Floor Statements

Madam President, I ask unanimous consent that the quorum call be rescinded.

Madam President, I rise to recognize the end of an era in my office in Washington, DC, because at the end of the year, Summer Mersinger will be leaving my office. She has been in my office for 15 years. She comes from a small town in Central South Dakota called Onida. The town is about an hour and a half away from where I grew up. Our towns are similar in size with similar backgrounds when it comes to the area in which we were raised and growing up in Onida, SD. Obviously she had a lot of the same experiences I did growing up in a small town. She took those experiences and has used them now for the past 15 years in my office.

Before she got to my office she went to the University of Minnesota and got her degree there in 1999, came to Washington, DC, worked as an intern, and then shortly after that became a full-time employee in my House office at the time. For the past 15 years, through thick and thin, through the ups and downs, the good days and the bad days, Summer has been the rock in our office. She has been the glue that holds things together. I have described her as the center of gravity. I have described her as a mama bear, lots of different things, but people in our office know she is the go-to person. If you want to get something done in our office, you go through Summer.

So when it comes time for her to move on to a different opportunity, obviously, it is a time that we want to recognize and pay tribute to her great service in our office. Usually around here--I think most people know this--it is the Members themselves, the Senators whose names are in the press releases, whose names get to be on the door, but it is the staff who really gets things done in the Senate, and I have been very blessed and fortunate to have people such as Summer Mersinger work in our office. I think of all the people who work in the Senate and the hard jobs they have trying to balance the hours we have to put in, the sacrifices that come with that, the time away from family, always being on call on weekends, always having to put out fires, whatever that might be--well, that is the role Summer has served in our office for a very long time.

Not only is she very skilled at what she does, but she brings so many other attributes to the job. Summer is somebody who has a powerful work ethic. She is somebody who has over the years expressed a calming demeanor in our office, as somebody who always is able to deal with people, all personalities, and somebody who most importantly has absolute integrity. Her wise counsel is something from which I have benefitted enormously over the years. One of the great attributes is she is intensely loyal when I don't deserve it. She has been somebody who has been an ally and I couldn't have a better ally than she.

So as she departs to do something else and moves on with her life, we want to wish her well. I had the opportunity to see a lot of transition and a lot of change in her life over the years from the time she started working for me, particularly when we got to the Senate. She not only worked full time but earned a law degree at the same time. She met a great guy here in Washington, got married, and has four children. At the same time she continued to work full time and handle all the difficult responsibilities that come with working and leading and running a Senate office. There aren't many people who could pull that off, and she has tirelessly dedicated herself to public service, to serving the people of South Dakota, to serving the Senate and serving in our office. There will be a very big void indeed when she leaves.

We are grateful for that outstanding service and the time we had to work with her. I thank her for her outstanding work for the people of South Dakota and for the Senate and for our office, but more importantly for her friendship and her always wise counsel.

We will miss her, but we know that whatever she does, she will be out there making a difference because that is the kind of person she is. So we say farewell to her at the end of the year and wish her and her family well and look forward to seeing her around the neighborhood and maybe even someday back in the small town of Onida, SD.

Madam President, I yield the floor.

Madam President, are we in morning business?

Very good.

Madam President, I wish to speak today about some of what is happening here with the agenda and where we might be headed. I think it is important to point out that the Democrats here, after this election, seem to be in disarray. We have fractures emerging on the left and the right.

Senate Democrats and the President are blaming each other for the Democrats' devastating election loss. The President is threatening a veto on a bipartisan tax extenders package that was negotiated by the House Ways and Means Committee chairman and the Senate Democratic leader.

The senior Senator from New York told an audience last week that passing ObamaCare was a mistake. To quote the Senator:

But unfortunately, Democrats blew the opportunity the

American people gave them.

We took their mandate and put all of our focus on the wrong

problem--health-care reform.

. . . it wasn't the change we were hired to make.

I could not agree more, but it is quite an admission from the third- ranking Democrat in the Senate.

Back in 2009, Republicans tried to tell Democrats we should focus on the economy and that any health care reform should be targeted at helping those struggling to afford health care rather than upsetting our entire system, but Democrats refused to listen. Now it appears at least some of them are wishing they had.

The President tried to sell the health care law as a benefit for the middle class. At a 2010 tele-town hall, he told his listeners that ``once this reform is fully in effect, middle-class families are going to pay less for their health care.''

