Floor Statements

I thank the Presiding Officer for recognition.

Madam President, look, we have heard a lot about the shutdown today. We have heard a lot about the impacts on families and on businesses and on our society in general. We heard a speech recently on the floor of the Senate on how Democrats don't want border security, which cannot be further from the truth.

The fact is, last year, we appropriated $21 billion for border security. That was in 2017. For 2018, it was $21.5 billion. The truth is, everybody I know of who serves in this body, whether a Democrat or Republican, wants to make sure our borders are secure.

Unfortunately, the President--or fortunately, however you want to look at it--came in with his budget request last year to the Homeland Security Subcommittee of Appropriations, on which I serve as ranking member, and asked for $1.6 billion for a wall. Guess what that subcommittee did, and guess what the Appropriations Committee did. We gave him $1.6 billion for that wall. The Senate didn't pass that bill, I might add. Sometime later, the President came in and said: No, I want $5 billion for a wall. And now it is $5.7 billion for a wall.

We asked for a report on how this money was going to be spent, and they sent us a report on how the $1.6 billion was going to be spent, with no comparative analysis on how technology or manpower or anything else to secure that border might work more beneficially to keep our borders secure and be more cost-effective for the American taxpayer.

What did the President do? Twenty-five times he said: I am going to shut down the government.

Guess what. The government is shut down. It doesn't take a genius to do that. We have heard the stories--and they will continue, especially after tomorrow when working folks will not get their paycheck--of the impacts on this country, on average Americans, who could lose their homes, their autos, not be able to send their kids to school, and not be able to afford healthcare. The list goes on and on.

I ask: Is this how you make America great again? Is this how it is done? It is not working.

Senator Cardin came to the floor a bit ago, and he said: I want to put up not show bills; I want to put up Republican bills that this body has already passed and that the House passed this last week so that the Senate would do their job and hopefully reopen the government. I think there are enough votes to do it. I think there are enough votes to override a veto.

The majority leader's response was: No, we are not going to do this; we want to take up a bill on Israel.

I am telling you, I am a big supporter of Israel, but I took an oath of office to protect this country first, and we are turning our back on this country.

We can continue to have the debate about the best way to secure the border, but it should not be done by holding the American people hostage. It should be done by having a debate in this body--the most deliberative body in the world, I was told before I got here. I got to serve with great Senators, got to serve with Robert C. Byrd, Richard Lugar, Kennedy, and Baucus. The list goes on and on. We don't debate. We don't even vote. In fact, we don't even live up to the Constitution's goals for us, its requirements for us--whatever you want to call them.

We are a coequal branch of government. We shouldn't be allowing--as Senator Durbin said, asking for a permission slip from the President to be able to do our business. Bring the bills to the floor to open this government, and vote on it. If they go down, they go down. I think they will pass. If the President vetoes them, bring them back for a veto override. It is as simple as that.

I wonder what the forefathers would think today if they saw this body--a shell of its former self. And it is not due to the rules; it is due to the fact that we have leadership that will not live up to the obligation of this body as set up to begin with.

We have work to do here. We have a lot of work to do, and that work starts with opening the Government of the United States. If we don't do it or if we say we are only going to do it with permission from the President, then we all ought to hold our heads in shame.

I yield the floor.

I suggest the absence of a quorum.

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

Mr. President, I rise today to set the record straight on the President's border wall--quite frankly, something he didn't talk about much last night during his speech to the country. But the truth is, this is where the problem is. So I want to talk about it a little bit today.

The President made it crystal clear--dozens of times, in fact--that he was prepared to shut down the government in order to get the $5.7 billion for the wall, leading up to that speech last night. So here we are today, day 19 of President Trump's shutdown. Political gamesmanship? Well, that is nothing new in Washington, DC, but the fact is, our debates need to be grounded in facts. So here are the facts:

The President's demand for $5.7 billion for a border wall is tall in hyperbole and wide on theatrics but short on facts.

Last night, the President said that Congress has refused to provide the resources needed to secure the border. That is not true. In fiscal year 2018, Congress gave the President $1.3 billion to construct fencing and other fixed structures along the southern border. I know so because I worked side by side with my Republican colleagues to write that bill. Today, not one of those projects is under construction--not one.

Strong border security is much more than physical barriers. Congress appropriated $21 billion for immigration enforcement and border security in last year's Homeland Security Appropriations Act. That includes money to expand manpower, increase technology, and utilize communication services and resources on top of funding for physical barriers.

Here is another fact: Hard narcotics likes meth and cocaine and opioids are not coming over the border in backpacks; they are coming through our ports in cars and trucks. We have the technology to fix that, so let's appropriate the money toward real solutions at our ports to stop the drugs from entering our country, not $5.7 billion for a wall.

So, again, let's stick to the facts. Despite having more than $21 billion in border security and immigration enforcement funding, including funds for physical barriers, the President has shut down the government to demand another $5.7 billion exclusively for a wall.

One would think to ask, what would you possibly spend $5.7 billion on, especially after already having $21 billion to spend on border security and immigration enforcement? And we did ask him that. We asked him for a plan. We told the President and Homeland Security Secretary Nielsen that if they are going to break their promise to have Mexico pay for the wall and use American taxpayer dollars, they ought to produce a plan of action.

