Floor Statements

Mr. President, I wish to honor Jose Elguezabal, a veteran of the U.S. Army.

It is my honor to share the story of Jose's service, because no veteran's story should ever go unrecognized.

Jose was born in Eagle Pass, TX, and served our Nation during World War II. Unfortunately, most of the records of his service were destroyed in the fire at the National Personnel Records Center in 1973.

Jose told his daughter Anna how his platoon came under fire, killing every member but Jose. Jose was captured by enemy forces and spent 6 months as a prisoner of war in France.

When Jose returned home, he and his wife of 63 years had 10 children--9 girls and 1 boy. His children said he was a great father and a true patriot who flew an American flag and a Prisoner of War flag outside of his house every day until he passed away.

His family pieced Jose's military service record together to finally track down the medals Jose earned through his service.

We were joined by Jose's daughter Anna and her husband John, who recently retired after spending 40 years serving Malmstrom Air Force Base as a firefighter.

It was my honor, along with the commanding officer at Malmstrom Air Force Base, Col. Robert Stanley, to present to Anna the medals that long ago should have been presented to her father: The Bronze Star Medal, Good Conduct Medal, European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal & Bronze Star Attachment, WWII Victory Medal, Combat Infantryman Badge, Honorable Service Lapel Button, and Marksman Badge & Rifle Bar.

These decorations are important tokens of Jose's heroism. But these decorations are also powerful reminders that we should never let a veteran's service go forgotten.

These medals were presented on behalf of a grateful nation.

Mr. President, I wish to honor John Robert Viereck, a U.S. Army veteran from World War II.

It is my honor to share the story of John's service, because no veteran's story should ever go unrecognized.

John was born in Wilmington, CA, in 1924.

John's father loved the sea and encouraged his son to join the Merchant Marines. John joined up but was so seasick after his first trip that his career in the Merchant Marines came to an end.

On July 8, 1942, John enlisted in the U.S. Army.

John was a radioman and cryptographer for the Big Red One--the Army's First Infantry Division, Antitank Company, 26th Infantry Regiment.

He served in Algeria, Tunisia, Sicily, England, France, Belgium, Germany, and Czechoslovakia.

John served in seven campaigns, including the Battle of the Bulge, and spent a total of 31 months in Europe and Africa.

When John returned home to the United States in 1943, he was diagnosed with shell shock, something we know today as post-traumatic stress disorder.

After World War II, John attended the Frank Wiggins Trade School to study TV and radio. John bought his first TV in the late 1940s and his daughter Fran remembers that from then on the Viereck household always had a TV.

John worked as a truck driver in Wilmington, as a taxi driver in Gardena, and then as a Zamboni operator in Torrance, CA. He was also a ham radio operator.

Weather, politics, war, and the military have been lifelong topics of interest to him.

John moved to Helena in 2003 to be closer to his daughter.

In the presence of John's family, it was my honor to present to him the Bronze Star Medal with 1 Oak Leaf Cluster; the Good Conduct Medal; the American Campaign Medal; the European-African-Middle Eastern, EAME, Campaign Medal, with 4 bronze stars, meaning he served in four of these campaigns; the WW II Victory Medal; and the Honorable Service Lapel Button.

The medals are a small token but they are a powerful symbol of service and sacrifice.

These medals were presented on behalf of a grateful nation.

Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to consideration of Calendar No. 314, H.R. 2259; that the bill be read a third time and passed and the motion to reconsider be considered made and laid upon the table, with no intervening action or debate.

I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to Calendar No. 173, S. 255; that the committee-reported amendment be agreed to; the bill, as amended, be read a third time and passed; and the motions to reconsider be laid upon the table, with no intervening action or debate.

Madam President, in the far northwestern corner of Montana is one of the most special places on Earth--the North Fork of the Flathead River. The North Fork is a spectacular gravel-bed river that starts in British Columbia and runs along the western half of Glacier National Park before arriving in Flathead Lake.

The North Fork is a world-class trout fishery, with bulltrout and cutthroat trout sharing the same winding waters that grizzly bears rely on for huckleberries. It is the most important wildlife corridor between the Great Plains and the Cascades, and Montanans have always enjoyed rafting, hiking, fishing, and hunting in it.