Unfortunately, as far too many Americans have found, the President's health care law has actually forced them to pay more. I have lost count of the number of letters I have gotten from constituents in South Dakota telling me how much their health insurance has gone up since the so-called Affordable Care Act passed.

One constituent emailed me in November to tell me:

Please do something about the Affordable Care Act. Health

insurance is no longer affordable. In March our family health

insurance policy went up $150.00/month. Now [we've] received

notice [of] another $112.00 increase effective January 1,

2015, for a total monthly premium of $857.00. This is more

than our mortgage and we cannot afford it!!

Let me just repeat part of that last line. ``This is more than our mortgage.'' How are middle-class families supposed to afford what amounts to a second mortgage payment each month? The answer of course is they can't.

The President can talk all he wants about the supposed benefits of his health care law, but the fact is ObamaCare has made life worse for this South Dakota family and it has made things worse for millions of families across the United States.

Since ObamaCare was signed into law, family health insurance premiums have risen by about $3,000. That is a strain on any family budget just by itself, but it is even worse when we realize that the average family's income has dropped by nearly $3,000 over the course of the Obama Presidency.

On top of this, ObamaCare has forced millions of Americans off health insurance plans they had and they liked. Frequently, they have been forced to pay more for their new plans while getting less.

Thanks to ObamaCare, Americans have lost access to doctors they liked and trusted, they have lost access to convenient hospitals and they have lost access to medications and that is just the damage ObamaCare is doing to Americans' health care. That is not to mention the damage it is doing to the economy at large.

As the Senator from New York made clear in his comments, he thinks the Democratic Party erred in passing ObamaCare because what Americans wanted was not health care legislation but jobs legislation, and he is right. But Democrats went ahead with ObamaCare anyway, and not only has it not helped the economy, as the President said it would, it is actually hurting the economy.

Take one small part of ObamaCare, the tax on lifesaving medical devices such as pacemakers and insulin pumps. This tax has already been responsible for putting thousands of Americans out of work, and it is on track to eliminate thousands more jobs if it isn't repealed.

Then there is the ObamaCare 30-hour workweek rule, which is eliminating hours and reducing wages for thousands of American workers, and the numerous ObamaCare regulations that are making it difficult for small businesses to hire new workers.

As Democrats are now realizing, ObamaCare was a big mistake. What Democrats should have done, as the senior Senator from New York admits, was focus on creating jobs and opportunities for middle-class families.

The recent Gallup poll listing the overall health of the economy as Americans' top economic concern was just the latest poll in which Americans have listed jobs and the economy among their main worries. Yet Democrats have spent years ignoring the need for jobs and focusing on their own political priorities.

As the senior Senator from New York said:

When Democrats focused on health care, the average middle

class person thought, ``the Democrats aren't paying enough

attention to me.''

That average middle-class person is right.

In a few short weeks Republicans will take over the Senate, and we will be running things very differently.

Our first priority will be passing legislation to create jobs and opportunities for American workers. A significant part of that will be working to undo the damage ObamaCare has done to the economy. We will work to repeal the medical device tax and restore the 40-hour workweek. I hope Democrats will join us. I have a feeling many of them will.

As we have seen, opposition to these damaging ObamaCare provisions is not limited to Republicans. Democrats have joined us before to attempt to address these issues, and I look forward to working with these same Democrats and others in the new Congress.

As for the President, I hope he will finally admit his law is hurting Americans and join us in undoing the damage. Unfortunately, his actions so far have not demonstrated much openness to cooperation or any sign that he understands the American people are calling for a new era in Washington.

Democrats have spent the past several years focusing on the priorities of the far leftwing of their party instead of the American people's priorities--the economy and jobs. That is what the American people have been saying over and over they want their elected leaders to be focused on.

I hope the new Congress will mark the start of a new era in which Democrats join Republicans to help create

jobs and opportunities for Americans and remove obstacles to success. The American people have waited a long time for relief. It is time for Congress to give it to them.

I yield the floor.

Mr. President, today I recognize Stuart Campbell, an intern in my Washington, DC office, for all of the hard work he has done for me, my staff, and the State of South Dakota.

Stuart is a graduate of Central High School in Aberdeen, SD. Currently, Stuart is attending Georgetown University, where he is majoring in Science and Technology in International Affairs. Stuart is a dedicated worker who has been committed to getting the most out of his experience.

I extend my sincere thanks and appreciation to Stuart Campbell for all of the fine work he has done and wish him continued success in the years to come.