The plan we received in late December was incomplete--no analysis of alternative technologies, no analysis on the impact to communities, to landowners, to wildlife. And that plan only asked for $1.6 billion, not the $5.7 billion the President is now demanding.

The President has also failed to address private property rights and eminent domain. What is he going to do if a family refuses to sell off wide tracts of their farm or ranch to allow a wall to go through and split their ranch, divide their ranch? Are families going to cede their water and mineral rights? Is the administration prepared to enter into good-faith negotiations with literally thousands of families? And do we know how much that is going to cost the American taxpayer?

These questions need answers. Yet, with these questions still unanswered, there are folks in this body, the U.S. Senate, who are prepared to write a $5.7 billion check to the President right now.

So here we are on day 19 of the President's shutdown. During the President's speech last night, he was right about one thing: There is a crisis taking shape in our country. But it is not the crisis on the southern border that he is trying to manufacture. As a result of the President's shutdown, there are 19,000 border agents today who are working without pay. There are 51,000 TSA agents working without pay. These are hard-working folks. They have families, they have mortgages, and they are being forced by the President to secure our country's borders and ports and airports while not knowing when their next paycheck will arrive.

I have heard from Border Patrol agents who moved across the country at their own expense so that they could be stationed along Montana's northern border. How have they been repaid for their willingness to serve? Well, they are not being paid. Not only do they have to absorb the moving costs, but now they have to pay for rent and cover other essential costs without a paycheck, and they are continually wondering when they will get paid next.

Look, at the end of last year, CBP's recruitment efforts finally started to bear fruit. For the first time in years, CBP began to achieve gains in hiring border agents. This shutdown not only could, but I believe it will set back those efforts dramatically. Who could blame a family for passing on a job that could force you to work for free?

The President talked last night of a ``sacred duty to America.'' I can think of few things more un-American than withholding pay from someone after an honest day's work.

But it is not just those stationed at the border and at our airports who are hurting because of the President's shutdown. I am going to give a small sample of letters and emails I have received from the folks from the great State of Montana since the shutdown began.

Ronald from western Montana says this:

I spoke to my son, a career Coast Guard member. He tells me

that the Coast Guard is being directed to continue their

duties without being paid due to this ridiculous shutdown.

Senator, that is not right! Why do these brave men and women

have to continue to risk their lives without being paid? My

boy is worried about being evicted from his apartment with

two young daughters and a wife because they won't receive

their housing allowance! Please help fix this un-American

situation.

Shilo from Bozeman writes:

I and other federal employees have been converted into

political footballs for partisan politicians. My Christmas

vacation was canceled and pay has been suspended during a

time when some of us need the money the most. We are being

disadvantaged and made to suffer while the comfortable and

blithely unaffected cling to their arbitrary political

ideologies and refuse to compromise.

Daren from northeast Montana:

I have a farm equipment loan that is at a standstill

because the USDA is not picking up the phone. I have

contractors and vendors who are waiting to be paid. The

impact of this shutdown will last long after it ends.

Debra from Indian Country:

My daughters are federal employees proudly serving the

Northern Cheyenne Tribe in Montana through the Indian Health

Service. My daughters are both enrolled members of the

Northern Cheyenne Tribe, and both are single, hardworking

mothers. My granddaughters are afraid their moms won't be

able to pay the bills or buy groceries if the paychecks don't

arrive. Morale is horrid in Lame Deer.

Please stop this immoral shutdown. It is very unfair to

hardworking people like my daughters. They must work but will

not get a paycheck this Friday if the shutdown continues.

Mr. President, this is what a crisis looks like, and this is a crisis you have created.

The President barely mentioned the wall last night in his address to the Nation. Yet we are here on day 19 of a government shutdown that is a direct result of his wish to build a wall from sea to shining sea.

It is time for the Senate to be the Senate. It is time for the folks in this body to quit making decisions based on politics and start making them based on facts.

The facts in this case are clear. There is no plan for $5.7 billion for a border wall, Mexico will not pay for it, and the dysfunction of this administration

is causing real turmoil in the lives of 800,000 workers and their families.

I am calling on the majority to bring some common sense to this situation and to stand behind the bipartisan legislation that Republicans and Democrats have passed over the last several months-- over the last month in particular--to reopen the government and put an end to this crisis.

I yield the floor.

I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Madame President, today I wish to honor a Montanan and an astronaut who, 50 years ago, set off on a journey that took him further from home than any man had been before.

On December 21, 1968, Commander Frank Borman, and his crew Jim Lovell and Bill Anders, sat atop a Saturn V rocket and were blasted into space, destined to become the first men to orbit the moon and return safely back to Earth.

Apollo 8 flew a dangerous mission at a perilous time for both the space program and our Nation which, much like today, was struggling to heal itself after a year of discord and division.

In late December, those differences were put aside as 1 billion souls turned their eyes towards the cosmos and watched as grainy images of the lunar surface were transmitted back to Earth. The magnitude of the moment was undeniable: When we work together, humanity is capable of greatness.

