Floor Statements

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that when the Senate completes its business today, it stand adjourned until 3 p.m. on Monday, May 12; that following the prayer and pledge, the Journal of proceedings be approved to date, the morning hour be deemed expired, the time for the two leaders be reserved for their use later in the day, and the Senate be in a period of morning business, with Senators permitted to speak therein for up to 10 minutes each; further, that notwithstanding rule XXII, the cloture motions filed on May 8 ripen at 5:30 p.m., and the Senate vote on the motion to invoke cloture on Executive Calendar No. 76, Monica Crowley.

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

Mr. President, I rise today to honor Mr. Dennis Sternberg for his exceptional and transformative leadership as the executive director of the Arkansas Rural Water Association (ARWA) as he ends his successful career.

Thanks to Mr. Sternberg's selfless service and steadfast advocacy for improved water infrastructure, Arkansas communities are better suited to provide safe and reliable drinking water.

Over the past 22 years with Mr. Sternberg at the helm, ARWA has become Arkansas' largest water and wastewater utility membership association, with more than 600 utility members today.

Mr. Sternberg prioritized daily educational trainings and assistance programs to support the State's utility operators. He was an active advocate for legislation advancing water and wastewater issues both at the State and Federal levels. With every occasion, Mr. Sternberg championed the development of systems in small and rural communities.

During his tenure, Mr. Sternberg made numerous trips to Washington, DC, to testify on the behalf of Arkansas water infrastructure. His guidance and support were vital in the crafting and implementation of legislation such as the 2020 Water Resources and Development Act, Small and Rural Community Clean Water Technical Assistance Act, and America's Water Infrastructure Act of 2018.

ARWA has remained an active affiliate of the National Rural Water Association (NRWA) and State Rural Water Associations. Under Mr. Sternberg's leadership, ARWA staff were always on the frontlines when natural disasters struck to meet the needs of residents and help restore water services in a timely manner.

ARWA works vigorously to meet two critical needs: to provide Arkansans with safe water sources by building cost-effective and modest-sized water systems and to help rural communities address new contaminants and overcome regulatory hurdles. These two goals were always the highest priority under the direction of Mr. Sternberg, and his vision ensured they were consistently attained.

While Mr. Sternberg's time has come to close at ARWA, he has certainly left American water infrastructure better than he found it, and for that, we are all grateful.

I congratulate Mr. Sternberg on his exceptional tenure at ARWA and thank him for the impact he has made to strengthen water sources across our State.

I wish him the very best as he transitions into retirement.

Mr. President, had I been present and voting on rollcall vote No. 210, motion to invoke cloture on Executive Calendar No. 75, Lt. Gen. John D. Caine (Retired) to be Major General in the Air Force, I would have voted yea.

Had I been present and voting on rollcall vote No. 211, confirmation of Executive Calendar No. 75, Lt. Gen. John D. Caine (Retired) to be Major General in the Air Force, I would have voted yea.

Had I been present and voting on rollcall vote No. 212, motion to invoke cloture on Executive Calendar No. 74, Lt. Gen. John D. Caine (Retired) to be General for appointment as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, I would have voted yea.

Had I been present and voting on rollcall vote No. 213, confirmation of Executive Calendar No. 74, Lt. Gen. John D. Caine (Retired) to be General for appointment as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, I would have voted yea.

Madam President, I rise today to recognize and congratulate an exceptional Arkansan, Peyton Bolling, as we celebrate her making history as the first Miss Arkansas' Teen to be crowned as Miss America's Teen. Our State is home to many talented, intelligent, and service-oriented young people, achieving tremendous accomplishments, and Peyton is truly a wonderful example of that.

She is a Rogers native and a senior at Bentonville High School and grew up in a military family. Her parents, Colonel Ryan and Patrice Bolling, have supported and nurtured her interest in community betterment and service from a young age. That passion led her to serve as a U.S. Senate page, which only deepened her appreciation for our system of government that invites all Americans to play their part in shaping the future.

I was pleased to meet her while she was in the Page Program and then reconnect after she claimed the Miss Arkansas' Teen title, last summer. It is encouraging to see her pursuing her new, larger platform to inspire positive change and promote civic engagement to America's next generation of leaders, and I am thankful she can now take this effort nationwide and give back in such a meaningful way.

What makes this all the more impressive is that Peyton's success in the pageant world came not after years of practice and experience but on her first try. The poise and maturity she has demonstrated in competition, but also in so many other facets of life, are serving her incredibly well as she represents our community, the State of Arkansas, and our Nation.

So, today, I am pleased to celebrate how far Peyton has come and recognize her special place in Natural State history. I look forward to all she will accomplish as Miss America's Teen and beyond.

Mr. President, I rise in opposition to Amendment No. 1726. I appreciate the concerns of my colleague from New Mexico regarding the challenges facing Americans in rural areas and those in need of nutrition assistance. However, this amendment indicates there is not a single dollar--not a single dollar--to be saved from waste, fraud, or abuse in the programs with the Agriculture Committee's jurisdiction.

It is possible to identify commonsense savings within the Agriculture Committee's jurisdiction while ensuring our Federal nutrition programs and farm programs are well-targeted and continue to be responsive to those in need.