Mr. President, today I recognize Ross Dietrich, an intern in my Washington, DC office, for all of the hard work he has done for me, my staff, and the State of South Dakota.

Ross is a graduate of Roosevelt High School in Sioux Falls, SD. Currently, Ross is attending the University of South Dakota, where he is working toward an M.A. in addiction studies. Ross is a dedicated worker who has been committed to getting the most out of his experience.

I extend my sincere thanks and appreciation to Ross Dietrich for all of the fine work he has done and wish him continued success in the years to come.

Mr. President, today I recognize Maria Eckrich, an intern in my Washington, DC office, for all of the hard work she has done for me, my staff, and the State of South Dakota.

Maria is a graduate of Lincoln High School in Sioux Falls, SD. Currently, Maria is attending American University's School of International Service, where she is studying global governance, politics, and security. Maria is a dedicated worker who has been committed to getting the most out of her experience.

I extend my sincere thanks and appreciation to Maria Eckrich for all of the fine work she has done and wish her continued success in the years to come.

Mr. President, today I recognize Anne Keough, an intern in my Washington, DC office, for all of the hard work she has done for me, my staff, and the State of South Dakota.

Anne is a graduate of Lincoln High School in Sioux Falls, SD. Currently, Anne is attending George Washington University, where she is majoring in international affairs/security policy and Arabic. Anne is a dedicated worker who has been committed to getting the most out of her experience.

I extend my sincere thanks and appreciation to Anne Keough for all of the fine work she has done and wish her continued success in the years to come.

Mr. President, today I recognize Megan Reiffenberger, an intern in my Washington, DC office, for all of the hard work she has done for me, my staff, and the State of South Dakota.

Megan is a graduate of Watertown High School in Watertown, SD. Currently, Megan is attending George Mason University, where she is majoring in English. Megan is a dedicated worker who has been committed to getting the most out of her experience.

I extend my sincere thanks and appreciation to Megan Reiffenberger for all of the fine work she has done and wish her continued success in the years to come.

Mr. President, today I recognize Kelsey Sakos, an intern in my Rapid City, SD office, for all of the hard work she has done for me, my staff, and the State of South Dakota.

Kelsey is a graduate of Stevens High School in Rapid City, SD. Currently, Kelsey is attending Black Hills State University, where she is majoring in political science/social science. Kelsey is a dedicated worker who has been committed to getting the most out of her experience.

I extend my sincere thanks and appreciation to Kelsey Sakos for all of the fine work she has done and wish her continued success in the years to come.

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

Madam President, today is our first full week back in session since the election 2 weeks ago. While we haven't had the change of control yet in the Chamber--it doesn't happen until next year-- Republicans are setting out our priorities for the new Congress and looking forward to getting to work.

Two weeks ago the American people spoke. They sent a clear message to Washington that they are tired of the status quo, tired of gridlock, tired of obstruction. They are tired of Washington wasting their money. They want change, and on election day, they asked Republicans to make that happen.

Republicans are humbled by the trust the American people have placed in us, and we are not going to let them down. We look forward to setting a positive and a constructive agenda and getting the Senate working again for the American people.

Over the past several years, the Senate Democratic leadership has stifled debate, ignored the regular order of business, and wasted the Senate's time on partisan pieces of business that Democratic leaders knew would not pass. That means that very little time has been spent on American families' priorities.

Even many Democrats have grown frustrated with the highly partisan direction the Senate has taken under Democratic leadership. Republicans intend to chart a different course.

Starting in January, we will ensure that the Senate returns to the committee process and that the Senate floor once again becomes a forum for debate and amendments and votes. I am encouraged that this week a number of rank-and-file Democrats abandoned their leadership and joined Republicans to support legislation to approve the Keystone Pipeline and the more than 42,000 jobs it will create. Republicans hope we can continue to have that kind of collaboration in the new Congress.

Americans have had a rough time over the past several years, including a weak economy, few jobs, high prices on everything from health care to electricity, and the list goes on and on. Our first priority in the 114th Congress will be enacting policies that will help create jobs and increase economic opportunity for American families. A good place to start is the dozens of House-passed jobs bills that have been gathering dust on the Senate Democratic leader's desk. Many of these bills passed the House with bipartisan support, and it is high time they get a vote in the Senate so they can get on the President's desk.

We hope the President will work with us on priorities such as expanding trade to open new markets for American agriculture and manufacturing overseas.