That was Commander Borman's last time in space. He now lives in Billings; he and his wife Susan have called Montana home for the past 20 years.

As we remember Commander Borman's history-making flight, we must also remember the sense of optimism and pride that it inspired and strive to find it once again.

Mr. President, I appreciate that and thank the Senator.

Look, we are at the end of the year. Oftentimes in this body, things happen at the end of the year that we are not too proud of, but we have an opportunity to do something we could be very, very proud of, and that is, pass the public lands bill.

This public lands bill would permanently reauthorize the Land and Water Conservation Fund. This is the most effective conservation tool we have in this country right now. Whether it is establishing a park in one of your cities or towns or setting land aside so we can get better access to our public lands, this is a critically important fund that I hope we can get done as part of this lands package that is moving forward and hopefully will move forward before this Congress ends.

LWCF--the Land and Water Conservation Fund--has invested over half a billion dollars in Montana alone.

There is another component of this bill that I am particularly fond of. It is a bill that will protect Yellowstone Park and the headwaters of the Yellowstone River. It is called the Yellowstone Gateway Protection Act. It is a simple bill. It is a bipartisan bill. It is a bill that will help support the hundreds of small businesses in Paradise Valley. And it is called Paradise Valley for a good reason-- because it is paradise, and we need to keep it a paradise by preventing large-scale mining in that region.

I am just asking Congress to act. I am asking my fellow Members, my fellow Senators to add some commonsense to the negotiations that are moving on here and pass this lands bill because it is critically important for our kids and our grandkids.

Mr. President, I yield the floor.

Madam President, I rise today, as we all are, to recognize a marvelous person in Claire McCaskill. I am going to go back to 2006, when Claire was running for the U.S. Senate and I was too. The first time I saw Claire McCaskill on TV was on C-SPAN. She was in a debate. I thought to myself: My, oh my. This lady has skills--because it is something I do, I study people who are good and I try to steal as much as I can from them and there was plenty to steal in her ability to get to the truth.

Then, Claire and Jim Webb and I all won close elections in 2006 and showed up in this body. Those of you who know Webb, Webb was maybe the most intense person I ever have met in my life--an incredible human being in his own right--and I became good friends with Jim.

Claire, I can't tell you the first time we met, but I can tell you when we met, it was like we had known one another our whole lives. Claire had this ability to instill--and still has this ability. I want to talk in the future, not in the past. Claire has the ability to welcome you and make you feel as good about yourself as you feel about her.

We got to be fast friends. She and Joseph are Sharla and my best friends in this body. In fact, when I got on the train a few weeks ago--and I probably shouldn't have done this, but it just happened--I happened to get on the train with Senator-elect Hawley. I didn't know him. I never met him. I never looked at the debates this time around when I was campaigning. He introduced himself to me. I will probably owe him an apology for this, but I said:

Yes, you just beat my best friend in the U.S. Senate--because she has been.

She is one of the reasons I have been able to come to this body and really enjoy it. As everybody said before, she is smart, she is very articulate, and she has a heart. Those three things are qualities that serve one well in the U.S. Senate.

And I, for one, am going to miss her presence here and her ability to tell the truth in a way that you have to be hard of hearing not to understand what she says because she has been a great Senator over the lasts 12 years. She has represented Missouri, and because we all have those two letters in from of our names--``U.S.'' Senator--she has represented this country in an amazing way. I, for one, will miss her but will make a point to make sure the relationship we have developed in this body continues for the rest of our lives.

Madam President, before I start, I thank Senator Hatch for his decades of service to this body, and I wish him well in retirement.

This CR is about one thing--transparency, sunlight, and making sure people know what is going on with their government. I rise on behalf of the millions of Americans who are tired of seeing their democracy undermined by mega-donors as they hide in the shadows. As my friend from Maine said, it would be like going to a public meeting with a bag over your head. That is what this is about. Take the bag off. Take them out of the shadows.

Since the Supreme Court's ruling in 2010 in a case called Citizens United, we have had our democracy and our elections for sale. Over the past 8 years, billions of dollars have been spent to influence our elections. Nobody knows where this money comes from. It could be coming from foreign countries.

Just 3 years after the unpopular Citizens United decision, these wealthy families once again used the Supreme Court to chip away at our democracy with the McCutcheon ruling. A handful of our Nation's wealthiest families have used this court ruling to hide behind political action committees with stoic names so they can build pipelines of cash to push their own agendas.

While we are still tallying the totals from this past election 5 weeks ago, we know that dark money groups in 2016 spent $1.4 billion in that single election.

If we don't take an aggressive approach, more dark money is going to

flood our elections. It is going to mislead voters and turn people away from our elections, our democracy, and, quite frankly, will put our democracy at risk.

This is a very important joint resolution, and it is not the first time we have been here. During the Gilded era of the Copper Kings, this Nation's wealthy openly exercised their power over our democracy. Once again, they tried to buy it. In fact, in my home State of Montana, Copper King William Clark's solicitation for bribes during his campaign for the U.S. Senate was so blatant that Mark Twain called him ``as rotten a human being as can be found anywhere under the flag.'' Today, I am concerned that the days of the Copper Kings have returned and are being ushered in, in part, by policies from this administration.