Today, about 2 million people visit Glacier National Park each year, bringing $170 million into the local economy and supporting 2,750 jobs.

For 40 years, Montanans have fought to keep the North Fork pristine. My colleague Senator Jon Tester and I are committed to taking this across the finish line.

Four years ago, Montana and British Columbia reached a historic agreement to protect the river on both sides of the border. Two years ago Canada upheld its end of the bargain. Today, the U.S. Congress has the opportunity to do the same. The entire Montana congressional delegation is in bipartisan agreement that the North Fork deserves to be withdrawn permanently from future mineral development. Montanans of all stripes have endorsed this action, including the local chambers of commerce and energy companies such as ConocoPhillips.

In fact, the primary interest in more than 80 percent of existing Federal leases in the watershed have voluntarily been relinquished. Everyone recognizes how important it is to keep the North Fork pristine. It is just the right thing to do.

The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee passed the North Fork Watershed Protection Act with no opposition last June. The House passed the North Fork Watershed Protection Act by voice vote last month. This bill is our chance to leave a jewel in the crown of the continent in better shape than we found it.

I ask my colleagues to join me and all Montanans in that effort. We can send this bill to the President to sign today.

I will.

Yes, I have.

Madam President, I am so disappointed my colleagues on the other side of the aisle are blocking the desire of Montanans to protect the North Fork. This bill is a no-brainer. I invite my colleagues to visit Montana and see the North Fork for themselves. Their actions today show why Washington is broken. Despite years of bipartisan hard work, narrow interests can trump responsible leadership.

I yield the floor, and I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Madam President, I thank Senators Gillibrand and McCaskill for their dedication and commitment to dealing with sexual assault in the military and for bringing a serious problem to the forefront of Congress. Their work on the 2014 National Defense Authorization Act helped reform the Uniform Code of Military Justice. But I believe we must do more.

My perspective on prosecuting military sexual assault comes from my 33 years in the Montana National Guard. My view on this is simple: The current system is failing the men and women in uniform. And failure is unacceptable.

While no legislation is perfect, I believe we must fundamentally change how we deal with sexual assault in our military. While I support the reforms that passed last year, we have moved too slowly. Today's debate is about where we go from here.

In the Armed Forces today, a military commander is ultimately responsible for the prosecution of these crimes. In the Montana National Guard, except when federalized, we did things differently. If the unimaginable happened, the prosecution of sexual assault would occur outside the purview of a military commander. Senator Gillibrand's Military Justice Improvement Act removes prosecutions from the purview of military commanders--much like the Montana National Guard system.

One of the arguments I have heard against this bill is that if we shift the prosecution of sexual assault outside the chain of command, military leaders will somehow lose their authority on other matters. As a retired military commander, I am confident this is not the case. I have never found myself in a situation with the units I commanded where discipline and devotion to a mission was jeopardized by compliance with the civilian justice system. I am not talking hypotheticals. The chain of command's function is not a mystery to me. I lived it. And it is hard to convey how angry you feel when the system fails your fellow soldiers.

Today's debate is part of a broader effort to improve our military and the lives of those who have served--from the justice system, to the VA claims backlog, to ensuring that veterans find jobs when they complete their service. We have the opportunity to guarantee justice for the men and women within our military and to correct its failures. Now it is time to get it done.

Madam President, in Montana we have a long history of being represented by true statesmen--larger-than-life figures such as Senator Mike Mansfield. These men always served us well, while at the same time defending Montana's principles and freedoms. These statesmen never took their privileges for granted, and they always had the courage to put their differences aside to do what is right for our country. At a time when privilege seems to be gaining on principle, I pledge to find the same courage to do what is right.

Senator Mansfield called Butte, MT, home. Born and raised in Butte, I was brought up with a great deal of respect for Senator Mike Mansfield. It is a tremendous honor for me to stand today where he stood so many years ago and pledge to you and the people of Montana that I will take responsibility for my actions and that I will have the courage to do what is right no matter what the consequences.