I have to say I am a little concerned that the President has indicated his intention of continuing to operate on his own. The American people made it clear on election day that they have rejected his policies, and I hope the President will take that message to heart and rethink his plans to go it alone on important issues such as immigration.

Finally, Republicans will get to work on some of the big-ticket items that need to get done in Washington, including issues such as reforming our Tax Code to make it simpler and fairer and to make us more competitive in the global marketplace, eliminating the hundreds of inefficient regulations that are driving up prices for American families and killing jobs, and issues such as conducting oversight of the executive branch to ensure that the cycle of abuses such as the IRS scandal and the Veterans Affairs scandal stops now.

Republicans understand the opportunity we have been given and we don't intend to waste it. We are going to make Washington work again, we are going to make government more efficient and effective and stop the waste of taxpayer dollars, and we are going to get our economy going again to put our Nation on a path to growth and shared prosperity.

Divided government has been historically a time when great things have been accomplished. We can go back to Social Security reform in 1983 when we had a Republican President working with a Democratic House or tax reform in 1986 when we had a Republican President working with a Democratic House or 1996 when we had a Democratic President working with a Republican Congress on welfare reform. There are lots of examples throughout our history where divided government has led to big accomplishments and big results for the American people.

I submit that we can do that again. The American people are counting on us. Republicans are ready to roll up our sleeves and get to work, and we invite Democrats and the President to join us.

I yield the floor.

Madam President, let me just say that at long last this week we are going to be voting on the Keystone XL Pipeline. The vote has been a long time coming--years, in fact. Republicans have been trying to get this pipeline and the many jobs it will support approved. It would have been at the top of our agenda in January when we take control of the Senate, but we are happy to get a head start on that work a little early. It is just too bad that it took an election defeat and a runoff election to finally motivate the Democratic leadership to allow a vote on the measure. It should have received a vote years ago.

In fact, the Keystone Pipeline, if there is such a thing, is a win- win. It will create jobs. One can argue about how many jobs. The President's own

State Department said it would support over 42,000 jobs. It will decrease our reliance on oil from dangerous countries. It will increase revenues to State and local governments. It will free space on overcrowded rail lines so the farmers can get their goods to the marketplace, and it will do all of that without spending a dime of taxpayer money.

Our economy has been limping along for years. The unemployment rate is still hovering at near recession levels and 9 million Americans are unemployed. More Americans are working part-time jobs because they cannot find full-time employment. Household income has fallen nearly $3,000 since President Obama took office while the price of everything else, from food to health care, has risen.

Americans need jobs and economic opportunities, and the Keystone Pipeline will help supply them. As I said, the State Department estimates that in my home State of South Dakota alone, construction of the pipeline would bring 3,000 to 4,000 jobs and generate well over $100 million in earnings. It will also bring over $20 million in annual property taxes to South Dakota counties. I know some of the counties in the middle of my State are counties that are struggling to keep up with the cost of keeping the local governments going. School districts are struggling to survive and property tax revenue that will come in as a result of building a pipeline will help sustain many of those local governments and many of those school districts during some pretty difficult times.

My State is just one of the States that benefits. Nationwide, the pipeline will support more than 42,000 jobs--construction jobs from welders to pipefitters, to those who work at local hotels and gas stations. It will invest $5.3 billion in the U.S. economy and bring States a total of $5 billion in property taxes over the life of the project. That is a lot of funding for local priorities such as schools, law enforcement personnel and roads and bridges. Opponents of the pipeline like to cite environmental concerns as a reason for opposing the pipeline and its jobs.

Five separate environmental reviews from the President's own State Department have found that the pipeline possesses no meaningful risk to the environment. In fact, even the State Department admits the Keystone Pipeline is the safest way of transporting the oil. It is safer than rail or truck. It is important to remember Canada will be extracting and transporting its oil regardless. The only question is whether we want it to come to the United States along with the thousands of jobs it will create or whether we want to let Canada ship that oil overseas.

The American people have been very clear about their feelings about this project. Poll after poll has shown strong support. Republicans support the pipeline. Democrats in both Houses of Congress support the pipeline. Unions support the pipeline. The only people who seem to oppose it are Members of the far leftwing of the Democratic Party. The reason we haven't had a vote in the Senate is not because a majority of Senators don't support the project, it is because Senate Democratic leadership refused to hold a vote despite having support from their side of the aisle.