I urge my colleagues to vote no on the amendment.

Mr. President, I rise in opposition to amendment No. 1441. I appreciate the concerns of my colleague from New Jersey; however, this amendment is not necessary.

Secretary Rollins is conducting a thorough and timely review of the USDA contracts. Upon the final conclusion of those reviews, the Secretary has released the funds for various programs for USDA.

It is the standard practice for new administrations to come in and review contracts and obligations made by prior administrations. I have full confidence in Secretary Rollins to continue down this path.

I urge my colleagues to vote against this amendment.

I ask for the yeas and nays.

Mr. President, I rise today to honor the Bentonville Rotary Club in celebration of its 100th anniversary. This organization of volunteers and community leaders has made a tremendous impact on northwest Arkansas throughout its history, and I am grateful for the many ways its members live the Rotary mission to promote peace, education, and goodwill through service.

The Bentonville Rotary Club's work has been a key part of the community's extraordinary growth over the last century. When it was first founded, the city's population was 2,300 people. Since then, it has become the focal point of one of the fastest growing regions in the Nation and a hub for global business and entrepreneurship.

This growth has also been seen in the club's leadership and expansion. In 1924, its founding was sponsored by the Rogers' Rotary Club. The first president was Dave Peel, and his successors have often been leaders in other capacities, including Walmart founder Sam Walton, while the club has expanded its impact through sponsoring additional clubs in Bentonville/Bella Vista Daybreak, Holiday Island and Bella Vista Sunrise, in addition to the Bentonville Satellite club.

I am grateful for the many contributions the Bentonville Rotary Club has made and continues to make in the community. These include fundraisers like the New Kids on the Block and Snack Packs for Kids. Rotarians also help beautify the city by planting redbud trees along West Central Avenue, as well as provide opportunities for local residents by sponsoring a library meeting room and an exhibit at the Scott Family Amazeum, donating over $15,000 in scholarships to students at Bentonville High School and supporting local food banks.

After more than 100 years, the Bentonville Rotary continues to be truly dedicated to ``service above self'' through leadership and action. Its impact provides inspiration throughout the State, and I am grateful for the many ways its members continue working hard to make northwest Arkansas a special place to live.

Madam President, I rise in opposition to amendment No. 664.

Agriculture Secretary Rollins and the White House have made clear that addressing avian flu is a top priority.

I share my colleague from Michigan's concerns about avian flu, but this is not the appropriate venue for policy discussions on animal disease. This budget resolution is focused on securing the border, strengthening the military, and bolstering American energy independence.

I look forward to working with the Senator from Michigan, a fellow Member whom we are glad to have on the Agriculture Committee--a new member--to address animal disease threats in the farm bill.

I urge my colleagues to vote against the amendment.

Vote on Amendment No. 664

Madam President, I rise in opposition to amendment No. 233.

I appreciate the concerns of my colleague from Maryland, and I share support for the school meal programs. I am eager for the Agriculture Committee to turn to child nutrition reauthorization this Congress. However, this amendment threatens the privilege of the resolution.

Senators on the Ag Committee are openminded and welcoming of our colleague's involvement in important child nutrition programs; however, the budget process is not the proper venue to make policy changes to our school meals programs. For this reason, I urge my colleagues to vote no on this amendment.

Madam President, since the amendment does not meet the standard required by law, I raise a point of order against the amendment under section 305(b)(2) of the Congressional Budget Act of 1974.

I yield.

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

Mr. President, I am honored to speak on the floor of the Senate and support Brooke Rollins to be Secretary of Agriculture. The Senate will vote on her nomination in this Cabinet position today, and I encourage my colleagues to vote yes.

America's farmers, ranchers, and foresters need a leader at USDA who will be an advocate for their livelihoods and rural America and be a strong voice to address the pressing needs of our agriculture community. Brooke Rollins is that person. In her hearing before the Senate Agriculture Committee, she pledged to do everything within her ability to ensure that our farmers, ranchers, and rural communities thrive. And we know she will follow through on that because rural America helped shape her into what she is today.

She is leading a life of service that began with membership in her smalltown Texas FFA chapter. She continues to credit her FFA adviser for his support and mentorship in her agriculture career. She invited him to attend the nomination hearing before the Senate Agriculture Committee last month, along with the Texas State FFA officer team she served with in high school.

Texas Governor Rick Perry knew Brooke Rollins had a heart for Texas farmers and invited her to join his policy team, where she advocated for agriculture. She continues that passion today.

Her executive leadership during the first Trump administration and her regular collaboration with President Trump make her uniquely qualified to serve in this position and advocate for family farms.

She understands the significant responsibility of this role during one of the most economically challenging times for agriculture producers. Hard-working farmers who grow our food are struggling to operate, let alone make a profit in this current economic climate. High inflation and steep input costs far outpacing depressed market prices have put many farm families on a course toward bankruptcy, with multigenerational operations fighting to continue their family legacies.

In December, Congress approved natural disaster and emergency assistance to help producers obtain critical operating loans for this crop year. Ensuring delivery of this aid will be one of her first priorities as Secretary. I am confident she will pursue policies to help rural America live up to its potential.