Back in July, the Treasury Department and the IRS took an unprecedented step and eliminated the requirements for certain tax- exempt organizations to report to the IRS the identities of their major donors.

I will say one thing about the Senator from Wisconsin's remarks--the Obama administration's view on this was that it opposed it because it would constrain the IRS in enforcing its tax laws. This administration's policy through the Treasury, through the IRS, created another safe haven for this country's wealthiest donors to hide in the shadows while they pulled the levers of power in our democracy.

Just like ordinary Americans took control of our government at the end of the days of the Copper Kings, when Senate seats were openly for sale--they acted--we have to act today. Today's vote will overturn that rule and shed more light on the folks who are trying to buy our elections.

In my reelection campaign over the past 2 years, over $40 million of outside money was spent to influence just 500,000 voters. We will never know who those folks were. These out-of-State fat cats didn't know the State of Montana; they just wanted to write the large checks to try to influence and buy our State, just like the Copper Kings did 100 years ago. I guarantee that a lot of those dollars came from the same dark money groups that are opposing this vote here today. They don't want to see this joint resolution pass because it undermines their efforts to anonymously influence our elections--once again, taking away from the transparency of our government.

In addition to these wealthy few who are trying to buy our elections, these dark money policies open the door to foreign contributions to House, Senate, and Presidential campaigns. Of course, it is illegal for a foreign national to contribute to our Federal candidates for office, but when you do not know who is contributing the money, how do we know that it is not the Russians or that it is not the Saudis or other nations that are infiltrating our elections? Our adversaries are always looking for the weakest link to try to destroy our country and destroy our democracy. One of our weak links today is our broken campaign finance system.

It is time to pass this bill, shore up the election infrastructure, and take a step toward eliminating the ability of our enemies to choose leaders in Washington, DC.

I thank the senior Senator from Oregon for his leadership and for helping to force a vote on this important legislation. Senator Wyden and more than 30 Members of this body cosigned our discharge petition, and 35 Members of this body cosponsored this joint resolution of disapproval under the Congressional Review Act to force today's vote.

The public needs to know where the Senators stand. Do they stand on the side of transparency and accountability, or do they side with the dark money special interests who flood our elections with television ads and our mailboxes with misleading ads? It is past time to wrestle our country back from the wealthy few who are fighting to drown out the voices of regular folks. I urge the support of this joint resolution of disapproval so as to help take our country back.

I will close with one thing, and then I will be quiet--and thank you for your tolerance. This is about transparency. Tell me one time when transparency has not been a good thing. It is the antiseptic for good government.

I yield the floor.

Mr. President, I am going to change pace a little bit here. I want to talk about a couple of people on my staff who are going to move on to greener pastures, you might say, and I want to acknowledge them.

First of all, I want to acknowledge a man who has always been there for me when I have needed him. Day or night, hell or high water, yes, even during the first few weeks of his fatherhood, my chief of staff, Aaron Murphy, has given himself to Montana and to this Nation.

For years, he and his wife Patience and their children Mira and Wes have dedicated nights and weekends to ensuring that our State remains the best place to live and raise a family.

Dating back to my first U.S. Senate campaign in 2006, Aaron has been an integral part in shaping my message, crafting my political policy, and ensuring that every word matters. He takes the job seriously, but he never loses the ability to laugh at himself--the mark of a true leader.

One 4th of July, he tasked his communications team to write a statement honoring Independence Day. My team wrote:

We can't be consumed by our petty differences anymore. We

will be united in our common interests.

Aaron was appalled by the hyperbole, and he began editing the statement, only to find out that his team had pranked him by copying and pasting lines from the Hollywood blockbuster movie ``Independence Day.''

Aaron's no-nonsense style has kept us focused on what really matters, and that is the people. His ability to see the big picture and the end goal is one of his greatest gifts.

His work ethic is second to none. He is the first person in the office in the morning, and he is the last one out at night. He is rooted in his desire to create opportunity for the next generation, and his passion drives him to excel every day--never settling for second best.

He has worked as my press secretary, as my communications director, and now he wraps up his time as my chief of staff.

I want to tell him, on behalf of my entire family and team Tester: Thank you for your service.

Aaron has been at my side through three grueling elections and countless national media appearances.

I remember the first time I met this man. He was working at a local TV station. I was informed by my then-communications director that we had this guy who wanted to work for my campaign. At the time, I said to Matt McKenna: Why would he want to work for me? He has a good job.

Matt responded: Maybe he actually thinks you can win this election.

That is exactly what Aaron Murphy believes. He believes in the future of this country. He believes in the future of Montana.

There was another time, before the 2012 election, when Aaron was driving to my farm. He took the wrong road, and he ended up stuck in the mud. He buried the car up to the frame, and, fortunately, he found a spot where his cell phone worked and got ahold of me. I went out with the tractor and pulled him out of the mud. I was laughing at the time, making fun of his inability to navigate a muddy road, but Aaron saw an opportunity. He later told that story to a national reporter, who used it in a story to show that I hadn't lost my roots.