While it is unfortunate it took the Democratic leadership this long to come around, I am glad we are finally here. I hope the Senate will finally approve the pipeline. If this bill passes today it will have one final hurdle to clear and that is the President of the United States. I very much hope he will listen to the voices of American workers and the bipartisan majorities in the Congress. Given his recent comments, I am skeptical.

The President has demonstrated a disturbing commitment to holding the American economy hostage to priorities of the far leftwing of his party. Take his recent energy agreement with China which would force American companies to implement costly new measures while China gets to do nothing. The national energy tax that the President unveiled back in June will put tens of thousands, if not hundreds of thousands, of American workers out of jobs and devastate entire communities. The pipeline's economic benefits to support the American people and five-- five--successful environmental reviews have yet to convince the President to approve this project. I am concerned this vote probably isn't going to help, but I hope I am wrong.

By signing this bill, the President could send a powerful message about his willingness to work with Congress, and he can show the American people he heard their demands for change in Washington and that their economic priorities can be addressed.

I am sorry American workers have had to wait years for this project because, let's not forget, they are the ones who have been hurt the most by the administration's refusal to approve the pipeline. I hope today marks the end of their waiting and I hope it marks the beginning of a new era in the Senate.

When Republicans take over in January, bills such as Keystone will be the order of the day. We will take up jobs bills that passed the House with bipartisan support but have been waiting for a vote in the Democratic leader's Senate. We will take up legislation to create economic growth here at home by opening new markets for American agriculture and manufacturing overseas. We will repeal the medical device tax which is opposed by Members of both parties thanks to the fact that it is eliminating thousands of jobs in the medical device industry, and that will be just the start.

I hope that just as they did today, Democrats will work with us even more on bills to create jobs and economic opportunities for the American people because it is the people of this country for whom we ought to be doing everything we can to help and to support. I can state that the people in the Midwest, in the heartland whom I represent, already spend--if they make $50,000 a year--20 percent of their income on energy, either fuel or electricity. All these proposals, the national energy tax, the deal with China, continue to drive up the cost of energy and make it more difficult and more expensive for middle- income families who are increasingly squeezed by these policies.

I wish to close by quoting from a letter the leaders received from the National Council of Farmer Cooperatives in which they urge Congress to support legislation to approve the Keystone XL Pipeline, and this is what they say:

The Keystone XL Pipeline also is part of a long-term

solution to alleviating the transportation pressures many in

agriculture have faced. This year, farmers around the country

experienced some of the largest harvests they have seen in

generations. For some, their successful year has come to an

alarming halt when trying to sell and transport their crop.

Farmer cooperatives in the upper Midwest are facing major

delays in getting their farmers' grain to market due to the

sustained shortage of rail equipment resulting from the

increased use of rail to transport crude oil. The Keystone XL

Pipeline will ultimately free up locomotives and track to

move more grain to market and improve our ability to handle

year after year record harvests.

Yet another reason to support this project and the jobs that come with it, the energy independence that comes with it, the lessening-- relieving, if you will--of rail capacity issues that are plagued in many areas of the Midwest and making it harder for farmers to come to the marketplace.

This is a project that is a win-win, and I hope when the vote comes later today, we will have not just the majority of the Senators but the 60 votes that are necessary to move this to the President's desk.

I yield the floor.

Mr. President, on Monday, November 17, 2014, I was unable to be present for rollcall vote No. 276, on the motion to concur to the House amendment to S. 1086, the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act of 2014, due to inclement weather and travel disruptions from Sioux Falls, SD. Had I been present, I would have voted in support of this measure.

Yes. I would say to my colleague from Kentucky--and I appreciate the leadership of our colleague from North Dakota in constantly, persistently trying to get this in the Senate for a vote. My State of South Dakota, similar to so many others, stands to benefit enormously from this. We wish we had the direct energy production that the Senator of North Dakota has. We have a lot of indirect benefit from that. In fact, the State Department, the President's own State Department--not the oil companies--the State Department has said that in my State of South Dakota it would create 3,000 to 4,000 jobs, add $100 million to the economy, and generate $20 million in property tax revenue.

I happen to come from a county through which the pipeline would pass, a small rural county in South Dakota. My father still lives there. He is 94 years old. The school district there is very concerned about staying open. They know that when this pipeline is built, the easement they will have to get will generate property tax revenue that very well could keep the school district going. So many of the local governments out in my area in the State are very supportive of this important project.

