmers. More than 94 percent of farms are organized as passthrough businesses, which means they are impacted by the same tax provisions as individual filers. Lower tax rates across the board and a 20-percent deduction from their taxable income means immediate savings, which can be reinvested to help grow their operations.

Ninety seven percent of the farms in Arkansas are family owned, and the vast majority of them will now be exempt from the estate tax--the death tax. This is a big deal. It will help keep those farms and ranches in the family for generations to come.

Finally, farmers and ranchers will be able to expense 100 percent of their capital investments, such as equipment, over the next 4 years. In his address to the Farm Bureau earlier this week, the President called this the ``sleeper'' in the bill. He is right. People don't realize and there hasn't been enough talk about how beneficial this provision will be for our family-run agricultural operations. The substance of the President's Farm Bureau speech tilted heavily toward our efforts to bring stability and predictability to the economy.

As we have witnessed over the course of the previous administration, uncertainty is devastating to our economy. There are few industries that are inherently more affected by uncertainty than agriculture. This is why we have taken steps to eliminate some of the punitive, needless regulations that create uncertainty for our farmers and our ranchers.

It is also why my colleagues and I on the Agriculture Committee, under the steadfast leadership of Chairman Roberts, are working hard to reauthorize the farm bill. Programs are authorized by the farm bill that are absolutely vital to farmers, ranchers, and consumers. These programs will provide more certainty in rural America to address the challenges ahead. Finally, it is why we took great care to ensure that the agricultural industry will see the benefits of tax reform. Establishing a tax code that works for our farmers and ranchers, as opposed to against them, is vital to their ability to plan for the future and invigorate our rural communities.

I am proud of our efforts to pass this landmark tax reform law, and I am

confident it will have lasting, positive effects for our economy.

With that, I yield back.

I suggest the absence of a quorum.