Thanks for getting stuck in the mud, Aaron.

Here is the thing about Aaron Murphy. He sees things differently. He has the ability to connect with people and drive an agenda that matters to everyday Americans. He is genuinely creative, full of passion, and good for a terrible pun or a dad joke.

Aaron, on behalf of my family, on behalf of the entire staff--both here in DC and in State--I want to thank you for your hard work, your service, your dedication, and your willingness to come back to the political fray and help me for the last 2 years.

Thank you very much.

Tribute to Dayna Swanson

Mr. President, I also want to talk about my State director, who is also leaving for greener pastures. I guess that is what happens when you get reelected.

My State director's name is Dayna Swanson. She is an incredible woman. She is a leader, wise counsel, and friend. Anybody who knows Dayna knows she is a package of dynamite.

A few years back, Dayna wanted to get an old pickup. She looked around, and she found an old pickup. She found a 1949 Chevrolet pickup that had a pretty, fresh, green paint job. In fact, it was a paint job that also included part of the chrome bumper painted green. It looked good to Dayna, and she bought it. Needless to say, it probably needed a little work. When you went around the corner, the doors would fly open, and sometimes it would start, and sometimes it wouldn't.

I figured, what the heck. It is an old pickup. It is a great parade vehicle. We had a homecoming parade coming up in Missoula, so I asked Dayna if we could use her new 1949 pickup in the parade. We were in the parade with the vehicle and, as usual--it is what you would think--it overheated, the hose blew, and before we knew it, the Lieutenant Governor was pushing the rig down the road with me driving it, which was kind of nice.

That is Dayna. She is not afraid to take a risk. She inherited these traits from two marvelous people, her parents, Butch and Kathy.

Dayna and I come from different parts of the State of Montana, but we still have some things in common. I come from North Central Montana, where agriculture is the business. It is done there, and we dig in the Earth to make a living. She comes from just east of the Continental Divide, where hard-working miners dig in the Earth to find minerals and, consequently, are able to put food on their table.

Her Anaconda roots--her Irish roots--define her, as evidenced by her love of Jameson Whiskey, but it is her heart that makes her so special.

Dayna has compassionately lead my Montana team in the State, guiding them through difficult times, overcoming government bureaucracy, and putting some big wins on the board for the State she loves--Montana.

When a Montanan walks into one of my offices, regardless of what the problem is, Dayna goes to work to make sure the problem is solved. Dayna's team bends over backward to get them the help they deserve.

Her leadership skills literally save lives. When I first got elected 12 years ago, Dayna designed our constituent casework process. She knew that my No. 1 goal would be to help the people of Montana, and every day since then, she has committed her heart and soul to that mission.

She has ushered Cabinet Secretaries across the State, showing them what rural America looks like. She has worked with county commissioners, State legislators, and everyday Montanans to ensure that Montana remains the last best place.

She has flown in the dead of winter with me when it has been so cold you couldn't see the ground, and when you did land, you could see that the wings of the plane were covered with ice.

For 12 years, she has been my eyes and ears on the ground in Montana. We have spent hundreds of hours together--windshield time--from places like Wibaux to Libby and all along the way. We have shared countless laughs and have worked to make the State a better place.

While her time in my office comes to a close, I know there are great opportunities on the horizon for Dayna and her partner Denise, who just took over as superintendent of schools in the Seattle school system. She will be heading out to Seattle, where she will make Seattle a better place, just as she has made Montana a better place.

In Dayna Swanson's particular case, on behalf of my wife, the entire Tester team, and the people of Montana, I say: Thank you for a job well done.

With that, I yield the floor.

Mr. President, I want to talk for just a few minutes about Senator Heidi Heitkamp, but first I want to start by talking a little bit about why North Dakota is so important to me.

My grandfather and grandmother lived in Argusville, in West Fargo, and moved to the place where I farm in about 1910, so I have always had a kinship with North Dakota.

Before I came to this body--even before I got into the State legislature--I always looked at North Dakota with envy because they had two U.S. Senators by the names of Byron Dorgan and Kent Conrad. I thought they were incredibly effective people, and when I got to this body, I found out that in fact they were. Byron used to talk about Rosie the Riveter and trade and Kent used to talk about the budget.

Then there was this lady by the name of Heidi Heitkamp, who decided to run when Kent hung up his cleats. I remember sitting in caucus as the campaign unfolded in 2012. As a candidate, especially in a tough State like North Dakota is or a tough State like Montana is, you always worry about different issues as they are coming down the pike and how you were going to deal with them and how you were going to message them. Healthcare was a big deal in the 2012 election. I saw one of the ads Heidi had offered up. She didn't step away from the issue. She laid into the issue. That was a sign of what was to come when she got into this body.

I remember the night she got elected and, as she pointed out, she wasn't supposed to get elected, but she did because she is a special person and a special candidate. I remember driving home the next morning, and I called Kent Conrad. I said: Congratulations. He said: You are going to love Heidi Heitkamp. She is an incredible person. I remember he also said: What you are going to love about her the most is that she is normal. In this body, that says a lot--because Heidi Heitkamp is normal. She is somebody who sees the world as it is. She sees rural America as it is. She has leaned into every issue. They have been well documented

here today. She has been incredibly effective in this body, but most importantly--and most of what this body is going to have to compensate for when she goes--every issue she brought up today revolves around rural America.