I guess as I have looked at this--we have now had plenty of time to look at it since it has been kicking around here for about 6 years and five now environmental impact statements, all of which came back and said they have minimal impact on the environment.

If we are serious about job creation, and we have all talked on our side about the jobs this would create, the economic activities it would create, and the lessening of the dependence we have on foreign sources of energy--I have to say one other thing about my State; that is, we have a rail crisis. We have been battling now for a long time with the limited capacity in rail and much of the oil moving out is going on rail.

That makes it harder for us to get our agricultural commodities to the marketplace, and so what is happening is that we are consistently stressed. The one thing the pipeline would do in addition to moving Canadian oil down is it would allow for about 100,000 barrels a day of that--what do you call it--sweet light crude--to be put on the pipeline and therefore not on the rail car. That saves about a unit train a day, which is significant.

I guess I would say to my colleague from Kentucky--and I appreciate the arguments he has made not just with respect to this specific issue but also with what the administration's policies are doing to energy production in this country and the cost of energy and what that means for middle-income families, what that means for businesses, and what that means for jobs. It is like an all-out assault.

The Keystone Pipeline is one example of many of policies where this administration is in a position to do something good for the economy, something good for jobs, and something good for energy development in this country, lessening the dangerous dependence we have on foreign oil sources of energy.

I would say to my friend from Kentucky and I would ask him in terms of--the Senator doesn't have the direct and indirect benefit we have in North and South Dakota, but I know he has an awful lot of energy development in his State--what these policies are doing to jobs in a State such as Kentucky.

I know the Senator hears every day from his constituents about this administration's assault on the industries that are so basic and so important to our economy, so important to jobs, and providing a better, stronger, if you will, future for middle-income families in this country.

I would be curious to know if the Senator from Kentucky shares the same concern about the jobs and economy and cost of energy and everything else that I do and that we do in the northern part of the country.

Mr. President, I rise today along with my colleague from South Dakota, Senator Johnson, to commemorate South Dakota's 125th anniversary of Statehood. One hundred twenty-five years ago, on November 2, 1889, President Benjamin Harrison shuffled the Act of Admission Papers for North and South Dakota to ensure that no one knew which State entered the Union first. To this day, we still don't know which act President Harrison signed first.

South Dakota is perhaps best known as the home of the Shrine of Democracy at Mount Rushmore, which opened to the public just 50 years after South Dakota attained statehood. This monument captures the way of life and governance structure that we have in South Dakota. Our elected officials take the concerns of their constituents to Pierre and ensure that our State is bettering the lives of its citizens in a fiscally responsible manner.

We believe in limited government which provides room for individuals and businesses to grow and thrive. Our model of free enterprise has allowed businesses to flourish in South Dakota, and as a result, is one of the best States in the country to start a business.

We consistently have one of the lowest unemployment rates in the country, which is currently at 3.7 percent. Our labor force and our economy are driven by our State's top industries of tourism and agriculture. The 28,000

South Dakotans who work in our tourism industry ensure that people from all over the world enjoy our great places. Tourists enjoy visiting Mount Rushmore, of course, but also seeing the sights throughout the Black Hills and the Badlands, the Corn Palace in Mitchell, the Crazy Horse Memorial, and the falls in Sioux Falls.

In addition to welcoming Americans from coast to coast, South Dakota is feeding our Nation and our world. Each year, one South Dakota farmer produces enough food to feed 155 people. South Dakota ranks in the top 10 States for wheat, corn, soybeans, alfalfa, and sunflowers. We are also in the top 10 States of bison, honey, sheep, and beef. In all, South Dakota's agriculture industry contributes $26 billion annually to our economy.

While the productivity of our farmers and ranchers is unmatched, all hard-working South Dakota families contribute to our State's success. Whether they are educating our children, serving in our growing health care and financial services sectors, conducting research in our college laboratories, hard work is what binds South Dakotans together and has made our State's experiment in democracy one of the most successful in our Nation's history.

I am proud to call the great State of South Dakota home, and I am honored to have the privilege of serving all South Dakotans here in the Senate.

Today I wish to honor the spirit that has endured in our State for the last 125 years by celebrating this special anniversary.

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Senate proceed to the consideration of S. Res. 566, which was submitted earlier today.

I ask unanimous consent that the resolution be agreed to, the preamble be agreed to, and the motions to reconsider be laid upon the table with no intervening action or debate.