Of course, I would not be where I am today without the love and support of my wonderful family. My wife of 29 years, Janet, who is here today, our sons Michael and Taylor, our daughter-in-law April, and our 9-month-old granddaughter Kennedy have stood by my side through every challenge life has handed us.

Last week, while at home, I traveled across Montana as Montana's newest Senator. I had an opportunity to talk to a lot of Montanans who believe we need more courage in Washington, and I tend to agree.

As a public servant, I have sworn an oath to protect and defend Montanans, our Nation, and our Constitution.

I am no stranger to answering the call to serve. I spent 33 years in the Montana National Guard where I served for 9 of those years as an enlisted man before becoming an officer.

I also had the honor of leading over 700 of Montana's finest young men and women into combat in Iraq. It was the largest deployment of Montana's soldiers and airmen since World War II.

In August of 2008, Governor Brian Schweitzer asked me to serve as the adjutant general of the Montana National Guard, and I was truly honored by the opportunity to continue serving our State and our Nation.

I am also extremely proud of my oldest son Michael who is now 28 and is following in my path of public service. He is currently serving in the National Guard and is deployed to the Middle East as a C-12 pilot and a Black Hawk medivac pilot.

Throughout my many years of service, and now with my son's service, ensuring our veterans and their families have access to the services and benefits they have earned is a responsibility I take very seriously and very personally.

I recently met with student veterans at Montana State University in Bozeman, MT, where I heard from young men and women who are concerned about their mounting student debt. I also heard from veterans from all across Montana about their frustrations with the long delays in processing disability benefit claims. I have heard from veterans from across the State who are frustrated with the distances they have to travel to receive care. These failings on behalf of our veterans and their families cause me grave concern. We must, and I will, fight for them every day I am serving in the Senate.

The face of modern war has changed and the VA must keep up with the changing times. Medical care must include robust mental health benefits, and it must also include proper screenings to help mitigate the effect of post-traumatic stress disorder and traumatic brain injuries. As a military commander, I also know firsthand what the unseen injuries have done to America's heroes and their families. We can and we must do better.

The oath I have taken is one I take very seriously. It is an honor, it is a privilege, and a great responsibility that I will work tirelessly to fulfill.

To honor their service and sacrifice, we must welcome our heroes home and help them during their transition from active duty back into civilian life. I know how difficult that transition can be. I have experienced it firsthand, I have witnessed it, and I will take responsibility to improve it.

On these and other issues facing our State and our country, I look forward to working with my friend and colleague Senator Jon Tester to solve problems not only for our veterans but for all Montanans.

Last week Jon and I traveled the State. We heard from members of the Little Shell Tribal Council about the importance of Federal recognition and ways to help Indian-owned businesses grow and create jobs. We heard from tribal nations across Montana about the Land Buy-Back Cooperative Agreement Program within the Department of Interior. I made a commitment to Montana's tribal leaders that I would work hard to make sure the Federal Government is being responsive and working to move this program forward in a way that works for our sovereign tribal nations.

We also had the opportunity to speak with business owners in Miles City and Wolf Point, MT, who are working hard to grow jobs while at the same time dealing with infrastructure challenges caused by the oil boom in eastern Montana. My job is to bring their voices to the Senate.

One additional issue I heard loudly and clearly from every corner of Montana is that our government is not doing enough to protect our civil liberties. As I have throughout my career, I will continue to fight to protect our civil liberties, our freedoms, and our Montana values. We must do what it takes to protect our Nation and the freedom we enjoy-- something I have dedicated my life to. But we must, and we can, do it without trampling on the rights we have fought so hard for.

Bulk data collection with no transparency, whether by the government or by private corporations, is unacceptable. That is why during my first week in the Senate, I signed on to a bipartisan bill that is an important first step in this fight.

I have also heard loudly and clearly from Montanans that our national debt is unacceptable. Washington has a spending problem that we must get under control. There is no better example of privileges gaining on our principles. Responsibly cutting our debt and wasteful spending is one of my top priorities as a Senator, just as it was as Montana's lieutenant governor working alongside Governor Steve Bullock.