Not many people live in rural America anymore. We have all moved to the coast or we have moved to the bigger cities. She is right; Fargo is the big city. In Montana, people have moved from the rural areas to the big cities like Great Falls and Billings and Missoula. Those people and their challenges in those rural areas are real. Heidi Heitkamp brought those challenges to the floor, brought them to committee every single day. I can't tell you how much I appreciate that, being a child of rural America.

So as we move forward, as Heidi has given her last speech on the Senate floor and laid out the challenges we need to take up in this Senate--and the challenges she laid out are real and they will not get solved by one party or the other, they will only get solved, as she knows, by working together. I will say this. You have been an incredible friend, an incredible ally, somebody who is normal, and I wish you Godspeed moving ahead. I am sure we haven't heard the last of Heidi Heitkamp.

I yield the floor.

Mr. President, I move to proceed to Calendar No. 630, S.J. Res. 64.

Mr. President, I just want to make a very short statement and then flesh it out a little further tomorrow.

The resolution we are about to take up will help to protect our democracy, and it will hold special interests accountable. I do not believe we can continue to allow special interests to hide under the cover of darkness, as they have such great influence on our elections. The American people have spoken. I think they have made it clear that they are very tired of the dark money in our elections and that the decision by the administration to allow megadonors and special interests to further hide is not acceptable.

The vote is simple. The vote is for more transparency by these special interests. Quite frankly, it has major impacts on our elections. I just went through one, and I will talk a little more about it tomorrow.

The bottom line is that this resolution is one that, I believe, will add more transparency, will help our democracy, will help both Democrats and Republicans know who is trying to influence the elections, and will also allow us to determine whether foreign entities--which is, by the way, illegal--are trying to influence our elections.

I yield the floor.

I want to tell you, the only thing standing in the way of this bill passing is the Senate.

I have a tremendous amount of respect for Senator Enzi. I know, as chair of the Budget Committee, he has a job to do, but we have a job to do.

People sign up for our military, and promises are made. The promises that are made are the cost of war. The Vietnam war has been over for decades, and these folks are dying every day. This deal was Agent Orange exposure. If you served on the mainland of Vietnam, you are covered, but if you were on a boat on the ocean next to Vietnam, you were not.

I am going to tell you something. If you have been around weed spray, which is what Agent Orange is--it is a defoliant--and if you have been around it, you don't have to be sprayed with it to be exposed to it. All you have to be is downwind. These folks on the ocean were downwind. Why do we know that? Because there has been study after study showing that these folks who served on the ocean next to Vietnam are suffering from a higher level of cancer, hypertension, and heart disease.

We have a job to do here, folks. There are 30 VSOs, maybe more than that--Veterans Service Organizations--that expect us to act and do the right thing here today. I will tell you, the chairman of the Veterans' Affairs Committee, Johnny Isakson, has done a marvelous job this Congress, doing what is right for our veterans and making sure the VA has what is needed to serve our veterans. This is not the VA.

I know there are some in the administration who don't want to see us do this. But the truth is, this is a cost of war. It is our obligation to meet the needs of those folks who have sacrificed for this country. It is time to step up today, folks. We are the only thing standing in the way of this bill being passed and doing right by our Vietnam veterans.

I want to close with one thing. Since I have been ranking member and since I have been a member of the Veterans' Affairs Committee, I have talked to a lot of Vietnam veterans. These are the folks who came back from war, and there was nobody at the airport waiting for them--nobody. They couldn't wear their uniforms on the streets of our towns. Now we are going to deny them the benefit that they have earned because they were exposed to Agent Orange. There is no doubt they were exposed to Agent Orange.

It is time to look at ourselves here in the Senate and step up and say: Do you know what? It does cost a lot of money. Do you know what? It has been studied to death, and it can be studied some more, but the bottom line is, we need to do right by the folks who were willing to serve in the Vietnam war. Some of them were drafted. Some of them signed up on their own. But the bottom line is, they all expected to get the benefits. This is a benefit they should get.

I yield the floor.

Mr. President, today I wish to honor the service and career of veteran and dedicated advocate Garry Augustine.

As the executive director of the Disabled American Veterans, DAV, since 2010 and a 46-year life member, Garry has helped shaped the legislative landscape for disabled veterans and their families by advocating before Congress, the White House, and the VA. Back home, Garry has led DAV's efforts to make sure disabled veterans can access the healthcare and benefits they need and earned.

A native of Cleveland, OH, Garry enlisted in the U.S. Army in August 1969. As a member of the 198th Infantry Brigade in South Vietnam, he served on the Batangan Peninsula. During a combat patrol operation on April 9, 1970, he was severely wounded by a land mine explosion.

After 18 months and multiple surgeries at Walter Reed Medical Army Hospital, Garry returned home to Cleveland, where he continued physical rehabilitation and underwent additional surgeries at the Cleveland VA hospital. In December 1972, he was medically discharged from the U.S. Army.