While we first met during the first Trump administration, I have had the opportunity to get to know her better during her confirmation process, and she has demonstrated her enthusiasm for being a voice for smalltown American agriculture producers. I am grateful she is willing to take on this big responsibility and is willing to be a part of the solution to help rural America at this time of unprecedented challenges.

As chairman of the Senate Agriculture Committee, I have met with

farmers, ranchers, and agriculture stakeholders from all over the country, and they have been sounding the alarm of the dire circumstances they face in producing a safe, affordable, and abundant supply of food. Farmers from my home State of Arkansas shared with the committee last week about the difficult conversations they are forced to have right now about continuing their multigenerational farms and risking their families' futures in the industry. Unfortunately, this is a conversation many more farm families across the country will have if we do not act quickly.

Congress must deliver an updated 5-year farm bill that modernizes the safety net in order to minimize the liabilities farm families take on when they plant their crops. Food security is national security. Our country is blessed to have grocery stores stocked with food to put on our tables. This is the result of the hard work of our farmers and ranchers. These producers need the tools to be successful and continue to grow the food, fiber, and fuel our Nation depends on.

I know Brooke Rollins shares my commitment to enhancing policies that help farm families and rural communities thrive. Given her executive leadership, she is well prepared to hit the ground running when she walks through the doors of the USDA as Secretary and to deliver this certainty and predictability our producers need. I look forward to working with her and strengthening rural America for the men, women, and families who call it home.

I also want to thank everyone on both sides of the aisle for making it such that we can do this in such an expeditious way. It took a lot of cooperation. I think it just shows how important our farmers are to both Democrats and Republicans. It is one of the few areas in which it is not a partisan issue. It is all about helping the men and women who work so, so very hard to provide the food we eat.

With that, I yield the floor.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that our intern on the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Kylee Henneberry be granted floor privileges through May 9, 2025, and the CFTC detailee Kevin Webb also be granted floor privileges through the end of the 119th Congress.

Mr. President, the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry has adopted rules governing its procedures for the 119th Congress. Pursuant to rule XXVI, paragraph 2, of the Standing Rules of the Senate, on behalf of myself and Senator Klobuchar, I ask unanimous consent that a copy of the committee rules be printed in the Record.

Mr. President, I rise today to congratulate the newest inductees into the Arkansas Agriculture Hall of Fame for their efforts to carry on the Natural State's deep-rooted farming culture and the leadership each has demonstrated in their respective communities.

Arkansas' outsized impact on American agriculture is well-documented. That prominent role is largely the result of the hard work and expertise among our farmers, ranchers, and foresters, as well as entrepreneurs, scientists, educators, and all those who power our State's largest industry. Their dedication has continued to strengthen Arkansas agriculture even amid the tremendous challenges facing rural America and farming communities across the country right now.

This year's inductees represent individuals who support the agriculture community in different capacities.

Aubrey Blackmon of Houston, AR, grew his farm from one cow and calf to over 350 cattle at its peak. He has been involved with the Arkansas Cattlemen's Association for over 50 years and is known as the cattlemen's historian. After receiving the association's lifetime achievement award in 2023, it was renamed the ``Aubrey Blackmon Lifetime Service Achievement Award.''

Carl Brothers from Stuttgart has made significant contributions to Arkansas' rice production industry, including through policy efforts to create USDA marketing loans for rice farmers. His leadership at Riceland Foods over five decades helped it grow into the world's largest rice miller.

Over the course of three decades, Chuck Culver of Fayetteville served with the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture and championed research to bolster farmers' ability to produce a safe, affordable, and abundant food supply. Culver also helped lead the establishment of the Dale Bumpers National Rice Research Center, as well as the Arkansas Children's Nutrition Center in Little Rock and the National Agricultural Law Center in Fayetteville.

Mike Freeze of Little Rock has been a longtime champion of the aquaculture industry. Keo Fish Farms has been a catalyst for innovation in the industry under Mike's direction. He has advocated for fish farmers before the U.S. House of Representatives Agriculture Committee and served as president of the Arkansas chapter of the American Fisheries Society. Freeze was also appointed to the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission and went on to serve as its chairman.

Albion, AR, resident Jack Reaper was a World War II veteran who built a diverse and commercially successful farming operation that included broilers and eggs, as well as beef cattle and

dairy heifers. Having started with 24 acres of corn and cotton, by the end of his life, Reaper was widely acknowledged for his novel approach to farming in the Ozark Mountain foothills.

Rison native Frank Wilson and his two brothers started Wilson Brothers Lumber in 1982 and saw it become an industry-leading operation. He would go on to develop critical software programs designed to assist producers with keeping forest management and financial records. Wilson also has helped raise $11 million for Arkansas Children's Hospital and built multiple local businesses while holding over 17,000 acres of south Arkansas timberland.

On behalf of all Arkansans, I congratulate these deserving individuals for their long-lasting contributions that have improved Arkansas agriculture. Our State remains among the top agriculturally because of them and everything they represent. We are very proud of their achievements, and I am pleased to join the Arkansas Agriculture Hall of Fame in recognizing and honoring these leaders.