Congress needs the courage to cut spending without doing it on the backs of our veterans, our children, or our seniors. Almost everyone I talked to in Montana told me where they see waste in government, and they all have specific examples. We need to find the courage to stand up to special interests and cut that wasteful spending. But we must not do it on the backs of our most vulnerable citizens.

Having served for 33 years in the military, I am confident we can make the Defense budget more efficient while at the same time enhancing programs that grow our economy and protect our children and seniors.

We should start by reducing waste in contracting and procurement. Today we spend millions to have contract security guards check IDs at our bases rather than servicemembers, but no one is any safer. I take responsibility to fix this.

It is a privilege to be chosen to serve on the Agriculture Committee. I am the only member of Montana's delegation to sit on the agriculture committee. This committee is so important to Montana where our No. 1 industry is agriculture. From livestock disaster assistance to crop insurance, commonsense forest reforms, I look forward to making sure the farm bill works and works efficiently for Montana's farmers and ranchers.

I also look forward to serving on the commerce committee where I will focus on transportation, energy, rural telecommunications, and tourism. Tourism is Montana's second largest sector. It not only contributes to our State's economy, but also helps preserve the outdoor heritage that makes Montana such a slice of heaven.

I will bring Montana courage to the Senate where I will fight on behalf of the people of Montana to protect Social Security and Medicare in my new role on the aging committee. I am also prepared to help fix some of Washington's problems while serving on the rules committee.

I know I only just joined this distinguished body, but I also know there is very real work to be done to get our country on the right track again. Beginning on day one, I rolled up my sleeves and started working. My purpose here is to have the courage to do what is right for the people of Montana, our veterans, and the United States of America.

Thank you for this amazing opportunity and may God bless the United States of America.

I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Thank you, Connie. Good morning, everyone. I'm pleased to tell you this is the last report of the morning prior to our election, which I

suspect will go very swiftly and without controversy.

I'd like to thank Connie for her gracious leadership. I'd also like to thank Lou Frey for the remarkable job that he does organizing us and keeping the ducks in a row as we work on this fundraiser, which is really key to our success every year.

On March 19, the association was proud to host its 16th annual Statesmanship Award Dinner, with almost 500 guests in attendance. For the 16th dinner, we decided to continue the very successful expansion we initiated last year. In addition to our traditional Statesmanship Award, we created two additional award categories: the Civic Statesmanship Award and the Corporate Statesmanship Award.

We continued to present the dinner under the theme of ``A Salute to Service,'' and all four of our honorees very clearly fit into that category of outstanding public service. The focal point of the evening was the presentation of the Statesmanship Award, which recognizes a former or current Member of Congress for their devotion to public service. We were very pleased to recognize the leadership throughout their careers of Senator Sam Nunn and Senator Dick Lugar as our Statesmanship Honorees for their outstanding political careers, service to our country, and bipartisan accomplishments that have made the world a safer place.

The Civic Statesmanship Award honors a person or a nonprofit for having made significant improvement to our society. The 2013 recipient was award-winning actor Gary Sinise and the Gary Sinise Foundation. Mr. Sinise does so much to help wounded warriors and first responders, and we were very pleased to honor him at the dinner.

The Corporate Statesmanship Award recognizes outstanding corporate citizenship, and we chose Margery Kraus, founder and chief executive officer of APCO Worldwide. Not only has she established a culture of corporate philanthropy with APCO, but she is also one of the driving forces behind the Close Up Foundation--which many of you dealt with when you served here--which brings youngsters from across the country to D.C. to learn about their government.

I'd also like to take this opportunity to thank Pulitzer Prize- winning columnist Colbert I. King, who was our master of ceremonies and did a fantastic job for the event and lent wonderful grace to the event.

The evening is a wonderful way to showcase our association and recognize outstanding public service. In addition, the dinner is our financial lifeline. All the programs you've heard about are self- financed by your association. Not a single taxpayer dollar is appropriated for this organization and for the many projects that we conduct. Therefore, success of the fundraising dinner translates directly into success for the association.

The evening is a lot of fun, and it's also of great importance to the organization. I hope that all former Members currently in attendance can be counted upon when Lou Frey picks up the phone next summer and gives you a call to help recruit you for our dinner.

Thank you very much.