Following his service, Garry went on to earn a bachelor's degree with honors from Ohio University in 1978. In 1983, he completed a master's degree in sociology from Cleveland State University, the same year he became a life member of DAV Chapter 42 in Mentor, OH.

In Mentor, he served in various positions, including chapter commander and adjutant, and on statewide committees, as well as director of service for the DAV Department of Ohio. In 1989, he was selected as one of the Outstanding Young Men of America.

Along the way, Garry met and married Kellie Lambing and raised two children, Chelsea and Kyle.

Garry began his tenure with DAV as a hospital service coordinator in 1988 at the Cleveland Wade Park VA Hospital. That same year, he joined DAV's professional staff as a national service officer apprentice. He remained at the Cleveland national service office where he was promoted to assistant supervisor in 1997 and supervisor in 2000.

He served as supervisor at the Cleveland DAV National Service Office until being appointed assistant national service director at DAV's Washington Headquarters in 2002. In January 2004, he was appointed deputy national service director and was named national service director in 2010.

As executive director of DAV, Garry has helped lead an organization that has always been at the forefront of advocating for veterans and securing the resources, healthcare, and benefits veterans have earned. Garry has been a fierce advocate for VA healthcare reform, expanding caregiver benefits, securing critical resources for veterans initiatives, modernizing the disability appeals system, and improving VA services and resources for women veterans.

As ranking member of the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee, it has been a joy to work with Garry and DAV on important pieces of legislation like the Deborah Sampson Act, the Veterans Appeals Improvement and Modernization Act, the VA Accountability and Whistleblower Protection Act, the Rural Veterans Transportation Enhancement Act, and the VA MISSION Act.

These bipartisan bills, several of which were signed into law, serve as a testament to Garry's dedication and leadership on behalf of veterans. While future generations of veterans will be able to look at these bipartisan reforms as examples of Garry's dedication, they will also feel the reach of Garry's mission to serve veterans in their communities.

Under his leadership, DAV continues to be a cornerstone for communities across our Nation. At the local level, DAV helps injured and ill veterans get to and from their doctor appointments, transition back to civilian life through its mobile service offices, and navigate the VA healthcare and benefits systems.

It is my honor to recognize Garry's lifetime of service as a soldier, veteran, and leader of DAV. As Garry begins a new adventure into retirement, I have no doubt that he will continue to serve those in need. To Garry, on behalf of myself and a grateful nation, I extend my greatest appreciation to you for your enduring bravery, service, sacrifice, and advocacy.

Mr. President, I rise on behalf of 152,000 of my constituents in Montana with preexisting conditions. These are folks who are struggling with things like diabetes and heart disease and asthma and cancer. Many of them are just one medical bill away from bankruptcy. Thankfully, their health insurance is there for them when they need it, whether it be for a joint replacement or to undergo chemo or to have a baby.

Federal law holds health insurance companies accountable that their plans cover us when we need it. Unfortunately, those rules are being tossed out so big insurance can make a quick buck at the expense of working families.

Just last week, health insurance companies started flooding the market with junk plans. These plans are marketed as cheap insurance that will keep you healthy. Fifty bucks a month for full coverage, they say; $8.95 a week for top-rated coverage, they claim. Now, that is a heck of a deal.

Well, not so fast. They are total and complete shams. If you read the fine print, you will discover that dialysis, blood pressure pills, and x rays aren't covered. In fact, most things are not covered.

Originally, insurance companies designed these plans to provide stopgap coverage when you changed jobs or needed health insurance for just a few months. They figured you could get by

with a bare-bones policy for a month or two. They were never designed to provide coverage for an entire year, let alone three, but now that has all changed.

Starting last week, health insurance companies now have permission to sell long-term junk plans to Montana's families. What was once a short- term solution is now becoming a long-term problem.

So let's ask ourselves why we buy insurance in the first place. It is for risk management. Why do we buy auto insurance? It is in case you get in an auto wreck. You hope you never have to use it, but if you do, you need that insurance to take care of that automobile to get it back on the road again.

Why do we buy fire insurance? In case you have a fire. You hope it never ever happens, but every once in a while it does, and if you are unfortunate and it happens to you, you have fire insurance to rebuild your home.

I am a farmer. Why do you have crop insurance? You have crop insurance in that case where Mother Nature may not be smiling upon you; you may not get the rain at the appropriate time or you may get a hailstorm that wipes you out. You hope it never happens, but if it does, you have that crop insurance you can depend upon to manage your risk.

So why do you buy health insurance? Is it because you plan on getting sick? I don't think so. It is because, if you get sick, you will need the coverage. If you end up with high blood pressure, you have the coverage to help offset those costs.

Unfortunately, with these junk plans, they are called junk for a reason--because they don't cover anything. They give you a false sense of hope and a false sense of coverage and you have no coverage.

I want to take you back to 1965. In 1965, my parents bought an accident insurance policy. It was supposed to cover accidents. Guess what happened in 1965. I got in a little accident with a meat grinder, and that insurance policy covered nothing. My folks had to dig deep and pay for the cost. When they thought they had insurance, they had nothing.

I was young, but I can still remember how angry my father was that they had been sold a bill of goods. That is exactly what it is with these junk insurance plans.

Montanans are getting grifted. They are being sold a bill of goods. They are being lied to, deceived, and I will do whatever I can do to keep the junk out of our healthcare.

We must hold big insurance companies accountable. We cannot let corporations swindle folks who need health insurance when, in the end, they have nothing.

The bill before us this week does that. It keeps short-term plans short term. It stops insurance companies from selling garbage plans that don't cover preexisting conditions.

That is why I am urging my colleagues to vote for this resolution, to stand up for Montanans across the State and Americans across this country. These are folks who work hard to put food on the table, and they shouldn't have to choose between a doctor's appointment and a utility bill.

Today I rise for those folks from Miles City, Harlowton, and Libby and promise to defend them from these shoddy plans.

With that, I yield the floor.

I suggest the absence of a quorum.

Mr. President, today I wish to honor my staff director on the Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee Anthony McClain.

Tony quietly works behind the scenes, fighting for our Nation's veterans, Active Duty, National Guard, and Reserve servicemembers.

In recognition of his selfless service, the National Guard Association has awarded him the Patrick Henry Award for his ``exceptionally strong support for the National Guard.''

This award is presented to civilians who have distinguished themselves by superior service over an extended period of time in support of the Armed Forces.

I cannot think of a more deserving individual.

Since Tony began working in the Senate in 2004, he has worked hard to improve the lives of National guardsmen and their families. He cut his teeth as legislative assistant to Senator Blanche Lincoln, then I was lucky enough to personally hire him in 2010.

In my office, he wrote landmark legislation to expand guardsmen's access to a quality education, and he went to the mat for the Montana National Guard time and again.

Tony helped improve mental health services for guardsmen by writing legislation that strengthens access to counseling at VA facilities.

He has written several bills that break down barriers for guardsmen to utilize G.I. Bill education benefits.

When the Montana National Guard needs help with keeping their equipment and resources in fighting shape, Tony is an ally they can rely on. He helped secure additional aircraft, infrastructure, and critical upgrades such as firefighting equipment or the recently authorized C-130 apron expansion.

I could go on and on, but Tony's track record is clear.

Tony's ability to negotiate, compromise, see opportunity, and seize it is second to none. He manages and motivates his team to excel, and as a result, the lives of millions of guardsmen, Reservists, airmen, and veterans are better.

As Senators, we get to stand on the Senate floor and pass legislation. People like Tony make it look easy, but trust me it is not.

For that, Tony deserves our heartfelt gratitude. So today, on behalf of Montana and this Nation, I rise to honor Anthony McClain's service and to say, ``Job well done, my friend.''

Mr. President, today I wish to honor the memory of an outstanding Montanan and leader.

Elizabeth Fullon served as interim dean at Montana State University Billings City College, an Air Force Reservist, and an advocate for veterans and students in Montana.

Like many of us, Elizabeth was deeply affected by the September 11 attacks. A member of the Massachusetts Air National Guard at the time, she was on base when the planes hit and worked for months around the clock in the aftermath.

Her service eventually brought her to Billings, where she wanted to find a way to honor the first responders who gave so much that day. Anyone who has been to Montana's 9/11 Memorial at City College has seen the fruits of her labor. Elizabeth secured a grant to bring a 612-pound I-beam from one of the Twin Towers to Billings to serve as the centerpiece for the memorial.

The memorial serves as a reminder of the selflessness of the 9/11 first responders and as a reminder of those who lost their lives on that horrible day. Elizabeth's efforts in making the memorial possible ensure Montanans can pay tribute and respect the brave Americans who, then and now, rush into danger whenever it calls, to keep us safe.

Elizabeth's legacy was one of service, and I stand today to thank her and to ask that we remember her by taking a moment to honor the heroes in each of our lives.

Mr. President, today I wish to honor the memory of a great Montanan who left his mark on countless lives.

Bruce MacIntyre devoted his life to the betterment of Billings, MT. Bruce's service to his community started at his father's car dealership. After returning from the University of Notre Dame, Bruce took over the family business, successfully running it with integrity and passion.

It didn't take long for Bruce to expand his horizons by serving in community leadership positions. He eventually sold the dealership to devote his time to others. Bruce quickly began consulting for businesses around Billings, helping them evolve and grow, creating jobs and opportunities along the way.

Bruce eventually joined the Billings Chamber of Commerce as director of government affairs, fostering relationships between businesses and local officials to expand the economy and establish lifelong connections. Bruce was well-known in Billings and across the State as a humble, generous mentor who always had time to give advice or lend a hand or even simply to listen to someone who needed it.

His other passion was ensuring students got a quality education. Bruce was instrumental in passing numerous levies to benefit students and teachers, and in 2017, he was elected to serve as a trustee for Billings SD2, where he lent his insight and expertise to creating a better future for all students.

I rise to remember this great man, who selflessly dedicated his life to his community. Montana is a better place because of Bruce.